Daniel Thorson, a former monastic and insightful coach, shares his journey from avoidance to deep intimacy. He discusses the importance of community in personal transformation and the dangers of hyper-rationality. The conversation delves into secure attachment, emphasizing emotional awareness and loving-kindness during challenges. Thorson also critiques modern Buddhism, advocating for inclusive practices and genuine connections, while introducing innovative meditation techniques to foster secure attachment. Their exploration encourages embracing difficult emotions as part of the growth process.
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Monastic Life Enables Deep Change
Daniel Thorson found monastic life gave him long-term support aligned with his values.
This helped him overcome addictive behaviors and develop integrity through community.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Breakdown Sparks Creative Breakthrough
Daniel experienced a psychological breakdown nearly a year after leaving the monastery.
This painful opening led to profound new consciousness and creative breakthroughs.
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Heal Early Attachment Wounds
Use the Ideal Parent Figure Protocol to heal early attachment wounds.
This practice provides a foundation for emotional healing and secure connection.
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The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy
Matthew Scully
In 'Dominion,' Matthew Scully presents a comprehensive and eloquent case against the mistreatment of animals. The book delves into various aspects of animal suffering, including factory farming, hunting, whaling, and laboratory experiments. Scully challenges the notion that humans have unlimited dominion over animals, as suggested by biblical interpretations, and argues for a moral and compassionate approach to animal treatment. He draws on both religious and scientific perspectives to make his case, emphasizing the importance of empathy and the recognition of animal consciousness and suffering. The book is a call to action for reform and a plea for human benevolence and mercy towards animals.
Daniel Thorson is a former monastic, podcaster, writer, and coach. He spent five years as a resident at the Monastic Academy and has accumulated two years of silent retreat experience.
Daniel is also a certified Aletheia Coach and Circling facilitator, whose work weaves together embodied inquiry, attachment-based healing, philosophical exploration, and relational presence.
For many years, Daniel hosted the Emerge podcast, a pioneering platform that helped catalyze emergent dialogues and shape what many now call the liminal web. He currently writes The Intimate Mirror on Substack, a publication exploring meaning, transformation, intimacy, and the search for religion in the age of Artificial Intelligence.
In this episode we speak about Daniel’s extensive experience living and training at a Monastery, turning break downs into break throughs, developing a better relationship with conceptuality and rationality, Secure attachment with reality, leaving Buddhism, creating a Dharma capable of addressing the meta-crisis and many other resonant threads on personal and collective transformation.
0:00 - Introduction 5:06 - Daniel’s experience living as a monk 13:32 - Going through a psychological breakdown 17:29 - Discovering attachment work and the ideal parenting protocol 21:56 - Developing a better relationship with conceptuality and rationality 25:25 - Emotional attunement, relational practices, and the importance of safe containers 34:15 - Secure attachment with reality 38:54 - Trusting the intelligence of every experience 40:30 - Is the fundamental nature of reality love? 44:35 - What is missing from Buddhism? 52:10 - Towards a Translineage spirituality 55:50 - Is there anything afforded by identifying as Buddhist or Christian? 1:06:05 - From emptiness/deconstructing to soulmaking/skillfully playing with identity 1:09:29 - A dharma capable of addressing the meta-crisis 1:11:36 - Daniel’s current meditation practice 1:14:20 - Integrating ethics with eros and clarifying desire 1:17:36 - Reflecting on the Human Transformation in a Time of Meta-Crisis conference at Harvard 1:22:17 - The liberation of creative agency
Elevating Consciousness 
