27 of the Best Podcasts Sam Harris Has Produced

Last updated on March 5th, 2023

I discovered Sam Harris well before he was podcasting. Let alone before I knew what the best podcasts Sam Harris would produced were.

This was back in college, and as a Philosophy major I stumbled upon his book The End of Faith. I found it empowering that someone with a mere B.A. in philosophy (albeit from Harvard) could secure a book deal.

I also found it empowering that he didn’t shy away from controversial topics. After all, controversy is part of the essential Sam Harris. So it was with an open mind that I approached that book.

I would later read the rest of his library as it came out. Lying (which has particular importance at the moment vis a vis Sam Bankman-Fried), A Letter to a Christian Nation, Free Will, Waking Up (his treatise on the importance of meditation), Making Sense, and This Will Make You Smarter all found a place on my physical bookshelf.

Podcasts Sam Harris – Waking Up | Making Sense

Thus I was excited when I discovered his podcast during the pandemic. At the time it was called Waking Up, but later changed to Making Sense to avoid confusion with his meditation app of the same name.

We had a new baby and were on lockdown in a quiet neighborhood. So I did a lot of walking, pushing a stroller, with headphones in, listening with rapt attention to Sam’s show.

As in his books, he doesn’t stray from looking at bad ideas, or the human mind, with scientific and philosophical rigor. A large portion of his work has been devoted to looking forward to the human race’s future.

And the existential threats we pose to ourselves that are hiding in plain sight. So let us then dive into the best podcasts Sam Harris has created to date in my opinion.

You can let me know if I’m wrong on twitter… though Sam Harris won’t be there.

Psychedelics

Sam Harris has several shows that feature the benefits (and drawbacks) of using psychedelics. I’ve featured a couple of them right up front because it’s one of the more interesting discussions, and something that isn’t necessarily left or right.

It’s a discussion that deals with mental illness and thus, cuts across all swaths of society.

#306 — Psychedelics & Mortality

Why this Episode is Important: In short, we’ve been fed a lot of nonsense about the potential benefits of psychedelic medicine, and it’s worth hearing from someone who has actually put their scientific career on the line to study it.

Don’t do drugs. Just say no. These are mantras drilled into the heads of every Gen Xer and “Elder Millennial.” We know these statements because they were everywhere. In our schools, plastered on billboards, t-shirts, and stickers.

They even invaded our video games.

But as we grew up, we learned that wasn’t the whole truth. The generations before us grew up with mantras like “Turn on, Tune in, Drop out,” from psychedelic pioneers like Timothy Leary. Making sense of the conflicting, empirical information we saw, versus what we were told was difficult.

Now what if we add death into the mix. This is where episode 306 comes in.

Sam discusses psychedelics with Roland Griffiths, Ph.D. He’s one of the leading researchers on mood altering drugs, and how psilocybin can be used to create spiritual, transformative experiences in patients. They discuss his Stage 4 cancer diagnosis and the nature of consciousness itself.

It’s a fascinating discussion for anyone who has ever suffered from depression, PTSD, or other mental illnesses. And for those who think they were lied to by the Government. Because you were.

#242 – Psychedelics and the Self

Why This Episode is Important: We don’t really have an idea of the scope of what psychedelic treatment’s scale is. Do we need to drop out to get the benefits?

Another really interesting discussion on psychedelics with Dr. James Fadiman on how these treatments can be used to know thyself.

They discuss the practice of micro-dosing, the different types of psychedelics available (natural and synthetic), who shouldn’t take these substances, and ultimately how they can be used to expand consciousness.

They also discuss why one shouldn’t take these drugs by themselves as a guide drastically decreases the chances of having a “bad trip.”

Sam taking on the subject of psychedelics is an interesting one. There’s quite a bit of discussion on personal experience, so it shows a bit of vulnerability that you may not be expecting.

#304 — Why I Left Twitter

Why This Episode is Important: In 2023, Twitter is a revolving series of messes fueled by the hubris of it’s owner, Elon Musk. The introduction to this episode is a fantastic explanation of what this type of communication medium is doing to us as a society, and as individuals.

I love listening to Cal Newport. After Sam explains why he deleted his Twitter account. Spoilers – Twitter sucks and is making people worse. It’s full of fragmented, broken conversations, and is sewing American division.

Looking at you January 6th run up. So, it’s not as though that’s particularly shocking that someone who is devoted to the advancement of the species would try an delete a vice that is breaking the species.

If we look at the latest Congress’ oversight hearings on the “weaponization of the Federal government,” we can see how quickly media bias at the big social media companies took center stage.

