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0:00 Teaser
0:52 Bruce’s new book on ritual, A Time to Gather
3:12 The “Lifequake” that led Bruce to study ritual
8:10 The current “shadow ritual” renaissance
12:42 What is a ritual?
15:26 The origins of the shadow ritual renaissance
18:25 Forest bathing and the essence of ritual
26:11 Ritual as the original human algorithm
31:39 Honor walks: a quintessentially modern ritual
36:23 Rituals across Christianity
42:07 What rituals do
46:47 Heading to Overtime
Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Bruce Feiler (Council of Dads, Walking the Bible, A Time to Gather). Recorded April 21, 2026.
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Overtime titles:
Tribalism in the age of AI.
Lifequakes in the age of AI.
IRL rituals in the age of AI.
Pain, commitment, and dental rituals.
Ritual-forward families.
Overtime video:









