Deep Psychology

The core flaw in spiritual teaching are the assumptions underlying it. Here is the top hidden assumption.This is a snippet from my Wednesday 25/3 episode, What Spiritual Teaching Can't Do.Related episodes: all March episodesNewsletter & books: https://deep-psychology.com/my-linksExplore my 200-episode archive by category: https://deep-psychology.com/#pod-cats

I have hundreds of episodes, so I wanted to help you navigate them.Here are the 4 most fundamental episodes:What Is The Meaning of Life? (Ep 180, Feb 2026)Your Psychology=Your Life (Episode 85, Dec 2024)We All Live In Our Own World (Episode 64, July 2024)The Grand, Universal Human Illusion (Ep 83, Nov 2024)Everything else comes from there.Explore my 200-episode archive by category: https://deep-psychology.com/#pod-catsMy newsletter and 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 goes to the heart of spirituality.Furthermore, to teach, the teacher must defile their own true nature.Related episodes: all March episodes!Newsletter & books: https://deep-psychology.com/my-linksExplore my 200-episode archive by category: https://deep-psychology.com/#pod-cats

The true meditative path is one that is grounded right here, right now.To continue on the path is to be fully here in all situations, and to never turn away from This.The extent to which you do that is the extent to which you are truly walking the path home.This episode is a snippet from my Wednesday 18/3 episode, Why Meditators Stall on the Path.My newsletter & books: https://deep-psychology.com/my-links

Meditators often perpetually want to get somewhere else. In fact, this is one of the core markers of the human experience: there is always a subtle turning away from the present.This inevitably comes into meditation itself: meditators are not there to be there, but to be elsewhere.This episode is a snippet from my Wednesday 22/3 episode, Why Meditators Stall on the Path.

Meditators often have wildly unrealistic expectations regarding what meditation is, what its effects are, and where it eventually leads us. This is especially prevalent among newcomers, who have often been marketed on the idea that a little meditation will immediately render you calm, peaceful and wise.This is a snippet from my Wednesday 18/3 episode, Why Meditators Stall On The Path.Books & fortnightly newsletter: https://deep-psychology.com

From my practice and experience, three simple reasons explain why meditators stall on the path and fail to reach the deep insight taught in various guises by all spiritual traditions.Newsletter & books: https://deep-psychology.com

Nowadays, I tend to use the word recognition to describe awakening: here's why.Books & Newsletter: https://deep-psychology.com

Enlightenment is our default word for spiritual awakening or deep spiritual insight. While it may serve and inspire certain students to engage in spiritual work, I also believe it is problematic and that better options exist.This is a short snippet from my episode on 11th March, Is Enlightenment the Right Word?

Despite problems, the word enlightenment does capture two real aspects of awakening: transformation and insight.This is a short snippet from my episode Is Enlightenment The Right Word? on Wednesday 11/3.

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.

Perhaps 1% or fewer practitioners reach late-stage meditation, where awakening has permanently altered one’s perception.Late stage says: “There is no centre for awakening to happen to.”This is a snippet from my episode from Wednesday 11/3, The Three Stages of Meditation.

Mid-stage practitioners constitute perhaps 5–10% of meditators. This is the stage where awakening begins to stabilise. A core feature of this stage is that thoughts lose their unquestioned authority. They are still present, but they are no longer automatically taken as reality. Thoughts are seen as appearances rather than truths: as thoughts, nothing more, nothing less.This is a snippet from my episode The Three Stages of Insight Work from the 4th of March.Newsletter, books + coaching: https://deep-psychology.com

At the early stage, meditation is something you do. It is an activity during the day, set apart from life, distinct from the rest. Awakening is imagined as a future event: a breakthrough, a shift, a permanent state waiting at the end of sufficient effort.This is a snippet from my episode on Wednesday 4th March, The Three Stages of Meditation & Spiritual Insight.

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 hours.What’s missing is the developmental dimension of meditation. This practice unfolds in recognisable developmental stages.These are not rigid categories, but shifts in identity, perception and relationship to experience. What changes is not just depth of calm — it is the structure of self.My newsletter for fortnightly updates: http://eepurl.com/iQjAiw

Meaning, meaningnless and ameaningful are three different words. Meaning and meaninglessness imply one another.Questioning the meaning of life is not a symptom of meaninglessness. We are obsessed with meaning, and yet life could be ameaningful.

