Know Thyself

Zen teacher and author Henry Shukman offers a clear and grounded introduction to the heart of Zen practice. We explore how awakening is not an escape from life, but a deeper participation in it — a realization that dissolves the illusion of separation and reveals a boundless field of awareness and love.Henry shares his own spontaneous awakening experience at 19, the profound insight that life is not divided between self and world, and the difficult healing journey that followed. From mindfulness and meditation to flow states, jhanas, koans, and the role of trauma in spiritual growth, this conversation maps out a path that integrates awakening with emotional healing.Download SAILY in your app store and use our code KNOWTHYSELF at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase! For further details go to https://saily.com/knowthyself Go to https://thewayapp.com/knowthyself to begin your journey with 30 free meditation sessionsAndré's Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list___________00:00 Intro01:26 An Introduction to Zen13:10 The Premise of Original Love17:14 Training the Mind Like the Body20:54 Freedom From Identification With Thought27:50 What Are the Jhanas?32:50 Ad: Saily33:54 Tasting Awakening for Yourself45:17 Awakening vs Psychological Healing50:17 Awakening as an Ongoing Path54:54 The Distinct Path of Zen59:13 Koans as a Path to Insight1:13:53 The Enlightenment of the Mundane1:20:07 The Freedom of Emptiness1:26:16 The Necessity of Meditation Practice1:34:32 Sweeping the Yard (A Zen Poem)1:43:33 Beauty, Ethics, and Interconnection1:47:33 The Journey to a Whole Heart (A Poem on Heartbreak)2:02:58 Original Love in a Fragmented World___________Episode Resources: https://www.instagram.com/henryshukman/https://www.instagram.com/theway_app/https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcasthttps://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com

Dr. Sue Morter returns to explore what it truly means to awaken — not as a concept, but as a lived, embodied experience. Beneath our protective personality and performance-driven identity lies a deeper intelligence — an electromagnetic master system that governs healing, perception, and consciousness itself.In this conversation, we explore how nervous system regulation opens the doorway to higher awareness, why triggers are invitations to reclaim lost parts of ourselves, and how building energetic circuitry transforms reactive patterns into creative power. From subtle anatomy and the Shoshumna channel to the relationship between consciousness and matter, this episode bridges science and spirituality in a grounded, practical way.Try LMNT & get a free sample pack https://drinkLMNT.com/KnowThyselfTry Boncharge & 15% off their red light deviceshttps://www.boncharge.com/knowthyselfKnow Thyself Community Event Waitlist: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/liveAndré's Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list___________00:00 Intro5:48 The Illusion of Inherent Brokenness11:37 The Fuel Behind Achievement17:21 The Protective Personality31:21 Ad: LMNT32:46 The Return to Second Innocence47:04 Ad: BON CHARGE48:13 Expanding the Space Between Stimulus and Response1:04:06 The Science of Subtle Anatomy1:29:24 The Limits of Spiritual Language1:43:07 Embodiment of Expanded Awareness1:49:02 Moving From Joy Instead of Lack1:54:16 The Transformative Power of Immersive Experience2:15:22 Surrendering Fully Into Feeling2:25:42 A Message to the Heart of Humanity___________Episode Resources: Dr. Sue Morter's book: https://nt113.isrefer.com/go/HYHYL-Book/KnowThyself/https://www.instagram.com/drsuemorterhttps://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcasthttps://www.knowthyselfpodcast.comListen to the show:Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4bZMq9lApple: https://apple.co/4iATICX

Nir Eyal joins the podcast to explore one of the most foundational forces shaping our lives: belief. What if the way you see reality isn’t reality itself, but a simulation filtered through prior assumptions, expectations, and unconscious scripts?In this conversation, we unpack the difference between fact, faith, and belief—and why most of our suffering stems from confusing the three. Nir shares powerful research on predictive processing, placebo and nocebo effects, learned helplessness, and how our expectations literally alter what we see, feel, and experience in our bodies.From secular prayer and gratitude practices to Byron Katie’s turnaround method, this episode is a deep dive into how to move from limiting beliefs to liberating ones. If beliefs are tools, then the real question becomes: are the ones you’re using serving you?EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/knowthyselfTry it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee3/10 Book release: http://geni.us/beyondbeliefAndré's Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list___________00:00 Intro01:35 The Difference Between Fact, Faith, and Belief05:36 Illusions of Reality07:29 The Core of Our Perception15:52 Where to Start Enacting Change on Your Life19:53 Beliefs as Tools, Not Truths25:28 Ad: Nord VPN26:32 The Cosmic Slot Machine37:39 Spotting Your Limiting Beliefs46:39 The Prison of Our Own Making51:33 Why We Perceive Threats Everywhere1:00:18 Becoming Indistractable1:12:57 What Attention Means Today versus the Past1:26:44 The Motivation Triangle1:32:00 Closing Thoughts___________Episode Resources: https://www.instagram.com/neyal99https://nir.substack.com/https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcasthttps://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com

