human development

In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert chats with author Fred Hogge about his new book “Of Ice and Men: How We’ve Used Cold to Transform Humanity,” covering everything from cocktail ice to the ancient history of ice houses. (originally published 12/06/2022) 

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Today we welcome Ken Wilber to the podcast. Ken is the developer of Integral Theory. He is also the founder of the Integral Institute, which was formed in collaboration with over 200 scholars and experts, specializing in education, politics, business, medicine, psychology, spirituality, law and criminal justice. His 25 books have been translated into 30 foreign languages, making Ken one of the most widely translated academic writers in America. At age 74, he is still very much active as a philosopher, author, and teacher, with all of his major publications still in print.

In this episode, I talk to Ken Wilber about his Integral Theory. Instead of trying to tackle it in all its complexity, Ken hones in on the application of his theory to intelligence, consciousness and transcendence. He believes that development in these areas follows a predictable path, such as in the case of enlightenment. Borrowing from Zen Buddhism, Ken talks about what it’s like to awaken to the truth of reality. We also touch on the topics of psychological research, diversity, artificial intelligence, and social media. 

Website: https://integrallife.com/

Twitter: @TheKenWilber

Topics

03:17 Integral Theory and its applications

09:50 Components of spiritual intelligence

17:41 Maslow’s influence on Ken

21:41 Critique of stage theories 

30:49 Spiritual narcissism

44:12 The process of enlightenment

48:42 Individual differences in unitive consciousness

58:09 Integral Theory research

1:03:44 Is society progressing?

1:09:39 Diversity beyond physical attributes

1:13:03 Improving modern-day psychology research

1:18:06 Is life just a test run?

1:22:22 What would an integral social media look like?

1:26:36 Addressing Integral Theory critiques

1:33:00 Does objective reality exist?

1:38:52 Development of artificial intelligence

1:43:08 Awakening to reality

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The economist Kate Raworth says the aggressive pursuit of G.D.P. is trashing the planet and shortchanging too many people. She has proposed an alternative — and the city of Amsterdam is giving it a try. How's it going?

Most of us would like something about ourselves or our lives to be different, but how easy is it to actually change?

Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken are looking at whether people can change and how they do it. Exactly how much of any aspect of personality is genetic destiny and how much are we shaped by the world around us?

Chris wants to be a better doctor, friend, husband and father. But most urgently he wants to be a better brother, and is determined to improve his relationship with Xand. They’re best friends and talk to each other every day, but they are also business partners who find it very hard to work together without having a visceral row.

Chris wants to change how he relates to his brother and believes it is possible, but Xand is less convinced that we can or that he needs to change. In this series, Chris confronts that pessimism

In episode 1 - The Twin Effect - Dr Clare Llewellyn explains why we should all care about twin studies and the importance of understanding the impact of genetics vs environment on our development. Chris and Xand meet identical twins Mia and Alexandra who were separated at birth. They reflect on their twin dynamic through the years - what has it meant for their development and can they change the dynamic they have now? Presented by Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken Produced by Hester Cant and Alexandra Quinn Series Editor Jo Rowntree A Loftus Media and van Tulleken Brothers Ltd production for BBC Radio 4

In December 1988, two sets of identical twins became test subjects in a study for which they had never volunteered. It was an experiment that could never be performed in a lab, and had never before been documented. This week, we revisit this fascinating story, told by psychologist Nancy Segal, about the eternal tug between nature and nurture in shaping who we are.

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Cleft lips and palates are common birth defects, but for the kids who have them (and their parents), its no small matter: Years of surgeries, therapy, and possibly lifelong health issues, not to mention the teasing that comes along with looking different.

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From movie plots to ad campaigns to viral videos, if they feature twins, they grab our attention every time. But it’s not only the general public who are fascinated with twins. Over many decades, twins have garnered attention from psychologists and other researchers because of what they can tell us about how our genes and environment interact to make us who we are. Nancy Segal, PhD, a professor of psychology and director of the Twin Studies Center at California State University, Fullerton, talks about the state of twin research today and what we've learned about twins, and from them, over the decades.

Are you enjoying Speaking of Psychology? We’d love to know what you think of the podcast, what you would change about it, and what you’d like to hear more of. Please take our listener survey at www.apa.org/podcastsurvey.

Links

Nancy Segal, PhD
Twin Studies Center at California State University, Fullerton

Music

Funny music (orchestra) by Darkash28 via Freesound.org

He knows when you are sleeping. He knows when you’re awake. He knows if you’ve been bad or good, but is Santa Claus merely a magical entity or does he rise to the status of a god? In this pair of STBYM episodes, Robert and Joe discuss the general attributes of a deity and consider the awesome, reality-warping powers of the one we call Kris Kringle, Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas and of course Santa Claus.

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For millennia people have been amazed by legends of wild children found in the forest or jungle, sometimes raised by animals like wolves or apes. But it turns out these stories may actually be true in some cases and may actually have been children with cognitive impairments who were abandoned by their parents.

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My guest today is William Damon, author of the book "Path to Purpose."
There’s been a lot of ink spilt in the past decade about young adults' “failure to launch," wherein 20-somethings who should be progressing into independent adulthood, end up spending that decade of their life in an extended adolescence. Several reasons have been given for this phenomenon, from the economy to helicopter parenting. After conducting a landmark 25-year study, my guest argues that a major factor in young adults' failure to launch is actually rooted in their difficulty in finding a purpose for their life. His name is William Damon, he’s a professor of education at Stanford University, and today on the show we discuss the results of his study and the importance of having an overarching aim in life -- which are the themes of his book, The Path to Purpose.
We begin our conversation discussing the criteria of a good life’s purpose and why fewer young people have one today. We then discuss why more young people are prioritizing fame and fortune over public service compared to their peers a half century ago, the new places many young people are finding purpose today (and why that’s led to a decrease in civic engagement), and the benefits that come from having a clear purpose in life. We end by talking about how a young person -- and even those longer in the tooth, who still feel adrift -- can find a life’s purpose and what parents can do to help their children find theirs.

For the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Josh and Chuck delve into the killing, the investigations and the conspiracy theories to get to the bottom of an enduring national question.

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For decades, GDP has been the yardstick for measuring living standards around the world. Martha Nussbaum would rather use something that actually works.