I took an extended walk with M in the afternoon, and was unexpectedly taken over by a deep sense of serenity. M fell asleep in her stroller soon after we began, so I was left alone. It was a warm afternoon with a bright sun hanging at an angle; I could feel its hot rays…
Dreams are a window into our unconsciousness. According to Carl Jung, who was a contemporary of Sigmund Freud, “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” Dream analysis, therefore, has been a fascinating topic for a psychologist like me. Below I describe a recurring motif in…
Many people have the experience of seeing spontaneous images in their mind. The imagery seemingly appears out of the blue, and it’s often puzzling why and from where it arises. Some people are frightened by the imagery, while others interpret it as a vision that portends the future. I’d like to share my experience of…
P and I just returned from a three-day babymoon vacation in Lake Tahoe. Returning home, I experienced a sadness that was absent from our previous get-aways. I felt a deep and tender connected-ness to P. Being pregnant, she is vulnerable in the ways she moves, walking a step slower and waddling slightly from side-to-side. Her…
I came back yesterday from a five-day silent meditation retreat at Insight Retreat Center, Santa Cruz. I reflected on the experience, during which my mind became more focused and stable (beginning in Day 3), and how it affected me. (Note: It’s a long read. Skip to paragraph three on Day 4 if you are interested…
One quiet evening, my friend and I shared unusual experiences in our lives. I recalled recent dreams and events that brought me unexpectedly to tears. In one of those dreams, I saw a person whose body was disfigured and contorted. Miraculously his body straightened and returned to health, ending his soul-crushing suffering. In that moment,…