Know Thyself

Zen teacher and author Henry Shukman offers a clear and grounded introduction to the heart of Zen practice. We explore how awakening is not an escape from life, but a deeper participation in it — a realization that dissolves the illusion of separation and reveals a boundless field of awareness and love.

Henry shares his own spontaneous awakening experience at 19, the profound insight that life is not divided between self and world, and the difficult healing journey that followed. From mindfulness and meditation to flow states, jhanas, koans, and the role of trauma in spiritual growth, this conversation maps out a path that integrates awakening with emotional healing.

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André's Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list

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00:00 Intro

01:26 An Introduction to Zen

13:10 The Premise of Original Love

17:14 Training the Mind Like the Body

20:54 Freedom From Identification With Thought

27:50 What Are the Jhanas?

32:50 Ad: Saily

33:54 Tasting Awakening for Yourself

45:17 Awakening vs Psychological Healing

50:17 Awakening as an Ongoing Path

54:54 The Distinct Path of Zen

59:13 Koans as a Path to Insight

1:13:53 The Enlightenment of the Mundane

1:20:07 The Freedom of Emptiness

1:26:16 The Necessity of Meditation Practice

1:34:32 Sweeping the Yard (A Zen Poem)

1:43:33 Beauty, Ethics, and Interconnection

1:47:33 The Journey to a Whole Heart (A Poem on Heartbreak)

2:02:58 Original Love in a Fragmented World

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Episode Resources:

https://www.instagram.com/henryshukman/

https://www.instagram.com/theway_app/

https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/

https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/

https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast

https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com

Dr. Sue Morter returns to explore what it truly means to awaken — not as a concept, but as a lived, embodied experience. Beneath our protective personality and performance-driven identity lies a deeper intelligence — an electromagnetic master system that governs healing, perception, and consciousness itself.

In this conversation, we explore how nervous system regulation opens the doorway to higher awareness, why triggers are invitations to reclaim lost parts of ourselves, and how building energetic circuitry transforms reactive patterns into creative power. From subtle anatomy and the Shoshumna channel to the relationship between consciousness and matter, this episode bridges science and spirituality in a grounded, practical way.

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Know Thyself Community Event Waitlist: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/live

André's Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list

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00:00 Intro

5:48 The Illusion of Inherent Brokenness

11:37 The Fuel Behind Achievement

17:21 The Protective Personality

31:21 Ad: LMNT

32:46 The Return to Second Innocence

47:04 Ad: BON CHARGE

48:13 Expanding the Space Between Stimulus and Response

1:04:06 The Science of Subtle Anatomy

1:29:24 The Limits of Spiritual Language

1:43:07 Embodiment of Expanded Awareness

1:49:02 Moving From Joy Instead of Lack

1:54:16 The Transformative Power of Immersive Experience

2:15:22 Surrendering Fully Into Feeling

2:25:42 A Message to the Heart of Humanity

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Episode Resources:

Dr. Sue Morter's book: https://nt113.isrefer.com/go/HYHYL-Book/KnowThyself/

https://www.instagram.com/drsuemorter

https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/

https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/

https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast

https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com

Listen to the show:

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4bZMq9l

Apple: https://apple.co/4iATICX

Nir Eyal joins the podcast to explore one of the most foundational forces shaping our lives: belief. What if the way you see reality isn’t reality itself, but a simulation filtered through prior assumptions, expectations, and unconscious scripts?

In this conversation, we unpack the difference between fact, faith, and belief—and why most of our suffering stems from confusing the three. Nir shares powerful research on predictive processing, placebo and nocebo effects, learned helplessness, and how our expectations literally alter what we see, feel, and experience in our bodies.

From secular prayer and gratitude practices to Byron Katie’s turnaround method, this episode is a deep dive into how to move from limiting beliefs to liberating ones. If beliefs are tools, then the real question becomes: are the ones you’re using serving you?

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André's Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list

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00:00 Intro

01:35 The Difference Between Fact, Faith, and Belief

05:36 Illusions of Reality

07:29 The Core of Our Perception

15:52 Where to Start Enacting Change on Your Life

19:53 Beliefs as Tools, Not Truths

25:28 Ad: Nord VPN

26:32 The Cosmic Slot Machine

37:39 Spotting Your Limiting Beliefs

46:39 The Prison of Our Own Making

51:33 Why We Perceive Threats Everywhere

1:00:18 Becoming Indistractable

1:12:57 What Attention Means Today versus the Past

1:26:44 The Motivation Triangle

1:32:00 Closing Thoughts

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Episode Resources:

https://www.instagram.com/neyal99

https://nir.substack.com/

https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/

https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/

https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast

https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com

Swami Sarvapriyananda unpacks the philosophy of Advaita Vedanta and its central claim: you are not the body, not the mind, not even your thoughts — you are pure consciousness itself. Through rigorous reasoning rather than blind belief, he guides us step by step into a direct inquiry of who we truly are.

