

Make it Conscious
Max Chegwyn
Welcome to Make it Conscious and join me, Max Chegwyn, in a discussion of all things self-knowledge. Calling on the insights of great thinkers from western philosophy and depth psychology, this is a show about freedom, duality, responsibility, self-hood, mind, mystery, and what there is.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 20, 2025 • 47min
Why Work is Broken: The Real Causes Behind the Current Crisis | Future of Work
The current workplace crisis isn't just about economics or technology - it's about the evolution of consciousness itself. From quiet quitting to the Great Resignation, we're witnessing the inevitable breakdown of outdated work systems that no longer serve human development. In this episode, we explore:- Why Hegel's 200-year-old insights explain today's workplace upheaval- How work patterns have evolved from survival to systemisation to information processing- The real psychology behind quiet quitting and remote work resistance- Why AI is forcing us to confront what makes humans irreducibly human- The deeper meaning behind generational value conflicts at work- Signs that we're reaching a tipping point in 2029 🎓 Go Deeper:- Seven Habits of Individuation Ebook: makeitconscious.com/sevenhabits- Shadow Mapping Sessions: makeitconscious.com/step/shadow-mapping- Know Yourself Programme: knowyourself.makeitconscious.com 📚 Additional Resources:- The Dialectics of Shadow (Article): makeitconscious.com/the-dialectics-of-shadow/- Tarot Birth Chart Reports: makeitconscious.com/step/tarot-birth-chart-reports- Why Divination is Real article series: makeitconscious.com/why-divination-is-real 🎧 Podcasts:- MiC Podcast: open.spotify.com/show/6AxGzV3sa6kK2NKSKDyuJa- Inner Work Exercises: open.spotify.com/show/4OMC4T1PNsA951dvvHhYMs 📱 Connect With Us:- Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/1682899242067996- Instagram: instagram.com/makeitconscious- X: x.com/makeitconscious

Sep 6, 2025 • 49min
Dark Patterns Everywhere: Post-Moral Business Culture | Future of Work
This episode explores how commercial deception has become pervasive and normalised in modern business culture, reaching what appears to be a crescendo. Building on the previous episode about the Post-Moral Scammer, we examine the dark patterns and manipulative practices that have become increasingly common in business, and why this approach to commerce is ultimately unsustainable. Key themes explored:- How deception has moved from individual bad actors to systemic business practice- The psychological cost of normalising commercial dishonesty in your work life- Why "dark patterns" and false scarcity tactics are common online- The relationship between metrics obsession (like GDP) and ethical decay- How hybrid working mandates reveal power dynamics over win-win collaboration- Why organisations should want employees doing their inner work, not resisting it- How your encounters with commercial deception reveal your own contradictions This episode sits within the broader Future of Work series, examining how individual self-knowledge connects to organisational transformation. When you encounter these systemic issues, they point to aspects of yourself that need integration. The future of work isn't the same as the future of you - but both require facing uncomfortable truths about how we've organised our economic systems and our participation in them. Read the companion essay: The Post-Moral Scammer at makeitconscious.com/the-post-moral-scammer/ Marie Louise Von Franz - Women Who Play Up The Anima, on Individuation Portal - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZhFt7TNBAw&ab_channel=IndividuationPortal🎓 Go Deeper:- Seven Habits of Individuation Ebook: makeitconscious.com/sevenhabits- Shadow Mapping Sessions: makeitconscious.com/step/shadow-mapping- Know Yourself Programme: knowyourself.makeitconscious.com 📚 Additional Resources:- The Dialectics of Shadow (Article): makeitconscious.com/the-dialectics-of-shadow/- Tarot Birth Chart Reports: makeitconscious.com/step/tarot-birth-chart-reports- Why Divination is Real article series: makeitconscious.com/why-divination-is-real 🎧 Podcasts:- MiC Podcast: open.spotify.com/show/6AxGzV3sa6kK2NKSKDyuJa- Inner Work Exercises: open.spotify.com/show/4OMC4T1PNsA951dvvHhYMs 📱 Connect With Us:- Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/1682899242067996- Instagram: instagram.com/makeitconscious- X: x.com/makeitconscious

