Liven: Take a 3-minute quiz. Is your brain working against you? Discover what's keeping you stuck and finally break the cycle. This journey is intended to help you better understand your patterns and structure your experiences. Treat this quiz as a moment of honest reflection.
Liven is not related to Chase Hughes and is not intended to replace professional diagnosis, treatment, or therapy. Everyone's experience is unique. Results may vary. Experiencing medical or mental health concerns? Please reach out to a licensed healthcare professional.
People (operatives?) who hate Chase Hughes want to shut him up
Chase Hughes' 2007/2008 website allegedly sold a supplement he called "Redshift with Neuridium." He claimed it was used by "all branches of the United States Armed Forces" and that it had "international recognition," neither of which seems to be the case.
I'm a handsome success. Buy from me.
Why is Chase Hughes popular? Chase has appeared on popular podcasts and shows, including Joe Rogan's podcast, the podcast Diary of a CEO (as seen in the clip above), and the Dr. Phil Show.
There are a lot of people leaving positive reviews for his books on Amazon.com and his YouTube videos.
But the truth is, haters say, that Chase Hughes has been lying about his credentials and experiences for most of his adult life. His "success" and popularity are based on a few factors.
(Liven) PRIVATE RESULTS: Your ADHD patterns suggest your brain may be locked in an avoidance cycle — treating important tasks as low-level threats and redirecting your energy toward anything that offers immediate relief. This is often fueled by years of accumulated pressure between high capability and low output. Over time, this can take a significant toll — chronic procrastination, task paralysis, and a widening gap between your intentions and your actions. This cycle is extremely difficult to break through willpower alone, as your neurology is prioritizing short-term safety over long-term execution.
The Buddha's [distinction] about "desire" that Western Buddhism gets wrong
The rare beauty of Native American men
(The Midnight Library)
July 10, 2026: [Theravada] Buddhism is often described as a tradition that teaches us to eliminate "desire." This is one of the most persistent misreadings in the history of the Western encounter with Eastern philosophy.
The ancient Pali canon makes a precise distinction between two words that, in English, may both be rendered as "desire," but they are almost opposites.
Tanha is compulsive "craving" driven by a sense of lack — whereas chanda is "aspiration" driven by genuine vision.
The Buddha actively encouraged chanda ("desire," "aspiration," "will," "intention") while working to release tanha ("desire," "craving," lit. "thirst").
Professor of Neuroscience Dr. Wolfram Schultz, MD, at Cambridge University, England, documented that the dopaminereward system produces more activation in anticipation (wanting) than in satisfaction (getting) — confirming the structural mechanism of tanha (craving) 2,600 years after the Buddha described it.
Neuroscientist and psychiatrist Dr. Judson Brewer, MD, who studies the default mode network at Brown University confirmed in The Craving Mind (2017) that mindful [dispassionate detached attention to what is happening in the present moment without moving towards the pleasant, away from the unpleasant, or being confused/bored by the neutral] observation of craving interrupts the compulsive cycle measurably.
Three Buddhist practices drawn directly from the Pali canon: The R.A.I.N. practice, the aspiration question, and the satiation experiment.
Recognize, name what is present
Allow, do not react (chase, act on, suppress, check out, do not crave, resist, or go dull in boredom/confusion), let it be present (radical acceptance)
Investigate, what does it feel like, where is it located in the body, what is its texture?
Nurture, bring kindness to the experience, not to the craving itself but to the part of you experiencing it
"This practice interrupts the automatic cycle of trigger to craving to behavior and creates a gap in which choice becomes possible."
"Prof. Brewer's research has confirmed that this gap created through mindful [dispassionate, equanimous, attentive, vigilant, wakeful, unbiased] observation of craving measurably reduces the compulsive quality of tanha [craving, addiction, obsession, compulsion] over time."
BIO: Dr. Judson Brewer, MD, PhD (aka "Dr. Jud"), is a New York Times best-selling author and pioneering psychiatrist blending cutting-edge neuroscience with 20+ years of Buddhist mindfulness training. A leader in the science of habit change, he is director of research at Brown University’s Mindfulness Center and has held positions at MIT, Yale U., and UMass. Dr. Jud developed app-based programs like Mindshift Recovery, Unwinding Anxiety, Eat Right Now, and Craving to Quit, clinically proven to treat anxiety, addiction, and emotional eating. He’s the author of The Craving Mind, Unwinding Anxiety, and The Hunger Habit, and co-founder of the nonprofit Mindshift Recovery. He is also a collaborator with Clear Mountaineers and medical researchers Dori Rosenberg and Dave Arterburn. More
If this work matters, support the channel by becoming a member. Support is never expected — but always deeply appreciated.
