The Overexamined Life
Episodes
How to Stop Life Slipping Away.
24 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Do you ever feel like you’re missing your own life? Like you’re just a passenger? You’re always experiencing something, but when you look back, ...
Are romantic relationships with A.I. healthy? With Deborah Nas
17 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A.I. is getting smarter and more intimate. People whisper secrets to glowing screens, confess fears to code, feel understood by something that isn’t...
Why Constantly Changing Your Mind is OKAY.
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What if changing your mind wasn’t a weakness, but the most honest way to live? I am convinced (for now) that embracing the idea that you are not one...
How to Succeed as a Creative with Adam Leipzig
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The creative life can be brutal. It seems there’s endless work required for the most minimal recognition, and this endless work only begins after yo...
Why you MUST change the way you speak to yourself
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The voice in your head is either your ally or your enemy. And you have the power to choose. The words we use to describe ourselves our the words ...
How to Stop 'Surviving' and Start Loving Life with Dr. Shannon Albarelli
17 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today, I chat with Dr. Shannon Albarelli, a clinical psychologist, mindfulness instructor, and ketamine-assisted therapy guide. We dive into her journ...
WINTER OLYMPICS SPECIAL: Skating Gold Medalist Mark Tuitert on Stoicism
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In honour of the 2026 Winter Olympics, we sit down with speed skating gold medalist Mark Tuitert to explore what actually separates an Olympic champio...
What Happened Before the Big Bang?
03 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
If nobody knows, how can we trust anything? Fortunately Alan Watts weighs in to make us feel at peace. Sick of being ruled by your emotions?Join ...
Recovering From Burnout With Vic Zerbst
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Vic Zerbst is a weapon of mass creation. They co-wrote and starred in Optics (Logie-nominated for Best Scripted Comedy) and the Christmas movie Nugget...
How Qigong Regulates the Nervous System with Master Mingtong Gu
20 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Master Mingtong Gu, an ex-mathematician turned meditation master, has abandoned his algorithms for slow-motion arm waving. Well it’s much more than ...
Why A.I. doesn't save us time
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
just can't help myself peeps.Sick of being ruled by your emotions?Join our Patreon for AD-FREE listening, bonus episodes, and mindfulness exercises th...
Beauty is in the Eye of the Echidna
06 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Things have been grim but now they're ok because of an echidna :)Sick of being ruled by your emotions?Join our Patreon for AD-FREE listening, bonus ep...
An End of Year Suprise!
23 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A very quick wrap up and we hear from a much requested special guest. Sick of being ruled by your emotions?Join our Patreon for AD-FREE listening, bon...
bondi beach shooting - we're shattered.
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
unprocessed thoughts i dont know what else to do with Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Managing World Leaders with Phoebe Saintilan-Stocks
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Chief of Staff is 'Part strategist, part therapist, part parent' to the world leader. Phoebe Saintilan-Stocks has interviewed pretty much all of t...
The Art of Being 100% Authentic with Margery Ai
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine saying EXACTLY what you think, and doing EXACTLY what you feel like doing? Sounds crazy to me, but Margery Ai has cultivated her ability to do...
If You’re Scared of Dying, Listen to This
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Death anxiety sucks up a lot of energy, but even if you don’t believe in the afterlife, there are some very good reasons not to worry. Join our...
Mental Frame Shifts That Have Transformed My Sleep (NO MEDS)
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
3 abstract techniques that have helped me kick insomnia without medication, therefore making life 1000x better. Join our Patreon for AD-FREE list...
I Got Food Poisoning in an Escape Room Pt.2
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We'll be back to regular programming next week but I just needed to *get this out of my system*Explicit language warningSick of being ruled by your em...
I Got Food Poisoning in an Escape Room Pt.1
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
BUT, let everything else, it was an opportunity, a violent opportunity - to learn more about what it is to be human.Support me on Patreon: https://www...
The Courage to Question Everything We Believe With Dr. Miriam Schoenfield
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From leaving orthodox religion, to positing that we may be actual literal brains floating through space (and then exploding), Miriam Schoenfield, phil...
Slipping Through the Cracks with Katherine May
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine if slipping through the cracks was not a disaster, but a subtle art? Today we settle in with Katherine May, the internationally bestselling Br...
