本期节目，我们跟随山姆探讨死亡现象。山姆鼓励我们利用对死亡的意识，更加活在当下。他先后与临终关怀项目创始人弗兰克、心理学家斯科特、神经科学教授罗兰德等专家对话，探讨了如何过好生活、死亡焦虑以及时间管理技巧。最后，山姆独自讲述，生命的短暂正是其美丽之处。

🌟 山姆开场白：利用死亡意识，活在当下。山姆呼吁我们正视死亡，从而更加珍惜每一天，充实生活。

💡 弗兰克的经验：弗兰克分享在临终关怀过程中的宝贵经验，教会我们如何在生命的最后阶段给予关爱。

🎓 斯科特的现代需求层次理论：斯科特结合马斯洛的需求层次理论，阐述如何追求美好生活。

🍄 罗兰德的迷幻疗法研究：罗兰德介绍迷幻药物在缓解死亡焦虑方面的神奇力量，以及如何帮助我们充实生活。

🌍 山姆与斯科特·加洛韦对话：探讨COVID-19疫情使社会对死亡高度敏感所带来的社会和经济影响。

⏰ 奥利弗的时间管理技巧：奥利弗阐述如何将我们对死亡的认识运用到时间管理中，提高生活品质。

🔬 永生可能性的探讨：物理学家杰弗里与山姆讨论理论上是否能够实现人类永生。

🌿 山姆的独白：生命的短暂赋予其美丽，我们不必对生命的终结感到悲观。

In this episode, we explore Sam’s conversations about the phenomenon of death.

We begin with an introduction from Sam as he urges us to use our awareness of death to become more present in our day-to-day lives. We then hear a conversation between Sam and Frank Ostaseski, founder of the Zen Hospice Project, who shares the valuable lessons he has learned through caring for those in their very last days. Next, we move on to a conversation with Scott Barry Kaufman, who explains what it means to pursue a good life by putting a modern spin on Abraham Maslow’s famous hierarchy of needs.

Researcher and professor of neuroscience Roland Griffiths then details his findings on psychedelic therapies. He and Sam discuss the inexplicable powers of psychedelics in easing the anxiety around death, and how these experiences can potentially help us live fuller lives. Shifting perspectives, we move on by hearing NYU professor Scott Galloway explain the social and economic impacts of a society made painfully aware of death by the COVID-19 pandemic.

We then listen in to author Oliver Burkeman as he outlines how the knowledge of our mortality can inform practical time management techniques before addressing an age-old question with physicist Geoffrey West: Theoretically, could we engineer humans to live forever?

Sam closes this episode with a solo talk, explaining that we needn’t be cynical about the fact that all life must come to an end. Instead, it is the transient nature of life that might be the very thing which makes it beautiful in the first place.

 

About the Series

Filmmaker Jay Shapiro has produced The Essential Sam Harris, a new series of audio documentaries exploring the major topics that Sam has focused on over the course of his career.

Each episode weaves together original analysis, critical perspective, and novel thought experiments with some of the most compelling exchanges from the Making Sense archive. Whether you are new to a particular topic, or think you have your mind made up about it, we think you’ll find this series fascinating.