The question "What Is The Meaning of Life?" is fraught with difficulties and blindspots. It's so tempting to overcomplicate it, to oversimplify it, or to blindly rely on others to tell you the answer.This is an extract from my latest episode "What Is The Meaning Of Life?"

Why are you here? How does personal meaning work? What questions can we ask to get to the core of our personal meaning structure?This is a snippet from my episode "What Is The Meaning Of Life?" from 25th Feb.

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 all this for?I round off this month's theme of deep questions with the mother of all existential questions.

When we deconstruct paradigms like self and other, it's tempting to dismiss it outright. But self-other consciousness serves a clear function, and without it you would be lost. We want not to lose it, but to see through it.This is a snippet from last Wednesday's episode on Do Other People Exist?

You have not always had a sense of self and other: you had to develop it during childhood. It is not a given, but a construct.This also means you can see beyond it and realise it is not the whole story.This is an extract from my episode on Wednesday 18th, "Do Other People Exist?"

We tend to assume that other people are separate from us and have their own, independent experiences.Except these are highly questionable assumptions that we will begin to see through in this snippet from my last full episode "Do Other People Exist?

We tend to assume other people are separate and independent from us. But what if this was simply a useful assumption or paradigm, not the be all end all?Do other people exist? My conclusion: well... kind of.Resonate with my work? Fortnightly updates & free 20-min coaching taster: https://deep-psychology.com

I propose that the materialistic paradigm is deeply flawed. While it is extremely useful and explanatory, it is underpinned by some highly questionable assumptions. In this snippet from last week's episode Is The World Physical?, we address those assumptions.

There are very good reasons why materialism is the standard philosophical paradigm in the modern world, and here I outline them in a practical way.

There are three simple, essential critiques of materialism that seriously jeopardise its legitimacy.This is a snippet from yesterday's episode, Is The World Physical?

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 philosophy series in which I aim not to promote a creed or doctrine but to honestly explore and inquire into these questions and encourage this in you.

This is a snippet from last week's episode on Does An External World Exist?In this part, we cover naive realism, assumption v reality, and why naive realism is an assumption.

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, 3D world beyond your current experience?"You do not know the external world because there is no external world" - me!

"Effort accumulates to the point where it is unstoppable."We round off this month with a distilled, concise summary of all the best principles and tips I know for setting goals and following through on them.We discuss goal-setting keys, long-term vs short-term, exponential change, developmental psychology, hockey sticks and pianos.Subscribe to my newsletter for fortnighthly updates: http://eepurl.com/iQjAiw

Episode 2 of my January series of Why NY's Resolutions Fail.We cover a lot of ground today, from the top 3 learning myths, the source of these myths, to the fundamental assumption of pre-Achiever levels of development, to the keys to learning and success, to why talent is false, and more.Key insight: Before Achiever levels of ego development, the self is seen as fixed.Free 20-min coaching session: https://deep-psychology.com

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.Find out more about my coaching for deep psychological insight: https://deep-psychology.com

Let's discuss how to celebrate Christmas like a mystic - how to maintain and develop your spiritual practice throughout the Christmas period.

Let's look at the deeper, embodied meaning of three crucial Christmas symbols: the Christmas Star, the Baby Jesus and the Virgin Mary."Your true nature is ultimately completely empty... but is also everything at the same time."P.S. I hope you found this alternate format interesting, and next week I'll be back on Wednesday.Try a free coaching session: https://deep-psychology.com

In December, we are looking at Christmas from the point of view of spiritual truth, revealing the ultimate purpose behind this century-old, widely misunderstood tradition.Today we cover who or what is Christ or Jesus? We answer this question not from a traditional, Christian perspective, but from the point of view of spiritual truth and transformation.And once we step beyond shallow expressions and cultural traditions, it's really quite simple.In terms of spiritual truth, Christ simply means your true nature. Jesus Christ is the human embodiment of your true nature.Try a free coaching session: https://deep-psychology.com

In December, we are looking at Christmas from the point of view of spiritual truth, revealing the ultimate purpose behind this century-old, widely misunderstood tradition.Though for most people it is simply an opportunity for a day of hedonism or the ultimate celebration of the Christian faith. But once we step beyond shallow expressions and cultural traditions, it's really quite simple.What is Christmas? Christmas means "Christ's mass" or the "mass of Christ". In terms of spiritual truth, Christ means your true nature.In other words, Christmas is a celebration of your true nature.Try a free 20-minute coaching session: deep-psychology.com

We round up this month's series on intimate relationships by covering the key psychological principles for mastering your relationship life.

