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Get a Better Boat: Trustworthy teachings for difficult times

Read short overviews about each essay in Get a Better Boat • View Show Notes and listen to Get a Better Boat on Castos

We all wear jewels in the heart. Some of them are polished and some of them aren’t yet.

Get a Better Boat

1 Jewels in the heart

00:00 / 00:02:34

1 Jewels in the heart

Aug 15, 2023 • 00:02:34

About: Being present with what’s here now Judith Saly was communicating with Eva after she died. And Eva seemed to be saying that everyone there [...]
2 A simple test for life

Aug 16, 2023 • 00:03:15

About: Seeking connection versus separation When we align with anything other than our inner light, we create disharmony in the world. But equally important, we [...]
3 The Real Self vs the True Self

Aug 17, 2023 • 00:08:29

About: The reality of untruth In our quest to wake up, our mission is to travel the surprisingly long distance from our ego to our [...]
4 Finding the light switch: My husband, the ego and imposters

Aug 18, 2023 • 00:27:29

About: Using guidance to help each other The journey of a human being—the journey that all the lectures from the Pathwork Guide are pointing to—is [...]
5 From believing to knowing: The trip of a lifetime

Aug 19, 2023 • 00:09:11

About: Personal experience becomes our proof Are the Pathwork teachings—and in turn, my Phoenesse writings—essentially a philosophy? Perhaps. For according to Manson, “Philosophy is the [...]
6 Taking the more mystical way home

Aug 20, 2023 • 00:11:32

About: The faster way to heaven within Just as Kabbalah is the mystical arm of the Jewish tradition, there is a mystical form of Islam [...]
7 Two Martin Luthers, two kinds of faith

Aug 21, 2023 • 00:10:47

About: What salvation really means Before we begin on a healing journey in which we remove the obstacles that are blocking our inner light—remembering what [...]
8 It’s time to grow up: Maturing through stages

Aug 22, 2023 • 00:18:21

About: Moving into a new epoch As we enter a new era—the start of a new epoch, really—we are going through a time of crisis. [...]
9 After isolation: Approaching the Great Transition

Aug 23, 2023 • 00:22:53

About: Waking up to our true self The great longing of all humanity is to participate in the life that follows after going through this transition. Meanwhile, [...]
10 Paying attention: The life-changing process of waking up

Aug 24, 2023 • 00:22:32

About: Sorting out the parts of the self Waking up means all parts of the human psyche work together to shift which part is in [...]

We Can Heal 2-book series

After the Ego: Insights from the Pathwork Guide on how to wake up

Read short overviews about each chapter in After the Ego • View Show Notes and listen to After the Ego on Castos

The ego plays a necessary part in realizing that it is holding onto a false idea and that it does seem to harbor a surprising amount of self-will.

After the Ego

1 The function of the ego in relationship to the Real Self + Introduction

00:00 / 00:21:31

1 The function of the ego in relationship to the Real Self + Introduction

Aug 1, 2023 • 00:21:31

What is the endgame of being human? Where are we all heading? What’s the point of life? Our goal is always one thing: to become [...]
2 What blocks the ego from connecting with the Real Self

Aug 2, 2023 • 00:37:03

Our attempts to find ourselves—to understand who we are, where we belong in the world, and how we can fulfill ourselves—require a certain amount of [...]
3 The ego’s cooperation with or obstruction of the Real Self

Aug 3, 2023 • 00:31:56

As we make our way along our path of self-realization, these words can act like a spiritual bulldozer for each obstruction we encounter in our [...]
4 How unconscious negativity stops the ego from surrendering

Aug 4, 2023 • 00:35:57

We have been looking at the relationship between our ego-consciousness and universal intelligence. When we are primarily functioning from our ego, we are going to [...]
5 Living with polar opposites and finding the good in being selfish

Aug 5, 2023 • 00:33:31

Unhappiness is an indication of sickness. Usually, though, we interpret unhappiness the wrong way, causing us to fight whatever we think is making us unhappy. [...]
6 Self-identification through the stages of awakening consciousness

