The Psychology Podcast

Today we welcome Dr. Jim Fadiman. Jim is a psychologist, writer, and lecturer who has been pioneering psychedelic research since the 1960s. He is recognized as “America’s wisest and most respected authority on psychedelics and their use.” Jim received his bachelor and doctorate degrees from Harvard and Stanford respectively. Apart from psychedelics, he has also been involved in researching healthy multiplicity for over 20 years. His newest book with Jordan Gruber is called Your Symphony of Selves: Discover and Understand More of Who We Are.In this episode, I talk to Dr. Jim Fadiman about multiple selves. The DSM says that having multiple personalities is a disorder, but Dr. Fadiman challenges this notion. In fact, he believes that the opposite is true: the multiplicity of selves is both normal and healthy. It’s not about having one “super self”, but unifying the different parts of who we are. We also discuss psychedelics, its effects on mental health, and how Abraham Maslow would have viewed these mind-altering substances.Website: jamesfadiman.comTwitter: @jfadiman Topics04:54 Modern microdosing06:49 Microdosing for physical and mental health 10:00 Healthy vs pathological multiplicity14:14 What would Maslow think of psychedelics?23:24 No single self 26:42 Taking responsibility for all yourselves30:13 Harmonizing selves34:28 Is it possible to create a super self?37:58 All your parts are you42:07 Unified self is healthy 44:08 Being in the right mind at the right time51:17 Practice selves workSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we welcome Dr. Gabor Maté. A physician, renowned speaker, and bestselling author, Gabor is highly sought after for his expertise on addiction, stress, and childhood development. For his groundbreaking medical work and writing, he has been awarded the Order of Canada, his country’s highest civilian distinction. He is also a co-developer of Compassionate Inquiry, a therapeutic approach for deep healing and transformation. His newest book is called The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness & Healing in a Toxic Culture.In this episode, I talk to Gabor Maté about The Myth of Normal. Healthcare in Western societies tend to focus on physical health, without accounting for an individual’s lived experience. The tension between authenticity and attachment and the pressures of a capitalist culture puts undue stress on our minds and bodies. Dr. Maté invites us to rethink trauma and disease, by emphasizing holistic well-being and the role of agency. We also touch on the topics of early childhood, epigenetics, and self-improvement. Website: drgabormate.comTwitter: @drgabormate Topics02:36 The Myth of Normal06:14 Maslow’s Metagrumbles10:25 From individual to global well-being13:25 Authenticity vs attachment20:48 No separation of psyche and soma28:05 Trauma is what happens inside you33:34 Dr. Gabor Maté’s early childhood 37:20 Trauma denial and victimhood mentality41:05 Disease is a long term process45:21 Epigenetics and the role of environment50:24 Screening for special and gifted education52:45 Pathways to wholeness58:01 The four A’s of healing 1:06:44 Compassionate Inquiry1:10:16 Authentic satisfactionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we welcome to the show Jordyn Feingold, resident physician in psychiatry, co-founder of the Positive Medicine Program, and co-author with me of the new book Choose Growth!Jordyn graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with her BA and Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP). At present, she is a psychiatry resident at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Jordyn is deeply involved in research, curriculum development, and advocacy work pertaining to clinician well-being, locally, nationally, and globally. Together, we wrote Choose Growth: A Workbook for Transcending Trauma, Fear, and Self-Doubt.In this episode, I talk to Jordyn Feingold about positive medicine and the importance of choosing growth. As a physician and positive psychology practitioner, Jordyn is on a mission to shift the focus of medicine from treatment to well-being. As much as our physical health can influence our mental health, the reverse is also true. She talks about the impact and practical applications of positive psychology in healthcare. We also touch on the topics of resilience, relationships, communication, growth, and transcendence.Website: positivepsychologyforphysicians.comTwitter: @jordynfeingold Topics 04:52 Positive Medicine12:08 Embodied cognition14:06 The REVAMP model of well-being18:10 Positive interventions21:39 Choose Growth28:28 Who’s in your boat?32:08 Active vs passive constructive responding35:53 High-quality connections 40:01 Jordyn as chief