We sit down for a discussion about the futility of rationalism, by way of William James' Varieties of Religious Experience. We start with the question of utopias, and try to diagnose why, if they're doomed to fail, it's still worth trying to create them, and then move on to the question of the scientific project - which seems to be an attempt to create a rationalist utopia. James' take on mystical experiences - that they're nearly universally accessible, though rarely long dwelt in - seems to suggest that there is something about the tremulous experience of being alive that will leave us with the feeling of being part of something larger than ourselves no matter how rational we get. So, then, if we can never escape the mystical experience, is it worth trying? And if it is, and we take the project of science to be worthwhile, where does the mystic live? Sign up for our Patreon and get episodes early + join our weekly Patron Chat https://bit.ly/3lcAasB AND rock some Demystify Gear to spread the word: https://demystifysci.myspreadshop.com/ OR do your Amazon shopping through this link: https://amzn.to/4g2cPVV #sciencepodcast, #longformpodcast, #UtopianVision, #ScienceVsMysticism, #WilliamJames, #Philosophy, #Mysticism, #Rationalism, #DavidGraeber, #Utopia, #Psychology, #PhilosophicalDebate, #DemystifyingScience, #PodcastDiscussion, #CulturalCritique, #HumanExperience, #ConsciousnessExploration Check our short-films channel, @DemystifySci: https://www.youtube.com/c/DemystifyingScience AND our material science investigations of atomics, @MaterialAtomics https://www.youtube.com/@MaterialAtomics Join our mailing list https://bit.ly/3v3kz2S PODCAST INFO: Anastasia completed her PhD studying bioelectricity at Columbia University. When not talking to brilliant people or making movies, she spends her time painting, reading, and guiding backcountry excursions. Shilo also did his PhD at Columbia studying the elastic properties of molecular water. When he's not in the film studio, he's exploring sound in music. They are both freelance professors at various universities. - Blog: http://DemystifySci.com/blog - RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/2be66934/podcast/rss - Donate: https://bit.ly/3wkPqaD - Swag: https://bit.ly/2PXdC2y SOCIAL: - Discord: https://discord.gg/MJzKT8CQub - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DemystifySci - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DemystifySci/ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/DemystifySci MUSIC: -Shilo Delay: https://g.co/kgs/oty671