David DeSteno

On our new episode, I talk with Paige Harden (@kph3k.bsky.social) about the behavioral genetics of sin, the virtues (if any) of punishment, and how ancient religious ideas around vice & virtue continue to shape our science, policy, and discourse. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

Many in Silicon Valley talk about AI almost as a savior, or as @sigalsamuel.bsky.social says, like they're trying to build a god. But do they know what makes a god good? Sigal isn't so sure, and when we fed our discussion into Claude (who joined us in voice mode), neither was it. 1/2

People are looking to AI for moral guidance. Silicon Valley is talking about AI in religious terms. And Claude seems to enter a spiritual-seeking bliss state at times. What's going on? Join me to explore with @sigalsamuel.bsky.social & @paulbloomatyale.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

When instances of @AnthropicAI Claude converse with each other, they often enter a "spiritual bliss attractor state" where they start opining on spiritual questions. Does that mean Claude has a spiritual yearning? @paulbloomatyale.bsky.social atyale offers me a different take. Link in next post.

In Judaism, religious doubt doesn't mean the end of faith. It's a way for the tradition to renew itself. And as Rabbi Buchdahl tells me, that isn't a bug in the system; it's part of the plan. Link to full episode in following post.

Doubt isn't the death of faith -- it often provides a route to renewal and new revelation. Here's friend of the show Rabbi Angela Buchdahl talking about how that idea is baked into the fabric of Judaism itself. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

Is doubt the death of faith? To the contrary, @yaledivinityschool.bsky.social professor Christian Wiman thinks it's a possible route to revelation and renewal. Link to full conversation in the following post. 1/2

Is doubt the death of faith, or a way to grow spiritually? In part 1 of our 2 part series on doubt, we talk with poet & @yaledivinityschool.bsky.social prof. Christian Wiman and UVA psychologist Julie Exline about the promise and peril of religious doubt. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

Many people are adopting a bespoke spirituality - like combining a ritual from Hinduism with a Buddhist meditation, and adding in a trip to an Amazonian psychedelic retreat. But what's lost when spirituality goes DYI? This week, I talk with Liz Bucar. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

How God Works is back with a new season starting March 15th. From exploring whether doubt is the death of faith or a path to spiritual growth, to whether an AI God is on the horizon, we'll look at the science behind some of the biggest questions surrounding religion today. 1/2

How God Works will be back with an all new season on March 15th. Until then, you can check out episodes from our past season exploring science-backed spiritual wisdom on how to be a good friend, how to feel you matter, how to control your dreams, & more. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

With political violence, social division, & despair on the rise, the US has clearly lost its way. I talked with Krista Tippett & @chrismurphyct.bsky.social about why the country is facing a spiritual, not just political, crisis and how to find our way back. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

We all have an innate need to feel like we matter. But as author Jennifer Wallace notes, that need often goes unmet. We talk about how to solve this mattering deficit. I also chat with Duke's Patty Van Cappellen about the wisdom spiritual traditions offer to help podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

If you're looking to improve life in 2026, you might want to think about...sin. Not in the fire & brimstone sense, but as @elizabetholdfield.bsky.social notes, as something that separates us from others or, simply put, just F's things up. Join us as we rethink sin. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

Dec. 31 brings up thoughts of endings, but also of renewal for the year ahead. As Dr. Kim Haines-Eitzen points out, the same is true for the ancient understanding of the apocalypse. It wasn’t the end of everything, as we think of it now, but rather a transition. www.howgodworks.org/podcast/seas...

Why do many people think the End Times & Rapture are just around the corner? I talk with writer Dina Nayeri about what it's like to live with that expectation, and Cornell Prof. Kim Haines-Eitzen about what we get wrong about religious views of the apocalypse. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

Science & religion can work together. On this episode, we look at how Tibetan Buddhist monks & American neuroscientists are working together to study lucid dreaming using a practice called dream yoga which allows control of dreams. www.howgodworks.org/podcast/seas... @mindandlife.bsky.social

Can you control your dreams? Tibetan Buddhists found a way centuries ago. I talk with neuroscientist Ken Paller (paller.bsky.social) about lucid dreaming, and with neuroscientist Robin Nusslock & Geshe Thabkhe about how monks & scientists are studying it together. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

Shamanism isn't just part of small faiths. As @mnvrsngh points out, you can find some elements of it in fast growing areas of Christianity too. On this week's episode of How God Works, we explore the how's & why's of shamanism's continued re-emergence. www.howgodworks.org/podcast/seas...