Aug 6, 2023 • 00:39:30

Now let’s look at consciousness from a different angle. We humans have a hard time understanding that consciousness is something that permeates all of creation. [...]
7 Inner and outer experience

Aug 7, 2023 • 00:42:28

Many spiritual philosophies agree that experience is all-important. We could even say the true meaning of life is to experience it, in all its many [...]
8 Commitment: Cause and effect

Aug 8, 2023 • 00:39:35

Doing the hard work of deep personal self-development requires equal measures of courage and commitment, honesty and humility. The rewards we will receive—in proportion to [...]
9 Moving the mind to push the divine light spark into the outer regions

Aug 9, 2023 • 00:40:00

When a spiritual group forms, or really any kind of group, there will be difficulties that must be overcome. These are an expression of the [...]
10 The three states of consciousness

Aug 10, 2023 • 00:37:21

In this dualistic dimension, we speak of states of consciousness and energy as though they are two distinct things. But this is not correct. To [...]

Blinded by Fear: Insights from the Pathwork Guide on how to face our fears

Read short overviews about each chapter in Blinded by Fear • View Show Notes and listen to Blinded by Fear on Castos

Blinded by Fear

1 The mother of all fears: Fear of self

00:00 / 00:30:50

1 The mother of all fears: Fear of self

Jul 1, 2023 • 00:30:50

What if the root of every fear you experience isn’t “out there”—but within you? In this episode, we explore the deepest and most universal fear: [...]
2 Why we fear love

Jul 2, 2023 • 00:40:50

If love is the greatest power there is, why do we resist it? In this episode, we explore the hidden reasons we fear love—and how [...]
3 Finding freedom and peace by overcoming fear of the unknown

Jul 3, 2023 • 00:22:02

Why do we fear the unknown—and how is that fear connected to love, life, and even death? In this episode, we explore the deeper roots [...]
4 Finding true abundance by going through our fear

Jul 4, 2023 • 00:33:52

Do we need to accept life as it is—or can we create something better? In this episode, we explore the apparent contradiction between acceptance and [...]
5 Giving up our fear-filled struggle to guard our secrets

Jul 5, 2023 • 00:28:13

What if the greatest obstacle to joy isn’t what’s happening in your life—but what you’re hiding from yourself? In this episode, we explore how fear [...]
6 The push-pull of both desiring and fearing closeness

Jul 6, 2023 • 00:28:17

Why do we long for closeness—yet pull away the moment it appears? In this episode, we explore one of the most painful inner conflicts: the [...]
7 How fear of releasing the little ego spoils happiness

Jul 7, 2023 • 00:32:28

Why do we cling so tightly to control—even when it keeps us stuck? In this episode, we explore the hidden fear behind letting go of [...]
8 Three things that underpin self-fulfillment

Jul 8, 2023 • 00:40:30

What does it really take to live a fulfilled life? In this episode, we explore three essential foundations: a positive concept of life, the courage [...]
9 Our fundamental fear of bliss

Jul 9, 2023 • 00:32:57

Why do we fear the very thing we long for most—bliss? In this episode, we explore one of the deepest paradoxes of the human experience: [...]

The Real. Clear. 7-book series

Holy Moly: The story of duality, darkness and a daring rescue

Read short overviews about each chapter in Holy Moly • View Show Notes and listen to Holy Moly on Castos

So which is it: We have no free will, some free will, or it’s all free will? Wouldn’t it be nice to know which is actually true?

Holy Moly

1 Free will: The good Lord willing

00:00 / 00:20:30

1 Free will: The good Lord willing

Jan 5, 2023 • 00:20:30

Free will is a topic of great confusion for many. So which is it? Door Number One: people have no free will whatsoever—it’s all fate [...]
2 Ushering In Christ

Jan 6, 2023 • 00:08:36

What is the time of year that is most associated with Christ? For most of us, that would be Christmas. It is at that time [...]
3 Jesus Christ: Must we?

