Below are stories of transformation through Self-Investigation. No two are alike – which reinforces a core premise – there is no “one way” to investigate. Yet, the consequences for each person follow a common theme: relief, humility, and gratitude.
Jayson Aylsworth
Jason Aylsworth is a licensed therapist and Zen practitioner. Jason tells the story of growing up in the Boston area, working really hard in his younger life, striving for all the things that make a person traditionally successful – good grades, good partner, the perfect job, and a perfect life. For some reason though, things never seemed quite right, there was always an itch he couldn’t scratch. One day a question stunned him – why had he mindlessly taken up this pursuit? Was there any other way to life a good life? He shares the moment when a single book changed the course of his life.
Jason’s main influences: Mindfulness, Buddhist Practice
Russ Jamieson
Russ is an author and content creator from the UK. From a young age he wanted to know the meaning of things. Although he was exposed to various religions, he was “never exposed to deep insights about who or what he really was”. Once he became aware of a few ideas through authors like Alan Watts, a small lightbulb flickered. This ignited a 15-year journey which continues to this day.
Russ’s main influences: Comparative Religion, Philosophy
Josh Wagner
Josh Wagner is a third-year neuroscience student at Duke University. He grew up in a military family and we moved a lot. What drew him to psychology and neuroscience – he was always moving to a new place and re-establishing himself. Doing that so many times repeatedly, he came to see the parts of himself that were conditioned and felt like he was always chasing the part that was innate. While flipping through the Peloton app, he found a section on meditation. That snowballed into a much deeper inquiry – still unfolding today.
Josh’s main influences: Cognitive Science, Meditation
Lance Stewart
Lance grew up as a fundamentalist Christian and earned a degree in engineering. Despite being very convinced of his worldview early in life, one day it suddenly made no sense. It sharpened a question in his mind: “What the hell is going on?”. This question would initially get even more confusing, not less. After years immersed in meditation, restructuring his life, and cruising a big “spiritual buffet” of resources – he found a big moment of resolution.
Lance’s main influences: Meditation, Philosophy
Jesse Starks
One morning in 2015, Jesse came to an insane realization. His beliefs and assumptions about the world were terribly faulty. He always knew what it meant to be “ignorant”. Yet somehow, he still spent nearly 30 years drastically underestimating how his perception of the world was different from other people.
Jesse’s main influences: Meditation, Science, Philosophy, Psychedelics
Scott Kinney
After going through a hard break-up, Scott stumbled up some ideas that made him start to think. He began to carefully observe his feelings and take his life apart. The more Scott paid attention, the more his sense of “self” started to change. This affected his life “quite profoundly”. Although this shift initially was difficult and isolating, it gave way to a lasting feeling of peace.
Scott’s main influences: Meditation