The SHN #57: Ernest Becker, Energy, and Podcasts

Welcome back to The Synergetic Health Newsletter! 

In this edition, we’ll explore Ernest Becker’s Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Denial of Death.

After that, how to protect your energy.

Then comes an AI summary of my e-book and my new podcast additions.

Finally, I’ll include some links to things I’ve found particularly interesting recently.

Joe Burt

🇺🇸 Happy 4th of July from the Coast of the Gods, Italy 🇮🇹 

💭 Some Random Thoughts This Week

-Journalling: I’ve maintained a “Morning Pages” style practice for over six months now, 1-3 pages of stream of consciousness writing first thing in the morning. Recently, I’ve started using Robin Swarma’s “Five Questions” as prompts to write about:

1. What am I grateful for? (preference to look for under-appreciated things)

2. Where am I winning?

3. What will I let go of today?

4. What does my ideal day look like today?

5. What will be said about me at the end of my life?

-No More Lessons?: Inner work (shadow work, trauma healing, parts therapy, etc) eventually needs to be dropped. This can be challenging because the human loves to take on projects, to work on something, to wait for something, to fix something.

The mind, the old stories, and all the fears keep poking their head up to be addressed. They would hate if you just dropped them without analysis and without struggle. Could it be so simple as to just drop it all? If your only job was to enjoy life?

-Being Authentic: I’ve been trying to write on this topic for awhile. Many writing coaches and creators tell you to write about yourself, your story, what you’ve overcome, and what problems you have solved.

After reading enough about it, I realized that I have no problem being authentic— doing what I want to do without caring what others think, saying yes or no based on my own desires and not someone else’s, being honest with myself and with others, and not being a conformist.

I realize that other people don’t have such an easy time being themselves. I see people struggle to maintain their position in the social hierarchy, holding back their true thoughts and feelings to please others, and blindly accepting the things they have been told throughout life.

My e-book does a good job of highlighting some practices you can do to uncover the authentic version of yourself, but since most people don’t read— my “advice” would be to attempt to observe your behavior on a moment-to-moment basis and ask yourself if you are being YOU— simple as that.

-Communication: All of the subjects I talk about here I am passionate about. Unfortunately, I don’t know a whole lot of people who enjoy talking about them. So if you are someone who has any interest in these topics and would like to discuss them further, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

⚰️ Ernest Becker and The Denial of Death

Ernest Becker was a cultural anthropologist who won the Pulitzer Prize posthumously in 1974 for his book “The Denial of Death”. His life's work wrestled with what he called "the human condition" or "the human problem" - the existential paradox that humans face as self-conscious beings aware of their own inevitable death.

Becker's core insight was that human civilization itself arose as a defense mechanism against the terror of death. Unlike other animals, humans have an acute awareness of their finite existence. We know on a deep level that we will die. This knowledge fuels anxiety and dread that Becker saw as the motivation of human behavior.

To cope with this death anxiety, we build cultural narratives, belief systems, and value hierarchies that allow us to perceive ourselves as something greater than mere physical beings. Our cultures instill human existence with cosmic importance and symbolic meaning that persists beyond our limited lives.

Whether through religious and spiritual traditions or secular pursuits like art and civilization-building, we craft "heroic" self-conceptions as warriors, poets, entrepreneurs - roles that transcend our bodily limits.

As Becker put it, "Man is literally split in two: he has an awareness of his own splendid uniqueness in that he sticks out of nature with a towering majesty, and yet he goes back into the ground a few feet in order blindly and dumbly to rot and disappear forever." Culture is how we reconcile the terror of those two contradictory parts of the human experience.

This drive for heroic self-portrayal is so fundamental to human psychology that Becker argued it pervades all our ambitions, relationships, and social structures. We buy bigger houses and fancier cars, strive for higher status, wage wars over ideological differences - all in an unconscious effort to momentarily defeat our innate death fear by inflating our personal significance. As he put it, "Man transcends death by finding cosmic significance."

The downside is that this constant need for heroic validation made humans ruthlessly competitive and often cruel towards any perceived threats to our culturally-constructed sense of meaning. Whenever one culture's hero-myth clashes with another's, the result can be oppression, scapegoating, violence, and genocide as each side defends its beliefs.

