Deep Psychology

Don't settle for mediocrity: In this episode, we talk about how to achieve excellence instead of being stuck in mediocrity.In my experience, I've observed that there is one simple factor that keeps you from success in any pursuit, and here I share it.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

Learn what's wrong with modern meditation, why you're selling yourself very short by focusing on relaxation, and how to go deep with this practice.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

Let's talk about how to stop negative self-talk... without having to stop it or alter it. You'll learn a mindfulness-based method that will show you deeply how your mind works, potentially changing your relationship to it for good.Head to deep-psychology.com and search "negative self-talk" for the extra article and free guided audio.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

It's essential you start to clearly see your negative self-talk to live a fulfilling life. As we discuss here, negative self-talk is something we all experience throughout the day.Sometimes it's subtle, sometimes it's completely overpowering, and its effect is always predictable: it brings us down, turns us into victims, and skews our self-image and self-worth.To learn more, find the accompanying article What is Negative Self Talk? on my website.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

This video explains one of the fundamental truths of life: that your psychology = your life. Understand this, and your world will turn inside out.Accompanying article: https://deep-psychology.com/non-dual-therapy/Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

Are you falling into the trap of reading about, talking about, fantasising about spirituality while never really making any progress? In this episode we discuss the problem of spiritual walk v spiritual talk and cover the top tips for avoiding it.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

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.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

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/Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

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!Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

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/Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

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.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

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.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

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.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

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.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

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.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

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.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

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.Get my Integral Theory Condensed Ebook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CW17J29C

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.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

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 stimulation, and feel the release that comes when you go into them.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

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, finances and fulfilment.

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 to explore what comes after the ZoE and help you move into it.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

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 for any damage you cause yourself while using psychedelics. These substances can potentially be very dangerous and even lethal. If you use them, please do so carefully and responsibly.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

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 just a downside. It’s not all doom and gloom! It’s actually a great strength and a sign you’re making progress. But I want you to be aware of it so you can anticipate it as your meditation journey progresses.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

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.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

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 for its intrinsic rewards. Though they take guidance from masters and teachers, they don’t get stuck in worship, idealising or perpetual studenthood.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

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 inclusive conversation.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

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. We’ll finish by discussing how this nuanced definition can inform our shadow work, which I’ve been speaking about a lot recently.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

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 think it’s a great way to link this series on dreams, looked at from psychological view, with spirituality.Source article: https://www.dreamyoga.com/tibetan-dream-yoga/Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

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 your first lucid moment, you’ll know they work. Lucid dreaming is a skill you train, and we’re going to talk about the training you need.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

99% of people, 99% of the time, dream every night and have no idea that they’re dreaming. We believe our dreams as they are happening. We think they're real.Let’s talk about lucid dreaming, what it means, what you can do in lucid dreams, and how to use them to understand yourself.This is another installment in my little series on dreams, so make sure to check out the previous episodes so you’re up to date.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DeepPsychologyDreams are not random. They’re not a result of random neural firings. They don’t happen to you. They’re created by you and are a reflection of your hidden, subconscious, unexpressed desires and emotions and personality traits.Of course, most of the time we’re not consciously creating our dreams, but when you pay more attention, and learn to start lucid dreaming, you’ll realise just why and how you are the creator of them.Overall we have a poor appreciation of dreams and how they can help us understand our psychology and grow as people. So this is the first episode in a mini series on dreams which I hope will address this issue.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

The idea that we must silence our thoughts in meditation is the biggest myth that exists. And it’s not just a myth: it prevents you from serious engagement with meditation, it has you reinforcing all your old mental habits, and it’s extremely demotivating and discouraging. You will not progress with meditation if you believe this.If you believe this, you’re not going to become proficient at meditation or yield all the wonderful benefits of it.Let’s debunk this myth a little and look at a powerful technique for working productively with our thoughts.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

Let’s talk about how to deal with envious people.I’ve been the target of envy for most of the life. Yet until I informed myself about this emotion, I had always been puzzled by the seemingly unprovoked hostility that friends and family showed towards me.Now, I’m able to recognise envy, deflect it before it uncontrollably inflames, and take preventative action.Know that you’re in the driver’s seat. Though it may not seem so, you have the power to control the situation, so long as you don’t do anything silly. It’s the envious person who is out of control.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

Let’s talk about the signs of envy, particularly in those most likely to feel it: friends, family and peers.It’s trickier to detect than most emotions. It’s not direct. There are indirect signs that a person feels envious towards you, both in the moment and as a broader trend.Your ability able to decode the signs of envy might save you years of suffering, futile attempts to repair broken relationships, and the mental suffering brought by turning over confusing situations in your head.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

I wanted to clear up the topic of personality masking vs social masking vs autistic masking vs common masking because it seems there’s a lot of confusion out there about this.The main take away from this episode is that we all mask. We mask in a relatively innocent social way (I call this social masking) and in a more permanent way (personality masking). It doesn’t matter if you’re autistic or not, though autistic masking is a special category.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

