Best Iain Wilson Podcasts (2025)

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Analytic or Continental philosophy | Christoph Schuringa, Genia Schönbaumsfeld, Babette Babich 49:07

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10h ago49:07

49:07

The future of European thought What is analytic philosophy and what is continental philosophy? And, perhaps most importantly, does this distinction make any sense? The division between these two branches has divided Western philosophy for decades now, with the Anglo-Saxon world largely associated with the analytical school, and the European contine…

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How Words Warp Reality | Nick Enfield 32:53

5d ago32:53

32:53

Language shapes how we think, remember, and reason. But does it help us to uncover the fundamental nature of reality? Join the author of Language vs. Reality and linguistic anthropologist, Nick Enfield, as he explores why language excels at persuasion but falters at faithfully representing reality. From media spin to courtroom rhetoric, he reveals …

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Demon: The Fallen - Angels, Faith and a Truncated Release Schedule 34:06

5d ago34:06

34:06

Get in touch with us! What if rebellion began as an act of love? Demon: the Fallen was the final game in the original World of Darkness line, and we chart it's - painfully - short history. Was it fun to play fallen angels from the dawn of time, or was this just more angst hiding under a different colour of trenchcoat? Join us to find out! Contact u…

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The Hollow Men - Session 0 42:10

4d ago42:10

42:10

Get in touch with us! Welcome to the Hollow Men - our Hunter: The Reckoning solo actual play. In this episode we interoduce you to the world of the Hollow Men as well as providing a walk through of character creation. If you want to skip the boring rulesy bits just listen to the first twenty minutes or so and then you can bounce to episode 1! Thank…

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The Hollow Men - Episode 2 29:22

4d ago29:22

29:22

Get in touch with us! Welcome to the Hollow Men - a dramatised Hunter: The Reckoning solo actual play. Courtney deals with the fall out from the fight at the Depot, and the fact that the police officer helping her appears wrong to her Second Sight. All music and sound effects from Epidemic Sound. Thanks to our voice actors Karen Pope, Heather Hanem…

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The Hollow Men - Episode 1 30:45

4d ago30:45

30:45

Get in touch with us! Welcome to the Hollow Men - a Hunter: the Reckoning dramatised solo actual play. In this episode, we meet our protagonist, Courtney Webster, whose meeting at a bar with a contact doesn't go exactly as planned. All music and soud effects from Epidemic Sound. Thanks to the following for lending their wonderful voice talent to th…

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S5/E2 - Beka Shane Denter blooms where she is 47:10

6d ago47:10

47:10

Send us a text Jason welcomes globetrotting writer Beka Shane Denter for a gabfest about the charms of Copenhagen and Tokyo, the glory of old Rolling Stones magazines, how books smell like life, doing things for the last time with your kids, and writing it all down. Join the early sh*t chat at https://www.facebook.com/WRTESpodcast & on Instagram @w…

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Consciousness and psychedelics: In conversation with Rupert Sheldrake 31:33

11d ago31:33

31:33

Philosophers cannot stop talking about consciousness - what are its limits? What is it made of? What does it allow us? This podcast is part of that conversation, but from a more experimental perspective. Join biologist and researcher Rupert Sheldrake as he discusses consciousness with philosopher Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes from the lens of psychedelics.…

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The philosophy of religion and love with Alain de Botton and Alex O'Connor 26:11

14d ago26:11

26:11

Why we worship without knowing it What should be included within the remit of philosophy? Religion? Love? Hair? Join well-known public speakers and writers Alain de Botton and Alex O'Connor as they talk through what philosophy can offer us, why we should study love, and what the role of religion is in philosophy and in our lives. See Privacy Policy…

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Mazes of the mind: The philosophy of neuroscience | Iain McGilchrist, Colin Blakemore, Bryan Appleyard 47:58

27d ago47:58

47:58

Over the past decades, neuroscience has blossomed, positioning itself as a kind of master discipline over everything else. For who understands the brain surely understands all of human activity and creation? Or not? Neuroscience's reach has extended past its scientific remit and into the world of philosophy and its major questions. What is a human?…

