Individuals of the age 17-24 are at a time in their development when the general task of their Hero’s Journey turns on the challenge of charting a path into a future of freedom, purpose, and meaning. Through childhood they had lived under a regime of taller powers (parents, teachers, coaches) who guided their steps andContinue reading “The Two Centers”
Tag Archives: mental health
Words and Reality
Along the winding road of my career – first as a pastoral counselor, then as a community counselor, and now as a career counselor working with college students – I have developed a particular skill of deep listening that I call “listening in.” Of course, counselors of all types need to listen to their clients,Continue reading “Words and Reality”
Working on Ourselves
When it comes to understanding ourselves, humans tend to be a fairly confused species. This is not to say that other species really understand themselves, either. It’s likely our evolved talent for self-conscious reflection and contemplation that makes understanding ourselves even possible, as well as what’s behind our confusion – and a lot of ourContinue reading “Working on Ourselves”
The Three Stages of Spiritual Power
One theory of meditation sees it as a portal to peak experience and enlightenment, providing access to transcendental dimensions of being and consciousness. People spend decades perfecting the mindset and techniques that facilitate these breakthroughs, dedicating great amounts of time to the discipline of meditation. Another theory sees meditation as a conditioning routine for meetingContinue reading “The Three Stages of Spiritual Power”
The Recession of Compassion
Just last week, a guest in the Oval Office fainted during a White House announcement on the topic of weight-loss drugs, requiring the event to be cut short. President Donald Trump looked over at the fallen man with a small group gathered around to help him, and then turned to stare straight ahead, without evenContinue reading “The Recession of Compassion”
All the Way Through
Treatment for anxiety will be a multi-billion dollar enterprise this year, up from previous years and expected to continue its rise for the foreseeable future. We want the inner peace of a relaxed body and calm mind, but we settle – actually we pay a lot – for feeling a little less anxious, if itContinue reading “All the Way Through”
Make Your Home a COVID Monastery
Amidst the chaotic disruption of daily life, an increasing number of us are feeling the strain on our mental health. The economic shakeup has altered the way we work, how we shop, where we go, and what company we keep. Spending more time at home, whether in quarantine or out of caution over catching andContinue reading “Make Your Home a COVID Monastery”
Getting Off
Humans have been seeking happiness ever since self-consciousness threw us out of the garden of simple need satisfaction and into the quest for personal fulfillment. Inside the garden, reality was experienced as a provident web of support. Outside, we are on our own – or so it feels. Our human condition – separate, self-conscious, andContinue reading “Getting Off”
Who Do You Think You Are?
The modern paradigm of medical and mental health has a built-in bias for diagnosis, due in large part to its historical interest in isolating and treating pathology of various kinds in the body and mind. A consequence of this bias is that while we can zero in on what’s wrong or not working properly, ourContinue reading “Who Do You Think You Are?”
Boundless Presence
For a while now I’ve been working towards a unified theory of human development that doesn’t merely annex spirituality onto one of the conventional models, but rather affirms it as essential to what we are. To do this successfully I’ve had to draw clear distinctions between spirituality and religion, between healthy religion and pathological formsContinue reading “Boundless Presence”
Tracts of Revolution 