Why Children Should Tell Our War Stories
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I find myself chasing the ever-fleeting hummingbird of innocence, that shimmering thing that flits just out of reach once you’ve seen too much of th...
Tim Minchin on Reclaiming Our Sense of Meaning
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
My guest today is the brilliant Tim Minchin. You may know him from his Tony and Olivier-winning, Grammy-nominated musical Matilda, his viral song Come...
Cancer, Racism and Violence, Through the Eyes of a Buddhist Dzogchen Master - James Low
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
WE ARE BACK BABY! Welcome to Season 2, - and what a guest to start off with. We talked about some heavy stuff, but through the lens of buddhism. Like ...
GAME: Is the quote from a spiritual leader or a criminal psychopath?
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s a wild ride through the blurred lines between enlightenment and delusion. You won't get full marks. Sick of being ruled by your emotions?J...
This Podcast Needs to GROW UP
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A quick retrospective on the childhood of this show and some strategizing for the future. Sick of being ruled by your emotions?Join our Pat...
Should We Still Be Having Kids?
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Anti-Natalist, Pessimist, and Environmentalist ideas square up against basic instinct. Sick of being ruled by your emotions?Join our Patreo...
Attempting to Relentlessly Enjoy the Dentist
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Philosophers Kahlil Gibran and Martha Nussbaum help me to stubbornly LOVE my dentist appointment.Sick of being ruled by your emotions?Join our Patreon...
Does Happiness Really Come From Within?
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we are happy! Why? Can't figure it out. Well we can't just be happy - time to overexamine this wonderful feeling! Sick of being ruled by yo...
My Favourite Tool For Coping With Unfairness
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Life is unfair. We're reminded of this everyday in little painful moments. Why are some people beautiful? Some rich? Some talented? etc. All I know i...
Why Sunsets Are Lifechanging - Thoughts from Trancendentalists
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sunsets are not just pretty things that happen to the sky, they are powerful reminders that tomorrow is a chance for a fresh start.We draw on trancend...
Why Understanding Absurdity Is Absurdly Freeing
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When you get down to the nitty gritty, nobody really knows anything concrete. That doesn't have to scare us, if we reframe, it can free us. Today we l...
What I Learned Living On An Empty Island
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Life is far more complicated when you're not surrounded by endless ocean. Sick of being ruled by your emotions?Join our Patreon for AD-FREE listening,...
Grass
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If the grass is greener somewhere else, it doesn't matter...Sick of being ruled by your emotions?Join our Patreon for AD-FREE listening, bonus episode...
Arrows
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I go on a spontaneous adventure...Sick of being ruled by your emotions?Join our Patreon for AD-FREE listening, bonus episodes, and mindfulness exercis...
Train
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A short vignette of missing a train...Sick of being ruled by your emotions?Join our Patreon for AD-FREE listening, bonus episodes, and mindfulness exe...
Childhood
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Running through shadows of the past... Sick of being ruled by your emotions?Join our Patreon for AD-FREE listening, bonus episodes, and mindfulness ex...
Living in Total Darkness with Nate Green
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nate Green is the Head of Content at the Waking Up App. Nate has sat some of the most intense, exclusive and arcane meditation retreats all across the...
How Buddha, Jesus, and Seneca Coped With Anxiety
16 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The intersection of Western and Eastern philosophy is fascinating. All across the world, over 2000 years ago, great minds came up with similar ideas o...
The Meaning of Life with M.I.T. Head of Philosophy Kieran Setiya
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I sat down with Professor Kieran Setiya, Head Philosophy Professor at M.I.T., and asked him about some of the profound topics Keiran wrestles with in ...
The Key Idea That Allows Me To Survive Regret
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I'm not the best at anything. I've spent a lot of time pursuing random things that excite me. Sometimes I don't mind that, but sometimes it almost kil...
Zen and Awakening with Henry Shukman
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I just had the privilege of a fireside chat with the radient Henry Shukman, a zen teacher who I’ve always found does a phenomenal job of making a de...
The Poetry of the Colour Blue
03 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We turn to Russian psychologists and drunken poets to try and figure out why blue is so beautiful.Sick of being ruled by your emotions?Join our Patreo...
