The Return of the Sacred: Mysticism, Tradition, and the Challenge of Modernity
Release Date: 06/06/2025
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,...
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Redefining Human Flourishing: AI and the Meaning Crisis
Dr. John Vervaeke
As AI continues to advance and integrate into our daily lives, can it truly be designed to align with our deepest human values and moral principles? If so, how can we ensure that AI not only understands but also respects and promotes our ethical frameworks, without compromising our privacy or hindering our personal growth and autonomy? John Vervaeke, Christopher Mastropietro, and Jordan Hall embark on a nuanced exploration of the intricate relationship between AI and human flourishing. They explore the concept of "intimate AI," a personalized guardian that attunes to individual...
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Neoplatonism and the Ground of Relationality
Dr. John Vervaeke
What if the deepest truth of reality lies not in substances or isolated things, but in the pure relationality that connects everything? John Vervaeke is joined by renowned scholar Douglas Hedley to explore James Filler's groundbreaking work "Heidegger, Neoplatonism, and the History of Being." John and Douglas examine the profound implications of viewing ultimate reality as fundamentally relational rather than substantial, uncovering significant convergences between Heidegger's later thought and the ancient Neoplatonic tradition. The dialogue goes into how Neoplatonic metaphysics offers potent...
info_outlineRitual, 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 knowledge to create fresh insights and understanding. These in-depth discussions, chaptered for your convenience, offer nuanced perspectives and integrative approaches to navigating our complex world.
The first episode is free and publicly available. To follow the rest of the season as well as gain access to previous discussions, you can sign up at the Beta Tier (and above) on The Lectern at the Lectern Lounge.
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The Vervaeke Foundation is committed to advancing the scientific pursuit of wisdom and creating a significant impact on the world. Learn more about our work.
If you would like to learn and engage regularly in practices that are informed, developed and endorsed by John and his work, visit Awaken to Meaning’s calendar to explore practices that enhance your virtues and foster deeper connections with reality and relationships. Join Practice.
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"What practices and philosophical frameworks can help us recover a sense of the sacred in an age dominated by disenchantment and institutional collapse?"
John Vervaeke and Sebastian Morello engage in an expansive dialogue that traverses the authority crisis in the Catholic Church, the enduring wisdom of Neoplatonism, and the transformative power of Hermetic practices. Anchored in Morello’s provocative new book, Mysticism, Magic and Monasteries, the conversation unpacks the “double crisis” of our time- one of meaning and one of sanctity, and argues that modernity functions like a spell that must be broken. Together, they examine how monasticism once offered a stable and embodied sanctity, and why recovering mysticism, ritual magic (in the Hermetic sense), and lived devotion might be essential for collective reawakening.
Notes:
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(0:00) Welcome to The Lectern
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(0:30) John reconnects with Sebastian Morello
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(3:00) Sebastian Gives a Brief Introduction of Himself
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(6:00) Diagnosing the Double Crisis - Meaning and Authority
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(9:00) Critique of Modernity and the Catholic Church
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(12:00) The Loss of Embodied Wisdom in the West
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(20:00) Neoplatonism and the Need for Relational Ontology
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(26:30) Philosophical Anthropology and Cosmic Personhood
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(31:00) Modernity’s Ontological Truncation
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(38:30) Sacred Authority and the Failures of Clericalism
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(42:00) Monasteries as Alternatives to Institutional Collapse
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(49:00) Christian Liturgy as Baptized Theurgy
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(54:00) Hermetic Cognition - Practicing the Theocentric Vision
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(1:00:00) Recovering Sacred Imagery - Tarot, Ritual, and Mystical Space
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(1:04:00) Digital Gnosticism and the Threat to Embodiment
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(1:07:00) The Future of Privacy - Personhood, Property, and Charity
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(1:11:00) The Philosophical Silk Road - East-West Interpenetration