227. Cognitive Warfare, Moral Inversion, and the War on Children with Simon Esler

I'm welcoming back filmmaker Simon Esler, who first appeared on this podcast back on episode 54 to discuss his documentary Cut: Daughters of the West. This time, we're diving into his new docuseries You Are Here, which explores the landscape of cognitive warfare—the idea that human cognition itself has become the most contested territory in modern conflict.We start with the chilling case of Barry Neufeld, a Canadian school board trustee who was fined $750,000 for refusing to believe that children can be born trapped in the wrong body—what the judge's ruling called "existential denialism." From there, we explore how Canada's human rights laws and conversion therapy legislation have embedded gender identity ideology into the legal framework, silencing detransitioners and punishing dissenters. Simon and I discuss how our minds are conditioned by narratives we've never examined, how meta-perceptions warp our view of political opponents, and what Iain McGilchrist's work on brain hemispheres reveals about Western cognitive vulnerability. We also get into the concept of cognitive entrenchment, moral inversion, and the historical parallels between modern ideological capture and ancient child sacrifice in Carthage. Simon shares what's next for his series and talks about the Reclaiming Birth Conference, where he's working to empower families to take back sovereignty over pregnancy and birth.Books mentioned in this episode:The Screwtape Letters by C.S. LewisRange: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David EpsteinThe Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World by Iain McGilchristSimon Esler is a committed defender of families & the lost art of free thought. A winding career path as an actor, theatre maker, ordained minister and mindfulness entrepreneur lead him to becoming a professional content creator & independent filmmaker. His latest docuseries, You Are Here - Reconnaissance for the War on Perception, is now streaming at dauntlessdialogue.com. The rest of Simon’s work can be found at simonesler.com, where he hosts an array of films, series, courses & resources focused on leveraging the pressures of modern war to foster personal growth and collective resilience.To partner with Simon’s Leaving the Line Studio for content creation, filmmaking, and brand strategy check out his full portfolio.Reclaiming Birth Conference: reclaimingbirthconference.com — a conference in Canada in September focused on empowering families around natural birth; Simon is emceeingX (Twitter): @SimonEslerInstagram: @simon_esler1111Substack: Simon Esler / Subversive Clarity[00:00:00] Start[00:01:27] Cognitive Warfare as the New Battlefield[00:03:10] Barry Neufeld and the SOGI 123 Curriculum[00:05:15] Fined $750K for "Existential Denialism"[00:07:57] Gender Identity as Compelled Religious Belief[00:10:11] Canada's Human Rights Laws and Bill C-16[00:13:18] Gender Identity as a Shield Against Accountability[00:19:17] Detransitioners Silenced in Canada[00:24:33] Recognizing Our Own Cognitive Conditioning[00:28:06] How Media Narratives Mirror Personal Anxiety[00:29:45] Meta-Perceptions and the 400% Violence Gap[00:35:32] What Is Fifth Generation Warfare[00:40:01] Moral Inversion Through Cognitive Manipulation[00:47:25] Cognitive Entrenchment and Thinking Outside Your Domain[00:49:18] When Ideological Capture Endangers Children[00:53:31] Child Sacrifice in Carthage as a Modern Warning[00:59:05] Collective Morality and Centralized Culture[01:02:34] The Reclaiming Birth Movement[01:08:47] Finding Purpose in Defending Free ThoughtROGD REPAIR Course + Community gives concerned parents instant access to over 120 lessons providing the psychological insights and communication tools you need to get through to your kid. Now featuring 24/7 personalized AI support implementing the tools with RepairBot! Use code SOMETHERAPIST2026 to take 50% off your first month.PODCOURSES: use code SOMETHERAPIST at LisaMustard.com/PodCoursesPRODUCTION: L