Know Thyself

André Duqum
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Know Thyself is a community supporting you to KNOW the true nature of yourself and the world around you, THRIVE in your health, wealth, and relationships – ultimately empowering you to CREATE and share your true self with the world. Each week André Duqum interviews experts in their field; ranging from spiritual educators to cutting edge scientists, heart-led creatives & more on topics such as the true nature of ‘Self’, “what is reality?,” and exploring the fundamental pillars we all need to unlock our fullest potential. Contributing to birthing a more beautiful world, one episode at a time.

  1. E193 - Dr. Paul Conti: A Psychiatrist's Guide to Understanding Your Mind

    20 HR AGO

    E193 - Dr. Paul Conti: A Psychiatrist's Guide to Understanding Your Mind

    Dr. Paul Conti is a psychiatrist, trauma specialist, and author whose work centers on one deceptively simple idea: that understanding yourself is the most powerful thing you can do for your mental health. In this conversation, we explore how the unconscious mind quietly sets the boundaries for how we think, feel, and move through life, and how much of what we assume is just "who we are" was actually formed long before we had the words for it. What struck me most in this conversation is Paul's insistence that looking inward doesn't have to be frightening. He introduces the concept of the generative drive, the part of us that moves toward creativity, altruism, and genuine contribution, and makes a compelling case that this is what separates a life that feels full from one that simply accumulates. We also get into the myths we build from isolated facts, why the traditional psychiatric model falls short, and what it actually means to bring compassionate curiosity to yourself. BiOptimizers - Best magnesium to enhance your sleep https://www.bioptimizers.com/knowthyself Use code KNOWTHYSELF for 15% off at checkout Try LMNT & get a free sample pack https://drinkLMNT.com/KnowThyself André's Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list ___________ 00:00 Intro 02:05 Assessing Mental Health Like Physical Health 03:04 The Unconscious Mind and Its Hidden Influence 06:30 How Identity Forms in Early Childhood 08:23 Compassionate Curiosity as a Practice 11:02 Empowerment, Agency, and the Healthy Self 15:34 The Assertion, Pleasure, and Generative Drives 24:26 What Humility Actually Means 27:09 Ad: BiOptimizers 28:18 Shame, Feelings, and the Lessons We Carry 35:10 How Memories Build the Myth of Self 42:32 Ad: LMNT 43:41 Waking Up vs. Growing Up 48:10 The Limits of Diagnosis-Driven Psychiatry 51:07 What We're Really Striving For 58:18 Self-Worth and External Achievement 1:02:12 Anxiety as Adaptive and Maladaptive 1:09:52 Defense Mechanisms and How They Shape Us 1:16:51 Tools for Self-Inquiry and Lasting Change 1:25:52 Repeated Patterns and Relational Wounds 1:29:45 Hard-Won Growth and Gratitude 1:32:12 Paul's Personal Story: Loss and the Path to Medicine 1:37:17 Presence, Suffering, and the Art of Helping 1:41:35 Closing Message: Your Mind Is Your Friend ___________ Episode Resources: https://www.drpaulconti.com/ https://www.amazon.com/Whats-Going-Right-Powerful-Optimizing/dp/1538776049 https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/ https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/ https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com

