• E62: Breaking Free from Negative Thought Patterns

    Michael Singer — March 23, 2025

    In most cases, the quality of your life is not determined by external circumstances but by your own mental dialogue. Your awareness is trapped by thoughts, desires, and past...

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    Tami Simon’s in-depth audio podcast interviews with leading spiritual teachers and luminaries. Listen in as they explore their latest challenges and breakthroughs - the leading edge of their work.

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Subscribe to The Michael Singer Podcast

Join the New York Times bestselling author of The Untethered Soul, The Surrender Experiment, and Living Untethered for this free series of curated teaching sessions, recorded at his Temple of the Universe yoga and meditation center.

Meet Your Host Michael Singer

Michael A. Singer is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Untethered Soul, The Surrender Experiment, Living Untethered, and several popular Sounds True programs, including the Living from a Place of Surrender online course. In 1971, while pursuing his doctoral work in economics, he experienced a deep inner awakening and went into seclusion to focus on yoga and meditation. In 1975, he founded Temple of the Universe, a yoga and meditation center where people of any religion or set of beliefs can come together to experience inner peace. Through the years, he has made major contributions in the areas of business, the arts, education, health care, and environmental protection. Author photo © Timothy Davis

Most Recent

E62: Breaking Free from Negative Thought Patterns

In most cases, the quality of your life is not determined by external circumstances but by your own mental dialogue. Your awareness is trapped by thoughts, desires, and past experiences, which dictate your ability to enjoy life. The key to liberation is learning to let go of these mental preferences, rather than trying to manipulate external circumstances to satisfy the mind. Through awareness and conscious practice, you can learn to embrace life’s experiences and explore the higher states of your being.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E61: The Nature of Suffering: How to Let Go and Find P...

Pain is a physical sensation, while suffering is a psychological struggle created by resisting reality and holding onto past experiences. By learning to relax and allow emotions to pass through without attachment, you can reduce suffering and open yourself to joy and inner peace. True freedom comes from learning to let go of preferences and expectations and embracing life as it unfolds rather than always resisting it. Learning to first accept reality and then working to raise it leads to a state of inner peace, fulfillment, and Self-Realization.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

James Hollis: “Find What You Love and Let It Kill Yo...

By what lights do you live your journey? What fires your imagination? What stirs your curiosity? What asks of you something that is so deep within you that perhaps it hurts, but you can’t let go of it because it won’t let go of you? These are some of the “large questions” explored by Tami Simon and her guest, Jungian teacher and author James Hollis. Hollis is one of those authors who’s beloved by everyone who works at Sounds True—especially those of us who’ve entered the second half of life—and in this podcast, you’ll discover why. 

Listen now as Tami and Jim discuss his new book, Living with Borrowed Dust, sharing thought-provoking insights about: the evanescence of our human journey; making your life luminous; asking large questions, and how we lose contact with the inquiries that serve our individuation; fate versus destiny; the independence of the psyche; the ego’s need for control; dreams as “health correctives” and an avenue to the numinous; showing up for your “appointment” in life; trusting the wisdom of nature; how psychoanalysis helps us rewrite the self-limiting narratives that hold us back; the worst damage of trauma: identifying who we are with what happened to us; why we can’t solve certain problems, but we can outgrow them; courage and perseverance; paying close attention to your inner life; living in a culture of distraction; dialoguing with your soul; the paradox of passion; facing the abyss; taking advantage of the precious moments; learning to live with ambiguity; and more.

Note: This episode originally aired on Sounds True One, where these special episodes of Insights at the Edge are available to watch live on video and with exclusive access to Q&As with our guests. Learn more at join.soundstrue.com.

Customer Favorites

Daniel Goleman, PhD: Emotional Intelligence Now

Daniel Goleman is an internationally known psychologist, science journalist, and the author of the books Emotional Intelligence (over 5 million copies in print in 40 languages), Social Intelligence, and Ecological Intelligence. He is cofounder of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. With Sounds True, he is a faculty member of the Inner MBA nine-month immersion program. In this podcast, Sounds True founder Tami Simon speaks with Dan about the insights in his landmark book, Emotional Intelligence, and where we’ve come since its publication in 1995. They discuss the physiology and origin of emotions; the relationship between thought and emotion; constructive worry versus destructive worry; self-awareness and the practices that support it; temporary states versus abiding traits; the four domains of emotional intelligence; perseverance, drive, and high performance; cultivating unflappable equanimity; and more.

