Pop Apocalypse

Matthew J. Dillon

Pop Apocalypse explores gnostic, esoteric, and mystical currents in popular culture. The podcast features interviews with artists, musicians, and writers about the experiential and spiritual dimensions of their work.
Music by Secret Chiefs 3.

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20 episodes
monthly
Avg 1 hr 30 min
English

Episodes 20

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#22
May 19 · 1 hr 42 min
Exploring the Mysticism of Mathematics with Robert Schneider of The Apples in Stereo
Episode 22 of the Pop Apocalypse features part two of Matt's epic interview with musician and mathematician, Robert Schneider. Robert and Matt discuss the status of the third Olivia Tremor Control record, and how that story is interwoven with Robert’s own move from music into mathematics. From there, we explore the mysticism and mystery of mathematics through figures like Pythagoras and the twentieth-century visionary and mathematician Ramanujan. Robert also reflects on his revelatory experience
#21
April 23 · 2 hr
Spirituality and The Elephant 6 Collective with Robert Schneider of the Apples in Stereo
In episodes 21 and 22 of the Pop Apocalypse, host Matt Dillon welcomes musician and mathematician Robert Schneider. Schneider is the lead singer of the psychedelic pop band The Apples in Stereo, a producer for bands including Neutral Milk Hotel and Olivia Tremor Control, and currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Mathematical Sciences at Michigan Technological University. In part one, we discuss Robert’s religious upbringing in the American South before exploring the mystical dimensions
#20
February 22 · 1 hr 25 min
Acting, Dreamwork, and the Study of Religion - A Talk with Amy Brenneman
For episode 20 of Pop Apocalypse, we welcome actress, writer, producer, and activist, Amy Brenneman. After earning her B.A. in Comparative Religions at Harvard, Amy went on to a successful acting career, with star turns in the film Heat, as well as the shows like The Leftovers, The Old Man, and Judging Amy (which she also wrote and produced). In this wide-ranging conversation, Amy and I explore how the craft of acting, study of religion, and practice of Jungian dreamwork have enriched one anothe
#19
January 22 · 1 hr 27 min
From Rock Star to Occult Historian - A Talk with Gary Lachman
In Pop Apocalypse, Ep. 19, we welcome author and musician, Gary Lachman, to the show. Lachman was the original bassist for the seminal new wave band, Blondie. He later became an intellectual historian; to date, Lachman has published twenty-six books, most recently a memoir, Touched by the Presence: From Blondie’s Bowery and Rock and Roll to Magic and the Occult (Inner Traditions, 2025). In this wide-ranging chat, we discuss how Lachman’s reading of comics and Lovecraft inspired a lifelong intere
#18
Dec 12, 2025 · 1 hr 20 min
Integrating Wisdom Christianity and “The Work” of G.I. Gurdjieff: A Talk with Cynthia Bourgeault
In Pop Apocalypse, Ep. 18, we welcome theologian, author, and Episcopal priest Cynthia Bourgeault, whose work combines the Christian contemplative and wisdom traditions, “The Work” of GI Gurdjieff, and the philosophy of Henry Corbin into a lived mystical theology. Throughout the episode, we explore Cynthia’s religious upbringing and early mystical awakening, her academic training in Medieval sacred drama, and her decision to pursue the priesthood. Then we take a deep dive into Bourgeault’s relat
#17
Oct 16, 2025 · 1 hr 23 min
Mysticism and the Simulation Hypothesis – A Talk with Rizwan Virk
Do we live inside a Matrix-like simulation? For Episode 17 of Pop Apocalypse, we welcome one of the leading theorists behind the simulation hypothesis, Rizwan Virk, to discuss that question. Virk is an entrepreneur, videogame pioneer, and academic author of two major works on simulation theory: The Simulation Hypothesis (Tarcher, 2025) and The Simulated Multiverse (Bayview Books, 2021). In the interview, we discuss the technologies necessary to make a Matrix-like simulation possible and how clos
#16
Sep 21, 2025 · 1 hr 23 min
AI, Hip-Hop, and the Digital Uncanny – A Talk with Paul Miller, aka “DJ Spooky”