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In search of nothing | David Deutsch, Amanda Gefter, Lee Smolin 1:00:17

1M ago1:00:17

1:00:17

What is nothing? Can it be defined, either philosophically or scientifically? Or will the exploration of nothing bring, ultimately, to nothing? The philosophical exploration of nothingness is an ancient one, from the mysterious number zero through theological understandings of the absence of God right to modern physics and ideas of the void. Join l…

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Halloween SPECIAL | The philosophy of the apocalypse 44:25

1M ago44:25

44:25

Why are we fascinated by apocalyptic stories? Join the team at the IAI for a reading of four Halloween-themed articles, written by historian and philosopher Natalie Lawrence, professor of political philosophy Matthew Festenstein, and professor of comparative literature Florian Mussgnug. From the allure of the end times to the symbolic value of mons…

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The importance of giving up | Adam Phillips 27:14

1M ago27:14

27:14

Einstein was called “slow” at school, J. K. Rowling collected a dozen rejections, and Walt Disney was once fired for “lacking imagination.” We love stories of perseverance—but what’s the cost of never letting go? In this conversation, psychoanalyst Adam Phillips argues that our obsession with endurance can have hidden, corrosive effects. He invites…

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Wraith: The Oblvion - What if That Voice in Your Head Answered Back? 1:12:20

1M ago1:12:20

1:12:20

Get in touch with us! What happens when an RPG asks you to play the dead, feed on emotion, and also hand over your own inner critic to another player? We go deep on Wraith: The Oblivion, the most haunting corner of the World of Darkness, unpacking why its ideas still feel daring: fetters that tether you to the living, pathos that turns feelings int…

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Slavoj Žižek on philosophy today | The madness of reality 38:03

2M ago38:03

38:03

Slavoj Žižek is back in a new interview where he takes us through his thoughts on the role of philosophy, the future of sex, his fear and love of AI and, as always, so much more. Tune in to hear one of contemporary philosophy's most original and darkly comedic minds expose his thoughts on the present and where we are heading - though that is imposs…

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S5/E1 - Jason Emde is a Birthday Dog 24:34

2M ago24:34

24:34

Send us a text Jason eases you into season five with some rubbish teenage poetry. Just what you wanted! Join the early shit chat at https://www.facebook.com/WRTESpodcast & on Instagram @writersreadtheirearlyshit. Thanks to Wayne Emde for the artwork, Joe Emde for help with the intro, DJ Max in Tokyo for the music, and you, wherever & whoever & howe…

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How to fathom timelessness | Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes 31:23

2M ago31:23

31:23

What should time mean to us? Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes is a philosopher of mind who specialises in the thought of Alfred North Whitehead, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Benedict de Spinoza, and in fields pertaining to panpsychism and altered states of mind. In this talk, he combines insights from psychedelic experiences with an intriguing view put forward by…

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After postmodernism | Hilary Lawson, Robin van den Akker, Abby Innes, Sophie Scott-Brown 47:13

2M ago47:13

47:13

Hugely influential in the latter decades of the 20th century, postmodernism transformed many academic disciplines and culture at large. Associated with an attack on objective truth and the uniqueness of meaning, it called into question the whole edifice of knowledge which Western culture had previously glorified. But it left many lost, and in the w…

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Clay, Cards, and Character Deaths - an Interview with Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore 56:51

2M ago56:51

56:51

Get in touch with us! Stakes make stories breathe. We sit down with Jon Cohen - writer, host, and designer behind Tale of the Manticore and One Shot in the Dark - to explore why consequence beats comfort, how a hybrid format turns solo play into gripping audio drama, and what it takes to build a one-shot that actually ends in one sitting. Jon walks…

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The language of the unconscious: Pyschoanalysis and AI | Alenka Zupančič 29:46

2M ago29:46

29:46

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Ordinary People, Unseen War -A History of Hunter: The Reckoning 48:32

