Let’s imagine a future where AGI is developed but kept at a distance from practically impacting the world, while narrow AI remakes the world completely. Most people don’t know or care about the difference and have no idea how they could distinguish between a human or artificial stranger. Inequality sticks around and AI fractures society into separate media bubbles with irreconcilable perspectives. But it's not all bad. AI markedly improves the general quality of life, enhancing medicine and therapy, and those bubbles help to sustain their inhabitants. Can you get excited about a world with these tradeoffs? 

Imagine a World is a podcast exploring a range of plausible and positive futures with advanced AI, produced by the Future of Life Institute. We interview the creators of 8 diverse and thought provoking imagined futures that we received as part of the worldbuilding contest FLI ran last year

In the seventh episode of Imagine A World we explore a fictional worldbuild titled 'Hall of Mirrors', which was a third-place winner of FLI's worldbuilding contest.

Michael Vasser joins Guillaume Riesen to discuss his imagined future, which he created with the help of Matija Franklin and Bryce Hidysmith. Vassar was formerly the president of the Singularity Institute, and co-founded Metamed; more recently he has worked on communication across political divisions. Franklin is a PhD student at UCL working on AI Ethics and Alignment. Finally, Hidysmith began in fashion design, passed through fortune-telling before winding up in finance and policy research, at places like Numerai, the Median Group, Bismarck Analysis, and Eco.com.

Hall of Mirrors is a deeply unstable world where nothing is as it seems. The structures of power that we know today have eroded away, survived only by shells of expectation and appearance. People are isolated by perceptual bubbles and struggle to agree on what is real. 

This team put a lot of effort into creating a plausible, empirically grounded world, but their work is also notable for its irreverence and dark humor. In some ways, this world is kind of a caricature of the present. We see deeper isolation and polarization caused by media, and a proliferation of powerful but ultimately limited AI tools that further erode our sense of objective reality. A deep instability threatens. And yet, on a human level, things seem relatively calm. It turns out that the stories we tell ourselves about the world have a lot of inertia, and so do the ways we live our lives.

Please note: This episode explores the ideas created as part of FLI’s worldbuilding contest, and our hope is that this series sparks discussion about the kinds of futures we want. The ideas present in these imagined worlds and in our podcast are not to be taken as FLI endorsed positions.

Explore this worldbuild: https://worldbuild.ai/hall-of-mirrors

The podcast is produced by the Future of Life Institute (FLI), a non-profit dedicated to guiding transformative technologies for humanity's benefit and reducing existential risks. To achieve this we engage in policy advocacy, grantmaking and educational outreach across three major areas: artificial intelligence, nuclear weapons, and biotechnology. If you are a storyteller, FLI can support you with scientific insights and help you understand the incredible narrative potential of these world-changing technologies. If you would like to learn more, or are interested in collaborating with the teams featured in our episodes, please email worldbuild@futureoflife.org.

You can find more about our work at www.futureoflife.org, or subscribe to our newsletter to get updates on all our projects.

Imagine A World: What if narrow AI fractured our shared reality?

Celebrating the release of his new book of his favorite stories, All In This Together, Jack shares wise tales on living with integrity, presence, stillness, and generosity.

Ep. 311 – All In This Together Series #2- Stories of Meaning, Presence, and Living with Integrity

Exploring the connections between Bharata Natyam dance and zazen, Anusha Enryu Fernando helps listeners remember the joy of practice.

This conversation was originally recorded on the Paths of Practice Podcast. You can get more episodes by subscribing to Paths of Practice on YouTube.

This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Anusha and Vincent discuss:
- Zen practice and doing full body meditations
- Bharata Natyam: a sacred and ancient dance that focuses on the mind-body connection
- Paying attention to the body so intently that there is no space for thought
- The non-abiding mind and continuing to move through human experience
- Understanding the devotional gestures that are built into zen practice
- Anusha’s profound experience learning Sanskrit for both ancient dance and studying the dharma 
- The most important vow: to really be alive in this life
- Food preparations, making offerings, and connecting with the ancestors through food
- How people get stuck on the first noble truth and forget that there is joy in practice

Check out The Great Vow Zen Monastery in Oregon and learn more about residencies, workshops, and more.