Waking Up: What Does It Really Mean?

Adyashanti is a widely beloved, American-born spiritual teacher whose practice is rooted in Zen Buddhism but has expanded beyond any one path or perspective. He has created many books and audio programs through Sounds True, including Resurrecting Jesus, Emptiness Dancing, and Healing the Core Wound of Unworthiness. In this episode of Insights of the Edge—which previously appeared as part of the provocative interview series Waking Up: What Does It Really Mean?—Tami Simon and Adyashanti inquire deeply into what exactly constitutes “awakening.” Adya describes his own experiences of awakening, vividly comparing and contrasting his felt sensation of each of these life-changing experiences. Tami and Adya also discuss whether awakening is a sudden or gradual process, and what one can and cannot expect from these moments of profound epiphany. Finally, Adya shares his pith instructions on how to encourage such a spiritual awakening.

Our Evolutionary Leap

Lynne Twist is a global activist, author, and teacher who has devoted her life to sustainability and economic integrity. An original staff member of The Hunger Project, she is author of The Soul of Money and president and founder of the Soul of Money Institute. She is also the author of the Sounds True audio learning program Unleashing the Soul of Money.

In this podcast, Lynne joins Sounds True’s founder, Tami Simon, to discuss the challenges and opportunities now facing humanity—and the invitation to each one of us to make a difference as we embrace this critical time in our evolution at the beginning of a new millennium. 

Lynne and Tami also talk about our unique place in time and the emerging new approach to business; the Pachamama Alliance and the prophecy of “The Eagle and the Condor”; tapping the wisdom of “grandmother energy”; Buckminster Fuller and creating a world that works for everyone; the invitation to each one of us to “take an evolutionary leap and dream big now”; environmental regeneration and redefining humanity; reclaiming our home in the ecological world, and creating economies that respect nature; giving up the scramble and becoming totally present in the moments of our life; purpose, choices, and trusting our feelings; bravery, humility, and surrender on the path; and more

Timeless Classics

Lance Allred: The New Alpha Male

Lance Allred is a former NBA player (who was the first legally deaf player in the league), public speaker, and author. With Sounds True, he has published The New Alpha Male: How to Win the Game When the Rules Are Changing. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon speaks with Lance about the experiences he had in professional sports that led him to reevaluate what it means to be a man in contemporary society. Lance explains how his upbringing in a rural, polygamous commune informed his original ideas about masculinity, highlighting the subconscious assumptions about money and power that affect American men’s self-worth. Tami and Lance also discuss the roles of emotional vulnerability and surrender in the lives of modern men. Finally, they talk about the principle of perseverance and the increasingly urgent need for all cultures to reexamine their assumptions and core values.(63 minutes)

Micah Mortali: Rewilding

Micah Mortali is the director of the Kripalu School, a certified yoga teacher, and a longtime wilderness guide. With Sounds True, he has published Rewilding: Meditations, Practices, and Skills for Awakening in Nature. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon speaks with Micah about humanity’s growing disconnection from the earth and how “rewilding” can help slow that trend. They talk about rewilding both as individuals and as part of whole ecosystems. Micah also shares the story of an intense, revelatory trail encounter with a bear and comments on the “species loneliness” of urban environments. Mulling the sense of grief they have for humankind’s effects on the environment, Tami and Micah consider how modern people can grapple with being in exile from the natural world. Finally, they discuss the barriers many have to reentering nature, as well as ways to initiate your own rewilding experience no matter where you are.(64 minutes)

Christian Conte: Healing Conflict: Listen, Validate, a...

