Diederik was born in 1942 in a tiny village south of what now is known as Jakarta, Indonesia. The first three and a half years of his life were spent in Japanese POW camps and it was here that he formed most of his core beliefs, beliefs which he thought were his actual ‘character’. After some fifty years of self-loathing, alcohol, and drug abuse he decided there had to be a better way, it was time to ‘change his mind’ at the deepest levels. Through a Course in Miracles and Attitudinal Healing, he developed a radical forgiveness process that allows him to transform the self he hated into a Self whose only function is to extend love. Choose Again, his charitable society, operates a healing center in Costa Rica and he gives talks and teaches workshops in many places around the world.

Website: choose-again.com

Book: Choose Again: Six Steps to Freedom

Book Diederik mentioned: What They Don’t Teach in Prenatal Class: The Key to Raising Trouble-Free Kids & Teens

Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.

Summary and Transcript of this interview.

Interview recorded June 12, 2021

YouTube Video Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction and Background of Diederik Wolsak

00:05:15 - Core Beliefs and Self-Blame

00:10:17 - The Formation of Core Beliefs

00:14:26 - The Unbearable Existence

00:19:04 - The Point of Change

00:23:45 - Childhood in Indonesia and Self-Hatred

00:28:03 - A Blindness to One's Own Behavior

00:32:34 - The Meaning Behind Lesson 135 in A Course in Miracles

00:36:43 - Deep Transformation through the Process

00:41:16 - The Masks We Wear

00:45:42 - The Root of Beliefs

00:49:52 - The Process of Transformation

00:54:24 - The Power to Interpret Your Experience

00:58:59 - The Unexpected Reaction

01:02:35 - The Self's Influence on Experience

01:06:58 - Healing Through Awareness of Beliefs

01:10:59 - The Guilt of Separation

01:15:24 - The Journey to Oneness

01:19:15 - The Importance of Commitment

01:23:15 - Reflecting Core Beliefs and Healing the Self

01:27:36 - The State of Consciousness and Beliefs

01:31:49 - Finding Purpose in Office Jobs

01:36:12 - Step Two: Recognizing the Author of Our Dreams

01:40:26 - Tracing the Root Feeling

01:44:38 - The Guilt Behind Punishment

01:48:30 - Reforming the Criminal Justice System

01:52:53 - Healing Together in Relationships

01:57:14 - Finding Support Online

02:01:48 - The Completion Process

02:06:24 - The Purpose of Discomfort and Correction

02:10:39 - Gratitude and Farewell