A Naturalist’s Perspective on Jesus
A naturalist points to wisdom to be gleaned from the historic Jesus of Nazareth.
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The You Without an I
Large language models carry the risk of a critical distortion of reality that can lead to real cognitive hazards. Guardrails may help mitigate the psychological risks inherent in uncritical LLM usage.
What Matters Most
In this thoughtful reflection, Allen Simon explores an unconventional understanding of religion, drawing on years of study and personal experience. Rather than focusing on doctrines or beliefs, the essay examines the role religion can play in helping people navigate life’s deepest questions and search for meaning. Along the way, it challenges familiar assumptions about spirituality, belief, and what it means to live a purposeful life…
Who Wants To Live Forever?
Inspired by the haunting question posed in Queen’s song “Who Wants to Live Forever,” this article reflects on immortality, aging, and what it really means to live well. Rather than chasing endless time, it suggests that meaning comes from how we care for our bodies, our communities, and our world—starting right now.
Self-Authorizing Values: A Strategy Against Nihilism
When we say “we are the meaning-makers,” it’s easy for the ego to assume control—only to reason its way into doubt, contradiction, and even nihilism. This article reframes that role, suggesting that meaning is not something we consciously create, but something we discover and either undermine or affirm.
Is Mindfulness Bogus?
Mindfulness meditation is often praised as a powerful tool for mental well-being, but the evidence behind it is more mixed—and more nuanced—than the hype suggests. This article explores both the limits of the science and the author’s own decades-long experience, revealing how meditation may not transform everyone, yet can still offer something quietly valuable.
Naturalism and Metaphysics
Materialism has long served as our default explanation of reality, but it may not be the only framework capable of making sense of existence. By exploring the limits of a matter-first worldview—especially when it comes to consciousness—this article considers whether a mind-first perspective might offer a more complete picture of what it means to experience reality.
