602. Diederik Wolsak

Diederik was born in 1942 in a tiny village south of what now is known as Jakarta, Indonesia. The first three and a half years of his life were spent in Japanese POW camps and it was here that he formed most of his core beliefs, beliefs which he thought were his actual ‘character’. After some fifty years of self-loathing, alcohol, and drug abuse he decided there had to be a better way, it was time to ‘change his mind’ at the deepest levels. Through a Course in Miracles and Attitudinal Healing, he developed a radical forgiveness process that allows him to transform the self he hated into a Self whose only function is to extend love. Choose Again, his charitable society, operates a healing center in Costa Rica and he gives talks and teaches workshops in many places around the world.

Website: choose-again.com

Book: Choose Again: Six Steps to Freedom

Book Diederik mentioned: What They Don’t Teach in Prenatal Class: The Key to Raising Trouble-Free Kids & Teens

Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.

Summary and Transcript of this interview.

Interview recorded June 12, 2021

YouTube Video Chapters:

  • 00:00:00 – Introduction and Background of Diederik Wolsak
  • 00:05:15 – Core Beliefs and Self-Blame
  • 00:10:17 – The Formation of Core Beliefs
  • 00:14:26 – The Unbearable Existence
  • 00:19:04 – The Point of Change
  • 00:23:45 – Childhood in Indonesia and Self-Hatred
  • 00:28:03 – A Blindness to One’s Own Behavior
  • 00:32:34 – The Meaning Behind Lesson 135 in A Course in Miracles
  • 00:36:43 – Deep Transformation through the Process
  • 00:41:16 – The Masks We Wear
  • 00:45:42 – The Root of Beliefs
  • 00:49:52 – The Process of Transformation
  • 00:54:24 – The Power to Interpret Your Experience
  • 00:58:59 – The Unexpected Reaction
  • 01:02:35 – The Self’s Influence on Experience
  • 01:06:58 – Healing Through Awareness of Beliefs
  • 01:10:59 – The Guilt of Separation
  • 01:15:24 – The Journey to Oneness
  • 01:19:15 – The Importance of Commitment
  • 01:23:15 – Reflecting Core Beliefs and Healing the Self
  • 01:27:36 – The State of Consciousness and Beliefs
  • 01:31:49 – Finding Purpose in Office Jobs
  • 01:36:12 – Step Two: Recognizing the Author of Our Dreams
  • 01:40:26 – Tracing the Root Feeling
  • 01:44:38 – The Guilt Behind Punishment
  • 01:48:30 – Reforming the Criminal Justice System
  • 01:52:53 – Healing Together in Relationships
  • 01:57:14 – Finding Support Online
  • 02:01:48 – The Completion Process
  • 02:06:24 – The Purpose of Discomfort and Correction
  • 02:10:39 – Gratitude and Farewell