2M ago48:32

48:32

Get in touch with us! To: [email protected] From: witness1 Fellow imbued, I must report a disturbing incident. Our latest transmission regarding the Mission was compromised. The audio files were corrupted - the music loud, blaring, almost as if something didn't want this information shared. You know what I'm talking about. They got to it. B…

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The Enlightenment is racist (and why) | Kehinde Andrews 20:38

2M ago20:38

20:38

The Enlightenment has faced a lot of criticism in recent years - its defenders and detractors often come head to head, scrambling to articulate its ultimate value or lack thereof to contemporary society. This podcast contributes to this wider debate and question facing all those interested in philosophy and politics: Are Enlightenment ideas salvage…

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Pendragon Roundtable: Virtues, Passions, and Winter's Embrace 1:14:20

3M ago1:14:20

1:14:20

Get in touch with us! Step into the world of Arthurian legend through Pendragon, the RPG that masterfully captures the essence of knightly virtue, tragedy, and legacy spanning generations. Unlike traditional fantasy games, Pendragon isn't about magical powers or ever-increasing abilities—it's about creating meaningful stories where your knight's pe…

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The struggle for the good life | Massimo Pigliucci on ancient philosophy for the modern era 29:29

3M ago29:29

29:29

We all want to live the good life. But how many of us can claim to be truly content? Join philosopher and evolutionary biologist Massimo Pigliucci as he argues that pleasure, character, and a healthy dose of doubt, form the basis of the good life, and that purpose in life is crucial to realising our potential. Massimo Pigliucci is a renowned philos…

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Games That Could Have Been Great: Nephilim 23:12

3M ago23:12

23:12

Get in touch with us! The golden age of darker, more mature RPGs in the mid-1990s saw numerous games trying to capture the same audience that Vampire: The Masquerade had tapped into. Among these ambitious titles, Nephilim stands out as a fascinating "what could have been" story – a game bursting with revolutionary ideas that never quite delivered o…

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Psychedelics and the structure of reality | Julian Baggini, Eileen Hall, and James Rucker 46:51

3M ago46:51

46:51

Truth, delusion and psychedelic reality Do psychedelics reveal hidden layers of reality, or are we simply tripping? Psychedelics are back in the cultural zeitgeist, this time as a treatment for mental health issues. However, critics argue that psychedelics only work by replacing mental illness with a distorted view of reality - but, is this an accu…

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The unconscious mind: Is the unconscious real? 48:58

3M ago48:58

48:58

The unconscious has become a well-known feature of our human lived experience since Freud. We often refer to unwanted impulses, suppressed thoughts, unconscious desires, and the like. But what IS the unconscious? Is it just an easy excuse for our behaviour? Or is it a necessary piece of what it means to be human? Join our diverse and rich panel as …

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Talisman: The Magical Quest Game 37:00

3M ago37:00

37:00

Get in touch with us! Embark on a magical journey through gaming history as we explore Talisman, the fantasy board game that's kept players rolling dice and chanting "Toad! Toad! Toad!" for over four decades. Whether you're a veteran who spent nights battling friends for the Crown of Command or a newcomer curious about this legendary game, join us …

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The Perfect Game That Almost Vanished: Pendragon 29:16

3M ago29:16

29:16

Get in touch with us! What makes a tabletop RPG truly perfect? Not just popular or commercially successful, but flawlessly designed where every element fits together so seamlessly you can't imagine it any other way? Greg Stafford's King Arthur Pendragon stands as one of those rare masterpieces – a game that transcended traditional RPG design to cre…

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Unveiling the Eldritch Lore: The Impact and Evolution of Call of Cthulhu 31:57

3M ago31:57

31:57

Get in touch with us! Step into the shadows of the unknown with us as we unearth the fascinating history behind the Call of Cthulhu RPG, a game that turned tabletop horror on its head. We'll trail the game's evolution, from Sandy Peterson's early work to the atmospheric depths of the 1920s setting, and delve into the ingenious Sanity Score. Prepare…

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A landscape of consciousness | Robert Lawrence Kuhn and Hilary Lawson 41:19

