Nuanced communication: paradox and belief

gazebo bird cage in the woods of Arkansas LIttle rock area for Nuanced communication

When people are incapable of understanding nuance (grey areas, paradox, nonduality, whatever you want to call it) they are generally incapable of communicating on difficult topics. Generally anyone attached dogmatically to any particular belief have trouble opening to conflicting or even complimentary information. When one comes up against dogma in another it seems best to go silent and start listening carefully. Sometimes there is a way to re-engage and other times the best one can do is allow the moment while opening the heart as wide as possible. When one cannot be understood, when communication isn’t possible, argument is not helpful. ...

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being a nobody: social media take heed

painting of red flowers in close up photography for being a nobody

Here is to being nobody with everybody! Yes a celebration of being a nobody. To grasp our nobodyness and celebrate it seems to be at the essence of successful nonhierarchical living. If we all understand and embraced the nobody nature of our existence things would be different. Granted, it's only something to think about since as we, as western people, are about as far away from embracing this deeply as is possible. We might say our lack of understanding our nobodyness is what is ailing us in the most profound way.

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Yoga, As Needed

for Yoga as needed...woman in the front seat of car doing legs up the wall against the other seat in the car

The video shows me doing yoga as needed: Cobra on a park bench and then I did a little cat cow too. I incorporate my yoga into every moment of daily life so that there is no separation as I slowly rehab over and over again.

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the surrendered path

green and white grass field for when I'm in guidance there is no thought whatsoever. I watch and learn. My body is a channel of the divine. This is the nature of the surrendered path I live.

New Post when I'm in guidance there is no thought whatsoever. I watch and learn. My body is a channel of the divine. This is the nature of the surrendered path I live. the above is true, while I am also in a hell realm most of the time. So it's hard to explain to people. I learn all about humanity, however from here. We really cannot know ourselves without a deep dive into shadow. I, for whatever reason, was called to the fringes of the human experience...all with the afflicted body being mirror for the human condition and that which is happening on the planet right now.

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How to use the site

This is how to use the site Many people still ask me for my “protocols.” The message I communicate for healing is that we are all different and our paths are also, therefore, going to be endlessly diverse. I share my experience, not so that it may be copied, but so that the reader can get a sense of process.

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the dispossessed

shout out to all of us fighting a battle that most people don't understand...keep hanging in there. for the dispossessed

...the farther out we go the fewer we meet who can understand, but we're out here...always... those who trust your experience is just as you say it is...

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soulwork

Soulwork is not a high road. It's a deep fall into an unforgiving darkness that won't let you go until you find the song that sings you home. - McCall Erickson *** Love humbles by creating deep gratitude for a lesson learned and allows us to feel vulnerable and thus allows humility. Humiliation is cruel and tends to build pride in reactivity rather than humility. ...

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“Today I felt worthless”

flowers for "Today I felt worthless"

By Andrew Duff Mcduffee -- I felt worthless because I was reflecting on mistakes I had made in the past. But ironically, feeling worthless doesn't give me any energy or motivation to do anything to correct my mistakes in the present. So ultimately it's not very useful. So I did a quick process to change my state, the process that has worked the best for me with states like worthlessness, helplessness, or hopelessness (what I consider to be the core of depression). ...

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The war on grief

book cover trauma and human existence by Robert D. Stolorow, Ph.D for war on grief the post

by Robert D. Stolorow The DSM5, the most recent version of psychiatry’s diagnostic bible, makes it possible to classify grieving that endures beyond a rather brief span of time as a mental illness. This pathologizing of grief has ancient roots extending back at least as far as the Stoics.

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Gestalt: individuality and acceptance

close up of a pink flower for Gestalt: individuality and acceptance

The below words from Gestalt are good to contemplate when considering the nature of coercion…the impetus is in all of us…think about how often we’ve thought we knew what someone else should do or think or feel. Force in psychiatry is violent and it harms people permanently. "I do my thing and you do your thing. I am not in this world to live up to your expectations, And you are not in this world to live up to mine. You are you, and I am I, and if by chance we find each other, it's beautiful. If not, it can't be helped. "

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Mindless Mindfulness

corner of an impressionistic design for mindless mindfulness

Mindfulness is often defined as “bringing all of one’s attention to the present moment” or “paying attention in a particular way.” But how should one bring all of one’s attention to the present moment? And what should one pay attention to in order to be “mindful”? And for what purpose does a person engage in mindfulness? A frequently used mindfulness meditation technique is to notice the breath as it goes in and out. This task is very boring and done over long periods sitting upright can be very painful. They don’t tell you that in the marketing though! The benefits emphasized are things like gaining a more peaceful mind, “changing your brain,” reducing stress, and improving concentration. Let’s take the last claim. What is concentration exactly, and what kind of concentration do we want to develop?

