Writing.
Essays on spirituality, psychology and living a more awake life.
The Man Who Walked Through Minefields
Everywhere else it was 1975, but in Cambodia it was “Year Zero.” This is when the Khmer Rouge began their reign of terror.
The 3 Gods of Abraham
In a time of drought, three men went searching for a sacred well.
AI is a window to Infinity. Don't look too long.
I read about AI-induced psychosis lately, and it doesn't surprise me that this kind of mental break is happening.
Finding Calm as Reality Collapses
"In my 75 years, I've never seen it this dark before."
1st Order Pain & 2nd Order Pain
Is your pain 2nd order or 1st order pain?
The Inner Game of Tennis
I recently read "The Inner Game of Tennis" by Timothy Gallway and was thoroughly blown away.
Finding Your North Star
The Carthusian monks have an old saying: "While the world turns, the cross stands still."
Love is not a clever way to win over our enemies
Healing cannot be one-sided or carry a political agenda. Healing is not about one gentler or more loving ideology winning over…
Is it Healing or Co-Dependence?
I heard a quote this week attributed to spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle. It went something like this:
The #1 Obstacle I See With My Clients: Authenticity
Probably the #1 obstacle I see in the way of clients living out their authentic life purpose is the fear of being rejected for…
Love's Curious Absence in Modern Psychology
Next week I'm starting the second year of my masters degree in counseling at Loyola and after years of exploring spirituality I…
Why didn't Jesus appear to Buddhists? Or Vishnu to the Aztecs?
Why didn't Jesus appear to Buddhists? Or Vishnu to the Aztecs?
Escaping the Trap of Meaninglessness
Meaninglessness appears on both the philosophical and spiritual path, and—if we get stuck there—it can be devastating.
Should We Pursue Awakening?
Some teachers say yes, and others say no. — I believe there's wisdom in both answers.
Awakening or Psychosis? - How to tell the Difference?
Spotting Narcissism in Spirituality
Respond from love, not wound
Getting through "the dark side of the honeymoon"
Teach with your presence, not your words
Yesterday, I spoke with Uncle Chuck, a friend and mentor, who gave me an important reminder: you don't have to teach spirituality…
The 3 Steps of Manifestation
What happens when we try to manifest our dreams?
Follow Joy
In this video I talk about how to align our life with our True Self, and the role that joy has in pointing us toward that Self.
Leadership in an invisible, slow-moving war
After Shabbat dinner one evening, Rabbi Jim put his hand on my shoulder and said "Daniel, I would trust you in a war."
Two Fundamentals of Spirituality
Consciousness and energy are two fundamental domains of spirituality.
When you fall... go back to basics
Going back to the basics of spirituality
Healing Inner and Outer Systems
Systems parallel each other. Healing on one level ripples both upward and downward.
The Presence of "God"
Eckhart Tolle says: Be like a cat watching a mouse-hole. Be like a servant waiting for the master to return.
Back to School
I'll be attending Loyola this fall!
What is spiritual energy?
Understanding how to sense your energy and move it may be one of the most practical and most important psychospiritual tools that…
Fast is Slow. Slow is Fast.
Almost every Friday during college I attended Shabbat dinner at the campus Hillel. And every Friday night Rabbi James Ponet would…
Love's True Power
How do you wield power with love? How do you wield strength with love? Or how does love itself become strength? This, I feel, is…
Wedding Bells
Last week I proposed to my partner Helen on a rickety old navigation tower at a place in New Orleans called the End of the World.
“Awakening is not a one-shot experience.”
Dialogue with Chuck Ceraso + New Group Sessions
What is "Carpet Work?"
The last few weeks, I’ve been blooming.
Letter from Daniel: New Foundations
Welcome to my new email list and Substack community
Spiritual Perfectionism – And what to do about it
I've noticed something recently that I call "spiritual perfectionism" and I'd love to hear what others think.
Everything is a door to enlightenment
Imagine that all the objects around you—that painting, that plant, that bowl—are little doors with handles. And if you were to…
Stable Awakening
Over the last five months, I have been going through a powerful and at times very difficult transformation.
The Wisdom of Silence
Knowledge enters through the brain. Wisdom enters through the bones.
The Nature of Peace
After four days of fasting in the Inyo mountains, our group sat in a circle and we each told what happened to us during our time…
What does it mean to be "spiritual"?
I was recently asked, "When people say they are "spiritual," what do they mean?"
Love is the Strongest Magic
Psychosocial Fields
Thumbnail Credit: Esteban Sayhueque - Instagram: estebansayhueque
Love's Invisible Rivers
I asked a friend of mine recently if he loved himself. He approaches most things in life with humor and good cheer. With a grin…
The Messiah Archetype
For most of my life, I had a certain habit which I'm not entirely proud of.
The Trap of Grand Ambitions
"How will you be remembered when you're gone?"
How to Swim with Snakes
Last Thursday, I found myself at the bottom of a pond.
The Psychology Behind Manifestation
There’s an idea in various metaphysical traditions that “thought is causative.” That is, our thoughts have a direct, metaphysical…
How to Parent Your Inner Child
One morning, I went for a walk. My anxiety and self-consciousness had returned to hound me.
Addiction and the Realm of Hungry Ghosts
I'm constantly amazed how certain religious myths map onto human psychology.
Were You Abandoned? Or Engulfed?
It feels like a lot of people around me are yearning for intimate connection right now. I keep coming back to "Journey of the…
Anger is a Sword
For a long time, I tried not to be angry. My father was an angry man. His father was an angry man. At some point, I decided, "I…
The Meaning of Life
Listen to the original podcast episode here .
6 Keys to Mature Heroism
Odysseus, the Greek hero, didn’t get his name because he went in search of his Odyssey. Rather, The Odyssey was called The…
What if God were Change?
This article pairs well with the following episode with Taj Smith:
Without God, Is Anything Truly Wrong?
The Christian apologist William Lane Craig says that one of his most popular arguments against atheism is that it is morally…
Positive Nihilism
When I was a teenager, I became convinced there was no meaning in the world. I’ve done a lot of thinking since, but that basic…
How are you not yourself?
In my favorite existential comedy “I Heart Huckabees,” two existential detectives hound Jude Law’s character (a successful but…
Show Notes - How to Talk About Politics at Thanksgiving | Anthony Magnabosco
The U.S. election may be over but healing the division and rancor in the country will take years. Anthony Magnabosco uses a…
Show Notes: What is "Real" | Chris Stedman
Buy IRL, Faitheist, or any other book mentioned in the podcast at: https://bookshop.org/shop/reenchantment
Show Notes: Let’s Admit We Liked Church | Bart Campolo
Here are the relevant links from my episode with Bart Campolo.
Show Notes: The Untold Story of Atheism | Nick Fish
An atheist strives for involvement in life
Baloney Detection Kit
During my episode with Sasha Sagan , she mentioned her father's Baloney Detection Kit. I'd never heard of it. It's something that…
Einstein's Religion
Most people have heard of Albert Einstein's science. Few people know about his religion.
Quiet Heroism
Right now we all face a rare opportunity. If Italy is a window to the future , the future is sobering. Riots have swept Italian…
Religion as Art
The French philosopher Gilles Deleuze noticed a problem in his field. Despite centuries of philosophical argument about the…