Bonus Sample: A Course in Miracles Reconsidered (w/Joseph Baker) - Conspirituality

Summary4 min read

Conspirituality Podcast

Bonus Sample: A Course in Miracles Reconsidered (with Joseph Baker)
Release Date: April 6, 2026
Host: [Name not specified in clip, context suggests Matthew Remski]
Guest: Joseph Baker (interview originally recorded January 9, 2024; Joseph passed away February 4, 2024)

Episode Overview

This episode features an intimate, reflective conversation between the host and Joseph Baker about "A Course in Miracles" (ACIM), exploring their differing relationships to the text—one skeptical, the other devoted. Precluding the main discussion, the host shares a heartfelt personal anecdote, highlighting how Joseph’s influence fundamentally shifted his understanding of neurodiversity and radical politics. This episode also serves as a tribute to Joseph, referencing his recent passing and his meaningful personal and intellectual contributions to the host.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. A Reflective Tribute to Joseph Baker

The host sets the stage with an emotionally charged introduction. He recalls recording this conversation over two years ago, noting the passage of time, their evolving friendship, and Joseph's subsequent struggle with illness.
The host admits that their dialogue was “a little bit long” and that they were “at slightly odd angles with each other,” revealing vulnerability and the unfinished nature of intellectual relationships.
- “We had plans to redo it as we got to know each other better, but that got delayed by the news cycle, Trump’s second election, and then Joseph had to go for more chemotherapy, so we never got around to it.” (00:38)
The host confides the emotional challenge in listening back to someone whose fate they were then unaware of, noting,
- “It’s a little bit hard for me to listen to because I’m hearing my own unawareness of his health and fate.” (00:51)

2. Learning from Joseph: Neurodiversity and Radical Politics

In searching old emails, the host rediscovers a powerful exchange with Joseph that didn’t make it into his eulogy.
The host had confided struggles around his autistic son and how advocating for him intensified his radicalism.
Joseph, in response, shared his own experience with ADHD diagnosis and challenges with normative expectations:

“All the best to you and your family as you advocate for your son. I can relate. Though I by no means faced the challenges you all have—when I was around that age, I had wires attached to my head and was put on a high dose of Ritalin for the next seven years and diagnosed ADHD. I learned through perseverance how to be socialized in a normative world. And as a parent, you have every right to push back against the expectation that your child learn to cope in environments that are not inclusive of him.” (01:35)
Joseph recommends a pivotal book:
- “There’s a newish book you might like. It’s a critique of normativity and neurodivergence through a Marxist historical analysis.” (02:05)
- Title: The Empire of Normality: Neurodiversity and Capitalism by Robert Chapman (Pluto Press)
The host credits this recommendation as life-altering:

“It’s one of those, you know, my life before this book versus my life after this book moments… It’s utterly changed my perspective on neurodivergence as a class issue.” (02:40)

3. Intersection of Spirituality, Politics, and Inclusion

The host acknowledges that Joseph’s insight on neurodiversity, though “not explicitly spiritual,” deeply intersected with the podcast's broader themes—how beliefs, practices, and social structures interplay in forming a holistic view of society and activism.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the unfinished nature of intellectual intimacy:

“We felt it was a little bit long and maybe also that we were at slightly odd angles with each other … as we got to know each other better … but that got delayed … and Joseph had to go for more chemotherapy, so we never got around to it.” (00:38)
On neurodiversity and class:

“It’s utterly changed my perspective on neurodivergence as a class issue.” (02:35)
“It’s one of those, you know, my life before this book versus my life after this book moments.” (02:40)
Joseph Baker on pushing back against normative pressure:

“As a parent, you have every right to push back against the expectation that your child learn to cope in environments that are not inclusive of him.” (01:58)

Important Segments & Timestamps

00:03 – 00:51: Host’s introduction; reflecting on the context of the interview, Joseph’s passing, and their relationship.
00:52 – 02:15: Rediscovery of impactful email exchange about neurodiversity, Joseph’s recommendation of Robert Chapman’s The Empire of Normality.
02:16 – 03:30: Host credits Joseph for a transformative influence, setting up the episode’s main conversation.

Tone & Language

The episode’s tone is personal, vulnerable, and reflective. The host openly discusses grief, intellectual evolution, and gratitude for Joseph’s influence—portraying a warm, respectful, and deeply human perspective.

Concluding Note

Though this bonus episode sample primarily contains a poignant introduction and context rather than the full interview, it sets up a layered conversation on spirituality, disability, radical politics, and the subtle ways personal connections transform our thinking. Listeners are invited to reflect on the intersections of compassion, advocacy, and intellectual growth—in Joseph Baker’s memory.

[For the full conversation, listeners are directed to the Conspirituality Patreon or Apple Subscriptions for extended content.]

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Transcript2 lines

[00:03]
A
Hello, everyone. This is just a brief introduction before I run my conversation with the late Joseph Baker, in which we struggle over my allergy to a course in miracles and his devotion to it. If you heard my brief from a few weeks back, you'll know that Joseph died on February 4th at the age of 51. Now, we recorded this conversation on January 9th, 2024, so more than two years ago. And as I mentioned in the eulogy, we both felt it was a little bit long and maybe also that we were at slightly odd angles with each other. And so we had plans to redo it as we got to know each other better, but that got delayed by the news cycle, Trump's second election, and then Joseph had to go for more chemotherapy, so we never got around to it. But I've edited the original interview here and I think it serves him well. It's a little bit hard for me to listen to because I'm hearing my own unawareness of his health and fate. I said in the eulogy that I learned a tremendous amount from Joseph about a spiritual orientation to radical politics. But as I went through our emails to double check some timeline details, I. I came across something else that I'd just forgotten about that didn't make it into the eulogy. And it has nothing at all to do with spirituality, at least explicitly I wanted to add it here. So in one of our long email exchanges, I had disclosed that our younger son is autistic and was facing a number of accessibility challenges and that my heartbreak over this had probably pushed my radicalism over the edge into a white hot glow. And here's what he wrote. All the best to you and your family as you advocate for your son. I can relate. Though I by no means faced the challenges you all have when I was around that age, I had wires attached to my head and was put on a high dose of Ritalin for the next seven years and diagnosed adhd. I learned through perseverance how to be socialized in a normative world. And as a parent, you have every right to push back against the expectation that your child learned to cope in environments that are not inclusive of him. And there's a newish book you might like. It's a critique of normativity and neurodivergence through a Marxist historical analysis. The author is Robert Chapman. The Empire of Normality, Neurodiversity and Capitalism, Pluto Press. Chapman is diagnosed autistic, lives in England and and is a professor of critical neurodiversity studies. So I had forgotten that it was Joseph, who actually connected me with Chapman's work, which has gone on to influence a whole bunch of things that I've done because it's utterly changed my perspective on neurodivergence as a class issue. So it's one of those, you know, my life before this book versus my life after this book moments. So anyway, I wanted to throw that in there. It's kind of amazing that there was this other sort of intersection. So with that, I'll leave you with my discussion with Joseph Baker, with the original intro and everything.
[03:32]
B
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