Jacques Massie is the host of the 'Couple A Lattes' Podcast, photographer and aspiring author. I first met Jacques when he reached out to Juan and I to be guests on his podcast to talk about meditation (and finance). I really enjoyed the convo I had with him and resolved to question him on the Mere Mortals channel after I heard him speak about his self-organised 7 day silent retreat.

This conversation is split into roughly 3 parts: the practical, the subjective & the learnings. We begin with his preparation before the retreat, discussing why someone would want to do this and how to structure it. This leads into Jacques's experiences as well as why it can be so intense for some people that it leads to mental breakdowns. The final section was on his insights into his own mind and how taking the time in silence has helped him. We also briefly discuss consciousness and end off with some final questions that give a bit of perspective on other parts of Jacques's personality.

As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!

Timeline:

0:00 - Overview

1:15 - Jacques's Mere Mortal Moment

4:34 - Why would someone want to be silent for a week?

10:10 - Expectation breeds anxiety

11:21 - Jacques's childhood in nature

14:40 - Practical considerations for making your own silent retreat

21:53 - Getting clear on your why

27:24 - A rundown of the whole week

33:50 - Why do people have mental breakdowns when on their own?

40:11 - Peak experiences

45:49 - Happiness vs contentment

50:41 - Abstract constructs & objective reality

54:17 - Takeaway that implemented a change

1:01:37 - Eliminating distractions

1:05:57 - A book that instigated practical change

1:07:17 - No mention of coronavirus for a full month

1:11:31 - Jacques's method of goal setting

1:19:51 - Connect with Jacques

Connect With Jacques:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/couplealattes/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClpgU64ePinVwaH35CCt-9Q

About Mere Mortals:

Striving for excellence through life's lessons. Daily uploads @ 5pm AEST. 4M's, Book Reviews, Musings, Bonus, Themed Podcast, Conversations & Meanderings.

Connect with Mere Mortals:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mere_mortals_media/