Christian Conte, PhD, is a mental health specialist and leading authority on anger management. With Sounds True, Christian has published Walking Through Anger: A New Design for Confronting Conflict in an Emotionally Charged World. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon talks with Christian about his Yield Theory of emotional management, focusing on the process of “listen, validate, explore options.” Christian explains the events that led to his interest in anger management, as well as the origins of Yield Theory. He emphasizes the importance of meeting others where they are, giving them the opportunity to drain anger’s charge from their limbic system. Christian and Tami discuss why it’s necessary to cultivate humility and how Yield Theory might be applied to our currently divisive culture. Finally, they speak on “the cartoon world” that angry responses often create, as well as the importance of watching what we add to our minds.(63 minutes)

Most Recent

E62: Breaking Free from Negative Thought Patterns

In most cases, the quality of your life is not determined by external circumstances but by your own mental dialogue. Your awareness is trapped by thoughts, desires, and past experiences, which dictate your ability to enjoy life. The key to liberation is learning to let go of these mental preferences, rather than trying to manipulate external circumstances to satisfy the mind. Through awareness and conscious practice, you can learn to embrace life’s experiences and explore the higher states of your being.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E61: The Nature of Suffering: How to Let Go and Find P...

Pain is a physical sensation, while suffering is a psychological struggle created by resisting reality and holding onto past experiences. By learning to relax and allow emotions to pass through without attachment, you can reduce suffering and open yourself to joy and inner peace. True freedom comes from learning to let go of preferences and expectations and embracing life as it unfolds rather than always resisting it. Learning to first accept reality and then working to raise it leads to a state of inner peace, fulfillment, and Self-Realization.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E60: Your Highest Aspiration: Finding Your True Self

People shape their aspirations based on their past experiences, clinging to what they liked and resisting what they disliked. This leads to a life filled with anxiety and the need to control. You can break free from this cycle by letting go of blockages from the past and engaging with life as it unfolds. To help you do this, your experiences in life can be wonderful teachers. Ultimately, they teach you that the pursuit of external acceptance and material success pales in comparison to inner peace and self-discovery. There is something very beautiful hiding inside of you—go find it.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E59: From Focus to Freedom: How Awareness Shapes Reali...

Deep spiritual states transcend the mind, but the mind can be a useful tool for spiritual growth. You know your consciousness can concentrate on a single object or expand to include everything in front of you. Likewise, your concept of self can be narrowly focused on your ego-mind, or it can expand to include thoughts of this vast universe. You suffer when your mind’s perception of reality does not align with its personal desires and fears. Spiritual growth involves letting go of this ego-mind and honoring all of life as your participation in the Divine Creation. True freedom is found in ceasing to contract awareness, which allows its natural expansion beyond the personal self.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E58: Beyond the Illusion: Awakening to True Consciousn...

The findings of modern science and the deep spiritual teachings are moving closer and closer together. Our entire outside world is composed of tiny atoms that our senses blend together to create what we call reality. Advanced physics has found that these atoms emanate from wavelets in the omnipresent Quantum Field. Spirituality has always taught that reality is an illusion, a dance of Light.

Every day, your senses take in this illusion, and you build a false sense of self based on the experiences you’ve had. This is your ego, and it is the cause of all personal suffering. Behind it is the real you, the consciousness that is aware of your thoughts, emotions, and the outside world. The meaning of life is to transcend the illusion and return to the source of consciousness. This is Enlightenment.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E57: Love Is Not Found, It’s Freed

Love is not something found outside but an internal energy that flows through your heart when you are open and unblocked. Your past personal experiences and emotional defenses create barriers that prevent you from feeling love continuously. The key to unconditional love is letting go of these blockages, embracing openness, and allowing life’s experiences—both positive and negative—to flow through without resistance. If you learn to do this, you will find that true love is not based on the conditions of people, events, or circumstances—it is about removing the blockages you have put in love’s way.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

Listener Favorites

S1 E1: Ceasing to Be Caught in the Waters of Mind

The natural state of the mind is like calm, still water, teaches Michael Singer. The practice of spiritual surrender—to “relax and release” our resistance to whatever arises in our experience—is the pathway to enjoying serenity of mind no matter what the universe throws your way. In this podcast, Michael Singer uses the analogy of an aquatic bird maintaining its balance on rough water to illustrate what to do and what not to do if we want to stay poised and upright when life gets turbulent.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.
© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2024 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