Love, Beer and Beanbags
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Henry Shukman's new book "original love" with a icy pint may just be the cold hard secret to pure frothy happiness.Substack Link: https://substack.com...
Finding Nirvana the Hard Way - Lessons from The White Lotus
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We compare scenes from The White Lotus series with real teachings from Shunryū Suzuki and Thich Nhat Hahn.Sick of being ruled by your emotions?Join o...
Should We Seek Optimism at the Expense of Realism?
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if we stubbornly choose optimism— practicing gratitude— even if it doesn't make sense, just to see if it makes life feel better?George Carlin...
What You Don't Notice - With Multiple Oscar Winner Nancy Haigh
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Two-time Oscar winner and nine-time nominee Nancy Haigh joins us to explore the art of noticing.As a production designer, art director, and set decora...
The Joy of Little Details
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When the big bad world feels out of control, it's the tiniest little things that ground us.Sick of being ruled by your emotions?Join our Patreon for A...
Are 'Fresh Starts' a Trap?
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We can't fix internal problems with external problem solving. An exploration on new beginnings and dissatisfaction, drawing on Hannah Arendt, Paulo Co...
Does the Meaning of Life Matter?
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Author Kurt Vonnegut is our guru today, a man who truly believed humanity was one big cosmic joke. We study both his fiction and his personal life to ...
Embracing Our Wrinkles
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Every time we do anything, it leaves a mark, a wrinkle. Those wrinkles can become our most valuable assets. Sick of being ruled by your emotions?Join ...
Should We Have Intimate Relationships With A.I.?
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The idea gives me the 'ick'. But why? Today we look into whether or not a relationship with A.I. is actually a bad thing, drawing on Spike Jonez, Pete...
Finding Enlightenment in the Deadly Aussie Outback with David McMahon
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
My guest today is David McMahon - a naturalist and adventurer who has spent his life exploring the world's most remote ecosystems. David has trav...
Making Space for the Wild
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Drawing on William Shakespeare, Gary Snyder, and a little tiny cricket to uncover the secrets to a fulfilling relationship with nature.Sick of being r...
Love, Death and Depression with Jitindriyā
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After a fairly miserable couple of weeks for me, I seek council from one of the wisest people I know, Jitindriyā, a Buddhist nun, to help me better u...
The Lost Art of Grace
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rant time! It feels like we've lost a key quality in our leadership: Grace. It's time to think outside the box and build back a society that cares abo...
Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
13 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we're analysing forgiveness and acceptance through the wise words of Bob Dylan. Sick of being ruled by your emotions?Join our Patreon for ...
5 Misconceptions About Mindfulness Meditation
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One thing working for a big meditation app taught me, is that most people don't know what meditation is actually for. Sick of being ruled by your emot...
Is It OK to Be Mediocre?
06 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It turns out we can't be the best at everything we care about. In fact it's hard to be really good at even HALF the things we care about. Oliver Burke...
What Spirituality Looks Like for an Atheist
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Watch the movie of this episode on youtube: https://youtu.be/6s6EZlq7ScM?si=BeRf3-kd3vl736QpDo you need God to have incredible spiritual experiences? ...
Why Working Too Hard Can Be LAZY
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Do we sometimes use work to avoid the uneasy feelings that come up when we're just... exisiting? Sick of being ruled by your emotions?Join our Patreon...
Things to Remember When Reading Depressing News
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The news often highlights the worst of humanity, but when you take a moment to look around, you'll find that beauty and goodness are everywhere.Sick o...
Emotions Are Such a Brutal Rollercoaster It's Almost Unbearable
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A rollercoaster that we can't get off, and that goes on forever. Trying to get off leads to more pain. So learning to love the ride is our only option...
Why You Must Learn to Love PAIN if You Want to Grow
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
According to the world's wisest people, "pain", seems to be an Ozempic level wonder drug for personal growth. Sick of being ruled by your emotions?Jo...
My Goals For This Year
17 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Outcome focused New Years Resolutions are just another way to become attached to something that will make us miserable. Maybe we need to revisit our l...
Music, Freedom, and the Collapse of All My Plans
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After an impulsive road trip filled with nostalgic music and summer joy, an unexpected jellyfish sting and a COVID diagnosis forced me to trade carefr...
