Shows
If I’m Really HonestElizabeth Loftus - The Misinformation EffectDr. Loftus has spent decades studying how memories can be distorted by suggestion, imagination, and time. Her research on the “misinformation effect” helped reshape how courts evaluate eyewitness testimony and recovered memories. We also talk about sleep paralysis, therapy-induced memories, and how understanding memory can make us more compassionate toward people we disagree with.
Dr. Loftus's Books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Elizabeth-Loftus/author/B000APKT0Q
If I'm Really Honest: https://IfImReallyHonest.com
Superfan page: https://JaminColler.com/iirh_Superfans
#IfImReallyHonest #TeamPossiblyWrong
2026-02-1952 min
If I’m Really HonestDan Ariely - The Psychology of MistrustIn this episode of If I’m Really Honest, Jamin talks with behavioral economist Dan Ariely about misbelief, trust, COVID-era polarization, and why admitting mistakes is so difficult for individuals, institutions, and governments. They explore how mistrust grows, why social media accelerates conflict, and whether curiosity and conversation can rebuild trust between neighbors - even when agreement seems impossible.
Guest Links
Dan Ariely Website: https://danariely.com
Books - Misbelief: https://a.co/d/0av5mTHl
If I’m Really Honest https://IfImReallyHonest.com
Superfans https://JaminColler.com/iirh_Supe...
2026-02-121h 00
If I’m Really HonestHope for Humanity - Geoffrey WestGeoffrey West, physicist and former president of the Santa Fe Institute, joins Jamin Coller to explore scaling laws, sustainability, innovation, and the accelerating pace of modern civilization.
West explains why cities and economies speed up as they grow, why innovation repeatedly postpones collapse while making future crises arrive faster, and what a mathematical “singularity” actually means — as distinct from popular AI narratives. The discussion moves into politics, belief, religion, and why rapid belief change under Donald Trump gives West an unexpected, fragile optimism.
"Scale" by Geoffrey West: https://a.co/d/3NIRLO0
Show Links...
2026-02-051h 00
If I’m Really HonestCognitive Science of Religion - Dr. Jonathan JongIn this episode of If I’m Really Honest, Jamin Coller and cognitive psychologist Jonathan Lewis-Jong unpack belief—what it is, how it functions in the human mind, and why it persists across cultures. Jonathan explains how the science of religion treats belief as natural psychological processes that can be measured and studied without making claims about metaphysical truth. They discuss cognitive theories of religion, terror management, meaning-making, and the implications for spiritual life and interpersonal dialogue.
IfImReallyHonest.com
JaminColler.com/iirh_Superfans
#IfImReallyHonest #TeamPossiblyWrong
2026-01-291h 06
If I’m Really HonestDark Side of Meditation - Willoughby BrittonNeuroscientist and trauma researcher Dr. Willoughby Britton joins Jamin Coller to discuss the hidden risks of meditation, spiritual bypassing, and the psychology of religious and wellness communities. Drawing on her groundbreaking Varieties of Contemplative Experience study, Britton explains why meditation sometimes causes panic, dissociation, insomnia, and psychosis — and why communities often blame the victims instead of addressing the harm.
• Cheetah House – https://www.cheetahhouse.org
• Meditation Challenges Study – https://www.meditationchallenges.org
• Psychedelic Challenges Study – https://www.psychedelicchallenges.org
• Willoughby Britton (Brown University) – https://www.brown.edu/academics/public-health/faculty/willoughby-britton
Explore the...
2026-01-2259 min
If I’m Really HonestConversation with a Psychopath (Part 2) - M. E. ThomasIn this episode of If I’m Really Honest, Jamin Coller sits down with M.E. (Jamie) Thomas, a lawyer, educator, musician, and author of Confessions of a Sociopath: A Life Spent Hiding in Plain Sight, to discuss the psychology of psychopathy, what it really means to live without empathy as commonly understood, and how identity and morality are shaped by experience rather than instinct. Jamie shares her journey from academia and law into a life of self-reflection, community engagement, and honest conversations about traits most people fear rather than understand.
