In this episode of Psyche Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Richard Beck—professor of psychology at Abilene Christian University, prison chaplain, and author of eight books including his latest, The Shape of Joy: The Transformative Power of Moving Beyond Yourself.

We explore the limitations of self-esteem culture, the dangers of unhealthy introspection, and how modern mental health often traps us in cycles of self-focus. Dr. Beck introduces a liberating alternative: turning outward toward awe, moral beauty, humility, and transcendent experiences that pull us beyond the confines of our own egos.

Our conversation moves from Freud and Socrates to Brene Brown, Ernest Becker, and even Brother Lawrence, weaving psychology, philosophy, and spirituality into a compelling vision of what it means to live a joyful, flourishing life. You’ll hear about concepts like “ego volume,” the pitfalls of hero games, and the power of everyday mysticism to cultivate resonance with the world.

If you’ve ever wrestled with self-esteem, overthinking, or the pressure to prove your worth, this episode offers a refreshing perspective: joy begins not in chasing yourself, but in moving beyond yourself.

In this episode of Psyche Podcast, I sit down with Calum Neill, author of Jacques Lacan: The Basics, for a deep-yet-accessible dive into one of the most challenging and misunderstood figures in psychoanalysis. Calum shares how he first encountered Lacan, why he believes Lacan’s ideas are essential for understanding what it means to be human, and how his book serves as a doorway into this vast and complex world.

We talk about the unconscious as structured like a language, Lacan’s distinctive view of desire and lack, and why the petit objet a matters in everyday life—from love and consumer culture to the ethics of living with incompleteness. Along the way, we touch on Shel Silverstein, the difference between need, demand, and desire, and how Lacan can illuminate our struggles with anxiety.

Whether you’re brand new to Lacan or looking for a fresh perspective, this conversation will challenge, inspire, and maybe even shift how you think about yourself and the world.

In this episode, I reconnect with my friend Barry Taylor for a wide-ranging and thought-provoking conversation.

The heart of our conversation dives into the philosophical work of Emanuele Coccia, whose poetic reflections on plants, the home, and mixture have deeply impacted both of us. We explore how Coccia’s idea of the “metaphysics of mixture” dissolves hard boundaries between self and world, body and environment, offering an alternative to more buffered, defended views of the self—like those found in classical psychoanalysis.

We also talk about Jameson Webster’s On Breathing, which resonates deeply with Coccia’s philosophy. Together, these works prompt us to rethink embodiment, aesthetics, fear, and desire. One of Coccia’s insights we return to is the idea that it’s not courage but desire that helps us overcome fear—a notion that has therapeutic implications and got me thinking about how we might rekindle desire in those stuck in anxiety or avoidance.

Throughout, we wrestle with big questions about subjectivity, animism, bathrooms as gendered spaces, and the need to dethrone reason in favor of a more holistic, enchanted vision of reality. We even get into Barry’s reflections on flatulence, the philosophy of shit, and how our treatment of the “unclean” reveals deep cultural truths.

Whether you’re a fan of philosophy, psychoanalysis, or just curious about how to live more openly and connectedly in the world, this conversation is for you.