Self Decoder
Explore people, ideas, and reflections that deepen knowledge of the self.
Latest Articles
Sri Swami Satchidananda — Integral Yoga for a Whole Life
A long-form synthesis of Satchidananda’s life and Integral Yoga: posture, breath, meditation, ethics, and service — with practical sequences and a balanced view of legacy.
Ramana Maharshi — The Question of Self, Silence, and the Dissolution of the “I”
A long-form exploration of Ramana Maharshi’s life, the method of self-inquiry, the psychological dynamics of the “I” thought, and practical pointers for integrating his path in daily life, with comparative threads to Buddhism and modern psychology.
Arthur Schopenhauer — The Will, the Veil, and the Quiet Mind
A long-form synthesis: Schopenhauer’s metaphysics of Will, psychological account of desire and suffering, aesthetic and ethical exits, and practical drills — with comparative notes to Buddhism and Freud.
Sigmund Freud — Unconscious Life, Dreams, and the Work of Culture
A long-form synthesis of Freud’s life and ideas — unconscious dynamics, dream theory, drives, and the tension between instinct and civilization — with practical drills for self-observation.
Edgar Cayce — Intuition, Healing, and the Discipline of Ideals
A long-form study of Edgar Cayce’s life and readings—holistic health, dreams, reincarnation, and the “Akashic” vision—plus practical ways to test and integrate his counsel with discernment.
Alan Watts — The Playful Bridge Between East & West
A long-form exploration of Alan Watts’s life, ideas, and how to live his nondual, Taoist-inflected philosophy—with practical drills and a balanced appraisal.
New People
Sri Swami Satchidananda
Indian spiritual teacher (1914–2002), founder of Integral Yoga and Yogaville (Virginia), known for opening Woodstock (1969) and teaching a …
Ramana Maharshi
Indian sage (1879–1950) known for teaching self-inquiry (“Who am I?”) as the direct path to self-realization. He lived most of his life at …
Arthur Schopenhauer
German philosopher (1788–1860) best known for The World as Will and Representation. He argued that reality at its core is blind striving (W…
Sigmund Freud
Austrian neurologist and founder of psychoanalysis (1856–1939). Developed a clinical method for treating psychopathology through dialogue, …
Edgar Cayce
American trance reader known as the “Sleeping Prophet” (1877–1945). While in a self-induced sleep, he delivered thousands of readings on he…
Alan Watts
British-born American philosopher, writer, and lecturer (1915–1973) who popularized Eastern philosophy—especially Zen, Taoism, and Vedanta—…
Latest Reflections
A Small Lamp — A Satchidananda Reflection
After a tense day I tried the simple rhythm: stretch, breathe, sit, then do one quiet kindness. It didn’t fix everything, but the harsh edg…
The Question as Silence — A Ramana Reflection
One evening I paused mid-thought and softly asked inwardly: “Who am I?” The next wave of thought stalled, and silence arose behind the ques…
The Quiet Interval — A Schopenhauer Reflection
One evening I stood before a painting and dropped the story of my day. Colors, lines, light. For a few minutes, wanting thinned; time loose…
Slips, Dreams, and the Small Honest Pause — A Freudian Reflection
For a month I tracked small slips and dreams. Patterns surfaced: a recurring classroom, a misnaming at work, a joke that landed too sharply…
The Ideal for a Day — A Cayce Reflection
For a week I practiced Cayce’s “ideal of the day.” I wrote the word steadiness on a sticky note and chose one action each morning. The acts…
The Crack in the Narrative — A Reflection on Alan Watts
Driving one afternoon, I caught the story “I’m stuck in traffic.” I paused and asked, “Where exactly is the ‘I’ that is stuck?” For a momen…