A Thorough Critique of Popular and Psychological Accounts of Meaning of Life
Dr. John Vervaeke
This is John’s second video essay, and it delivers a thorough critique of contemporary theories of meaning in life. With his student Arjun Arora assisting, John dismantles the standard psychological and folk categories — purpose, coherence, significance, and mattering — showing why they fall short of capturing the depth of what “meaning” actually is. Arjun Arora is a cognitive science and physics scholar whose work bridges science, philosophy, and the search for meaning. As a student collaborator of Dr. John Vervaeke at the University of Toronto, Arora explores questions at the...
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Silk Road Seminar - Jonathan Pageau
Dr. John Vervaeke
Thank you for joining us for our monthly Silk Road Seminar! Today’s guest is Jonathan Pageau is a Canadian artist, writer, and public thinker exploring the patterns that unite art, symbolism, and meaning. As an icon carver and lecturer on symbolic thinking, Jonathan has become a prominent voice in the growing movement to recover traditional ways of seeing the world. His work brings together theology, myth, and modern culture to help audiences rediscover the sacred patterns underlying reality. He is the host of The Symbolic World, a popular podcast and YouTube channel where he examines...
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Virtuosity as a Way of Life | Ethan Hsieh and the Tiamat Process
Dr. John Vervaeke
Something is coming: https://lectern.johnvervaeke.com/p/whatnext What if mastery isn’t about perfection—but about transformation? In this episode of The Lectern, John Vervaeke is joined by Ethan Hsieh to explore how the cultivation of virtuosity—typically associated with the arts—can become central to philosophical and existential growth. Ethan introduces his Tiamat process, a three-tier developmental framework integrating performance training, cognitive science, and dialogical practice. Together, they explore what it means to live a deliberately developmental life, moving...
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Silk Road Seminar - Elizabeth Oldfield
Dr. John Vervaeke
Thank you for joining us for our monthly Silk Road Seminar! Today’s guest is Elizabeth Oldfield. Elizabeth Oldfield is an experienced leader, writer, consultant and podcast host with a passion for intelligent public engagement on issues of reconciliation, identity, and healing our common life. She is currently working with a range of organisations and individuals as a coach and consultant focused on building clarity, courage and connection. Elizabeth appears regularly in the media, including BBC One, Sky News, the World Service, and writing in Prospect Magazine, UnHerd and The...
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Exploring Jewish Neoplatonism: The Life and Philosophy of Solomon Ibn Gabirol
Dr. John Vervaeke
Watch the first episode of our new season of Lectern Dialogues! This season’s guest is Zevi Slavin. Zevi Slavin is a philosopher, educator, and public scholar whose work explores the intersections of mysticism and philosophy across traditions. As the creator of Seekers of Unity, he is dedicated to reviving and reinterpreting the voices of philosophical mystics, with a focus on Jewish thought and its dialogue with Greek and Islamic philosophy. A leading voice in the study of Jewish Neoplatonism, Slavin highlights figures such as Solomon Ibn Gabirol, whose integration of poetry, metaphysics,...
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Why Reason Needs Spirit | John Vervaeke
Dr. John Vervaeke
Thank you for joining us for this in-depth solo lecture from Dr. John Vervaeke, where he continues his exploration of cognition, meaning, and spirit from the perspective of relevance realization and predictive processing. In this talk, John takes us on a journey through the architecture of the mind, explaining how voluntary necessity, scientific idealization, and porous participation form the basis of how we understand ourselves and the world. He unpacks the imaginal dimension of cognition, the deep entanglement of anticipation and rationality, and how the fellowship of the spirit provides an...
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Silk Road Seminar - Rick Repetti
Dr. John Vervaeke
Thank you for joining us LIVE for our monthly Silk Road Seminar! Today’s guest is Rick Repetti. Silk Road Seminars are a live event where John weaves together threads from his various theoretical conversations along with a distinguished guest. These hour-long conversations are live on YouTube followed by an exclusive Q&A, where you can ask questions directly to John and his guest. To be entered onto the guest list for these Q&As, you can sign up at the Gamma Tier (and above) on The Lectern at . Currently enrolled university students at all levels up to doctoral studies get free...
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Navigating the Trust Apocalypse: Examining Collective Agency and Distributed Cognitio
Dr. John Vervaeke
How do we rebuild trust and meaning in a world where certainty and connection are breaking down? In this episode of The Lectern, John welcomes Kieran McCammon and Jordan Hall to discuss the 'trust apocalypse' and its intersection with the meaning crisis. They delve into the vicious cycle between the loss of trust and the fragmentation of communities, exploring how these issues reverberate through society. Kieran introduces his work on the Trust Foundation, which aims to address these challenges by leveraging collective agency, distributed cognition, and extended distributed labor. John...
