Beyond the Ego: Emptiness, Dharma, and Modern Psychotherapy with Benjamen Duffy

9/25/2026

A State of Mind

0:00

43:39

What happens when we stop treating our thoughts and ego as solid reality? Could true mental freedom lie in embracing emptiness?

In this episode of A State of Mind, Julian Royce sits down with licensed therapist, Naropa University graduate, and contemplative practitioner Benjamen Duffy. Following a multi-year spiritual journey across Zen centers and India, Benjamen transitioned into psychotherapy to align with the Bodhisattva ideal of service.

Together, they explore the intersection of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism with Western therapy, deconstructing the nature of ego, the delusion of lack, how de-reifying our experiences prevents mental health crises, and using Internal Family Systems (IFS) to relate to fear with radical compassion.

Main Topics Covered

From Seeking to Service: Benjamen’s path from Zen centers and environmental science to Buddhist psychology.
The Illusion of Lack: How ego identification creates an artificial sense of separation, greed, and suffering.
Maturing Beyond Emptiness: Moving past "getting drunk on emptiness" to actively inhabiting roles and relationships.
De-Reifying Mental States: How solidifying thoughts creates psychosis, and how loving-kindness acts as a buffer.
Fluidity of Mind: Using applied emptiness and parts work (IFS) to step out of rigid, suffering-inducing dogmas.

Key Takeaways

Ego is a Contraction: Seeing beyond the separate self releases the compulsion to constantly seek external security.
Emptiness is a Skeleton Key: Liberation allows you to fluidly adopt useful roles without becoming trapped in them.
Compassion Softens Reality: Meeting difficult thoughts and altered states with kindness prevents suffering loops.

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