Danny Jones Podcast #357 – Duncan Trussell: I Went to the World’s Largest Antichrist Convention

Release Date: December 22, 2025
Host: Danny Jones
Guest: Duncan Trussell

Episode Overview

This episode features Danny Jones in a mesmerizing and unpredictable conversation with comedian and podcaster Duncan Trussell. The discussion interweaves themes of religion (especially Satanism and Christianity), AI and technological apocalypse, the history and dark underbelly of podcasting, personal well-being, magic (with and without a “k”), psychedelic experiences, and several wild digressions into conspiracy theories and philosophical rabbit holes.

The title refers in part to Duncan’s attendance at a Peter Thiel “Antichrist” lecture and an actual Satanist wedding, using these as jumping-off points to explore how myth, morality, technology, and spirituality collide in contemporary life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Satanism, Comedy, and the Spectrum of Belief

• [01:57–06:40] Duncan’s “Satanic” Ventriloquist Act & Anton LaVey’s Grandson’s Wedding
  • Duncan recounts being invited to perform at the wedding of Stanton LaVey (grandson of Anton LaVey, founder of the Church of Satan).
  • Describes the range of "flavors" of Satanism, pointing out the difference between LaVeyan, The Satanic Temple, and "romantic" interpretations of Lucifer-as-rebel.
  • The act freaked out attendees: “People would do Bible verses and walk out yelling Bible verses. … Either made people laugh really hard or it freaked people out.” (Duncan, 05:21)
  • "It was amazing. They were really sweet people... It was familial Satanists, man." (Duncan, 06:00)
• Absinthe as the “European Tequila”
  • Duncan shares his experience drinking absinthe (“my mind was clear as a bell, but my mouth was drunk…” 07:24) and the hallucinations that followed.

2. Celebrity, Decline, and the Podcast “Dark Ages”

• Marilyn Manson, Fame, and the Tiger Metaphor [10:17–13:03]
  • The hosts riff on Marilyn Manson’s career and controversy, using the Chris Rock line: “That tiger didn’t go crazy. That tiger went tiger.” (Duncan, 11:27)
  • Manson’s downfall is used as a springboard to discuss entropy and the ephemeral nature of fame and creative success.
• Origin Stories of Podcasting [13:03–14:53]
  • Duncan reminisces about the early days with Natasha Leggero and the Lavender Hour, noting initial skepticism about podcasting as a medium.
  • “Ground zero… We had to tell people what it was. … If 600 people were listening, that’s like a full comedy club.” (Duncan, 13:25)
• Commodification and Decline of Podcasting [16:23–18:16]
  • Both comment on podcasting’s shift from an indie medium to a "gold rush" for celebrities and corporations.
  • Dark Ages predicted, with “cinematic” new formats overtaking conversational ones on platforms like YouTube.
  • “It became where people just saw dollar signs... We can reverse-engineer this thing, pay Drake to be episode one...” (Danny, 17:16)
• AI Podcasts and the Coming Bubble Pop [23:14]
  • Inshittification: “It’s happening all over the world... corpo greed... it dehumanizes it.” (Duncan, 21:07)
  • “They’re flooding with AI podcasts… tsunami of homogenized bullshit... then it’ll go back… just have to look harder for the good ones.” (Duncan, 23:14)

3. AI, The Antichrist, and Silicon Valley Spirituality

• Peter Thiel, Eschatology & AI Apocalypse [29:34–40:53]
  • Duncan describes going to Peter Thiel’s multi-part lecture on the Antichrist, and the surreal intersection of tech-bro mentality with literal interpretations of the Book of Revelation.
  • “It felt like he was saying there might be a way to patch the Book of Revelation—like a tech guy being like, we can ctrl-alt-delete the Apocalypse.” (Duncan, 31:15)
  • Debate about whether Thiel/Silicon Valley are ushering in Christian revival as a kind of spiritual or social control over rapid tech acceleration.
  • “Christian eschatology and Ray Kurzweil singularity predictions... you're looking at basically the same thing.” (Duncan, 35:06)
• Dangers & Culture Shock of Ubiquitous, Unregulated Technology
  • Risks of AI: mass unemployment, collapse of capitalism, quantum computing breaking all encryption and privacy, “AI-based cults.” (Duncan, 26:15–28:46)
  • "Within 5–8 years all the secrets are revealed." (Duncan, 28:15)

