The past is a trap. But you can learn to escape.

Dear Friends,

Tonight I'm going live on Instagram at 7pm Pacific to answer 5 questions from my followers around the world. Last week brought viewers from as far as Iraq, and the questions centered around one theme: control—how to master your mind, stop feeling defensive, and break free from the rush of modern life.

If you have a question, join me live and drop it in the comments during tonight's session. Below you'll find a polished transcript from my last live session for premium subscribers.

But first, an important lesson about why the past might be sabotaging your present:

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The past is a trap.

It's a quagmire designed to steal your present.

I watch people torture themselves daily with thoughts like "I should have done this" or "Why didn't I do that?" They replay mistakes on endless loop, rehash old wounds, and punish themselves for things that cannot be changed.

Here's what most people don't understand: there is only one legitimate reason to visit the past—to extract a lesson that helps you do better in the future. Everything else is self-inflicted suffering.

When you do review the past for learning, stay emotionally detached. Don't get involved and start attacking yourself. We all make mistakes. The goal is to learn, correct course, and move forward.

The past cannot be changed, but it can absolutely destroy your present if you let it. Every moment spent in "could have, should have, would have" thinking is a moment stolen from the life you're actually living right now.

I've developed specific techniques to push these thoughts out the moment they appear.

Stop the recriminations. Stop the replay spiral. Your wonderful day is waiting, but only if you refuse to let yesterday hijack today.

The present moment is where your power lives. That's where I'll teach you to find it.

If you want to learn the specific techniques I use to stay grounded, I detail them step-by-step in my new book Master Your Mind.

Golden light,

Dr. Richard Louis Miller

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Master Your Mind - #1 New Release

My new book debuted as the #1 new release in the meditation category. However, my method is different from the popular forms of mindfulness today that require lengthy meditation sessions. Instead, I teach you to master your state of mind in 60-90 second intervals throughout your day.

To honor this incredible community, I'm extending the special ebook price of Master Your Mind—just $4.95—until the end of the month.

The paperback is also available for a discounted launch price of $14.95. This is the last week for launch pricing for either the ebook or paperback.

As an extra bonus, if you purchase the book and leave a review, and I'll gift you a complimentary 30-day subscription to my premium newsletter and exclusive content library. Just reply to this email saying you've done so (I trust you), and we'll get you set up immediately.

The techniques in this book are the same ones I've used with clients for six decades—and the same ones that help me stay grounded even while dealing with a serious heart condition (more on that in the Q&A below).

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Tomorrow’s Podcast: Veronica Monet

How do you break cycles of abuse that span generations? Veronica Monet survived childhood sexual abuse, worked as a high-end escort for 15 years, and became a trauma therapist specializing in the deepest wounds families can inflict. Her upcoming book poses an impossible question: how do you forgive the unforgivable while still protecting future victims?

Note: This conversation addresses childhood sexual abuse, trauma recovery, and adult themes. Intended for mature audiences seeking to understand complex healing processes.

Mind Body Health & Politics features weekly conversations with researchers, authors, and pioneers working at the frontiers of human consciousness and healing. All episodes from the past 20 years are available free in the archives.

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5 Questions with Dr. Miller

From my recent Instagram Live session with followers from around the world…

What happens when your thoughts feel "louder than reality"? How do you stay present while facing a life-threatening health crisis? Why do some people feel defensive even when no one is attacking them? And what's the real reason you feel like you're rushing through life?

The Questions:

1. "What should I do when my thoughts feel louder than reality?"

2. "How can I stay present when dealing with serious health challenges?"

3. "How do I become less defensive?"

4. "How do I stop rushing through life?"

5. "How do I take control of my mind and stop unwanted thoughts?"

This week's questions revealed something fascinating: we all crave control over our inner world, but most people don't know where to start. One viewer's question about thought intrusions opened up a conversation about what I call "mind martial arts." Another wanted to know how I stayed grounded while dealing with a heart blockage doctors call "the widow maker."

The answers surprised even me—and revealed techniques I've never shared publicly before.

1. "What should I do when my thoughts feel louder than reality?"

Have you all had that experience where you're doing something and all of a sudden you have a whole series of thoughts about a particular topic that completely interfere with what you're doing? I call those thought intrusions, and what we want to do when we have them is take control of what we call the mind—the cognitive processor, the internal computer.

When it starts sending in messages that interfere, you need a tactic. One way to take control that's very easy is to start counting numbers: 1, 2, 3. Intrusion. 4, 5, 6. Intrusion. 7, 8, 9. Keep counting numbers. Why? Because by counting numbers, you are directing your mind what to do. You are forcing it to do what you want.

Can you do something else instead of counting numbers? Of course. You want to think about being on a beach? Great. You want to think about riding your bicycle? Great. You can think about anything so long as you are directing your mind, because when you do this, those intrusions will not have room to get in. You'll be in control.

But it takes practice. What I recommend are short practices throughout the day—60 to 90 seconds, five or six or ten times a day. If you practice for 60 seconds, 10 times a day, that's only six minutes total, but at the end of the month that's 180 minutes. That's three hours of practice, and at the end of a year, it really adds up.

2. "How can I stay present when dealing with serious health challenges?"