Deconstructing Michael, with Erik Newton

Turning the tables on the usual show format, host Michael Taft gets interviewed by Erik Newton. They talk about the meaning of awakening, the paradox of suffering, the end of seeking, the value of personal experience vs. scriptural understanding, Erik’s awakening experience, new technologies of awakening, the genesis of the Deconstructing Yourself podcast, and more.
Erik Newton is a lawyer and was the head of a successful family law firm, which gave him the opportunity to take part in 1000s of divorces. As the result of his experience, two things happened: one was that he created the wildly popular podcast entitled “Together (together.guide)” — the podcast that explores the truth of human relationships — in which Erik uses his hard-won knowledge of the many failure modes of relationships to help couples understand how come together. The second was that he had a major awakening experience.

Links
Kenneth Folk on DY
• Am I Mindful Right Now (deconstructingyourself.com/podcast/dy-001-mind…)
• The Cosmic Joke (deconstructingyourself.com/podcast/dy-002-cosm…)
• Masters of Oblivion (deconstructingyourself.com/podcast/dy-003-mast…)
The Forest Refuge (dharma.org/retreats/forest-refuge)
Michael’s Book on Non-Duality (amazon.com/Nondualism-Brief-History-Timeless-C…)
Daniel Ingram on DY
• Meditation Magick Fire Kasina (deconstructingyourself.com/podcast/dy-008-medi…)
• Popping the Bubble of Projection (deconstructingyourself.com/podcast/dy-017-popp…)
Michael’s Article on Awakening (deconstructingyourself.com/a-universal-theory-…)
The Mindful Geek (amazon.com/Mindful-Geek-Mindfulness-Meditation…)

Show Notes
3:50 – How The DY Podcast Began
6:58 – The Conversation of Awakening as a Creative Journey
9:30 – The Joy of Getting Inside Somebody Else’s Mind
10:40 – What is “The Path”?
12:09 – Where Did the Name “Deconstructing Yourself” Come From?
14:48 – Deconstructing Leads to Reconstructing
16:13 – Deconstruction and Reconstruction in Buddhism
16:57 – Erik’s Awakenings and Emptiness Experiences
18:58 – “Heaven is a Place Where Nothing Ever Happens”
20:24 – The “What Next” Factor Leads Us Back to The World
21:30 – The Pros and Cons of Michael’s Style of Learning and Teaching
24:04 – The Value of Academia and Scripture
25:24 – Everything is Partially True and False
26:43 – Michael’s Time as a Seeker
28:00 – What is a Seeker?
28:36 – The Slow Death of the Seeker
31:02 – Awakening Can Save the World
32:36 – Nothing Matters and A Lot Matters
34:51 – Does It Hurt to Be Aware of Suffering?
36:03 – The Game of Recognizing Emptiness and Engaging Anyway
37:37 – Awake People Are Still People
38:46 – A Perfect Relationship Doesn’t Exist
40:21 – Popping the Bubbles of Projection
41:33 – Redefining Awakening Through Science
43:06 – Empathizing with Critics
43:54 – Teaching for The Western Mind
45:42 – The Practical Impact of Awakening
46:26 – Plant Medicine as a Shortcut for Awakening
47:15 – Technology’s Place in Awakening
51:48 – The Power of Communication Technology
52:19 – Normalizing Awakening
53:46 – Nudges Towards Awakening
55:22 – Teaching Meditation at Erik’s Start Up
56:33 – Beginner’s Mind
57:18 – Goals, Motivations, and Ethics in Meditation
58:42 – Waking Up in Silicon Valley

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