We delve into the origins of our phenomenology to discover what constitutes a mental experience.

The cause of our self-sabotaging alienation is a fundamental disconnect within our minds.

A living psychology can show us the way beyond the cage of the disconnected mind that makes us suffer.

In my four previous posts, I explored the possibility of transcending our paradoxical psychology. This contribution continues that exploration. Let us delve into the roots of our phenomenology. What is a mental experience?

When we look at world news, we cannot ignore the paradoxical nature of our human psychology. The arms industry is operating at full capacity. The force of the bombings and the destruction they leave in their wake are impossible to overlook.

Conversely, billions of mothers lovingly care for their children. Meanwhile, millions of healthcare workers are doing their best to help the wounded, and millions of teachers are trying to impart valuable knowledge to young people.

How do we navigate this paradoxical situation? How do we navigate both the battlefield and the field of care?

In an attempt to find an answer, I am connecting two masters of existential psychology.

The Insight of Antonio Damasio

Antonio Damasio, director of the Brain and Creativity Institute at the University of Southern California, seems to offer an ideal starting point. After a lifetime of researching the human mind, he argues that mental experiences are best described as experiences of being while other mental contents flow by. These other contents of the mind flow in parallel with the experience of being. These two sets of contents are in constant dialogue. They take turns dominating our consciousness. The being component is permanently present, even when it is not dominant.

“In the end, our mental experiences are best described as experiences of 'being' while 'other mind........

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