Swami Sarvapriyananda unpacks the philosophy of Advaita Vedanta and its central claim: you are not the body, not the mind, not even your thoughts — you are pure consciousness itself. Through rigorous reasoning rather than blind belief, he guides us step by step into a direct inquiry of who we truly are.We explore the limits of faith-based religion, the pitfalls of mystical experience, the distinction between intelligence and consciousness in the age of AI, and the profound implications of non-duality. This conversation is not about adopting a belief system — it is about dismantling false identities until only the undeniable remains.FREE electrolyte sample pack with any purchase @ https://drinkLMNT.com/KnowThyselfBON CHARGE - 15% off red light therapy products I personally usehttps://www.boncharge.com/knowthyself[Code: KNOWTHYSELF]André's Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list___________00:00 Intro01:18 What Is Advaita Vedanta06:44 The Promise Freedom From Suffering10:16 Liberation While Living15:09 The Three Spiritual Paths23:38 The Path of Knowledge Jnana Yoga28:42 Discovering Our Ignorance29:49 Descartes and the Indubitable Self32:36 Ad: LMNT34:50 Deconstructing the Self37:18 Are You the Body42:09 From Body to Breath to Mind47:30 AI and the Difference Between Intelligence and Consciousness49:12 Consciousness in Deep Sleep52:23 If Not Body or Mind What Are You53:23 Pure Consciousness Explained55:04 Dualism vs Non Dualism57:42 The Dream Analogy59:17 Maya and the Appearance of the Universe01:00:28 Ocean and Wave Analogy01:01:13 Ad: BON CHARGE01:03:35 The Shift From Person to Awareness01:10:00 Awareness as the Ground of Reality01:18:00 The Root of Suffering01:26:00 Ego Attachment and Fear01:34:00 Living as Pure Awareness01:42:00 Practical Self Inquiry01:50:00 Free Will Karma and Responsibility02:02:00 The Illusion of Individuality02:14:00 Consciousness and Modern Science02:26:00 Death Rebirth and Liberation02:38:00 What Enlightenment Really Means02:50:00 Final Clarifications on Non Duality02:55:00 Closing Reflections___________https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcasthttps://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com

Joscha Bach explores the nature of consciousness, free will, and reality through the lens of computation, cognitive science, and philosophy. Rather than treating the mind as a mystical entity, Joscha frames consciousness as a constructed dream—a model generated by the brain to make sense of the world and coordinate behavior.We examine why beliefs should remain provisional, how the self functions as a useful fiction, and why suffering emerges when internal learning signals misfire. Joscha explains why free will feels real even if decisions arise before awareness, how meaning exists beyond the individual ego, and why wisdom is not simply knowledge but the ability to orient oneself within larger systems of value.BON CHARGE - 15% off red light therapy products I personally usehttps://www.boncharge.com/knowthyself[Code: KNOWTHYSELF]André's Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list___________00:00 Intro: Josha Bach04:24 Agnosticism, Evidence, and Logical Alternatives11:20 Reality as a Mental Simulation13:00 What Physicalism Actually Claims16:55 Telepathy, Rituals, and Distributed Minds19:45 Consciousness Does Not Make Decisions22:55 Free Will as a Post-Hoc Story24:00 Consciousness as a Trance State26:00 Meditation and the Illusion of Self29:10 Out-of-Body Experiences Explained31:07 Ad: BON CHARGE36:30 Why the Brain Fills in Missing Reality39:50 Dreams, Selves, and Narrative Identity43:20 Intelligence, Models, and World-Building47:10 Why Reality Feels Stable51:00 Meaning, Agency, and Mental Compression55:10 Why Consciousness Feels Central (But Isn’t)59:30 The Psychological World vs Physical Reality1:04:10 Intelligence Without Awareness1:08:45 The Cost of Believing the Self Is Real1:13:30 Waking Up From the Narrative1:18:40 What a Cognitive Science View Really Implies1:23:30 Final Thoughts: Living Inside the Dream___________Episode Resources: https://www.cimc.ai/https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcasthttps://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com