Dr. John Vervaeke Upfire Digital LLC

Kyle Koch is a facilitator at Evolve Move Play, where he integrates dialogical practices into natural settings to foster deep personal connections and psychological growth. 
 
Have you ever wondered about the impact of our environment on our cognition and ability to connect with others? In this episode of Voice with Vervaeke, John and Kyle explore the integration of dialogical practices within natural settings, the psychological and communal impacts of such practices, and the potential for deep listening to forge powerful, transformative experiences.
 
Support John's groundbreaking work and gain exclusive access to live Q&A sessions, early video releases, and more by joining our Patreon community! https://www.patreon.com/johnvervaeke
 
We invite you to sign up for Evolve Move Play's "Embedded Experience" weekend workshops with Kyle Koch. Register at https://www.evolvemoveplay.com/weekend-workshops
 
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"Memory is about the future. It’s not about the past. Memories reconstruct and reconfigure in powerful, often unconscious ways to improve your ability to foresee in a relevant, realizing manner, the future." - John Vervaeke [25:13] 
 
"Rituals only matter to the degree to which they transfer broadly and deeply into many domains in your life and transfer broadly and deeply into many layers of your psyche." - John Vervaeke [57:27]
 
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0:00 Rekindling Connections: Dialogue and Nature
4:50 Environmental Impact on Cognition: Embodied Practices and Deep Listening
13:10 Evolutionary Impact of Campfires: Hypnosis, Shared Attention, and Ritual for Cognition and Connectedness
11:00 The Role of Deep Listening in Dialogical Practices
22:50 Ritual and Long-Term Change: Reconstructive Memory and Internalizing Wise Spirit
29:30 The Role of Place and Virtual Reality in Storytelling and Evolutionary Constraints
32:40 Navigating Virtual Technology: Maladaptations and the Importance of Wisdom in Epistemic Vulnerability  
41:00 The Evolution of Evolvability
50:00 The Power of Pilgrimage and Serious Play
59:30 Language and Expression of Transformation: Connectivity, Aliveness, and the We Space
1:06:40 Conclusion and Upcoming Opportunities for Embodied Experiences
 
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Join the Vervaeke Foundation in our mission to advance the scientifically rigorous pursuit of wisdom and make a meaningful impact in the world. https://vervaekefoundation.org/
 
Discover practices that deepen your virtues and help you connect more deeply with reality and relationships by joining Awaken to Meaning today. https://awakentomeaning.com/
 
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Follow John Vervaeke:
https://johnvervaeke.com/
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Follow Kyle Koch:
https://www.instagram.com/trottingsparrow/
https://www.evolvemoveplay.com/
 
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Thank you for watching!
 

In this episode of “Voices with Vervaeke,” John Vervaeke, alongside Terri Dentry and Aspasia Karageorge, delves into the complex interplay between emotions, chronic pain, and the mechanisms of healing within the framework of Intensive Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP). Through a rich dialogue, the discussion unfolds to explore the intricate ways in which pain serves not only as a physical experience but as a profound emotional and psychological defense mechanism, obscuring underlying emotional disturbances and traumas. The conversation navigates through the socialization of pain, the pivotal role of emotional awareness in healing, and the transformative potential of ISTDP in restoring agency and empowerment to individuals. By bridging emotional and physical healing, this episode illuminates the holistic approach necessary for comprehensive therapy, emphasizing the integration of diverse therapeutic practices. The engaging discourse provides compelling insights into therapy's transformative power, underscoring the importance of understanding and integrating our emotional landscapes.
Bios and Links:
Terri Dentry is a distinguished PhD graduate in interprofessional practice, dedicated to bridging the gap between traditional medical practices and holistic wellness approaches. With a keen focus on patient empowerment and integrated health solutions, Terri advocates for a healthcare model that values dialogical reasoning and personal journey understanding, aiming to transform patient care into a collaborative, multidimensional experience. If you’d like to reach out to Terri to share your own personal story or thoughts, please feel free to email her at terri@thinkred.com.au.
 
