Episode 4 – Arj Barker: Meditation Fails, Lucid Dreams & the Neuroscience of Funny
Bay-Area-born stand-up icon Arj Barker joins Pete Johansson and Dr Paul Whissell for 90 minutes of big laughs, deep nerdery and a few “did-he-really-say-that?” detours. We dig into:
Arj’s guided-meditation show intro—why he likes to “prime” an audience and the science that (sometimes) backs it
Corpse-visualisation in Buddhism, spiritual materialism and Arj’s parody rap “The Sickest Buddhist”
Lucid-dream hacks (galantamine, FILD finger-tapping) and the brain waves that make them possible
Priming, the replication crisis, and why some classic psych studies didn’t survive a second look
Capilano-Bridge attraction, fatal-insomnia prions & other bedtime stories
Gum ads, Mentos trauma and why humour disarms social tension
How learning Mandarin for stand-up changed Arj’s brain—and his swearing habits
“Meditation Intro” video (2009 special clip) → https://www.facebook.com/ArjBarker/videos/3527277020915478/​:contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
“The Sickest Buddhist” rap → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pbzs_5gD2DM​:contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
Content flags: graphic corpse imagery (08 min), mild sexual language & drug references, brief chat about fatal familial insomnia.
Galantamine/lucid-dream tips are anecdotal only—not medical advice.
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