How to Process Emotions in a World That Forgot How to Feel | Douglas Tataryn

Douglas Tataryn is a clinical psychologist, long-time meditator, and founder of the Bio-Emotive Framework — a powerful approach to understanding and processing emotions that integrates psychology, somatic healing, and contemplative practice. He received his PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Arizona and has spent decades leading emotional clearing workshops, integral theory seminars, and sports psychology programs across North America.In this conversation, we explore what cultural alexithymia is and why most of us have lost touch with our emotions, the difference between emotions and feelings, how emotional repression lives in the body, and the surprising role that crying plays in emotional healing.We also get into what comes first — thoughts or feelings, how processing emotions impacts meditation practice, the five stages of crying, whether tight and tense muscles block emotional access, how psychedelics and meditation can support emotional healing, and whether the relational practice of circling can help with processing emotions.Douglas even leads Artem through a live emotional processing session — one of the most raw and honest moments in the show's history.A profound and practical conversation for anyone doing the inner work of emotional healing and somatic therapy🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES 🔗Doug's website The Bio-Emotive Framework Course Cultural Alexithymia — Doug's talk transcript Doug's paper on the body's role in emotional repression Doug's e-book on healthy crying Online Circling — Circle Anywhere What is Circling?🕰️ TIMESTAMPS 🕰️0:00 - Intro0:49 - What is the Bio-Emotive Framework and how Douglas developed it5:40 - What is cultural alexithymia?11:58 - What are emotions?15:51 - What is the difference between emotions and feelings?19:01 - How processing emotions impacts meditation20:50 - How emotions are related to interpersonal status22:08 - What comes first — thoughts or feelings?24:02 - What are feeling beliefs?27:04 - The process of emotional repression and the body's role in it37:39 - The role crying plays in emotional healing43:03 - The five stages of crying47:50 - Douglas talks about his work with meditation master Culadasa49:21 - Is it possible to be emotionally healthy and never cry?54:03 - Do tight and tense muscles interfere with accessing emotions?57:05 - How yelling and screaming can help release emotions1:02:58 - Douglas leads Artem through a live emotional processing session1:22:17 - How psychedelics and meditation can help with emotional healing1:27:42 - Can the relational practice of circling help with processing emotions?1:30:39 - Healthy ego development and psychedelic-assisted emotional processing1:36:22 - Doug speaks about his emotional processing course1:37:52 - Outro*Subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch the video versions of the Elevating Consciousness Podcast *Subscribe to the Insighter Substack to get in-depth articles on the theory and practice of human transformation through a post-conventional