Aug 23, 2025 • 40min
The Post-Moral Scammer: How Modern Business Deceives Within the Law | Future of Work
This episode examines the "post-moral scammer" - those who deliberately mislead customers through dark patterns and deceptive practices that attempt to stay barely within legal bounds. This phenomenon is reaching a crescendo in our modern economy. When you encounter such deception - whether as a customer or participant - it reveals where your own freedom is obstructed. Your struggles with these dynamics reflect contradictions in your own mind that need resolving. Key topics covered:- What defines a "post-moral scammer" vs traditional scammers- Why this phenomenon is reaching a peak in Western business culture- The psychological cost of operating a livelihood with split intentions- How to recognise these patterns in your own work and consumption- Why this approach to business is ultimately unsustainable- The relationship between individual integrity and economic systems This episode sits within our broader examination of The Future of Work. If you're struggling to make ends meet materially, there's something about yourself you're not yet seeing - and the same applies to how you participate in economic systems that may be fundamentally misaligned. Read the full essay - The Post-Moral Scammer at: https://makeitconscious.com/the-post-moral-scammer/ 🎓 Go Deeper:- Seven Habits of Individuation Ebook: makeitconscious.com/sevenhabits- Shadow Mapping Sessions: makeitconscious.com/step/shadow-mapping- Know Yourself Programme: knowyourself.makeitconscious.com 📚 Additional Resources:- The Dialectics of Shadow (Article): makeitconscious.com/the-dialectics-of-shadow/- Tarot Birth Chart Reports: makeitconscious.com/step/tarot-birth-chart-reports- Why Divination is Real article series: makeitconscious.com/why-divination-is-real 🎧 Podcasts:- MiC Podcast: open.spotify.com/show/6AxGzV3sa6kK2NKSKDyuJa- Inner Work Exercises: open.spotify.com/show/4OMC4T1PNsA951dvvHhYMs 📱 Connect With Us:- Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/1682899242067996- Instagram: instagram.com/makeitconscious- X: x.com/makeitconscious

Aug 9, 2025 • 46min
How to Create Authentic Value Without Losing Your Self | Future of Work
In this episode of The Future of Work series, we explore the other side of conscious contribution - how to actually meet the needs of the world whilst maintaining your authenticity and self-knowledge. Building on the previous episode about knowing your unique facts, this episode focuses on the practical reality of serving others and understanding market dynamics through the Make it Conscious psychological framework. Key topics covered:- Why it's easier to meet demand than create it (and the limitations of this approach)- The difference between meeting genuine needs vs. exploiting demand- How to approach work as both contribution and spiritual practice- Understanding your role in the economic system whilst avoiding self-contradiction- Practical exercises for discovering what you can contribute- The importance of quality, quantity, and direction in any endeavour- Why jobs are means, not ends - and what this means for your career This episode covers the second side of the career dialectic from Habit 4 of the Seven Habits of Individuation: meeting the needs of the world. The previous episode explored knowing your unique set of facts. The goal is to synthesise both sides - your authentic gifts and the world's genuine needs - rather than becoming either a starving artist or a corporate wage slave. Whether you're starting a business, considering a career change, or questioning your current work situation, this episode provides a framework for approaching contribution from a place of consciousness rather than mere opportunism. 🎓 Go Deeper:- Seven Habits of Individuation Ebook: makeitconscious.com/sevenhabits- Shadow Mapping Sessions: makeitconscious.com/step/shadow-mapping- Know Yourself Programme: knowyourself.makeitconscious.com 📚 Additional Resources:- The Dialectics of Shadow (Article): makeitconscious.com/the-dialectics-of-shadow/- Tarot Birth Chart Reports: makeitconscious.com/step/tarot-birth-chart-reports- Why Divination is Real article series: makeitconscious.com/why-divination-is-real 🎧 Podcasts:- MiC Podcast: open.spotify.com/show/6AxGzV3sa6kK2NKSKDyuJa- Inner Work Exercises: open.spotify.com/show/4OMC4T1PNsA951dvvHhYMs 📱 Connect With Us:- Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/1682899242067996- Instagram: instagram.com/makeitconscious- X: x.com/makeitconscious

