Episode 11: Resurrection to Discover Your Power: Post-traumatic growth and the transcendent self

Mindful Conversations, with Shamash & Calvin

With the end of this series almost in sight, Shamash and Calvin enter the resurrection phase of the Hero's Journey, examining the transcendent self and exploring the growth that can come after a traumatic experience.

• Dr Vikki Barnes opens by setting out the positive psychology idea of post-traumatic growth, rejecting the notion of "negative emotions".
• Dr Mehwish Sharif uses rainbows as a lens through which we can explore the fleeting nature of post-traumatic growth.
• Mari Williams shares the story of someone working on a children's cancer ward, who experienced how parents deal with what is likely their darkest experience.
• Kush Kanodia describes the process of coming back together after a life-shattering experience, using the Japanese concept of kintsugi ("golden joinery").
• Dr Steven Hayes points to the mind as a modern notional concept, and explores the way we can sometimes run away from positive emotions as well as negative ones.

Jill Bolte-Taylor's TED talk

In the final episode of this series, Shamash and Calvin will return with the elixir, and wrap up their learnings from the past eleven weeks.

Mindful Conversations is hosted by mindfulness teacher Shamash Alidina and mindful storyteller Calvin Niles.