Jan 7, 2023 • 00:07:22

Through the work of self-purification, we will raise our level of consciousness to such a degree that we will be open for truth, about anything. [...]
4 Submitting & rebelling Christians

Jan 8, 2023 • 00:26:42

Having parents who are strong and right gives children a sense of security in the world. So part of the reason Submitting Christians accept their [...]
5 Grappling with duality

Jan 9, 2023 • 00:11:15

Everything about Jesus Christ is all about the fight for good. This includes the story of his life, the whole big reason for his incarnation—which [...]
6 Facing death & finding life

Jan 10, 2023 • 00:15:21

The big enchilada we need to deal with—really get our arms around—is death. Even if our lives were no longer filled with our many little [...]
7 God & creation

Jan 11, 2023 • 00:08:48

The order in which these important topics are presented matters. It will be this: God, the Creation, the Fall of the Angels, the Plan of [...]
8 Fall of the Angels

Jan 12, 2023 • 00:17:27

So how did these foreign layers come into being? Through the Fall of the Angels—for another name for these pure Godlike beings, or Holy Ghosts, [...]
9 Plan of Salvation

Jan 13, 2023 • 00:34:44

Now let’s take a closer look at what salvation by Jesus Christ really means. “Salvation,” of course, is another of those blinking words. Consider that [...]
10 War of the worlds

Jan 14, 2023 • 00:16:07

After he died, Christ returned to the world of spirit. There he gathered up his army of a relatively small number of specialized spirits and [...]

Finding Gold: The search for our own precious self

Read short overviews about each chapter in Finding Gold • View Show Notes and listen to Finding Gold on Castos

Finding Gold

1 Occupation with self

00:00 / 00:07:36

1 Occupation with self

Jan 18, 2023 • 00:07:36

The right and wrong way to be selfish The Pathwork Guide explores the often-misunderstood idea of focusing on oneself, challenging the belief that self-attention is [...]
2 Right and wrong faith

Jan 19, 2023 • 00:08:34

There is no perfect faith The Pathwork Guide explores the nature of faith, revealing that doubt is not a failure of the spiritual path but [...]
3 The importance of forming independent opinions

Jan 20, 2023 • 00:07:34

Holding wrong opinions The Pathwork Guide explores how our struggles with others often stem from a deeper blindness within ourselves. While we may believe our [...]
4 Self-love

Jan 21, 2023 • 00:11:51

Healthy vs. unhealthy self-love The Pathwork Guide explores the complex nature of self-love, revealing how easily a true principle can become distorted. Healthy self-love—rooted in [...]
5 Self-alienation and the way back to the Real Self

Jan 22, 2023 • 00:31:17

What makes us suffer The Pathwork Guide explores the human condition as a state of “in-between”—no longer in unconscious harmony, yet not fully awakened into [...]
6 Laziness as a symptom of self-alienation

Jan 23, 2023 • 00:03:42

Why do we feel so lazy? Laziness is not simply a personal flaw, but a symptom of a deeper disconnection from our true selves. When [...]
7 Identification with the self

Jan 24, 2023 • 00:19:14

The future seems better—until we get there The Pathwork Guide explores what it means to truly identify with oneself, revealing how often we live disconnected [...]
8 Winner vs loser: Interplay between the self and creative forces

Jan 25, 2023 • 00:21:49

Opposite approaches, same poor result The Pathwork Guide challenges the common belief that life is a battle between winning and losing, exposing it as a [...]
9 Self-liking: The condition for universal state of bliss

Jan 26, 2023 • 00:09:45

Bliss is natural The Pathwork Guide reveals that bliss is not a distant ideal, but a natural state we are meant to experience. What separates [...]
10 Intensity: An obstacle to self-realization

Jan 27, 2023 • 00:19:44

Why we resist new truth The Pathwork Guide explores how intensity—often mistaken for seriousness, commitment, or depth—actually blocks our access to the universal life force [...]

