Upstream is a politics and society podcast that takes a deeper look at our world, going beyond conventional analysis and media punditry. We interview big picture thinkers on issues and events "upstream" at their source. We bring psychology, history, culture, philosophy and human nature into the mix to gain a better understanding of what is happening, and why. Episodes are co-hosted by John Bell and/or John Zada, two co-founders of The Conciliators Guild, an organization highlighting the role of underlying motivations in politics.
Is Anger Poisoning our Politics? A Conversation with Author and Journalist Saira Shah
John Bell speaks with award-winning documentary filmmaker and author Saira Shah about the different psychological outlooks that are needed to deal with today's global political challenges. Drawing on her experiences in Gaza and Afghanistan, and on the works of Sufi scholar Idries Shah and scientist Iain McGilchrist, she explains how self-observation and generosity of spirit can shake us out of the politics of resentment and anger fuelling conflict today.
The Idries Shah Foundation - https://idriesshahfoundation.org/
21 Dec 2025
How understanding India's past can diminish polarization today - Anirudh Kanisetti
Historian Anirudh Kanisetti explores medieval Deccan India, examining rulers' use of religion in politics and its connection to global commercial and cultural networks, in this interview.
20 Nov 2025
A Journalist’s 20 Years of Travel in the Middle East — “The Patchwork Cloak of Kamal Bey” | John Zada Interview
Journalist John Zada explores his two decades of Middle East travel and his book, *The Patchwork Cloak of Kamal Bey*, reflecting on cultural identity and shifting perceptions of East and West in this interview.
31 Aug 2025
Johan Norberg – Are We Living in a Golden Age?
Historian and commentator Johan Norberg discusses historical golden ages and their decline, exploring if today's Anglosphere can maintain prosperity and inclusivity in this interview.
21 Aug 2025
Simon Lee Maryan - Lessons in Resilience from a Former Royal Marine
Psychologist and former Royal Marine Simon Lee Maryan shares how Stoic wisdom and his military training build resilience for today's challenging world in this interview.
16 Jul 2025
Naomi Alderman - The Third Information Crisis
Author Naomi Alderman analyzes historical technological revolutions to understand how AI can be harnessed for empowerment without eroding human agency in this interview.
30 May 2025
Richard Overy - Understanding the Causes of War May Be the Key to Peace
Historian Richard Overy discusses the multifaceted causes of war with John Bell, examining evolutionary biology and the pursuit of security to understand warfare's enduring presence in human history in this interview.
13 Feb 2025
Antone Martinho Truswell - Insularity vs. Connectivity Between Global Cultures
Antone Martinho Truswell, an evolutionary biologist and Dean of Graduate House at St Paul’s College, University of Sydney, talks to John Bell about the rise of a global monoculture and the endangerment of local ideas and practices.Read Antone's great article for Psyche on the subject, "Insularity can be a good thing, for creatures and cultures alike.":https://psyche.co/ideas/insularity-ca... (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbkxfRlZlRWQzc0R3a0FNb2k2NTI0cDdDUXE2UXxBQ3Jtc0tsQ0R2OEVWQTZfcVhTT3c2c2Z4NVY1c0E5aHdPQ3JqTHlRdjRFUnlvQzRiV3RUT0lTSWpOSmZjazRKSzZXUHdHV1RRY0l5VnYtYmR0d2Nlcl92bTdEVERHNERLSENmX1RLWjd5VXI4N19VcHRzaWh6Zw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fpsyche.co%2Fideas%2Finsularity-can-be-a-good-thing-for-creatures-and-cultures-alike&v=pdYFUz3Qr3Q)
17 Jan 2025
A Baseline for Human Flourishing with Ivan Tyrrell
Ivan Tyrrell, the co-founder of the Human Givens approach to psychotherapy as well as Human Givens College in the UK, talks about the disorder in our world today, and the need for greater human flourishing and what is required to achieve it. Hosted by John Bell.
17 Jan 2025
An Anthropology of our Age of Discord with Dr. Calum Nicholson
Dr. Calum Nicholson, a scholar at the University of Cambridge and the Danube Institute, speaks about the cultural undercurrents of polarization impacting politics everywhere – including spurious Western attitudes, assumptions, and habits in its dealings with the rest of the world. Hosted by John Bell.
16 Jan 2025
Civilization and the Divided Mind with Dr. Iain McGilchrist
British author, scholar, and psychiatrist Dr. Iain McGilchrist argues that the quality of a civilization’s culture and ideas—and its tendency to flourish or self-destruct—depends on its habits of thinking. Hosted by John Bell.
Iain McGilchrist, a medical doctor and former Oxford literary scholar, is the author of several landmark works about the impact of the brain hemispheres on human life and culture.
His best known are The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World, published in 2012, and his two-volume magnum opus The Matter with Things: Our Brains, Our Delusions, and the Unmaking of the World, released in 2021.
16 Jan 2025
Why Civilizations Fail with William Ophuls
Dr. Patrick Ophuls (who writes under the pen name William Ophuls), an American political scientist and ecologist, talks
about the rise and fall of societies and about his book Immoderate Greatness: Why Civilizations Fail. Hosted by John Bell.
15 Jan 2025
Why Spain Matters with author Jason Webster
Author Jason Webster talks about his book, Violencia,
A New History of Spain: Past, Present and the Future of the West, which explores the outsize and little-known cultural impact Spain has had on the Western world. Hosted by John Zada.
15 Jan 2025
Reflections on Afghanistan with Dr. William Beharrell of Fathom Trust
Dr. William Beharrell, the Founder and CEO of the Fathom Trust NGO, talks about his years working in community development, heritage preservation, and health in Afghanistan, and the lessons he learned from those experiences. Hosted by John Bell.
14 Jan 2025
Lessons Learned in Afghanistan with former US Green Beret, Scott Mann
Former U.S. Army Green Beret, Scott Mann, talks about the political and military lessons learned during the American Afghanistan mission—and about his book, Game Changers: Going Local to Defeat Violent Extremists. Hosted by John Bell.
14 Jan 2025
The Uses and Abuses of Nationalism and Identity with Professor Jonathan Wolff.
Dr. Jonathan Wolff, a philosopher and professor at the Blavatnik School of Government at University of Oxford, talks about the potential for nationalism and group identity to be abused for political benefit. Hosted by John Bell.
Who has been a guest on Upstream
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Anirudh Kanisetti
John Zada
Johan Norberg
Simon Lee Maryan
Naomi Alderman
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