So, while this part of the show is relatively short, the rest of the discussion with Cal Newport is superb and focuses further on the fragmentation of modern life. How our time management has taken a collective hit and what we can do about it moving forward.

If you’re concerned about how fragmented our tribes have become, then this is an episode you need to listen to.

#301 – The Politics of Unreality: Ukraine and Nuclear Risk

Why This Episode is Important: We are likely closer to a malignant nuclear detonation than we have been in decades.

Central and Eastern Europe have been having a bit of a moment over the past couple of years. Well, really, around a decade since Russia decided to exercise some expansionist escapades. How the global order is shifting is unknown, but we can see how Russia is trying to shift the unipolar world.

If you grew up in the 80s or before, as I did, the thought of nuclear conflict was a real source of anxiety. It’s hard to shake now, nearly 40 years later in my case.

That’s why this episode with Sam and historian Timothy Snyder was so interesting… and calming. They discuss what the real factors behind the war in Ukraine likely are, and what the risks of escalation could be.

More importantly, they discuss the real possibility of de-escalation.

#300 – A Tale of Cancellation

Why This Episode is Important: Maybe we could all use a bit thicker skin.

The term “Cancel Culture” is thrown around a lot, but in this episode, Sam Harris takes a novel, and clever shot across the bow of those who would silence artists, writers, and journalists.

He interviews filmmaker and former firefighter Meg Smaker about her film “The Unredacted (Jihad Rehab).”

Sam is no stranger to taking on, intellectually, jihadi movements. But he does so knowingly. A jihad doesn’t require violence and the discussion dances around the intellectual side of the movement.

They discuss the coordinated effort to silence Smaker’s film and have it pulled from film festivals. There’s a difference between a jihad to advance the course of Islam and a violent jihad. There’s a difference between cancelling those who deserve it, and capitulating to bullies.

That’s what this discussion is about.

#280 – The Future of Artificial Intelligence

Why This Episode is Important: GPT-3 is one of the most disruptive and exciting technologies of my professional life. And I’m saying that as a writer. It’s worth knowing what it can do and what it can’t do. It’s not SkyNet.

AI… artificial intelligence. Chat GPT. GPT-3.

The Making Sense podcast was ahead of the curve here. In this episode, Sam Harris sits down with Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google, to discuss the ramifications and existential risks of AI.

As a writer, obviously, the recent hullabaloo about ChatGPT and its impacts on the job market has me paying close attention. I was paying attention to this episode when it first aired and I still think it’s worth a listen to those who think AI may be coming for your job.

#241 – Final Thoughts on Free Will

Why This Episode is Important: This wrap-up of the series of discussions of free will may keep you up at night. But maybe that is exactly what was supposed to happen.

We live in a democracy. We believe in meritocracy and that we’re responsible for our actions.

But… what if we’re not?

What if there is no mental model that matches up with free will? What if what is predetermined, and baked in is a lot stronger than we think? The writings of Spinoza fascinated me as a young undergrad because the implications are enormous!

Sam Harris has written extensively on the subject of free will and this episode presents his final argument, in audio format, on the subject. If you really haven’t given much thought to free will (because the default is we think we have it), then you must listen to this episode as well as the other related episodes linked here.

#239 – Yet Another Call from Ricky Gervais

Why This Episode is Important: It’s Ricky Gervais and these episodes set the tone of what Absolutely Mental would become.

A special episode indeed. The call in episodes with Ricky Gervais are simply fantastic and lead to their own spin off mini series podcast.

There’s not a tremendous amount to say about these calls with Ricky other than his wit is razor sharp, he’s quick, and hilarious. If you haven’t watched his television show “Afterlife,” you are doing yourself a disservice.

Sam Harris is not a comedian, and Ricky Gervais, not a philosopher. At least neither by trade, but it is brilliant to see what two generational minds do when put in a room together.

#205 – The Failure of Meritocracy

Why This Episode is Important: The concept of meritocracy ignores the fact that you have no control over the circumstances you were born into. What’s known as the veil of ignorance. So how does meritocracy survive in such an environment? Thus, what do we owe each other?

Meritocracy is the dream right? Work hard. Bootstraps. White picket fences. A gold watch. These are the things we dream about. Or dreamed about.

Sam Harris and Daniel Markovits about how the meritocracy system has come up short for younger generations and how boomers may have pulled the ladder up behind them.

Harris begins by asking Markovits if he sees meritocracy as a problem. Markovits agrees that it is a problem but notes that we don’t have another system to replace it with because no one has come up with a better model for distributing opportunities than meritocracy.

