Explore every episode of the podcast Nonduality Satsang with Seb

Discourse August 2026, London UK

Satsang 30 July 2026

London, UK

By Seb Lyall

In this episode, Sebastian Lyall explores one of humanity’s oldest and most profound questions: What is Self-Realization?

Inline with the traditions of non-duality, Advaita Vedanta, Buddhism, Sufism, Christian mysticism, and through the lens of his direct experience, Sebastian examines the meaning of liberation, enlightenment, and Jivan Mukti, often translated as "freedom while living."

What does it mean to awaken to your true nature? Is liberation a special spiritual achievement, or is it the recognition of something that has always been present? Who is it that seeks enlightenment, and what remains when the seeker itself is seen through?

Through a clear and contemporary lens, this conversation explores the distinction between awareness and mind, the illusion of separation, the end of psychological suffering, and the possibility of living in harmony with reality as it is.

Whether you are new to non-duality or have spent years exploring the nature of consciousness, this episode offers a grounded and accessible exploration of what many traditions have called awakening, liberation, and the realization of the Self.

Topics include:

• ​ What is Self-Realization?• The meaning of liberation and enlightenment• Jivan Mukti: freedom while living• Awareness versus mind• The illusion of the separate self• Non-duality across spiritual traditions• Living from presence rather than conditioning• The relationship between awakening and everyday life

In this discourse, Seb talks about the nature of our beings and how the mental and emotional system keeps us away from the nondual reality of existence.

To understand healing, we have to understand what is happening in our mind and body. What is the loop which is running and why it doesn’t allow the energy we need to heal.

Sebastian talks about ego, healing and the story in the mind, this in this episode

How do the mind and body react and work on a path towards realisation the self.

Sebastian Lyall discusses.

Are we in a relationship with images we have created or we actually see beyond the illusion? It takes immense energy and focus to see beyond the veil of our own perception. Are we ready to do that?

Sebastian Lyall discusses this in this episode.

To understand anger, one's mind has to understand itself. It has to realise where is the disappointment is coming from, which generates a feeling of anger and hence a reaction which creates a loop and more of what you don't really want.

For this, the mind has to recognise the nature of ourselves.

What speaks in our mind? What keeps it busy so that we miss the very important details of life? Why knowledge can be a hindrance to intelligence.

Sebastian talks about this in the episode.

Why does life exist? Is it for us to reproduce and die and leave something behind, or is it something much bigger than that?

Sebastian discusses this in detail

Why do we humans get into relationships and then end up in pain?

Why is there such pain where all of this should be fun and joy?

What is true love which can really take your pain away?

Sebastian Lyall discusses this in this episode.

We discuss the issue that many of us face today - how do we deal with the monotony of life? Why does everything feel incomplete and not full of joy?

The answer is in how you mind is programmed to respond to life.

Sebastian Lyall

Meditation is akin to peace in many ways.

Find out how you inner journey can lead to peace in your house, in your neighbourhood and in your world.

Is there free will in the world of thought or is everything is decided for you already?

It depends on the source of thought and the nature of the decision maker.

Dive in to discover more

Understand and realise why your mind is stuck in the future and not here.

#peace #mentalhealth #time #space #future #now #mind #thoughts

Has everything already been defined for you? The very thing you came to experience and be in awe of, is it all boxed up in your mind?

We discuss.

In response to a question posted on one of the episodes, I thought it would be a good time to record an explanation of some concepts and practices which we will talk about repeatedly in this show.

Comments welcome

Thank you

Sebastian Lyall

Is happiness something you can achieve or claim?

Is it always here to be realised or is it linked to your goals and aims?

Why is the West unhappier in a way than the East?

What is our brain's happiness versus ours.

I talk about all of this in this Episode.

I hope you enjoy

Sebastian Lyall

We talk about bliss and happiness. How is that achieved in this world of change, chaos and madness? It’s a bit tricky, isn’t it? We all want to be happy but it's not that easy in this world of form. So let’s investigate and dive into why the brain/body or this person, you, is not at peace.