Bible Me This: Releasing the riddles of Holy Scripture

Read short overviews about each chapter in Bible Me This • View Show Notes and listen to Bible Me This on Castos

Bible Me This

Introduction to Bible Me This

00:00 / 00:02:24

Introduction to Bible Me This

Feb 14, 2023 • 00:02:24

Bible Me This centers on a powerful invitation from the Pathwork Guide: to ask questions about the Bible in order to truly understand it. Recognizing [...]
1 Understanding the Bible

Feb 15, 2023 • 00:25:22

The Pathwork Guide offers a deeper way of understanding the Bible—one that moves beyond literal interpretation into psychological and spiritual insight. The Guide explains that [...]
2 Understanding myths

Feb 16, 2023 • 00:02:20

The Pathwork Guide explores what myths really are—and clears up a common misunderstanding. Myths are not made-up stories or falsehoods. They are meaningful ways of [...]
3 Myth: Tower of Babel

Feb 17, 2023 • 00:10:13

The Pathwork Guide explores the deeper meaning behind the biblical story of the Tower of Babel, revealing it as a powerful symbol of the inner [...]
4 Myth: Adam and Eve

Feb 18, 2023 • 00:23:35

The Pathwork Guide explores the deeper spiritual meaning of the story of Adam and Eve, revealing it as a symbolic map of the human condition [...]
5a Biblical passages explained, Part One

Feb 19, 2023 • 00:27:49

Here, the Pathwork Guide offers deeper explanations of well-known biblical passages. Together, these teachings uncover hidden meanings and help unravel many of the Bible’s mysteries. [...]
5b Biblical passages explained, Part Two

Feb 20, 2023 • 00:23:39

Here, the Pathwork Guide continues to shed light on some of the most challenging and often misunderstood teachings in the Bible—revealing their deeper spiritual meaning. [...]
5c Bible passages explained, Part Three

Feb 21, 2023 • 00:24:12

In this section, the Pathwork Guide explores some of the Bible’s most striking and often misunderstood passages—revealing their deeper psychological and spiritual meaning. What does [...]
6 Commandments explained

Feb 22, 2023 • 00:18:48

In this chapter, the Pathwork Guide offers deeper insight into several of the Ten Commandments, revealing their psychological and spiritual meaning beyond literal interpretation. Rather [...]
7 The truth of reincarnation in the Bible

Feb 23, 2023 • 00:03:57

The Pathwork Guide explores the presence—and absence—of reincarnation in the Bible, offering a deeper perspective on spiritual growth and human development. While reincarnation is not [...]

The Pull: Relationships & their spiritual significance

Read short overviews about each chapter in The Pull • View Show Notes and listen to The Pull on Castos

The Pull

1 The cosmic pull toward union

00:00 / 00:11:47

1 The cosmic pull toward union

Mar 3, 2023 • 00:11:47

The Pathwork Guide introduces a central force shaping human life: a powerful inner pull toward connection, pleasure and unity. At its core, this pull is [...]
2 The counter-pull: Frustration

Mar 4, 2023 • 00:11:02

The Pathwork Guide explores frustration as the opposing force to the natural pull toward pleasure, connection and fulfillment. Frustration begins early in life, when we [...]
3 The importance of how we communicate

Mar 5, 2023 • 00:14:48

The Pathwork Guide explores how communication—and its more basic form, cooperation—are essential steps on the path toward true union. While union itself cannot be forced [...]
4 The spiritual significance of our relationships

Mar 6, 2023 • 00:31:28

The Pathwork Guide reveals that relationships are not incidental—they are central to spiritual growth. Every interaction reflects our inner state. The conflicts we experience with [...]
5 Pleasure: The full pulsation of life

Mar 7, 2023 • 00:26:35

The Pathwork Guide reframes pleasure as a central spiritual reality—not a distraction from growth, but a direct expression of it. True pleasure is our birthright. [...]
6 The forces of love, eros and sex

Mar 8, 2023 • 00:36:05

The Pathwork Guide clarifies the often-confused relationship between love, eros and sex, describing them as three distinct yet interrelated forces that shape human connection. Eros [...]
7 The spiritual symbolism and significance of sexuality

Mar 9, 2023 • 00:43:10

The Pathwork Guide reframes sexuality as a sacred expression of the soul’s deepest drive: the longing for union. Sexual energy is not merely physical or [...]
8 Mutuality: A cosmic principle and law

Mar 10, 2023 • 00:23:50

The Pathwork Guide teaches that nothing in life can be created without mutuality—a universal law in which two seemingly separate forces come together to form [...]
9 A venture in mutuality: Changing our negative will

Mar 11, 2023 • 00:13:03

The Pathwork Guide explains that one of the greatest obstacles to fulfillment is our hidden “negative will”—an unconscious inner “No” that blocks what we consciously [...]
10 Affecting and being affected

Mar 12, 2023 • 00:26:11

The Pathwork Guide teaches that spiritual growth requires facing the illusions and fears that keep us disconnected from our true core—a place of light, beauty [...]

