Know Thyself
E161 - Pete Holmes: Life is a Cosmic Joke - Finding God, Wonder & Freedom in the Unknown
02 Sep 2025
Comedian and spiritual seeker Pete Holmes joins us for a conversation that weaves together humor, mysticism, and the search for truth. Pete opens up about his journey from growing up in a fundamentalist Christian household to having life-altering psychedelic experiences that redefined his understanding of God and religion. Together, they explore what it means to move beyond belief into direct experience, why we can never truly be separate from the divine, and how comedy can serve as both healing and revelation.Try Pique Life tea and save 20% for life & get a free frother:https://www.piquelife.com/KnowThyselfStart your free trial with Wix:https://bit.ly/3SXG2qKAndrés Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list___________0:00 Intro 2:46 Asking the Deeper Questions in Life6:27 From Fundamentalist Christian to Psychedelic Experience 11:29 Reinterpreting Religion through the Lens of the Mystical17:10 The Prodigal Son: Reclaiming Our Birthright22:02 Go From Belief to Direct Experience26:50 His Experience on the George Janko Podcast28:41 Ad: PiqueLife30:05 How His Understanding of God Has Changed34:45 Mental Exercise for Experience the “I am”40:36 We Can Never Be Separate from God45:10 Existential Comedy & Wondering at Life’s Mysteries55:28 Ad: Wix56:30 Balancing Being Spiritual & Being Human1:00:05 Lessons from Psychedelic Experiences 1:07:12 The Power & Responsibility of Comedy1:18:27 Are Comedians Traumatized?1:23:03 Future of Comedy in a Changing World1:32:40 Conclusion___________Episode Resources: https://www.instagram.com/peteholmes/https://www.youtube.com/@peteholmeshttps://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcasthttps://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com
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