Christopher Mathews (Video); ‘Dark Academia: Reflections on Well-being and Academia

 

 In this episode, Christopher Matthews shares his journey of maintaining well-being beyond sports, reflecting on his past experiences and the challenges he faces in academia. With David Jones and Naomi Murphy he discusses the impact of his work on his mental health, the role of self-therapy, and the use of psychedelic drugs. Matthews also touches on the difficulties of addressing sensitive topics like child abuse in sports and the importance of reflection and mindfulness in his life.

Dr. Matthews, is a social scientist and epistemologist with years of experience advising doctoral candidates.  His latest sole-authored book, Doing Good Social Science, was published by Routledge in April 2025. He co-edited Teaching with Sociological Imagination in Higher Education (Springer) and Global Perspectives on Women in Combat Sports (Palgrave Macmillan)

Key Points:

• Christopher Matthews reflects on his younger years and the reckless behavior he engaged in, acknowledging the impact it had on his well-being 
• He discusses the emotional toll of his research and the challenges of talking about sensitive topics like child abuse in sports 
• Matthews shares his approach to self-therapy and the importance of reflection and mindfulness in maintaining his mental health 
• The role of psychedelic drugs in his life and how they have helped him become a better person and scholar 
• The impact of reading "Dark Academia" and the realization of the challenges facing academia 
• Matthews emphasizes the need for academics to have clinical supervision when working on human impact research 

Quotes:

• "I've become very, very reflective and quite emotional as I've got older." - Christopher Matthews 
• "Doing acid, LSD, and magic mushrooms has fundamentally made me a better man, a better husband, a better person." - Christopher Matthews 
• "I think there's a case for academics to have clinical supervision if they're working on human impact research." - Dr. Naomi Murphy 

Takeaways:

• Self-reflection is crucial for maintaining well-being 
• Engaging in sports can lead to both positive and negative outcomes 
• The myths surrounding sports often overlook the inherent risks involved 
• Performance in sports can overshadow the joy of play 
• Sports can create community but also reinforce social divides 
• Youth sports should prioritize play over competition 
• The impact of sports on mental health is significant and complex 
• Critical thinking is essential in analyzing the role of sports in society 
• The relationship between sports and health is often misunderstood 
• Personal experiences shape our understanding of sports and their effects.

Sound Bites:

• "I get really upset when I talk to people."
• "It's fundamentally made me a better man." 
• "I've accepted that I know I'm doing it."