Western Psychology, Eastern Spirituality with Jeffrey Rubin (#390)

Western Psychology, Eastern Spirituality with Jeffrey Rubin (#390)

Author: Dan Koch March 30, 2026 Duration: 1:07:57
I sit down with clinical psychologist and author Dr. Jeffrey Rubin to explore his concept of meditative psychotherapy — a genuinely reciprocal integration of Western psychoanalysis and Eastern contemplative practice that goes far deeper than the usual mindfulness-lite approaches. We get into what meditation actually is (hint: not just stress relief), spiritual bypassing, the scandals that keep plaguing Buddhist communities, and why real healing requires both quieting the mind and doing hard psychological work. Highlights: Meditation isn't just symptom reduction East-West integration done poorly vs. well Spiritual bypassing across traditions AI, dreams, and idiographic meaning Three stages of meditative psychotherapy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosted by Dan Koch, Religion on the Mind digs into the messy, fascinating, and deeply personal space where our inner lives meet our search for meaning. This isn't a sermon or a debate; it's a series of conversations that feel more like late-night talks with curious friends. Each episode brings in a different voice-psychologists, scholars, writers, and other experts-to explore how our beliefs, doubts, rituals, and spiritual yearnings are intertwined with the workings of the human mind. We get into the psychology behind religious experience, the spirituality that emerges outside traditional structures, and the very real ways these forces shape identity, community, and coping. The tone is thoughtful but unvarnished, embracing complexity without pretension. You'll hear genuine curiosity, nuanced perspectives, and, yes, the occasional bit of cussing when the topic calls for it. The goal is to offer a space for reflection on how these fundamental aspects of being human collide and coexist. If you've ever wondered about the psychological roots of faith, the spirituality of non-belief, or just how our brains make sense of the profound, this podcast provides a grounded, accessible entry point to those questions.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Religion on the Mind
Podcast Episodes
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Duration: 1:45:52
Guest: Brad Johnson (Paradox Coaching) Topics: Pastor's kid in Texas (3:07) Christian music career (11:15) Losing the church job (33:21) The tree of knowledge (37:45) Terror management theory (1:03:45) Coaching versus th…
Therapy vs. Coaching (#416) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:22:41
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Peak Youth Group Era with Tyler Huckabee (RELEVANT, Sojourners) (#415) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:32
Guest: Tyler Huckabee | ⁠ Sojourners, RELEVANT Megazine⁠ Tyler's Article | ⁠Reckoning With the Youth Group That Raised Us⁠ Topics: • Adolescent development (8:36) • Columbine and martyrdom culture (14:45) • Braveheart (2…
Dan in the Hot Seat with Tripp Fuller (#414) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:59
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Is "Spirituality" the Best We Can Do? (#413) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:27:11
**Participate in my next Spiritual Abuse Research Study**⁠⁠ Guest: Jay Michaelson (Both/And) Topics: Why "spirituality" makes a bad communicator (3:07) Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, and inventing God in our own image (5:…
GGCH: Nolan’s Odyssey & Tony’s New Novel (#412) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:25
Guests: Tony Jones & Josh Gilbert (Generation Gap Culture Hour returns!) Topics: Culture roundup: alliteration bios, Son of Helena, dude lit & Lonesome Dove (1:58) The Odyssey: theater reactions, IMAX chaos & the OCD pop…
Dan Passed the Exam! & a Timely Rebroadcast [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:41:41
Episode #370 | Trusting Yourself After Religious Change *Original Description * To Trust Your Experience (Dustin Kensrue) (#38) Is experience potentially a direct pathway to the God of the universe? Or is it simply “the…
A Jewish Sex Educator Reads the Gospel of Matthew (#411) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:21:39
**Participate in my next Spiritual Abuse Research Study**⁠ Guest: Jenn Mason (⁠WinkWink Boutique⁠) Topics: Growing up Jewish in a small rural town and rediscovering Judaism as an adult (1:43) National media attention, an…
“Conspirituality” & Wellness Culture (#410) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:12
**Participate in my next Spiritual Abuse Research Study** Guest: Valerie Martin (Gaia Center / But For Real Podcast) Topics: Tarot, astrology, and Valerie's path into new age spirituality (4:57) Wellness coaching, MLM cu…
Christianity Vs. Existentialism | Part 3 (#409) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:06
⁠**Participate in my next Spiritual Abuse Research Study**⁠ Guest: Daryl Van Tongeren Returns! (⁠Hope College⁠ / ⁠"Done"⁠) Topics: What is existentialism and existential psychology? (5:25) Does life have a predetermined…