Aspasia Karageorge, Psy.D., is a registered clinical psychologist with a Doctorate of Clinical Psychology and Master of Science from the University of Sydney, as well as a Master's degree in forensic psychology from the University of Otago in New Zealand. Discover more about Aspasia through her website, and stay updated on her work by following her on YouTube and on Instagram.



Embark on a journey with us to tackle the Meaning Crisis by joining our exclusive Patreon group: John Vervaeke | Responding to The Meaning Crisis with The Vervaeke Foundation.
Connect with John: Website | YouTube | Patreon | X 
Resources:
 
The Vervaeke Foundation
 
Awaken to Meaning
 
VOICECRAFT
Quotes: 
"ISTDP stands for Intensive Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy, a therapy developed by Dr. Davanloo in the 60s. Essentially, it views chronic pain as a defense against emotional experience." - Aspasia Karageorge [00:06:00]
"Socialization of pain and how our narrative bias is driving a lot of this... the narrative bias coming from the early childhood experiences, and that providing the bias to what we are thinking, giving us a filter of how we are then relating to these things as we go forward in life." - Terri Dentry [00:38:04]
“Modeling goes deeper in the brain than propositions.” - John Vervaeke [00:59:20]
Glossary of Terms:
ISTDP: Intensive Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy, a form of therapy focusing on emotional experience.
Chapters: 
00:00:00 - Introduction: Unpacking Emotions, Chronic Pain, and Rationality in Therapy
00:10:00 - Exploring the Socialization of Pain and Emotion's Role 
00:15:00 - ISTDP and the Emotional Landscape: Understanding Pain as Emotional Distraction
00:24:20 - Restoring Agency and Emotional Insight: Pathways to Healing in Psychotherapy
00:43:00 - Integrating Therapies: Towards a Holistic Approach to Emotional and Physical Healing
01:07:20 - Conclusion: Embracing Complexity: Transformative Insights from ISTDP Therapy
 

This episode, first released on the “Into the Impossible” channel with Dr. Brian Keating, brings together the brilliant minds of John Vervaeke and Shawn Coyne to discuss the advent of artificial general intelligence and its potential consequences. The conversation starts with the motivations behind major tech figures' drive towards AI development and touches upon the issues of trust, adaptation, and the inherent human susceptibility to self-deception. Vervaeke and Coyne, through their book  "Mentoring the Machines: Surviving the Deep Impact of the Artificially Intelligent Tomorrow," advocate for a nuanced understanding of AI, urging for a mentorship approach to machine development that could ensure AI's alignment with human flourishing. Their dialogue also ventures into the realms of psychology, cognitive science, and the philosophical underpinnings of AI, making a compelling case for the transformative power of AI, not only technologically but also existentially for humanity.
Bios and Links:
Dr. Brian Keating is the Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor of Physics at UC San Diego, specializing in cosmic microwave background research to explore the universe's origins. An acclaimed writer, his book "Losing the Nobel Prize" is an Amazon Editors' favorite. He excels as a public speaker, inventor, and podcaster. Explore more at his website, follow him on Twitter, or watch his insights on YouTube. 
 
Shawn Coyne, creator of Story Grid, brings over three decades of publishing expertise, notably with the Big Five publishers, as an independent publisher, literary agent, and head of Genre Management Inc. Dive into his editing method and explore more at Story Grid.
 
Embark on a journey with us to tackle the Meaning Crisis by joining our exclusive Patreon group: John Vervaeke | Responding to The Meaning Crisis with The Vervaeke Foundation.
Connect with John: Website | YouTube | Patreon | X 
Resources:
 
The Vervaeke Foundation
 
Awaken to Meaning
 
Mentoring the Machines: Orientation - Part One: Surviving the Deep Impact of the Artificially Intelligent Tomorrow - John Vervaeke, Shawn Coyne 
 
Mentoring the Machines: Origins - Part 2: Surviving the Deep Impact of the Artificially Intelligent Tomorrow -  John Vervaeke, Shawn Coyne 
 