For Episode 16 of Pop Apocalypse, we welcome composer, artist, and media theorist Paul Miller. Miller is best known for his music as DJ Spooky, the avant-garde turntableist who has collaborated with artists ranging from Chuck D to Yoko Ono. He has also re-scored classic films, such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, and his art has been showcased in exhibitions at the Whitney Museum of American Art. In this wide-ranging conversation, we asked Paul to explore the eeriness of life in the digital a
#15
Jul 29, 2025 · 1 hr 47 min
Gnostic Myth in Film - A Talk with Fryderyk Kwiatkowski
For episode 15 of Pop Apocalypse, we welcome Fryderyk Kwiatkowski, Assistant Professor at the University of Krakow, on to discuss the relationship between ancient Gnostic myth and modern cinema. Fryderyk takes us through the impact European intellectuals Carl Jung, Hans Jonas, and Eric Voegelin on popular conceptions of Gnosticism. Then we dive into analyses of the Gnostic elements in films like the Matrix, Dark City, Truman Show, and more recent cinema like Free Guy, Chappie, and the television
#14
Jul 2, 2025 · 1 hr 18 min
Madness, Mysticism, and Philosophy – A Talk with Wouter Kusters
For episode 14 of Pop Apocalypse, we welcome the linguist and philosopher Wouter Kusters. Kusters is the author of Pure Madness (2004) and A Philosophy of Madness (2014), both of which won the Dutch Socrates Award for best philosophy book of the year. We discuss how the experience of psychotic thinking challenges and illuminates our notions of language, philosophy, and mysticism. Along the way, we touch on the similarities between mystical and mad experiences, apophatic and psychotic uses of lan
#13
Apr 25, 2025 · 1 hr 8 min
Photographing the Invisible: A Talk with Shannon Taggart
For Episode 13 of Pop Apocalypse, we welcome Shannon Taggart, an American photographer, writer, researcher, and curator known for exploring how photography can navigate boundaries between the seen and unseen. Her book, Séance (Fulger Press, 2019), offers hundreds of photographs documenting contemporary Spiritualism across the U.S. and Britain. We discuss what sparked Shannon’s interests in Spiritualism, the intersecting histories of photography and Spiritualism, ectoplasm, what inspires people t
#12
Feb 27, 2025 · 1 hr 30 min
Black Metal and Orthodox Christianity - A Talk with Haela Ravenna Hunt-Hendrix of Liturgy
For our 12th episode, we welcome the philosopher, artist, and musician Haela Ravenna Hunt-Hendrix. Haela is best known as the songwriter and singer behind the black metal band, Liturgy, which has released 1 EP and 6 full-length albums. We discuss Haela’s early relationships to Christianity and metal music, the growth of her philosophical interests, and her recent conversion to Orthodox Christianity. Along the way, we explore her philosophical system of Transcendental Qabalah and how it informs r
#11
Jan 14, 2025 · 1 hr 15 min
Women, Art, and the Spirit World - A Talk With Jennifer Higgie, Author of The Other Side
For Episode 11 of Pop Apocalypse, we welcome Jennifer Higgie. Jennifer is the author of several books, including Bedlam, a novel about the artist Richard Dadd; The Mirror and the Palette, a history of women’s self-portraits; and The Other Side: A Story of Women in Art and the Spirit World, a beautiful and personal study of the relationship between spiritual experience and art in the lives of modern women. In this career-spanning chat, Jennifer and I discuss her early career in painting, what ins
#10
Nov 30, 2024 · 1 hr 46 min
Music and the Esoteric Imagination - A Talk with Trey Spruance of Mr. Bungle and Secret Chiefs 3
For episode 10 of Pop Apocalypse, we welcome the musician, composer, and producer Trey Spruance. We discuss Trey’s early musical and occult explorations and how reading the philosopher Henry Corbin changed the course of his life. Trey then takes us through the esoteric dimensions of Secret Chiefs 3 and how albums like Book M and Book of Horizons are filled with correspondences to Kabbalah, astrology, Hermetic magic, and Pythagorean musicology. Along the way, we touch on Trey’s work with John Z
