Frontiers Friday 110: Existence (Part I) ⭕️
A New Book, Vampires Song and Thought Experiment, and the Lying Flat Movement...
Updates
Two things happened yesterday (20th of Oct 2022):
I had such a rejuvenating experience in our first Call to Commmunity gathering. This was spurred on from a missive I made on 11th of June 2022. See this link.
It was so refreshing to connect with folks from all over the globe, share about where we at—with no agenda to our meeting!A new book is out: Creating Impact
Someone once said that for a painful introvert to make friends is to write a book. In so many ways, co-writing this book, Creating Impact was a way for me to keep ties with friends on the other side of Australia, with people like Kaye Frankcom Raelynn A. Wicklein, Nathan Castle, and Aaron Frost.
This book that was released on 20th Oct 2022 is about dealing with the challenges in private practice.
These consists of the following 4 Pillars:
Three Things to Note:If you get the book before 3rd of Nov 2022, you'd also get the ebook at no cost.
If you bought the book and you are on this Frontiers list, let me know by emailing me. I’d have some free gifts for you.
If for some reason you'd like to purchase a signed copy for keepsake, I've 20 copies at hand. Drop me an email with your mailing address.
Unfortunately, we couldn't coordinate to get all 5 authors to sign, so you are left with me only.
Now, onward with our new series for Frontiers Friday! It is on the topic of Existence.
Frontiers Friday 110: Existence (Part I)
Writing about existence is like writing about writing.
This particular series is not exclusive to what we call existential therapy, although it most certainly includes the field of existentialism.
Personally, no matter your area of speciality or types of clients you work with, you cannot escape the inescapable topics that revolves around
Meaning
Purpose
Spirituality
Happiness
The good life
As you can see, this topic about how to live, is BIG.
So let’s start small.
Here's the first five recommendations.
🎹 A Song: If We Were Vampires
This is not about Vampire Diaries.
Jason Isbell and his crew, The 400 Unit has a deeply moving song.
Taken from their album The Nashville Sound, this song paints a picture that is worthy of a thought experiment. What if death was a joke, and we could live forever?1Listen to this song. And if you are on Spotify, follow the lyrics.
🎧 Listen: Do You Want To Become A Vampire?
On that note about vampires, let's play with this thought experiment:
Let's say Dracula offers you the chance to become a vampire. You might be confident you'll love it, but you also know you'll become a different person with different preferences.
Whose preferences do you prioritize: yours now, or yours after becoming a vampire?
Philosopher and cognitive scientist L.A. Paul raises this interesting question, which leads to a wide-ranging implications e.g., choices, parenting, technology, who we become, etc.In general, I love this podcast series by Centre for Humane Technology. Specially, this episode is a treat to help you think clearly.
👀 Web-Read: Hikikomori
I've mentioned this in FF12. Hikikomori is a phenomena describing young men in urban cities like Japan, UK, Brazil, and US who withdraw from society. For more, see this BPS article.
And watch what these Japanese "Rent-a-Sister" were doing to coax these men out of their bedrooms.👀 Web-Read: The Lying Flat Movement
Tang ping (Chinese: 躺平)
What is the lying flat movement? It is so worrying that the China government banned and censored any discussion about this topic.
Here's from a CNN article:
“The phrase apparently traces its origins to a post in an online forum run by the Chinese search giant Baidu. The author of that now-deleted post suggested that instead of working one's entire life chasing after an apartment and traditional family values, people should pursue a simple life.”“In South Korea, young people are giving up on marriage and home ownership. In Japan, they are so pessimistic about the country's future that they are eschewing material possessions." " Young people are very burnt out," said Lim Woon-taek, a professor of sociology at Keimyung University in South Korea. "They don't know why they have to work so hard."
Watch this related video talking about the Extreme 996 work culture i.e., start work at 9am, leave at 9pm, 6 days a week.This is a sign of our times. The young are questioning,
“Is this really a way to lead my life?”
It is a really good question.
Take heed.⏸ Words Worth Contemplating:
If we were vampires and death was a joke
We'd go out on the sidewalk and smoke
And laugh at all the lovers and their plans
I wouldn't feel the need to hold your hand
Maybe time running out is a gift
I'll work hard 'til the end of my shift
And give you every second I can find
And hope it isn't me who's left behind.
~ Jason Isbell and 400 Unit, If We Were Vampires
Reflection
What if time running out is a gift?
Question:
In your clinical practice, are you seeing more cases of youths with social anxiety, and adults with ADHD?
If so, why do you think that is the case?
BIG HUGS TO NEW PEOPLE WHO ARE AT THEIR FRONTIER!
If you've just joined us, I'm glad you can join us at the "bleeding edge." Feel free to check out the back catalogue of Frontiers of Psychotherapists Development (FPD). You might also want to go into specific topics in the FPD Archives like
And if you want to see past newsletters, the entire archive is now made available in substack.
In case you missed it, see the most recent missives
Devotion to the Craft (6 Parts)
Caring for People in Organisations (3 Parts)
Clinical Supervision (3 Parts)
Feedback Informed Treatment (4 Parts)
Unintended Consequences (2 Parts)
Deep Learner (4 Parts)
Going Further with Deep Learner and The Use of Obsidian (6 Parts)
See What You Hear, Hear What You See (4 Parts)
Trauma (3 Parts)
Deliberate Practice (5 Parts)
Empathy (6 Parts)
Therapist Effects (2 Parts)
Client Point of View (4 Parts)
Tech Tools for Therapists (4 Parts)
Emotions (6 Parts)
Sensitivity (3 Parts)
Alliance (6 Parts)
My other blog site is called FullCircles: Reflections on Living
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Daryl Chow Ph.D. is the author of The First Kiss, co-author of Better Results, and The Write to Recovery, Creating Impact, and the forthcoming book The Field Guide to Better Results.
Note: These newsletter are free, many hours are spent handpicking the curated list that make it to Frontiers Friday, as well as writing the essays and recording the videos and podcasts. Amazon affiliate links, if any, are to help ease the costs. You can also support the work by picking up any of the books. Big thanks.
p/s: Please excuse any typos!
(There are companies and elites who are trying to raise the dead. Take a look at thisBBC reel video and read this ).