Story Hiccups
Life is funny. Over time, the mind has the tendency to make stories about life, to make sense of the world. Sometimes those stories support us but sometimes, they get in the way of seeing …
Category: Psychology
Habits of Mind
I was reminded recently that meditation alone is not a magic bullet. It’s a very useful tool but if we don’t culture good mental habits, it won’t serve us as well. The person I was …
Mental Health
I saw an outline on the Ayurvedic approach to Mental Health a. The source of mind is Atma (consciousness) b. The nature of mind is Sattva c. Specific means of balancing the mind: – pure …
On Suicide
The tragic death of Robin Williams has brought forth an outpouring of appreciation for him and how he touched so many lives. But also some confusion about suicide that I thought worth touching on. Some …
Treating Anxiety
One of the most prevalent things to hamper quality of life for many people is anxiety. While anxiety can be a normal response to stress, chronic stress can lead to chronic anxiety, an ever present …
Recent Research on the Physiology of Initial Enlightenment
I’ve been writing articles on basic practices that support awakening here for some time. Key among them: on the different types of meditation, the difference between actual meditation and “guided meditation” (hypnosis), and the value …
The Power of History
There is the old saying: what you put your attention on grows stronger. This is true not only in your apparent individual life but in the larger community as a whole. The Lord’s Prayer would …
Belonging
While we may emphasize our independence in the west, humans are social animals. We relate to ourselves and others through our community interactions, where we feel connected. This brings us meaning, purpose, and value. That …
Healing Process
In Layers of Healing, I talked about how we could discover issues that are physical, emotional, and energetic. We could add mind in there but that’s about equivalent to how I was using “energy” in …
An Intellectual Approach to Consciousness
Yesterday, I posted an article on David Chalmers talk at TED on the Hard Problem of Consciousness. Waiting in my browser was an interview with Bernardo Kastrup. Turns out Chalmers was one of the influences …
Theft
In our culture, we take a dim view of theft. Stealing from another is unjust but because many also identify with their possessions as an aspect of themselves, they feel violated and fearful as a …
Possession
It’s a revealing thing that we refer to our belongings as “possessions”. (even “belongings” is revealing) The meaning is what we possess but in many ways, it is they who possess us. The stuff we …