Pearls: A mind-opening collection of 17 fresh spiritual teachings

Read short overviews about each chapter in Pearls • View Show Notes and listen to Pearls on Castos

Think of transparency as the new black; it’s a habit that looks good on everyone.

Pearls

1 Privacy & secrecy: A boost or bust for finding closeness

00:00 / 00:23:53

1 Privacy & secrecy: A boost or bust for finding closeness

May 1, 2023 • 00:23:53

We all need both closeness and privacy—but when we confuse privacy with secrecy, we block the very intimacy we long for. The Pathwork Guide draws [...]
2 Reading between the lines of the Lord’s Prayer

May 2, 2023 • 00:23:42

The Pathwork Guide reveals that the Lord’s Prayer is far more than a familiar set of words—it is a complete roadmap for inner transformation. Each [...]
3 Exploring the spiritual nature of political systems

May 3, 2023 • 00:27:48

The Pathwork Guide offers a striking perspective on politics—not as external systems to debate, but as reflections of inner states we each carry. Monarchy, socialism, [...]
4 Debunking the curious superstition of pessimism

May 4, 2023 • 00:13:23

The Pathwork Guide reveals a subtle but powerful pattern many of us carry: the belief that expecting something good will somehow prevent it from happening. [...]
5 Preparing for reincarnation: Every life counts

May 5, 2023 • 00:28:38

The Pathwork Guide offers a profound look at the intricate, intentional process behind every incarnation. From the perspective of the Spirit World, no life is [...]
6 Unwinding humanity’s relationship with time

May 6, 2023 • 00:21:23

The Pathwork Guide offers a practical and deeply insightful look at how we relate to time—and why that relationship often creates unnecessary suffering. Although we [...]
7 Basking in grace & not building on deficit

May 7, 2023 • 00:22:28

The Pathwork Guide reframes grace as something ever-present, not selectively given. Rather than being a reward from outside, grace permeates all of life—it is the [...]
8 Articulating the power of the word

May 8, 2023 • 00:19:32

The Pathwork Guide reveals that the “word” is far more than spoken language—it is the fundamental creative force behind everything we experience. Every thought, belief, [...]
9 Why flubbing on perfection is the way to find joy

May 9, 2023 • 00:14:51

The Pathwork Guide challenges one of our most deeply held—and limiting—beliefs: that we must be perfect to experience joy. Beneath the surface, many of us [...]
10 Two rebellious reactions to authority

May 10, 2023 • 00:14:50

The Pathwork Guide explores how our early experiences with authority shape lifelong inner patterns that influence how we relate to rules, power, and control. As [...]

Gems: A multifaceted collection of 16 clear spiritual teachings

Read short overviews about each chapter in Gems • View Show Notes and listen to Gems on Castos

Creating is pure fascination, and that doesn’t cease simply because what we create is less brilliant. This is when things start to go South.

Gems

1 Expanding our awareness and exploring our fascination with creation

00:00 / 00:31:01

1 Expanding our awareness and exploring our fascination with creation

Jun 10, 2023 • 00:31:01

The Pathwork Guide turns a common assumption upside down: creation does not produce consciousness—consciousness produces creation. Every thought, feeling, and intention carries creative power, shaping [...]
2 The evolutionary process and why we can’t stop it

Jun 11, 2023 • 00:19:20

The Pathwork Guide explains that evolution is not something we begin—it is something already underway. Our growth is an ongoing inner process with its own [...]
3 How consciousness evolves between individuals and groups

Jun 12, 2023 • 00:15:31

The Pathwork Guide describes human development as a dynamic movement between individuation and group consciousness. Like a pendulum, humanity has swung back and forth through [...]
4 Claiming our total capacity for greatness

