The Great Updraft

This is the fundamental illusion we are all stuck in. Isn't it mind-blowing that something so basic and essential can be right before us, and we can spend our entire lives unaware of it? Seeing through this illusion is completely transformative, as spiritual traditions have known and taught us for hundreds of years.

Today I discuss whether babies are enlightened, compassionate, self-expressive and altruistic, and whether they're the ultimate model for the human growth process. I hope you find this both amusing and informative. Cook-Greuter's 9 Stages of Ego Development:https://deep-psychology.com/the-9-stages-of-ego-development/

Spiritual enlightenment is the damnedest thing: it's both better than you think and not at all what it's made out to be, it's shrouded in mystery, and there's a huge paradox at the heart of it. FYI I honestly didn't know Jed McKenna had a book by this name before I made the episode. You may wish to read it!

An unorthodox view of learning and mastery: nothing is inherently difficult to learn. Huh? I explain all. Be a Prolific Learner: https://deep-psychology.com/category/be-a-prolific-learner/

Here I share a simple experiment you can use to glimpse your true self. This is a direct pointer to your real essence. It cuts through all your habitual identification and shows you the secret at the heart of all mystical teachings.

I want you to realise that you filter other people through your own self bias, meaning that your view of them is highly skewed and limited. Overcoming this self bias is the first step towards healthy relationships and deep self-awareness.

There is so much confusion around the Christian cross and what it means. In this episode, I discuss why it is really a pointer to your true self, your inner christ. I am not a Christian, but I have deep respect for and affinity with the symbolism and pointers of Christianity.

We are ALL overthinkers, I guarantee it, so how do we work with our overthinking? In mediation, we train ourselves to dissolve our addiction to overthinking, and we destroy its power over us. We realise we are something much deeper, more fundamental and more peaceful than our thinking mind.

I discovered during a short stay at a local monastery that being a monastic isn't all it seems, and that it's not necessary. In fact, being a layperson means you have endless fuel for your spiritual growth. My Online Mindfulness course: https://deep-psychology.com/beginners-mindfulness-meditation-info/1-1 Coaching: https://deep-psychology.com/online-mindfulness-coach/

I've found that many people believing being spiritual equates to being soft, sensitive and warm all the time. This is a big mistake, and we can't confuse timeless spiritual wisdom with these personality traits. Get 1-1 Online Mindfulness Coaching: https://deep-psychology.com/online-mindfulness-coach/

How to remain present, centred and happy when your to-do list is full. This is a subtle but powerful technique that will change how you relate to busy-ness.

I find Ken Wilber’s theory on the shadow to be refreshing, modern and complete. It far eclipses Freud’s theory, which focuses on childhood dysfunctions and tries to reduce all later dysfunction to it. It’s also more complete than Jung’s theory, in my opinion. It offers a complex, nuanced, yet intuitive explanation of how shadow forms throughout our lives and what we can do about it. Accompanying a...

Today I’m sharing my view on how meditation can inform psychotherapy and take it to the next level. This isn’t only important if you are a therapist of any kind, or a patient, but also if you’re just a growing human being. We’ll also delve into the insight that is fundamental to any effort at personal transformation.

Today I discuss how I beat boredom forever. We discuss the problem of boredom and how it’s getting worse. We’ll talk about how it’s a vicious cycle that can lead you to dark places. We’ll look at why we feel bored. And I’ll tell you the methods I’ve used to beat boredom for good. These can help you dramatically improve the quality of your life. You’ll start to savour and even crave moments of low...

Let's talk about the Zone of Genius. In my previous episode we spoke about the Zone of Excellence and the upsides and downsides to it. This is when we feel unfulfilled, unappreciated and uninspired in our work. We concluded there is an greater level of work we can attain: the Zone of Genius. Know that this is a potentially life-changing move. It can dramatically impact your work, creativity, finan...

Don't take it too seriously, nor too lightly. Both will block your progress. Here's the Sasaki Roshi quote: "All your problems go back to your belief that you have a self. There is no thing called a self."

Today, we’re going to discuss the Zone of Excellence. If you feel unfulfilled in your life, unappreciated at work, not fulfilling your potential, it may be because you’re stuck in your Zone of Excellence. You haven’t yet discovered or developed your Zone of Genius. We’re going to help you uncover whether you’re languishing in this zone. If you realise that you are, get excited, because we’re going...

Today I want to share how taking acid has changed me. Psychedelic drugs aren’t just about seeing stuff or having a good time. If you use them with the right intention and in the right setting, they are powerful and transformative. I share my deepest psychedelic experiences and how they've transformed my life. Disclaimer: The information here is strictly educational. I’m not responsible or liable f...

Most people know, at least as an idea, that meditation is transformative. We’ve all heard snippets of scientific studies, most people have tried it at some point, you might have a friend who is a meditator. But what’s not talked about are the downsides, and the students in my local classes have been bringing this particular downside up quite often. It inspired me to do an episode on it. This isn’t...

You only experience a finite part of objective reality, of all positive input you could receive, of all possible human experiences,ANDyour unique psychology is so powerful that it puts a particular slant or filter on everything you experience. This in short is why we all live in our own world.

The ruthless autodidact is the person who can autonomously learn any subject or skill. They are masters at navigating the challenging path to mastery and busting through all the mental and practical obstacles. Trusting in persistence and the power of repetition, they lock their focus on a goal and never rest until it is achieved. They primarily look inside for their inspiration and love learning f...

In researching the anima and animus, I discovered that it has caused much controversy when it comes to gender and identity. Some people have even started to doubt the validity of Jung’s theory. Today I want to share my perspective on this controversial issue, and give an extended definition of the anima and animus to try to bypass this issue, see it from a bigger perspective, and make it a truly i...

I love Jung’s concept of anima and animus because it shows us our psyche is much more complex than we think, particularly when it comes to our gender and biological sex. Let’s look at Jung’s concept of anima and animus before turning to a more nuanced definition that bypasses the problems of gender inclusivity or lack thereof. By doing so, you’ll get a more nuanced understanding of your own psyche...

Let’s talk about Tibetan Dream Yoga, one of the fundamental practices of Tibetan Buddhism, and the main techniques involved. I’ve called this advanced lucid dreaming because if you master the techniques of Tibetan Dream Yoga you’ll be a confident lucid dreamer, capable of doing whatever you want in your dreams. In Tibetan Buddhism the goal isn’t per se to become an awesome lucid dreamer, but I thi...

We’re going to talk about how to lucid dream. How do you have your first moments of lucidity? How do you stabilise them? What do you do in lucid dreams? What can you do? Lucid dreaming is not that difficult. You just need to be consistent with the training. Don’t overcomplicate it or look for 100 resources. You have a few techniques that are tried and tested, so put them to use, and once you have...