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The void

moon in trees for the void

Often people experience a frightening thought that at the center of their being is a void, a terrible nothingness that threatens to swallow them whole. Less often a person is aware enough of this concern to express it in words. Frequently people live their entire lives avoiding, that is to say, being driven by this existential anxiety, the fear of death or non-being.

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Complex Conscientiousness

vibrant abstract expressionist painting with bold colors for complex Complex Conscientiousness

Complex Conscientiousness -- by Duff McDuffee Conscientiousness is one of the big five personality traits. It means something like being self-disciplined, painstaking and careful, thorough, organized, hard working, goal-oriented, reliable, deliberate. It also means acting according to one’s conscience. In simpler times this was a key element of what people meant by one’s character, but in... Continue Reading →

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Withdrawal from SSRI led to spiral of polydrugging: Molly’s story

lavender fields in provence at dusk for polydrugging

Update 2026: it's not unusual for SSRI's to trigger states that then get labeled bipolar. Many people graduate from a single drug to polydrugging in this way. A drug reaction is then drugged and the initiation into hardcore psychiatry begins.

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Neuroleptics: The New Magic Potion?

assorted medicines on a woman s face for neuroleptics (antipsychotics) for everyone

Update 2026: Since this was posted in 2009 we've seen the truth of this evolve. Drugs like abilify and seroquel are routinely used to help just about anyone sleep, for example. Neuroleptics, also categorized as antipsychotics are the new Benzos, really. Benzodiazepines got a bad rap and so they had to be replaced by something. Satire by the gifted psychiatrist and scientist, turned poet: Grace Jackson MD - author of Drug-Induced Dementia: a perfect crime (link included) Neuroleptics for Everyone

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Madness, diversity and inclusivity

pine in spring with new growth for Madness, diversity and inclusivity

I want to share this old video: madness, diversity and inclusivity. It's general message is especially important now with all the division we are facing societally. If you're interested in more YouTube talks, please let me know.

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Mad Camp 2026

There's still time to apply for Mad Camp in Northern California in July. Madcamp.net for all the information you need. Also: Apply here  https://forms.gle/sUMwbJSR18qEeon5Ahttp://madcamp.net/SUBSCRIBE https://madcamp.substack.com/ Join us for a 5 day summer camp!Mad Camp 2023 and 2024 were absolute amazing smash successes! AND 2025!!! So YES let’s do it again everyone! July 16-20 2026! APPLY... Continue Reading →

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Dissociation and psych drugs

tree of life for dissociation and psych drugs

Here's an important thing to understand about psychiatric drugs. Mental health conditions, just about all of them, are forms of dissociation from the body. Psychiatric drugs, across the board, dissociate one further from the body. Thus, they make the issues worse. When people actually do find relief on psych drugs, that's real and some people find in that kind of relief an opportunity to seek other ways of healing. Other people, however, never get off of the drugs and slowly their metabolic processes and capacity to detoxify diminish further. Thus, we get the statistic that people on psych meds die 25 years earlier on average.

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Short Videos of the International Peer Respite/Soteria Summit

peer respite/soteria summit logo for Short Videos of the International Peer Respite/Soteria Summit

This is to let you know the International Peer Respite/Soteria Summit (Summit), with which I am involved, recently arranged for the incomparable Daniel Mackler to edit its over 20 hours of videos into short clips:  Included is an list of them all.

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Search on Beyond Meds

abstract painting of a sea at dusk for search on beyond meds

I use a paid search engine to make this site competitive with what's out there these days (just for accessibility, mind you... I'm not into marketing anymore) ... There a a bunch of staggered payments for upgrades. This one for search caught me by surprise. I would love some help if you feel so inclined.... Continue Reading →

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navigating a viral “thread” on social media

the words social media on a light blue background for *** Support Everything Matters: Beyond Meds. Make a donation with PayPal or if you’d like to contribute to food as medicine, a Kroger eGift card works too!

being accused of offering up "dangerous misinformation." it's more like the interpretation offered about the actual facts makes the person uncomfortable. I forget how nasty and mean people are when they think that psychiatry is the bees knees and they imagine I'm hardcore anti. I'm not. I have witnessed and supported thousands of people who have been gravely harmed, often to the point of death by psychiatry AND I still support the individual doing what they need to do in terms of psych treatment...because we live in hell and in hell you do what you gotta do. I have numerous posts on my site that make this clear. You do not need to be cruel to people you do not understand. Get a grip.

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