Jordan Peterson's Spiritual Awakening
This article is a transcript of Jordan Peterson's lecture on his spiritual awakening and is a theoretical piece.
In this lecture, Jordan Peterson discusses his personal experiences at the Edmonton Maximum Security Prison and how it led to his spiritual awakening. He talks about the relationship between being innocuous and being dangerous and the monstrous element to the human psyche which one should respect. The main topics are: the relationship between being innocuous and being dangerous, the monstrous element to the human psyche, and the importance of speaking the truth. The secondary topic is the coherence between the spiritual or abstract and the physical.
- Introduction
- The author's personal struggle with addiction and physical health
- Working at a prison and encountering dangerous individuals
- Reflection on the relationship between innocuousness and danger
- Realizing the presence of a monstrous element in human psyche
- The author's realization of a split in their psyche
- Learning to stop saying things that make the author weak
- The shock of realizing that most of what the author says is dead wood
Jordan Peterson's Journey of Self-Discovery and Spiritual Awakening
Jordan Peterson, a renowned clinical psychologist, talks about his personal journey of self-discovery and spiritual awakening in a series of lectures he gave to his students. He reveals his struggles with addiction, intellectualism, and physical health during his years in graduate school. During this time, he also worked with a prison psychologist, which led him to question his assumptions about good and evil-
One day, he met an innocuous-looking inmate in a Maximum Security Prison who turned out to be a cold-blooded killer who had shot two cops. Peterson was struck by the incongruity between the killer's harmless appearance and his monstrous deeds. This encounter made Peterson realize that the line between good and evil is not as clear-cut as he had thought. He also learned that we all have a dark side that we need to acknowledge and respect.
As he delved deeper into his psyche, Peterson became aware of a split in his consciousness. One part of him loved to argue and play with ideas, while the other part was a neutral observer that judged his thoughts and speech. He began to listen to the latter and stopped saying anything that made him feel weak. This practice purged him of 95% of his verbal output, but it also aligned him more with his core values and beliefs.
Peterson's Spiritual Awakening
Through this journey, Peterson realized that by being truthful to oneself, one could reach a state of spiritual alignment. Truthfulness was not about conforming to a set of external standards but about speaking from the core of one's being. He drew inspiration from the work of Carl Rogers, a famous clinician, who talked about mental health as a coherence between the abstract and the physical. For Peterson, alignment meant being in harmony with one's core values and beliefs, which gave one a sense of purpose and direction.
Peterson's journey of self-discovery and spiritual awakening has inspired many people to seek a higher purpose in life. He has shown that through honesty, courage, and humility, one can overcome one's inner demons and find the strength to live a meaningful life. His teachings have helped people to overcome addiction and depression, to build healthy relationships, and to find meaning in their work and personal lives. His message of hope and transformation has touched the lives of millions of people worldwide.
The article discusses Jordan Peterson's spiritual awakening and how it led him to pay closer attention to his words and thoughts. This information can influence other areas of knowledge such as psychology, philosophy, and spirituality. It can also influence other areas of life such as self-reflection, self-awareness, and personal growth.
The author of the article missed the opportunity to discuss how Peterson's spiritual awakening has impacted his life and work since then. They also missed the opportunity to discuss how Peterson's experience can be used as a model for others who are seeking spiritual growth.
There are no contradictions in the article, however, it should be noted that Peterson's experience is unique and may not be applicable to everyone. Additionally, it is important to recognize that spiritual growth is a personal journey and may look different for different people.
Question 1:
What did the author learn about themselves during their time in graduate school and working at a prison?
"...that there was more to life than the intellect much more because I smoked too much and I drank too much and I weighed like 130 pounds I wasn't in good physical shape and like I had a lot of things to do when I went to graduate school to put myself together...at the same time I was trying to understand why things had gone so crazily wrong with the world it's encapsulation in the Cold War and what rule I might be playing in that if any or what role any of us were playing in that."
Question 2:
What was the author's reaction when they found out about the actions of the two criminals they met at the prison?
"...instead of being shocked and horrified by that although I certainly was I thought how in the world could you do that because I didn't think I could do that eh I I didn't think that I thought that there was a qualitative distinction between me and those people..."
Question 3:
What realization did the author come to about themselves after their experience in graduate school and at the prison?
"...that made me think that made me think a lot about the relationship between being innocuous and being dangerous and then another thing happened I met another guy out there and then a week or two later I heard that he and a friend of his had held another guy down and pulverized his left leg with a lead pipe like just pulverized it and the reason for that was that they thought that he was a snitch and maybe he was and that that time I did something different instead of being shocked and horrified by that although I certainly was I thought how in the world could you do that because I didn't think I could do that eh I I didn't think that I thought that there was a qualitative distinction between me and those people and so I spent about two weeks trying to see if I could figure out under what conditions I could do that like what kind of psychological transformation I would have to undergo to be able to do that..."
