The MindThatEgo Podcast

This episode will answer the ultimate question to life, the universe and everything. Or maybe not quite everything, but I couldn’t miss the only chance to reference the number 42 from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. That being said, Jane Clapp does answer many questions I had about the inner universe. Jane is a distinguished Jungian analyst who formed Jungian somatics from over 20 years of clinical experience. Exploring the interplay of body and psyche, she specializes in developmental and complex trauma through a mythological and embodied lens.  Our conversation includes somatic symptoms as symbols from the unconscious, developing ego strength, misconceptions about ‘shadow work,’ how skilled guidance can highlight blind spots, dreams as compensating for psychic imbalances, individual and cultural complexes, the tension of opposites and the transcendent function, and the risk, reward and necessity of differentiating from group mentality on the journey of growth. And just a reminder before we jump into the conversation to please like, rate, subscribe and share to help more people access the podcast. Enjoy! Resources: Jane’s website: https://www.janeclapp.com/ Jane’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jungiansomatics/

Har-Prakash Khalsa started as a student of Zen meditation in 1984 and went on to become a certified Kundalini Yoga instructor and teacher of Mindfulness meditation in the systematic style of Shinzen Young (whom Har-Prakash has studied intensively with since 1999). He has written Cultivating the Jewel of Mindfulness, a comprehensive practitioner curriculum, offers private online mindfulness coaching, and supervises solo retreatants at his off-grid farm near Owen Sound, Ontario. Our conversation covers the spectrum from suffering to enlightenment, from core wounds to Buddha nature, in an approach that will resonate with seasoned practitioners and those looking to relate better to themselves and others. Topics include the value of introspection, the scale of meaning, cultivating wholesome states, embracing the full human experience, and the key markers of balanced awakening. Resources Har-Prakash’s website. Shinzen Young’s Expand Contract YouTube channel.

I’m joined by Judith Blackstone. Judith has 35 years experience as a psychotherapist and teacher of the realization process, a direct path for realizing fundamental consciousness, as well as the application of nondual realization for psychological, relational and physical healing. She currently has seven books in publication, including her latest, The Fullness of the Ground: A Guide to Embodied Spiritual Awakening. Judith explains the importance of inhabiting the body and developing a strong connection to the core, to integrate the fullness of the self, cultivate wholeness, and connect deeply to life, rather than dissociate or numb through misguided attempts at transcendence. We discuss the value of modalities such as talking therapy, somatic work, and meditation, the risks of catharsis, maintaining boundaries as consciousness expands, as well as subtle distinctions between non-dual awareness and energetic dimensions. Resources The Realization Process website. Judith's writing and media.

I’m joined by Dr. Harald Atmanspacher, a theoretical physicist with more than three decades of experience in interdisciplinary research. He is known for his work on complex systems, the philosophy of science, mind-matter relations, consciousness, and quantum theory. Harald co-authored Dual-Aspect Monism and the Deep Structure of Meaning with Dean Rickles, which forms the basis of our conversation. We look at the differences in philosophical frameworks, including dualism, materialism, idealism, and how dual-aspect monism links to synchronicity, where events transcend the mind-matter boundary, connected through meaningful coincidence. I ask Harald how this model fits with non-dual approaches, such as Advaita Vedanta, and how practices such as meditation could open the door to dimensions beyond mind and matter, into what Carl Jung referred to as the psychoid.

Dr. Michele DeMarco, an award-winning writer and author of Holding Onto Air: The Art and Science of Building a Resilient Spirit. Michele is a trained therapist, clinical ethicist, and researcher. Her research includes moral injury, psychology, trauma, neuroscience, and somatic and creative art therapies, world wisdom and spirituality. She has taught Creative Nonfiction and Conflict Transformation at California Institute of Integral Studies. We focus on the subject of Michele’s series: How to Tend and Befriend Conflict. If we accept conflict is natural and necessary, what transformation becomes possible? We explore the errors of conventional conflict resolution, how to connect to the body’s wisdom, detecting underlying issues, defense mechanisms, and the five conflict styles. We then go deeper into the nuances, such as accommodating other points of view without losing integrity, opening to feedback, and giving and receiving grace. I found our conversation immensely invaluable and I’m sure, if you’re also human and struggle with other humans, you will too. Enjoy! Resources and References: Michele’s website: https://micheledemarco.com/ Psychology Today blog ‘Soul Console’: https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/soul-console Medium blog: https://michelejdemarco.medium.com/ Book: Holding Onto Air: The Art and Science of Building a Resilience Spirit Conflict Styles Assessment Tool: https://www.usip.org/public-education-new/conflict-styles-assessment