4. Conspiracy: The Real “Cathedral of Satan” & Surveillance

• “A cathedral of Satan would look like the stock market… an actual cathedral, with ritualistic bell-ringing…” (Duncan, 21:04)
• Corporate logic, surveillance capitalism, and techno-dystopia discussed as way more “satanic” than any religious cosplay.
• Debate about Palantir: Is it "throne of Satan"? Is the real Satanic influence really just greed and commodification? (50:07–52:10)

5. Magic, Occult, and the Bible as Grimoire

• Definition and Practice of Magic [52:12–54:32]
  • Explains Aleister Crowley’s definition: “The science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with will.”
  • Links occult concepts of magic to self-help and even Jesus’ parables—calling the Bible a book of magic (“grimoire”).
  • “Tony Robbins 100%. … What he’s teaching … is just basic occult teachings.” (Duncan, 53:38)
  • Emphasizes that most people “curse themselves” daily via negative self-talk; true magic is learning to direct will/thoughts.
• The Bible, Psychedelics, and Lost Scriptures [58:43–79:06]
  • Deep dive into the Bible’s textual history, its psychedelic overtones (e.g., burning bush/DMT theory), and stories edited out (e.g., Infancy Gospel).
  • “Whoever wrote [the Gospel of John], their consciousness was very different... whatever inspired them to write was so powerful it destroyed their identity.” (Duncan, 61:53)
  • Old medicine = psychoactive, drugs synonymous with magic; “phones are drugs… a powerful psychedelic…” (Duncan, 66:46)
  • Discussed how even the term “Christ” originally had drug connotations in Greek.
• Psychedelics and the "Reset"
  • Psychedelics as a way to “wipe the soot from the lantern,” or provide a “hard reset" for a mind caught in modern malaise.

6. Simulation, DMT & the Search For “The Code”

• Simulation Theory and Digital Consciousness [122:29–123:42]
  • “Each of these subsequent technologies accelerate ... Based on that, ... when will it eclipse us? Oh, it already did.” (Duncan, 122:27)
  • Posits that we may already have uploaded our consciousness—raises classic “simulation argument” and time-dilation models.
• DMT Lasers and the Matrix [123:42–128:10]
  • Danny shares personal DMT trip visuals, inspired by a documentary claiming one can “see the code of the Matrix” with lasers while tripping.
  • Duncan jokes: “If aliens ever appear, we’re gonna find out they look like dicks. That’s why disclosure hasn’t happened.” (126:36)
  • Explores the placebo theory of psychedelics (Hamilton Morris's view): “They reinforce what’s already in there.”

7. Suffering, Mindfulness & The Path to Happiness

• Mind Control via Phones & News [110:07–116:02]
  • The addictive nature of digital devices likened to "summoning a distraction demon."
  • “A vampire only goes where it’s invited. Every time you stare into the hypno rectangle … it’s like summoning a distraction demon.” (Duncan, 115:32)
• How to Reclaim Joy and Presence [132:09–136:08]
  • Duncan stresses simple, non-esoteric practices: mindfulness, meditation, retraining the mind’s habits.
  • “If you worry … it’s just a habit. … You can replace those worries with … wonderful things that you’ve done. … You already have the discipline of worry; just redirect it.” (Duncan, 132:09 & 135:56)
  • Recommends the book Psycho-Cybernetics: “If you just replace [negative thoughts] with anything…this practice will change your life so quickly.” (Duncan, 136:07)

