Interview on Margaret Meloni's Podcast

I sat down with Margaret Meloni to discuss Religion Unburdened by Belief: An Open Inquiry. Listen to the episode on Spotify. The conversation explores what a “scientific religion” might look like—not dogma, but a way to make religious and meditative experiences more reliable, repeatable, and honest, building on the work of James Carse.

They cover a simple meditation adjustment—noting distractions instead of brushing them aside, then later tending to the “parts” that surfaced—and how the “firmness” practiced in Santo Daime ceremonies (staying present, singing, keeping rhythm even as the medicine pulls you inward) trains the same discipline used in meditation. The episode also touches on the danger of inherited beliefs, the role of questioning, and how open inquiry can inspire empathy and connection.