• M.E. Thomas – Official YouTube...
2026-01-151h 34
If I’m Really HonestConversation with a Psychopath - M. E. Thomas (Part 1)Lawyer, musician, and author of Confessions of a Sociopath, M.E. Thomas joins me to talk about psychopathy without fear, caricature, or moral panic. This is not a conversation about monsters. It’s a conversation about meaning, identity, empathy, boundaries, stories we tell ourselves, and what happens when a sense of self is missing—or too rigid. Topics include: Psychopathy vs sociopathy (and why the words matter less than people think)
Whether empathy defines humanity Moral gray areas and emotional triggers Sense of self, memory, and meaning Buddhism, psychopathy, and why extremes break humans Relationships between psychopaths and...
2026-01-081h 03
If I’m Really HonestDeath and Honesty - Victor M. SweeneyVictor M. Sweeney joins me for an unfiltered, humane, and surprisingly tender conversation about death, grief, funeral culture, and why modern Americans are so uncomfortable with mortality. Victor explains what actually happens behind the scenes at funerals, why “predatory funeral homes” are mostly a myth, how small towns grieve differently than cities, and what it means to care for both the living and the dead without flinching. This conversation moves from practical realities (graves, vaults, embalming, checklists) to philosophy, presence, and what death teaches us about how to live.
Guest Resources:
Book: https://www.amazon.com...
2026-01-011h 20
If I’m Really HonestDr. Aaron Adair - The Misunderstood World of Modern PhysicsDr. Aaron Adair joins If I’m Really Honest to break down quantum mechanics, infinity, cosmology, CERN optics, why the universe expands faster than light in some regions, how misconceptions spread, and why intuition is a terrible roadmap for understanding reality. This is a deep dive into what physics actually says - stripped of mysticism, marketing, and wishful thinking.
https://draaronadair.com/
https://IfImReallyHonest.com
https://JaminColler.com/iirh_SuperFans
#IfImReallyHonest #TeamPossiblyWrong
2025-12-2559 min
If I’m Really HonestKristen Ulmer - Turning Fear Into FlowIn this episode, Jamin sits down with Kristen Ulmer, former extreme skier and author of The Art of Fear, to unpack why most of us are taught the wrong relationship with fear—and how that broken relationship fuels anxiety, sleeplessness, and emotional overwhelm. Kristen explains why resisting fear (“letting it go,” calming it down, distracting from it) actually creates anxiety, and why intimacy with fear leads to clarity, flow, and high performance.
Kristen Ulmer – https://www.kristenulmer.com
Become a Superfan: JaminColler.com/iirh_Superfans
#IfImReallyHonest #TeamPossiblyWrong
2025-12-181h 01
If I’m Really HonestDr. James McGaugh - Memory and the Brain’s Hidden SystemsDr. James L. McGaugh - a founder of modern memory science - joins me for an hour of deep exploration into how memory actually works. We talk about autobiographical memory, the puzzle of retrieval, why forgetting is both a feature and a mercy, and what makes Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory so different from anything else in neuroscience.
He explains why PTSD persists, why emotion strengthens memory chemically, why HSAM breaks expected rules, and what neuroscientists still don’t know about how the brain pulls information into consciousness. We finish with stories about his mentors, the most surprising ob...
2025-12-1154 min
If I’m Really HonestAndrea Hiott - The Paradox of Love and Being HumanThis episode dives into the paradox of being human - how we care, how we deny care, how we form meaning, and how love requires both vulnerability and courage. We discuss the embodied nature of mind (E-cognition), the tension between self-protection and connection, and the possibility of relating without collapsing into defensiveness or certainty.
https://www.andreahiott.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@waymaking23
https://communityphilosophy.substack.com/
More from the Host:
https://ifimreallyhonest.great-site.net/2025/11/06/andrea-hiott-love-philosophy-and-paradox/
Superfan / Supporters: JaminColler.com/iirh_Superfans
#IfImReallyHonest #TeamPossiblyWrong
2025-12-041h 15
If I’m Really HonestDr. Stefanie Green - Dying On Your Own TermsIn this conversation with Dr. Stefanie Green, we explore medical assistance in dying (MAiD) through real stories, real families, and real ethical questions. Stefanie is a physician and clinical leader in the field of assisted dying in Canada, and the author of This Is Assisted Dying. This is not a debate. It’s a human conversation about autonomy, compassion, suffering, dignity, and how we care for one another at the end of life.