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Silk Road Seminar - Bishop Maximus
Dr. John Vervaeke
Bishop Maximus is a theologian, scholar, and Orthodox bishop whose work bridges ancient Christian thought with contemporary philosophical inquiry. A leading voice in the revival of patristic epistemology, he focuses on the integration of faith and reason through figures such as Clement of Alexandria. His research explores how early Christian thinkers synthesized Greek philosophy with theological doctrine, offering compelling alternatives to modern skepticism. Bishop Maximus is a key contributor to the Philosophical Silk Road project, advocating for the transformative power of faith as both...
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The Philosophical Silk Road: A Journey to Rediscovering Theosis and Sacred Pluralism
Dr. John Vervaeke
The Calling to Reorient the Self How can the sacred be recovered in a world fractured by autonomy and fragmentation? In this deeply personal episode of Kainos on The Lectern, recorded during a session hosted by Alexander Beiner on Kainos, John Vervaeke shares reflections from his recent pilgrimage across Europe—what he calls the Philosophical Silk Road. Weaving through sacred conversations and historic locations, he explores profound ideas like theosis, theoria, and voluntary necessity, inviting listeners into a lived philosophy of sacred participation. From Istanbul to Rome to Amsterdam,...
info_outlineIf you find yourself torn between rationality and spirituality, science and mysticism, facts and belief; The Lectern's inaugural 8-week course will offer you a new lens through which to reflect on these dilemmas. Click here to enroll: https://lectern.teachable.com/p/einstein-and-spinoza-s-god1
“What does it really mean to be authentic, and can this virtue be meaningfully understood and measured across psychology and philosophy?”
John Vervaeke, Gregg Henriques and Matthew Schaublin embark on a discussion covering the concept of authenticity. The discussion explores authenticity as one of the premier virtues of modernity, comparing it with autonomy, and tracing its roots through romanticism and existentialism, notably discussing Heidgegger and Kierkegaard. Greg introduces psychological perspectives and client-centered therapy influenced by Carl Rogers, while Matthew shares insights from his empirical research on dispositional authenticity carried out at the University of Chattanooga. The trio also touch on the tensions between self-identification and participation, self-alienation, cognitive fluency, and the societal quest for authenticity, proposing a nuanced and dynamic understanding of the true self.
Gregg R. Henriques is an American psychologist. He is a professor for the Combined-Integrated Doctoral Program at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, US.
Matthew Schaublin is a master’s candidate in psychology at the University of Chattanooga, with a four-year research focus on authenticity. His work blends empirical psychology with philosophical and classical inquiry, investigating how dispositional authenticity is expressed and experienced.
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Notes:
0:00 Introduction to the Lectern
0:45 Exploring the Concept of Authenticity
3:30 Greg's Perspective on Authenticity
5:00 Matthew's Research on Dispositional Authenticity
9:00 Theoretical Foundations of Authenticity
12:30 Philosophical and Clinical Perspectives
24:30 Relational and Psychological Dimensions
36:30 The Evolution of Self-Definition in Modernity
38:00 The Greek Roots of Authenticity
39:30 Modeling Authenticity and Personality
43:15 Rationalization and Authenticity
44:45 Tensions in Authenticity: Identification vs. Participation
49:00 The SAFE Model of Authenticity
55:00 Empirical Studies on Authenticity and Agency
1:06:30 Key Takeaways and Future Directions
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Connect with a community dedicated to self-discovery and purpose, and gain deeper insights by joining our Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/johnvervaeke
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John Vervaeke:
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https://www.youtube.com/@johnvervaeke
https://www.patreon.com/johnvervaeke
Gregg Henriques:
http://www.gregghenriques.com/
Matthew Shaublin:
https://www.instagram.com/matthewschaublin/
Ideas, People, and Works Mentioned in this Episode
Kierkegaard’s Concept of Authenticity
Heidegger’s Use of ‘Authenticity’
Maslow’s Theory of Self-Actualization
Dispositional Authenticity
The SAFE Model of Authenticity
Alienation and Cognitive Fluency
The Ethics of Authenticity by Charles Taylor
On the Concept of Irony and The Sickness Unto Death by Søren Kierkegaard
Being and Time by Martin Heidegger
On Becoming a Person by Carl Rogers
Martin Heidegger
Charles Taylor
Aristotle
Jean-Paul Sartre
Quotes:
”Like, meaning, like rational, authenticity is not just a descriptive term.” -John Vervaeke (2:00)
”Inauthentic living… Tough, you know.” -Gregg Henriques (28:30)