Taking the Plunge: A Rite of Passage

Near our little house in the woods runs a lovely rushy stream, Clove Creek. While it’s often brisk and prosperous, it takes a huge spring thunderstorm to understand how such a modest flow could carve out the dramatic and beautiful area known locally as The Gorge.

COVID-19 has seen all the rules change when it comes to social engagement. Workplaces and schools have closed, gatherings have been banned, and the use of social media and other online tools has risen to bridge the gap.

What do you want? This is a question that is asked of us throughout our lives. "What do you want?" We ask this question of babies when they are crying and we can't figure out if they're hungry, wet, or what… What do you want? We ask this question of the child who is seeking our attention. We ask this of a...

Any moment in which we are unaware and out of balance and harmony, then we are in trance. When we are feeling superior and feel justified in our judgments, we are in trance. When we feel inferior or unworthy, we are in trance. Streams of past, future, or worrisome thoughts that surface...

One reason the story of the Titanic disaster has such enduring appeal is that it is an object lesson in the need to question perceived reality, trust our gut, and when necessary, act on our own personal authority to save others and ourselves.

Words which contain a reference to good and evil have become degraded, especially those which refer to the good -- not only courage but also effort, patience, love and hope -- are met with cynicism and indifference. Unless we boldly confront cynicism and indifference, we cannot make fundamental and effective responses.

Thousands of baby chicks shipped to small poultry farmers through the U.S. Postal Service have arrived at their destinations dead in recent weeks.

We all respond to boredom in different ways. Some may find a new hobby or interest, others may instead rip open a bag of crisps and binge watch a new Netflix show.

Sometimes when things don't go the way I want, rather than letting things go their own way, I start pushing and forcing and trying to make things happen. Can you relate to this one? We start insisting on things going our way...

Whether you are a student or the parent of one contending with coronavirus school closures, this year “back to school” means studying under some unusual circumstances.

The latest research shows that drugs like MDMA and LSD could radically change how some people engage with therapy.

Being aware of these common thinking traps allows you to get them under control. Realize that you tend to rely more on these biases when you are more emotional, when in a rush, fatigued, or anytime you lower your mental guard and let your mind run on autopilot.

The thing about sequels is that they rarely measure up to the original. Like movies, there are two ways to live a life: hiding out in history, or dancing on the cutting edge. History is safe, but reeks of regularity. The cutting edge seems scary, but it bestows life...

No one is immune to developing chronic illnesses such as heart disease, cancer or arthritis as they get older. But research shows social activities, like joining clubs, interest groups or volunteering, are linked to better mental and physical health and a longer lifespan.

On Sunday, in Australia, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced government school students in prep to Year 10 in metropolitan Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire will learn from home for term three.

Using the word consciousness in any discussion can be confusing because it's a word used to mean so many things. Becoming conscious, in the Jungian sense, requires a committed effort to know ourselves, but this effort rewards us with a sense of energy, assurance, and peace.

It can feel like this time we're living in and all the stresses of navigating it are doing the opposite of bringing us closer. The feelings of isolation and separation are real. The divisive tools being used against our greater good are real. There's a lot at stake and there are complex challenges facing us...

Emotional suppression sometimes serves a useful, even essential purpose. When suffering a severe traumatic injury, for example. Yet while emotional suppression may sometimes serve a useful purpose, inhibiting the free flow of emotional energies over the course of a lifetime causes serious...

Updated July 2, 20020 - This whole coronavirus pandemic is costing a fortune, maybe 2 or 3 or 4 fortunes, all of unknown size. Oh yeah, and, hundreds of thousands, maybe a million, of people will die prematurely as a direct or indirect result. How much is that worth? It didn't have to be this way. 

Stress comes from anxiety, fear, guilt, and pressure. Stress causes headaches, earaches, toothaches, chest pains, palpitations, skin rashes, and butterflies in the stomach. Stress makes us hold our breath or breathe unevenly, gives us indigestion and diarrhea, or causes constipation. Stress leads to...

When we do not acknowledge our feelings, we may reactively eat for comfort. Not facing tensions in a relationship can lead to fear of arguments or anger at disagreements. Seeking escape from the discomforts of life may trap us in patterns of...