3M ago41:19

41:19

Will we ever reach a conclusive, agreed-upon theory of consciousness? Over the millennia of recorded history, countless stories, theories, and arguments have emerged to explain the origins of consciousness. And yet, here we are in 2025 - post-Plato, post-Descartes, post-scientific revolution - and still we don't understand the phenomenon of conscio…

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Will psychedelics revolutionize mental health treatment? | Matthew Johnson, Shayla Love, and Kevin Sabet 49:34

3M ago49:34

49:34

The psychedelic revolution Will LSD, Psilocybin, MDMA, and Ketamine treatments live up to the hype? For decades, psychedelics were derided as dangerous recreational drugs; now many claim they have the potential to revolutionise the treatment of mental health. With hundreds of clinical trials now taking place, the psychedelic therapeutic market is p…

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Enemy in Shadows Companion: Review 25:44

3M ago25:44

25:44

Get in touch with us! Join us as we crack open Cubicle 7's supplement for the Enemy Within campaign, The Enemy in Shadows Companion - the essential guide to adventuring in the Reikland (allegedly). Is this a storehouse of useful added extras, or something that trades on nostalgia for nostalgia's sake? Listen along and find out... Contact us at: EMA…

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The illusion of separation | Jessica Frazier on the Monism of Hindu philosophy 24:39

4M ago24:39

24:39

Indian philosophy and the search for unity In our everyday lives we act as though we are all separate individuals, but is this really the case? Jessica Frazer argues that reality is ultimately unified, and that this shift in perspective can change the way we live our lives. It can help you lose your isolated ego and escape feelings of alienation fr…

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Dark Conspiracy Roundtable 1:39:11

4M ago1:39:11

1:39:11

Get in touch with us! The dark minions may have tried to sabotage our first episode, but we're back with a deep dive into the fascinating world of Dark Conspiracy, GDW's dystopian monster-hunting RPG from 1991. Dark Conspiracy occupies a unique place in roleplaying history – a game that bridges old-school wargaming crunch with forward-thinking char…

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[SOUND REMASTERED] Dark Conspiracy - Problematic Aliens? Grab Your Storm Rifle! 40:44

4M ago40:44

40:44

Get in touch with us! PRODUCTION NOTE - INCIDENT REPORT #DC-001 Subject: Anomalous Audio Interference During Initial Recording Classification: Empathic Incursion (Suspected) Status: RESOLVED Fellow Minion Hunters, We regret to inform you that our initial release of this episode experienced what can only be described as supernatural audio interferen…

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Enemy in Shadows: A Critical Review 25:32

4M ago25:32

25:32

Get in touch with us! What happens when a beloved classic gets reimagined three decades later? That's the question at the heart of my deep dive into Enemy in Shadows, Cubicle 7's director's cut of the legendary Enemy Within campaign for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. As someone who first attempted to run this campaign as a 12-year-old back in 1988, th…

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The limits of nothingness | Peter van Inwagen 27:44

4M ago27:44

27:44

From philosophy to science, metaphysics to psychology, the idea of 'nothing' is central to the universe, existence and experience as a whole. But the nature of 'nothing' is even more bewildering than we might first imagine. Parmenides argued that non-being is impossible because thinking about nothing is still something. Join philosopher Peter van I…

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Is free will an illusion? The chemistry of freedom | Patrick Haggard, George Ellis, Jennifer Hornsby 40:10

4M ago40:10

40:10

The question of free will - and whether we have it or not - is age-old across philosophy, religion, and human thought in general. Having free will allows us to have meaning, responsibility, reward and punishment. Yet discoveries in neuroscience have put our ability to choose, outside of a set of neuronal reactions, in question. Do we have free will…

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Has the world gone to Hell? | Slavoj Žižek on fascism, shame, and dirty jokes 41:11

4M ago41:11

41:11

Žižek: "Trump did what The Left couldn't" As we look around at the state of the modern world, it's very easy to get disheartened - and that's putting it lightly! From pointless wars and endless suffering to the decline of social bonds and trustworthy institutions, there really is a lot to get you down. Fortunately, maverick philosopher Slavoj Žižek…

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Video games and the meaning of life | James Tartaglia 27:49

