I love listening to Jonathan interview fascinating guests in his calm, thoughtful way. I always learn something and feel inspired after. It’s also super professional and well done. Thanks!

I’m listening to the guy who is saying, it was a bunch of little things that led to the divorce, I wonder if his wife would say the same thing. I do congratulate him on his self reflective and admitting that he was the one in the relationship that was not caring for his wife as much as he should. I can relate with the wife. I really appreciate his example about the glass of water being on the counter. In my situation during a 26 year marriage, it was shoes not being taken off when walking into our home. I asked my then husband if he could please take his outside shoes off and haga e him a thorough explanation as to why I prefer for us to take off our outside shoes when we come home. Well, he told me, I’ll take them off in the bedroom, I explained to him that means that you are tracking the grime and dirt into our living room, kitchen, maybe bathroom. Him never, ever asking me how important this was to me, told me he really didn’t care what I thought, therefore he didn’t care about me. Some people make think this is trivial. To me it was not, when we had a baby crawling on the floor and I cleaned the floor and vacuumed, because I stayed home with our daughter. Thank you for the show!

If obesity is genetic, why were there so many fewer morbidly obese Americans 50 years ago? Why do I suddenly see so many people over 300 pounds? Genetics is not a valid scientific conclusion here. People eat too much and the food is bad quality. They are sedentary due to tech. Yes, this might trigger a genetic predisposition, but it can not be solely blamed on genetics.

Appreciate the thoughtful conversations.

The topics covered on this show stay with me throughout the week, and not because they always resonate with something I can relate to, but because the stories and perspectives are so rich and human that they often take me outside of my comfort zone and challenge me in ways I hadn’t considered or would not normally choose to focus on. Thinking outside of my comfort zone is good.

A podcast that feels like a wonderful, sensitive, knowledgeable ‘friend’.

The host does an incredible job at connecting with the guests and letting their words lead. Thoughtful and bright, the program helps us think a little deeper.

Thank you to Jonathan Bastian and the Life Examined team. I started on the very first of 6 episodes at the pandemics inception and was devastated when it ended. Now it is such an important part of my Saturday flow. The guests and conversations could not be more relevant to where I am in life; a NZ 41 year old first time father in Los Angeles trying my hardest to live with as much joy as I can in a challenging world. Jonathan’s interview / conversation technique is both skilled and validating of the guest whilst reiterating for the listener, and continuing the discussions in a mutually exploratory fashion. I couldn’t be more grateful for your work.

This is one of the few shows I don’t miss an episode of. Always interesting topics, it’s an engaging listen, often I’ll listen to episodes twice. Thanks for the great work!

This show is hands down my favorite podcast. Every week the conversation is insightful, interesting and makes me think of something new i had not considered before. I love discussing this show with my friend who listens to. Keep up the good work

The title says it all. A great listen.

So often I feel like I’m eavesdropping on a conversation with the coolest, smartest people are their good-listener friend.

I am finding that my enjoyment of this podcast increases with the number of episodes I’ve listened to. The host is unfailingly kind to his interview subjects, but has the wherewithal to ask penetrating and insightful questions. These are conversations worth mulling over with friends, making me seem smarter and deeper than I really am!

I appreciate the deliberate and thoughtful approach to discussion, always glad I took the time to listen.

Mr. Bastian’s questions & deep listening draw out wonderful & nuanced insights from his guests. We started the series while re-painting our home recently and have been amazed at the depth & breadth of the seasons.

Life Examined is a wonderful hour to spend listening. I always find something to provoke deep thought and often hear something that makes me look at things at a different slant. The host asks wonderful questions. I love this show!

Been listening when I can over the past year. Interesting guests, thought-provoking topics discussed deeply and carefully. Just great, stimulating and enriching conversations. Well done!

Love it.

Thought-provoking and enriching

I LOVE this show. It takes me out of my hamster wheel and gently jettisons me into metaphysical space for 50 minutes. Illuminating and educating. Thank you.

I enjoy all of these podcasts but this one is very special. The programs are well produced and the interviews are all insightful and educational. Thanks for airing .

Their episode on Breath, was the first episode I listened to, and to this day remains one of my favorite podcasts of all time. Johnathan is a incredible interviewer, contemplative and compassionate, who along with his producers present a beautiful selection of topics and tools on the human condition, that not only have helped to guide me through the pandemic, but would be a blessing at anytime. Thank you for your incredible work Johnathan and team, I’m so grateful for this show!

What a great show! I look forward to it each week. It makes me pause and reflect… and sometimes act. Looking forward to more… and reading The Quiet American.

Jonathan Bastian brings such warmth and curiosity to this show, along with many distinguished guests. I’ve enjoyed many of the episodes as a source for contemplative learning and insight.

Love Jonathan’s interviewing style. He lets the guests talk and finish their thoughts before he chimes in with productive additive to the conversation. Very nice flow to the podcast. Oh, and the guests are always sensational.