Question 4:
What approach did the author take in order to become more self-aware and improve their communication?
"... decided that I would start practicing not saying things that would make me weak and what happened was that I had to stop saying almost everything that I was saying I would say 95 of it as a hell of a shock to wake up and I mean this was over a few months but it's a hell of a shock to wake up and realize that you're mostly dead wood..."
Outline for Quiz 1
- a. Life is all about intellect
- b. Life requires physical fitness
- c. Life is more than just intellect
- d. Life is all about material possessions Correct answer: c. Life is more than just intellect
- a. There is no connection between individual behavior and group pathology
- b. Everyone at the prison was a monster
- c. There is a relationship between being innocuous and being dangerous
- d. The author was not affected by his experience at the prison Correct answer: c. There is a relationship between being innocuous and being dangerous
- a. He started seeing himself as a good guy
- b. He realized there was no monstrous element to the human psyche
- c. He started seeing himself as a loaded weapon
- d. He became more judgmental towards others Correct answer: c. He started seeing himself as a loaded weapon
Question 1: What was the author's realization about life?
Question 2: What did the author learn from his experience at the prison?
Question 3: How did the author's perspective change after his experience at the prison?
Outline for Quiz 2
- a. He felt relieved
- b. He felt embarrassed
- c. He felt shocked
- d. He felt angry Correct answer: c. He felt shocked
- a. Mental health requires physical fitness
- b. Mental health requires alignment between the abstract and physical
- c. Mental health requires intellect
- d. Mental health requires material possessions Correct answer: b. Mental health requires alignment between the abstract and physical
- a. Saying whatever came to mind
- b. Saying things that made him weak
- c. Saying things that he thought would impress others
- d. Saying things that made him angry Correct answer: b. Saying things that made him weak
Question 1: How did the author feel after his experience of self-examination?
Question 2: What did the author learn from Carl Rogers' work?
Question 3: What did the author start practicing after his self-examination?
Outline for Quiz 3
- a. There is no relationship between being innocuous and being dangerous
- b. The author should avoid the prison at all costs
- c. There is a qualitative distinction between the author and the prisoners
- d. The author should act like a monster to survive in the prison Correct answer: c. There is a qualitative distinction between the author and the prisoners
- a. He was a good guy
- b. He was an absolutely horrible guy
- c. He was a moderately bad guy
- d. He was a monster Correct answer: c. He was a moderately bad guy
- a. There is no split in the human psyche
- b. It's better to listen to the part of oneself that likes to argue
- c. It's better to listen to the neutral part of oneself
- d. It's better to ignore both parts and say whatever comes to mind Correct answer: c. It's better to listen to the neutral part of oneself
Question 1: What did the author learn from his experience at the prison?
Question 2: What did the author realize about himself after his self-examination?
Question 3: What did the author learn from the split in his psyche?
- Reflect on your behavior and thoughts. This is important in identifying areas that need improvement. Take time to ask yourself why you behave a certain way or why you think a certain way. Reflection can help you identify your weaknesses and strengths, which can guide you towards self-improvement. This can be applied by taking a few moments each day to pause and reflect on your actions, thoughts, and emotions.
- Acknowledge the monstrous element in the human psyche. This involves understanding that everyone, including yourself, has the capacity for evil. By acknowledging this, you can take steps to prevent this destructive aspect of your psyche from taking over. This tip can be applied by reading up on Jungian psychology and acknowledging that everyone is capable of both good and evil.
- Pay attention to what you say. This involves being aware of the impact your words have on yourself and others. Ensure that your words are truthful, align with your beliefs, and don't make you come apart. This tip can be applied in everyday life by practicing mindfulness and focusing on speaking with intention and purpose.
- Stop saying things that make you weak. This tip involves identifying and stopping behaviors that hold you back. These may be behaviors that erode your self-confidence, create stress, or waste your time. This tip can be applied by taking inventory of your actions and identifying those that don't serve you, then making a conscious effort to stop those behaviors.
- Align your thoughts with your physical being. This involves integrating your abstract thoughts with your physical actions. This tip can be applied in everyday life by focusing on activities that help you connect mind and body, such as yoga or tai chi. Additionally, prioritizing activities that promote physical wellness and self-care can help align your thoughts and physical being.
The best tip to include in daily life is reflection. Taking time to reflect on your actions and thoughts can help you identify areas that need improvement, gain self-awareness, and make conscious choices that align with your goals and values. This can be done through journaling, meditating, or simply taking a few minutes each day to pause and reflect. By making reflection a habit, you can continually grow and improve as a person.