Jun 13, 2023 • 00:20:02

The Pathwork Guide teaches that an immense life force flows through us, always seeking to transform what is blocked and distorted back into its original [...]
5 Facing our deepest fear and unfolding our greatest longing

Jun 14, 2023 • 00:22:05

The Pathwork Guide teaches that an immense life force flows through us, always seeking to transform what is blocked and distorted back into its original [...]
6 Finding balance within instead of banking on outer rules

Jun 15, 2023 • 00:13:52

The Pathwork Guide teaches that balance is a fundamental principle governing all of life—from the movement of galaxies to the functioning of our inner world. [...]
7 Rolling with change and overcoming fear of death

Jun 16, 2023 • 00:13:55

The Pathwork Guide teaches that all life is in constant motion, moving toward expansion, growth, and fuller expression. This movement is not random—it is built [...]
8 The pain of injustice and the truth about fairness

Jun 17, 2023 • 00:28:41

The Pathwork Guide explores a rarely examined form of suffering: the deep, often unconscious pain of believing we live in an unjust and chaotic universe. [...]
9 Why lazy is the worst way to be

Jun 18, 2023 • 00:14:47

The Pathwork Guide reframes laziness—not as harmless rest, but as one of the most damaging spiritual distortions. At its core, life is movement: an ongoing [...]
10 Spotting the tricks of our ego and getting over ourselves

Jun 19, 2023 • 17:21

The Pathwork Guide reveals how the ego, a limited fragment of our total being, clings to its smallness out of fear. Believing it must protect [...]

Bones: A building-block collection of 19 fundamental spiritual teachings

Read short overviews about each chapter in Bones • View Show Notes and listen to Bones on Castos

In our resistance to emotional growth, we grabbed a wrong solution like it was scissors, hoping to cut out what hurt. And we ran.

Bones

1 Emotional growth and its function

00:00 / 00:24:54

1 Emotional growth and its function

Jul 1, 2023 • 00:24:54

The Pathwork Guide explores why emotional growth is essential—and why we resist it. While we tend to develop physically and mentally, our emotional life is [...]
2 The importance of feeling all our feelings, including fear

Jul 2, 2023 • 00:31:19

Our defenses work by blocking access to our emotions, so they choke off our ability to get to our feelings. We’re going to need to [...]
3 The Higher Self, the Lower Self, and the Mask Self

Jul 3, 2023 • 00:10:30

One of the subtle bodies that every living being has is called the Higher Self, or divine spark… The higher one’s spiritual development, the faster [...]
4 Three basic personality types: Reason, will and emotion

Jul 4, 2023 • 00:13:23

If we are the Reason Type, we govern our lives primarily using the reasoning process, making us prone to neglecting our emotions. Frankly, we’re afraid [...]
5 Intellect and will as tools or hindrances to self-realization

Jul 5, 2023 • 00:13:51

An important difference between our superficial intellect and our Real Self is that we can direct, manipulate and govern the intellect using our will. We [...]
6 The origin and outcome of the Idealized Self-Image

Jul 6, 2023 • 00:18:50

There’s just no escaping our knowledge that unpleasantness is possible. It really happens. Our fear of this is ever-present, and that creates a problem for [...]
7 Love, power and serenity in divinity or in distortion

Jul 7, 2023 • 00:27:10

There are three major divine attributes—love, power and serenity—that in the healthy person work as a team. They maintain flexibility amongst themselves so one never [...]
8 How and why we recreate childhood hurts

Jul 8, 2023 • 00:17:11

without any limits. In other words, every child’s desire for love is unrealistic… Since they seldom receive an adequate amount of warmth and mature love, [...]
9 Images and the deep, deep damage they do

Jul 9, 2023 • 00:14:14

about this thing we call life… Something unfortunate happens—one of the many unavoidable hardships of life—and we make a generalization based on it. Roll things [...]
10 Unpacking the pain of our old destructive patterns

Jul 10, 2023 • 00:17:57

Let’s talk about pain. And more importantly, let’s discuss how to dissolve pain… The climate we grew up in affected us—it was like perpetually receiving [...]