Changeable Podcast EP393: Why are outside circumstances affecting me so much? A question from a listener
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Feb 23, 2026 A listener asks why upsetting world events still cause pain despite knowing circumstances do not create suffering. The conversation probes the limits of an inside/outside separation and how sensations arise automatically. Practical choices about exposure and attention are explored. The discussion highlights separating raw feelings from repetitive thoughts and accepting mixed emotions like compassion alongside fear.
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Feelings Arise Before The 'Me' Decides
- Direct experience shows images trigger feelings immediately without a separate 'me' allowing them.
- Dr. Amy Johnson points out the inside/outside separation is a conceptual overlay, not what your senses actually reveal.
The 'Shouldn't Affect Me' Belief Adds Suffering
- Belief that outside events 'shouldn't' affect you creates extra suffering and a sense of powerlessness.
- Dr. Amy shows that adding 'should/shouldn't' constructs a fragile separation of a self that can be violated.
Inside Outside Separation Is A Thought Construct
- The inside/outside distinction (me vs world) predominantly exists in thought, not in immediate sensory experience.
- Dr. Amy invites checking direct experience where you find bodies, sensations, and images but not a separate 'Martha' gatekeeper.
happening in the world. How can she reconcile this?