If you would like to support this podcast, check out the options and benefitis here: https://patreon.com/kindmind The word pray comes from the root sound “prek” as in precarious. It means to entreat or ask. This corresponds to the often instinctive urge to seek something greater than ourselves or a higher power when in need or at a loss of options. Check out the psychology and demographics of prayer in America in the intro of this episode and then learn more about the contemplative art and practice of praying power. Intro music “New Apartment” by Coldbrew and “Everything is Beautiful” by S ..read more

You can support this show and access bonus and companion content to this episode including the Q+A session and a guided meditation on validation here: https://patreon.com/kindmind Validation means to confirm or authenticate and allows people to feel heard and respected. This episode explores how validation of others and self-validation are both key skills for emotional well-being and effective interpersonal interactions.  It can help partners and teams be more present to each other and engage with respect and genuineness in order to build positive cultures of cooperation and support.&nb ..read more

Happy New Year! You can support this podcast at https://patreon.com/kindmind The theme is HOPE.  It stands out among other virtues because it requires negative circumstances and straddles over the present and towards the future. Charles Snyder was a psychologist and dedicated researcher of hope, who emphasized its relevance in the context of doing vs being.  Accordingly, hope is a motivational set of cognitive traits that give people a reason to continue pursuing their goals despite the unpredictable nature of the human experience. He had a beautiful quote, "A rainbow is a prism ..read more

Mutuality is the way of nature, and we can observe it in the ecosystems. Look at the circle of shelter and food chains as well as relocation and procreation among the stationary plants and mobile animals. Interdependence is a spiritual word because it makes room for the paradox of human life. It presupposes a relationship among parts but also implies oneness or unity. Can you ever be truly alone or independent from a single element, like air or water or light? Close your eyes and realize how reliant you are on that which is “outside” yourself. Support this show at https://patreon.com/kindm ..read more

Happy Thanksgiving! Wishing you love and light this holiday season. If you would like to pitch in a $5 pledge to help support this podcast and access bonus content, you can at https://patreon.com/kindmind send mail to: michaeltoddfink@gmail.com or @michaeltoddfink Registration for “I Am Not My Anxeity” virtual course is here. Since nothing is permanent, what is it that we really see? In the Venn diagram of the unseen, some are invisible but some are merely overlooked or ignored. This episode explores the meaning of sight and the process of seeing from the wisdom of science, art and mythol ..read more

Use the link below to test your cognitive flexibility at the 8:00 mark of this episode: “Interactive Stroop Effect Experiment” https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/java/ready.html One of the definitions of flexibility is spiritually pliant, indicating an attitude of openness and intellectual humility in order to learn or refine our vision. It also implies a readiness to meet the unexpected and without shock. Flexibility of mind serves us well under strain and mitigates the risks of rigidness, which we will review in the next Kind Mind Gathering. This mental elasticity allow us to stretch ..read more

What is a ghost?? The concept is based on the ancient belief that there is a spirit or essence that continues to exist without the body after death and can in some cases interact or haunt the "living." This actually led to the development of funerals and rituals to help protect against this and encourage the soul's onward journey. This episode explores how despite the different spiritual beliefs that permeate the end of life ceremonies, the final disposition of the corpse happens initially with the help of one of the 5 elements: earth, water, fire, air or space. You can support this podcas ..read more

Dr. Mark Hatala is a cognitive scientist and professor at Truman State University since 1994.  He is a member of the Midwestern Psychological Association, the Artificial Intelligence Foundation, and the American Association of University Professors.    He received a bachelor's in psychology and history from Miami University of Ohio, and earned both his master’s and doctorate in experimental psychology from Ohio University.  Dr. Hatala's current research interests include mental time travel (MTT) and cross-cultural differences in attitudes about romantic relationships. &nbs ..read more

You can support this podcast at https://patreon.com/kindmind to connect with Todd and access bonus content. Intuition is defined as the ability to know something immediately or to know something without proof. In the digital age, intuition may have taken a backseat to satellite GPS and Google searches. However, its philosophical significance for our personal life and psychological growth has not been diminished but rather overlooked. There is a good scientific reason to call it a "gut feeling." According to researchers at Johns Hopkins, we have as many as 500 million neurons lining our gast ..read more

Sarah Durham Wilson is a women’s rites of passage leader and writer. She has taught courses and led retreats for thousands of women over the past decade. She previously worked as an arts and music writer in New York City, for Rolling Stone, VH1, GQ, Vanity Fair and Interview Magazine. Sarah is also the author of ‘Maiden to Mother’ - her first book, published by Sounds True in 2022. https://themotherspirit.com Live Free or Dialogue is a video conversation series within Michael Todd Fink's "Kind Mind" podcast platform and based on the etymology of the word dialogue: two individuals (di) commu ..read more