Immersion
A search for how to live a meaningful life in the modern world by applying psychology and philosophy. Let’s dive 30 minutes beneath the surface each Sunday together. | Hosted by Pamela Carey
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This podcast is a production of Bounding Husky LLC doing business as Pamela Carey Enterprises
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional or licensed psychologist
Episodes
52 episodes
Who Are You, Really? Rethinking Identity, Freedom, and the Self
What is the self? Are we as fixed as we think we are? In this episode, we explore identity, freedom, and self-concept through the lenses of philosophy and spirituality.Last week, we explored how our self-concept forms through psychology...
Do You Really Know Yourself? | The Psychology of Identity & Self-Concept
In order to love ourselves, we first have to know ourselves. But getting to know ourselves isn't always easy. Over time, we can become attached to a particular identity or story about who we are. While that story may be true, it may only be one...
You Don’t Need to Be "Fully Healed" to Date (For the Anxiously Attached)
Ever feel like the second dating gets stressful, anxious, or overwhelming, your only option is to hit pause and retreat? While taking space is completely valid, true relational growth actually happens in connection with others - not just sittin...
What Limerence Actually Feels Like: Is It Love or Limerence?
Part 1 was about the clinical definitions and the "why" behind limerence - this episode is about what it actually feels like to live through it. Limerence is a unique experience with some of the highest highs and lowest lows we ...
When a Crush Becomes an Obsession: Understanding Limerence & Steps to Heal
Have you ever found yourself completely consumed by thoughts of someone, to the point where it feels less like a crush and more like an overwhelming, permanent presence in your mind?In this episode, we are doing a deep, nuanced dive int...
Why You Feel Like You’re Never Enough (Contingent Self-Worth) (series part 4)
Do you ever feel like your value as a person depends entirely on your last achievement, your productivity, or what someone else thinks of you? You’re not alone.This is part 4 in our 10 part series on improving our relationship with ours...
How to Build Self-Worth and Stop Seeking External Validation (Part 3 in series)
The topic of self-worth cuts deeper than self-esteem. That is because self-worth is an internal sense that you are enough, and that you are fundamentally deserving of love and respect.In Part 3 of our "Relationship to Self" series, we a...
Building Self-Esteem: The 6 Pillars
While self-esteem may seem like an elusive, vague concept, there are practical, everyday actions we can take to build it. In this episode, we explore the actionable frameworks outlined in the classic book, The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem by Nath...
The Relationship That Shapes Everything Else | Series on Self-Worth, Validation & Identity (Part 1)
You likely know how you feel about your relationships with other people - but how do you feel about your relationship with yourself?Whether we realize it or not, our relationship with ourselves influences nearly everything: our relation...
The Hidden Personality Trait That Shapes Your Reality: Intuition vs. Sensing
There’s an often-overlooked personality trait that shapes how you process almost everything you encounter day-to-day. While traits like introversion and extraversion get all the spotlight, this core piece of our psychology is just as crucial to...
Happiness Is Not the Opposite of Sadness | How to Handle Negative Emotions
If you’ve ever felt deeply grateful and incredibly sad at the exact same time, you know emotions don't always fit into neat boxes. We often view emotions as a simple spectrum, with happiness on one end and sadness on the other. But our feelings...
Ending Excess Screen Time (Habits that actually work)
We’ve all heard the basic advice: turn off notifications, put your phone in grayscale, or just "try harder." But if you’re like me, those tips didn't stick. After years of experimentation and diving into the psychology of habit formation, I’ve ...
How Culture Changes Your Pursuit of Happiness
Happiness is a universal human aim, but what we believe makes us happy, and how we define a life well-lived, varies. In Part 10 of our Positive Psychology deep dive, we explore how cultural norms, language, and social safety nets dictate our pe...
How to Find Purpose: Do We Find or Create Meaning? (Exploring with Sartre and Frankl)
Do you ever wish you knew what your purpose was? Does your life ever feel void of meaning? In this episode we explore the idea of meaning through the lens of positive psychology, logotherapy, and existentialist philosophy. We learn from Dr. Vik...
Relationship Science 101: Why "Minding" is the Secret to Lasting Relationships
How do we build relationships that actually flourish? In Part 8 of our Positive Psychology series, we’re looking at the science of staying connected through Minding and Active Construction. Whether it’s with friends, family, or partners, we’re ...
Does Success Lead to Happiness – OR Does Happiness Lead to Success? (Part 7 in Positive Psychology Deep Dive)
We are 7 episodes into this series and I have a confession: I expected to feel "happier" by now, but the reality of positive psychology is a lot more nuanced. While I’ve definitely picked up some great habits around Grit and finding Flow in my ...
How to Master Any Skill Faster (It’s Not 10,000 Hours)
Is the 10,000-hour rule a myth? We’ve all heard that it takes 10,000 hours to master a craft, but the truth is that not all hours are created equal. In this episode, we dive into the science of peak performance and the current "Gold Standard" o...
Flow State: Why Getting "In the Zone" is a Secret to Happiness & High Performance
What if you could disappear into your tasks and emerge happier, more productive, and less stressed? That "magical" feeling - one you have likely experienced from time to time - is called Flow. And it’s more than just a catchy term thrown around...
How Habits for Health and Vitality Impact Happiness (Positive Psychology Series Part 4)
How do exercise, sleep, and nutrition actually impact our mood and mental health?You have likely felt the difference between weeks when you are caring for your body versus weeks when those habits fall away. Sometimes, we need to conscio...
Grit, Resilience, and Optimism: How to not quit when things get hard
Ever feel like you have the talent, but you just can't seem to finish what you start?In this episode, we’re looking at why we "hit the wall" and quit when things get difficult. It’s a dive into the science of Grit, Resilience, and Hope ...
Your Brain Has an Immune System for Sadness: & How to strengthen it
Why do we recover from heartbreaks, job losses, and injuries faster than we could ever imagine?For example, if you were fired today or left at the altar, how long would you be miserable? You probably guess "months or years." But the scie...
The Happiness Equation: Genetics vs. What You Control (Part 1 in Positive Psychology Deep Dive)
We spend our whole lives chasing happiness, but we rarely stop to ask: Are we chasing the right things? Or more importantly - do we even have control over how happy we are?Research suggests that while a portion of our happiness is genet...
The Decision To Have Kids Or Not (Part 2): Regret & Pressure + Action step ideas
In Part 2 of our deep dive into the decision to be a parent in the modern world, we move from the statistics to the emotional reality. We explore the fear of regret, the definition of legacy, and how to navigate intense societal pressure.
Why Millennials Are Not Having Kids (Part 1): History & Economics
In this video, we explore why millennials are not having kids, looking at the declining birth rate through the lens of history, economics, and sociology.We go beyond the usual headlines about money to discuss intensive parenting, modern...
The Freedom Trap: When to commit and when to stay flexible
Do you feel stuck between the desire for flexibility while also craving for structure? In a world of infinite options, "keeping your doors open" feels like the smart move. But often, it leads to a specific kind of misery: the anxie...