Psychology Archives

Sam Harris: Consciousness & the Theory of Mind (From Waking Up)

What’s consciousness? What do we understand about it? What implications does it have for spirituality and our sense of self? According to Sam Harris, consciousness is worth studying despite its elusiveness. Harris, who has a Ph.D. in neuroscience, explores what neuroscience and psychology have to say about the nature of consciousness and the mind in his book Waking Up. Keep reading to understand what Harris believes consciousness tells us about ourselves and the world around us.

How to Build Confidence in Speaking: 4 Tips From Dale Carnegie

Does even just the idea of speaking in public make you nervous? What if you could build confidence, not just in your speaking abilities, but in your general abilities? Most people fear speaking in public. Dale Carnegie’s time-tested lessons help you overcome that fear, take the stage, and speak with assurance and poise. He shares four tactics that will give you the courage to speak and, in turn, provide you with the confidence to do just about anything. Keep reading for Carnegie’s fourfold advice on how to build confidence in speaking.

The 4 Main Objectives of Public Speaking (Dale Carnegie)

What are the various ways that public speaking can be used? How can you get clarity on what your next speech aims to accomplish? Public speaking has the power to affect audiences in different ways. A presentation can provoke thought, motivate action, or elicit a lot of laughs. In Public Speaking for Success, Dale Carnegie identifies four main objectives of public speaking. Keep reading to learn about these public speaking objectives and how each one wields its own kind of power.

What Is Habit Stacking? Adopting Productive Behaviors

What is habit stacking? How can you use a current habit to build a better and healthier one? According to James Clear, a great way to get used to a new habit is “stacking” it on top of another. This means adding a new behavior onto another to continue the habit routine. Below we’ll look at how habit stacking works, beginning with the cues and cravings that make it possible.

Sam Harris: Mindfulness & Meditation Without Religion

Do you practice mindfulness and meditation? Can it be done outside of the context of religion? According to Sam Harris, mindfulness and meditation are the way to contentment. In his book Waking Up, he starts from a simple foundation—everybody just wants to be happy. While many people look to religion to find happiness, Harris says that you don’t need to go there. Read on to understand Harris’s secular take on mindfulness and meditation.

The Terrible Effects of Abusive Parents on Adult Children

How did Jennette McCurdy recover from her mother’s abuse? What are the effects of abusive parents on adult children? After her mom’s death, McCurdy’s difficult childhood and its lasting, negative effects began to catch up to her. In I’m Glad My Mom Died, McCurdy explores her experience with therapy and treatment for her eating disorders and how she came to terms with her mom, Debra’s abuse. Continue reading to learn how this former actor coped with her abusive childhood as an adult.

How to Recenter Yourself: 4 Simple Tips From a Tribe of Mentors

What do you do when you find it hard to focus? How successful are you at changing your attitude when you should? Sometimes, you feel too tired or scattered to focus and do what you need to do or even want to do. This happens to everyone. Tim Ferriss, in his book Tribe of Mentors, shares how several successful people put themselves back into a positive, productive frame of mind when they get off track. Read on for advice on how to recenter yourself and return to the task at hand.

The Fogg Behavior Model: How You Trigger Bad Habits

What is the Fogg Behavior Model? What role does motivation play in forming habits? In Tiny Habits, Stanford behavioral scientist BJ Fogg presents the Fogg Behavior Model. The model explains that habits form because of your motivation to perform the habit. Below we’ll take a look at the psychology and science behind the Fogg Behavior Model.

Sam Harris: Buddhism Has the Roadmap to Secular Spirituality

Which Buddhist teachings does secularist Sam Harris follow? Why? Sam Harris isn’t religious, but he’s spiritual. In his book Waking Up, he discusses how to separate spirituality from the confines of religion, and why, out of all the major faiths, Buddhism provides the most practical roadmap to having spiritual experiences without the baggage of superstition and dogma. Continue reading to understand why, for Sam Harris, Buddhism has something to offer.

Why You Should Learn Zen: Benefits of an Ancient Tradition

Should you learn Zen? What impact can it have on your mind and, ultimately, your life? Alan Watts contends that expressing the principles of Zen benefits you by helping you break down the mental barriers that divide you from the rest of the world. Experiencing Zen lets you finally see the world and the present moment for what it is. Keep reading to learn why you should learn Zen, according to Watts’s classic book on the subject.