Beyond the Ego with Ricky Derisz

Let’s redefine mental illness as a different state of consciousness that can move us toward a spiritual life. Depression, suicidal ideation, paranoia, and schizophrenia contain a set of experiences that can teach us and reveal aspects of life and of ourselves that we wouldn’t otherwise see.  Ricky is a Life, Spirituality and Wellness Coach. He writes about spirituality, philosophy, mindfulness, meditation, and psychology in his blog Mind That Ego. Quotes to remember:  “If we can embrace suffering and not crave happiness and not be overly resistant toward difficult feelings, that’s going to lead us down a fulfilling path.”  “Spirituality is not a hobby. It’s a way of being.”  “You are not a product of what goals you achieve.”  “Ultimately, our truest essence is beyond what we can identify with.”  “You are not the center of the universe, but you are the universe.”  “Depression is a great teacher.”  Takeaways:It’s common to link being scientific with being atheist/cynical toward spiritualityThe journey of spirituality is bitter at first, then like sweet nectarWith suffering, the only way out is throughUnresolved grief and sadness contribute greatly to our sufferingOur spirituality evolves in spirals, and each stage incorporates all previous stagesSelf-transcendence is what lies beyond the ego and beyond Western individualismYou can be spiritual and have goalsThe ego will constantly try to intrude and impose, even when you are engaging in a passion projectThe ego both downplays and aggrandizes the truthWhat we identify with can hold us back and keep us stuck, even if it’s supposedly a good identityWhen our Shadow side (our undesirable side) is not faced, it will come out as projection onto othersWe are afraid of not only our Shadow but also our power, potential, and creativityMental illness can be the beginning of spiritual awakening; nonstandard states of consciousness are not necessarily insanityOur potential is far beyond our sensesCuriosity is the antidote to fear What you’ll learn:Ricky’s introduction to spirituality through sufferingHow he talked himself through the suffering of mental illness to a place of wholenessOur understanding of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs isn’t the full picture of what Maslow intendedAbout Ricky’s relationship with goal-settingHow our concept of our identity shifts as we growWhat envy can teach us about ourselves Mentioned on the podcast: https://www.mindthatego.com/Maslow’s hierarchy and self-transcendenceSpiral DynamicsEckhart TolleDr. Leanne WhitneyKen WilberCrazy Wise documentaryStanislav Grof and Holotropic Breathwork Links: Facebook Medium Youtube Instagram