If we want to grow inwardly we must find new ways to learn about ourselves. These higher discoveries call for higher learning. Think of each of the following eleven laws as individual magic strands of a flying carpet. Make it your aim to weave them together in your mind. Then watch how these lessons combine to effortlessly lift you to...

Fear, anxiety, worry, lack of motivation and difficulty concentrating — students cite all sorts of reasons for opposing distance learning.

Moral injury is a wound to the soul. It happens when you participate in or witness things that transgress your deepest beliefs about right and wrong. It is extreme trauma that mani­fests as grief, sorrow, shame, guilt, or any combination of those things. It shows up as negative thoughts, self-hatred, hatred of others, feelings of regret...

Have we not all asked ourselves this question at one point or another? "What's it all about?"  Since to every question there is an answer, I asked my inner Self to provide an answer. The answer I heard was "It's all about you!" Well...

On one hand, we need to keep pace with new developments and stay on top of our careers. On the other hand, we need to meet the demands of our personal life. Result? We are on overload.

We live in a world of extremes. Extreme wealth, extreme poverty. Extreme hedonism and joy, and extreme fear and pain. Extreme religious devotion, and extreme hatred. And as with everything, the microcosm and the macrocosm are reflections of each other. In each one of us there resides these extremes, or at least a presence of these realities -- though maybe not in the extreme.

One of my favorite lines in the movie "Gone With The Wind" is when Scarlett says "Tomorrow is another day". This line has given me hope many times when the skies of my life were bleak and I couldn't see around the corner of whatever challenge was facing me at the time…

In the mid-1960s, Bob Dylan’s song, “The Times They Are A-Changin,” became an anti-establishment anthem for frustrated young people.Fifty-plus years later, the times are no longer “a-changin;” the times have changed—radically. In fact, rapid, continuous, unpredictable change is the “new normal.”

The world we inhabit is changing at such speed and frenetic accelera­tion that in order to keep pace we must ourselves evolve, not from the Darwinian thesis of survival-of-the-fittest and physical evolution, but rather from the next step in the human story, conscious evolution.

There has been a lot of emphasis on physical survival, which of course is important. The following points will help you survive emotionally and spiritually, but more importantly, to thrive, both as an individual and in your relationships.

Humans are creatures of habit, and sometimes we get stuck in a rut. Sometimes we're overwhelmed. We face a simple daily task and spin into panic or just plain freeze. Neither opens up our hearts or minds to the real challenges or pleasures at hand. We need to snap out of it and get back into living again. But how?

When Dee and I grew a family of dogs, we decided to feed them meat. That was a big decision for us, since we had never had meat in the house. But we love our “kids,” and we want them to be happy. Why impose our diet on them? So we buy them canned dog food and cook meat for them.

Where does our hope lie? Where shall we ground ourselves for continuing on and changing our ways radically? Creativity can redeem and save our species. I agree with Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés that all women and men are born gifted. All we need to do is release this creativity, get out of its way, as M. C. Richards used to say.

Everyone is adjusting to life during the coronavirus pandemic. For many, working from home is the new normal and poses all sorts of new challenges.

Ho‘oponopono is one of the kahuna sciences, ancient shamanistic teachings from Hawaii, and describes a method for resolving personal problems and interpersonal conflict. The aim of ho‘oponopono is to heal relationships on many levels...

Social distancing and washing hands have become the frontline in the fight against COVID-19, but there is another powerfully protective resource immediately available to all: your circadian rhythm.

People all across the U.S. claim that they are “not math people.” They even readily admit to their hatred for some math fundamentals, such as fractions.

For me, learning often comes from understanding "why". Why things are the way they are, why things happen, why people are the way they are, why I act the way I do, why other people act the way they do. Once I understand the "why" of a situation, I can then understand how I need to respond both now and in the future.

Due to Antarctica’s extreme winter, which includes four months of total darkness, polar explorers endured intense confinement in close quarters for long periods of time.

Oftentimes, in life, we have doubts about the outcome of a situation... whether the doubt has to do with our own capabilities, or someone else's. Yet faith in ourselves is an integral part in succeeding... When we give up believing in ourselves, we give up trying.

