Broadening Perspectives on Spiritual Practices

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In many cultures outside the Western world, spiritual beliefs and practices are more common and deeply ingrained than in the modern West. Despite the success of practices like spiritism in Brazil, Western societies, particularly in America, often remain ignorant and closed-minded about these alternative approaches to mental health and spirituality. The success of treatments based on the removal of 'spirits' or negative energies in psychiatric hospitals in Brazil, operating for 150 years, highlights the effectiveness of these practices. Even influential figures like the Dalai Lama, who advises prioritizing science over religion, continue to rely on possessed oracles for spiritual guidance, showcasing a broader acceptance of diverse spiritual practices outside Western norms.

After a long career using many therapeutic modalities, for more than a decade, Bob Falconer has devoted his practice exclusively to Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy. Bob has completed all levels of IFS training and continues to study with many of the senior IFS trainers. He co-authored the book Many Minds, One Self with IFS founder Richard Schwartz and has helped to train more than a thousand people in IFS.

For the past several years, Bob has been devoted to completing the extensive research and writing of his new book, The Others Within Us, which deals with “unattached burdens,” “guides” and what has sometimes traditionally been referred to as spirit possession.

In this episode, Daniel and Bob discuss Bob’s personal trauma and the historical fight for the cultural and professional recognition of abuse, trauma and PTSD. They then delve into the history of psychotherapy and its connections to capitalism and colonialism and Bob’s perspectives on Internal Family Systems (IFS). While exploring the major themes of Bob’s book, they discuss the porous nature of mind, differing cultural models of mind, psychosis and spirit possession, Bob’s personal experiences with “the others within us,” the imaginal realm, and how Western psychology might shift from a “mono-mind” perspective to a “porous mind” one in the future.

Timestamps

03:39 Intro
05:29 Bob’s Abusive Upbringing and Early Spiritual Experiences
11:07 How Internal Family Systems Has Helped Bob Become a “Man of Joy”
13:37 The History and Evolution of Modern Cultural Conceptions of Abuse, Trauma and Mind
21:03 Competition, Capitalism and Colonialism in Psychotherapy
23:42 Internal Family Systems and Multiplicity of Mind
28:43 Bob’s Book and His Perspectives on The Porous Nature of Mind
31:48 “Something Foreign In My Mind”: The Client Who Changed Bob’s Perspective
39:09 “The Others Within Us”: The Core Claim of Bob’s Book
45:36 Generational Trauma and Different Cultural Approaches to “The Others Within Us”
49:19 How Forces Not Clearly Linked To Our Personal History Might Get Into Us
52:53 Limitations of the Western Conception of Mind and Differing Cultural Interpretations of “Psychosis”
57:39 Possible Portals To A More Widespread Recognition of The Porosity of Mind
1:00:05 Navigating The Imaginal Realm
1:03:51 How Coaches and Practitioners Can Make Space for Porosity of Mind and The Others Within Us
1:09:20 Closing