About this episode
Matthew Syed explores the risks associated with certain ideas and practices, particularly around selfhood, through a conversation with Curt Jaimungal and Dr Iain McGilchrist.
Every week, podcaster Curt Jaimungal immerses himself in big ideas and complex theories to prepare for long, in-depth interviews with some of the world’s leading thinkers on his show Theories of Everything. His guests are wide-ranging - renowned physicists, mathematicians but also philosophers - investigating questions of existence and the nature of reality. He takes it very seriously, as part of a wider quest to find a worldview. But one day, he’s shocked to discover he feels disorientated by what he’d previously considered a mere intellectual exercise. Matthew Syed asks whether certain ideas and practices are riskier, perhaps more dangerous to explore than others. He discovers ideas around selfhood in particular can send people into a spin and traces the history of when practices based on self-observation became popularised in western societies, often outside of their intended context. He assesses the dangers of ‘ontological whiplash’, a term podcaster Curt gives to the experience of constantly going from one set of ideas to another. And he receives sound advice from his old friend Dr Iain McGilchrist - a psychiatrist, philosopher, and bestselling author - on how best to…
People in this episode
Hosts: Curt Jaimungal, Matthew Syed
Guest: Dr Iain McGilchrist
Topics covered
- dangerous ideas
- selfhood
- ontological whiplash
- self-observation
- consciousness
Keywords
- dangerous ideas
- selfhood
- ontological whiplash
- self-observation
- consciousness
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Theories of Everything, Brown University Medical School
More episodes of Sideways
- 86. The Talent Trap · April 1, 2026 · 29 min
- 85. The Hands of Forgiveness · March 25, 2026 · 30 min
- 84. Absurdity on Toast · March 18, 2026 · 29 min
- 82. Scream Queen · March 3, 2026 · 29 min
- 81. The Story My Sister Told Me · February 25, 2026 · 29 min
- 80. Broody Men · February 18, 2026 · 29 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Sideways podcast page.