Duncan Trussell on: Being a Spiritual Omnivore, Whether Psychedelics Are a Bridge to the Divine, and How the Gates of Hell Are Locked From the Inside

About this episode

<p><em>New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.</em></p> <p>---</p> <p><a href="https://www.duncantrussell.com/" rel= "noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Duncan Trussell</a> is an American actor and stand-up comic. And he doesn't like being called a Buddhist comedian. It makes sense… that label unfairly pigeonholes him in two ways. First, because he's a legit, successful, hilarious comedian, no matter what his spiritual leanings. Duncan has written and appeared in sketches for two seasons of Fuel TV's <em>Stupidface</em>, Showtime's <em>La La Land</em>, Comedy Central's <em>Nick Swardson's Pretend Time</em>, and both seasons of HBO's <em>Funny or Die Presents</em>. His television credits include <em>MADtv</em> and <em>Curb Your Enthusiasm</em>. </p> <p><br /></p> <p>And when it comes to the spiritual stuff, he's not just a Buddhist. This guy is spiritually omnivorous. And he knows his shit. He has practiced extensively. And on his podcast, <a href= "https://www.duncantrussell.com/episodes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Duncan Trussell Family Hour</a>, he interviews meditation teachers like Jack Kornfield and Sharon Salzberg. In fact, Netflix turned his pod into a cult favorite animated TV show, called <a href="https://www.duncantrussell.com/midnightgospel" rel= "noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Midnight Gospel</a>.</p> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>In this episode we talk about:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Depression, anxiety, death, and Duncan's interpretation of God </li> <li>How meditation helps him handle the insanity of Hollywood</li> <li>The Buddhist hell realms as psychological states</li> <li>Spirituality and psychedelics</li> <li>If having a contemplative practice can hurt our job, form of expression, or ambition</li> <li>Karmic and samsaric patterns – and enjoying your ego while you have one</li> <li>If we're all capable of love</li> </ul> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>Related Episodes:</strong></p> <p><a href= "https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/rainn-wilson-603" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#603. Why Dwight from The Office (Rainn Wilson) Is Calling for a "Spiritual Revolution"</a></p> <p><a href= "https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/father-gregory-boyle-489" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#489. Can You Really Conquer Hatred Through Love? | Father Gregory Boyle</a></p> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>Full Shownotes:</strong> <a href= "https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/duncan-trussell" rel="noopener noreferrer" target= "_blank">https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/duncan-trussell</a></p> <p><br /></p>