Episode 136

Awakening Practices from PRACTICAL WORK ON SELF, "Red-Faced Donkey", Part Two

In this episode, THE THREE-HEADED MAN discusses a series of spiritual or psychological exercises designed to challenge the false self-image.

They reflect on a task involving placing an egg in a pocket, exploring how the fear of a mess stems from a desire to protect one's ego. Freddy shares a story of accidental humiliation when he was seen in his pajamas with stains, highlighting the instinctual urge to manage others' opinions. By intentionally performing "stupid" or nonsensical acts, such as wearing running shoes to bed, they aim to disarm defensive habits and release their grip on an imaginary character.

Ultimately, they conclude that these practices help them move toward self-actualization by lessening their attachment to social status. They view the resulting embarrassment as a tool to realize that nothing has power except the importance they choose to give it.

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The Three-Headed Man
Talking To Ourselves For Over 25 Years

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Fred M Schill

I like to do. I like to make things. And, I like telling stories. I tell stories to myself and to others.

First, a short biography, which is, of course, is a story. I was born in Cleveland, played sports, and attended university. Later, after a few years in the radio business, I returned to university to study education and literature.

With a teaching certificate in my file folder, I began working in high schools, first as a strike-breaking scab substitute teacher in Cleveland's far suburbs, and then in Chicago, mostly in private high schools.

Cleveland and Chicago. My two main towns, and I escaped them both. Presently, I live in a tiny, isolated, mountain village in Spain. I am reluctant to write the name of the town because I don't like tourists. When the tourists arrive, they look at me as if I am an animal in a zoo.