<p>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?</p><p><br /></p><p>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.</p><p><br /></p><p>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?</p><p><br /></p><p>EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/knowthyself</p><p>Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee</p><p><br /></p><p>3/10 Book release: http://geni.us/beyondbelief</p><p><br /></p><p>André's Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list</p><p><br /></p><p>___________</p><p>00:00 Intro</p><p>01:35 The Difference Between Fact, Faith, and Belief</p><p>05:36 Illusions of Reality</p><p>07:29 The Core of Our Perception</p><p>15:52 Where to Start Enacting Change on Your Life</p><p>19:53 Beliefs as Tools, Not Truths</p><p>25:28 Ad: Nord VPN</p><p>26:32 The Cosmic Slot Machine</p><p>37:39 Spotting Your Limiting Beliefs</p><p>46:39 The Prison of Our Own Making</p><p>51:33 Why We Perceive Threats Everywhere</p><p>1:00:18 Becoming Indistractable</p><p>1:12:57 What Attention Means Today versus the Past</p><p>1:26:44 The Motivation Triangle</p><p>1:32:00 Closing Thoughts</p><p>___________</p><p><br /></p><p>Episode Resources: </p><p>https://www.instagram.com/neyal99</p><p>https://nir.substack.com/</p><p><br /></p><p>https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/</p><p>https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/</p><p>https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast</p><p>https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com</p>

Know Thyself

André Duqum

E183 - Nir Eyal: How Your Beliefs Shape What You See (And Hold You Back)

FEB 24, 2026100 MIN
Know Thyself

E183 - Nir Eyal: How Your Beliefs Shape What You See (And Hold You Back)

FEB 24, 2026100 MIN

Description

<p>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?</p><p><br /></p><p>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.</p><p><br /></p><p>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?</p><p><br /></p><p>EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/knowthyself</p><p>Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee</p><p><br /></p><p>3/10 Book release: http://geni.us/beyondbelief</p><p><br /></p><p>André's Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list</p><p><br /></p><p>___________</p><p>00:00 Intro</p><p>01:35 The Difference Between Fact, Faith, and Belief</p><p>05:36 Illusions of Reality</p><p>07:29 The Core of Our Perception</p><p>15:52 Where to Start Enacting Change on Your Life</p><p>19:53 Beliefs as Tools, Not Truths</p><p>25:28 Ad: Nord VPN</p><p>26:32 The Cosmic Slot Machine</p><p>37:39 Spotting Your Limiting Beliefs</p><p>46:39 The Prison of Our Own Making</p><p>51:33 Why We Perceive Threats Everywhere</p><p>1:00:18 Becoming Indistractable</p><p>1:12:57 What Attention Means Today versus the Past</p><p>1:26:44 The Motivation Triangle</p><p>1:32:00 Closing Thoughts</p><p>___________</p><p><br /></p><p>Episode Resources: </p><p>https://www.instagram.com/neyal99</p><p>https://nir.substack.com/</p><p><br /></p><p>https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/</p><p>https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/</p><p>https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast</p><p>https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com</p>