Responsibility is one of the two key factors guiding the quality of your intimate relationship.In today's edition of my November series we cover what responsibility means in intimate relationships. You will see its importance in grounded, everyday examples and learn how to take full responsibility for your speech, communication, behaviour, emotions and thoughts.

This is a critical principle for deepening and growing your intimate relationship: your partner sees all of you. The great, the ghastly and everything else - they see your entire psyche at work.

In episode 2 of my November series on intimate relationships, we discuss a critical aspect of long-term companionship: romantic infatuation. We look at what it is, how we typically view it, how we should view it, and what the traps are.

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 them to master your self-awareness and communication skills.Get a free discovery call with me: https://deep-psychology.com

We wrap up our October series on Integral Spirituality with the key points behind how to know whether you are at the integral stage of development or not.Today I keep it very down to earth and practical, and please note that these points are based on my opinion, research and experience!Master the levels of consciousness with my Master Spiral Dynamics book: https://deep-psychology.com/master-spiral-dynamics-ebook/

Today we talk about the topic of Spiral Dynamics tests and why doing them can be deceptive. Learn a bigger, more nuanced view on this topic, and learn the key question to ask to determine how developed you are.My books on Spiral Dynamics:Master Spiral DynamicsSpiral Dynamics Embodied

In episode 3 of my October series on Integral Spirituality, we discuss what spiritual practice looks like at this level.At the end, I give you five clear criteria for identifying whether a teacher, system, or practitioner is operating from this stage.Master the levels of consciousness with my Master Spiral Dynamics book: https://deep-psychology.com/master-spiral-dynamics-ebook/

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 in this work.In short, if you get lost in paraphernalia related to yoga, the East, or anything else, you are selling yourself way short of your capabilities and missing out on transformative insight.Free 30-minute discovery call for meditation coaching: deep-psychology.com

Today we begin to look deeply at Integral Spirituality, discussing specifically how we view and relate to divinity at this stage.Free 30-min Discovery Call for coaching on meditation, mentality or habits & goals, or executive coaching: deep-psychology.comMaster the levels of consciousness with my Master Spiral Dynamics book: https://deep-psychology.com/master-spiral-dynamics-ebook/

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 on meditators – they will stop you dead in your tracks as you attempt to build a daily meditation practice.In fact, they will prevent you reaching deep territory with this practice, leaving you stuck and frustrated, believing that you simply aren't up to it.Let's bust these four meditation myths.Free discovery call for meditation, habits & mentality, developmental, or executive coaching: deep-psychology.com.

The first episode in my series on Integral Spirituality, where we learn about this fascinating stage of spiritual development that is currently emerging.Today, we cover the most essential points, including when integral spirituality appears in individuals and society, how it relates to evolution, how it differs from the prior stages, and how to recognise it in yourself.Get a free intro coaching call with me: https://deep-psychology.comMaster the levels of consciousness with my Master Spiral Dynamics book: https://deep-psychology.com/master-spiral-dynamics-ebook/

A crucial part of learning how to learn is becoming acutely aware of the obstacles that block our path to excellence.Here we look at three dysfunctional characters – the Dabbler, the Hack, and the Obsessive. These are the three learner profiles you want to avoid. Together they’ll give you a spookily accurate assessment of how you prevent yourself reaching true competence and expertise.This is an example video from my free, open-access course Master Autodidactism, available on my site.Get a free intro coaching call with me: https://deep-psychology.com

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 that you have likely experienced.By learning about it you will have a much deeper grasp of your spiritual life and human spiritual development.Master the levels of consciousness with my Master Spiral Dynamics book: https://deep-psychology.com/master-spiral-dynamics-ebook/