Tori Franklin is an Olympic triple jumper, a public speaker, the author of You Anthem: Stories and Reflections of Celebration, and the founder of the non-profit Live Happi retreats, which empowers youth through travel, mental wellness, and movement. In 2022, Tori became the first American woman to medal at the World Championships, winning bronze in the Triple Jump. Her success came a year after performing below her usual standard at the Tokyo Olympics. I was inspired by an article Tori wrote, describing how she turned her career around by trusting guidance from the universe, and taking a huge leap of faith by moving to Athens, Greece. As you will hear, the spiritual athlete’s path to success isn’t conventional. Tori shares her path of resilience, overcoming setbacks, sacrifice, and the conviction required to make success a living reality. In less conventional terms, Tori explains how she manages subtle energetics to harmonize mind, body, and spirit, in order to perform at peak level from a space of playfulness and joy. Resources and References: Tori’s Medium profile: https://medium.com/@torifranklin Tori’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livehappii/ You Anthem (Book): https://store.bookbaby.com/book/you-anthem Live Happii Retreats: https://livehappiiretreats.org/

Bethany Butzer is a Lecturer for the Alef Trust MSc programme in Consciousness, Spirituality and Transpersonal Psychology and the Assistant Director of the Alef Trust PhD programme in Applied Transpersonal Psychology. She has an MA in clinical psychology and PhD in social psychology, spent two years as a postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard Medical School, and was a Lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of New York, in Prague, where she lives.  Her research includes yoga and mindfulness for youth, transpersonal psychology, synchronicity, parapsychology, and the subject of today’s talk, ecopsychology. Our conversation gravitates around Bethany’s paradigm-challenging paper, Humans as Midwives for the Earth’s Dark Night of the Soul, a Transpersonal Ecopsychology Perspective. The premise that global crises and destruction could be part of the Earth’s evolution toward harmony is provocative, and leads us to cover topics from animism, cosmic and planetary consciousness, the underlying symbolic and imaginal world, ecstatic re-enchantment with nature, the masculine-feminine re-balance, and much more. Resources and References: Bethany’s website: ⁠https://www.bethanybutzer.com⁠ Bethany’s Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/bethanybutzer/⁠

Arabella Thaïs is a writer, speaker, philosopher, and artist, studying for a PhD in cosmology and consciousness. Committed to the evolution of humanity, her work explores the intersection of poetry, mathematics, beauty, and time, which she teaches at her online school of consciousness, The Temple of Truth. She uses various aesthetic mediums – such as music, film, and experience design – in order to communicate ideas and propel human transformation. Our conversation is thought-provoking, inspirational, and at times mind-blowing. We dance around existential topics, such as free will, and explore her theory of non-linear time, and its relationship to the cosmic mind and complex, higher dimensions of consciousness. Could it be that past, present, and future all exist in a single moment, that the Now contains all that ever was, and all that ever will be? Join us for this fun and thought-provoking philosophical journey. Resources and References: Arabella’s website: https://www.arabellathais.com Depth Cosmology (article): https://www.kosmosjournal.org/kj_article/depth-cosmology-new-paradigm-physics/ Remembering the Future: Wild Time and the Cosmic Imagination (Journal): https://digitalcommons.ciis.edu/cejournal/vol19/iss19/8/ Sacred Wisdom (podcast): https://www.arabellathais.com/podcast Kastrup's article on DID: https://www.bernardokastrup.com/2019/10/the-many-in-our-dreams.html

Jesse Gittler came to my attention through an Instagram reel where he talked about synchronicity and using the quantum dimension as a mode of self-healing. I was having a tough time, and as I watched more of his videos, his voice stoked a dormant part of my psyche. Jesse’s mission is to guide through his spiritual awakening, which he does with no pretense and an abundance of heartfelt passion. His content is refreshing and true. Awakening is full of paradox, with bliss and beauty counterbalanced by spells of confusion, fear, and suffering. Intense feelings of connection can be contrasted by isolation. Jesse talks to all of this with respect and humility, and I thoroughly enjoyed our spontaneous conversation. Jesse shares his awakening story, including his initial suffering and experience of being “pushed by the universe” into embodying his soul, and aligning with the flow of the cosmos. Our conversation explores the way of reading signs from the universe, spiritual reading, the paradox of beauty and sadness, why preparing the body is essential to handle the energy of light, the metaphysics of quantum travel, the nature of partial truth and eternal truth, different types of suffering, and how the experience of pure beauty can inspire a permanent change in perspective. Resources and References: Jesse’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jgitty32