John Vervaeke Video Essay: AI: The Coming Thresholds and The Path We Must Take | Internationally Acclaimed Cognitive Scientist
Quotes: 
"We should really be framing artificial intelligence as a mentoring of intelligent beings who have the capability and potentialities of becoming even perhaps better than we are." - Shawn Coyne [00:05:52]
"It's only when you have genuine intelligence for the actual system or entity itself—an autopoietic system—a system that cares about information because it's taking care of itself in a moment by moment basis. Only then could you have something that would actually care about what's going on—the true, the good, or the beautiful." - John Vervaeke [00:15:05]
 
Glossary of Terms:
AGI (Artificial General Intelligence): A level of artificial intelligence that can understand, learn, and apply knowledge across a wide range of tasks at a level of competence comparable to or surpassing that of a human.
Relevance Realization: The process by which cognitive beings determine what information is relevant to their goals and what is not.
Autopoiesis: The property of a living system (such as a bacterial cell or a multicellular organism) that allows it to maintain and renew itself.
 
Chapters: 
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:02:45 - The Genesis of "Mentoring the Machines" 
00:08:50 - AI, Psychology, and the Alignment Problem 
00:16:40 - The Evolution of Editing and Publishing in the AI Era
00:21:00 - Bridging Knowledge and Wisdom
00:29:00 - Einstein, Imagination, and AI's Emotional Depth
00:37:30 - Deciphering Consciousness: AI and the Hard Problem
00:44:40 - Educational Evolution: AI, Pedagogy, and the Future of Teaching
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In this episode of “Voices with Vervaeke,” John Vervaeke is joined by Terri Dentry and Tim Adalin to discuss their unique perspectives on the intricate journey from chronic pain to insightful healing. The conversation delves into the psychological and existential dimensions that underpin true transformation, emphasizing the importance of dialogical practices and synoptic integration in achieving profound personal growth and understanding. Through a rich dialogue that navigates the nexus between philosophy, psychology, and therapeutic practice, this conversation offers deep insights into the art of healing, the cultivation of wisdom, and the transformative power of human connectivity. It stands as an essential discussion for those seeking to understand the holistic nature of healing and the potential for personal and collective evolution in the face of adversity.
Guest Bio and Links:
Terri Dentry is a distinguished PhD graduate in interprofessional practice, dedicated to bridging the gap between traditional medical practices and holistic wellness approaches. With a keen focus on patient empowerment and integrated health solutions, Terri advocates for a healthcare model that values dialogical reasoning and personal journey understanding, aiming to transform patient care into a collaborative, multidimensional experience. If you’d like to reach out to Terri to share your own personal story or thoughts, please feel free to email her at terri@thinkred.com.au.
 
Tim Adalin, founder of Voicecraft, explores the intricate dynamics between participation and transformation. His philosophical inquiry spans metaphysics, consciousness, and identity, underpinning Voicecraft's mission to enrich dialogue on complex modern challenges. You can learn more about Tim Adalin at his website, follow him on YouTube, and on his Substack. 
Resources:
Join our new Patreon: 
John Vervaeke | Responding to The Meaning Crisis with The Vervaeke Foundation 
 
The Vervaeke Foundation
 
Awaken to Meaning
 
VOICECRAFT
 
Redefining Healing: The Synergy of Psychedelic Integration and Interprofessional Practice

Chronic Pain, Trust, and Ethics: A Conversation with Terri Dentry and Nate Kinch 
Mere Christianity - C. S. Lewis 
 
Quotes: 
"This is not something about this immediate moment of chronic pain requiring a healing process. This is a worldview issue that is happening to all of us from the very start." - Terri Dentry [00:14:22]
"We're trying to get away from some of the fundamental ways in which agency is being implicitly understood or misunderstood in regular medical practice, and restore a proper appreciation of agency." - John Vervaeke [00:09:57]
"Partly what this conversation is pointing to is that there's going to be a different kind of tension essentially immediately experienced when entering into a different relational context." - Tim Adalin [01:11:20]
Glossary of Terms:
Synoptic Integration: The integration of diverse perspectives and modalities to achieve a comprehensive understanding and healing approach.
 