Join here: 👉 @therealmidnightlibrary. For those who resonate with the visual world of The Midnight Library, a curated collection of art and apparel inspired by these themes is available here:
👉 themidnightart.com. For ambient, chant, and cinematic music inspired by ancient traditions, visit The Midnight Library Music:
👉 @themidnightlibrarymusic. For intimate and emotional musical compositions, explore The Romantic Guy:
👉 @theromanticguy. Every story in The Midnight Library opens another door. 🕯️🔑
Six tagged products available from The Midnight Library: (1) The Gatekeeper’s Key – Eternal Archive | Vertical Canvas themidnightart.com (2) The Gatekeeper’s Key – Eternal Archive | Square Canvas themidnightart.com (3) The Gatekeeper’s Key Fleece Joggers – Diagonal Dual Leg Print | Red | themidnightart.com (4) The Gatekeeper’s Key Fleece Joggers – Diagonal Dual Leg Print | Charcoal Heather | themidnightart.com (5) The Gatekeeper’s Key Classic T-Shirt – Front & Right Shoulder Print | Cardinal | Bella+Canvas 3001 themidnightart.com (6) The Gatekeeper’s Key – Bone Archive Edition (Front & Back Print) | Unisex Midweight Hoodie themidnightart.com
The Midnight Library @TheRealMidnight...) July 10, 2026; Dr. Wolfram Schultz; Dr. Judson Brewer; Dr. Tara Brach; Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation) (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
(Dr. Tracy Townsend MD) Sept. 16, 2025: In this video Dr. Tracy Kim Townsend -- a licensed medical doctor, psilocybin facilitator, and co-founder of Meadow (the world’s first legal psychedelic medicine practice founded by a physician) breaks down:
What psilocybin is,
How it works in the brain, and
Why leading researchers are calling it one of the most promising medicines of our time.
📌 NOTE: This video is for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice.
🔔 Subscribe for more down-to-earth education about psychedelics, psilocybin therapy, and holistic healing: @TracyTownsendMD
💬 Have questions about psilocybin? Drop them in the comments.
Sensationalist influencer Cleo Abram, 2024; Tracy Townsend MD, Sept. 16, 2025; Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven, CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
San José del Pacifico, Mexico - Kurt Caz and his travel-pal Amir are two self-described gringos who travel up the mountain to the cool climes of Mexico along the Pacific Ocean in search of LEGAL psychedelic "magic mushrooms," the fruiting bodies of the psilocybin mushroom. Is it safe?
(Is anything?) The hero's journey is beset on all sides, like Samuel L. Jackson is fond of saying in Pulp Fiction:
"The path of the righteous [seeker] is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil [persons]. Blessed is [one] who in the name of charity and goodwill shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for [that person] is truly [a] brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I [Yaldabaoth] will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy My brothers. And you will know My name is the Lord when I lay My vengeance upon thee."
They stand at the periphery waiting, clinging. They passed away with strong attachments.
The REAL reason behind addictions and how to get over them
I don't know how it began. I was molested.
(Asangoham) April 26, 2024: Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism includes within its teachings a very interesting concept, that of the "hungry ghost," known as yidags in Tibetan [preta in Sanskrit, peta in Pali].
Dr. Gabor Mate used this idea in his research
One possible form of hungry ghost can be a person who has died while still in the midst of intense craving, attachment, or an insatiable addiction.
Tibetan Buddhists believe that at death one sheds only the physical or gross form; the subtle and causal forms of the body remain [in a changing state of flux, just as they changed and were in flux during life].
This means that while one is now [temporarily] free of the gross or physical body, one is still in the grip of the subtle body, or mind, that was “made” during that and previous lifetimes.
The causal body will retain the seed of the addiction and carry it into the next life if it is not purified.
Thus, those who die in the grip of addiction or craving or attachment often remain in the physical plane as disembodied hungry ghosts.
The Wisdom of Trauma
[Dr. Gabor Mate, Canadian addiction medical specialist and star of Zeitgeist, contends that there are NO addictive substances or activities. Many people are indeed addicted and unable to stop; there is no doubt about that. Dr. Mate treats them daily and set up Canada's first compassionate care center to help them. But it turns out the real problem is an interaction of factors. IF substances and activities were "addictive," then everyone who partook would become addicted. This does not happen. Q: What then is the underlying cause?
When the Body Says No
A: Susceptibility brought on by childhood trauma. If a person who was abused takes a nonaddictive substance like alcohol, meth, fentanyl, MSG, sugar, heroin, crack, cocaine, or marijuana (which flood the brain with feelgood dopamine, endorphins, and neurotransmitters) then addiction quickly sets in. But it cannot be substance. It is that substance in that person. So as a society we abuse our children then condemn them for the easy-to-access coping mechanism they resort to to self-soothe. It's a double-bind, a Catch 22, a fully Belgium (HHGTTG) situation. Ghosts get trapped this way, and then they are trapped (in bondage), and then for a long time lost "in the realm of hungry ghosts" (Buddhism's peta loka). Knowing this, seeing this, one adheres to the Five Precepts, for one who preserves the Five Precepts is preserved by the Five Precepts. Otherwise, after the ghost realm, which is the beginning of the downfall (niraya), the great waste, one continues down to the hells, where there is no apparent way out. Good karma now will help a great deal then. So make merit (punya).]
