Episode
#433: Sam Harris on Psychedelics, How to Cope During a Pandemic, Taming Anxiety, and More
Description
Sam Harris — Psychedelics, Meditation, and The Bigger Picture | Brought to you by FreshBooks and "5-Bullet Friday" "Nothing's changed but yet, on some level, everything has changed, and I feel like I'm in a spaceship where at any moment, the leak or the breach in the wall can be catastrophic. It's a very bizarre feeling, which I know everyone is sharing to one or another degree." — Sam HarrisSam Harris (@SamHarrisOrg) is a neuroscientist, philosopher, and author of five New York Times bestsellers. His work covers a wide range of topics—neuroscience, moral philosophy, religion, meditation practice, human violence, rationality—but generally focuses on how a growing understanding of ourselves and the world is changing our sense of how we should live. His books include The End of Faith, Letter to a Christian Nation, The Moral Landscape, Free Will, Lying, Waking Up, and Islam and the Future of Tolerance (with Maajid Nawaz).Sam hosts the popular Making Sense podcast and is also the creator of the Waking Up app, which offers a modern, rational approach to the practice of meditation. Sam has practiced meditation for over 30 years and has studied with many Tibetan, Indian, Burmese, and Western meditation teachers, both in the United States and abroad. He holds a degree in philosophy from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA.Please enjoy!This episode is brought to you by FreshBooks. I’ve been talking about FreshBooks — an all-in-one invoicing + payments + accounting solution — for years now. Many entrepreneurs, as well as the contractors and freelancers that I work with, use it all the time.FreshBooks makes it super easy to track things like expenses, project time, and client info, and then merge it all into great-looking invoices. FreshBooks can save users up to 200 hours a year on accounting and bookkeeping tasks. Right now FreshBooks is offering my listeners a free 30-day trial, and no credit card is required. Go to FreshBooks.com/tim and enter “Tim Ferriss” in the “How did you hear about us?” section!This episode is also brought to you by "5-Bullet Friday," my very own email newsletter, which every Friday features five bullet points of cool things I've found that week, including apps, books, documentaries, gadgets, albums, articles, TV shows, new hacks or tricks, and -- of course -- all sorts of weird stuff I've dug up from around the world.It's free, it's always going to be free, and you can subscribe now at tim.blog/friday.***If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests.For show notes and past guests, please visit tim.blog/podcast.Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (“5-Bullet Friday”) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Please fill out the form at tim.blog/sponsor.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Chapters
Fresh Books is an all-in-one invoicing and accounting solution that helps you turn your passion into a successful small business, without the added stress or uncertainty.
00:00 - 02:23 (02:23)
Summary
Fresh Books is an all-in-one invoicing and accounting solution that helps you turn your passion into a successful small business, without the added stress or uncertainty. The platform offers automated invoicing, billable time and expense tracking, and customer service support to help you feel confident and secure in managing your business finances.
Episode#433: Sam Harris on Psychedelics, How to Cope During a Pandemic, Taming Anxiety, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Tim Ferriss promotes his email newsletter, Five Bullet Friday, which contains short and action-packed content from around the world, and shares that he met around 25 of his podcast guests through his newsletter.
02:23 - 11:25 (09:02)
Summary
Tim Ferriss promotes his email newsletter, Five Bullet Friday, which contains short and action-packed content from around the world, and shares that he met around 25 of his podcast guests through his newsletter. The advertisement is followed by another ad for Athletic Greens, a supplement that packs in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
Episode#433: Sam Harris on Psychedelics, How to Cope During a Pandemic, Taming Anxiety, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Anxiety can be useful when there is still uncertainty about what to do, but once you figure it out, anxiety is no longer useful.
11:26 - 21:15 (09:49)
Summary
Anxiety can be useful when there is still uncertainty about what to do, but once you figure it out, anxiety is no longer useful. When you allow yourself to just feel the raw sensations of anxiety, the sensations lose their psychological importance and degrade over seconds.
Episode#433: Sam Harris on Psychedelics, How to Cope During a Pandemic, Taming Anxiety, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Sam Harris reflects on the difficulties of persuading people on climate change with its slow moving catastrophe that still has differences of opinion among scientists, making it hard to attribute any one change in the weather to climate concern, unlike the fast-moving coronavirus.
21:15 - 34:17 (13:01)
Summary
Sam Harris reflects on the difficulties of persuading people on climate change with its slow moving catastrophe that still has differences of opinion among scientists, making it hard to attribute any one change in the weather to climate concern, unlike the fast-moving coronavirus.