Shamans have always been with us. This week, we explore how shamanism works with @manvir.bsky.social and why forms of it pop up in some surprising places, from modern medicine and CEO culture to charismatic Christianity. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

When things are difficult, gratitude can feel out of reach. That's when it's important to remember that gratitude isn't an act of complacency. It can be an act of resistance - a way to know you matter, a way to find strength and resilience. www.wbur.org/onpoint/2025...

Religions always influenced diet. But Christian influencers like Alex Clark are taking modern diet & wellness ideas and dressing them up in theological claims, with a big one being: God doesn't want you to be fat. I talk with @jessgrose.bsky.social about it on HGW podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

Diet has always mixed with morality in religion. But today's Christian influencers are taking it to new & potentially problematic levels. I talk with @nytimes.com writer @jessgrose.bsky.social & religious historian Catherine Newell about the history of food & faith podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

Wisdom isn’t about what you think; it’s about how you think. It’s using a set of mental tools. On this week’s episode of How God Works, we explore the science behind wisdom with @igi.bsky.social and take a look at modern & centuries old ways of cultivating it. www.howgodworks.org/podcast/seas...

When it comes to making better decisions, science backs up what St. Ignatius figured out centuries ago: distancing yourself by taking a 3rd person or other perspective helps. This week, I talk with @bostoncollege.bsky.social Father Bart Geger about seeking wisdom www.howgodworks.org/podcast/seas...

What does it mean to be wise? How do you become so? On today's episode, we explore the science of wisdom with Igor Grossmann (@igi.bsky.social) & see how some Christian traditions developed exercises for it long ago with @bostoncollege.bsky.social Fr. Bart Geger podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

On this week’s episode of How God Works, we explore views of what it means to be spiritual. Here’s Father Greg Boyle with his: Be in the world as God would be. Do in the world what God would want you to do. Cherish each other. Don’t focus on piety. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

Is withdrawing from the world into a life of contemplation or being in the world trying to heal it the best route to growing spiritually? Turns out, as @sigalsamuel.bsky.social notes, they're not mutually exclusive. The two paths can reinforce each other. More here podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

This week on How God Works, we explore friendship. Right now, that includes implications of AI chatbot friends. While people report feeling more heard & valued by chatbots, that’s not what makes for a good friend philosopher Samuel Kimbriel (and Aristotle) note. www.howgodworks.org/podcast/seas...

Loneliness is on the rise. That's not news. But maybe part of the reason is: we're no longer sure what it means to be a good friend or lack tools to make it happen. I talk with Samuel Kimbriel & Robert Waldinger about what science, philosophy, and religion offer. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

We explored this tension with Miroslav Volf with respect to both Christian nationalism and the war in Gaza, and looked at the science behind how religion works in our minds. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

It's fall, and that means How God Works is back with a new season! We'll explore the wisdom the world's faith traditions offer to improve our friendships, our decision-making, and lots more about our lives. Plus, why shamans are everywhere & how Tibetan monks control their dreams.

This is how you do it. @jamestalarico.bsky.social is bringing the language of faith back to the left. It should never have been ceded to the right.

I'm often asked what to do if you want to start a spiritual path but feel like you just can't believe in a higher power. Here's Rabbi Shira Stutman with my favorite answer. Sometimes it's the doing - and doing good - that comes first. From @aspenideas.bsky.social www.aspenideas.org/sessions/los...

From my conversation with @hubermanlab.com, here's why you shouldn't believe any scientist who says they know for certain that God doesn't exist. Science can & does adjudicate ideas about how the world works. But it can't answer whether God is out there. www.hubermanlab.com/episode/scie...