Is Dr. Gabor Mate a secular Jewish Buddhist or a Buddhist Jew? (drgabormate.com)
.
I want what I want when I want it. I'm hungry.
That is, such beings are still gripped by insatiable addiction but now without the physical body that would give them any chance of satiating that addiction.
Those with the ability to perceive disembodied spirits can perceive hungry ghosts.
These people claim that in those places such as the “red light” districts of many cities where people gather to drink, have sex (engage in prostitution), or use intoxicants -- three of the most common pursuits of human addiction -- hungry ghosts can be seen to congregate, often in great numbers.
Addiction is complex.
It transcends mere substance or behavioral abuse.
Addiction is defined as a chronic and relapsing disorder.
It is characterized by compulsive seeking, continued use, and a lack of control.
This continues in the face of and despite severe adverse consequences.
The brain is dependent on neurochemicals.
Fundamentally, addiction involves changes in the brain's reward system.
Repeated exposure to addictive substances or behaviors leads to neuroadaptations.
This adaptation diminishes the brain's sensitivity to natural rewards (such as dopamine) and compels/drives one in the compulsive pursuit of the addictive stimulus.
In the digital age, behavioral addictions related to technology and social media have also begun to take hold. #addictions#hungryghosts#zen
DISCLAIMER 01: All ideas expressed on this channel are for entertainment and general information purposes only. There is no advice on what an individual should or should not do. Any response made by anyone after hearing this communication is their interpretation and is their responsibility. Ideas expressed by this channel should not be treated as a substitute for medical advice or professional help. If expert assistance or counselling is needed, the services of a competent professional should be sought.
Guest Dr. Drew Pinsky, MD, Host comedian Jimmy Dore, co-host Kurt Metzger (The Jimmy Dore Show); Seth Auberon, Pfc. Sandoval (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
What will happen to my liver? Doctors put me on these useless placebos for life.
Bill Maher, portrait of rich, out of touch, nominal leftist: What pandemic?
Tweedledee and Tweedle won
Dr. Drew (a real medical doctor, general practitioner, addiction specialist, and former host of Loveline (on KROQ and MTV) talks about being shut down by YouTube for telling the truth, just like Russell Brand was brought down by allegations that are enough to prove that a corporation is acting in good faith for censoring anyone trying to debunk the mainstream media narrative for war, Big Pharma, experimental vaccines, genocide, or anything else Big Brother wants us to believe without question.
Big Pharma means big profits and no cures
("Big Brother" too strong? What else to call the dystopian Orwellian moment we're in with Israel's crimes against humanity, fraud in medicine including fake vaccines, pandemics, swine and bird flus, and more nonsense out of the White House than when it was temporarily painted orange by all the bronzer Trump has to use to not look like a corpse, whereas Biden is proud to look like a corpse?)
Big Pharma has our lives in their hands if we're foolish enough to take prescriptions instead of managing our own diet, health, and news consumption. See criticalhealthnews.com for a start.
Fooladi Fitness (YouTube, April, July, 2023); TEAM YOGA, Wisdom Quarterly
Esoteric Secrets of Semen Retention🪬
(Fooladi Fitness) The practice of semen retention (SR) goes far beyond the general surface level self-improvement stuff we see online.
Celibacy (brahmacharya) is a limb of Raja Yoga.
This sacred art of inner alchemy has been widely talked about in many great ancient texts by mystics [talking about the Spirit Molecule DMT or amrita, ambrosia, soma and haoma, lifeforce energy called prana, which moves as idaandpingala of kundalini, anointment or the Kristos (the "Anointed One") Gnostic version] and philosophers of the past through art and allegorical symbolism.
As we begin to decode the deeper esoteric secrets of this practice, we come to realize how truly profound this sacred secretion is when it comes to uncovering the more metaphysical secrets of this reality while on the road to self-mastery...
All materials on this site are submitted by editors and readers. All images, unless otherwise noted, were taken from the Internet and are assumed to be in the public domain.
In the event that there is still a problem, issue, or error with copyrighted material, the break of the copyright is unintentional and noncommercial, and the material will be removed immediately upon presented proof.
Contact us by submitting a comment marked "private."
Do not follow this journal if you are under vinaya or parental restrictions. Secure protection by Sucuri.
Wisdom Quarterly: American Buddhist Journal is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at creativecommons.org/about/licenses.
.jpg)
_-_2%20WIKI.jpg)
_-_2.jpg){kind=link}