In this episode (1-17), Taoist Master Mikel Steenrod explores one of the most challenging—and revealing—truths in spiritual development: we are only half real.

The other half is illusion.

Master Steenrod explains how the social mind came to dominate human life, why it has grown stronger over the last few centuries, and why breaking free now requires far more effort than it once did. He discusses the invisible forces that pull people back into unreality—comfort, fear, security, and habit—and how these attachments keep us from experiencing our full existence.

You’ll learn:

Why humans drift toward illusion and cling to the social mind

Why spiritual insight becomes harder as illusion grows stronger

The Taoist principle of concealment—and why you must “shut up” about your mystical experiences

How invocation works, and why asking the Tao for insight actually activates natural brain function

Why fairness is irrelevant to spiritual progress

How effort, belief, and detachment shape your ability to perceive deeper truth

What really happens when you intentionally request insight

Why mystical experiences often arrive during sleep or meditation

How attachments steal the mental resources needed for realization

Why severing attachments—even briefly—can produce waves of insight

Master Steenrod also addresses the difference between contemplation and genuine insight, the role of stillness and acceptance, and why powerful mystical experiences require both intention and discipline.

If you’ve ever wondered why spiritual progress feels difficult—or why moments of clarity seem to vanish as daily life returns—this episode offers the Taoist framework for understanding why, and what to do next.

The full episode guide and commentary can be found here: https://www.the-taoism-for-modern-world.com/ep-17-you-are-only-half-real/

Intro music: “Finding Movement” by Kevin MacLeod — licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Source: incompetech.com