"Movement is a huge part of the experience of zazen. You're not sitting there like a fallen rock. The connecting with just the aliveness of that experience, that juicy, wonderful aliveness which is movement, is the practice.” –Anusha Enryu Fernando

About Anusha Enryu Fernando:
Anusha Enryu Fernando was born in Sri Lanka to a Theravadin Buddhist family. Her grandparents founded the Vipassana Meditation Centre located in Colombo, Sri Lanka in 1957. She began practicing Zen Meditation with Hogen and Chozen Roshi in 2007, and became a dharma holder in 2021. She holds a BA in Religious Studies, specializing in Buddhism and Hinduism from McGill University, and a Masters of Arts in Asian Studies from the University of British Columbia, specializing in Sanskrit. In her dissertation, she translated a Sanskrit poem of the life story of the Buddha, called the Padyacudamani. Enryu has been a teacher and performer of Bharata Natyam, a form of Indian Classical Dance, for the past thirty years and is the founder and Artistic Director of Shakti Dance Society. She has also been the book purchaser at Banyen Books and Sound, Vancouver’s iconic spiritual and metaphysical bookstore, for the past twenty-eight years. She is the mother of an adult daughter and lives with her husband, parents, and multiple furry friends in Vancouver, Canada. 

About Vincent Moore:
Vincent Moore is a creative and creative consultant living in San Francisco, California, with over a decade of experience in the entertainment industry and holds a graduate degree in Buddhist Studies. For years, he performed regularly at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, an improv and sketch comedy theatre based in New York and Los Angeles. As an actor, Vincent performed on Comedy Central, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Seth Meyers, Above Average, and The UCB Show on Seeso. As a writer, he developed for television as well as stage, including work with the Blue Man Group, and his own written projects have been featured on websites such as Funny or Die. Additionally, he received a Masters of Buddhist Studies from the Institute of Buddhist Studies with a Certificate in Soto Zen Studies and engages in a personal Buddhist practice within the Soto Zen tradition.

Dance & Zazen: Finding Joy in Practice | BHNN Guest Podcast Ep. 235

For episode 275, we are continuing a new series on the Metta Hour, centered on kids, in honor of Sharon’s first children’s book, Kind Karl, out now! 

Co-authored by Jason Gruhl, this illustrated picture book is for 4-8 year-olds and is a new children’s adaptation of Sharon’s beloved book Lovingkindness. 

For this podcast series, Sharon speaks with educators, caregivers, and researchers about the ways meditation, mindfulness, and lovingkindness can impact children of all ages and the family systems that support them. For the fourth episode of the series, Sharon speaks with Ali Smith, Andres Gonzales and Atman Smith of the Holistic Life Foundation.

Andy, Ali, and Atman co-founded the Holistic Life Foundation in 2001, a non-profit organization bringing yoga, meditation, and breath-work to thousands of at-risk kids in Baltimore and beyond. Their work has received wide national attention due to their remarkable results in public schools where suspension rates plummet and graduation rates skyrocket. Outside of the Holistic Life Foundation, Ali, Atman, and Andy also teach to diverse populations worldwide, including drug treatment centers, mental crisis facilities, homeless shelters, and Yoga, Wellness, and Mindfulness Festivals. 

Their first book, “Let Your Light Shine” was published in 2022 by Penguin Random House.

https://youtu.be/1CueugF1n74
In this conversation, Sharon, Atman, Andres and Ali speak about:
• The creation of the Holistic Life Foundation
• Experiencing meditation early in life
• Working in underserved communities
• Teaching with trauma awareness
• HLF Retreats and certification programs 
• The importance of sharing love 
• Benefits of mindfulness for kids
• Partnering with schools and education systems 
• Modifying practice for younger minds
• How to champion love
• Encouraging authentic, in-person interaction
• Giving from a place of overflow
• Caring for ourselves to better care for others

The episode closes with a guided practice. You can learn more about the Holistic Life Foundation’s work on their website and get a copy of the book“Let Your Light Shine”.