The irony of anyone standing firmly resistant to change is that we awaken into a brand new world every day. We call it the universe, and it’s never the same place twice. In our universe, though, the changes happening all around us are either so constant we take them for granted or so slow and imperceptible we fail to notice them.

Propagandists are already working to sow disinformation and social discord in the run-up to the November elections.

Almost everyone procrastinates. We usually do it to avoid a task that's unpleasant or daunting. When procrastinating starts to interfere with our quality of life by causing us to feel worried, fearful, lazy, or irresponsible, then it's time to get on with it.

We all want to leave our children a better world than the one we found. The greatest legacy you can bestow is joy, which is a choice you can make right now. If you wait until the world changes to let your light shine, your dream will wither and die. Make your joy conditional on nothing outside you and on everything inside you...

We all have a unique path in life that, if traveled, brings out the best in us. Yet no path is ever forged for us, and we may have to bushwhack our way through unchartered wilderness when our navigation equipment fails. Depression is an emotional state that all of the body types are capable of experiencing when they feel stuck...

Mechanical behaviors are old ways of doing things that once worked, or appeared to have worked, in situations that were stressful or in situations that were actual or perceived as potentially endangering your survival.

We all feel the need to fit in, but does this prevent us from making decisions for ourselves?

One of the most influential phenomena in education over the last two decades has been that of the “growth mindset”.

Do you like to listen to music when you work? Pose this question at a party, and you’ll probably get some polarizing responses.

The ability to understand emotions contributes almost as much to students’ grades as their IQ.

You might have fallen for someone’s attempt to disinform you about current events. But it’s not your fault.

The way you talk to yourself and others directly impacts your behav­ior. Distinguishing wants from needs, using decisive language and eliminating indecisive language, and putting adjectives or feeling words and the word will back into your language assures you of having...

People often complain that their boss lacks understanding and compassion, thinking they would have approached the job entirely differently. But are leaders really deficient when it comes to empathy? And if so, why?

Research shows anxiety levels are high for many students in year 12 as they focus on academic goals that may determine their future.

Have you ever smelled odours other people can’t smell? If you have, you may have experienced phantosmia – the medical name for a smell hallucination.

When I began using computers during the 1970s, I noticed they were influencing me in unexpected ways, especially with regard to my sense of time. In a matter of days I went from marveling at the speed with which the computer could complete bookkeeping tasks I used to labor over, to snarling at the stupid...

As we journey forth on our path to self-awareness, we need to begin to take responsibility for who we are, what we stand for and where we are going. This sounds easy enough, but to accomplish it isn't always that simple.

Neuroscientists have discovered how the brain learns physical tasks, even in the absence of real-world movement.

Reflection and contemplation aren’t just for lazy Sunday af­ternoons. They are the means by which incredible solutions are discovered for impossible problems. Your mind is your best resource. It’s a catalyst for miracles.

Don’t underestimate the power of your nose. It makes our everyday eating experience pleasant and interesting and it warns us of spoiled food, corked wine and the dangers of gas and smoke

Those who are the loudest in their morality may not be the most moral among us.

When something is taking place and you don't feel in harmony within yourself, ask yourself one simple question: "Where is this coming from?" Keep repeating the question and take it step by step until you get to the "bottom line" -- a basic belief you hold which is instrumental in creating your reactions (and your reality).

Online misinformation works, or so it would seem. One of the more interesting statistics from the 2019 UK general election was that 88% of advertisements posted on social media by the Conservative Party pushed figures that had already been deemed misleading by the UK’s leading fact-checking organisation,

Explicit instruction is a term that summarises a type of teaching in which lessons are designed and delivered to novices to help them develop readily-available background knowledge on a particular topic.

Paul Morphy was a 19th-century New Orleans chess prodigy who was the de facto world chess champion during much of his short life.

Here are what I see as seven of the best reasons for America’s young to speak a language besides English.

Of course, drinking isn’t limited to a single season, but it holds a prominent place during the holidays. 

Balance in all things is the correct way to live. So how do we balance our scales to get the correct perspective of life? We must weigh up each situation that comes into our lives and balance our minds to understand what feels good and what doesn't. 

Last spring an 18-year-old college freshman who got straight A’s in high school – but was now failing several courses – came to my office on the campus where I work as a psychologist.