4M ago27:49

27:49

Video games are changing how we think. Many are so realistic that some argue they are becoming reality. In this talk by philosopher James Tartaglia, he uncovers the relationship between games and reality. James Tartaglia is Professor of Metaphysical Philosophy at Keele University. His latest book is Inner Space Philosophy: Why the Next Stage of Hum…

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The philosophy of literature SPECIAL | George Orwell, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Aldous Huxley, and more 44:01

5M ago44:01

44:01

How literature helps us to understand morality, totalitarian politics, and the life of Jesus Christ. Join the team at the IAI for four articles about great, classic literature, covering world-renowned authors such as George Orwell, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Clarice Lispector, to name but a few. These articles were written by Michael Marder, Emrah Atasoy, …

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How other species challenge our idea of consciousness | Peter Godfrey-Smith 21:13

5M ago21:13

21:13

In this IAI Studio interview, philosopher and science writer Peter Godfrey-Smith explores the evolution of consciousness and the enduring mystery of the mind–body problem. Drawing on his work with octopuses and other animals, he argues that consciousness emerged gradually through increasingly complex forms of sensory-motor interaction, rather than …

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Utopia and human nature | Paul Bloom 27:15

5M ago27:15

27:15

Human nature and the possibility of utopia The idea of utopia - of a perfect society devoid of suffering and inequality - is planted firmly in the human imagination and psyche. From pre-biblical times to Thomas More and communism and beyond, widely disparate groups have attempted to plan or create a utopia. But is it achievable? And if not, why not…

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More choice means less freedom | Psychologist Barry Schwartz 18:32

5M ago18:32

18:32

Why more is less We're surrounded by choice - an endless sea of possible paths we might take. However, does the overwhelming range of choices leave us better off or worse? In general, we tend to think that more is better, but Barry Schwartz, author of the ground-breaking book 'The Paradox of Choice', argues that this view is mistaken. More can lead…

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The limits of logic: Should we embrace the irrational? |Iain McGilchrist, Beatrix Campbell, Simon Blackburn 43:28

5M ago43:28

43:28

Our culture prizes logic and rationality, if not above all else, as two of the most fundamental social traits. But are we missing out by overlooking the irrational? Can logic explain everything, or what is it missing? And is it possible to live (and enjoy) a life led by logic? Logic, in philosophy and beyond, seems to always to be self-evidently ri…

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S4/E9 - Ayelet Tsabari scribbles at the end of the world 55:52

5M ago55:52

55:52

Send us a text Jason welcomes writer Ayelet Tsabari for a chinwag about needing the beach, apples revolving in space, the jaw-dropping beauty of Vancouver, surfing between languages, being out in real life, scribbling at the end of the world, & tears for the writer, tears for the reader. Join the early sh*t chat at https://www.facebook.com/WRTESpod…

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Consciousness begins in the body | Antonio Damasio 30:56

5M ago30:56

30:56

We tend to believe consciousness is purely mental. And since Descartes' "I think therefore I am", we've privileged the mind as the centrepiece of thought and consciousness. But such a view is mistaken argues award-winning neuroscientist Antonio Damasio. Feelings, long dismissed as secondary to thinking, are where consciousness begins, and are deepl…

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The Selfish and The Selfless SPECIAL | JD Vance, Pope Francis, and the 10 Commandments 45:09

6M ago45:09

45:09

What can JD Vance's arguments with Pope Francis teach us about selfishness, altruism, and the morality of the modern world? Join the team at the IAI for four articles about egoism, self-sacrifice, and everything in between, analysing a range of subjects, including: Friedrich Nietzsche and his rivalry with former maestro Arthur Schopenhauer; the 10 …

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Being mindful in a mindless world | Ellen Langer 22:46

6M ago22:46

22:46

The mindful body with Ellen Langer Can mindfulness be contagious? Ellen Langer's research certainly seems to suggest that's the case. As Professor of Psychology at Harvard University and the author of 'The Mindful Body', Ellen has racked up decades of experience and numerous awards during her investigations into the impact of mindful living. In thi…