Coming soon
Desert Medicine
What the ancient physicians of the soul knew about the mind, read by a modern doctor.
Sixteen centuries ago, monks in the deserts of Egypt and Palestine kept careful notes on the mind: how attention scatters, how anger takes hold, and why a restless weariness they called acedia empties a person out.
Today we have brain science and new words for some of the same things. I am a medical doctor with a graduate diploma in Orthodox theology, and I want to read the two side by side honestly, without claiming that one “proves” the other.
νῆψιςnepsis · watchfulness
What to expect
A weekly episode
On video and podcast, 15 to 25 minutes.
A short essay
Written to sit alongside each episode.
Old words, new science
Themes such as acedia and burnout, watchfulness and attention, anger, sleep and vigil, fasting, and pride.
The show will live at its own address, TheDesertMedicine.com (opens in a new tab). Until the first episode, the waitlist below is the best way to hear when it begins.
Join the waitlist
One email when the first episode is ready, and an occasional note when there is something worth reading. Nothing more.
Unsubscribe any time. I never share your address.
Desert Medicine is education and reflection, not medical advice, therapy or spiritual direction. I am not a priest or a spiritual father; for spiritual guidance please speak with your own priest, and for health concerns see your doctor. If you are in crisis in Australia, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or 000 in an emergency.