Today we’re going to talk about how to reintegrate your repressed anger.In the last episode we spoke about what repressed anger is and how to spot it. Go check out that episode, then come back here to learn how to reintegrate it.I’ve tried four methods and each of them has proved useful and helped me taste the joy and fullness that comes from reintegrating this emotion.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

What are the top 3 symptoms of repressed anger? Knowing these will help you uncover your own repressed anger and begin to heal it.Anger is one of the most commonly suppressed emotions. It's not socially acceptable to express it, and from an early age we're taught to suppress it. This has nefarious effects on your wellbeing and behaviour, and can even lead to depression.Article with two extra symptomsTrain with me: https://deep-psychology.com

If you dislike your life and feel that there is a well of untapped potential in you, a life calling might be just what you need.As I said in my last episode, having an overarching vision then making money from it is one of the keys to being fulfilled.This isn’t an airy-fairy, idealistic talk about how life would be wonderful if we could all live our passions. It’s not an escape so that you can fantasise about your perfect life yet never do anything to create it.In the next 20 minutes you’re going to learn a practical, big-picture roadmap and guide to finding your life calling and living it. I want you to eventually make this your full-time career. That is what finding and living your life calling means to me.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

I share my five keys to being happy – the five components of my life that make me feel alive and that my life is worth living.If you feel bored, unfulfilled or lacking verve, you might like to cultivate one or more of these areas.Two Bonus Keys: https://deep-psychology.com/purposeful-life/Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

Today I’m going to talk about the deepest spiritual experience I ever had, which was the first time I took acid, and which forever destroyed my scientific dogmas about God.I’m going to share my insights into what God really is, from a non-biblical, non-dogmatic, mystical, embodied, directly apprehended perspective.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

Today I share the story of my 2nd acid trip, how it helped me unearth and reintegrate an enormous personal shadow, and the insights I gained into our repressed side.If you’re not sure what the shadow is, I talk about it in my latest article called the symptoms of repressed anger.And let me tell you, REALLY seeing the shadow turned my inside out, for the better, and I can never go back to my previous ignorance.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

Yes, the title is right: I’m committing to doing a meditation streak, doing not 10, not 30, not 60, not 100, but 1000 consecutive days of meditation.When I shared this with my meditation students, I think they thought I was a bit crazy.And it does seem a bit crazy. I’ve never met anyone who has done such a long daily streak. I’m sure there are many people, but I’ve never met anyone who’s done anything like this.So let me explain why, along with how I made it into a fundraising campaign.DonateTrain with me: https://deep-psychology.com

Let’s talk about manifesting, debunk the BS behind it, and talk about how to really make your dreams come true.I kinda cringe when I hear people talking about manifesting. When they do, I get the impression they’re either trying to sell me something, or have never really achieved anything in their life.BUT behind the strange, woo-woo, pseudoscientific explanations, there is a very real, observable, reliable, repeatable track to success, to being a results maker. This is the gem that the manifestation people are desperately trying to explain with QM.And once we’ve talked about the current manifestation movement, we’ll look at exactly how you become a results maker in detail.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

Today, we talk about personality masks.Often our most salient character traits are a facade erected to conceal who we really are behind it.Learn to accurately judge and interpret people, stop taking things personally, create emotional distance, and get ultra-useful intel on yourself and others.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.comAccompanying article

Let’s talk about the spiritual ego and how to dismantle it.Rather than viewing the spiritual ego as a single kind of personality, I see it as a phenomenon that shows up as different characters, as subpersonalities, as mini-egos that hijack Truth to serve their own ends, thus distorting pure spiritual wisdom.I’ve come across six types in my time, and here are my quirky names for them: the Theoriser, the Mean Monk, the Hippy, the Introspective, the Hermit, and the Prophet.Disclaimer: All of my conclusions are merely works in progress. That said, I’ve been around enough to meet these various characters both in myself and in others.Accompanying Article on Spiritual EgoTrain with me: https://deep-psychology.com

Today we talk about six ways that modern society screws you up, and my six solutions to these issues.On the surface these might seem quite simple, but in combination they aspects are deadly and slowly rot away our ability to be happy and lead fulfilling lives.These tentacles reach down into all aspects of our psychology, our habits, and our view of what life is all about.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

We have an extraordinary amount of luxury available to us, luxury that our parents and grandparents’ generation couldn’t imagine.And it’s all available very quickly and for very little money. You might think this makes you happy, but it actually slowly ruins your life. You’re being manipulated and exploited by media and marketeers, and it’s making you miserable.Learn how stimulation and comfort are ruining your life, and how to reprogramme yourself to free yourself from their grip.This is a small part of my next episode, which is coming on Friday. Subscribe to be the first to see it.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

Today we talk about spiritual abuse: how to see the warning signs in teachers, why it happens, and how to lead a healthy spiritual life. This is based on my personal experiences as a teacher, meeting other teachers, and my 10-year meditation journey.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com

I explore persistence, failure and success, with no script. I open up and share the challenges I've faced this week, month and year so far. I hope you take away some lessons on success, failure and persistence.Train with me: https://deep-psychology.com