    1hr 45min
  2. E192 - Emily McDonald: The Neuroscience of Transforming Yourself

    28 APR

    E192 - Emily McDonald: The Neuroscience of Transforming Yourself

    Emily McDonald holds two degrees in neuroscience and has become one of the fastest-growing science communicators on social media. In this conversation, we explore how the brain constructs reality from the inside out — not as a passive receiver of the world, but as a constant prediction machine shaped by memory, belief, emotion, and past experience. From color vision to the kitten experiment, Emily brings the science to life in a way that makes you ask: where am I the kitten in my own life? What I love about this conversation is that it doesn't stop at the intellectual. Emily shares how understanding neuroplasticity moved her from skeptic to someone who radically rewired her relationship with identity, money, and what it means to pursue something with passion. We get into the difference between harmonious and obsessive passion, how identity sets a ceiling on what we're willing to receive, and why processing time — the unstructured silence we've largely lost — may be one of the most important things we can reclaim. Oneskin - Use code KNOWTHYSELF for 15% off http://oneskin.co/KNOWTHYSELF Limited time only! BiOptimizers - Best magnesium to enhance your sleep https://www.bioptimizers.com/knowthyself Use code KNOWTHYSELF for 15% off at checkout André's Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list ___________ 00:00 Intro 02:14 How the Brain Constructs Reality 13:50 Rewiring Beliefs Around Abundance 20:12 The Brain as a Prediction Machine 21:35 The Default Mode Network and Self-Concept 24:15 Science and Spirituality as Complementary Lenses 27:09 Ad: One Skin 30:19 Identity Beyond the Thinking Mind 41:44 Ad: BiOptimizers 42:52 Identity as the Set Point of Your Life 45:39 The Neuroscience of Habit Change 47:39 Desire, Fear, and the Energy Behind Goals 1:07:03 Living from Feeling States, Not Outcomes 1:13:58 Purpose Beyond the Self 1:24:21 Nervous System Regulation as a Foundation 1:27:52 Discipline as Self-Trust 1:33:51 The Three M's Morning Routine 1:39:05 Environment, Association, and Chemo Signals 1:42:20 The Necessity of Processing Time ___________ Episode Resources: https://www.instagram.com/emonthebrain/ https://www.instagram.com/planetempodcast/ https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/ https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/ https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com

    1hr 48min
  3. E191 - Roman Yampolskiy: The Man Who Proved We Can't Control AI (And What That Means for Humanity)

    21 APR

    E191 - Roman Yampolskiy: The Man Who Proved We Can't Control AI (And What That Means for Humanity)

    Dr. Roman Yampolskiy joins me to explore one of the most urgent and uncomfortable questions of our time: what happens when we create intelligence that surpasses our own? We unpack the difference between the AI tools we use today and the emergence of artificial general intelligence, and why the transition from narrow systems to self-improving intelligence may mark a point where human control is no longer possible. Roman shares why even the people building these systems do not fully understand how they work, and why that gap in understanding becomes exponentially more dangerous as capabilities increase. In this conversation, we explore the limits of control, prediction, and safety in a world where intelligence can recursively improve itself beyond human comprehension. Roman lays out why the problem of AI alignment may be fundamentally unsolvable, what timelines experts are realistically considering, and why even a single mistake at that level could have irreversible consequences. This episode invites a deeper reflection on what we are creating, what we assume we can control, and whether humanity is prepared for the intelligence it is bringing into existence. BiOptimizers - Best magnesium to enhance your sleep http://bioptimizers.com/knowthyself Use code KNOWTHYSELF for 15% off at checkout BASED Body Works Use code KNOWTHYSELF for a free toiletry bag when buying a set! https://www.basedbodyworks.com Andrés Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list ___________ 00:00 Intro 01:25 What Is AGI and Why Should We Be Scared? 05:17 Roman's Journey: From Optimism to Impossibility 09:07 The High Risk, Zero Reward Equation 13:01 Why Superintelligence Is Uncontrollable, Unexplainable, and Unverifiable 18:00 How Long Do We Have? The AGI Timeline 21:24 How Superintelligence Could Actually Kill Us 23:28 Are We Living in a Simulation? 28:21 Can AI Become Conscious? 31:28 Ad: BiOptimizers 32:41 The Possible Timelines: Terminator, the Matrix, or the Zoo 42:24 I-Risk, X-Risk, and S-Risk: Three Ways It Goes Wrong 46:31 The Human Meaning Crisis: Jobs, Purpose, and What's Left 49:02 Ad: Based Bodyworks 50:20 What Empowers Us as Individuals Right Now 59:37 The Race to Doom: Who's Building It and Why They Won't Stop 1:07:41 Can AI Be Conscious — and Does It Already Have Internal Experiences? 1:12:41 Hacking the Simulation: Quantum, DMT, and Escaping the Code 1:18:30 Simulation Theory, Religion, and the Same Ancient Map 1:29:34 The Deal Roman Would Offer Altman, Dario, and Elon 1:39:44 What Is Humor? A Computer Scientist's Theory 1:43:03 What Comes After: Singularity, Death, and Knowing Thyself ___________ Episode Resources: https://www.romanyampolskiy.com/ https://www.amazon.com/Unexplainable-Unpredictable-Uncontrollable-Artificial-Intelligence/dp/103257626X https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/ https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/ https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com Listen to the show: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4bZMq9l Apple: https://apple.co/4iATICX