Becker writes how mental illness often stems from getting trapped in cultural narratives. The healthiest path, he argued, was to remain open to "legitimate foolishness" - holding our mortality in mind even as we participate in the joyous parts of culture.

He drew insights from anthropology, psychology, religion, philosophy, and literature to construct an interdisciplinary "science of man." By looking directly at our own mortality, Becker hoped we might transcend our most destructive death-denying impulses and discover a more life-affirming heroism - one centered on celebrating the cosmic miracle of existence itself rather than our personal or cultural identities.

When faced with his own mortality from colon cancer, he greeted it with equanimity, stating: "I think one does, or should try to, just hand over one's life, the meaning of it, the value of it, the end of it." In confronting our existential condition directly, Becker's legacy may be inspiring each of us to live more bravely in the face of death.

🔋 Protect Your Energy

How often do you stop and think how your energy is being used?

Here are some examples of things that rob your energy:

-Mindless scrolling on your phone
-Having notifications set on your devices
-Seeking approval
-Trying to win an argument
-Always keeping up to date with “current events”
-Being in, or acting as if you are in, a rush
-Answering the same question over and over
-Having ruminating thoughts about the past or future
-Spending time with negative people
-Comparing yourself to other people
-Having chronic muscle tension
-Non-stimulating work
-Alcohol, pharmaceuticals, processed food, polyester
-Sitting at a desk all day

Here are some examples of things that give you energy:

-A full night’s sleep
-Nourishing whole foods
-Stimulating conversations
-Learning a skill or subject
-Any creative endeavor
-Being outside in nature
-Physical movement
-Spending time in stillness, meditation, contemplation
-Providing value to other people
-Fulfilling work
-Celebrating successes and milestones
-Practicing awareness of breath
-Having multiple projects to switch between to keep fresh
-Doing “fun” activities in balance with “productive” activities
-Swimming in natural environments
-Wearing natural fabrics

Where you direct your focus and attention is the main factor in how your life will unfold. The old adage “where attention goes, energy flows” is highly accurate.

If you consistently let your energy be drained by social media, negative people, workplace stressors, ruminating thoughts, and bodily tension— where will you find the reserves to pursue things that light you up?

Our energy is our most precious resource and must be guarded at all costs. Consider being more conscious of where you are leaking energy and how you can reclaim it for your own creative purposes.

📖 AI Summarizes my e-Book

I asked a new AI tool, Spiral, to summarize my e-book, which you can read for free here.

Here is what it came up with:

Self-Development for Authentic Living: A Path to Unlocking Your True Potential

In this transformative ebook, Joe Burt synthesizes wisdom from various practices and philosophies to present a unique model for self-development that goes beyond surface-level changes. The journey begins with philosophical inquiry, questioning assumptions, beliefs, and the nature of existence. By recognizing the illusory nature of the persona and the pitfalls of intellectual understanding, one can embark on a path of unlearning and remembering, shedding the false self to embrace the true.

The process continues with disengaging from the collective consciousness and reconnecting with nature. Breaking free from societal conditioning and the noise of modern life allows for introspection and rediscovery of one's authentic self. Healing the disconnect with the natural world through immersive practices and cultivating a nature-centric way of being fosters a sense of meaning, wonder, and reciprocity.

Inner work, including shadow work and energy and trauma healing, plays a crucial role in removing obstacles to wholeness. By integrating hidden aspects of the self, releasing blockages, and restoring balance, one can experience greater vitality, resilience, and joy. Body work and energetic practices, such as qigong, yoga, and energy medicine, help to reconnect with the body's innate wisdom and cultivate vital life force.

Restoring creative expression is another key aspect of the journey. By tapping into the fundamental impulse to express, explore, and bring forth new possibilities, one aligns with the generative essence of the universe. Engaging in regular creative play, cultivating curiosity and wonder, and trusting in one's unique creative voice are essential for unlocking authentic self-expression.

