0:32 How Seth got into therapy The second wave of CBT The behavioral activation approach Mindful CBT 19:52 Seth’s “Think Act Be” approach The importance of core beliefs The cheap form of self-love 31:50 “Cycling the Puck” 35:19 The importance of returning to the true center of ourselves 43:33 The curious paradox of acceptance What is our deepest self? What is consciousness? 52:20 Why waking up isn’t a once and for all experience 55:30 How we can be kinder to ourselves
I had run out of educational, thought provoking podcasts to listen to and had been missing it. I'm so greatful that I found this one! I discovered Scott on the Meaning of Life podcast. I love how he seems like such a genuine, dorky, sweet person. I really appreciate that. :)
50:52 yeah that's cause cognitive neuroscience didn't decouple mental activity and awareness. Just because you have mental activity, it doesn't mean you are aware of it, aka dreaming or daydreaming. And of course when people are (day)dreaming there is even a spectrum of consciousness, from not being aware at all, to being able to have complete self-awareness of being in the dream, having control over decisions in the dream and less of a witness of the dream, and power over the future of the dream. And even if not in a dream state, mental activity has a spectrum of consciousness from no control, to being in the zone, to being in control but not in the zone, to being distant and just witnessing, to a loss of physical self and praying, and whatever other amalgamations you can think of. Likewise, just because you have awareness, doesn't mean you have mental activity (i.e., things like, self reflecting/thoughts/recursivity/etc). And this state of awareness too can have a spectrum of mental activity from none at all to the mind racing in a marathon. I find reaching the no mental activity state is best achieved by doing meditation. And in my experience, there can definitely often be a type of openness or expansiveness while being in that meditative state--that conscious but no mental activity state. But in my experience, I think the core experience of being in the meditative state as Seth mentions earlier in the podcast is that grounding in the self. For me, while being in a meditative state there is a sensation of being grounded, a meeting with my core, an embodiment of confidence, peace, a deep sensation of being present and feeling all that I feel mentally/emotionally/bodily/other to the point that there is a lost of how time is passing. And being in this meditative state can come with a processing of positive and/or negative feelings while still maintaining that peace. Also, often there's an expansive feeling perhaps, the feeling that the mind is in the consciousness, or maybe something else like my/our consciousness is a part of (or encompassed by) a greater consciousness. I also often come to feel an intense familiarity or comfort with a sense of self. Whether or not that true self, IDK. But it's definitely a very deep self, that is grounding and core, and a self I can meet whenever I reach the meditative state. And the meditative state often leaves me a feeling that often allows me to direct my mind towards the things I care about. Whether that comes in the form of revisiting and focusing on my core beliefs, or doing the whole Think Act Be, or doing the Accepting and Commitment, or perhaps exploring what feels like a new realization while meditating. And for me like I already mentioned, doing meditations feels like it prepares me in ways that make me more likely to experience that meditative state. (Whether the meditation be a cognitive exercise, or something physical like yoga/focusing on breath/body scans, sensory withdrawal, or practicing directing the mind towards one sensation or one thought or one activity, or practicing awareness of the differences between my mind, my emotions and my behavior, or processing/experiencing emotions and bodily sensations, or practicing distancing my mind and my self.) That state where there's no mental activity, no mind, no thoughts but just consciousness, just awareness. For me, this state is kind of akin to sleeping in the sense that it kind of just happens to you. And meditation makes it more likely to happen.
48:25 the irony here is that this disagreement was at the core of 6 hours of debate between Sam Harris and Jordan Peterson-and it was Jordan Peterson who agrees with Seth. Sam insists that the fundamental reality is the material facts of the universe. Jordan says because our subjective experience is the only thing we interact with first-hand, it is our subjective experience which is fundamental. I’m 100% with Sam. The universe exists independently of any conscious experience. It is our conscious experience which requires the universe to exist. Of course, our experience of the outside world is dependent on our conscious experience, and if I had to guess, this would be what Sam meant by our head is in consciousness. However, I see this fact as not only separate from, but fundamentally consistent with, the reality that the material universe is necessary for consciousness to exist. Although, maybe I misunderstood Seth, and he wasn’t actually taking the Jordan Peterson perspective. I also can’t accept that only the parts we like about ourselves make up our true or fundamental selves. Again, I may be misunderstanding Seth, but as I understand it, what he said here only serves to confuse the reality. We are the good and the bad. We are the voice that tells us to strive for our better nature, but we are also that which blocks out our better nature when it’s too inconvenient for something else we want. We lack cohesion and are fundamentally contradictory beings. We are deeply shaped by our immediate surroundings, and are different people in different environments. Who know, maybe I’m misunderstanding and so am wrong. Thank you Scott and Seth for the discussion.
We lack cohesion and are fundamentally contradictory beings. We are deeply shaped by our immediate surroundings, and are different people in different environments. I think you nailed it. Kaufmann has done some research on whether we are 'good' or 'bad' too and results are - not really bad, but not really good either. I'd almost want to say that its up to our free will to decide and make up how we act back to the world.
0:32 How Seth got into therapy
The second wave of CBT
The behavioral activation approach
Mindful CBT
19:52 Seth’s “Think Act Be” approach
The importance of core beliefs
The cheap form of self-love
31:50 “Cycling the Puck”
35:19 The importance of returning to the true center of ourselves
43:33 The curious paradox of acceptance
What is our deepest self?
