Lorwen C Nagle, PhD

Most people think anxiety is caused by indecision.

But it goes deeper.

FOBO--Fear of Better Options--is silently hijacking your mind.

Here's Francis Lucille's 9-step protocol to break free...🧵 

FOBO is a modern-day paralysis.

You're flooded with choices:

• Which project to pursue
• Which job to take
• Which niche to build in
• Even what to eat or watch

But choosing one means rejecting all others.

You end up, NEVER acting. 

But here’s the twist:

 This fear doesn’t just come from having too many options.

It comes from identifying with the voice that’s afraid to choose.

Francis Lucille--a direct student of Jean Klein and a rare modern philosopher of consciousness--teaches:

"You are not your thoughts. You are awareness in which thoughts appear."

This isn't new age mumbo jumbo.

It's neuroscience-backed insight.

Studies prove that the brain generates thoughts before we're aware of them.

Which means...

You're reacting to noise, not reality. 

Lucille says:

"Just observe.  Don't interfere.  You're not the thinker, you're the witness."

From his perspective, FOBO is simply another thought arising out of a
unified field of consciousness. 

When a thought arises, Lucille says:

"Watch it!"

The more you observe...

the more you create space between you and the thought.

That space is freedom. 

"If we believe we are separate entities, then every choice becomes loaded with existential weight."-- Francis Lucille

Will I regret this?
Will this choice fulfill me?
What if something better comes along?

These negative thought patterns make us profoundly unhappy. 

FOBO isn't simply an annoying mental habit.

It's an immune system destroyer and shortens your life.

You get eye strain, tension headaches, and become a teeth grinder. 

1/ The first step in Lucille's approach would be to pause and ask:

Who is this "I" that fears missing out?

Who is this "I" that needs something better?

Who is this "I" that needs everything to be right? 

2/ "The root of all suffering is the belief that happiness depends on something outside you."

This isn't Francis Lucille's original idea.

Gautama the Buddha, Confucius, and many other great saints said the same thing.

"But choosing is a human right!" you say.  "It signifies freedom! "

But is that true?

Confucius says...

3/ What if the "chooser"—this anxious, separate self—is itself an illusion?

What if there's only consciousness experiencing various expressions of itself?

FOBO begins to dissolve from this viewpoint. 

Now, here's the twist.

4/ Lucille would invite you to notice how your desperate search for a "better option" reveals...

 a deeper longing—not for the perfect choice--but for the peace and completeness of your true nature.

Pema Chodron confirms this- 

Like a Zen koan, Lucille says:

5/ "What you are looking for is what is looking".

He's pointing to meta-cognition (what I teach).

How our restless seeking for fulfillment through better choices is actually our displaced longing to recognize who we truly are.

From this understanding, choices become a creative expression rather than a burden.

Here's where it gets exciting:

6/ True freedom isn't having infinite options, but recognizing your happiness doesn't depend on any option.

From this vantage point:  choosing is irrelevant since its outcome isn't loaded with success or failure.

7/ Instead of learning better decision-making techniques, Lucille would suggest you return to presence—a direct experience of being aware in this moment.

Endless scrolling, comparing, and agonizing over decisions falls away when you stay aware and in the present moment. 

When you recognize yourself as the awareness in which all experiences arise, choices become expressions of your true nature rather than attempts to complete yourself.

Decision-making becomes lighter and more intuitive. 

8/ The "fear" in FOBO becomes what it is—thoughts and sensations arising in awareness--not factual statements about reality itself.

Predictions of future regret are just that--thoughts!

9/ Lucille teaches: "All searching for happiness is unhappiness,"

When we stop seeking happiness outside ourselves.  FOBO lossens its grip.

We begin to make choices out of freedom, not fear. 

The ultimate resolution to FOBO isn't finding the perfect option...

 but recognizing the perfect awareness that you already are...

the consciousness in which all options, fears, and decisions arise and subside like waves in the ocean. 

If you're struggling with FOBO and searching for answers, book a free discovery call with my coordinator and see if working with me is a good fit.
https://denisbentoj.carrd.co/

https://x.com/LORWEN108/status/1908190025910796696

The modern Plato's cave has comfortable cushions, endless entertainment, and social validation for staying put.

Breaking free takes courage, curiosity, and the willingness to be temporarily disoriented and seek guidance...
I'm a PhD clinical psychologist @UTAustin and Post-doc @Harvard I can help you find your true self.

This man who heals what doctors can't:

Jiddu Krishnamurti.

It's impossible to be psychologically trapped, stressed, or anxious after understanding his teachings.

Here's his 5-step approach to unlocking mental freedom: 🧵 

At age 14, the Theosophical Society declared Krishnamurti the next World Teacher.

By 27, he was set to lead one of the largest spiritual organizations in the world.

Then he did something that shocked everyone... 

He rejected it all.

"Truth is a pathless land," he declared. "No guru, method, or system can lead you to it."

He dissolved the organization, returned the money and properties, and spent the next 60 years teaching a radical approach to psychological freedom.

Here are his 5-steps to unlocking your mind:

Step 1: Stop Seeking

Most people trapped in anxiety and stress are desperately searching for solutions.

But Krishnamurti found that seeking itself creates tension and anxiety. The more you chase peace of mind, the more it eludes you.

The first step is to stop all seeking and simply observe.

Step 2: Direct Perception

Don't analyze your thoughts. Don't judge them. Don't try to change them.

Simply watch them without any filter of past knowledge or desire for change.

This pure observation, he discovered, has more power than years of therapy or meditation. 

Step 3: Understanding Fear

Krishnamurti found that anxiety isn't the problem – it's our resistance to it and our circumstances.

When you fully face your fears without trying to escape them, something remarkable happens:

The observer (you) and the observed (fear) dissolve into pure awareness.

