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In this episode, I explore the connection between the disconnect from wisdom, truth, and clear vision and how this disconnection contributes to the pain that leads to addictive behaviors. This disconnection stems from the widespread cultural genocide experienced by Native Peoples in North America and other colonized populations worldwide, particularly through the boarding school system. These schools were designed to assimilate Native People into the so-called dominant culture by denying youth access to their cultural norms, behaviors, worldview, and, most importantly, their spiritual awareness of the nature of all things. This spiritual awareness—accompanied by inner peace—is a natural worldview cultivated through the stillness of mind found in tribal life and a deep, enduring connection to nature.

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Black Elk was an Oglala Lakota holy man who spoke about many topics in his book, "Black Elk Speaks." In it, he discusses the Oneness of the Universe. From this Oneness comes what is true, and what is true has the presence of peace. It is the experience of peace that validates what is true. From stillness and being in the present moment, troubled people find a deep sense of peace and an improved vision of self, events, and things in general. Mindfulness, a modern therapeutic practice and an evidence-based practice, has at its root a way of being that was a common experience in Native culture. In today's times, Native culture has fewer and fewer daily activities that support being in the present moment and being with the stillness of the mind. The source of wisdom and peace is still there in each of us; we just need to find our own path into stillness.

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In this short episode I take a narrow look at the nature of trauma existing within the mind, which exist within the spiritual realm, our true nature of being. The spiritual realm is the causation level resulting in the physical formation of things and behaviors. We should understand the conditioning of the mind through the human experience that offten results in painful illusionary trauma. Many people see trauma as a powerful driver of addiction. If we think trauma is in the world then we think the solution is found within the world, again illusionary. If we understand trauma to be only in the causation level of the mind, then we can understand the solution or the answer to healing the trauma is also within the mind.