Dr. Gabor Maté and Dr. BJ Miller (#738)


This episode is a two-for-one, and that’s because the podcast recently hit its 10-year anniversary and passed one billion downloads. To celebrate, I’ve curated some of the best of the best—some of my favorites—from more than 700 episodes over the last decade. I could not be more excited. The episode features segments from episode #298 “Dr. Gabor Maté — New Paradigms, Ayahuasca, and Redefining Addiction” and episode #153 “The Man Who Studied 1,000 Deaths to Learn How to Live.”

Please enjoy!

Bios of guests may be found at tim.blog/combo.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyOvercastPodcast AddictPocket CastsCastboxYouTube MusicAmazon MusicAudible, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Brought to you by Vuori Clothing high-quality performance apparel; Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business; and LinkedIn Ads marketing platform with 1B+ users.

Transcript of the full Gabor Maté episode | Transcript of the full BJ Miller episode | Transcripts of all episodes

#738: Dr. Gabor Maté and BJ Miller, MD


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What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

SHOW NOTES:

  • [05:37] Notes about this supercombo format.
  • [06:57] Enter Gabor Maté.
  • [07:22] Compassionate inquiry and trauma vs. traumatic.
  • [11:06] Self-reconnection resources.
  • [14:40] How Gabor benefits from yoga.
  • [16:27] Gabor’s thoughts on the therapeutic value of psychedelics.
  • [18:14] What’s been revealed by Gabor’s experiences with ayahuasca?
  • [25:32] Essential intention.
  • [26:30] We don’t respond to what happens, but to our perception of what happens.
  • [32:48] Enter BJ Miller.
  • [33:07] What does BJ do?
  • [35:32] What does the first meeting look like for a new patient at the Zen Hospice Project?
  • [37:18] Defining palliative care.
  • [40:54] What happens when a patient dies in Zen Hospice compared to a regular hospital?
  • [45:03] How many deaths has BJ experienced?
  • [45:42] What has observing hundreds of deaths taught BJ about living?
  • [50:39] On keeping a mindfulness or meditation practice.
  • [55:05] About the Dinky (a terrifying story of electrocution).
  • [1:04:29] The miracle of a snowball in the burn ward.
  • [1:07:48] BJ’s experience as an undergraduate student at Princeton.
  • [1:08:46] On the idea of art.
  • [1:14:46] How BJ would support someone who suffered injuries similar to his own.
  • [1:16:57] What helps people most in hospice care?
  • [1:21:22] Why cookies matter.
  • [1:23:12] Thoughts on the use of psychoactive compounds in end-of-life care and treating existential suffering.
  • [1:33:46] BJ’s secret habit that might surprise most people.
  • [1:38:32] Suggested material for an introverted hospice patient.
  • [1:45:04] What comes to mind when BJ hears the word “successful?”
  • [1:48:13] Daily practices for seeing good in people.
  • [1:51:00] How to ride a motorcycle when missing three limbs.
  • [1:55:01] What purchase of $100 or less has most positively affected BJ’s life?
  • [1:56:53] BJ’s billboard.
  • [1:58:24] BJ’s advice to his 30-year-old-self.
  • [1:59:58] What has BJ changed his mind about in the last few years?
  • [2:01:26] BJ’s requests/asks/suggestions of the audience.

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

Connect with Dr. Gabor Maté:

WebsiteTwitter | Facebook | Instagram

Connect with BJ Miller:

Website | LinkedIn | Twitter

PEOPLE MENTIONED

The Tim Ferriss Show is one of the most popular podcasts in the world with more than one billion downloads. It has been selected for “Best of Apple Podcasts” three times, it is often the #1 interview podcast across all of Apple Podcasts, and it’s been ranked #1 out of 400,000+ podcasts on many occasions. To listen to any of the past episodes for free, check out this page.