The Protocol

Spiritual Bypassing

In the 1980s, psychologist John Welwood coined the term Spiritual Bypassing.

It is the use of spiritual practices to avoid facing unresolved emotional wounds.

"I don't need therapy; I'm meditating away my anger."

"I don't need sleep; I'm running on Prana."

This is a trap.

You cannot meditate your way out of a Vitamin D deficiency. You cannot chant your way out of an abusive relationship.

The spirit requires a stable vehicle.

The Full Stack

To build a sustainable practice, you must address the human from the bottom up:

1. Biology (The Hardware): Sleep (7h+), Nutrition (Real Food), Movement (Zone 2), Light (Sun). If this layer is broken, the others will fail.

2. Psychology (The OS): Therapy, Shadow Work, Relationships, Solvency (Money). You must have a healthy Ego before you can transcend it.

3. Spirituality (The User): Meditation, Prayer, Service. This provides the direction.

Do not skip steps.

The Middle Way

The Buddha tried asceticism (starving himself). It didn't work.

He tried indulgence (being a prince). It didn't work.

He found the Middle Way.

Extreme discipline is just another form of Ego ("Look how spiritual I am").

True practice is ordinary. It is being kind to your neighbor. It is doing your dishes. It is being present for the boring parts of life.

The Inheritance of Perspective

The ultimate sign of wisdom is not a halo; it is a sense of humor. If you take yourself too seriously, you have missed the point.

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[!WARNING]

Clinical Context: Extremism

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1. Orthorexia: An obsession with eating "pure" food. It is an eating disorder masquerading as health.

2. The Guru Trap: If a teacher tells you to disconnect from your family, give them all your money, or stop sleeping, run. That is a cult.

3. Sustainability: The best meditation practice is the one you actually do. 10 minutes a day for 10 years is better than 10 hours a day for a week.