Interprofessional Practice: Collaboration between practitioners from different disciplines for holistic patient care.
Chapters: 
00:00:00 - Introduction, Research Background, and the "Seeing More" Project
00:03:50 - Transformational Journeys and the Power of Shared Pain, Vulnerability, and Relationality
00:11:36 - Agency and Relationality in Medical Practice
00:17:09 - Embodying the Meaning Crisis: Trauma, Narratives, and the Healing Process
00:28:43 - The Pivot Problem: Balancing Finitude and Transcendence in the Healing Journey
00:34:03 - Criticisms of Therapy and the Need for a Shared Worldview
00:44:12 - Dialogos and the Philosophical Silk Road Project
00:54:05 - The Significance of Dialogical Reasoning in Daily Life and Medical Interactions
01:03:34 - Building Structures for Belonging and Support: Challenges and Solutions
01:12:36 - Conclusion: Interprofessional Clinics and the Complex

In this episode, John Vervaeke, Gregg Henriques, Michael Levin, and Justin McSweeny come together to discuss the complexities of consciousness, intelligence, and the human condition. The conversation balances between imagination and empirical evidence, introducing cognitive light cones to frame goal-directed behavior. They explore recursive relevance realization, predictive processing, and mutual modeling to show how our sense of self and our interaction with the world are connected. Addressing the meaning crisis, the discussion acknowledges various forms of intelligence and emphasizes the transformative nature of human experiences. This episode highlights the importance of rethinking how we see ourselves, the ongoing process of self-reconstruction, and the value of interdisciplinary dialogue in deepening our understanding of human existence and consciousness.
Bios and Links:
Gregg Henriques, Ph.D., is a professor of graduate psychology at James Madison University and founder of the Unified Theory of Knowledge. Discover more about Henriques through his website, and follow his insights on Twitter at @henriqgx.
 
Michael Levin, Ph.D., is a distinguished professor and director of the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, specializing in developmental biology and biophysics. His pioneering research explores the bioelectric patterns that guide growth and form. Explore Levin's groundbreaking work on his lab's website, and follow his latest discoveries on Twitter at @drmichaellevin.
 
Justin McSweeny is the visionary host of the Idea Cast Interview Series, where he facilitates thought-provoking discussions on a wide array of intellectual topics. Access episodes on his YouTube channel, and connect with him for updates on LinkedIn.
 
Embark on a journey with us to tackle the Meaning Crisis by joining our exclusive Patreon group: John Vervaeke | Responding to The Meaning Crisis with The Vervaeke Foundation.
Connect with John: Website | YouTube | Patreon | X 
Resources:
 
The Vervaeke Foundation
 
Awaken to Meaning
 
Transcendent Naturalism Ep. 1 | Dr. John Vervaeke and Gregg Henriques
 
The Elusive I - Part 1 - The Cognitive Science Show
 
Levin, M. (2019). The Computational Boundary of a “Self”: Developmental Bioelectricity Drives Multicellularity and Scale-Free Cognition. Frontiers in Psychology, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02688
 
Vervaeke, J., Lillicrap, T. P., & Richards, B. A. (2009, October 26). Relevance Realization and the Emerging Framework in Cognitive Science. Journal of Logic and Computation. https://doi.org/10.1093/logcom/exp067
 
Transformative Experience - L. A. Paul 
 
Quotes: 
"What biology does is assumes that you can't just learn the structure of the past. You have to make problem-solving agents." - Michael Levin [00:39:10]
"When you're modeling the world, you're always, to some degree, modeling yourself, and as you're modeling yourself, you're always, to some degree, modeling the world. The two are interpenetrating." - John Vervaeke [00:16:30]
Glossary of Terms:
Cognitive Light Cone: A conceptual framework used to describe the spatial and temporal limits of an entity's cognition, determining what it can perceive and influence.
Relational Frame Theory (RFT): A theory of human language and cognition that focuses on how humans learn and how language interacts with cognition.
Chapters: 
00:00:00 - Introduction and the Balance Between Imaginal and Empirical
00:02:00 - Understanding Complexification through Layered Ontology
00:04:30 - The Evolution of Goal-Directed Behavior and Cognitive Light Cones 
00:12:30 - Recursive Relevance, Predictive Processing, and Mutual Modeling
00:30:00 - Addressing the Crisis of Meaning through Diverse Intelligence 
00:38:00 - Transformative Experiences: Reconstructing Self and Reality 
00:52:00 - Rationality, Dialogical Self, and Evolutionary Perspectives
01:16:00 - Conclusion: Interdisciplinary Dialogue and