I’m joined by Dr. Daniel Ingram. Daniel’s book, Mastering The Core Teachings of the Buddha, is well-known in spiritual circles due, in part, to a mixture of practical instruction, lucid insight, useful maps, and common sense. His teachings are controversial to some, compelling for many, mostly due his bold declaration that “enlightenment is an attainable goal, once our fanciful notions of it are stripped away.” My interest in Daniel’s work is that he’s clearly one of the most advanced meditation experts alive today, with profound insight matched by a down-to-Earth approach that has consideration for common misconceptions, false promises, ego traps, and the “dark side” of awakening. Our illuminating conversation is inspired by the relationship between awakening and meaning. We cover mental health, the value of Western psychology and blind spots of Eastern traditions, perfectionist models, why not all meditative skills are transferable, synchronicity and the nature of the Now, the World of Experience vs. the World of Meaning, the dark side of wizardry, and the usefulness of philosophy and concepts, plus much more. Resources and References: Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha: https://www.mctb.org The Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium: https://theeprc.org

Reverend Doctor John Freese returns to the show to share his synthesis of Buddhism and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. John is a Buddhist minister and spent 12 years as a monk with Thich Nhat Hanh. He has PhDs in practical theology and a Master of Divinity. In addition to his Buddhist counselling practice, he teaches contemplative studies at University of the West and Naropa University. As John guides me through his model we stop along the way to discuss practical matters, from discerning genuine values, taking meaningful action, handling difficult emotions, being aware of thought, and how to cultivate wholesome states of mind. This is a comprehensive and useful overview of a pragmatic system that will benefit those just beginning, and those in advanced stages of their spiritual journey. Resources and References: The Virtual Buddhist Temple of the Dhamma Vinaya Order: https://muktivihara.org/ John Freese Academia profile: https://uwest.academia.edu/JohnFreese

In this episode I’m joined by Isabel Clarke, a consultant clinical psychologist with 25 years experience in both inpatient and outpatient care for the NHS. In addition to her clinical work, she supports people experiencing spiritual emergency and extreme states through the Spiritual Crisis Network. Her books include Meeting Mental Breakdown Mindfully, Madness, Mystery and the Survival of God, and, the main talking point, Psychosis and Spirituality. We explore the similarities between mystical experience and mental breakdown, how the brain filter’s reality, the fluidity of the self, the mythical nature of transliminal dimensions, the transformative potential of psychosis, why boundaries are essential when accessing non-dual states, and what supports people in crisis, on a personal and institutional level. MindThatEgo’s ethos is an expansive approach to mental illness, and it was inspiring to talk to Isabel, who not only honours this paradigm, but is having a huge influence on translating that insight into therapeutic care, challenging restrictive models, and placing emphasis on the human experience. Resources and References: IsabelClarke.org Article: ‘Psychosis and Spirituality: the journey of an idea’ Books

In this episode I’m joined by Jungian analyst and acclaimed author, Dr. Murray Stein, to discuss Jung’s Map of the Soul. Dr. Stein is a graduate of Yale University, the University of Chicago, and the C.G. Jung Institut-Zurich. He is a founding member of the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts and of the Chicago Society of Jungian Analysts. He has been the president of the International Association for Analytical Psychology (2001-4), and the President of The International School of Analytical Psychology-Zurich (2008-2012). He is a training analyst at the International School for Analytical Psychology in Zurich, Switzerland. His most recent publications include The Principle of Individuation, Jung’s Map of the Soul and Analytical Psychology and Religion. He lectures internationally on topics related to Analytical Psychology and its applications in the contemporary world. It was a pleasure to talk to Dr. Stein, whose expertise and insight provided a reliable base to journey into the richness of Jung’s body of work. Our dialogue includes discussion on the “numinous,” the nature of the shadow, the ego’s role in transformation, how dreams guide us to wholeness, and the life-affirming experience of synchronicity. MurrayStein.com Murray Stein | On the Importance of Numinous Experience in the Alchemy of Individuation

