InPresence 0055: Self-Discipline

InPresence host, Jeffrey Mishlove, PhD, is author of The Roots of Consciousness, Psi Development Systems, and The PK Man. Between 1986 and 2002 he hosted and co-produced the original Thinking Allowed public television series. He is the recipient of the only doctoral diploma in "parapsychology" ever awarded by an accredited university (University of California, Berkeley, 1980). For many years he served as president of the non-profit Intuition Network, an organization dedicated to creating a world in which all people were supported and encouraged in developing inner intuitive abilities.

Here he confesses that he is not the most disciplined person in the world. During his lifetime he has practiced various disciplines, such as long-distance running or yoga, but they have generally fallen away. Presently, creating the daily InPresence monologs has become something of a discipline. He brings up William James' call for a "strenuous" mode of ethical behavior, as being a requirement of our time. He urges viewers to consider small changes they might make each day to increase discipline and become the best versions of themselves.

(Recorded on April 3, 2018)

To download an edited English transcript of InPresence 0055, go to

[DodefiEnglish]

While you have been the presenter so far, this series makes you so real, so human. Internet and Youtube are so new for each of us. It is therefore difficult to classify everything, but every day I am looking forward to seeing a friend in my spirit, whom I do not know personally, but to whom I look up. From the comments, I read that most people feel the same way.

[KazimirArdekanian]

Dr. Mishlove, There is a quality and strong characteristic of a comrade in you. I wish this talk (and some others) of yours were presented to the high school boys and girls. Thank you.

[alicejackson]

I am living on my own for the first time in my life after 30 years of marriage that abruptly ended a couple years ago. In my mid fifties, while trying to recover from that traumatic blow, I had to move to another state, look for work, and quickly plan my next couple of decades as I had no established career or finances of my own. The internet has helped me considerably!! It has been my connection to humanity at a level I could understand and digest. I have a handful of youtube subscriptions that I follow daily or weekly. I have listened to every one of your interviews on New Thinking Allowed, some of them more than once, and I'm a daily listener of your InPresence series. I look forward to all your new postings. I found work and am living on my own now. It took a great deal of tuning into myself, listening, meditating, self-partnering, and just being brave, stepping out one foot at a time. But I feel life could become very boring and depressing if all I do is work and come home to rest and recover from my job. The solitude and silence can be deafening at times. I haven't joined a class or a group that I might be able to participate in, such as learning Spanish, or going on nature hikes, or a yoga class. I research those things, I have loads of information bookmarked, but I haven't actually gone and done it. So that is something that I must discipline myself to do, to actually leave the apartment and join in with others in some activity. I know it might take a few tries before I find something I like, but I believe it would improve my life and my health to not be on my own so much.

Also, I wonder if you have interviewed anyone associated with the Heart Math Institute. I found them online, and I am endeavoring to read their free e-books before purchasing one of their products. Thank you for making so much available to us!!

[marthaadf]

Hello: Martha ADF agree with you, self-discipline is also a very important way to measure how independent we are in the psychism realm.

[pixieforest]

Thank you Jeffrey, I’m really enjoying this series.

[Paddyllfixit]

As a child you used to say, "I wish I had been born into a family of yogis". Like the genius William James, you had/have a mind way beyond your years.

[marikalathem]

Perhaps your series is the 'movement' you spoke about about a couple of episodes back...? So many of us look forward to it and enjoy your work....pls continue as long as this makes your heart sing....🕺🏻

[tinjos]

What about if you ever wonder what to do an episode about, you just tell is what a guest was like or someone you knew or met who wasn't a guest but left an impression on you. You've met so many fascinating people and had so many fascinating experiences. Or tell us what you think of poltergeists or telepathy or art or movies...At this point I just like seeing you at the start of my day. LOL You could talk about your toast and jam and I'd be cool with it. Maybe make a list of future topics so you're never in need. Though of course if you get tired of putting out videos at this pace who can blame you. It's already been a fantastic gift. Thank you!

[rhondacase]

This series has become a valuable part of my morning discipline! And as I was typing this, you said exactly this. Ha! 😉🙏🏻 Thank you!

[kirstinstrand]

I, too, have done most of these things. Meditation is the key...I've been off for 2 months - in the meantime,
I'm slipping in discipline and Presence, not in the Now!

[jcdossdvm]

I love hearing you laugh! Thanks for doing this work, Dr. Mishlove.

[missysoaps]

Wise soul your beautiful mother. Thanks for commentary

[Pauloddalmeida]

I hope you remain consistent on making these videos, for they are really helpful to me. Thank you, Mr. Mishlove, for the fantastic interviews and for this serie. You inspire me.

[johnpaul]

--Creating a new, personal form of self-discipline, as you have done with your daily videos is a great idea. The poet Robert Bly once decided to stay in bed every morning until he had written a poem, and the result was a book, a collection called Morning Poems, very readable, a personal fave. Originality is a good discipline.
--Being born into a stable, happy family that welcomes you is one of life's great blessings; it sets the tone for your entire life.
--Gurdjieff placed great emphasis on
strenuous effort.
--I tend to alternate periods of effort with periods of lassitude, a mild form of "manic-depression, " in a colloquial sense.
--I'm watching all your daily videos and reading the comments. Thanks to all!

[ThatTaRaGiRL]

Wow, I would never guess! 😉 I think you're a GREAT person, Jeffrey! Love your shows! Your Mom is beautiful, and I'm sure she was just a lovely women! PS- I LIVE ice cream to. Moderation though. 🙂 Hope you have a great day!

[timothygervais]

Thank you for the work you've done, it most definitely gives ones little grey cells substance to contiplate in a most objective, open minded way. Keep up the good work!

[jimrassler]

Your mother was wise beyond her years. Moderation in everything, including moderation! Love it!

[karppok]

Self discipline is about listening to your soul and doing the right thing.

[kokolanza]

Just got regular access to the inet after quite a while. The internet is a great place to practice self-discipline - and how great to have you to suggest and remind me to find little ways every day to do so. So good to be able to view Thinking Allowed. Thank you.

[Flanalb]

Whenever I think of self-discipline, I remember a scene in a movie about Martin Luther where he was flogging himself in his cell (before he was not a Catholic any more). I guess he stopped *that* practice after he decided to distance himself from the Papacy.
Having had an intractable will all of my life, I have pretty much given up on trying to make myself do anything. Actually, I found out at an early age that there were a lot of things that other people thought I should do that I simply couldn't do, so I just did what I could. Eventually, I came to understand that I could get to do something if I could make it interesting and engaging for myself.
Over all, most of the things I do consistently - besides pursuing my overall goal of understanding *everything* - have something to do with relating to other people. I don't mean necessarily doing what other people want me to do, but doing something that I believe to be a loving act toward another person or people (sometimes non-people) in general.
Having studied a number of "gurus" (Incidentally, Jeffrey, remember you said a few episodes ago, "Guru means to me, 'Gee, you are you' "?) in an attempt to help me understand myself, I have settled on the philosophy that some of them promote, which is non-doing (or only acting when inspired to act).
I also think that I am the best (really, the _only_ ) person I can be now, even if I might have been "better" or "worse" yesterday or tomorrow.
As for monologues: I have spent too much time by myself already, so I am very happy to carry on this conversation with you. If you get tired of talking by yourself, you could always do video conversations with your friends about topics that interest both of you (Oh, that's what you do already.).