Metta Hour Kid's Series: Sharon Salzberg & The Holistic Life Foundation | Ep. 275

Exploring embodiment and self-realization, RamDev takes listeners on a journey through the four paths of yoga: Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jñāna Yoga, and Raja Yoga.

Ep. 131 - The Four Paths of Yoga

Looking through a Jungian lens, Psychologist Dr. John Price and Raghu Markus have a discussion on the mechanics of awakening.

Ep. 624 – The Mechanics of Awakening with Dr. John Price

The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. 

We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox: https://www.ramdass.org/fellowship/

This episode of Here and Now comes from an event at Spirit Rock Meditation Center on July 31, 2000. 

Ram Dass begins by exploring how Shiva is the aspect of God that rules over change. He talks about changing our self-concept from identification with our egos to identification with our souls. Devotional chanting, or kirtan, is one way to work on transforming ourselves. 

Speaking about merging with the Beloved, Ram Dass shares how his relationship with his guru evolved after Neem Karoli Baba left his body. He talks about the place of joy that exists inside all of us. That’s the yum-yum place.

Jai Uttal takes over and leads a rousing kirtan to connect us all to that yum-yum place. He begins by explaining the chant: “Sita Ram, Sita Ram, Sita Ram, Jai Sita Ram. Sita, the infinite Goddess. Ram, the infinite God. Jai or Jaya, praise or victory.”

About Jai Uttal:
Jai Uttal is a Grammy-nominated sacred music composer, recording artist, multi-instrumentalist, and ecstatic vocalist. Having traveled extensively in India, he met many great saints and singers, and Bhakti Yoga became his personal path. Jai has been leading, teaching, and performing kirtan around the world for nearly 50 years. He creates a safe environment for people to open their hearts and voices. Kirtan Camp with Jai Uttal starts on January 25, 2026. 

About Ram Dass:
Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for generations, carrying millions along on the journey. Ram Dass teaches that through the Bhakti practice of unconditional love, we can all connect with our true nature. Through these teachings, Ram Dass has shared a little piece of his guru, Maharaj-ji, with all who have listened to him. Learn more at ramdass.org.

“You know those cherries, chocolate-covered cherries? They’re like hard on the outside, but they’re soft and yum, yum, yum inside. We are just chocolate-covered cherries. That’s all we are. And that yum, yum, yum, yum, that’s the joy, that’s the bhakti. Yum, yum, yum, yum. Because we meet each other in the yum-yum place.” – Ram Dass

Ram Dass: Where Souls Meet, With Kirtan by Jai Uttal | Here & Now Ep. 293

The Leisure System co-founder talks psychology, behavioral science and his standout album of the year, Stochastic Drift.

Sam Barker's influence on contemporary electronic music culture spans many levels—not only as a producer and DJ pushing against traditional genre boundaries, but also as key figure behind the scenes as head of the label Leisure System. He came into RA HQ to talk about the central thesis in his current work: exploring organic, human timing in a genre that has become increasingly obsessed with mechanized grids. 

The Berlin-based artist tells us about how he puts this theory into practice in his standout album of the year, Stochastic Drift, and his recent collaborative project with saxophonist Bendik Giske. Beyond the technical, he also reflects on the evolution of the Berlin scene, the surprising arguments for liberation in the streaming economy and the role of art in imagining a utopian future. Listen to the episode in full.

EX.786 Barker

In a moment when the world feels uncertain, Jack sits down with Anne Lamott and Tami Simon for an intimate, deeply human conversation about stories of the heart—how they soften us, unite us, and remind us of our own beauty.

