This episode examines the relationship between the brain and experience, and challenges the common view that the brain explains our experience. We explore the basic fact that the brain is physical (tissue, chemistry, electrical activity) and experience is subjective (thoughts, emotions, sensations). These are two distinct types of phenomena that reliably correlate but cannot be couched in one another. My philosophy episodes: https://player.captivate.fm/collection/41de4d4f-0232-4c5d-bb84-436add43f6f9 Explore my 200-episode podcast library: https://deep-psychology.com/#pod-cats Newsletter & books: https://deep-psychology.com/my-links
Scientific practice contains certain philosophical assumptions. These are treated as facts and then passed on. And they are unexamined. That is, they are dogma. In episode 1 of my April series on the philosophy of science, we uncover these hidden assumptions and help you free your mind from scientism. My philosophy episodes: https://player.captivate.fm/collection/41de4d4f-0232-4c5d-bb84-436add43f6f9 Explore my 200-episode podcast library: https://deep-psychology.com/#pod-cats Newsletter & books: https://deep-psychology.com/my-links
There is a fundamental limit to spiritual teaching: it cannot give you recognition of your true nature, and your true nature cannot be conceptualised. This…
From my practice and experience, three simple reasons explain why people starting meditation stall on the path and fail to reach the deep insight taught…
We use the word enlightenment all the time in spirituality. But it might actually be one of the most misleading words in the entire field. It suggests a climactic transformation, a final state, something rare and special. Yet the lived experience of awakening is usually quieter, slower, and far more ordinary.
We tend to see meditation as a single spiritual practice experienced equally by all. It seems meditators sit, practice their technique, attend retreats and accumulate…
What is the meaning of life? When we get down to it, why are we here as individuals? Why does life itself exist? What is…
We tend to assume other people are separate and independent from us. But what if this was simply a useful assumptn or paradigm, not the be all end all? Do other people exist? My conclusion: well… kind of.
There’s no shortage of big questions this month, and today we discuss whether the world is physical or not. This is part of my February…
This month we get very existential and I start with a big question: does the external world exist? That is, is there a physical, permanent,…
This month, we discuss why New Year’s resolutions fail, beginning with a little-known but crucial insight: that achievement requires particular, developmentally guided inner machinery that many people lack. This the time of year when we reflect on the year past, our lives, and our trajectory. We often…
Though it sounds exotic, the word Bodhi is simply a Pali and Sanskrit term for awakening, and dates back to early Buddhism. This short text…
This short text is an extract from Chapter 2 of my upcoming book, The Boundless Body, published with Collective Ink Books. Notice I have defined enlightenment…
I want to give you my raw, unfiltered opinion on non-dualism from a spiritual perspective and help you avoid the many traps of non-dual work.…
This short text is an extract from Chapter 13 of my upcoming book, The Boundless Body, published with Collective Ink Books. Here I describe what Buddha…
This short text is an extract from Chapter 2 of my upcoming book, The Boundless Body, published with Collective Ink Books. Here I describe enlightenment, the…
This short text is an extract from Chapter 12 of my upcoming book, The Boundless Body, published with Collective Ink Books. Here I describe the ultimate…
This short text is an extract from Chapter 2 of my upcoming book, The Boundless Body, published with Collective Ink Books. Now that we have covered…
This short text is an extract from the Introduction to my upcoming book, The Boundless Body, published with Collective Ink Books. In these times, the…
In this article on the spiritual meaning of Christmas, I want to talk about the evolution of Christmas, the psychology that underlies the common expressions…
Welcome to my Wednesday series for November, where we’ll cover all you need to know about the psychology of intimate relationships and how to use…
Today I discuss/rant about the topic of spiritual paraphernalia and why it is crucial that you avoid it if you want to make serious progress…
Episode 1: Introduction to Integral Spirituality The first episode in my series on Integral Spirituality, where we learn about this fascinating stage of spiritual development…
It’s time to debunk these four damaging meditation myths once and for all. These aren’t just cute little cultural myths that have no real impact…
A crucial part of learning how to learn is becoming acutely aware of the obstacles that block our path to excellence, one of which is…
In the final episode of this series, we discuss progressive spirituality, one of the main levels of spirituality active in the world today, and one…
Let’s continue with the levels of spirituality, covering the second major stage, called Secular Spirituality. Steve McIntosh calls this “aspirituality” because it is defined by…
Today we explore the traditional level of spirituality. Though this level has shaped society for millennia, it is facing rapid decline in the West. This…
We’re back for day 5 of August Wisdom – 31 pieces of backpocket wisdom in 31 days. Here we discuss a crucial technique for interacting…
“Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.” Let’s unpack this…
You are not your thoughts. This is not a trendy slogan but a profound insight that, when made permanent to some degree, will change your…
In episode two of August Wisdom, we discuss why change occurs through action and, therefore, why we must have a bias towards action over everything…
Let’s discuss how to meditate properly, because in my opinion there is a lot of poor meditation instruction out there. We start , we discuss…
Ever wonder how some psychologists manage to build steady, meaningful careers while others burn out before they even finish licensure hours? It’s not just about…
Learn about the enneagram, the 9 personality types it proposes, and the power of learning this typology. We cover what it means to have a…
Learn what Spiral Dynamics Stage Blue is, why it appears, when it appears, and how to healthily integrate it in your life. This stage of…
Let’s continue this Worldviews series with an in-depth look at the Integral worldview. Though this isn’t one of the main worldviews currently active in the…
In this article, we’re going to cover the key aspects of the postmodern worldview. This worldview has been active in a significant percentage of the…
In this article, we’re going to cover the key aspects of the modern worldview. This worldview has been among us for the last 300 years…
This article on psychospirituality is going to be particularly relevant to those of you who have participated in my coaching or classes and those who’ve…
In this article, we’re going to cover the key aspects of the traditional worldview. This worldview has been among us since the beginning of human…
This is part 2 of my essay on Mystical Easter. You can find part 1 via this link. I pick up from the end of…
In this essay, I discuss metaphysical Easter. What is Easter? This is a very profound question. What I want to show you in this essay…
In this article, we discuss the symbolism of Lent. I want to look at Lent not as a phenomenon of fundamentalist Christianity, but as one…
In this article, I present my model for the 5 Levels of Being, giving detailed descriptions of the levels as well as methodologies for deepening…
Let’s discuss the meaning of Easter eggs, since we’re getting close to the annual Christian festival. I want you to realise that Easter eggs aren’t…
Let’s talk about how modern meditation is in a mess, and how you might like to avoid most current forms of meditation if you really…
Anxiety is difficult to deal with, as are the ups and downs of anxiety recovery. It’s a challenging road, filled with setbacks and pitfalls, but…
In this article, we cover the extremely important topic of negative self-talk and depression: how they are linked, the power of negative self-talk in maintaining…
Let’s talk about the principles of how to live fearlessly. We’re going to discuss many facets of fear and how it operates in our life,…