Data show that happiness drops at midlife. But, according to Arthur Brooks and Swami Tyagananda, it doesn't have to if you make the right changes. We explore the science & spiritual wisdom of thriving at midlife. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

Prayer & action should go together. But the left makes a mistake when it cedes spiritual language & motives to the right or says things that seem to condemn faith practices -- practices that help people in times of distress. From my session at @aspenideas.bsky.social, here's Rabbi Shira Stutman 1/2

Why do we have religion? As society becomes more secular, what are we leaving behind? Is there a way to regain religion's benefits? Out now on How God Works, a discussion with Krista Tippet, Father Greg Boyle, & Rabbi Shira Stuntman from @aspenideas.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

Here we look at the role religion can play in helping men through this crisis, why some young men are turning to faith, and the dangers that can result if the version of religion they get from influencers like Peterson is inaccurate. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h... @davidfrenchjag.bsky.social

I was happy to explore two fundamental yet frequently underestimated dimensions of the human experience - mattering and creative making - with @JBrehenyWallace & Kelly Corrigan @aspenideas. We need them both to flourish. www.youtube.com/watch?v=quXw...

As Americans leave organized religion, the moral & emotional needs once met by faith communities remain. Is there a danger in leaving faith, or can we adapt its wisdom to meet our needs today? My discussion with Krista Tippet, Father Greg Boyle, & Rabbi Shira Stutman www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJAJ...

Speaking in tongues might sound like a fringe practice, but it's a lot more common than most think. We take a look at the science showing it's not a fake or performative act. Like meditation, it changes the brain in verifiable ways that open the mind podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h... @prx.org

Prayer isn’t just about asking for things. It can actually change the person who is praying for the better. Rabbi Shira Stutman & neuroscientist Andrew Newberg discuss the purpose of prayer & the science behind it with me podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

Prayer is common to every faith. It's so central to life that many people pray even when they're not sure who or what they're praying to. But what does prayer do for us? We explore the neuroscience & meaning of prayer with Dr. Andrew Newberg & Rabbi Shira Stuntman. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

Young women are leaving the church in record numbers, even as many young men are looking to it for meaning. What direction this goes next depends on how the debate about the roles of men & women plays out: dominance or complements? My chat with Richard Reeves & @drmoore.bsky.social 1/2

The rise of Jordan Peterson & similar influencers among men doesn't stem from their advice & guidance. Those are pretty basic. It's the demand that signifies the crisis men are facing, and society's failings. I talk with Richard Reeves of @aibm.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

Episode preview here. We take a deep dive into why many men are feeling lost, why some are turning to Christianity for answers, and the benefits & dangers that can follow depending on the messages they receive. Great insights from Richard Reeves, @drmoore.bsky.social & Rasool Berry @aibm.bsky.social

Does growing secularity play a role in the crisis of meaning men are facing? And if so, can embracing faith, or learning from its emphasis on community, service, and rites-of-passage help men find their way? I talk with Richard Reeves & others podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h... @aibm.bsky.social 1/2

Preview here with @drmoore.bsky.social & pastor Rasool Berry. We take a deep dive into why many men are feeling angry & hopeless, why a growing number of young men are turning to Christianity, and the benefits & potential dangers that can follow depending on the guidance they get. @aibm.bsky.social

Men in the US are facing a crisis of meaning. Many are turning to Christianity for answers. I talk with Richard Reeves, @drmoore.bsky.social & Rasool Berry about how we got here, how religion can help men find their way, and its potential dangers if not done right. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

But it’s also a view science has long avoided.

How do faiths based on love and compassion justify violence? From conflict in the Middle East to Christian Nationalism in the US, I urged journalists to understand and write about religion as a technology, not just as a set of beliefs, @wgbh.org media summit. 1/2

Are we coddling teens? How can we help their transition to adulthood? To find out, I talk with neuroscientist Leah Somerville and religion scholar Connor Wood about the adolescent brain and how rites of passage can help teens better move into adulthood. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h... @prx.org

When it comes to understanding consciousness, Philip Goff tells me why it’s been so difficult. Our science is designed to exclude consciousness, or at least block different ways to approach understanding it - ways that spiritual traditions have favored. www.howgodworks.org/podcast/seas...