Is it corporate courage that has changed the way we work? Cutting jobs and making people bounce around? Is a universal basic income warranted? These are all important questions in a shrinking middle class, because wealth matters, and it is being concentrated like an orange.

#194 – The New Future of Work

Why This Episode is Important: How we work has been a fascinating point of contention throughout my professional life. Ever since reading ReWork by Jason Freid. This one will get you contemplating your own professional future. Maybe I’ll be a bee keeper.

Matt Mullenweg, the co-founder of WordPress (the most popular content management system in the world) and Automattic (the company behind WordPress), has a lot to say about the changing nature of work and how it’s organized.

In this episode of Sam Harris’s podcast, Mullenweg discusses how distributed work has evolved over time and what we can expect in the future. He talks about how knowledge workers are becoming more independent and working from home more often, and how this trend will continue as technology makes remote working easier, faster, and more efficient.

We all watched the implosion of WeWork and how shared spaces weren’t the answer. But with more companies demanding workers come back into the office, what does the future of work really look like?

#157 – What Does the Mueller Report Really Say?

Why This Episode is Important: Because every pundit up to and including the Attorney General and the President of the United States had a self-serving opinion on what this most important of reports said. But what did it really say?

The Mueller Report will likely go down in history as one of the most important documents that more or less said nothing actionable.

There was politics, intrigue, and downright lies that obscured what was really in the report. Both sides claimed enormous victories that left the rest of us wondering, what the the Hell this thing really said.

In this episode, Sam Harris sits down with Benjamin Wittes to talk about what was in that report. What it really, ultimately, said, and what it means for the future of the country.

Spoiler: It’s not good folks.

#140 — Burning Down the Fourth Estate

Why This Episode is Important: American’s fell out of love with partisan news more than a century ago. But it’s back and we aren’t exactly dealing with that well.

Voters have developed a distrust of news media, otherwise known as the fourth estate.

Matt Taibbi and Sam Harris discuss the polarization of American politics through the lens of media. Voters live in media bubbles where they aren’t exposed to opposing ideas in any useful way.

Harris then brought up the controversy over the killing of Jamal Kashoggi, which had recently been revealed by Turkish intelligence officials—the Saudis have been maintaining that he left their consulate alive and well on October 2nd. Both Harris and Taibbi expressed disgust at this cover-up.

Truly, it’s difficult to imagine a scenario where open societies exist without the fourth estate functioning on all cylinders, and this discussion really should open some eyes.

#130 – Universal Basic Income

Why This Episode is Important: There’s a theme building. If work is changing and AI is poised to displace white-collar jobs, what are we going to do as a society?

Andrew Yang is synonymous with UBI, or “Universal Basic Income.”

The rise of automation in the manufacturing industry is well known. It’s been happening for several years now and has been a source of concern for some time. But what about the rise of artificial intelligence and its impact on thought workers?

It’s no secret that AI is making inroads into all sorts of industries as it matures, from healthcare to financial services. And while many people are worried about the impact this will have on their jobs, they may not realize how profound this change will be.

So what can we expect to see in the next decade or so?

That’s what Sam Harris and Andrew Yang discuss in this episode where the tenants of UBI and corporate cowardice are discussed at length.

#116 — AI: Racing Toward the Brink

Why This Episode is Important: Human beings like to be the center of attention and we look at our creations through that lens. But what is AI actually going to do? Will it even care about us?

Moving beyond ChatGPT and other linguistic learning algorithms, this episode explores more of your SkyNet, Terminator type of AI.

Just because we can create something, ought we?

That’s one of the most troubling questions humanity hast to ask itself. Our yearning to push the brink of what we can do is strong. But we also know that we tend to screw up a lot.

Should we be constructing minds that are completely artificial. Minds that we may not be able to control. Should we try to control them in the first place? This is a wide ranging discussion of AI that avers towards making the listener think about the implications of unintended consequences.

Something we’ve shown a complete incompetence towards over the past hundred or so years. At least. At… least.

There are quite a few podcasts Sam Harris has done on AI, and the implications. Will AI even care about humanity, or will it think of us more like a trail of ants? Yeah, we don’t necessarily want to step on them, but we also don’t want them in our pantry.

Interesting topic.

#112 — The Intellectual Dark Web

Why This Episode is Important: It teaches us how to apologize and recognize that sometimes we make some bad associations.

At a certain point it was “cool” if you were a cisgendered white male to be part of the Dark Web… but the one for intellectuals. Not that 4 Chan Q Anon crap.

