These days, it feels like the end of the world is always just around the corner. From RaptureTok to climate doom and geopolitical upheaval, someone always seems to be predicting an impending apocalypse. But how does believing in The End affect how we are in the world? And is there a healthier way to navigate living in uncertain times?

On this episode, we’ll talk to writer Dina Nayeri about growing up in a community that saw the apocalypse as right around the corner, and what she now sees as the dangers of that worldview. We’ll also talk to historian Kim Haines-Eitzen about how the apocalypse was originally understood in ancient texts, and what’s been lost in modern interpretations.

Dina Nayeri is the author of the essay “Yearning for the end of the world,” as well as several other novels, plays, short stories, essays, and memoirs, including her most recent book, Who Gets Believed: When the Truth Isn’t Enough. Learn more about her on her website.

Dr. Kim Haines-Eitzen is a Professor of Ancient Mediterranean Religions at Cornell University, and a Fellow at the National Humanities Center, where she is working on a forthcoming book project about the apocalypse. Learn more about her other research on her website.

We spend about a third of our lives sleeping and yet the question of why we sleep and dream has remained a mystery for much of human existence. But recently scientists have developed the tools to begin to reveal some astonishing insights into lucid dreaming and its uses.

In this episode, we'll talk to neuroscientist Ken Paller about the science of Lucid dreaming. Whether it's something any of us can learn to do and what benefits it might offer.

And while the science of lucid dreaming and its possible uses is still in its infancy, Tibetan Buddhists found ways to master it centuries ago using a practice they call Dream Yoga.

We'll talk with Geshe Thabkhe, a Tibetan Buddhist monk, about how members of his tradition have long been using this technique to enhance their spiritual lives, and how he and other monks are now working with Western scientists like Ken Paller and neuroscientist Robin Nusslock to research this special type of dream state and whether people in the outside world can influence or even communicate with them while they're dreaming.

Robin Nusslock, PhD is a neuroscientist and Associate Professor of Psychology at Northwestern University.

Ken Paller is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Cognitive Neuroscience program at Northwestern University. You can find out more about his work on his website.

When life feels uncertain, who do you turn to? Across cultures and throughout history, many of us have looked to people who seemed to have a special set of abilities and knowledge… shamans.

On this episode, we’ll talk to anthropologist Manvir Singh about what shamanism actually is, how it works, and why its appeal is both timeless and universal. From a remote island in Indonesia to American Pentecostal churches, we’ll explore how shamans harness ritual, empathy, and performance to help people find meaning and relief in times of need.

Manvir Singh directs the Integrative Anthropology Lab at the University of California, Davis. He is the author of Shamanism: The Timeless Religion, and a contributing writer for The New Yorker. Find out more about his work on his website.