We've Lost the Plot 6: Being Worked by Parables

We've Lost the Plot 6: Being Worked by Parables

Author: Kent Dobson June 25, 2019 Duration: 1:07:17
Through the analogy of dreams and how they work on the ego, I argue that parables, because they're archetypal and symbolic, are meant to disrupt, disrobe and dismantle the ego - who we think we are in the world. This week, in my ongoing series on the Bible, I explore how parables can work on us.  They're not just clever stories with moral lessons that need to be deciphered or interpreted correctly.  Listening on this deeper level does not mean you need to believe the stories, or hold certain views about the Bible, or even believe in God.  It's more like we're being invited to open up to the characters, the emotions, the landscape, and images of a parable (or any mythic story for that matter).  This way of listening helps reveal the hidden contours of our own psyche - where we need to grow, where we're stuck, the leading edge of change for us.  Being worked by parables feels like, "Surprise!  You're not who you say you are, or who you think you are.  Change your life!"  Enjoy! 

Kent Dobson hosts Hints and Guesses, a space where curiosity meets the profound questions that quietly shape our lives. This isn't about delivering easy answers or rigid doctrines. Instead, each episode unfolds as a thoughtful exploration, weaving together threads from ancient sacred texts, the wisdom of the natural world, and the raw material of our everyday experiences in culture and society. You'll hear conversations that treat doubt not as an enemy of faith, but as a necessary companion on a genuine spiritual path. The terrain covered is vast and deeply human-from love and soul to mortality and what lies beyond-all approached with a sense of openness and reverence for the mystery. The Hints and Guesses podcast creates room for reflection, inviting you to slow down and consider the subtle whispers of meaning that often get lost in the noise. It’s for anyone who finds themselves pondering the bigger picture, regardless of where they stand on religion, seeking a honest and nuanced dialogue about what it means to live a connected and examined life.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Hints and Guesses
Podcast Episodes
Church in the East [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:32
Here's another shorter mediation on Rilke's passage about leaving home, about following a calling, the cost and terrible possibilities hidden in walking toward the East, toward a church forgotten, a sacred place ignored.…
Coleman's Bed [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:24
For my 100th episode, I'm introducing a new dimension of the podcast, shorter mediations based on poems, passages, and prayers. Thanks for all your support, can't believe I've made 100 episodes. I hope you'll hear some h…
The Dream: A Bridge Between Worlds [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:45
In this episode, we turn our attention again to the language of dreams, particularly the ways in which the dream experience seeks to have an effect on the dreamer. This is really part 2 of a podcast series on dreams, the…
The Language of Dreams [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:07
On the longest night of the year, I'd like to explore dreams, dreamwork and surrendering to the intelligence of the dream. "We have forgotten the age old fact that God speaks primarily through dreams and visions" (C.G. J…
Are You Alive? A Conversation with Eloise Skinner [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:53
Eloise Skinner's new book is called, But Are You Alive? How to Design a Life Worth Living. In this conversation about her book, we discuss existential therapy, ancient practices, work life, monastic possibilities, and qu…
Complex Moral Minefields: Israel and Palestine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:21
Here's the second conversation with my wife Mandy about Israel, about the troubling questions we think this conflict raises, the hyper-charged language being used, a bit of historical context, the cultural climate of opp…
Living in Israel, a Conversation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:09
Here are a few thoughts and reflections about out life in Israel with my wife, Mandy. We thought we'd share a few personal reflections about out time there, what we learned, and a bit of what we find troubling, plus a fe…
Soul as Relationship [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:19
"People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in other to avoid facing their own souls" (C.G. Jung). Here's the most recent way I've been thinking about Soul, along with some very personal stories. You can check my pre…
The Father Wound: Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:13
This is a further exploration of the unique ways the masculine, or the unhealthy patriarchal world, wounds the son and the daughter. We'll explore the nature of these wounds using two ancient myths, one about a rat, and…
The Father Wound: Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:37
This episode is an investigation of the father wound. I'll be exploring our own wounded fathers, the kind of wounds the masculine receives, and the shape of our own wounds as sons and daughters in a "time of no father,"…