The Problem with Problems
Sometimes, problems can be a real problem. (laughs) In fact, so much so that I’ve seen people die over problems and dashed expectations. But the real problem with problems is perception. The ego has an …
Category: Psychology
Being Empathic
I’ve mentioned Judith Orloff before – she’s very intuitive and understands it well. This longer interview covers a wide range of subjects, from her own history to practical application of empathic skills. Notably she mentions …
The Big Red Book
The collective unconscious. Archetypes. Dream interpretation. Many of the ideas that float around modern “New Age” thinking are derived from the musings of Carl G. Jung in his development of analytical psychology. What we commonly …
Unintentional Devotion
Devotion is a word often associated with such ideas as ardent love, the path of the heart, bhakti yoga and some forms of prayer. It is often tinged with thoughts of idolatry and blind faith …
The Open Mind
One of the most important things you can bring to your spiritual journey is an open mind. While a teaching is very useful for giving one a sense of how and where to put our …
The Avoidance of Pain
Our physiology is built to avoid pain. If we put our finger on something sharp or hot, it will automatically pull away. Only later will our mind engage and consider the experience. Have an emotional …
Concept Fatigue
If you’ve been exploring spiritual circles for any period of time, you may get a little tired of hearing words like “unity”, “enlightenment”, and “oneness”. Ideas like “awareness” and “existence”. Not to mention all the …
Amazed
It’s startling how incredibly amazing life is. Our very existence. If you’re not noticing that, it’s time to take a step back. Step out of your story, your drama for a moment. Take a pause …
More Sex and Spirituality
Recently, Tom Stine raised the question of Sex and Spirituality. Is celibacy necessary or is sex a natural part of spirituality? This drew out many comments. There was a surprising degree of commonality given the …
Cities and Ambition
An interesting article on the dominant zeitgeist of several American cities. Cities and Ambition (PDF) by Paul Graham In: Cambridge – you should be smarter Silicon Valley – you should be more powerful New York …
Questions
Sometimes, what is more important than answers is questions. Answers will take you into the mind. Questions can take you past the mind. Who am I? What am I? Where am I? Am I? Who …
The Shadow Knows
In the opening of Within Bliss, I joked about the ‘spiritually positive’. Some New Age and New Thought communities are rife with ‘Think Positivists’, the idea that if you think happy you’ll be happy. Now, …