Canadian psychologist and author Jordan Peterson broke his silence amid ongoing health issues, revealing that while his illness has prevented him from returning to podcasting and public lectures, he’ll remain active by releasing previously recorded material from his archive.
In a message posted on social media Sunday, the 64-year-old thanked supporters and announced that he’ll begin releasing one lecture each week from his past tours.
“I’m pleased to let you know that we’re going to release a lecture a week from my extensive tour archive, beginning this Sunday and then repeating every Sunday after that,” Peterson said.
The bestselling author said the project is a way to continue engaging with audiences while recovering from a prolonged illness that has sidelined him from his usual public activities.
“This allows me to do something interesting and useful while I’m otherwise incapacitated,” he said. “My health is such at the moment that I can’t really return to podcasting or public lecturing.”
The announcement comes months after Peterson’s daughter, Mikhaila Fuller, revealed that her father had been battling a severe neurological condition that was initially misdiagnosed by doctors.
In an April update, Fuller said Peterson had suffered a recurrence of akathisia, a disorder characterized by intense physical and psychological distress, after an old neurological injury was re-triggered.
She also said Peterson had battled pneumonia and sepsis during the health crisis and described the previous year as “hell” for the family.
“Now that we know what it is and have proper doctors, it can be carefully healed again like it has before,” she said.
“Thank God for that. It’s just horrifying, and it’s so infuriating that these sensitivities, this damage that can cause severe symptoms like this, can last for so long after stopping psych meds and then, apparently, be re-triggered.”
In his update, Peterson didn’t discuss specific medical details but acknowledged that his recovery remains incomplete.
“We recorded these with the express intention of preparing them for release, and we’ve all determined that this is a very good time to do that,” he said of the archived lectures.
The psychologist said the weekly releases would likely appeal to longtime followers familiar with the classroom-style lectures.
“I hope you find them useful and compelling,” he said. “They’ll be particularly attractive to those of you who liked my early YouTube work that was very lecture focused. It’s a return to my roots, I suppose, in some ways.”
“I’m as happy as I can be under the current circumstances, given my ill health, to be participating in this process and to have these lectures prepared for release,” he said.
Peterson rose to prominence through his university lectures and writings on psychology, mythology and culture before becoming one of the world’s most recognizable public intellectuals. He has authored several bestselling books, including 12 Rules for Life and Beyond Order, and hosts a widely followed podcast.
Though he doesn’t identify as a Christian, Peterson often discusses faith in his podcasts and lectures. His wife, Tammy, entered the Catholic Church in 2023, and Fuller has said she became a Christian two years earlier.
In a 2024 interview with The Christian Post, Peterson discussed what he sees as the benefits of Christianity, particularly when it comes to raising children.
“We are seeing a revival of church-going, especially of the more conservative type,” Peterson said. “And I suspect that’s probably also useful. Providing [children] with something like exposure to classic religious ideas is necessary.”
“By their fruits, you will know them,” he said, adding that it takes discernment to know who is truly living the Christian life.
“You have to pay attention to the fact that not everybody who says ‘Lord, Lord is going to enter the Kingdom of Heaven,’” he said.
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected]