Website: https://www.stefaniegreen.com
Book: "This Is Assisted Dying" https://www.amazon.com/This-Assisted-Dying-Empowering-Patients/dp/1982129468
More From This Jamin: Of...
2025-11-271h 14
If I’m Really HonestJamie Reed - Trans-kids Safety Advocate & WhistleblowerIn this episode of If I’m Really Honest, I sit down with Jamie Reed - a former case-manager at the Washington University Transgender Center in St. Louis - to explore her journey, the ethical and medical questions she raised, and what it means to reconsider deeply held beliefs about care, identity, and transformation. We dig into whistle-blowing, community backlash, the nature of belief, and how one can move from conviction to questioning.
Jamie Reed on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/JamieWhistle
Article: “I Thought I Was Saving Trans Kids. Now I’m Blowing the Whistl...
2025-11-201h 03
If I’m Really HonestDawn Maslar - The Science Behind Attraction & Long-Term LoveWhat exactly is love? And why does our brain completely change when we fall into it — only to change back again two years later? In this conversation, biologist Dawn Maslar explains the neuroscience, hormones, and evolutionary roots of attraction, bonding, commitment, and long-term connection. We break down everything from the fear-based origins of attraction to why “the spark” fades and what real love actually is.
Website – https://dawnmaslar.com
MORE FROM JAMIN:
Blog post - https://ifimreallyhonest.great-site.net/2025/11/06/dawn-maslar-the-science-behind-attraction-long-term-love/
Become a superfan – https://JaminColler.com/iirh_Superfans
#IfImReallyHonest #TeamPossib...
2025-11-1359 min
If I’m Really HonestAnthony Magnabosco - Street EpistemologyAnthony Magnabosco, the public face of Street Epistemology, joins Jamin Coller to discuss what it means to have conversations that don’t devolve into debates. They explore the evolution of SE, how it differs from traditional apologetics or argumentation, and how curiosity and grace can reshape how we talk about deeply held beliefs. They also discuss the role of personal experience, emotional reasoning, and the challenge of questioning our own certainty.
Links:
Anthony’s links:
YouTube.com/@magnabosco210
Twitter.com/magnabosco
IfImReallyHonest.com
JaminColler.com/iirh_Superfans
#I...
2025-11-0654 min
If I’m Really HonestChris Germer - Self-CompassionDr. Chris Germer co-founder of the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion and co-author (with Kristin Neff) of Self-Compassion for Burnout — joins Jamin Coller for an honest conversation about radical acceptance and the “voice of love.” They discuss non-fixing as a teaching posture, why warmth matters as much as awareness, and how curiosity turns empathy into compassion.
Guest Links:
ChrisGermer.com | Center for Mindful Self-Compassion | Self-Compassion.org
More from Jamin Coller:
IfImReallyHonest.com | Superfan Page
#IfImReallyHonest #TeamPossiblyWrong
2025-10-3049 min
If I’m Really HonestPatrick Ryan – Ethics of Cult DeprogrammingIn this thoughtful conversation, I sit down with Patrick Ryan, veteran cult intervention specialist and longtime practitioner in the field of coercive influence. We talk through the evolution of cult deprogramming, how belief systems shift, the tension between gentle engagement vs. confrontation, and why many people leave high-control groups on their own terms. He also shares insight into cultic dynamics, and best practices for helping loved ones without burning bridges.