You got to play faux status games and explain what moral knowledge was to those less suspecting. Discuss mating strategies and the basic neuroscience behind dating.

Now, this is an older episode. Sam Harris has since disavowed any such membership in this shadowy web of intellectual sophists. That doesn’t make the interview/discussion with Eric Weinstein and Ben Shapiro not worth a listen.

If you can’t listen to something egregious and learn a lesson, that’s not great. It’s not even good. It’s not even fair.

We’re better off from learning from our mistakes, like giving old Ben Shapiro a platform. We’re better off for learning from his rhetorical nonsense. Is he a great guy? No. Can I learn something from him? Yes.

Open minds.

#111 — The Science of Meditation

Why This Episode is Important: Meditation is not religion. It has a scientific benefit. Something prayer hasn’t reproduced.

The benefits of meditation aren’t magical, they’re science.

Western science is beginning to come around to the benefits of meditation, which eastern schools of thought have been touting for literally thousands of years.

Studies have shown that meditation can help with everything from stress relief to pain management, and even make us more intelligent! In fact, there are so many studies showing these benefits that we could probably write an entire book about it. In fact, Sam Harris has.

In this episode Sam discusses the latest science on meditation with Daniel Goleman and Richard J. Davidson. It’s a phenomenal discussion and worth missing your subway station to make sure you get it all in.

Assuming you’re in New York City of course. If you’re not, use your public transportation metaphor of choice.

#89 — On Becoming a Better Person

Why This Episode is Important: You can only give your integrity away once. So it’s important to build character that doesn’t allow for that to happen.

What does it mean to be blameworthy? How about praiseworthy?

We throw around these terms, these labels, and don’t often explore what it means to attach them to a person, let alone a person’s actions.

In this episode Sam sits down with David Brooks to discuss his book The Road to Character. Character is something that has been sorely lacking in society of late, both in definition and in substance.

So it was especially enjoyable to have to bright thinkers discuss what it means to have character in an age where the term seems antiquated. Really one of the best podcasts Sam Harris has made.

#81 — Leaving Islam

Why This Episode is Important: It’s a primer on Sam’s larger work that launched his career. While he no longer spends much time on the subject of Islam, this is a great primer to his views..

The entirety of my adult life has orbited around a confused discussion of Islam.

From the war on terror, to Palestine it has been difficult to get a straight answer on the subject. To Harris’ credit, he has spent a great deal of time promoting atheism, albeit with a genuine curiosity towards the first principles of Islam.

Like Christianity, or Bitcoin, there are layers built upon the core code that have distorted what those core tenants are. Islam is no different in that regard.

This discussion with Sarah Haider is enlightening. Listening to it now, in 2023, when there are uprisings in Iran and the Taliban has taken back Afghanistan, it is more informative than ever.

#47 — The Frontiers of Political Correctness

Why This Episode is Important: There shouldn’t be topics that we can’t discuss. Especially the hard ones where people tend to have entrenched beliefs that are difficult to shake.

Are there certain subjects that are off limits? That cannot be discussed? As Dave Chapelle said, is there a stove too hot to touch?

This episode originally aired in 2016, but the underlying subject matter is more poignant than ever. We should be able to discuss “taboo” subjects without fear of cancellation. We should expect reprisal, but only rhetorically.

That’s what makes the public square great. That we can discuss the subjects that are slowing us down. That are holding us back. Sam’s discussion here hits on many of those difficult subjects.

Not for shock value, but for the benefit of public discourse.

#37 — Thinking in Public

Why This Episode is Important: It’s Neil deGrasse Tyson at his apogee on a podcast. Yes, he’s had good appearances on the Joe Rogan Experience, but this one is my favorite.

Neil deGrasse Tyson has shown us how the game is to be played.

He’s respected. He’s a genius. And he’s dumbing down subjects such that morons like my can understand them.

This talk between Sam and the aforementioned deGrasse Tyson goes on to show how public discourse should be handled. It should be heavy in subject matter, but lighthearted in execution.

Life isn’t that serious and not a single one of us makes it out alive.

#20 — Still Sleepwalking Toward Armageddon

Why This Episode is Important: It snaps us back to a reality where that “society is heading in the wrong direction” question has some real-life consequences.

When the terror attack in Paris happened, it shocked the world.

It was simple, precise, unexpected, and effective. In this episode, Sam reflects on the conflict between a pluralistic, liberal, open society, and an ideology bent on upending that.

And what can be done about it. Sobering to say the least.