8. Quotes & Memorable Moments by Timestamp

| Timestamp | Quote & Context | |------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 05:21 | “People would do Bible verses and walk out yelling Bible verses... It freaked people out.” — Duncan| | 11:27 | “That tiger didn't go crazy. That tiger went tiger.” — Quoting Chris Rock (Duncan) | | 16:22 | “That was never in your head when you started off, right?” — Duncan on podcast authenticity | | 21:07 | “This is what messes everything up… corpo greed… inshittification…” — Duncan | | 23:14 | “AI podcasts… tsunami of just homogenized bullshit… it’ll go back… just look harder for the good.” | | 31:15 | “A tech guy being like, we can ctrl-alt-delete the Apocalypse.” — Duncan on Thiel’s lecture | | 35:06 | “Christian eschatology and Ray Kurzweil... you're looking at basically the same thing.” — Duncan | | 53:38 | “Tony Robbins 100%. … What he’s teaching … is just basic occult teachings.” — Duncan | | 61:53 | “Whoever wrote this, their consciousness was very different from my consciousness…” — Duncan | | 115:32 | “A vampire only goes where it's invited… staring into the hypno rectangle... distraction demon.” | | 132:09 | “If you worry... it's just a habit. … Mindfulness is the start.” — Duncan |

Notable Themes & Takeaways

• The Real Apocalypse Is Boringly Human:
  Whether in AI, podcasting, or spirituality, the real “Antichrist” is not a horned demon but unchecked technological, economic, and social forces—greed, fear, and the search for meaning.

• Magic Is Everywhere (And Not That Weird):
  Magic, for Duncan, is simply focused intention—same as what self-help, advertisers, and spiritual teachers have always said.

• Podcasting’s Full Circle:
  Once a home for outsiders, podcasting has undergone “inshittification” but will eventually return to a more personal, authentic space after the corporate/celebrity “bubble” pops.

• Don’t Chase the Algorithm:
  Obsessing over downloads or chasing algorithmic success is a spiritual trap; instead, find joy in real connection and the present moment.

• The Value of Skepticism & Inquiry:
  Regardless of the topic—be it biblical miracles or technological trends—the show argues for direct experience, critical thinking, and “doing your own search” rather than relying on official narratives.

Segment Timestamps

• 01:57 – Duncan's Satanic ventriloquist act and Anton LaVey’s wedding
• 10:17 – Marilyn Manson discussion & fame’s entropy
• 13:03 – Early podcasting and “Lavender Hour” days
• 16:23 – Podcasting’s commercialization and creative decline
• 21:04 – Stock market as a “cathedral of Satan”
• 23:14 – AI, inshittification, and the coming podcast bubble pop
• 29:34 – Peter Thiel’s “Antichrist” lecture and tech-Christianity
• 52:12 – Magic, the Bible, and occult knowledge
• 61:53 – The Bible as psychedelic transmission
• 66:46 – Ancient drugs, Christ as a drug term
• 110:07 – Fear as the ultimate addiction, algorithm as fear-harvester
• 115:32 – Phones as “summoning the distraction demon”
• 122:29 – Simulation theory and the AI singularity
• 126:34 – DMT laser trips: seeing “dicks encoded in Lord of the Rings text”
• 132:09 – Mindfulness, worry, and retraining the mind

Final Thoughts

This episode stands out for its shapeshifting mix of occult humor, keen social criticism, and practical philosophy. Duncan Trussell’s ability to channel both cosmic dread and everyday spiritual optimism makes for a conversation that’s equal parts entertaining, dizzying, and surprisingly grounding.

Whether you're a spiritual seeker, technofuturist, comedian, or just feeling existential in the digital age, this episode delivers a dense, quotable swirl of insight and irreverence.

Listen to Duncan Trussell’s podcast, The Duncan Trussell Family Hour, and watch The Midnight Gospel on Netflix.
For upcoming tour dates: duncantrussell.com