Hello good soul,
I recently came back from co-facilitating a plant medicine retreat in Mexico, and the insights that I gained are probably enough to keep me going for a lifetime. But one felt particularly ripe for sharing, regarding something in my own past which I now acknowledge continues to affect me in the present. I believe that moving through vulnerability and sharing it publically is a key step in my own quest for wholeness.
You can read it here.
I'm also going to try a new format out this month, which includes some of the interesting and enlightening things I've come across, in the hope you find them useful too.
Enjoy!
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Thanks!
🧠The World Inside: My insights and approaches in Psychology, Spirituality and personal growth
On Vulnerability, Sexuality and Self-Acceptance: How opening up about the things we are ashamed of is a key step to wholeness
📖 To read: Books and articles that have opened my mind or taught me something new
Daniel Ingram on Emergent Phenomena: If you're someone who has always thought that the spiritual world could do with a bit more scientific rigour, Daniel Ingram is your man. His book 'Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha' is a systematic manual for how to apply the dharma towards your own spiritual progress, and he gives it away for free! He has also combined his career as a scientist with his extensive spiritual insights to found the Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium, which essentially aims to gather and analyse data in order to scientifically understand the effectiveness and specific application of healing modalities across psychometric, neurophenomenological, biochemical, and clinical scientific methods. Pretty cool!
The Mystery of Curiosity: I've only recently come across this guy's writings, but Tom Morgan seems like a bit of a dude. His concern seems to be with revivifying our connection with the world around us, reminding us that it is far weirder and more magical than we typically believe. This piece beautifully grounds the importance of following our curiosity within a Jungian conception of the psyche, arguing that our our potential self is an entity that calls to us from the future and that our curiosity is the language in which it speaks.
📺 To watch: Shows and films on self-development and healing
Stutz: I recently watched Jonah Hill's Netflix Documentary 'Stutz', about the methods of his therapist Phil Stutz. It's an interesting watch, and if nothing else, is a beautiful portrayal of the relationship between therapist and client. One interesting facet of Stutz's approach is that he rejects the paradigm of the passive therapist whose sole aim is to act as the midwife for the client's own process, instead advocating the therapist's active involvement, giving advice and instructions where necessary.
Couples Therapy: This show is interesting on a few levels. Obviously, it's always morbidly fascinating when people are willing to air their dirty laundry in public and you can sit at a safe and sanctimonious distance, rapidly dispensing judgements on their moral character like some kind of amphetamised priest. But it is also fascinating to analyse the therapist herself, Orna Guralnik, as she attempts to penetrate the reality of complex and often infuriatingly opaque clients.
🤪Playtime: Just for fun
Newvember: As things die, they are also made new
Space Ghost/Feelings: In case you missed it, here's my (still!) new double A-side:)