extrovert42:41 “Yes, and” transcendence48:34 Integrate your dark sideSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we welcome Tara Well, who is an associate professor of psychology at Barnard College of Columbia University where she has taught Personality Psychology, Health Psychology, and Psychology of Leadership for over 20 years. Her research on motivation, perception, and cognition has been funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). She outlines the research and benefits of her meditation program in her latest book Mirror Meditation.In this episode, I talk to Tara Well about mirror meditation. What is the first thing you think of when you look in the mirror? For a lot of us, our initial instinct is to nitpick at our flaws. Using mirror meditation, Tara teaches people how to use one’s reflection to promote self-acceptance and inner knowing. The mirror can help us become kinder not just to ourselves, but to the people around us as well. We also touch on the topics of narcissism, compassion, and attachment. Website: mirrormeditation.comTwitter: @tarawell88 Topics01:36 Tara’s expertise in psychology 05:33 Mirror Meditation 12:22 Reflecting on identities14:39 Sit with yourself18:59 Unfreeze yourself21:28 Neuroscience of narcissists 26:08 Compassion for narcissists32:42 Anxious and avoidant self-attachment36:31 Be there for yourself39:20 Look at others in the eyes of love42:07 Reclaiming your projections43:28 How to see the best in others45:45 Self-talk in third person46:51 Meditation practiceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we welcome Eric Barker, the author of The Wall Street Journal bestseller Barking Up the Wrong Tree. His book has sold over half a million copies and has been translated into 19 languages. It was even the subject of a question on “Jeopardy!” Eric is also a sought-after speaker, having given talks at MIT, the Aspen Ideas Festival, Google, the United States Military Central Command (CENTCOM), and the Olympic Training Center. His newest book is called Plays Well with Others.In this episode, I talk to Eric Barker about relationships. We tackle the misconceptions on loneliness, marriage, and body language. Eric shares practical tips that we can apply in our own relationships such as how to keep passionate love alive and how to catch liars. We also touch on the topics of communication, vulnerability, community and health. Website: bakadesuyo.comTwitter: @bakadesuyo Topics02:18 Plays Well with Others05:11 Loneliness is perception08:38 Marriage requires crazy love and work 10:57 Gottman’s Four Horsemen of Divorce15:26 Keeping passionate love alive 19:02 Emotional endings and love maps 24:28 The Scary Rule 28:14 Dunbar’s number30:49 Parasocial relationships 35:32 Body language is overrated39:04 How to catch a liar42:11 Story of connectionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we welcome philosopher Skye Cleary. She is a lecturer at Columbia University and the City College of New York. Skye is the author of Existentialism and Romantic Love and co-editor of How to Live a Good Life. Her writing has appeared in The Paris Review, Aeon, Business Insider, TED-Ed, and The Los Angeles Review of Books, among other outlets.In 2021, she was a MacDowell Fellow and In 2017, she won the New Philosopher Writers’ Award. Her latest book is called How to Be Authentic. In this episode, I talk to Skye Cleary about Simone de Beauvoir’s life and how it has informed her existentialist philosophy. As a feminist during the forties, Simone was passionate about freedom of choice. It's not a surprise then that her definition of authenticity also revolves around self-determination. Authenticity is not about finding a true self, but rather a process of creating who we want to be. We also touch on the topics of gender, power, social justice, narcissism, and fulfillment.Website: skyecleary.comTwitter: @Skye_Cleary Topics01:54 French existentialist philosophy04:05 “One is not born, but rather becomes, woman”09:58 Creating our essence12:46 Transcending our impulses18:01 Creative rebellion22:19 Skye’s Critique of Simone de Beauvoir24:03 Authenticity is responsible freedom27:33 Power and freedom32:00 Skye’s background in philosophy33:15 Intersubjectivity: the foundation of ethical relations34:48 Inauthenticity, social media, narcissism38:37 Windows of freedom, genetics, motherhood41:38 Fulfillment is embracing life See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we welcome Colin Seale, the founder and CEO of thinkLaw. Colin was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, where his struggles gave birth to his passion for educational equity. Using lessons from his experience as a math teacher, attorney, and keynote speaker, he helps educators