We are introduced to the sun in cognitive terms. It is a star and the earth revolves around it. It is 5 billion years old. But we can also have a sensory introduction to the…
Posts Published by Kaif Mahmood
On loneliness
In my life I have met very few people who are not lonely. Loneliness is pervasive. Most of us, if we are honest, feel lonely. We can think of loneliness as the experience of feeling…
Some reflections on the Buddha
The Buddhist scriptures paint a certain image of the Buddha. For one, they call him ‘the Buddha’, literally, ‘the one who knows’, rather than refer to him the way we refer to each other. We…
The making of a therapist
In psychotherapy we are primarily addressing emotional wounds. Emotional wounds can only heal in presence. In sitting with what hurts, in allowing it to hurt us, in tears, in anger, in facing our limited existence…
The therapist’s mental health
Facebook post, 7 July 2026 Today I came to know that Victor Yalom, a well-known psychotherapist, died in February this year. He committed suicide. Yalom was an existentialist-humanistic therapist, like his father Irvin Yalom, who…
The contemplative conversation
You have just had an argument with a close friend. This relationship seems to be shaking. You try to understand what you did wrong, and what the friend did wrong. You try to understand life…
Walking barefoot
The language of the body We are taught from childhood to use words for our thoughts. But we can also use words not just for the thoughts we have, but for the sensations we have….
A dog called Blacky
When I think of Blacky, I think of the wide, big eyes that looked curiously at me, asking if I love him. I think of his growls. He growled when he was happy being petted,…
Rani and Bagheera
Rani is a brown dog who lives outside my house. She is about 7 years old. I made friends with Rani when I moved to this neighbourhood three years ago. She was scared at first,…
Psychotherapy as a political practice
For any idea to mean something substantial for a human being, it must be rooted in a deeply and honestly felt emotional experience in the present moment. Else, the idea is only an intellectual entity…