#3 — WAKING UP: Chapter One

Why This Episode is Important: Sam has taken the science of meditation and made it his mission to make that science applicable to everyday life.

Spirituality without religion. That’s kind of Sam’s modus operandi.

This early episode of the podcast is the first chapter of his book, Waking Up. For those who are interested in mediation, and spirituality, but can’t stomach the dogma, this is a must listen.

#63 — Why Meditate?

Why This Episode is Important: A down to earth discussion about the benefits of meditation is beneficial to anyone. If you’ve ever been curious about meditation, this is the episode for you.

Jack Goldstein is a one of the finest vipassana meditation teachers in the west.

Originating roughly 2,500 years ago in India, vipassana meditation is one of the oldest continuously taught practices in existence. In this episode, Sam and Jack discuss the origins of the practice as well as the benefits to the individual this type of mediation offers.

What does it mean to be enlightened? Where does one derive ethics? These are the subjects covered in this wide ranging talk.

#62 — What is True?

Why This Episode is Important: We know a lot less than we think we do. That little bit of postulation can make us humbler and more accepting of other view points that conflict with our own.

One of the first things I learned as a philosophy undergrad was that over more than 2,000 years of western philosophy, there is no agreed upon definition of what is true. That’s the basis of epistemology.

Now, is Dr. Jordan Peterson an expert on what is true? Probably not. But that doesn’t make this discussion about a very murky subject any less interesting.

Take everything said here with a mountain of salt, but as a psychologist, Dr. Peterson is interesting. We’ll dive into his podcast in later posts, but it is an interesting discussion regardless.

#103 — American Fantasies

Why This Episode is Important: Belief and knowledge are like cousins who can’t agree on anything at Thanksgiving. American’s excel at this epistemic conflict.

American’s believe a lot of things. A lot of unfounded things. We hold ideas that have no basis in reality, and as a result, cost ourselves quite a bit of grief.

 

This discussion features host of Studio 360, Kurt Andersen, to discuss just how ripe Americans are for believing in things that there’s no objective reason to believe in.

Sam and Kurt discuss the puritan ideals that the country was founded on and how those ideals filtered down through history to create some really confounding movements. They discuss Trump, of course, but populism in general and why populism seems to have developed a strong mistrust in expertise as a concept.

It’s a really compelling argument for fixing some of the broken institutions we currently have and trying to redevelop some trust in those who know what they’re talking about.

#270 – What Have We Learned from the Pandemic?

Why This Episode is Important: For the past 3 years we have experienced a collective, global, trauma. But what, if anything, did we learn from the experience?

That Americans believe ideas they have no reason to believe. Basically.

America’s response to the pandemic was abysmal. There’s good reason that we’re still dealing with variants, long COVID, and the like in 2023. Our collective response was fragmented, broken, and not at all taken seriously.

We peddled conspiracy theories for political gain. In short, it was pretty ridiculous the country was shut down for so long. In this episode Sam and Nicholas Christakis discuss the response, where we failed (everywhere essentially) and how this is a primer for a more serious future matter.

#295 – Philosophy and the Good Life

Why This Episode is Important: Everyone needs more philosophy in their lives.

I was drawn to philosophy as an undergrad for a reason. I believe that the unexamined life is one that is full of angst and unnecessary regret. There really is something to philosophy being a gateway to the “good life.”

Or at least a nice life. Your best life. Not mine. The best version of your life possible. That’s why stoicism is having such a resurgence in the popular zeitgeist.

Kieran Setiya and Sam discuss how philosophy can influence our thinking and temper some of our more troubling thought patterns. Quell the FOMO if you will.

It’s a fantastic discussion and a perfect example why I think everyone should read more philosophy on a regular basis.

The Joe Rogan Experience

Why These Episodes Are Important: They show that Sam can bring his intellect out of his own environment and share it with most any audience. A real treat.

An honorable mention goes to the episodes Sam appears on JRE. Since Rogan is also a proponent of psychedelics, there are some interesting discussions on the topic.

I’m also a fan of the episode that features Sam Harris as well as Dan Harris. It showcases both of their phenomenal work introducing meditation to the layman. It is an episode that dovetails nicely with Kiernan Setiya’s episode on Making Sense.

Making Sense of it All

Sam Harris may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I think that has more to do with his association with the dark web of so called intellectuals of which he really isn’t a part.

That’s pure sophistry. Lumping Sam Harris in with Ben Shappiro is universally a bad idea that helps nobody and isn’t a fair comparison.

Ideally these episodes will shine some light on why Sam Harris is a quality thinker and someone who can shake up your thinking somewhat.