Boredom could be draining your life-force

The other day I learned of an old book which is about a provocative idea: Cancer is the result of boredom. How’s that work? You’re a lazy cheater, that’s how. … No need to feel insulted. That’s a basic fact of the human organism. We’re all lazy cheats. Living creatures … Keep reading

Suffering from a game you never wanted to play

On Friday morning, I walked the twins over to school as I do every Friday. It’s handy when you live five minutes away and don’t have to drive through morning drop-off traffic. I had another sneaky motivation. In January of 2023, we had major flooding here in Auckland. During the … Keep reading

Slasher film addicts

Yesterday was Halloween. I didn’t watch any horror movies, binge on candy, or even commune with wicked spirits as they walked the Earth. The closest I got was my two nine year olds dressed up as a cat and a witch. Despite its bad reputation for diabeetus and sinister pagan … Keep reading

Guru shouts “mindset” at crying client for the 103rd time

You could say that I’m obsessed with the inner life of human beings.   There’s a reason I spend so much time up to my scalp follicles in books about human nature.   Inner game? I’m here for that.   Existential philosophy? I got that.   Talk to me with … Keep reading

A quick “hack” to avert the meaning crisis

We’re suffering through what some perceptive minds call a “crisis of meaning”.   The universe is just here. There’s no reason for it. It’s not heading towards any greater purpose.   You don’t exist for any reason. You’re here because of pitiless laws of nature that don’t care about you. … Keep reading

What do you mean JUST a placebo effect?

The placebo effect is the name that medical science gives to the ability to heal on belief alone.   Think about that for a second.   Realize how insane it is that people are not in continuous shock and awe at this gift.   The worst part is when they … Keep reading

Climbing the ladder to higher worlds

Colin Wilson, author and philosopher of the weird and occult, used to say that we live on a “ladder of selves”.   Most of the time, human beings operate on a level of consciousness not unlike that of lesser animals or even plants. We’re barely awake, going through the motions. … Keep reading

Believing badly

Califorina counter-culturist Robert Anton Wilson once left the following as a footnote:   “Believe” or “convince yourself” – mean to do what an actor does: pretend until the pretense begins to feel real. Or, as Jazz musicians say: “Fake it until you make it.”   If you have to believe, … Keep reading

The paradox of a weak ego

Calling yourself a ‘writer’ gives you an easy one-word label for those times when people ask “what do you do?” and you don’t want to explain what it means to wear 13 different hats in the age of online business.   I used to fancy myself as a writer, until … Keep reading

Virgin philosopher vs. Chad mystic guru

Philosophy bores the crap out of me. Even though I spend a good chunk of my time reading and thinking about big questions, the state of philosophy today puts me to sleep. It’s a lot of talking that doesn’t seem to go anywhere. Talking about ideas with no heart, no … Keep reading