We explore the limits of faith-based religion, the pitfalls of mystical experience, the distinction between intelligence and consciousness in the age of AI, and the profound implications of non-duality. This conversation is not about adopting a belief system — it is about dismantling false identities until only the undeniable remains.

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André's Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list

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00:00 Intro

01:18 What Is Advaita Vedanta

06:44 The Promise Freedom From Suffering

10:16 Liberation While Living

15:09 The Three Spiritual Paths

23:38 The Path of Knowledge Jnana Yoga

28:42 Discovering Our Ignorance

29:49 Descartes and the Indubitable Self

32:36 Ad: LMNT

34:50 Deconstructing the Self

37:18 Are You the Body

42:09 From Body to Breath to Mind

47:30 AI and the Difference Between Intelligence and Consciousness

49:12 Consciousness in Deep Sleep

52:23 If Not Body or Mind What Are You

53:23 Pure Consciousness Explained

55:04 Dualism vs Non Dualism

57:42 The Dream Analogy

59:17 Maya and the Appearance of the Universe

01:00:28 Ocean and Wave Analogy

01:01:13 Ad: BON CHARGE

01:03:35 The Shift From Person to Awareness

01:10:00 Awareness as the Ground of Reality

01:18:00 The Root of Suffering

01:26:00 Ego Attachment and Fear

01:34:00 Living as Pure Awareness

01:42:00 Practical Self Inquiry

01:50:00 Free Will Karma and Responsibility

02:02:00 The Illusion of Individuality

02:14:00 Consciousness and Modern Science

02:26:00 Death Rebirth and Liberation

02:38:00 What Enlightenment Really Means

02:50:00 Final Clarifications on Non Duality

02:55:00 Closing Reflections

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https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/

https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/

https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast

https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com

Joscha Bach explores the nature of consciousness, free will, and reality through the lens of computation, cognitive science, and philosophy. Rather than treating the mind as a mystical entity, Joscha frames consciousness as a constructed dream—a model generated by the brain to make sense of the world and coordinate behavior.

We examine why beliefs should remain provisional, how the self functions as a useful fiction, and why suffering emerges when internal learning signals misfire. Joscha explains why free will feels real even if decisions arise before awareness, how meaning exists beyond the individual ego, and why wisdom is not simply knowledge but the ability to orient oneself within larger systems of value.

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André's Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list

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00:00 Intro: Josha Bach

04:24 Agnosticism, Evidence, and Logical Alternatives

11:20 Reality as a Mental Simulation

13:00 What Physicalism Actually Claims

16:55 Telepathy, Rituals, and Distributed Minds

19:45 Consciousness Does Not Make Decisions

22:55 Free Will as a Post-Hoc Story

24:00 Consciousness as a Trance State

26:00 Meditation and the Illusion of Self

29:10 Out-of-Body Experiences Explained

31:07 Ad: BON CHARGE

36:30 Why the Brain Fills in Missing Reality

39:50 Dreams, Selves, and Narrative Identity

43:20 Intelligence, Models, and World-Building

47:10 Why Reality Feels Stable

51:00 Meaning, Agency, and Mental Compression

55:10 Why Consciousness Feels Central (But Isn’t)

59:30 The Psychological World vs Physical Reality

1:04:10 Intelligence Without Awareness

1:08:45 The Cost of Believing the Self Is Real

1:13:30 Waking Up From the Narrative

1:18:40 What a Cognitive Science View Really Implies

1:23:30 Final Thoughts: Living Inside the Dream

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Episode Resources:

https://www.cimc.ai/

https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/

https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/

https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast

https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com

In this conversation, David Ghiyam shares the spiritual framework that has guided his life for over 25 years—one rooted in the idea that reality operates according to universal spiritual laws, just as it does physical ones. Drawing from Kabbalistic wisdom and lived experience, David explains how the soul’s purpose is not comfort, but transformation, and how life’s challenges are designed to reconnect us with a deeper source of fulfillment.

We explore the concept of the “light of the Creator,” the idea of spiritual baggage carried across lifetimes, and why pain, relationships, and adversity act as mirrors for inner growth. David reflects on periods of profound darkness in his own life—financial collapse, loss, doubt—and how a shift from victimhood to responsibility opened the door to unexpected clarity, healing, and abundance.

