Unlocking Your Emotional Supercomputer - Jim Rojas-Taylor

Discover the powerful intersection of acting and emotional growth in Mind Over Masculinity's latest episode! Join us as we explore how acting techniques serve as tools for unlocking hidden potential and enhancing emotional literacy. Our guest, Jim Rojas-Taylor, a seasoned actor and philosopher, shares his unique insights into how the techniques he mastered can transform not only performances but also lives. We delve into how viewing our minds as supercomputers allows us to navigate our emotions effectively, using powerful questions to dismantle mental barriers and enhance personal growth.

Jim introduces listeners to foundational concepts like the Stanislavski method and the Meisner technique – all designed to foster deeper emotional understanding and connection. By learning from the rich history of acting and applying its principles in everyday life, we empower ourselves to overcome fears, break old patterns, and build stronger connections with those around us. This episode is packed with practical advice, exercises, and the encouragement needed to empower your journey. Tune in and learn how to take control of your emotional landscape; your journey towards greater emotional and mental freedom begins now. If you find this episode enlightening, please subscribe, share, and leave a review to help others discover the potential within themselves too!

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Chapters

• 0:00 The Power of Modern Masculinity
• 29:01 Acting Techniques as Emotional Tools
• 1:01:17 Unlocking Your Mind: Practical Techniques

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:04

Hey everyone, welcome back to another episode of Mind Over Masculinity, where we dive deep into the heart of modern masculinity, mental health and the tools that we can use to break free from the old patterns and unlock our true potential. So today's episode, it's going to blow your mind literally. So we are diving into the idea that our minds are supercomputers and the techniques actors use to access emotions, thoughts and creativity could be the operating system that we have all been missing. Yeah, think about it Like.

Speaker 1: 0:47

Just like the Windows and Linux made computers accessible to the masses, and these acting tools could give you unparalleled access to your emotions, inner dialogues and the decision-making power right. So to help us navigate these. I am thrilled to be joined by James Rojas-Taylor, known as Jim, as well. So welcome to the show. Thank you for having me, mr Tarabordi, lovely, lovely, so I'll call him Jim, definitely. So, before we start, I'll quickly love to introduce you to all of our listeners. Love to introduce you to all of our listeners.

Speaker 1: 1:22

Dear listeners, jim is an actor, marine veteran and modern philosopher who's blending the wisdom of performance with a vision for human evolution. So James, or as we call him Jim, so has over 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry and a unique perspective on the connection between mind, emotions and the spirit, and today he's going to show us how anyone can help or anyone can apply these tools to break the mental barriers and take control of their lives. So, james, welcome to the show, and I can already tell this conversation is going to be one of the best. So welcome to the show thank you.

Speaker 2: 2:11

Thank you for having me really appreciate it lovely, lovely.

Speaker 1: 2:15

So, um, james, like, uh, the brain as a supercomputer and acting techniques as its operating system. So if you can break down, like what you mean by that and why it's such a powerful concept, well, let me start off by saying why it's a powerful concept.

Speaker 2: 2:35

Um, when we taught the world systemically, uh language literacy how to read and write, it changed the world. When we people, um, math, mathematics, when we gave them numerical literacy, changed the world. If we give the world a system that they can learn to interface their mind and emotions, to give them mental and emotional literacy, why wouldn't it change? My argument is that if we look at where these tools came from, they came from acting masters who are respected and who spent their lives building these tools and techniques. Now we have to look at artists, because when you look at different artists, you look at what they work with. Like, metal workers works with metal. Um, glass workers work with glass. Composers music and instruments. Uh, painter with canvas and paint.

Speaker 2: 3:25

Think about what the actor works. We don't pretend anymore. We work with the human mind and emotions. That's the clay we use to mold, to create our characters. What I'm saying is that these people a hundred years ago, who came up with these techniques, created these tools. Where we are now as human beings, as actors, using real emotions in imaginary circumstances, we're building real, working human mindsets for the use on the stage. But the rub is we don't have a mind and emotions for the stage and a mind and emotions for life. If so, facto these masters accidentally came up when they came up with these tools and techniques for actors to create life on stage they gave it to all of us as well.

