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Religion & Spirituality

Deconstructing Yourself

by Michael W. Taft
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Latest episodes

  • Awakening and Flow States, with Loch Kelly

    September 15, 2026 · 1 hr 13 min

    In this episode, host Michael Taft speaks with meditation teacher Loch Kelly about what comes after the first glimpse. They distinguish "waking up"—recognizing openness, stillness, the absence of a separate self—from "waking with," in…

  • A Conversation with Delson Armstrong

    August 24, 2026 · 44 min

    Days after narrowly surviving a catastrophic flood, meditation teacher Delson Armstrong joins Michael Taft to consider what remains when spiritual ideas fall away. Their conversation explores primal awareness, the spiritual ego, and…

  • Meditation, False Insights, and Artificial Wisdom with Ruben Laukkonen

    August 2, 2026 · 51 min

    Host Michael Taft talks with neuroscientist Ruben Laukkonen about what extreme physical suffering can reveal about meditation, and why awakening may be less a grand attainment than “the grand disappointment.” They explore disenchantment…

  • The Mystery of Consciousness with Michael Pollan

    July 16, 2026 · 1 hr 2 min

    Host Michael Taft talks with bestselling author Michael Pollan about his new book, A World Appears, and the enduring mystery of consciousness. They explore the hidden biases of consciousness researchers, the limits of scientific…

  • A Conversation with Joe Hudson

    June 20, 2026 · 59 min

    Host Michael Taft and guest Joe Hudson explore the crucial difference between awakening and liberation: why insight on the cushion does not automatically free us in relationship, shame, self-talk, or emotional reactivity. Joe reframes…

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  • A Conversation with Wystan

    April 28, 2026 · 35 min

    Host Michael Taft interviews meditation teacher Wystan about teaching awakening outside a strict lineage framework, cultural translation of Buddhist practice, why awakening does not “come with a Buddhist label,” the tension between…

  • Michael Taft Interviewed by Pranab

    February 7, 2026 · 34 min

    Host Michael Taft is interviewed by Pranab Sachithanandan about Michael's Stack Model for deconstructing sensory experience, his "adapter kit" for accessing nondual Vajrayana methods without years of preliminaries, why mantra and…

  • The Power of the Heart with Stephen Snyder

    January 29, 2026 · 46 min

    Host Michael Taft speaks with Stephen Snyder Sensei about the two “missing” brahmaviharas, Innate Goodness practice, heart wisdom vs. mind wisdom, the magic of the “group heart”, the paradox of the Heart Sutra, learning to become…

  • Chasing the Serpent’s Tail with Sravana Borkataky-Varma and Anya Foxen

    December 2, 2025 · 51 min

    Join host Michael Taft as he talks with Sravana Borkataky-Varma and Anya Foxen about the wild history of Kundalini—from it’s ancient Tantric roots to modern global yoga culture—including subtle-body maps, spontaneous awakenings, and…

  • Nonduality and the Ego with Jake Orthwein

    September 21, 2025 · 1 hr 2 min

    Host Michael Taft talks with Jake Orthwein about the self as a construction, the distinction between no-self and emptiness, the crucial difference between having a functional ego and being identified with it, psychedelics and meditation…

  • Talking about Deity Yoga with Peter McEwen

    August 29, 2025 · 55 min

    Host Michael Taft talks with meditation coach Peter McEwen about devotion in meditation practice, the need for stability in groundlessness, the ontological status of deities, common failure modes of practice, how to handle formless panic…

  • Talking about Dark Retreat, Part 2 with Andrew Holecek

    August 1, 2025 · 1 hr 13 min

    Host Michael Taft continues his conversation with with Andrew Holecek about the transformative practice of Dark Retreat; the reasons behind the recent surge of interest in darkness practices; its relationship to the feminine principle and…

Full episode archive on Apple Podcasts →

About the show

Dedicated to liberation in all its forms, Deconstructing Yourself is passionate about fearlessly investigating, attempting, and questioning all things to do with awakening, meditation, mindfulness, brain hacking, consciousness, neurofeedback, and more. Your host Michael W. Taft interviews some of the most interesting thinkers, authors, and teachers around, as well as other offerings. In this hard-hitting, radical, and fun podcast we look at secular post-, non-, un- Buddhism, Vajrayana, nondual Hindu Tantra, philosophy, the neuroscience of the sense of self, neurofeedback and the consciousness hacking movement, aspects of artificial intelligence, entheogens, and much more. If you’re looking for fresh directions, free from dogma and conformism, think of the Deconstructing Yourself podcast as the radical cafe where you can hear from the most interesting luminaries either from the outside edges of dharma, or a fresh take from more traditional teachers. If you’re interested in more, check out the Deconstructing Yourself website at https://deconstructingyourself.com.