Diederik was born in 1942 in a tiny village south of what now is known as Jakarta, Indonesia. The first three and a half years of his life were spent in Japanese POW camps and it was here that he formed most of his core beliefs, beliefs which he thought were his actual ‘character’. After some fifty years of self-loathing, alcohol, and drug abuse he decided there had to be a better way, it was time to ‘change his mind’ at the deepest levels. Through a Course in Miracles and Attitudinal Healing, he developed a radical forgiveness process that allows him to transform the self he hated into a Self whose only function is to extend love. Choose Again, his charitable society, operates a healing center in Costa Rica and he gives talks and teaches workshops in many places around the world.
Website: choose-again.com
Book: Choose Again: Six Steps to Freedom
Book Diederik mentioned: What They Don’t Teach in Prenatal Class: The Key to Raising Trouble-Free Kids & Teens
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.
Summary and Transcript of this interview.
Interview recorded June 12, 2021
YouTube Video Chapters:
00:00:00 - Introduction and Background of Diederik Wolsak
00:05:15 - Core Beliefs and Self-Blame
00:10:17 - The Formation of Core Beliefs
00:14:26 - The Unbearable Existence
00:19:04 - The Point of Change
00:23:45 - Childhood in Indonesia and Self-Hatred
00:28:03 - A Blindness to One's Own Behavior
00:32:34 - The Meaning Behind Lesson 135 in A Course in Miracles
00:36:43 - Deep Transformation through the Process
00:41:16 - The Masks We Wear
00:45:42 - The Root of Beliefs
00:49:52 - The Process of Transformation
00:54:24 - The Power to Interpret Your Experience
00:58:59 - The Unexpected Reaction
01:02:35 - The Self's Influence on Experience
01:06:58 - Healing Through Awareness of Beliefs
01:10:59 - The Guilt of Separation
01:15:24 - The Journey to Oneness
01:19:15 - The Importance of Commitment
01:23:15 - Reflecting Core Beliefs and Healing the Self
01:27:36 - The State of Consciousness and Beliefs
01:31:49 - Finding Purpose in Office Jobs
01:36:12 - Step Two: Recognizing the Author of Our Dreams
01:40:26 - Tracing the Root Feeling
01:44:38 - The Guilt Behind Punishment
01:48:30 - Reforming the Criminal Justice System
01:52:53 - Healing Together in Relationships
01:57:14 - Finding Support Online
02:01:48 - The Completion Process
02:06:24 - The Purpose of Discomfort and Correction
02:10:39 - Gratitude and Farewell