What is consciousness?
52:20 Why waking up isn’t a once and for all experience
55:30 How we can be kinder to ourselves
🟩 Thx
You are the MVP
I had run out of educational, thought provoking podcasts to listen to and had been missing it. I'm so greatful that I found this one! I discovered Scott on the Meaning of Life podcast. I love how he seems like such a genuine, dorky, sweet person. I really appreciate that. :)
50:52 yeah that's cause cognitive neuroscience didn't decouple mental activity and awareness.
Just because you have mental activity, it doesn't mean you are aware of it, aka dreaming or daydreaming. And of course when people are (day)dreaming there is even a spectrum of consciousness, from not being aware at all, to being able to have complete self-awareness of being in the dream, having control over decisions in the dream and less of a witness of the dream, and power over the future of the dream. And even if not in a dream state, mental activity has a spectrum of consciousness from no control, to being in the zone, to being in control but not in the zone, to being distant and just witnessing, to a loss of physical self and praying, and whatever other amalgamations you can think of.
Likewise, just because you have awareness, doesn't mean you have mental activity (i.e., things like, self reflecting/thoughts/recursivity/etc). And this state of awareness too can have a spectrum of mental activity from none at all to the mind racing in a marathon. I find reaching the no mental activity state is best achieved by doing meditation.
And in my experience, there can definitely often be a type of openness or expansiveness while being in that meditative state--that conscious but no mental activity state.
But in my experience, I think the core experience of being in the meditative state as Seth mentions earlier in the podcast is that grounding in the self. For me, while being in a meditative state there is a sensation of being grounded, a meeting with my core, an embodiment of confidence, peace, a deep sensation of being present and feeling all that I feel mentally/emotionally/bodily/other to the point that there is a lost of how time is passing.
And being in this meditative state can come with a processing of positive and/or negative feelings while still maintaining that peace.
Also, often there's an expansive feeling perhaps, the feeling that the mind is in the consciousness, or maybe something else like my/our consciousness is a part of (or encompassed by) a greater consciousness.
I also often come to feel an intense familiarity or comfort with a sense of self. Whether or not that true self, IDK. But it's definitely a very deep self, that is grounding and core, and a self I can meet whenever I reach the meditative state.
And the meditative state often leaves me a feeling that often allows me to direct my mind towards the things I care about. Whether that comes in the form of revisiting and focusing on my core beliefs, or doing the whole Think Act Be, or doing the Accepting and Commitment, or perhaps exploring what feels like a new realization while meditating.
And for me like I already mentioned, doing meditations feels like it prepares me in ways that make me more likely to experience that meditative state.
(Whether the meditation be a cognitive exercise, or something physical like yoga/focusing on breath/body scans, sensory withdrawal, or practicing directing the mind towards one sensation or one thought or one activity, or practicing awareness of the differences between my mind, my emotions and my behavior, or processing/experiencing emotions and bodily sensations, or practicing distancing my mind and my self.)
That state where there's no mental activity, no mind, no thoughts but just consciousness, just awareness.
For me, this state is kind of akin to sleeping in the sense that it kind of just happens to you. And meditation makes it more likely to happen.
I thoroughly enjoyed this podcast!!
I love this interview soooo much
This book pairs well with the mindfulness workbook "The Days to Reduce Depression" by Corin Devaso.
48:25 the irony here is that this disagreement was at the core of 6 hours of debate between Sam Harris and Jordan Peterson-and it was Jordan Peterson who agrees with Seth. Sam insists that the fundamental reality is the material facts of the universe. Jordan says because our subjective experience is the only thing we interact with first-hand, it is our subjective experience which is fundamental.
I’m 100% with Sam. The universe exists independently of any conscious experience. It is our conscious experience which requires the universe to exist. Of course, our experience of the outside world is dependent on our conscious experience, and if I had to guess, this would be what Sam meant by our head is in consciousness. However, I see this fact as not only separate from, but fundamentally consistent with, the reality that the material universe is necessary for consciousness to exist.
Although, maybe I misunderstood Seth, and he wasn’t actually taking the Jordan Peterson perspective.
I also can’t accept that only the parts we like about ourselves make up our true or fundamental selves. Again, I may be misunderstanding Seth, but as I understand it, what he said here only serves to confuse the reality.
We are the good and the bad. We are the voice that tells us to strive for our better nature, but we are also that which blocks out our better nature when it’s too inconvenient for something else we want. We lack cohesion and are fundamentally contradictory beings. We are deeply shaped by our immediate surroundings, and are different people in different environments.
Who know, maybe I’m misunderstanding and so am wrong.
Thank you Scott and Seth for the discussion.
We lack cohesion and are fundamentally contradictory beings. We are deeply shaped by our immediate surroundings, and are different people in different environments.
I think you nailed it. Kaufmann has done some research on whether we are 'good' or 'bad' too and results are - not really bad, but not really good either. I'd almost want to say that its up to our free will to decide and make up how we act back to the world.
Loved it
Tells me nothing
All this host does is talk about himself. Very distracting from the interview.