The idea that everything in the world has some form of consciousness might seem like an ancient fairy tale. But it's making a serious comeback. I talk with Philip Goff and Joanna Leidenhag about why we should take it seriously & its links to world religions. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

I asked David Brooks if he thinks relying on rationality can get in the way of embracing faith. His answer doesn't reject science & positivism, but speaks to their limitations. It's why I think he's right & scholars like Richard Dawkins & Steven Pinker aren't. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

You never know where you'll find faith. For David Brooks, the realization that people had souls hit on the subway. On this week's episode, I talk with David about his journey, what he thinks religion is for, and what role, if any, science has to play. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

Sometimes finding faith can surprise you. On this episode, I talk with David Brooks about his journey to faith, the nature (and science) of spiritual experiences, and what he thinks religion has to offer. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

From Ramadan, to Lent, to Yom Kippur, fasting plays a central role in many faiths. On this episode, we explore how and why forgoing food in a spiritual context can lead to personal growth instead of just hunger pangs. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

We used to think that rituals around death were unique to modern humans. But as anthropologist Agustin Fuentes tells us, that's no longer the case. On this episode, we trace the evolution of belief from its earliest glimmers to today, and ask: What comes next? www.howgodworks.org/podcast/seas...

The capacity for belief & transcendence extends farther back & wider through our evolutionary tree than scientists ever expected. On this episode, we explore its origins, and what it means for our understanding of belief today, with anthropologist Agustin Fuentes. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

If you want a preview ….

There's a lot going on out there right now! It's time for...a breather. But how you take that breath really matters! Spiritual traditions developed ways to heal minds & bodies with breath, long before breathwork became a life-hack. We discuss how & give some tools: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

I completely understand having some concern about profit motives in Big Pharma & Big Ag/Food, but when it makes you cynical about medical science in general, it can go bad fast. And among some in this community, it turns into conspiracy. Devout Christian Francis Collins has it right. RFK is wrong 🧵

I completely understand having some concern about profit motives in Big Pharma & Big Ag/Food, but when it makes you cynical about medical science in general, it can go bad fast. And among some in this community, it turns into conspiracy. Devout Christian Francis Collins has it right. RFK is wrong

Fifteen years ago (a long time for tech), my lab showed not only that people were willing to engage in conversation with social tech, but that we could manipulate their moral beliefs around trust by having the robot send different nonverbal signals. Imagine what today's tech can do.

Sam Altman is building "a magic intelligence in the sky." Buddhists & Catholics are praying with humanoid robots. And clergy are letting AI write sermons. What does this all mean for the future of religion and who (or what) will be guiding it? We took a look: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h... 🧵

Whether it's the rushing around, stress, or loneliness, the holidays can be hard. But there's a way to find joy, peace, and connection in the traditional celebrations, IF you do them right. Join @lauriesantos.bsky.social & me as we unpack that wisdom. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h... @prx.org

New holiday episode is coming next week. In the meantime, we wanted to share one of our most popular episodes - one on a theme many can use this season: Finding Hope in Dark Times. I had the joy of speaking with @nickkristof.bsky.social & @joanhalifax.bsky.social. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

While it's true that the idea of hell can cause stress and fear, @shadihamid.bsky.social argues that, somewhat paradoxically, it can also offer an opportunity to chill -- a relief of responsibility to ensure complete justice now while maintaining solace that it will be meted out. 🧵

While I can't say if Hell exists, one thing is clear: The idea of Hell shapes not only individual lives, but society, morality, & politics too. On this episode, I speak with Bart Ehrman and @shadihamid.bsky.social about the history & social impact of the Bad Place. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

Ever worry about ending up in the Bad Place? Join me as I talk with @shadihamid.bsky.social & Bart Ehrman on the next episode of How God Works (out Sunday) about how people's thoughts about Hell shape not just their own lives, but societies as a whole. howgodworks.org

Another hearing on UFOs/UAPs today. But while the debate is focused on "disclosure," there's another story. More & more people are treating aliens as spiritual guides. And why not? Like many religions, the stories are about powerful beings coming down from the sky podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

What, if anything, do Near Death Experiences tell us about the mind, the possibility of an afterlife, the source of religion, & even reality itself? This week, we take a look at what science can & can't tell us, and how NDEs profoundly change people. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...