How I escaped depression & the doomer mindset (and why you should, too)

Dec 15, 2025

Explore a transformative journey from deep depression to resilience. The host reveals how a doomer mindset and overwhelming negativity can trap you. Learn about the role of meditation, cognitive behavioral therapy, and even psilocybin in personal recovery. Discover the impact of social media on mental health and gain insights on combatting negativity bias. Embrace a new approach to life that prioritizes enjoyment over relentless hustle, while fostering compassionate self-care. Challenge your beliefs and find empowerment in uncertainty.

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INSIGHT

Your Mind Needs A Healthy Information Diet

Shane compares feeding the mind with negativity to eating only pizza and expecting health.
He argues mental inputs and use predictably shape mental health just like diet shapes the body.

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ADVICE

Use Meditation To Interrupt Rumination

Do practice open-awareness meditation to create a gap between you and your thoughts.
Try long sessions to notice recurring rumination trains and interrupt them before they start.

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ANECDOTE

A Planned Psilocybin Session Helped Stabilize Recovery

Shane self-administered a therapeutic psilocybin session in Amsterdam after research and careful preparation.
The trip offered a parent-to-child perspective of unconditional self-compassion and helped stabilize his recovery.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

How Doomer Thinking Contributed to Depression

02:10 • 2min

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The Descent: Spiral, Confirmation Bias, Media

04:23 • 2min

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Feeding Your Mind Like a Diet

06:04 • 3min

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Depression Despite External Success

08:35 • 5min

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What Ruminating in Depression Feels Like

13:19 • 3min

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Three Factors That Helped Me Recover

16:05 • 6min

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Noticing Thought Loops: An Unglamorous CBT Moment

22:18 • 3min

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Meditation: Gap Between Mind and Self

25:10 • 2min

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A Sudden Shift and Stabilizing Trip

26:47 • 44sec

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Preparing for a Therapeutic Psilocybin Session

27:31 • 2min

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Psilocybin Insight: Unconditional Parent-Like Love

29:53 • 2min

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Leaving Hustle Culture and Enjoying the Infinite Game

32:15 • 7min

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Defining the Doomer Mindset

39:10 • 3min

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How Platforms Exploit Negativity Bias

42:00 • 11min

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Treat Media as Entertainment, Not Truth

52:37 • 3min

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Experts Often Fail at Predictions

56:05 • 9min

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Bet on Your Beliefs to Clarify Uncertainty

01:04:52 • 1min

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Read Opposing Views to Reduce Certainty

01:06:08 • 4min

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Track Your Predictions to Deflate Hypochondria

01:09:59 • 5min

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If It's True, Is Worry Useful?

01:15:20 • 5min

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Should You Have Children Amid Doomerism?

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Steven Kotler

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If you are someone who cares deeply about the world and you find it hard to cope with all the suffering, all the bad news and a feeling that things are hopeless, this episode is for you.

If you find yourself overwhelmed by the negativity and despair in the world, you are not alone. In this episode, I share my personal journey from a deeply cynical worldview and severe depression to a state of resilience and empowerment. Discover the steps I took to change my mindset, the role of meditation, and my experiences with cognitive behavioral therapy and psilocybin.

We'll also explore the traps of social media, the role of negativity bias, and how to find a sustainable way to care about the world without being paralyzed by it. Join us as we dive into the doomer mindset, its impact, and practical ways to uplift yourself and make a positive difference in the world.

00:00 Intro

02:10 Doomer Mindset & Depression

06:04 What I wish I could tell my younger (depressed) self

08:41 Imprisoned in a depressed mind

10:30 Depressed in Paradise

13:14 Worrying about the world & feeling sorry for myself

15:52 My strange journey out of depression

22:17 Did I accidentally Cognitive Behavior Therapy myself?

24:28 I used to do meditation wrong

27:17 My first ever magic mushroom experience

29:54 Love untainted by wounding or ego

32:14 The day(s) after coming out of deep depression

33:14 Losing my (hustle culture) religion

37:01 Take time to enjoy the infinite game

39:15 What is the Doomer Mindset?

41:44 How Modern Society Causes Doomerism

42:41 This changed my perspective completely

46:38 Know the game that's being played

48:55 Modern media is crazy and you're responding to it in a

normal way

51:26 A healthy dose of skepticism

54:59 Seeing simple narratives for what they are

55:45 If the pundits were right, they'd be a lot richer

01:01:15 The most surprising doomer antidote is about money

01:04:47 Do this and watch your worries disappear

01:05:58 The info diet experiment

01:08:37 How to deal with hypochondria

01:10:50 Awareness is the Key

01:13:13 The Other Expert Problem

01:14:40 Many Ways to Gain Perspective

01:15:26 But What if It's All True?

01:16:35 Pick Your Battle (this changes everything)

01:19:04 Doomerism just made me worse (at everything)

01:20:25 Is it cruel to bring children into this world?

01:21:53 The Oxygen Mask Principle

01:24:25 Conclusion

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