Aug 2, 2025 • 55min
How to Find Your Unique Gifts in the Changing World of Work | Future of Work Series
In the changing world of work, it's more important than ever to know yourself and your unique gifts at a deep level. Knowing your unique set of facts is a vital part of the self-knowledge journey, but it's not a discovery that mainstream culture or power wants you to make. In this episode, we explore and share practical tips based in psychology for discovering these facts about yourself and getting clear on your gifts. In this episode I discuss:- Why personality psychology reveals your cognitive gifts and growth areas (and the dangers of type systems)- The role of shadow work- Symbolic tools like Tarot Birth Charts in self-discovery- Understanding your relationship to the four modalities of consciousness- What your mind tries to show you when completing mindless or non-human tasks- Several questions that reveal your irreplaceable value- Why what you loved as a child holds keys to your adult contribution- How people with your personality type and symbolic profile contribute to the world This episode covers the first side of the career dialectic from Habit 4 of the Seven Habits of Individuation: knowing your unique set of facts. The next episode explores how to meet the genuine needs of the world. The goal isn't to become a cog in someone else's machine, but to develop the self-knowledge that allows your authentic gifts to emerge and find their place in the world. The World Active Imagination exercise:YouTube version - https://youtu.be/nD_VYClO_doExtended Podcast version - https://open.spotify.com/episode/2XRYJIzYniNKYBGHsvnRo3?si=6OusIgKrR5WZ-iAQZdbdow 🎓 Go Deeper:- Seven Habits of Individuation Ebook: makeitconscious.com/sevenhabits- Shadow Mapping Sessions: makeitconscious.com/step/shadow-mapping- Know Yourself Programme: knowyourself.makeitconscious.com 📚 Additional Resources:- The Dialectics of Shadow (Article): makeitconscious.com/the-dialectics-of-shadow/- Tarot Birth Chart Reports: makeitconscious.com/step/tarot-birth-chart-reports- Why Divination is Real article series: makeitconscious.com/why-divination-is-real 🎧 Podcasts:- MiC Podcast: open.spotify.com/show/6AxGzV3sa6kK2NKSKDyuJa- Inner Work Exercises: open.spotify.com/show/4OMC4T1PNsA951dvvHhYMs 📱 Connect With Us:- Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/1682899242067996- Instagram: instagram.com/makeitconscious- X: x.com/makeitconscious

Jul 26, 2025 • 47min
Work vs Contribution: The Key to Your True Vocation | Future of Work
Most people approach work begrudgingly - as something they do only because they have to. But this attitude blocks the very self-knowledge and freedom they're seeking. In this episode, we explore why the distinction between "work" and "contribution" changes everything.Discover the framework that transforms obligation into spiritual practice, moving you beyond the false choice between starving artist and wage slave toward authentic contribution that serves both your development and the world's needs.In this episode I discuss:- Why "work" feels like a curse and what this reveals about consciousness- The conflict between self-expression and meeting the world's needs- How true contribution becomes play rather than drudgery- Why you are the ultimate niche in the long tail economy- Moving from competition to creativity in conscious business- The three facets of contributing your unique value- What Adam Smith got right and wrong about self-interest and free market economics- The concept of "play" from Friedrich Schiller- Valentine Tomberg on duty and beautyThis episode establishes the conceptual foundation of Habit 4 from the Seven Habits of Individuation: Contribute Your Unique and Specific Value. Future episodes will provide practical tools for discovering and implementing your unique contribution.🎓 Go Deeper:- Seven Habits of Individuation Ebook: makeitconscious.com/sevenhabits- Shadow Mapping Sessions: makeitconscious.com/step/shadow-mapping- Know Yourself Programme: knowyourself.makeitconscious.com📚 Additional Resources:- The Dialectics of Shadow (Article): makeitconscious.com/the-dialectics-of-shadow/- Tarot Birth Chart Reports: makeitconscious.com/step/tarot-birth-chart-reports- Why Divination is Real article series: makeitconscious.com/why-divination-is-real🎧 Podcasts:- MiC Podcast: open.spotify.com/show/6AxGzV3sa6kK2NKSKDyuJa- Inner Work Exercises: open.spotify.com/show/4OMC4T1PNsA951dvvHhYMs📱 Connect With Us:- Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/1682899242067996- Instagram: instagram.com/makeitconscious- X: x.com/makeitconscious

Jul 19, 2025 • 39min
Work is a Spiritual Practice: Integrating Self-Knowledge with Career | Future of Work
For many people, work and spirituality exist in opposition - one seems to demand what the other prohibits. Yet beneath this apparent contradiction lies a deeper unity - work is actually a spiritual practice, and how you approach your livelihood is a vital component of becoming who you are.This first episode of The Future of Work series makes the case for a more nuanced understanding of work's role in self-knowledge. Drawing on the Seven Habits of Individuation framework, we examine why work is essential to genuine spiritual development.In this episode we cover:- The four modalities of consciousness and why material/financial freedom is a cornerstone for self-knowledge- Warren Buffet's approach to wealth as an example of freedom within limitation- Khalil Gibran's "The Prophet on Work" - capturing the essence of work as love made visible- How AI and technological change force an encounter with meaning- Why authentic organisations benefit from their people's self-realisation- The role of work in the individuation process and conscious developmentThis series integrates Jungian psychology and idealist philosophy with practical career guidance, offering a philosophical foundation for approaching work consciously. 🎓 Go Deeper:- Seven Habits of Individuation Ebook: makeitconscious.com/sevenhabits- Mapping the Shadow Video Series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeuFwuWK5O2PriUHnSAKpaf5eOpy27Nsw- Shadow Mapping Sessions: makeitconscious.com/step/shadow-mapping- Know Yourself Programme: knowyourself.makeitconscious.com 📚 Additional Resources:- Blog: makeitconscious.com/blog/- The Dialectics of Shadow (Article): makeitconscious.com/the-dialectics-of-shadow/- Tarot Birth Chart Reports: makeitconscious.com/step/tarot-birth-chart-reports 🎧 Podcasts:- MiC Podcast: open.spotify.com/show/6AxGzV3sa6kK2NKSKDyuJa- Inner Work Exercises: open.spotify.com/show/4OMC4T1PNsA951dvvHhYMs 📱 Connect With Us:- Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/1682899242067996- Instagram: instagram.com/makeitconscious- X: x.com/makeitconscious

