Welcome back to Deep Fix, a podcast for people who think that depth is sexy.
Do you ever wonder why so many people complain about “late-stage” and “hyper” capitalism? What do we even mean when we use such terms?
Are you interested in having conversations with friends about economic possibilities that don’t result in you being called a “naive socialist” or “blood-hungry capitalist”?
And how are economics linked to the cutting edge of meditation and psychedelics?
In this episode, Oshan Jarow and I explore these questions and more, seeking to understand how we can cultivate the right conditions—both within ourselves and in the world around us—to encourage the flourishing of human consciousness.
Oshan is a staff writer with Future Perfect at Vox where he writes about consciousness—including cognitive science, meditation, psychedelics, and philosophy of mind—and economics, with a focus on policies that can help build a more convivial future. Oshan is also the co-founder of the Library of Economic Possibility, a platform advancing public knowledge about heterodox economic policies, and host of the Musing Mind podcast.
This is a massive conversation and exchange of ideas! The first half explores economic possibilities and then the second half delves into exciting frontiers at the forefront of neuroscience, meditation, psychedelics, awakening, and policy.
Topics include:
How Oshan became passionate about the intersection of consciousness and economics, and how he defines “consciousness studies”
What people are implying when they complain about “hyper-capitalism”
How to transcend labels like “capitalism” and “socialism” and have a generative conversation with your friends about economic possibilities
Breaking down the meaning of the “emancipatory social sciences”
The importance of grasping—and valuing—predictive processing, the leading brain theory that mediation experts, psychedelic researchers, and cognitive scientists are obsessed with
What the Psychedelic Renaissance might miss if it exclusively focuses on mental illness instead of the full range of phenomenological experience
The importance of defining the type of consciousness we’d want to construct after going through intense “deconstructive” practices such as psychedelic journeys and meditation
How you can play a part in influencing economic policy change
When I set out to launch the Deep Fix pod, Oshan was among the first individuals I envisioned dialoguing with. Having followed his work for years, I’ve consistently admired how he blends forward-thinking, intellectual insights with genuine humanity. After this convo, I suspect you might join me in feeling confident that his influence will only become increasingly prominent over time.
Follow Oshan’s work at Vox, and check out his website, podcast, and Substack.
Listen to the episode on Substack, Apple, Spotify, or YouTube.
Hosted by Alex Olshonsky.
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Liking, commenting, sharing with friends—these all make a real difference for a dude who does what I do, and I greatly appreciate it. I’d also love to know what you think of this convo.
#4: How to Have a Conversation About Capitalism – plus the Frontiers of Meditation & Psychedelics with Oshan Jarow