What does it really mean “to have an open mind”?
One of the popular phrases doing rounds among the changework community is “you should have an open mind”. And I do agree that having an open mind is valuable; it’s just that the phrase means something quite different from what...
Attitude, Beliefs, and Cancer – the Fact and the Fiction
Out of many myths about the human mind, this one is, perhaps, the most insidious one. Its danger spawns from its targeting an already vulnerable population, namely, cancer patients, and pulling them even further down, suggesting that...
The myth of repressed memories
We all know the scene. The hypnotist bends over the client, swinging his pendulum, uttering the “magic spell”, something like “and now, remember!!! buuuuu!!!!” (all right, all right, I added the buuuu!!!! to build the proper...
7 Reasons Why Positive Thinking Will Ruin Your Life
– “Children in Darfur are starving to death. Have they attracted that starvation to themselves?” – “I think the country probably has.” From an interview with Bob Proctor, an expert on positive thinking...
Why “being inspired” SUCKS
“It was very inspiring!” Whenever I hear that comment about a book, training or self-development material I know one thing: It was bloody worthless! What the phrase “It was very inspiring” really means is this: “It changed...
Is there such a thing as “signs from the universe”?
Signs from the universe. Everyone has heard about them. Probably the most prominent promoter of this idea is Paulo Coelho, the internet’s favorite writer. Coelho has written about signs, or omens, as follows: ‘Everything in life...
5 Common Myths About Meditation
Meditation. Recently, a very popular word. After years of being associated with bearded hermits inhabiting caves and sects recruiting unsuspecting teenagers during summer camps, the image of meditation has changed. These days, rather,...
6 Myths About Depression
This article was prompted by an interview that was recently shared in the personal development circles on Facebook. The person interviewed was a psychologist who claimed that depression almost never happens, that pharmaceutical companies...
How achieving success may harm you
Many books have been written about how traumatic or painful experiences can harm an individual’s well-being. I have the impression, though, that the other side of the coin is rarely talked about—that is, the harmful impact that...
Why traveling will not make you happy
I’m in Knossos. I feel like I’m going to burn while I listen to the tour guide. The temperature of 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) hinders us from admiring the remnants of the cradle of European civilization. Besides...