Jul 12, 2025 • 31min
Why Shadow Work is Really About Freedom | Mapping the Shadow
This discussion dives into the concept of true freedom, which paradoxically requires limitations. It highlights the interplay between shadow work and the development of consciousness. The episode examines how self-contradiction arises when ideals overshadow essence and the crucial role of empathy in personal growth. The journey through dialectics reveals that both personal transformation and historical evolution contribute to understanding freedom. Ultimately, it connects individual struggles with a larger cosmic purpose, inviting listeners to explore their own shadows.

Jul 6, 2025 • 32min
Making a Living Without Selling Your Soul: The Shadow Map Approach to Work | Mapping the Shadow
This episode explores how to navigate the fundamental tension between authentic self-expression and meeting the world's needs through your work. We examine the contribution dialectic and why true fulfilment requires both personal authenticity and genuine service.This episode covers:- Why contribution is essential for psychological health and self-realisation- The two extremes: the starving artist vs the corporate drone- How both extremes fail to achieve their stated goals- The three facets of meaningful contribution: knowing your unique gifts, meeting world needs, and practising generosity- Why "influence" is largely a fallacious concept- How Seth Godin's "open vs closed" framework relates to shadow work- The difference between creating value and serving power dynamicsThis is part of an ongoing series exploring Shadow Mapping™ and Shadow Dialectics - a comprehensive approach to understanding psychological dynamics and transformation.🎓 Go Deeper with Shadow Work:- Shadow Mapping Sessions: makeitconscious.com/step/shadow-mapping- Know Yourself Programme: knowyourself.makeitconscious.com- Seven Habits of Individuation Ebook: makeitconscious.com/sevenhabits-------------------📚 Additional Resources:- The Dialectics of Shadow (Article): makeitconscious.com/the-dialectics-of-shadow/- Tarot Birth Chart Reports: makeitconscious.com/step/tarot-birth-chart-reports- Why Divination is Real article series: makeitconscious.com/why-divination-is-real🎧 Podcasts:- MiC Podcast: open.spotify.com/show/6AxGzV3sa6kK2NKSKDyuJa- Inner Work Exercises: open.spotify.com/show/4OMC4T1PNsA951dvvHhYMs📱 Connect With Us:- Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/1682899242067996- Instagram: instagram.com/makeitconscious- X: x.com/makeitconscious

Jun 30, 2025 • 30min
The Cost of Being "Normal" | Mapping the Shadow
This episode explores the cost of being "normal" and how master-slave dynamics persist in the world of finance. The episode covers:- How the modern financial system mirrors the master-slave relationship- How currency debasement operates- The stark reality of national debt and what it means for your freedom- How housing affordability has fundamentally changed over 40 years- Why obsessing over metrics (money, status, income) becomes its own form of psychological inflation- The difference between genuine material freedom and the illusion of wealth- How every idea taken to its extreme becomes a caricature of itselfUsing examples from currency creation to the BBC's institutional drift, this episode shows how Power Positions inevitably corrupt their original purpose. Max shares sobering data on dollar devaluation since 1913 and UK housing price-to-earnings ratios that reveal the true cost of participating unconsciously in these systems.This is part of an ongoing series exploring Shadow Mapping™ and Shadow Dialectics - a comprehensive approach to understanding psychological dynamics and transformation.🎓 Go Deeper with Shadow Work:- Shadow Mapping Sessions: makeitconscious.com/step/shadow-mapping- The Dialectics of Shadow (Article): makeitconscious.com/the-dialectics-of-shadow/- Know Yourself Programme: knowyourself.makeitconscious.com-------------------📚 Additional Resources:- Tarot Birth Chart Reports: makeitconscious.com/step/tarot-birth-chart-reports- Seven Habits of Individuation Ebook: makeitconscious.com/sevenhabits- Why Divination is Real article series: makeitconscious.com/why-divination-is-real🎧 Podcasts:- MiC Podcast: open.spotify.com/show/6AxGzV3sa6kK2NKSKDyuJa- Inner Work Exercises: open.spotify.com/show/4OMC4T1PNsA951dvvHhYMs📱 Connect With Us:- Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/1682899242067996- Instagram: instagram.com/makeitconscious- X: x.com/makeitconscious


