After Socrates: Episode 8 - The Socratic Shift | Dr. John Vervaeke

In Episode 8 of John Vervaeke's Awakening from the Meaning Crisis series, he continues his exploration of the dialogical self and the various theories and practices surrounding it. He dives into the works of philosophers and psychologists, such as Norbert Wiley, George Herbert Mead, Charles Sanders Peirce, Agnes Callard, Hubert Hermans, and many others, who have made significant contributions to understanding the "I" positions and the dialogical self.

This episode also covers the concept of "Parts Work" in relation to the self, as well as the integration of intuition and rationality, and the importance of non-propositional knowing. Vervaeke touches on various theories and practices, such as internal family systems therapy, focusing, and ally work, which are aimed at healing and integrating the different aspects of the self.

Throughout the episode, Vervaeke emphasizes the value of understanding the self and its various facets to lead a more meaningful life. He shares insights and practices to help individuals navigate their inner experiences and cultivate a richer understanding of themselves.

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You are invited to join me live, online, at the next Circling & Dialogos Workshop where we discuss & practice the tools involved in both Philosophical Fellowship & Dialectic into Dialogos.

You can find more information, and register, here:

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After Socrates is a series about how to create the theory, the practice, and the ecology of practices such that we can live and grow and develop through a Socratic way of life. The core argument is; the combination of the theoretical framework and the pedagogical program of practices can properly conduct us into the Socratic way of life. We believe that the Socratic way of life is what is most needed today because it is the one that can most help us cultivate wisdom in a way that is simultaneously respectful to spiritual tradition and to current scientific work.

[dionysis_]

John, how do you know if what appeared as Hermes is a beneficial force, a demonic one, or a delusion? Can you know without guidance? Brings to mind this quote by Idries Shah:
"People read stories and they ransack books for Sufi exercises and psychological or spiritual techniques and, then, remarkably often to our way of thinking, they set about trying to employ these things. Well, of course, it does surprise us because if I were to find a textbook on surgery, I wouldn't try to take out my own appendix, just because I'd read it and there were diagrams."

[mathematikexplained]

This shouldn’t be understood wrongly, I personally really enjoyed ‚Awakening from the meaning crisis‘ but this series is WAY better. John is more motivating, what he says is more practical, it’s a bit more sophisticated and it interests me more. So thank you very much John, for this great work. May it’s light make people, who can help, find you.

[jefflanahan]

@ 32:20 THANK GOD you simplified "the self is the through line, the eidos, of the multi-aspectuality, and the multi-perspectivedness of the perspectival participatory knowing" into "the self is the logos of the psyche".

[scottjrowan]

Just watching this series through again and the beauty is shining much brighter this time. Thank you John and team 🙏

[wenyang]

Thank you Prof Vervaeke again. The connection between "I" (present self), "YOU" (future aspiring self), and "ME" (generated past self) are so mind-boggling but make so much sense🤯

[swirlinember]

I am so glad I am free of all this suffering found in the comments section! I am Glad John shares his journey. Many of us cherish these wisdom spillings. Thank you J.V.

[nilsrolfgaard]

This is mindblowing John. I followed you in all 50 episodes of "Awakening from the meaning Crisis" and up until this episode of "After Socrates". Your body language is amazing, but I've never seen you investing so much of yourself (!) - risking it all so to speak - by telling about a personal experience. That's courageous!

[marianorapan]

You most undoubtedly have my respect and trust, Dr. Vervaeke

[andrewseymore]

John, I appreciate you being so open, and it actually gives me more credence for what you are sharing. The total isolated self is certainly one of the great causes of our modern meaning crisis. I find myself more positive to myself and the world the more I am connected to an other, whether internally imaginally or externally actually. This series has been a great follow up to “awakening from the meaning crisis”. Reading Plato vs. reading academics about Plato always confused me because they seemed so different, but your explanations have helped a great deal. I thank you for your time and attention in bringing this to us

[filipsmit]

Thanks John! This brings together so much!

[dianeobanion]

Thank you for having the courage to reveal your experience. I couldn't help but feel Jung's self-stifling for preservation of his credibility. Contemplating that struggle helps me dialogue with my own desire to conform to academia's accepted frames for posterity's sake, and that part of me softened in gratitude for I am not bound by it's standards and have a precious freedom of expression in that. The amount of work you have done to propositionally present in a logical unfolding of these experiences is astounding to me. You have done an immense service to many selves and to the one Mind that is more conscious for your effort. Thank you.

[nicholasheilig]

Fantastic work, I truly believe you are imbodying the neo-platonic silk road, presenting a reality worth living with enough rigour to not be shallow. Wonder that holds up to scruteny, I can only wish you the best!

[ramyafennell]

When you spoke of Hermes, I just think of pure consciousness. Consciousness speaks to us through many forms.

These last two episodes were a climb for me ....but I see why, and I loved the ending the way you really clarified the monadic self and its limitations.

[majojok]

Thank you John for another wonderful episode

[martinchikilian]

Thanks for delivering yet another very powerful episode, John & crew. I can't wait till the next one!

[forscherr]

Thank you John for sharing that encounter with what revealed itself to you in the guise of Hermes. I find that endlessly fascinating.
As a becoming psychotherapist, this series is extremely thought-provoking and helpful!

[climbingmt.sophia]

Thank you John. I love the introduction of the Hermes encounter at the precise point of the call to flip out of the monadic self. Exemplary.

Listening from a space of deep meditation, that was a profound experience watching you engage with Hermes, which I felt perfectly demonstrated the shift toward and transjective self which is "multi planar" if I may use that term.

[MDSaunders]

You have certainly earned my trust, John. Thank you for your work.

[memanjack]

John, this is wonderful. My goodness this is goodness.

[svenstreet]

You are a good man Mr Verveake. Thank you.