Listen "Is Burning Man a Party or a Pilgrimage?"
Episode Synopsis
Every year, thousands of people head to Nevada's Black Rock Desert for a week at Burning Man. And while from the outside, it might seem like a place for partying, drugs, and debauchery, to many, it offers something deeper, even life changing.
We’ll ask neuroscientist Molly Crockett and Episcopal minister Alex Leach, both burners themselves: Is Burning Man a new type of spiritual gathering? How and why does it deeply move people? And should more traditional faiths aim to have a bit more Burning Man in them? After all, Jesus went to the desert to find himself. Maybe we should too.
For more on Molly’s research, visit her website or read her article in The Guardian. Alex Leach’s camp at Burning Man is Religious AF. Special thanks to Alex for recording interviews and ambient audio for this episode at this year’s Burning Man.
More episodes of the podcast How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality
Dream Yoga
14/12/2025
Shamanism
30/11/2025
Give Us This Day Our Daily Kale
16/11/2025
Becoming Wise
02/11/2025
Seeking the Spiritual Life
19/10/2025
The Friendship Cure
05/10/2025
Season 9 Trailer
28/09/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.