Links & Resources:
Cult Mediation — https://cultmediation.com/
IfImReallyHonest.com
Superfan page: JaminColler.com/iirh_Superfans
#IfImReallyHonest #TeamPossiblyWrong
2025-10-231h 16
If I’m Really HonestJim Rutt - God, Consciousness, and AIWhat does it mean to be awake—as a human, or as a machine? In this wide-ranging conversation, Jamin Coller and Jim Rutt explore consciousness, religion, evolution, metaphysics, and whether AI can ever truly “wake up.”
They unpack Game B, noble lies, mystical experience, and why the illusion of God might be as neurologically real as the love you feel for your child.
Guest links:
IfImReallyHonest.com
👉 Superfan page – Team Possibly Wrong
#IfImReallyHonest #TeamPossiblyWrong
2025-10-1657 min
If I’m Really HonestRick Alan Ross - Cults: Inside And OutThis conversation gets precise about what makes a cult a cult. Rick Alan Ross explains early warning signs, how authority gets sacralized, why “thought-terminating clichés” work, and what respectful, evidence-based interventions look like. We revisit Waco, NXIVM, and other case studies—not to sensationalize, but to learn how to spot coercion, preserve relationships, and protect loved ones.
Guest links:
• Cult Education Institute — https://culteducation.com/ Cult Education Institute
• Cults Inside Out (book) — https://cultsinsideout.com/the-book/ CULTS INSIDE OUT
More from the show:
• https://IfImReallyHonest.com
• Superfan page: https://JaminColler.com/iirh_SuperFans
2025-10-091h 02
If I’m Really HonestMichelle Dowd - Forager in an Apocalyptic CultThis episode features an honest, moving conversation with author and educator Michelle Dowd, whose memoir Forager: Field Notes on Surviving a Cult explores growing up inside a high-control religious community and building a new life beyond it. We discuss her forthcoming book A Prodigal Daughter, her Substack newsletter where she engages with readers, and her pilot series based on the stories of people who lived in and left the group.
Michelle shares her experience of leaving the community, raising four children differently, navigating relationships with family who stayed, and the long process of healing from attachment loss...
2025-10-021h 08
If I’m Really HonestSongmi Han - North Korean escapee, feat. Casey LartigueIn this powerful episode of If I’m Really Honest, Jamin Coller speaks with Song Mi, a North Korean defector who escaped at age 17 after years of hunger, surveillance, and propaganda. Song Mi shares how her mother’s escape opened her mind to the outside world, the dangers she faced crossing China, Laos, and the Mekong River, and what it was like to be monitored 24/7, endure public executions, and attend self-criticism sessions. She also explains how she learned about South Korea and the West, how propaganda shaped her childhood, and why “truth is not allowed” inside North Korea. This conversa...
2025-09-251h 16
If I’m Really HonestLynn Nadel - What Do We Really Know About The Brain?Cognitive maps, place/grid/time cells, H.M., consolidation, reconsolidation, and free will — this deep-dive with Dr. Lynn Nadel explores how the hippocampal formation knits space and time into experience, and why that matters for who we become. Resources and references mentioned in the episode are linked in the show notes.
Guest links: UA profile – https://psychology.arizona.edu/person/lynn-nadel | The Hippocampus as a Cognitive Map (open access) – https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10103569/ | Space, Time, and Memory (OUP) – https://global.oup.com/academic/product/space-time-and-memory-9780192882547 | PNAS article – https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2119670118
Find mor...
2025-09-181h 05
If I’m Really HonestTim Mills - From Missionary to Harmonic AtheistIn this episode of If I’m Really Honest, I sit down with Tim Mills, aka The Harmonic Atheist — a former pastor-in-training, missionary, and Bible memorization champion who spent decades deeply invested in evangelical Christianity before leaving the faith at 42.
We explore his story of deconversion, the dominoes that began to fall during years of study, and how he now helps others heal from religious trauma. Topics include:
Bible quizzing and memorizing entire books
Missionary work in Papua New Guinea with New Tribes Mission (Ethnos360)
Comparative mythology and parallels between Christianity and...