#9
Oct 30, 2024 · 1 hr 10 min
Religion, Technology, and Extraterrestrial Intelligences – A Talk with Diana Pasulka
For episode nine, we welcome to the show Diana Pasulka, professor of Religious Studies at UNC – Wilmington. Her books American Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, Technology and Encounters: Experiences with Nonhuman Intelligences are both classics in the field of Religion and Technology studies. We discuss how Pasulka’s early work on Catholic purgatory led her to the study of UFOs, the spiritual practices of experiencers, and the role of government (dis)information and popular culture in the rise of UFO rel
#8
Sep 23, 2024 · 1 hr 47 min
Dreams, Creativity, and Precognition – a talk with Eric Wargo
For our eighth episode, we welcome the author Eric Wargo to the show. Eric is quite possibly the world’s foremost expert on precognition. His most recent book, From Nowhere, examines precognition in its relationship to creativity in the lives of major authors and artists. We discuss the nature of time, dreamwork, memories from the future, and the four-dimensional brain. Along the way, we discuss figures like Virginia Woolf, Philip K. Dick, Andrei Tarkovsky, Sigmund Freud, and the sculptor, Micha
#7
Apr 30, 2024 · 2 hr
Psychedelics, California, and the Cultures of Consciousness - A Talk with Erik Davis.
For episode 7, we welcome the writer and scholar Erik Davis (4:06) to reflect on the journey that led to his new book, BLOTTER: The Untold Story of an Acid Medium. We discuss Erik’s writing for the Village Voice in the early 90s, his breakthrough monograph Techgnosis, and how his home state of California informs his oeuvre. In the second half of the interview, we discuss the academic study of “the weird,” perils and possibilities for the psychedelic renaissance, and how BLOTTER is a love letter
#6
Feb 16, 2024 · 1 hr 15 min
Inside the Mind of a Spirit Channel - A Conversation with Paul Selig
For our sixth episode, we welcome the spirit channel, teacher, and playwright Paul Selig. In this conversation [8:14], we explore Selig’s early career as a playwright and professor, his spiritual awakening during the Harmonic Convergence of 1987, how he cultivated his mediumship abilities, and the twelve books Selig has channeled from “the Guides.” On the way, we explore what happens to Selig in the channeling state and the metaphysics of mind that make these states possible.
#5
Dec 7, 2023 · 1 hr 25 min
Ecstatic Knowledge and the Study of Religion - featuring Jeffrey Kripal
For episode five of the pod, we are honored to welcome Jeffrey J. Kripal, J. Newton Rayzor Chair of Philosophy and Religious Thought at Rice University. In this career-spanning chat [10:36], we discuss Kripal’s Catholic upbringing, psychoanalysis, and the ecstatic experience in Calcutta that changed the direction of his career. From there, we touch on Jeff’s role at Esalen, historical mystics and paranormal powers, telepathic insects, and how the study of religion and popular culture come togeth
#4
Oct 30, 2023 · 1 hr 28 min
Monsters, Fictional Worlds, and the Repressed Supernatural - a talk with Victoria Nelson
For episode four, we welcome the acclaimed novelist and scholar Victoria Nelson. Nelson is the academic doyen of what is today labeled Occulture Studies. Her first monograph on the supernatural in popular culture, The Secret Life of Puppets (2001), practically willed the field into existence. The follow-up book, Gothicka (2012), theorized shifts in popular culture that we are living through today. In this interview we discuss Victoria’s early life, her first forays into fiction, and explore expr
#3
Sep 17, 2023 · 1 hr 32 min
Aliens, Eros, and Life After Death - An Interview with Whitley Strieber
For our third episode, we welcome the #1 New York Times best-selling author Whitley Strieber. Whitley discusses his boyhood as a Roman Catholic, the erotic dimensions of alien contact, his lifelong meditative practice, evolving views of the afterlife, and the recent U.S. Congressional testimony concerning Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs).

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