Speaker 1: 4:14

We just didn't realize that exactly, understood, and uh, so do you think that most people are stuck using their default settings? And if so, then what does that actually look like in a daily life? Okay, yes, absolutely.

Speaker 2: 4:25

I would like to start off by saying where this is coming from. The idea is that science the best mind scientists. They're the ones that are saying the human brain is the most powerful supercomputer. No, and when I came across acting, it was a couple of years after, like 2008, when this idea hit me, that I realized that there was more to this than things to die. But now it's getting to the point where I can see exactly what it is like. I said, it's giving us literacy, like there's this one technique called the Stanislavski system, one of the first ones there is now.

Speaker 2: 4:56

The purpose of the Stanislavski system is for an actor to break down a moment so they can see all the possible choices in that moment for their acting, for their character. Now let me read off these questions to you and when I read them off, appreciate these aren't just acting questions. These are life questions that a lot of people never ask themselves. They never take the time to break down the moment they're in to see all the choices. So this kind of works like sonar A submarine is under the ocean, you can't see anything. It sends out pings. The pings send back information like that's where the ground is, there's where the submarines are, like, that's where the ground is, that's where the submarines are, that's where the ships offshore are. Now, these are the questions in the system.

Speaker 2: 5:35

Number one who am I? This is the moment in relation to you. Number two where am I? This is the moment in relation to the environment. You're in Number three. When is it? This is the moment in relation to time.

Speaker 2: 5:49

What do I want? This is the moment in relation to purpose. What do I want? This is the moment in relation to purpose. Why do I want? This is the moment in relation to desire. How do I get it? This is the moment in relation to action. What's in my way? This is the moment in relation to obstacles.

Speaker 2: 6:05

So, these seven questions in life. If you ask these for yourself, it's going to send out these pings that are going to bring back information for you to ask what's best in life. There's number four. Number five what do I want? Why do I want it? First of all, there's so many people who I've asked what do you want? And they're like I never thought about it. It's like why aren't you think? How can you align your life to what you want if you aren't differentiate what do you want versus why do you want it. Someone can manipulate you and have you working for their needs instead of yours, because you don't know your purpose versus desire. But again, that's just a small sample of how these work, and there's so many more exercises.

Speaker 1: 6:45

Exactly. I mean, that's such a relatable analogy. I think many of us feel like we are operating on autopilot, reacting instead of consciously acting. So we uh what you are describing as a way to reboot the system and take control of how we perceive the world. That's really great, yeah and uh. So you have this powerful belief that the mind and the emotions together form the human spirit. So if you can share about how understanding this relationship can lead to the personal growth Absolutely.

Speaker 2: 7:26

I think it's closest related to Plato's Allegory of the Soul, where he talks about how you know, there's the rider and there's the noble horse, the ignoble horse, where, to me, it's just, it's simplified, and this comes from my youth, when I was a little. It's really the only way I know how to live, but I see that my mind and my emotions once I connected these two together, that was my spirit. That's what I am essentially. I mean. I mean I have a body, yes, but the core of me within this body is my mind and my, my emotions, linked together because I see my emotions as energy. They're like flavored energy, different colors, and I feel different motivations, as I, you know, wear different colors of emotion, and then my mind is just there's.

Speaker 2: 8:10

There's a lot of variations I use it for because there's two. There's, like I say, I treat it like a supercomputer and I have different programs that I run. Two of my oldest programs are my suits and bubbles. My suits were different versions of what I would do from like age. Four is when I met people. I would listen to them actively and whatever they had going on inside their mind, I would copy it, make a version of myself with those. So I was just creating all these different versions of myself and my bubbles were like the holodeck and the star trek universe. I would just have these worlds in my head, where I would stick these people in these versions of me and they would act out scenarios. So if I needed to do something, I would put a version of me in a bubble, run a scenario. If I didn't like it, I'd reset, run it again and that's how it worked through problems before.

