Drs. Matt Browne & Chris Kavanagh - Decoding the Gurus

Thoughts on Record: Podcast of the Ottawa Institute of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

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The last decade has seen the ascendency of a number of "public intellectuals" who have come under increasing scrutiny around allegations of misinformation, conspiracy mongering, grifting & intellectual inconsistency. Importantly, many have achieved "guru" status with millions of followers and devotees on YouTube and other social media platforms. Professors & podcasters, Drs. Matt Browne & Chris Kavanagh joins us for a conversation in which we cover their critical consideration of the "guru-sphere" in their podcast Decoding the Gurus. In this conversation we cover:

• why they started the Decoding the Gurus podcast and the ethos of the podcast
• why they have chosen to focus on secular gurus
• a consideration of their "gurometer" with pertinent examples
• guru "adjacent" individuals who frequently host discussions with the gurus
• the guru mindset: Machiavellian bad actors or delusional self-belief (or both)?
• the natural history of the guru from anonymity to ascendency
• what gurus tell us about ourselves
• why gurus curry command so much loyalty in their followers
• factors in the current landscape that may be contributing to the rise of the guru
• why more gurus have not taken up the "right to reply" opportunity on Decoding The Gurus

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An Australian psychologist and numbers-guy, Dr. Matt Browne is a research professor in psychology at CQU where he does research on all manner of things, but particularly enjoys looking into why people believe the things they do: religion, conspiracy theories, alternative medicine and stuff. He's into social media in the same way people slow down for car accidents.
Dr. Chris Kavanagh is Northern Irish cognitive anthropologist who occasionally moonlights as a social psychologist. Chris has long standing interests in the psychology of conspiracy theorists and pseudoscience. His academic research focuses on the Cognitive Science of Religion and ritual psychology.. Chris is an Associate Professor in Psychology at Rikkyo University and a Researcher at the University of Oxford Centre for the Study of Social Cohesion.