    1hr 49min
  4. E188 - Emad Mostaque: AI Expert: “We Have 800 Days Left”

    31 MAR

    E188 - Emad Mostaque: AI Expert: “We Have 800 Days Left”

    Emad Mostaque joins me to explore one of the most confronting questions of our time: what happens when human intelligence is no longer economically valuable? We unpack how rapidly advancing AI is moving toward a world where cognitive labor becomes obsolete, and why this shift may happen much sooner than most people expect. Emad shares how we’ve already built systems that can replicate human thinking, decision-making, and creativity, and how the next phase is not about new breakthroughs but simply scaling what already exists. In this conversation, we explore what this means for identity, purpose, and the future of society. If so much of our sense of self is tied to what we do, what happens when that disappears? Emad lays out the possible paths forward, from centralized control of intelligence to more open and collaborative systems, and why the stories we choose to believe in now may determine whether we move toward collapse or abundance. This episode is an invitation to rethink work, meaning, and what it truly means to be human in a world where intelligence is no longer scarce. BASED Body Works Use code KNOWTHYSELF for a free toiletry bag when buying a set! https://www.basedbodyworks.com Try Boncharge & 15% off their red light devices https://www.boncharge.com/knowthyself André's Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list ___________ 0:00 Intro 01:17 The Last Economy 02:03 The Race Toward AGI and Human Obsolescence 07:50 Why AI Will Reshape Work Within 800 Days 14:36 The Collapse of Work as Identity 18:22 How Far Ahead Private AI Really Is 21:24 The Three Futures of AI 32:52 When the Economic Loop Breaks 37:38 Ad: Based Body Works 38:07 What AI Changes About Intelligence 40:50 When AI Replaces Human Worth 48:44 Ad: BON CHARGE 48:46 Industrializing Self-Deception 55:55 When AI Knows You Better Than You Do 1:08:23 What Utopia Could Still Look Like 1:20:20 How to Use AI Without Losing Yourself 1:30:59 Can AI Become Conscious? 1:46:29 What Makes Us Human? 1:57:08 Longevity, Transhumanism, and the Future of the Body 2:03:51 The Practical AI Tools to Start Using Now 2:14:43 The End of Human-Only Discovery 2:17:22 What Parents Should Teach Their Kids Now 2:23:39 Happiness, Agency, and the Final Message ___________ Episode Resources: https://x.com/EMostaque https://x.com/ii_posts https://ii.inc/web Emad's Book: http://thelasteconomy.com https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/ https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/ https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com Listen to the show: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4bZMq9l Apple: https://apple.co/4iATICX

    2h 27m
  5. E187 - Shi Heng Yi: Shaolin Master’s Guide to Self-Mastery & Inner Stability