Speaker 1: 8:51

I did it in life exactly, exactly and uh, so like, let's talk about the creativity, like. We tend to think of it as something that you are either born with or not, but you argue that acting techniques can help anyone access the creative problem solving. So how?

Speaker 2: 9:13

does that work? Well, I'm a firm believer that everything in life is a learned skill. We all learn how to do these things. We just don't. We just it's happened since birth and it's the world we live in, so we take it for granted. But there's nothing really special inherently about acting. It's just about getting to know yourself because it's it's like real life.

Speaker 2: 9:32

When people are afraid to get in front of a stage and talk to someone or like give a presentation in front of 100 people, you have that. Stage fright Actors don't really have that. New actors have not seasoned acting. And you understand the reason why. It's about knowing, knowing the work, knowing what's going on. If you ask all these questions and feeling it because acting is like a coloring book you get your script. That's the black and white coloring book. The actor has the crayons and they color in the rest of the picture, with all these questions, with all this research, with all the work that we fill it out and give it life. People, human beings, don't do that part. They just live like automatons because that's what we've been trained. We go through the system, we've all been programmed, but we've been programmed with dead people's programs that put into us because they thought it was the best way to live, and maybe it was in that time. The times have changed. We don't reprogram, we're just spinning our wheels yeah, exactly agree.

Speaker 1: 10:30

So can you give an example also about the technique, this specific technique, maybe something from your own acting experience that can help people break through the mental blocks?

Speaker 2: 10:44

absolutely. One thing I have I'm a big fan of is the rehearsal process. We go through so many major events for the first time when they happen. But when we know something's like a job interview or maybe a difficult conversation you have with someone, take the time in your mind. If you develop these tools and techniques, you can have these conversations in your head in many different ways so you can figure out all the things that, all the things they could say beforehand. So it gives you an advantage going into it, so you're not going cold, you're not going in nervous, you're going in with some knowledge in your head.

Speaker 2: 11:19

And the Meisner technique also that teaches how to read behavior and, like I tell people all the time, I think it's very important to learn how to read behavior. It teaches how to see your partner, whoever it is you're talking to, and be an active listener With men. We're in an age now where we're telling men that they need to be empathetic. But who teaches empathy systemically? Who teaches emotional regulation? Who teaches theory of mind? All of these things are taught in the acting world, but they're taught in the imaginative. And I'm just making the the arguments like why are we working so much harder to build imaginary people than we are real people. We talk all the time how we tell people we need to build your character, but what tools and techniques do we give them other than the platitude? And I'm just saying these tools and techniques by stanislavski, meisner, hagen they're exactly what that is. These are the tools that everybody gives us just a platitude for.

Speaker 1: 12:17

Understood, yeah, and like, fear is one of the biggest barriers to change. So, whether it's fear of failure, rejection or even success, so how do acting techniques help people confront and overcome the fear? So how do acting techniques help people confront and overcome the fear?

Speaker 2: 12:35

Well, fear is generally born from places like insecurity or not feeling like you're enough. The thing about acting techniques is whether it's for the stage or for real life. These are the tools that teach you how to build yourself in all different ways. I mean because, think about it. The purpose of these tools is to teach an actor how to mentally and emotionally become any human being on the planet. If that's what these tools do can do, imagine the implications for everyone else. If you see someone like the popular kid in your school, well, why don't you use these tools and techniques to become that kid? Maybe not the money and the influence, but from a spiritual standpoint, from having the confidence, the easygoing spirit and just a myriad of soft skills that these techniques teach, will allow people to live a much richer and fuller life.

