Money can be funny and studies reveal the subtle isolating effect that even the image of it can have on human behavior.

In Daniel Kahneman's monumental book "Thinking Fast and Slow," he highlights the disconcerting results from different priming experiments. For example, when subjects could see monopoly money in the background or stacks of cash on a computer screen-saver, they took twice as long to ask for help with a problem and picked up significantly fewer pencils when the experimenter pretended to clumsily drop them - in contrast to those subjects not exposed to the trigger.

More troubling, people were asked to set up two chairs for them and another as part of a "get-acquainted" conversation while the researcher left the room to retrieve the guest. Money-primed subjects placed the chairs an average of 15 inches farther apart than the control group.

In most cases, money on the mind can promote self-reliance and individualism but trigger selfish behavior and disconnection from others.

There is nothing bad about money. It is very useful. People sometimes say "money is the root of all evil." That is not actually the complete verse. "The love of money.." or craving for this one type of energy - purchasing power - is the problem. And now we have some scientific insight as to why that attachment can be socially harmful.

In the spiritual philosophy of abundance, too much attraction to money can actually be limiting by narrowing one's idea of how resources may be accessed and generating an overall attitude of lack that leads to operating from a sense of scarcity in life.

(Music “Light in Summer Air I” by Ethereal Ephemera and episode artwork by Dove Dahlia)

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This is a very serious public health situation and for countless people it is also an intense psychological test. My heart goes out to all who are sick or love someone who got sick or died and all who are very anxious in this uncertain time.

Just as this outbreak started in one region and has since spread exponentially, so too fear and panic can go viral. When then sun is clouded over in the sky, sunflowers look towards each other for the light.

Similarly, in times of darkness we need to be able to count on one another. Many have reached out to me for guidance and insight and have requested some perspective that hopefully will bring some calm in the midst of chaos.

Episode artwork by Dove Dahlia

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62% of Americans report that they could use more forgiveness in their life. New research is helping our understanding of the link between forgiveness and physical health.

A study published in the journal "Psychology and Health" in 2009 found that random cardiac patients with coronary heart disease who underwent forgiveness training were able to improve blood flow to the heart. They were at less risk of pain and sudden death when compared to a control group, which received the standard medical treatment and only counseling about diet and exercise.

Emotions can be an obstacle to forgiveness. fMRI experiments reveal activation in the emotion centers of the limbic system in the brain when one considers forgiving someone. This likely indicates feelings of anger and hurt, and negative emotions can disrupt rational thinking in the prefrontal cortex. Thus, it can complicate the process.

However, when subjects are guided through fictional scenarios in which they were wronged and then forgave, the anterior cingulate cortex lights up and functions as a bridge between the perception and suppression of moral pain. So, just as we have biochemical mechanisms for reducing physical pain, forgiveness may be a pain reliever for moral distress.

Forgiveness seems to be one of the more misunderstood words in the language of spirituality and healing. This episode explores in more depth what it is and what it is not.

Forgive: GIVE yourself the gift of moving FORward

(Music “The Illuminoid” by Chris Russell and episode artwork by Dove Dahlia)

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We are surrounded by a cult of busyness, and Americans today leave a collective 650 million unused vacation days on the table annually with an overall economic impact of approximately $236 billion.

From childhood, the pressure to compete, achieve, succeed and stay productive is now so strong. Combine that with the fear of missing out and how can people, especially young people, justify just sitting in meditation or sauntering in nature?

This picture is quite different for some of our European counterparts. In France and Germany, for instance, employees use almost all of their paid time off. France federally mandates 25 vacation days and even passed a law allowing employees to disregard work email when not at work.

This episode explores the deeper significance of equilibrium in the body and environment, equanimity in the mind and what kind of higher balance we ought to seek, in spite of cultural limitations, in order to optimize fulfillment and well-being in life.

(Episode artwork by Dove Dahlia and music “Beyond the Veil” by Ethereal Ephemera)

Addiction is a major health crisis in America, and everybody knows somebody struggling with drugs or alcohol.

23 million Americans suffer from a substance use disorder yet only 11% receive treatment. 75% of women and men in treatment for addiction report histories of abuse and trauma.

This episode explores how addiction fits into the model of disease and its cultural and spiritual implications along with guidance for building empathy and reducing stigma.

(Episode artwork by Dove Dahlia and music by Lee Rosevere)

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There is a studied link between mindfulness and pro-environmental behaviors, but that is not the point here. Mindfulness is the art of directing awareness with openness, curiosity and flexibility. One is guided in this practice to be present with what is by paying attention to different aspects of experience, whether pleasant or unpleasant, and responding wisely. The point, according to most contemplative traditions, is to look deeper into and understand the nature of our suffering - both individually and collectively.

In the wake of wildfires, earthquakes, flooding and other storms - by now, most of us probably know someone who has been significantly impacted, perhaps even displaced, by weather. So, what is the right balance of attention with respect to awareness of the alarming trends and moral responsibility within our sphere of influence and meeting all the other demands of modern life? Especially in a society where more than 75% live paycheck to paycheck and more than half do not have enough savings to manage an unexpected $400 expense, it can be overwhelming and lead us to tune out and become unmindful.

Poverty, mental illness, addiction, and divorce are examples of common real-life challenges that may feel like and actually be more of an existential threat to one's family than global warming and certainly less abstract. But, how might the psychology be different if we could see CO2 gas in the sky or even in our home? Because everywhere, the parts per million has invisibly risen above 400 for the first time in 800,000 years, which has long been thought to be a safety threshold. This increase may begin to have negative effects on human cognition and decision-making in addition to dangerously warming the planet.

It gets more complicated with all the mixed messages, limitations in communicating science, denial, guilt and blame with respect to the multi-dimensional nature of the problem of pollution - from individual and industrial to political and spiritual.

There is one insight that is so fundamental and largely overlooked altogether. Upon knowing, one could hypothesize that global warming due to human activity is not the core problem but a symptom of something much more insidious. Still, I think there is some hope for a solution and a great turning. It is unlikely to begin with individuals extraordinarily repairing their relationship with the Earth but rather with each other.

(Episode design by Dove Dahlia)