In this episode of ”Voices with Vervaeke,” John Vervaeke continues his ongoing exploration of Internal Family Systems (IFS) theory with psychotherapist, clinician, and researcher Kasra Mirzaie. Kasra shares his insights into the cognitive, existential, and spiritual aspects of IFS, highlighting its potential to help individuals make sense of their inner conflicts, regulate emotions, and resolve developmental psychopathology. With a focus on dialectic, mythos, and serious play, Kasra explains how IFS can help individuals forge and come into contact with different aspects of their being and identity, promoting healing and transformation. Throughout the conversation, John and Kasra explore the philosophical and spiritual dimensions of IFS and how it can be integrated with other therapeutic approaches to promote participatory knowing, self-transcendence, and a deeper understanding of the self. Delving into poignant examples and transformative insights, the conversation illuminates the profound impact of embracing our multiplicity through IFS, offering listeners a pathway to understanding and healing that transcends traditional therapeutic boundaries.
Guest Bio and Links:
Kasra Mirzaie is a psychotherapist, researcher, and educator with a focus on emotion regulation and developmental psychopathology. Kasra brings a unique perspective to the discussion, combining clinical experience with a deep interest in philosophical psychology and meaning-making processes.
Join our new Patreon: 
John Vervaeke | Responding to The Meaning Crisis with The Vervaeke Foundation 
 
The Vervaeke Foundation
 
Awaken to Meaning
 
Voices with Vervaeke:
Wisdom Through the Imaginal: IFS Insights with Seth Allison Part 3
Chronic Pain, Trust, and Ethics: A Conversation with Terri Dentry and Nate Kinch
 
Many Minds, One Self: Evidence for a Radical Shift in Paradigm - Richard C. Schwartz  
 
Phenomenological Bioethics: Medical Technologies, Human Suffering, and the Meaning of Being Alive - Fredrik Svenaeus 
 
Thomas Fuchs:
In Defence of the Human Being: Foundational Questions of an Embodied Anthropology 
 
Ecology of the Brain: The phenomenology and biology of the embodied mind (International Perspectives in Philosophy and Psychiatry) 
 
Somatic Internal Family Systems Therapy: Awareness, Breath, Resonance, Movement, and Touch in Practice--Endorsed by top experts in therapeutic healing modalities - Susan McConnell
 
Simurgh: A Journey in Search of the Truth - Azar Aryanpour 
 
Quotes: 
“My take on IFS is that it's actually a model of the living, in self-organizing psyche that is composed of living things. Those interact with each other in a certain qualitative space and relationship that we would call the self.” - Kasra Mirzaie [00:05:09]
 
“The body is really fundamental to keeping us anchored to the world... if we train the mind to properly listen, it can act as a significant counterbalance to spiritual bypassing and hubristic self-deception." - John Vervaeke, paraphrasing Merleau-Ponty [01:13:45]
 
Glossary of Terms:
Internal Family Systems (IFS): A therapeutic approach that recognizes and addresses multiple sub-personalities or parts within each individual.
 
The Imaginal: A concept referring to a creative and transformative space that goes beyond mere imagination, facilitating deep healing and self-discovery.
 
Chapters: 
[00:00:00] - Introduction to Kasra Mirzaie: Insights into Psychotherapy, Research, and IFS
 
[00:08:18] - Enhancing Self-Awareness: Salience, Perspective-Taking, and the Journey Within
 
[00:17:38] - Bridging Kant and Vervaeke: Participatory Knowing and the Self in IFS
 
[00:30:29] - Mythos and Identity: Cultural Echoes and the Role of the Imaginal in Healing
 
[00:42:43] - IFS and Modern Psychotherapy: Addressing Mental Health and Meaning
 
[00:53:29] - Socratic Integration in IFS: Bridging Reflection and Healing Within a Pedagogical Framework