Speaker 1: 13:32

That's really awesome. And also here I have to say one more thing is that, uh, like this is really hits home, because fear is something that can paralyze us, but what you were suggesting is that we we can almost reprogram our responses by uh rehearsing the healthy reactions. That's such an empowering thought. I totally appreciate it. So, for those who's listening, who are excited to try this out, what's the one simple technique or acting technique? I would rather say they can start participating today to gain greater access to their minds and their emotions. What do you?

Speaker 2: 14:16

say. There's four that I can give right off hand. I talk about them in the book that I wrote. One is the Stanislavski system. That was those seven questions that I had. The other is the Meisner technique. These are three techniques of repetition that allow you to read behavior, to listen with more than just your ears, to listen with your eyes, some with your feelings. And that's what acting does. It tries to draw in more information. There's also uh coggins exercises, which are 10 exercises which do the same thing as uh. Well, they mirror stanislavski because they break down the moment, but it's in her own way. And there's also impromptu, like you want to be the life of the party, think on your feet, learn improv techniques. So it's like it's all there and it's all provable. And it's not just in the theater either. Um, I talk about the research that's out there. Uh, university of irvine, california, had a class where their memory and learning center came together with the acting department. Teach their kids a new way to just understand the intake, the emotions. One guy said it's kind of like learning the meaning of a song before learning the song. Uh, there's elmhurst college where they got a program out there.

Speaker 2: 15:22

Sense theater is teaching kids who have autism how to understand a situation better, because it works like this like if you're in a play, you have the script to guide you improv, you don't you have to learn how the structure of the play works. So that's essentially what they're doing with autistic kids. They're teaching them the structure of how society works, so they don't have to pick up on the social cues, they can just see it beforehand. There's also trauma drama that teaches kids who have been hurt with different traumas how to use theater techniques to help heal those traumas through various ways. But they'll do it through a different trauma. That way they don't have to instigate what happened in their life. So there's a lot of examples out there. The thing is, this is all for people who've been broken, and I'm saying why wait till people are broken before we give them these techniques that have been proven to work? Give it to them when they're young so they can grow more strong and robust, so they won't get damaged in the trials and play.

Speaker 1: 16:19

That's awesome, that's really awesome. And so before we move, like you have mentioned that emotional literacy could reverse how we think, communicate and even evolve as a society. So how do you envision this playing out on a larger scale?

Speaker 2: 16:35

Yeah, Well, first of all, it would change males across the board, because what's one of the biggest complaint in relationships? That men don't listen. Men don't connect emotionally. Well, again, it's like how can they when we're never taught that? I mean, I remember growing up as a boy. You know you didn't want to be emotional because it was taught as being bad. It's like that's not true. Emotions aren't masculine or feminine, they're human and we have to appreciate it. It's the way we color. Our lives are human and we have to appreciate that. It's the way we color our lives. So if we do that, not only will we have men that are more communicative, that are more grounded in their emotions, so they can regulate them better. Their theory of mind is going to improve because they can think things through a lot better. So, like I said, I really believe it'll be revolutionary for our be happier people for too.

Speaker 1: 17:21

Lovely Great. So, james, this conversation has been revelation and definitely, I have to say, like you, you have shown us that the techniques actors use to create emotional magic on stage or screen can also help us create the magic in our own lives. So, for everyone who is listening, think about this what if the key to unlocking your potential isn't something external, but something that you have had inside you all along, right? So, also, what if all you needed was the right operating system to access it Like? Encourage you all to take what you have learned today and experiment with it and try the techniques that James shared today and reflect on how you currently process your emotions and see where you might be limiting yourself. And if you want to learn more about, make sure to follow James, rogers, taylor and or Jim, and dive deeper into his work.

Speaker 1: 18:23

So this is just the beginning of a journey towards greater emotional and the mental freedom. So, james, thank you so much. Thank you for your insights and passion with us today, sharing with us today and, dear listeners, until next time, remember that your mind is a supercomputer, but you are the programmer. But take control, be curious and stay bold. So, thank you so much.

Speaker 2: 18:49

Thank you.