    24 MAR

    E187 - Shi Heng Yi: Shaolin Master’s Guide to Self-Mastery & Inner Stability

    Shi Heng Yi joins me to explore the path of self-mastery through the lens of the Shaolin tradition, and why, despite having more comfort and convenience than ever before, so many people still feel a deep sense of inner lack. We unpack the idea that external success, wealth, and achievement cannot replace a missing sense of inner stability, and how the constant search outside of ourselves often leads us further away from what we are truly looking for. In this conversation, we explore the relationship between mind, body, and energy, and why true mastery begins with learning how to regulate and understand oneself rather than trying to control the external world. Shi Heng Yi shares how thoughts shape reality, why discipline and consistency are essential for growth, and what it means to become “transparent” by letting go of identity and the need to be someone. This episode is an invitation to shift from reacting to life toward consciously creating it from within. Oneskin - Use code KNOW THYSELF for 15% off http://oneskin.co/KNOWTHYSELF Limited time only! MUDWTR - Up to 43% off sitewide (and a free frother!) https://www.mudwtr.com/knowthyself [Code: KNOWTHYSELF] André's Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list ___________ 0:00 Intro 1:11 The Root of Suffering: Becoming Someone 1:50 Why Comfort Doesn’t Create Peace 4:56 The Inner Void Beneath External Success 9:16 The Path of Self-Mastery 16:04 Mastering the Mind, Not the World 21:07 Where Attention Goes, Energy Flows 27:21 Ad: OneSkin 28:43 The Essence of the Shaolin Spirit 36:29 Living with Intention and Integrity 44:14 Service Beyond the Self 46:34 The Freedom of Being No One 57:14 Ad: Mud/Wtr 58:56 Trust, Discipline, and the Inner Path 1:05:24 Strength Without Suppression 1:10:20 The Middle Way of Emotion 1:13:11 Structure as the Gateway to Freedom 1:19:00 Returning to the Body 1:35:36 The Body as a Tool for Awareness 1:42:32 Breath as the Bridge to Presence 1:46:38 Seeing Clearly: The End of Suffering 1:54:31 From Endless Seeking to Direct Experience 1:59:27 The Mind’s Five Obstacles 2:08:07 Turning Awareness Inward 2:11:20 Beyond the Illusion of Separation 2:14:25 Nothing to Gain, Nothing to Lose 2:15:30 Closing Thoughts ___________ Episode Resources: https://www.shihengyi.online/ https://www.instagram.com/shihengyi.online https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/ https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/ https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com

    2h 18m
  6. E186 - Nicole LePera: What Your Childhood Home Did to Your Nervous System

    17 MAR

    E186 - Nicole LePera: What Your Childhood Home Did to Your Nervous System

    Dr. Nicole LePera joins me to explore how our childhood experiences shape the nervous system, emotional patterns, and identities we carry into adulthood. We unpack how many of the reactions, habits, and relationship dynamics that feel automatic today were once adaptations we developed to maintain connection and safety early in life. Nicole explains how emotional attunement in childhood forms the internal “home base” we return to, often recreating familiar patterns even when they no longer serve us. In this conversation, we explore attachment styles, people-pleasing, parentification, and the unconscious roles we adopt in order to belong. Nicole also introduces the practice of reparenting—learning how to meet our own emotional needs through awareness, nervous system regulation, and body-based practices. This episode offers a grounded path toward understanding where our patterns come from and how we can begin to create a deeper sense of safety and home within ourselves. Try LMNT & get a free sample pack https://drinkLMNT.com/KnowThyself MUDWTR - Up to 43% off sitewide (and a free frother!) https://www.mudwtr.com/knowthyself [Code: KNOWTHYSELF] André's Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list ___________ 00:00 Intro 03:30 Unearthing What We Buried to Survive 09:12 The Childhood Roots of Our Coping Strategies 15:59 The Importance of Emotional Attunement 19:52 Understanding Attachment Styles 28:33 Ad: LMNT 30:35 From Seeking Love to Finding Home Within 34:54 Meeting Needs With Compassion 41:06 Ad: Mudwtr 42:29 The Impact of Status-Oriented Parenting 51:34 The Body as the Foundation of Healing 1:04:19 Simple Practices for Nervous System Regulation 1:12:07 Growing When Your Partner Isn't 1:26:07 Vulnerability as the Path to Connection 1:42:15 Healing the Need to Be Perfect 1:50:55 The Power of Inner Child Awareness ___________ Episode Resources: https://www.instagram.com/the.holistic.psychologist https://theholisticpsychologist.com/ https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/ https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/ https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com

    1hr 55min
  7. E185 - Henry Shukman: A Zen Master With 40 Years of Practice on Who You Really Are

    10 MAR

    E185 - Henry Shukman: A Zen Master With 40 Years of Practice on Who You Really Are