Episode#433: Sam Harris on Psychedelics, How to Cope During a Pandemic, Taming Anxiety, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Sam Harris discusses his experience taking a larger dose of mushrooms than ever before and how it did not significantly impact his daily work routine.
34:17 - 42:36 (08:18)
Summary
Sam Harris discusses his experience taking a larger dose of mushrooms than ever before and how it did not significantly impact his daily work routine.
Episode#433: Sam Harris on Psychedelics, How to Cope During a Pandemic, Taming Anxiety, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
LSD is more potent and harder to navigate due to varying dosages and long-lasting effects, while mushrooms provide a longer on-ramp but a faster off-ramp.
42:36 - 52:36 (09:59)
Summary
LSD is more potent and harder to navigate due to varying dosages and long-lasting effects, while mushrooms provide a longer on-ramp but a faster off-ramp. Both offer unique experiences and reveal the continuum of human consciousness.
Episode#433: Sam Harris on Psychedelics, How to Cope During a Pandemic, Taming Anxiety, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The size of the dose determines the realm of consciousness that is explored during a psychedelic experience.
52:36 - 59:47 (07:11)
Summary
The size of the dose determines the realm of consciousness that is explored during a psychedelic experience. Taking a small dose can lead to a more personal and potentially negative experience, while taking a larger dose can lead to transcendent experiences that don't have a reference point in one's life.
Episode#433: Sam Harris on Psychedelics, How to Cope During a Pandemic, Taming Anxiety, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Under-dosing in psychedelic experiences can lead to being stuck in the clouds of turbulence without achieving a transpersonal viewpoint, while overdosing can result in perceived journeys still in the clouds after the experience.
59:48 - 1:05:45 (05:56)
Summary
Under-dosing in psychedelic experiences can lead to being stuck in the clouds of turbulence without achieving a transpersonal viewpoint, while overdosing can result in perceived journeys still in the clouds after the experience. Accurate dosage is crucial in achieving the desired outcome.
Episode#433: Sam Harris on Psychedelics, How to Cope During a Pandemic, Taming Anxiety, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The use of illegal drugs such as ayahuasca is dangerous and irresponsible.
1:05:45 - 1:15:22 (09:36)
Summary
The use of illegal drugs such as ayahuasca is dangerous and irresponsible. Individuals should only experiment with psychedelics after conducting sufficient research and gaining experience with safe and responsible use.
Episode#433: Sam Harris on Psychedelics, How to Cope During a Pandemic, Taming Anxiety, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The current crises and the pandemic can be viewed as a non-specific amplifier of underlying issues, and many people are having a psychedelic experience right now.
1:15:22 - 1:27:41 (12:19)
Summary
The current crises and the pandemic can be viewed as a non-specific amplifier of underlying issues, and many people are having a psychedelic experience right now. Sam Harris discusses the struggles that people are currently facing and asks for recommendations for those who are scared or suffering.
Episode#433: Sam Harris on Psychedelics, How to Cope During a Pandemic, Taming Anxiety, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Sam Harris and Paul Bloom discuss the ethical considerations surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, including the importance of supporting essential workers and those who are financially struggling, and the need for collective action to slow the spread of the disease.
1:27:42 - 1:37:51 (10:08)
Summary
Sam Harris and Paul Bloom discuss the ethical considerations surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, including the importance of supporting essential workers and those who are financially struggling, and the need for collective action to slow the spread of the disease.
Episode#433: Sam Harris on Psychedelics, How to Cope During a Pandemic, Taming Anxiety, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed flaws in our systems and institutions, highlighting the need for improved supply chains and the importance of functional institutions over populist demagoguery.
1:37:52 - 1:47:09 (09:17)
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed flaws in our systems and institutions, highlighting the need for improved supply chains and the importance of functional institutions over populist demagoguery. It has also brought to light the need to stockpile necessary equipment and for governments to take responsibility for acquiring PPE.
Episode#433: Sam Harris on Psychedelics, How to Cope During a Pandemic, Taming Anxiety, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Tim Ferriss promotes Freshbooks as an all-in-one invoicing and accounting solution that helps small businesses with their financial management, including branding invoices, automating billing and time tracking, and providing a user-friendly dashboard.
1:47:10 - 1:53:33 (06:22)
Summary
Tim Ferriss promotes Freshbooks as an all-in-one invoicing and accounting solution that helps small businesses with their financial management, including branding invoices, automating billing and time tracking, and providing a user-friendly dashboard.