2025-09-111h 03
If I’m Really HonestRabbi Tovia Singer - What Pharisees Actually BelievedToday’s episode features Rabbi Tovia Singer (Outreach Judaism) offering a Jewish perspective on Jesus’s crucifixion, who/what “Messiah” means in Tanakh, how the Pharisees are portrayed, and what it really means to be “under the Law.” Whether you’re a Christian, a Jew, or just curious, this is a thoughtful challenge to common assumptions—shared in the tone this show prizes: seeking truth without tribalism.
Guest links:
• Outreach Judaism (official): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaw8quRcRzjmw0BI1vn-dnA
• Let’s Get Biblical (2-volume set): https://outreachjudaism.org/shop/lets-get-biblical-expanded-2-volume-study-guide/
• Volume 1: https://outreachjudaism...
2025-09-0424 min
If I’m Really HonestDaryl Davis - Klan WhispererMusic, empathy, and hard conversations with Darryl Davis—the pianist who has spent decades befriending people in hate-based groups and tracing rock & roll’s true lineage. We cover Elvis’s first spin on Dewey Phillips’ show, Sun Records, Little Richard vs. Pat Boone, Led Zeppelin’s “borrowed” blues, FCC/radio history, and why travel + dialogue still change hearts.
Guest links:
Official — YouTube
Accidental Courtesy (PBS) — Wikipedia
The Klan Whisperer (Amazon) — https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DRSWK4K9/ Amazon
Resources mentioned:
Joe Rogan Experience — https://open.spotify.com/show/4rOoJ6Egrf8K2IrywzwOMk Spotify
2025-08-2854 min
If I’m Really HonestJeff Schoep - From Hate to HumanityIn this episode of If I’m Really Honest, I sit down with Jeff Schoep, former leader of the National Socialist Movement, to talk about his transformation from extremism to advocacy. We explore why people are drawn to extremist groups, how fear and scapegoating shape radicalization, and the difficult process of leaving behind hate-filled ideology. Jeff shares the personal turning points, human connections, and values that guided him into a new mission: helping others find their way out.
Get Jeff's book: https://jeffschoep.com/buy-book/
And follow him: https://linktr.ee/jeffschoep
Le...
2025-08-2155 min
If I’m Really HonestTovia Singer - A Rabbi Grades My HomeworkRabbi Tovia Singer joins to walk through core Jewish readings of the Hebrew Bible: what messianic prophecies actually say, why the first century looks like the opposite of a messianic age, how genealogies and the Jeconiah curse collide with virgin-birth claims, and why Deuteronomy 30 and Ezekiel 18 undercut the idea that forgiveness requires a mediator. We also dig into the order of the Tanakh vs. the Christian Old Testament, “New Covenant” language in Hebrews, what “Chosen People” means, Noahide law, and the Nation vs. State distinction.
Links
• https://www.youtube.com/@ToviaSinger1
• Let's Get Biblical: ht...
2025-08-1441 minIf I’m Really HonestIf I’m Really Honest – TrailerWhat happens when curiosity beats tribalism? If I’m Really Honest is a podcast where ignorance isn’t punished, hard questions are welcomed, and disagreement doesn’t mean contempt. Host Jamin Coller talks with people from all sides—atheists, pastors, activists, rabbis, former extremists—to uncover the nuance in our most polarizing issues.
2025-08-1201 min
Deconstructing MamasRebellion or Integrity? - Jamin Coller'''Diligent study is precisely what got us here." Jamin CollerOur episode this week is with Jamin Coller, dad of six, podcaster and author of Dear Evangelicals.Our conversation is passionate, funny and so very eye-opening. We chat through these questions:1. Your book, Dear Evangelicals, frames deconstruction not as rebellion, but as a painful act of integrity after "stumbling upon information we didn't want." How can parents reframe their children's deconstruction as integrity, not betrayal? How can we help b...
2025-05-0658 min