    Zen teacher and author Henry Shukman offers a clear and grounded introduction to the heart of Zen practice. We explore how awakening is not an escape from life, but a deeper participation in it — a realization that dissolves the illusion of separation and reveals a boundless field of awareness and love. Henry shares his own spontaneous awakening experience at 19, the profound insight that life is not divided between self and world, and the difficult healing journey that followed. From mindfulness and meditation to flow states, jhanas, koans, and the role of trauma in spiritual growth, this conversation maps out a path that integrates awakening with emotional healing. Download SAILY in your app store and use our code KNOWTHYSELF at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase! For further details go to https://saily.com/knowthyself Go to https://thewayapp.com/knowthyself to begin your journey with 30 free meditation sessions André's Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list ___________ 00:00 Intro 01:26 An Introduction to Zen 13:10 The Premise of Original Love 17:14 Training the Mind Like the Body 20:54 Freedom From Identification With Thought 27:50 What Are the Jhanas? 32:50 Ad: Saily 33:54 Tasting Awakening for Yourself 45:17 Awakening vs Psychological Healing 50:17 Awakening as an Ongoing Path 54:54 The Distinct Path of Zen 59:13 Koans as a Path to Insight 1:13:53 The Enlightenment of the Mundane 1:20:07 The Freedom of Emptiness 1:26:16 The Necessity of Meditation Practice 1:34:32 Sweeping the Yard (A Zen Poem) 1:43:33 Beauty, Ethics, and Interconnection 1:47:33 The Journey to a Whole Heart (A Poem on Heartbreak) 2:02:58 Original Love in a Fragmented World ___________ Episode Resources: https://www.instagram.com/henryshukman/ https://www.instagram.com/theway_app/ https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/ https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/ https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com

    2h 6m
  8. E184 - Dr. Sue Morter: What Actually Causes Energetic Blocks (And How to Release Them)

    3 MAR

    E184 - Dr. Sue Morter: What Actually Causes Energetic Blocks (And How to Release Them)

    Dr. Sue Morter returns to explore what it truly means to awaken — not as a concept, but as a lived, embodied experience. Beneath our protective personality and performance-driven identity lies a deeper intelligence — an electromagnetic master system that governs healing, perception, and consciousness itself. In this conversation, we explore how nervous system regulation opens the doorway to higher awareness, why triggers are invitations to reclaim lost parts of ourselves, and how building energetic circuitry transforms reactive patterns into creative power. From subtle anatomy and the Shoshumna channel to the relationship between consciousness and matter, this episode bridges science and spirituality in a grounded, practical way. Try LMNT & get a free sample pack https://drinkLMNT.com/KnowThyself Try Boncharge & 15% off their red light devices https://www.boncharge.com/knowthyself Know Thyself Community Event Waitlist: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/live André's Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list ___________ 00:00 Intro 5:48 The Illusion of Inherent Brokenness 11:37 The Fuel Behind Achievement 17:21 The Protective Personality 31:21 Ad: LMNT 32:46 The Return to Second Innocence 47:04 Ad: BON CHARGE 48:13 Expanding the Space Between Stimulus and Response 1:04:06 The Science of Subtle Anatomy 1:29:24 The Limits of Spiritual Language 1:43:07 Embodiment of Expanded Awareness 1:49:02 Moving From Joy Instead of Lack 1:54:16 The Transformative Power of Immersive Experience 2:15:22 Surrendering Fully Into Feeling 2:25:42 A Message to the Heart of Humanity ___________ Episode Resources: Dr. Sue Morter's book: https://nt113.isrefer.com/go/HYHYL-Book/KnowThyself/ https://www.instagram.com/drsuemorter https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/ https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/ https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com Listen to the show: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4bZMq9l Apple: https://apple.co/4iATICX

    2h 31m
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Hosts & Guests

About

Know Thyself is a community supporting you to KNOW the true nature of yourself and the world around you, THRIVE in your health, wealth, and relationships – ultimately empowering you to CREATE and share your true self with the world. Each week André Duqum interviews experts in their field; ranging from spiritual educators to cutting edge scientists, heart-led creatives & more on topics such as the true nature of ‘Self’, “what is reality?,” and exploring the fundamental pillars we all need to unlock our fullest potential. Contributing to birthing a more beautiful world, one episode at a time.

Information

  • Creator
    André Duqum
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    193
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © André Duqum
  • Show Website
    Know Thyself

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