Final Thoughts Before the Clock Strikes 2025
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I’ve decided that holiday season is best left underexamined and perhaps can be summed in a single heuristic.Sick of being ruled by your emotio...
Philosophical Reasons Why Santa is Probably Real
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Before you dismiss the existence Santa, remember: between quantum physics, neuroscience, cultural theory, behavioural psychology, moral psychology and...
Why You CAN'T AFFORD Not to Practice Mindfulness
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Life is so much shorter than you realise, and if you're not paying attention, you'll miss the life you have. Start your mindfulness journey with our h...
Our Upside-down View of Animals with the Chicken Ladies
12 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As promised, as a city boy, I wanted to talk to people who are living, in many respects, opposite lives to me, and get a sense of whether or not...
Are Cities Making Us Miserable?
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Like moths to a flame, cities have always attempted to seduce us with bright lights. And within the bustling neon canopy of the metropolis they offer ...
Why Kids Can Teach Us Things Adults Can't
05 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kid's brain's work differently. This might have a lot of advantages. Sick of being ruled by your emotions?Join our Patreon for AD-FREE listening...
Why We Suck at Predicting the Future - A Taoist Parable
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Time after time, we think something that happens to us is going to be the end of the world. Time after time we get it wrong. Sick of being ruled by y...
Humans Are Insane
28 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
ONE THING WE HAVE IN COMMON: Is that we are all doing our best with archaic brains in a chaotic world. Sick of being ruled by your emotions?Join our P...
What a Car Accident Teaches You
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Watching someone almost die in front of me made me confront some hard facts quite quickly. Sick of being ruled by your emotions? Join our Patreon for ...
Relationship Counselling for the World's Richest Families with Paul Attia
21 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we’re having a chat with Paul Attia. Paul is a criminal prosecutor turned entrepreneur, and serves as a key advisor to wealthy families and fa...
What Would You Sacrifice to Be Rich?
18 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
First we have to figure out the value of wealth, then we have to figure out what we want to give up in pursuit of it. Using the world's richest man as...
How I Found Meaning and Direction in Life ALSO: Listen AD-FREE + Practice Club is BACK
14 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I was so lost when I was in working in investment banking, and even more lost when I left the job. But feeling lost can be an opportunity rather than ...
The Hidden Risk of A.I. Nobody is Talking About
11 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
RANT: Relying on AI to express human emotions risks creating a world where expressions of gratitude become hollow tokens rather than heartfelt acknowl...
Why Life is Good Even When it's Bad
07 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I nearly stepped in dog shit. I felt both irritated, and strangely grateful—for the chance to feel anything at all. Imagine a choice: live as a huma...
Antidote to Election Anxiety
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We're all drowning in anxiety as the world holds its breath, caught up in the high-stakes drama of the election. Many of us feel powerless, our future...
The Blueprint for All-Round Health with Shona Vertue
31 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
To simply call Shona Vertue a trainer would be doing her an incredible disservice. What sets Shona apart is a rigorous scientific understanding of not...
Why Does Exercise Make Us Happy?
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Can the pursuit of happiness through exercise tip into obsession, blurring the line between health and harm? This exploration dives into the highs and...
The Cure for Chronic Pain with Nicole Sachs
24 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
My guest today is the wonderful Nicole Sachs. She’s a writer, psychotherapist, and retreat leader, and has helped free hundreds of thousands of peop...
My Complete Chronic Pain Recovery
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is a topic that is incredibly close to me, because I had a period of my life where I lived in the world of extreme daily pain. in this time, my w...
Turning Suffering Into Wonder
17 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The formula, at it’s core is so simple. You suffer, you notice you’re suffering, you attempt to reframe or embrace a sense of wonder about the pre...
How to Never Hate Anyone Again
14 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We don't hate infants even though they often behave badly, what if it could be the same for adults? In this episode we look into the illusion of free...
Wrestling with Cravings
10 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We all have cravings. Often they get the better of us. In this episode, we look at what the Buddhists have to say about cravings, and figure out how t...
Let Me Tell You a Story
07 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, you'll learn the premise of this podcast, by delving into the depths of my psyche. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information...
Welcome to the Overexamined Life
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The world is so beautiful, and the people in the are so interesting and yet somehow we find a way to miss most of it, because our autopilot too often ...