Vipassana
I did Vipassana in 2013. It was a great experience, and part of my interest in observing my own mind.
The Goenka tradition describes Vipassana through self-observation and attention to bodily sensations.
About the practice ↗Personal development
My personal
development
journey.
I have spent a lot of time exploring how I think, how I feel and how I live. Anxiety and curiosity have both taken me places. These are my experiences, thinking tools and the people I learn from.
From my Journal
Things I am
working on.
01020304050607
Sitting with my feelings
Giving a feeling some space before I pass it on to someone else.
Let the mind be
Acceptance, attention and the commentary in my own head.
A beneficiary of everything
How other people and the world make my life possible.
A future version of me
A question that helps me give my energy a direction.
Burning Man and identity
2015, 2016 and a question about who I am.
Between the chair and the keyboard
A computer-repair thought that follows me into life.
Hearing beyond my beliefs
What reading across traditions opened up for me.
My experiences
Curiosity takes
me places.
Vipassana, Burning Man, Vedanta, non-duality and shamanic ceremonies have all been part of my exploration. I have no single answer from all of it.
Vedanta & non-duality
Who is aware of the thoughts? Who am I? These questions keep giving me something to explore.
Vedanta includes different schools of Hindu philosophy. Non-dual accounts explore the relationship between self, awareness and reality.
Explore Vedanta →Three days in the forest
A Vision Quest, three days alone and an intense encounter with my own mind. I still remember becoming very poetic.
The experience involved going without food and water. Going without fluids can cause serious dehydration.
Read the reflection →Burning Man
I went in 2015 and 2016. I had a catharsis, and I keep returning to the question of identity.
Read the reflection →Ceremonies & altered states
My exploration has included ayahuasca and Sananga. I remain curious about the experience and the science.
The Learn pages explain traditional contexts, mechanisms, human evidence, uncertainty and risks. Sananga’s proposed clinical benefits remain unestablished.
A framework I return to
What am I
trying to change?
I use Robert Dilts’ logical levels in NLP to look at a situation from different angles. These are questions for reflection.
- 01
Environment
Where am I, and what is around me?
- 02
Behaviour
What am I doing?
- 03
Capabilities
What can I do, and what can I learn?
- 04
Beliefs & values
What do I believe, and what matters to me?
- 05
Identity
Who do I believe I am?
- 06
Purpose & connection
What am I part of beyond myself?
Dilts calls the sixth level “spiritual”. His proposed hierarchy and brain-system mappings remain theoretical. The diagram is a map of his reflection framework. Source reviewed 19 September 2026.
Teachers & thinkers
People I
learn from.
Alan Watts
Alan Watts has been instrumental in how I think.
Sadhguru
I used to listen to Sadhguru a lot.
Robert Greene
The 48 Laws of Power · Human behaviour
Adi Shankaracharya
Advaita Vedanta · Self-enquiry and non-duality
Swami Chinmayananda
I thoroughly enjoyed reading him. His talk on Karma Yoga and goals is one I keep in mind.
Ramana Maharshi
Someone I have learned from. His enquiry, “Who am I?”, keeps bringing me back to the identity I spend so much time defending.
Sri Aurobindo
Integral yoga · Philosophy
Jiddu Krishnamurti
Talks & writings
Michael A. Singer
I like his work.
These are influences on my thinking. Their philosophical and spiritual interpretations remain attributed to them.
All the people I learn from →A question from Dan Sullivan
Three years
from now.
Imagine looking back three years from now. What would have happened for you to feel happy with your progress?
Adapted from Dan Sullivan’s R-Factor Question ↗.
I make a vision board every year. I give myself a future version of me, then look at what needs to change in the current version. It gives my energy a direction.
- 01The future I want
A picture of what matters.
- 02What needs to change
My thinking, habits and choices.
- 03My next action
Take ownership and begin.
Keep exploring
Books &
conversations.
Robert Glover
My must-watch podcastsDHH. Naval. Huberman & Derek.A thought from Terence McKenna →No More Mr. Nice Guy
Needs, boundaries and honest communication.
Summary & takeaways →David DeidaThe Way of the Superior Man
I found the energy framing difficult to follow. The book helped me with relationships and anxiety.
Summary & personal context →