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André's Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list

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00:00 Intro - David Ghiyam

04:57 The light of the Creator

08:25 External teaching vs internal understanding

12:36 Kabbalah in the life of David

18:39 What is the source of consciousness?

26:50 The trap of “needing” energy

31:00 Ad: Mudwtr

32:21 Does everything happen for a reason?

39:43 The magnetic quality of being whole

52:51 The role of business in our spiritual paths

59:55 Protecting the seed

1:09:08 How to practice trust in your intuition

1:18:18 One spiritual law people violate daily

1:29:26 Closing thoughts

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Episode Resources:

https://www.instagram.com/davidghiyam

https://www.davidghiyam.com/

https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/

https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/

https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast

https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com

In this conversation, Reggie Watts explores creativity not as a skill reserved for a few, but as the fundamental way human beings relate to reality itself. From comedy and music to improvisation, paradox, and play, Reggie reflects on how we’re constantly creating our experience of life—often without realizing it.

We talk about absurdity as a doorway to truth, humor as a form of instantaneous awakening, and why laughter momentarily dissolves identity, ideology, and certainty. Reggie shares how improvisation shapes his philosophy of living, why structure exists to be transcended, and how playfulness restores a sense of freedom in a world that often feels rigid and over-defined.

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André's Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list

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00:00 Intro - Reggie Watts

04:54 The absurdity of being human

07:21 The insight gained through self-reflection

11:34 The philosophy of improv

19:06 Realizing the artist in you

24:27 Ad: BON CHARGE

25:44 Reggie’s form of death meditation

38:14 Altered states as a reference point

46:09 Not all transpersonal experiences are equal

52:43 Reframing anxiety after altered states

1:03:25 It’s all an illusion

1:12:44 Service to self vs service to others

1:19:28 Building community

1:23:15 Closing thoughts

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Episode Resources:

https://www.reggie-watts.com/

https://www.instagram.com/reggiewatts

https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/

https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/

https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast

https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com

In this conversation, Jesse Michels joins me to explore a question that’s becoming harder to dismiss: what if the phenomenon we call UFOs points to something real—and we don’t yet know what it is? Rather than arguing for belief or disbelief, this episode is an invitation to curiosity, careful inquiry, and intellectual honesty about the limits of our current understanding.

We examine historical UFO encounters near nuclear sites, government secrecy, and the growing body of anomalies that don’t sit comfortably within a purely materialist worldview. This is a conversation about staying grounded while remaining open. About asking better questions. And about whether phenomena like UFOs, non-human intelligence, or something we haven’t yet named might be nudging us to expand how we think about reality, consciousness, and our place in the universe.

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André's Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list

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00:00 Intro

06:36 Questioning the Nature of Reality

09:18 A Timeline of Non-Human Intelligence Evidence

23:37 Why Nuclear Sites Attract Attention

31:55 Extraordinary Claims, Extraordinary Evidence

40:29 Ad: Momentous

41:51 Letting Go of Human-Centric Thinking

47:49 Studying Claims Without Dismissing People

58:58 Non-Human Biologics and Physical Evidence

1:06:10 Ad: Boncharge

1:07:25 What May Have Been Quietly Explored

1:18:55 The Hidden Branch of Physics

1:26:38 Reframing Aliens Through Consciousness

1:33:33 Grays, Nordics, and Reptilians Explained

1:40:10 Why We Don’t See Reality Directly

1:53:58 Glimpses Outside Linear Time

1:58:44 Why Aliens Look Strangely Human

2:07:32 Shared Phenomena in Altered States

2:15:32 Jesse’s Personal UFO Experiences

2:23:35 The Monolith as a Metaphor

2:29:07 The Problem With Visual Proof

2:35:24 What Is Actually Happening?

2:46:47 Voices Worth Listening To

2:51:22 What Would You Ask an Alien?

2:53:19 Closing Thoughts

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Episode Resources:

https://www.youtube.com/Jessemichels

https://www.instagram.com/jessemichelsofficial/

https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/

https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/

https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast

https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com

This final episode of the year is a special compilation reflecting on the lessons, reminders, and moments that shaped 2025. It’s a curated journey through insights from across the year—designed to help you slow down, take stock, and step into 2026 with greater clarity, presence, and intention.

This episode is less about doing more and more about listening—reflecting on the growth, challenges, relationships, and inner shifts that defined the past year. It’s an invitation to notice what wants to be released, what wants to be integrated, and what seeds you’re ready to water moving forward. Sometimes all it takes is a one-degree change in direction to alter the entire path ahead.