Brain research now confirms:

Direct observation of emotions without trying to change them activates the prefrontal cortex and reduces amygdala activity.

Science is catching up to what Krishnamurti taught decades ago.

Step 4: The End of Time

Most psychological suffering comes from thoughts moving between the past and the future.

Krishnamurti's insight: Psychological time is the root of fear.

When you're fully present, not seeking to become something else, anxiety cannot exist. 

Step 5: Freedom From the Known

Your mind is conditioned by society, culture, and past experiences.

True psychological freedom comes when you see this conditioning in action – not by trying to replace it with new conditioning.

Seeing IS the transformation. 

Bruce Lee was heavily influenced by this approach.

"Empty your mind," he said, echoing Krishnamurti.

Aldous Huxley called him "one of the most impressive minds he had ever met."

Modern mindfulness and therapy are just catching up to his insights. Listen to this: 

The beauty of Krishnamurti's approach:

• No expensive therapy
• No complex techniques
• No years of practice
• No dependency on teachers

Just radical self-understanding through careful observation of your own mind.

The mind is subtle. The conditioning runs deep.

While Krishnamurti emphasized self-understanding, he recognized the value of dialogue and support.

Having someone to guide you through this process of self-discovery is invaluable.

As a Ph.D. psychology grad from @UTAustin and a Postdoc at @Harvard, I can help you unlock your mental barriers for greater success.

So, if you feel lost, confused, or stressed out with your current life, schedule a free discovery call:

https://calendly.com/lorwen_consulting/enlightenment_call

Being able to reframe stress, anxiety, overthinking is deeply important for the modern overworked society.

Grab your free reframe toolkit now to unlock your mind: https://lorwenstudios.kit.com/the-stress-surfers-tool-kit

After 30 years of bridging Western psychology and Eastern wisdom at Harvard, the most powerful solutions were always the simplest.

Follow me @LORWEN108 for more threads like this on merging ancient wisdom with modern science. 

I'm 63.

Stress and anxiety controlled me for years and I regret wasting my life making poor decisions...

Then I discovered Carl Jung’s Archetypes and his 7 Laws of Finding Purpose.

Here's how to use your shadow to find your true self: 🧵 

Carl Jung was called the greatest psychologist in history.

He famously called the dark side of our personality the "shadow."

The shadow holds forgotten and repressed memories that lock our hidden strengths…

Jung said much of the shadow is connected to the collective unconscious.  

The collective unconscious is made up of "archetypes"—universal patterns of behavior we all share.

Common archetypes are ↓ 

These archetypes appear in our dreams, cultural myths, and art. 

They guide us through life's challenges. But we are unaware of their presence, and they lurk in the shadows. 

Jung believed archetypes function powerfully in our lives, are our true nature, and appear as "psychic organs" we inherit.

But in modern life, we're distracted from them by technology.  We are alienated from our true nature.

The result? A "poverty of the soul."

To tap into your archetypal wisdom, Jung said to pay attention to symbols in 

• Dreams
• Religious icons
• Myths and fairy tales

By studying symbols, we understand the language of the unconscious. Let's explore each: 

Dreams 

The "royal road" to the unconscious, said Jung.

Jung spent 2 hours each morning analyzing his dreams.

1. He recorded them in a journal
2. Noted recurring themes
3. Reflected upon underlying meanings
4. Drew dream images 

Rituals 

Sacred spaces, according to Jung, are where the numinous and unconscious emerge. 

For example:

• Prayer
• Ceremony
• Meditation

help us enter into an unseen order that is harmonious with our supreme good. They lead to numinous experiences.

An intense experience of the numinous can lead to a complete re-thinking of one’s life.  

In the presence of the numinous, we tap into our greatness. 

Myths contain "timeless truths" about the human condition, said Jung.

Example: The hero's journey is an archetypal pattern found in many cultures. 

When we repress the unconscious, it turns against us.

We become anxious and prone to self-sabotage.

The alternative to wholeness is neurosis, said Jung.

On a collective level, if the shadow is NOT integrated, mass psychosis can occur. 

Want to start your journey of confronting your shadow?

Jung's tips:

1. Keep a dream journal
2. Study myths and fairy tales
3. Cultivate a spiritual practice
4. Seek a mentor, psychologist or therapist 

In Jung's words: "The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are."

As you integrate the unconscious, you'll tap into your deep well of creativity.  It's in all of us, but our anxiety prevents us from experiencing it.

Working with a therapist will help you connect with the wisdom of the ages.

In my Anxiety Relief Transformation (ART) package, clients draw their thoughts and feelings on paper. 

I use creativity and art as integral aspects of exploring one's shadow and bringing it into the light.

Some clients have NEVER drawn in their lives! These clients tell me how freeing it is for them. They've uncovered old memories and future hopes that were unexpressed and unseen. 

By drawing, they re-connect their shadow side. Their lives become deeply soulful and full of purpose. They became, as Jung said, "truly who they are."  Why pass up a chance like this?

As a Ph.D. psychology grad from @UTAustin and a Postdoc at @Harvard, I can helped you unlock your mental barriers for greater success.

So, if you feel lost, confused, or stressed out with your current life, schedule a free discovery call:

https://calendly.com/lorwen_consulting/enlightenment_call

Being able to reframe stress, anxiety, overthinking is deeply important for the modern overworked society. 

Grab your free reframe toolkit now to unlock your mind:

https://lorwenstudios.kit.com/the-stress-surfers-tool-kit

Anxiety isn’t a thinking problem—it’s a signaling problem. We’ve spent years correcting thoughts (cognitive distortions) while the nervous system stays on high alert.  
Cognitive distortions matter (like catastrophizing) —but they’re the "tip of the iceberg". Beneath them, the

Thanks for your comment.   Sounds like you have experienced something similar.