I started out listening to Jonathan Bastian on the radio and when I finally got a chance to listen to this show, I was blown away. I think I began at the second or third episode! I appreciate the thoughtful and intelligent conversations that happen on this show and I recommend it to everyone I know.

I have not missed a show, and especially during the pandemic this show has become something to look forward to each week. So much to think about, and a wonderful variety of fascinating topics discussed with such interesting people. I have gone on to read many of the books that have been mentioned, and find listening to be deeply meditative.

Always a treat to listen to, Life Examined is as thought-provoking as it is heart-opening and life-affirming. Guests come from a wide spectrum of thinkers and practitioners, and each show is expertly and thoughtfully navigated by the host. It’s a tremendously fulfilling ride each time.

A never miss show, connecting us to our higher selves.

Very inspirational! Deep, fascinating, humble.

This program is deeply nourishing and consistently of high quality. I always find myself grateful for having taken the time to listen.

I’ve been listening to this podcast for the past year and it has been a source of inspiration, solace and wonder during these hard Covid times.I eagerly look forward to each weeks episode and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the podcast this coming year. Thank you for BRINGING it every week!

Every episode I’ve listened to has taught me something important about my life, the life of others, or the world we all live in. Simple, interesting, and powerful. Highly recommend!

Each one of these podcasts is amazing. I’m so glad I found the show and look forward to many of these a second time and also looking up the different references mentioned; trove of ideas to unpack.

I look forward to these each week. Jonathon seems to be asking all the questions we are thinking right now as a society in our collective consciousness. It's always relevant and the experts with whom he speaks to are amazing.

This is my favorite podcast of all time. It’s my number one recommendation.

With the constant pressure to go, do, scroll, follow, Jonathan asks, “But where are you going?” “Does the doing really matter? If not, what does?” I love this show. Nice to have this flashlight in the search for meaning.

I am so glad that I found this podcast. I have learned so much

This show always brings a calm and deep discussion to my day

Always the most meaningful conversations! I often listen twice 😊

My ritual of insight and ideas.

I’ve listened to this show without realizing I should share my love for it. The conversations are poignant, profound and soulfully insightful. The guests speak about their expert knowledge freely and the flow is increasingly captivating. Jonathan Bastian is excellent.

Life examined does an exceptional job of outlining complex topics in well structured yet conversational episodes with outstanding authors and experts. Thank you Jonathan Bastian, KCRW, and the Life Examined team!

Fascinating— especially the first part. I found it interesting (and raised my eyebrows) that the second part didn’t address the placebo effect and lack of scientific evidence in mainstream medicine as well — i.e. depression, anxiety, epilepsy etc. No acknowledgement of the for-profit medical industrial complex. Sigh.

Since discovering Life Examined a few months ago, I have made numerous small and meaningful changes in my life resulting directly from each and every episode I've listened to so far. I honestly can't say enough about this podcast! I'm constantly sharing it with people in my life who I hope will also benefit from each mind-opening and absolutely transcendent episode! I am so grateful to everyone who contributes to this podcast. Thank you!

Thanks for the inspiring interviews - this show is such a breath of fresh air in these turbulent times. Now more than ever we need to have tools to help us navigate the uncertainties caused by Covid. Life examined seeks wisdom from leading thinkers, religious scholars and experts in inner peace to uncover strategies for thriving amidst adversity. Keep up the good work KCRW, this show is a great service to our community. I Can’t wait for the next broadcast!

As a resident of Rockcastle county Kentucky, it was my great joy to listen to the latest episode on harm reduction in West Virginia. Brilliant work. I laughed, cried and whooped with joy. Such compassion and wisdom from humans often discounted wholesale by “civilization.” Everything folks think they know about Appalachia is a lie.

I listen to this podcast most weeks and am consistently impressed by how fascinating each episode is. I often find myself writing down quotes from the show to think about and come back to later. I’ve learned a lot from listening and really appreciate all the work and deep thinking that must go into making it.

What a treasure in the saturated podcast world. This show makes you feel like you’re in college, having all the time in the world to talk to your well-prepared, inquisitive friends, professors, and big thinkers as you ponder big life questions. Jonathan Bastion is curious, intelligent, well-prepared, gracious and interesting. I believe him and his interlocutor when at the end of a conversation they describe it as a ”true joy” or “absolute pleasure” to be on the show because I felt the same joy and pleasure listening to it. The quiet of the show even compared to other KCRW shows (I have to turn off the radio altogether when the Press Play song comes on YIKES!) is a welcome respite from the noisy world. Especially as society as we know it collapses, we need shows like this to help us think bigger and be hopeful about our future and our roles in it. Bravo!

Perhaps my new favorite podcast. As a neuroscience and political philosophy major, I find Life Examined lands in that perfect sweet spot where science, spirituality and philosophy inform the types of lives we should live and the kinds of policies we should employ to enable human flourishing. Every episode helps me relate better to my own experience and the world around me, providing empirically sound and ethically grounded insight into complex issues from aging and breathing to communal living and savoring moments of wonder. A guidebook for a richer human experience, and a welcome companion for LA traffic.