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2025/2026 Reflections and Intentions: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/yearinreview

Andrés Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list

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00:00:00 Intro

00:01:37 Review 2025 Instead of Planning 2026 (E166 – Tim Ferriss)

00:05:27 The Most Important Practice of 2026 (E152 – Mark Manson)

00:10:11 There Is No Wealth Without Health (E128 – Mindy Pelz)

00:12:26 The Importance of a Bedtime Routine (E143 – Michael Beckwith)

00:17:59 How To Grasp The Opportunity of Life (E119 – Marianne Williamson)

00:25:16 The Power of Entrainment (E145 – Dr. Theresa Bullard)

00:31:01 Be Careful With What You Desire (E160 – Aaron Abke)

00:35:18 Explore Your Relationship With Money (E140 – Lewis Howes)

00:41:59 Ad – Momentous

00:43:14 Happiness is an Inside Job (E149 – Dr. Thema Bryant)

00:48:16 The Unique Opportunity of Our Times (E154 – Sadhguru)

00:53:25 How To Discover Your Dharma (E155 – Dr. K)

01:01:11 Living The Moment You're Meant To Live (E164 – Dr. John Demartini)

01:07:53 The Problem With Manifestation (E118 – Aaron Doughty)

01:13:29 Finding Stability in Surrender (E135 – Yung Pueblo)

01:16:23 Relaxing Into Instability (E146 – Cory Muscara)

01:20:42 Looking Back To Plan Ahead (E158 – Tom Campbell)

01:24:35 A Different Perspective of the Future (E165 – Dr. Iain McGilchrist)

01:29:04 The Unlimited Potential of Being Human (E134 – Peter Crone)

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Watch the Full Episodes

Tim Ferriss: https://youtu.be/NxmUCGuapNw

Mark Manson: https://youtu.be/to-APJvffFQ

Mindy Pelz: https://youtu.be/pgWnbRg5-cg

Michael Beckwith: https://youtu.be/r3wrUmE1L3w

Marianne Williamson: https://youtu.be/AQzKagUJGvI

Dr. Theresa Bullard: https://youtu.be/mrKiH4J0_5U

Aaron Abke: https://youtu.be/zXMKj8fNnYQ

Lewis Howes: https://youtu.be/PTPjCtF9es4

Dr. Thema Bryant: https://youtu.be/ItRCT_L2kpA

Sadhguru: https://youtu.be/FMoXXb-wKE8

Dr. K: https://youtu.be/zj40FT631P4

Dr. John DeMartini: https://youtu.be/dVR01alAe8o

Aaron Doughty: https://youtu.be/79INohJ7KTw

Yung Pueblo: https://youtu.be/bwom9Y6ybcg

Cory Muscara: https://youtu.be/IrxFMkYUBFg

Tom Campbell: https://youtu.be/IoGSWLuH2Js

Dr. Iain McGilchrist: https://youtu.be/LZ5C11mlTH4

Peter Crone: https://youtu.be/VCi93m9lloM

Episode Resources:

https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/

https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/

https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast

https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com

Dr. Mindy Pelz returns to explore the deeper meaning of aging, menopause, and the profound psychological and neurological transformations women undergo as they grow older. Drawing from neuroscience, anthropology, mythology, and personal experience, Mindy reframes menopause not as a decline—but as an initiation into wisdom, sovereignty, and inner authority.

We discuss the concept of the “second innocence,” the pruning and rewiring of the female brain across hormonal transitions, the grandmother hypothesis, and why modern culture fears aging women. Mindy shares how trauma, grief, solitude, and uncertainty can become gateways to resilience, neuroplasticity, and self-discovery—especially when women stop outsourcing their worth and begin listening inward.

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Andrés Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list

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00:00 Intro - Dr. Mindy Pelz

03:39 The return to the second innocence

08:18 What’s the purpose of menopause?

16:09 Where the shift begins

23:04 Supporting others without abandoning yourself

31:57 Being considerate vs owning others’ emotions

34:14 Ad: Pique Life

35:55 The power of solitude

43:26 Letting go

52:48 From power over to power within

56:48 The brain architecture of wisdom

1:02:24 Transformation: From a caterpillar to a butterfly

1:19:58 Fasting during menopause

1:26:35 Knowing when and how to detox

1:32:31 Healing through breathwork, EMDR, psilocybin

1:45:12 Lacking a support system

1:49:07 Closing thoughts

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Episode Resources:

Her new book: https://bookshop.org/p/books/age-like-a-girl-why-the-brain-changes-that-happen-after-40-set-you-up-for-your-best-life-yet-dr-mindy-pelz/1d7c0fe95ab52c4f?ean=9781401975562&next=t

https://www.instagram.com/dr.mindypelz

https://www.drmindypelz.com/

https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/

https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/

https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast

https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com