Why We Crave Gurus: A Skeptic's Reckoning With Belief, Bitcoin, and Burning Man | Vikram Gandhi

About this episode

<p dir="ltr">What a fake guru discovered about genuine connection, why ancient wisdom survives even the most rigorous skepticism, and the real reason humans crave spiritual authority.</p> <p dir="ltr">Vikram Gandhi is an award-winning and boundary-pushing director of fiction and non-fiction film and television. Vikram most recently co-directed <a href= "https://www.hbomax.com/shows/man-will-burn/6e69de11-44dc-472a-a7bb-1f0b4be7738b"> The Man Will Burn</a> — a five-part HBO Original Documentary Series on the full arc of Burning Man, from its countercultural roots in San Francisco to the 80,000-person desert event it's become.</p> <p dir="ltr">In this episode we talk about:</p> <ul> <li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Why an experiment built to reject capitalism ended up swimming in it</li> <li dir="ltr" role="presentation">What playing a fake guru taught him about how belief actually works</li> <li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Why people are often more comfortable opening up to a stranger than to those closest to them</li> <li dir="ltr" role="presentation">What religion, cryptocurrency, and Burning Man all have in common</li> <li dir="ltr" role="presentation">How to find meaning in ancient wisdom without needing to belong to anything</li> <li dir="ltr" role="presentation">And much more</li> </ul> <p dir="ltr">Get the 10% with Dan Harris app <a href= "https://app.danharris.com/membership">here</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Sign up for Dan's free newsletter <a href= "http://www.danharris.com/">here</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Follow Dan on social: <a href= "https://bit.ly/3tGigG5">Instagram</a>, <a href= "https://bit.ly/3FOA84J">TikTok</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Subscribe to our <a href= "https://bit.ly/3FybRzD">YouTube Channel</a><strong><br /></strong></p> <p dir="ltr">To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit <a href= "https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris">https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris</a></p> <p>This episode is sponsored by: <br /> Jiyu Skin: Our listeners can now get an additional 20% off plus free shipping with our code HAPPIER at <a href= "http://jiyuskin.com/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">jiyuskin.com</a>.<br /> Tonal: Right now, Tonal is offering our listeners $200 off your Tonal purchase with promo code HAPPIER.<br /> Rosetta Stone: Ten Percent Happier listeners can get 20% off their Rosetta Stone Sapphire subscription when they sign up today. Visit <a href="http://rosettastone.com/happier" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">rosettastone.com/happier</a> to redeem your 20% off.</p>