Ep. 312 – All In This Together Series #3- Reminding You of Your Own Beauty with Anne Lamott and Tami Simon

Anne Lamott, Raghu Markus, and RamDev reveal that letting go of how life should be opens the door to compassion, healing, and contentment with reality.
This Dharma Session was recorded at the December 2025 Ram Dass Open Your Heart in Paradise Retreat. Learn about upcoming community events HERE.
https://youtu.be/rtmAlpns62A
This week on Mindrolling, Raghu, Anne, and RamDev hold a talk on:
- Standing in presence with change and impermanence
- Ram Dass’ eye-opening story of a farmer and his son 
- How investing in that which changes leads to suffering
- Collective healing through all the grief in the world 
- The negative emotions that arise when we resist change
- Creating an intimate, compassionate relationship with the sense of loss
- Anne’s experiences of radicalizing change in her own life
- Wise Hope: taking leaps of faith and hoping that things will work out as they should

About Anne Lamott:
Anne Lamott is the New York Times best-selling author of many books, including collections of essays, novels, and long-form non-fiction, including the classic writing manual Bird by Bird and child-rearing memoir Operating Instructions. In addition to being a novelist and nonfiction writer, Lamott is also a progressive political activist, public speaker, and writing teacher. Keep up with Anne on Instagram.

“It's very hard to be human here; it's scary. I feel like Cindy-Lou Who sometimes, like this tiny little being. ‘Be still my heart and wait without hope’–what I hope is that things will sort out the way they should for the common welfare.” - Anne Lamott

About RamDev:

RamDev Dale Borglum is the founder and Executive Director of The Living/Dying Project. He is a pioneer in the conscious dying movement and has worked directly with thousands of people with life-threatening illness and their families for over 30 years. In 1981, Dale founded the first residential facility for people who wished to die consciously in the United States, The Dying Center. He has taught and lectured extensively on the topics of spiritual support for those with life-threatening illness, on caregiving as a spiritual practice, and on healing at the edge, the edge of illness, of death, of loss, of crisis. Check out RamDev’s podcast, Healing at the Edge, on the Be Here Now Network.

Learn more about The Living/Dying Project at livingdying.org

“When we’re in the heart, it gives us the possibility of being with grief and change in a way that leads to healing. There is a profoundly wonderful line by Rumi where he says ‘grief is the garden of compassion.” –RamDev

Love Amidst Impermanence with Anne Lamott and RamDev & Raghu Markus | Mindrolling Podcast Ep. 625

With embodied loving awareness, Dr. Sará King invites us into ancestral intelligence, shadow healing, and remembering our living connection to our lineage.

This recording is from our 2nd Annual Ram Dass Legacy Summer Mountain Retreat in Boone, North Carolina. 

This week on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Dr. Sará King explores:
- Ancestral intelligence and the collective nervous system as an interdependent web of being
- The concept of ‘Beloved Community’ and what it feels like to embody loving awareness
- Meeting the pain, grief, and responsibility of climate change with compassion
- Coming into contact with our shadows and healing our ancestral bloodline
- Recognizing that our ancestors are truly present with us, guiding us in the here and now
- Breathwork and grounding to reconnect with earth
- Sending metta to those around us and to our ancestors
- Shifting our neural connections and transforming our hearts through practice

Grab a copy of the book that Dr. King reads from: In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens

About Dr. Sará King:
Dr. Sará King is a Mother, a neuroscientist, political and learning scientist, medical anthropologist, social entrepreneur, public speaker, and certified yoga and meditation instructor. She is an internationally recognized thought leader in the interdisciplinary field that examines the relationship between complementary alternative medicine, social justice, art, and mindfulness from the perspective of neuroscience. Keep up with Dr. King on Instagram.

“So many of us have lineages of complexity. I hold both ancestors who were oppressors as well as the oppressed inside of my body, so I can practice with this integration of loving presence and shadow every time that I connect to my embodiment.” –Dr. Sará King

Exploring Ancestral Intelligence with Dr. Sará King | BHNN Guest Podcast Ep. 236

The Future of Life Institute (FLI) is a nonprofit working to reduce global catastrophic and existential risk from powerful technologies. In particular, FLI focuses on risks from artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, nuclear weapons and climate change.

The Institute's work is made up of three main strands: grantmaking for risk reduction, educational outreach, and advocacy within the United Nations, US government and European Union institutions.

FLI has become one of the world's leading voices on the governance of AI having created one of the earliest and most influential sets of governance principles: the Asilomar AI Principles.