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,...
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Agency, Communion, and the Dialogical Self
Dr. John Vervaeke
"To what extent is authenticity a solitary alignment with the inner self, versus a relational and dialogical process shaped through communion with others?" John Vervaeke, Gregg Henriques and Matthew Schaublin come together for a discussion covering the concept of authenticity. Matthew Schaublin presents findings from two studies, one of which employs a mixed-methods design to examine the interplay between authenticity, agency, and self-transformation through both narrative analysis and psychometric assessment. The findings reveal that authentic experiences are often marked not by internal...
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The Crisis of Being
Dr. John Vervaeke
The Crisis of Being James Filler is a philosopher, theologian, and leading voice in metaphysics and post-Cartesian thought, specializing in substance ontology, the meaning crisis, and relational models of reason. With a PhD in philosophy and expertise in ancient and contemporary ontology, Filler is the author of Heidegger, Neoplatonism, and the History of Being Relation as Ontological Ground and Substance Ontology and the Crisis of Reason. His work traces the genealogical roots of modern nihilism and skepticism while advancing a powerful case for relationality, participation, and...
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Embarking on the Philosophical Silk Road: Exploring Pilgrimage and Theosis
Dr. John Vervaeke
This conversation marks the beginning of a deeper inquiry for Dr. John Vervaeke: What if pilgrimage is not a retreat from the world, but a return to what is most real? Joined by Ethan Hsieh, John explicates his intent to preregister his intellectual and philosophical orientation before beginning his metaphorical pilgrimage. Drawing on parallels with psychology's preregistration practice, John's aim is to document his internal state at various stages of his journey. The conversation delves deep into the concepts of theoria, theophany, and theosis, advocating for a pilgrimage that is not...
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The Return of the Sacred: Mysticism, Tradition, and the Challenge of Modernity
Dr. John Vervaeke
Ritual, Wisdom, and What’s Lost Sebastian Morello was trained in philosophy by Sir Roger Scruton and Andrew Pinsent. He is a lecturer, columnist, and popular public speaker in the United Kingdom and throughout Europe. Morello has previously co-authored books on subjects of philosophy and education. He lives in Bedfordshire, England, with his wife and children. Each quarter, John engages in thought-provoking extended conversations with a leading expert in psychology, philosophy, and spirituality. Each season offers a unique exploration, bringing together their diverse fields of...
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What AI Can Never Be | John Vervaeke
Dr. John Vervaeke
Can artificial intelligence truly become wise? In this landmark lecture, John Vervaeke explores the future of AI through a lens few dare to examine: the limits of intelligence itself. He unpacks the critical differences between intelligence, rationality, reasonableness, and wisdom—terms often used interchangeably in discussions around AGI. Drawing from decades of research in cognitive science and philosophy, John argues that while large language models like ChatGPT demonstrate forms of generalized intelligence, they fundamentally lack core elements of human cognition: embodiment, caring, and...
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Sacredness After Deconstruction
Dr. John Vervaeke
Britt Hartley is a certified spiritual director, meditation teacher, and leading voice in secular spirituality, specializing in religious trauma, deconstruction, and nihilism recovery. With a Master’s in Applied Theology, doctoral work in Open and Relational Theology (ABD), and training across Sufi, Mormon, and meditation traditions, she is the author of No Nonsense Spirituality: All the Tools, No Faith Required and a respected scholar on Gen Z and the future of American religion. Britt Hartley: | | Each quarter, John engages in thought-provoking extended conversations...
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Hacking Humanity: Data, Desire, and the Future of Free Will
Dr. John Vervaeke
What happens when data knows us better than we know ourselves? In this raw and riveting conversation, John Vervaeke and Christopher Mastropietro sit down with Andy Russell — a former architect of data-driven persuasion — to expose how AI, behavioral profiling, and social media algorithms can hijack human desire, threaten our agency, and reshape our civilization. But there’s hope: what if the same power that manipulates us can be used to heal us? This episode lays bare the disturbing origins of persuasion tech, how it was used in politics and commerce, and what it will mean when AI takes...
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Lectern Q&As: The Virtue of Love | Featuring John Vervaeke, Ethan, and Ellie
Dr. John Vervaeke
Welcome to a special installment of the Lectern Q&A! This month’s theme is Love as a Virtue and Existential Stance. This session dives into the nature of love—not just as a feeling, but as a participatory, person-making virtue that binds us to reality and each other. Joining John and Ethan is Ellie, who brings both a deeply reflective presence and insightful contributions to this exploration. Lectern Q&As are a monthly gathering where John and Ethan take questions from The Lectern’s members, threading through important themes that are most pertinent and perplexing to the...
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Autonomy, Authenticity, and the Fragmented Self
Dr. John Vervaeke
If 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: “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,...
info_outline"To what extent is authenticity a solitary alignment with the inner self, versus a relational and dialogical process shaped through communion with others?"
John Vervaeke, Gregg Henriques and Matthew Schaublin come together for a discussion covering the concept of authenticity. Matthew Schaublin presents findings from two studies, one of which employs a mixed-methods design to examine the interplay between authenticity, agency, and self-transformation through both narrative analysis and psychometric assessment. The findings reveal that authentic experiences are often marked not by internal self-consistency alone, but by themes of communion, deep relational connection, emotional resonance, and shared understanding. This challenges static, individualistic models of the self and instead supports a dialogical conception in which authenticity emerges through interaction and mutual recognition. The conversation also highlights how current psychological frameworks fail to account for the complexity of lived, meaningful experience. Together, Matthew, Gregg, and John propose a more dynamic, relational, and transjective understanding of selfhood and agency.
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.
Notes:
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(0:00) Introduction to the Lectern
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(0:20) John Gives a Recap of Part One: Autonomy, Authenticity, and the Fragmented Self
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(2:00) Study Design Explained
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(3:30) Communion in Transformative Moments
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(5:00) Data Collection and Analysis
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(7:00) Agency in Authentic vs. Transformative
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(10:30) Coding the Self - Agency, Communion, and Authenticity Themes
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(15:00) Themes of Being Unauthentic
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(16:30) Gregg on Persona, Ego, and the Influence Matrix
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(21:00) Philosophical Roots of Authenticity
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(25:00) The Limits of Reductionism - A Mixed Methods Defense
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(34:30) The Justification Machine - Interpretation and Cognitive Framing
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(38:30) Narratives of Agency and Self-Actualization
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(42:00) Communal Connections and Authenticity
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(44:30) Intimacy and Affiliation
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(55:00) Predicting Agency in Narratives
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(58:30) Statistical Findings - Self-Alienation, Agency, and Thematic Expression
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(1:02:00) Significant Findings and Interpretations
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(1:15:00) Concluding Thoughts and Future Directions
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Ideas, People, and Works Mentioned in this Episode
The concept of authenticity
Communion
Carl Rogers
Charles Taylor
Wilton & McAdams
Albert Borgmann
Julian Jaynes
Self-alienation
The dialogical self
Authenticity
Narrative identity
Quotes:
“ We tend to leap into the narrative and we ignore this sort of internal dialogue that's going on that makes the narrative actually run in an important way.” - John Vervaeke
“That's what intimacy is, transcending the general social conventions and finding the real particulate resonance that person A would have with person B.” - Gregg Henriques