S1 E2: Doing the Real Work to Free Yourself

According to Michael Singer, the only one stopping you from experiencing the heights of divine ecstasy and freedom is you. In this podcast, he describes the real work of the spiritual path as the process of removing our inner blockages and self-made obstacles in order to uncover the natural states of bliss and spiritual liberation that are our birthright. He also discusses discovering “witness consciousness,” the cause of karma, the art of relaxing and releasing resistance to our experience, and more.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.
© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2024 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

S1 E5: Your Highest Intention: Self-Realization

Have you ever pushed a thought aside or stuffed an emotion away deep inside? Most of us have! Michael Singer teaches that this is an act of will stemming from a simple intention: to feel better. In this podcast, he discusses the incredible power of our human will and how we use it, (for better or worse) in this deep exploration of intention and the pathway to self-realization and spiritual freedom.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.
© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2024 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

S2 E1: From Fighting to Harmony – Changing Your ...

The world’s great wisdom traditions all speak on the value of surrender. In this episode, Michael discusses what it takes to grow beyond spiritual resistance.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.
© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2024 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

S1 E3: Giving Meaning to the Time Between Your Birth a...

The time that we have between our births and our deaths is a great gift. What we do with this time and how we give our lives meaning is the subject of this podcast with Michael Singer. Here, Singer discusses hard yet empowering truths about the fleeting nature of our lives, the inherent flaw in our most common strategies for feeling “okay inside,” why spirituality is never about getting what you want or avoiding what you don’t want, and much more.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.
© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2024 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

S2 E2: The Stages of the Spiritual Path – A Cont...

How do you know when you’re actually walking the path or when you’re just strengthening your ego? Here, Michael considers the gateways to and pitfalls of spiritual work.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.
© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2024 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

Timeless Classics

E1: Living From a Deeper Part of Your Being

What do you truly want? Wealth? Recognition? A perfect relationship? At our core, reflects Michael Singer, what we really want is to be happy: to dwell in a place of joy, love, and freedom from fear. In this episode, he shows how our thoughts and emotions lead us astray with solutions and goals… and how to experience the deeper, complete part of our being that transcends both external events and the misguided perceptions and tendencies of the mind.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com. 
© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2024 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E10: Overcoming Lower Vibrations and Embracing Spiritu...

Human consciousness is often distracted by lower vibrations like fear and insecurity, which prevent us from experiencing higher energies such as love and joy. Spiritual growth is a constant process of learning to handle reality’s vibrations without being pulled down. By mastering how we react to reality, we can experience higher states of being and, ultimately, serve others through love and compassion.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2024 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E11: Transforming the Lower Self into Spiritual Libera...

True spiritual maturity is not about seeking momentary highs but about dealing with the lows that inhibit one’s spiritual ascent. The real obstacles to spiritual fulfillment come in the form of emotional blockages and self-imposed personal limitations. By focusing on letting go of these internal tethers, we can naturally rise to higher states of consciousness without forcing the process.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2024 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E12: Beyond the Barriers: Reclaiming Your Inner Ecstas...

Everyone is naturally filled with love and ecstasy, but this is obscured by the baggage we carry inside. You are blocked from realizing your divine state by the stored emotions and mental constructs from your past. The spiritual path is not about acquiring something new; it’s about letting go of the barriers that prevent you from experiencing the greatness that has always been within you.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2024 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E13: The Mind: Prison or Liberator?

The mind can act as either a prison or a liberator, depending on how we use it. By holding on to uncomfortable past experiences, we trap ourselves in suffering. Expanding our thoughts beyond ourselves allows us to break free of the prison of mind. Through this process, we can liberate our consciousness, experience peace, and ultimately achieve enlightenment.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2024 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E14: From Thoughts to Awareness: Reclaiming Your Divin...

In this talk, Michael explains that the mind need not be an obstacle to spiritual growth but can actually be a great tool when used properly. This involves realizing you are not your thoughts, any of your thoughts—rather, you are the awareness observing them. By remaining centered in this awareness, free from the pull of personal thoughts and emotions, one can experience great states of natural joy, love, and divinity.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2024 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

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