teach critical thinking to all students, regardless of race or achievement through his award-winning organization thinkLaw. Colin is also the author of Thinking Like a Lawyer. His latest book is called Tangible Equity. In this episode, I talk to Colin Seale about tangible equity in education. For Colin, real equity work should help reduce the predictive power of demographics on outcomes. In order to do that, we need to teach kids how to think for themselves, so they learn to question instead of comply with unfair systems. Colin shares concrete actions that educators can take to contribute towards tangible equity. We also touch on the topics of privilege, race, bias, and gifted education. Website: thinklaw.usTwitter: @ColinESeale Topics02:55 What is tangible equity?05:28 Reforming the pathways to success09:33 Why equity has become a challenge 16:42 The pressure of success and compliance18:56 Critical race theory in schools25:01 Understanding race and privilege 30:53 Colin as a keynote speaker 35:15 Leveraging privilege for equity36:39 We all have power 41:50 Disrupting gifted education49:24 Shatter the ceiling of educationSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we welcome Josh Szeps who is a television, radio and podcast host who shakes up the status quo with his fierce intellect and infectious sense of humor. Josh's interviews with prominent figures and celebrities like Jane Goodall, Ron Howard, Russel Brand, and Neil Patrick Harris have attracted billions of online views and sold out event tickets. Currently, he can be heard on ABC Radio Sydney and on his award-winning podcast Uncomfortable Conversations.In this episode, I talk to Josh Szeps about what it means to think freely. In this social media age, it's become increasingly challenging to become an independent thinker. Our tribal nature and online echo chambers tend to reinforce ideologies we already believe in. Even the way we talk sounds scripted! Josh and I discuss how to genuinely search for truth so we can broaden our worldviews. We also touch on the topics of intersectionality, wokeism, ethics, and racism.Website: linktr.ee/joshszepsTwitter: @joshzepps Topics02:35 Are we living in a simulation?10:39 The clique of provocateurs16:58 Compromise through conversation23:27 The excess of wokeism27:01 Moral foundations and disgust31:36 Racism in the gay community35:11 Reverse racism37:00 Respecting individual identity over group identity43:16 Should we be proud of intrinsic attributes? 49:08 Scripted ideologies51:40 How to overcome binary thinking 58:01 Pushing limits through radical curiositySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we welcome Hitendra Wadhwa, Professor of Practice at Columbia Business School where he teaches Columbia’s most popular leadership course, the award-winning “Personal Leadership & Success.” Hitendra is also the founder of Mentora Institute, which is at the forefront of creating a new model of leadership that is agile, authentic, and attainable. Hitendra’s research and teaching on personal leadership have been covered by Forbes, Fortune, CNN, Psychology Today, Wall Street Journal and others. He is the author of Inner Mastery, Outer Impact.In this episode, I talk to Hitendra Wadhwa about personal development. Growth is often associated with the mastery of skills. But Hitendra reminds us that inner work is also growth. The internal battles we face lead us to become more attuned to our most authentic selves. In order to unlock our full potential, Hitendra shares with us Five Core Energies and how to activate them. We also touch on the topics of leadership, service, purpose, and transcendence. Website: www.hitendra.comTwitter: @HitendraWadhwa Topics02:31 Hitendra’s background and upbringing 06:16 Personal leadership09:23 Public leadership13:44 Ashoka the Great18:01 Dominion over yourself21:30 Authenticity and our real selves27:05 Core Energy: Purpose29:33 Core Energy: Wisdom30:48 Core Energy: Growth32:04 Core Energy: Love33:33 Core Energy: Self-Realization37:34 Conceptualizing the Five Core Energies39:50 Living vs leading 43:41 The mystic in all of us48:22 From inner dominance to inner surrenderSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kristi Nelson, the executive director of A Network for Grateful Living and a long-time cancer survivor, delves into the transformative nature of gratefulness. She distinguishes gratefulness from gratitude, sharing her practice of 'Stop, Look, Go.' Kristi emphasizes the importance of appreciating life as a gift, navigating hardships, and finding the extraordinary in the ordinary. Discussion also touches on positive psychology, self-compassion, and the generative power of appreciation, inspiring listeners to embrace a fuller, more grateful existence.