There are some mornings where I can't seem to get moving. I am not referring to those mornings when I may be physically tired and need the extra sleep. I speak rather of those mornings when I've had enough hours of rest, yet can't seem to get motivated to "rise and shine".

When Kendall Jenner recently shared a series of emotionally-charged Instagram posts about her experiences with acne, the 24-year-old model was immediately accused by many online observers of “sadfishing”

To find the “perfect” gift, Americans will spend about 15 hours shopping. Women will do about twice as much as men. And they’ll shell out about US$1 trillion on gifts.

Depression is a major cause of disability around the world, and if left untreated, can lead to substance abuse, anxiety and suicide.

The field of brain-machine interfaces (BMI) – which use electrodes, often implanted into the brain, to translate neuronal information into commands capable of controlling external systems

The human brain sends hundreds of billions of neural signals each second. It’s an extraordinarily complex feat.

What exactly is an attention span? Does it relate to intelligence? Can it change?

"There’s No Wrong Way to Eat a Reese’s." The Reese’s slogan raises a more poignant question: Is there a wrong way to do anything? Is there a wrong way—or even a right way—to live? If so, does it make a difference in terms of whether you are happy?

Narcissists, like sharks, get a bad press. Both are generally seen as menacing, negative forces to be feared and avoided.

You’re driving down an unfamiliar street on a clear spring evening. You’ve been invited to a friend of a friend’s party, at a house you’ve never been to before.

"All you need is love," sang The Beatles and how we wish that were true! We also need truth, which is a word symbol that describes the essential "translation" of Love, capital L, for specific applications. And Love transmits through a special medium: pneumaplasm.

Millions recently flocked to the cinema to watch Joker, the origin story of Batman’s notorious nemesis. Many have commented that the film is a portrait of a textbook psychopath.

From a very early age, I didn’t trust the norm. There was some­thing about conformity that felt very unstable to me. I suppose my heart was such an active part of my perception that yielding it to someone else’s opinion did not seem to be a viable option.

When you wander down most supermarket aisles are you befuddled by too much choice? Do you feel overwhelmed when comparing new phone deals, insurance offers, energy provider plans?

One of the critical functions of the brain is to encode and store information, which becomes our memories.

Researchers have created a new way to classify arrogance on different levels across a spectrum.

Have you ever sat down to complete your morning crossword or Sudoku and wondered about what’s happening in your brain?

Asking people to answer a question quickly and without thinking doesn’t get honest responses, especially if the quick response isn’t the most socially desirable, research finds.

Even today, 20 years after my childhood diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), I am still keenly aware of how my attention wavers, lapses or holds differently from that of most people.

Providing ramps where there are steps or stairs is just one way to help people with a disability get around.

Bees are pretty good at maths – as far as insects go, at least. We already know, for example, that they can count up to four and even understand the concept of zero.

What is the role of society and what are the psychological reasons that are likely to make some people prone to feeling fake or phony? Understanding these factors will help you to recognize why you may have developed your own feelings of imposterism and to appreciate that this is not your fault; it is not a weakness or failing to have Imposter Syndrome.

Everything is connected to form The Process. You can prove this for yourself with some simple examples. I’m assuming you’re dressed right now as you read this book. Look at the clothes you’re wearing. How did they get there? Probably because you dressed yourself earlier in the day. Getting dressed was a process.

Here's how to best position yourself for taking advantage of the unexpected. 

My name is Eloise and I am many things at once: I am a graduate student at the University of Oxford; I am a tutor, a rower, a feminist, a granddaughter, a daughter, a sister, a stepsister, a friend. I am also autistic.

If you think you just don’t have the brain for certain skills, you’re deceiving yourself, a new book argues. This belief undermines your ability to learn—whether it’s math, basketball, or playing the clarinet.

Although most of us can distinguish between and remember hundreds of different faces, some people are better at it than others.

Everyone experiences down days at times. Feeling flat is a normal reaction to something upsetting happening, tiredness or just being stuck in a rut.

When Toni Morrison died the world lost one of its most influential literary voices.

When driving themselves is no longer an option, older adults may feel the short- and long-term effects of isolation, a new study shows.