perspectives with yair elsner

We explore the abusive relationship, especially the one not characterised by physical violence, but rather by emotional and psychological abuse, and with a particular eye to where men are the victims. We dwell on the difficult and crucial importance of recognising that there are indeed people who's intents are not good but destructive.

Episode 2 on the topic of fundamentalism and cults. Here we explore the allure of the fundamentalist idea, the motivations for embracing it and the benefits perceived by the cult member. We also look at the process involved in liberating oneself from such ideas.

The first part of a series of edisodes exploring fundamentalism and cults. In this episode we provide an overview of what we mean by these concepts, and of the major negative impacts that cult memberships have on the cult members themselves, to their near ones and to society as a whole.

We cover the benefit of grappling with ideas and present different approaches to doing so. The "coffeehouse approach" is then presented, as a creative rather than academic approach, and as an approach that is purposefully informal and vague. Lastly, we cover applying the such an approach to ideas and concepts in personal development and coaching.

Building on the previous episode of the fundament of a separate ego, we see how the inability to be comfortable being alone is a recipe for disastrous and destructive human relationships, and conversely that the ability to simply be oneself, experiencing oneself, is a necessity for true and healthy, loving relationships.

On the word "ego", the concept of a separate individual identity and it's relationship to "the whole" and dealing with the the idea of "ego death", presented by certain thinkers as highly desirable and even as the ultimate ideal of human existence.

We explore the benefits of putting one's thoughts into words and move into the question of how words gain meaning.