The path culminates in the embodiment of one's true nature through authentic living. By clarifying values, setting boundaries, practicing vulnerability, cultivating self-compassion, and surrounding oneself with supportive relationships, one can experience greater joy, fulfillment, and self-actualization. The journey of authenticity is a lifelong practice, requiring courage, honesty, and a willingness to embrace discomfort for the sake of personal truth.

Through this transformative process, one can experience exponential leaps in self-development, fundamentally altering one's sense of self and way of being in the world. The fruits of this work are a sense of freedom, authenticity, and connection, aligning actions with values and contributing unique gifts to the world. Ultimately, authentic self-development is about coming home to oneself, resting in the unshakeable knowing of one's own being.

🎙️ New Podcast Subscriptions

Sharing some of my latest additions:

The Art of Accomplishment: “Applied self-exploration. The Art of Accomplishment reflects a unique way of relating in business, personal and internal life that leads to more connection and satisfying relationships, awakening your ability to create the life you want with ease and joy.”

BGCast: “BG cast is a multifaceted podcast that covers the great awakening live and all it entails. From spirituality, philosophy, health and fitness, arts and music, conspiracies and the paranormal, we cover it all!”

Conspirituality: “Dismantling New Age cults, wellness grifters, and conspiracy-mad yogis. At best, the conspirituality movement attacks public health efforts in times of crisis. At worst, it fronts and recruits for the fever-dream of QAnon.”

Decoding the Gurus: “An exiled Northern Irish anthropologist and a hitchhiking Australian psychologist take a close look at the contemporary crop of 'secular gurus', iconoclasts, and other exiles from the mainstream, offering their own brands of unique takes and special insights.”

Field Dynamics: “The Field Dynamics Podcast is setting the standard in understanding the nature of consciousness, healing and transformation from a holistic perspective, facilitating inspiring dialogues across disciplines, communities, and practicioners.”

Here for the Truth: “Here For The Truth Podcast is a podcast and educational platform dedicated to truth seekers world-wide. Our intention is to provide you with resources dedicated to exploring the truth on topics such as self-knowledge, health, freedom, consciousness, esotericism and much more.”

The Higherside Chats: “THC is an interview based show with some of the best guests available across many conspiracy, paranormal, & all around fringe topics.”

Humanley: “The Humanley podcast provides allied health and integrative medicine practitioners with the most up-to-date, evidence based and clinically relevant information.”

Innerverse: “InnerVerse with host Chance Garton is a podcast for all the creatives, syncromystics, holistic healers, and occult researchers who are ready to take personal responsibility under natural law to manifest a more magical life.”

Know Thyself: “The Know Thyself Podcast is a place to dive deep into the perennial questions of life; such as “Who am I?”, “Why am I here?” and “What is my purpose?”

My Family Thinks I’m Crazy: “Does your family think you're crazy? So does mine. Join Me, your Host Mystic Mark two or more episodes a week as we discuss out of the box concepts with people who take the road less traveled. From Bizarre Events, Conspiracy, Mystery, Intrigue, Spirituality, Paranormal, Supernatural, Alternative, Ancient, Lost to Forbidden Knowledge Ancient Wisdom and so much more! Not exactly dinner table conversation, Right?”

Terrain Theory: “Terrain Theory is hosted by Ben Hardy and Mike Merenda, two childhood friends on a journey to tear down the old fear-based germ theory paradigm and usher in a better, brighter approach to health and wellness.”

The Unbiased Science Podcast: “Dr. Jessica Steier, a public-health expert is the host of Unbiased Science, a podcast devoted to objective, critical appraisal of available evidence on health-related topics relevant to listeners’ daily lives.”

I guess you can see what sort of things I’m interested in with this list!

🔗 One Hitters

📱 Social media breaks- the ULTIMATE mental health tool (Post)

🩺 When doctors go on strike, death rates go down (Link)

☀️ Optimize your light environment in the modern world (Tweet)

📅 My Scheduling Page: Go here to book a free Emotion Code session.

✔️ That will do it for this time! Hopefully you got some value out of it. If you have any questions/comments/things you’d like to learn more about please don’t hesitate to reach out.

🔗 If you know anyone who loves learning about these types of topics, send them this link!

📰 To read all past newsletters, go here.