The first topic in this roundtable on the Portair podcast was self-concern versus egolessness and that learning to co-exist with self-doubt creatively leads to more authentic experience. We also discussed how: self-concern Is typically not very objective; metaphorical and symbolic levels of significance in works and art entrain vast networks of significance and meaning beyond our conscious grasp; the ‘listener’ co-creates the artwork and that ‘the song you (the artist) like the least will be more most popular song’; the artist is like a conduit for life experience and how experiences ‘write us’; how crippling self-doubt and lack of confidence can be to someone’s talent; and how creative process and evolution act as an analogue for each other: just try and do and some of it will catch fire and that creativity is about ‘finding the diamond in the rough’.

This is a roundtable discussing my podcast with Dr David Clarke on the promise of neuroplastic symptom therapy for chronic pain and ilness. Neuroplastic symptoms are those that are generated by the brain. Topics discuss included: whether people could self-treat if they understand the theory and practice of the approach; the disctinction was drawn between neuroplastic symptoms following organic issues or damage, versus those following psychological trauma ; there was vibrant discussion about neuroplastic treatment bringing hope and relief to millions who either can't find traditional medical treatments, or for whom those treatments are ineffective; the scale of the issue was higlighted with millions of people in the USA alone affeccted by neuroplastic symptoms; discussion of transcending mind-body dualism; the issue of being 'ready' for such an approach and that a subset of peolpe would likely resist the implication that it is 'all in your head'; the importance of mediacl practictioners having this understanding to complement their practice.

A fascinating conversation with Dr David Clarke as he explains Neuroplastic Symptom Therapy. Dr Clarke defines neuroplastic symptoms as brain-generated, as distinct from pain emanating from body damage or illness. It appears a very high percentage of the US population has such symptoms, which respond poorly, or not at all, to traditional medical treatments. We discuss how the brain generates theses symptoms and the benefits that patients derive from Neuroplastic Symptom Therapy, which changes their brains giving them not only symptom relief, but positively changes their lives and work. Patients learn to lsiten to their symptoms, often discovering unrecognised emotions old traumas or Aversive Childhood Experiences (ACE's) that express themselves via the body. Results with this approach are astonishing and are backed by gold-standard Randomised Controlled Trials. All in all, a wonderful discussion.