“You cannot add to a cup that is already full” — Zen parable
Michael and I share the same interests: philosophy, psychology, sanity, and culture. He moved to Japan and I moved to Canada. He seems more comfortable where he is than I am, but we mostly talked about how we got here and where we’re going. I wanted to make this his conversation so I gave him space and tried not to talk too much. Our conversation led to the creation of space. Space to think, reflect, and change.
In thinking back, I can’t recall anything we said except that a person needs space. There is a point to busyness and a point to emptiness, and emptiness is harder. Western culture doesn’t value emptiness enough. I’m not sure how well we describe it, but it’s important to leave space to think and change. Judge for yourself whether our conversation creates space or fills it.
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Although I am a psychotherapist I hold little stock in the tools or theories of psychotherapy. They all amount to mirrors of one sort or another. They are things to get people to see themselves, the genesis of their thoughts, the origins of their feelings, and their chaotic associations.
Philosophy does not satisfy me either. Western philosophy is rational and deductive and human mind is primarily neither, though it pretends to be. In reading the great works of the rationalists and empiricists I’m left to think, “What self-involved bullshit!”
My refuge is invention and experience. It’s ultimately all made up, so let’s make it up ourselves for our needs and for those we might serve.
It has recently come to my attention that much of the physics that I’ve been taught and that others accept is half-baked and misdirected. If you’re looking far enough into the future the present is unsatisfactory. I don’t know how these thoughts pertain to our interview, but these are the things that come to mind.
Michael Waite has been furiously releasing podcasts for the last few years. You can find them on his webpage at https://www.brainshaman.com/ , and on many popular platforms such as:
Other platforms are linked here: https://www.brainshaman.com/2067421/follow
