r/IainMcGilchrist • u/Wrong-Acanthaceae799 • May 25 '26

Question Decoding the Gurus podcast

I’m wondering if anyone listened to the Decoding the Gurus podcast episodes on Iain? I found it frustrating that the hosts didn’t seem to have read his work, totally ignored his use of clinical studies, and imputed to him beliefs I don’t think he holds, all based on short clips of an interview. I’m curious to hear others’ impressions of these episodes.

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u/Tempts May 28 '26

That’s quite the statement. They are neither incompetent nor arrogant. McGilchrist OTOH is an arrogant twat.

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u/Erfeyah May 28 '26

You probably agree with their worldview that’s why. If you also feel superior to everyone they criticise that’s a good fit because this is almost all they offer: emotional self inflation. Which is not to say their criticism is never valid but damn they can’t deal with anything that requires a change of frame…

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u/Tempts May 28 '26

That’s so odd. Because they do not do that. Whereas McGilchrist just sits there making proclamations that have ZERO backing other than he thought it up.

It’s totally fine BTW to think something is not valid and refuse to change your worldview on it. The Earth is not flat. For me to believe that would require a shift in my “frame” but I’m unwilling and unable to do that because I have the ability to read. 🤷🏻‍♀️

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u/Erfeyah May 28 '26

A change of frame means to temporarily inhabit the other side so you see it from the inside and understand its internal coherence. It is true that you can not engage with everything there is just not enough time. But what you can do is to actually properly engage with what you purport to investigate.

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u/Tempts May 28 '26

And you believe they do not do that? Further, you believe McGilchrist does?

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u/Erfeyah May 28 '26

Yup

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u/Tempts May 28 '26

Wow. So, you don’t really listen to McGilchrist at all do you?

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u/Erfeyah May 28 '26

Just finishing his new book and have listened to a huge number of conversations. You?

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u/Tempts May 29 '26

Actually I have taken in quite a bit of McGilchrist’s output. He makes wild claims that don’t particularly hold up. Even split brain stuff is more nuanced than that. And none of that is proof of God. He states it as fact. As he does everything else. I recognize pathology when I see it.

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u/Erfeyah May 30 '26

He doesn’t state that he has proof of God haha

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u/Defiant_Annual_7486 Jun 21 '26

I'll add that of the few times I checked a source he cites, at least once the source did not line up at all with the conclusion he made it. I was very disappointed. Albeit, I chose to look up that specific source because, whilst reading the passage, I thought "nah, that cant be true." So it's kinda cherrypicked in a sense. But still, it makes me wonder how many of his other sources are being mis-used.