Ellen Emmet is a psychotherapist, facilitator of Authentic Movement, and offers meetings in The Awakening Body: Yoga meditations in the tradition of non-duality and Kashmir Shivaism that she learnt from her teachers Francis Lucille and Eric Baret. She offers webinars and residential retreats. Her offering is an exploration of our true nature at the level of tactility and feelings, but also an inquiry into the hidden corners of the psyche to invite more wholeness into our lives. More specifically, The Awakening Body meetings focus on the body, “allowing it to be our mirror and our pathway, our prayer and our altar, and ultimately the shining expression of this shared identity.” Our conversation explores the complex topic of nonduality and the shadow. Ellen’s growing intuition matched my own, that nondual teachings can often be used as a way to escape difficult emotions or feelings, or even disown the body, and overlook or avoid the shadow. With training in Jungian philosophy, including working directly with Jungian analyst Marion Woodman, Ellen brings wisdom and openness to exploring this oversight. Topics include connecting to the wisdom of the body, relational alchemy, the pain of separation, nonduality as a hiding place, ever-present nature of peace, the path of devotion, the role of the divine feminine, and ways to avoid ego inflation. EllenEmmet.com

Reverend Doctor John Freese is a Buddhist minister in the Dhamma Vinaya Order. He was a monk for 12 years (1998-2010) with Thich Nhat Hanh at Plum Village and Deer Park monasteries in France and California, and was with two gurus in the Ramana Maharshi lineage in Tiruvannamalai India. He has just completed his PhD in practical theology from the Claremont School of Theology, where his dissertation compared Buddhist meditation with somatic trauma therapy.  Prior to his PhD he completed a Master of Divinity in Buddhist chaplaincy at University of the West. He has a private Buddhist counseling practice and teaches classes in contemplative studies at University of the West and Naropa University. My conversation with John was inspired by his comparison of Goenka’s Vipassana and Peter Levine’s Somatic Experiencing. I discovered his paper while researching The Yoga of Mental Illness and was inspired by the detailed comparison of these two modes of healing and their striking similarities, despite forming in distinct cultures and different eras. As we dance around this structural comparison, we cover pertinent questions from the nature of emotions, the relationship between sensation and thought, implicit and explicit memory, Buddhist psychology, principles of somatic experiencing, Taoist cosmology, maps of the self, expanding awareness, and the nature of trauma from these distinct perspectives. This is a philosophical and practical dialogue with an uplifting message about the ability to get to the root of trauma, heal, and return home to the body. Resources and References: Down with the Dharma Podcast Two Maps of the Same Territory? Functional Correlations Between Vipassana Meditation as Taught by S.N. Goenka and Somatic Experiencing SomaticExperiencing.com

Emma Varvaloucas is the Executive Director of the Progress Network, an idea's movement that connects and amplifies voices that are pointing our world in a more positive direction. She is also the co-host of the What Could Go Right? Podcast, and was previously the Executive Editor at Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. Her unique perspective is shaped by her double-major in journalism and religious studies. Our conversation follows the arc of first introducing Emma’s background in Buddhism, exploring various tenets and foundations of the philosophy, from ethics, guruism, to the benefits of community. Emma shares the way in which Buddhism offers a more skillful lens to view the world, as well as tools to engage with global affairs from a responsible, not reactive, space. We then focus on the role of the media in shaping reality, where Emma shares guidance around how to deal with the never-ending news cycle, as well as various practices, from sourcing information to understanding the way news is made, to empower the process, and help create a brighter image of the future. Links to Emma’s work: Website: https://www.emmavarv.com/ The Progress Network: https://theprogressnetwork.org/ What Could Go Right? Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5wtSK9WyigHxU8AOLl86cY Resources and References: How to Read the News Without Losing Your Mind – Emma Varvaloucas

Dr. Steven C. Hayes is the originator of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), identified as part of the “third wave of cognitive behavioral therapy.” He’s a Professor of Psychology at the University of Nevada, the author of 47 books, including Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life and A Liberated Mind. Ranked in the top 1,000 most cited scholars in the world, Steven has been referred to as “one of the greatest thinkers, psychological theorists, and clinicians alive.” With close to 1,000 clinical trials showing its efficacy, ACT synthesizes many approaches, including Western psychology and Eastern philosophy. My interest started when reading Russ Harris’ The Happiness Trap, and finding an approach that mirrored my personal journey. Building upon cognitive therapy, ACT includes awareness, mindfulness, the “observer,” and other Buddhist-like techniques. Factor in its emphasis on living a life aligned with values, and you have a system designed to lead to greater fulfillment. What I most admire about Steven’s work is the practicality of his research, or in his words, “digging down to the processes that empower or entrap” and trying to find the skill sets that are most effective. Our conversation looks at those processes, but also expands to the wider philosophy of the mental health paradigm. What are the issues with how we treat mental illness? And what does an empowered, spiritually-inclusive model look like? Links to Steven’s work: Website: https://stevenchayes.com Medium: https://medium.com/@stevenchayes Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/therapy-types/acceptance-and-commitment-therapy Resources and References: A Liberated Mind – Steven C. Hayes. Get Out Of Your Mind and Into Your Life — Steven C. Hayes. The Myth of Mental Illness & Ideology and Insanity — Thomas Szasz. A Beautiful Mind (2001). The Happiness Trap — Russ Harris.

Time for something a little different! This is a reading of my latest MindThatEgo article, The Lighthouse: A Synchronistic Symbol of Intimacy and Isolation. I share a process of working with my unconscious mind to decipher the meaning of this inner voyage at various milestones. The lighthouse is a central symbol, which guided me to understand the significance of the conflict between intimacy and isolation. The woods, and the sea, are accompanying metaphors. As you will hear, the way events unfold defies conventional understanding. In what Carl Jung defined as synchronicity, events are linked by meaning, and require a different paradigm of reality to fully comprehend. Article link: https://www.mindthatego.com/the-lighthouse-symbol

Connecting to the soul is simple and complex. It’s simple because the soul is the essence of who you are. It’s the core of your being. Nothing has to be learned, only remembered. The complexity comes from living in an age and a culture of disconnect, with barriers created by the mind, and intellectual superiority placed ahead of other forms of intelligence, such as intuition, instinct, and heartfelt wisdom. In this conversation I’m joined by the perfect guide, Natalie Zeituny. I met Natalie three years ago at the Science and Nonduality Conference in Italy. She is a mystic, cosmologist, and the author of Ensoulment, where she presents a model of reality which “explores the cosmology and psychology of reality.” I was engrossed by her book, especially the way she maps consciousness scientifically, as well as sharing her inner experience of the ensoulment process vividly. What I love most about our conversation is the grounded nature in which ensoulment is approached. Natalie talks about entering the underworld in order to confront the shadow, and integrate the soul through deep reflection. This isn’t about bypassing difficulty, or cultivating love and light. It’s about having the courage to be the hero of your journey, to trust your inner resourcefulness above all else. We talk about the relationship between difficult experiences, such as depression, anxiety, and paranoia, and how they relate to ensoulment. We discuss the signs of being aligned with the soul, how to identify your essence, and the uniqueness of your soul’s song. I’m sure by the end, the fruits of ensoulment will be clear. Connecting to the soul is the return to being, the path to living the fullest life on offer; the path truest to you.

Hayden Thorpe is a solo artist and former frontman of Wild Beasts. His two solo albums — Moondust for my Diamond (2021) and Diviner (2019) — follow five albums with the band between 2008 and 2016, for which Two Dancers was nominated for the Mercury Prize. Since discovering Wild Beasts through their album Smother in 2011, they’ve remained my favourite band, one I’ve returned to time and time again, the soundtrack struggle, triumph, and everything between. Hayden’s music continues the theme. Songs such as Diviner, Golden Ratio, The Universe is Alright Right, translate the ineffable with poetic melodies and spiritually-infused lyricism. Sharing such an in-depth exploration of Hayden’s creative process was a joy. Topics include the transcendence of writing, the sacred nature of music, the energetics of stage performance, the merging of self and the source, the mystery of how certain songs find you at the right place, right time, shaping your life direction. In tribute to Hayden’s approach to the divine and the earthly, we discuss the vulnerability of crises of confidence, risk-taking, the desire for validation, and how to honour ideas. Plus, we consider what immersion in the creative dimension teaches about the nature of reality, and the cosmic link between Newcastle United and Bristol Rovers.