We are not happy simply because we are not allowing life to be as it is. We are not allowing thoughts, emotions and sensations to rise, live and die. We are not allowing anything really but by letting everything that is happening to you, happen, around you, to you, you are literary letting life happen as it should happen. Know that this moment is happening to you is part of a picture of connected events. Billions and trillions of things and events need to happen for you to feel pain or love. All what you see and feel has a reason and the reason is in the past. Step back and make friends with whatever is happening to you. There is no other way life was going to happen or no where else you could have been. Let life happen to you and let come to you as it wants to.

These words are beautiful. You must have heard these plenty of times. Social media, influencers, coaches, mental health therapists, parents, teachers and god damn everyone! Are they happy themselves? Are they in bliss themselves? I feel and understand that now, but I can hear someone saying “easier said than done, mate”. Yes I agree. I remember those times very vividly. Time when I tried suicide. Five years of continuous wish to just die. So yes, I remember that and its very hard to come out of that.

Why is it so hard to understand and achieve peace with oneself. Why can’t our brains accept what is happening and be content? Why is there is friction and non acceptance to all that is happening now?

The brain is generally not at rest. It’s anxious and always thinking about the future and the past. Its job is to think. However it is overworked it is in conflict with a few personalities which it stores in its memory. A- the person you think you are (Sebastian). B- the person Sebastian wants to become. Better and happier Sebastian and C- your brain also has the knowledge of perhaps of the soul, god, energy… which is essentially you.

The brain fundamental job is to think about survival in the now. So that is one job. Then it also has to worry about this personality Sebastian and all his baggage and memory. His ideas of the future, which the brain is not capable to respond to. It’s not been to the future. It also has to continually think about the happier Sebastian and how to achieve that. All the expectations of family, culture and himself. All of this, the brain has to think about too. And finally it also has a guilt or a memory of you. That it needs to serve your needs too. Your needs of living, expression and creation to show love and compassion. Those are your only true needs.

Your brain is doing all of this work right now and of course it is not at ease. In essence the only thing the brain needs to do is listen to you and be here for you when needed, while it does its normal survival duties. In my example, I realise that Sebastian is causing all the problems for me. It is because of him that I can’t live a life of bliss. In fact, he is not causing the problem.

Rest on the episode

#spiritualawakening #spirituality #spiritual #meditation #love #awakening #healing #spiritualjourney #consciousness #selflove #lawofattraction #mindfulness #spiritualgrowth #lightworker #energy #yoga #peace #motivation #enlightenment #inspiration #wisdom #tarot #soul #positivevibes #quotes #manifestation #universe #higherconsciousness #life #selfcare

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I would suggest sitting somewhere quiet with a cup of tea and listening to this very carefully. You are not this person who has had trauma or a bad childhood. You are not this person who had a bad relationship.You are not this person who is depressed or sad.You are not this person who is this name or identity.You are the one observing all of this!From your own life experience, you can't be this. You will investigate this ourself with me: what does it mean to be "I". What are we and why this truth is hidden from us? What is the matrix of the brain? Where do you stand in life? What is the purpose of life?Always available to chat at lyallseb@gmail.comLove, Sebastian

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You have to ask yourself, who did you fall in love with? Who do you like? How do you love? The person or something else?#love #relationships #mentalhealth #nonduality #spirituality #logicalhumanism

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The brain has become so powerful that it even changed its own name in popular culture and media. From a mere physical object, which we never understood anyway, it became a much more sophisticated object called the “mind”, which baffles us even more. I like to say that the human brain is the true example of the original “artificial” intelligence. The more information you feed into it, the more powerful it becomes the more selfish it becomes. The magnitude of its power can be understood by the fact that it has ended up telling society what to do and how to operate. It started changing the very data it used to consume. It is changing the course of humanity and our way of living based on its conditioning. The whole structure of our society is built on the mind and its thinking, which means the system is constantly and perpetually built and reinforced by itself. There is no interruption to this system. Built on a 500-year-old materialist school of thought, in this system, we exist as separate beings from each other. As individuals, having a physical presence. When our minds define our lives and society, the structure itself reminds us continuously of who we are and hence who are others. The separation from the environment and “others” becomes second nature to us. We not only think, we are separate, but we also believe it firmly. All of this understanding about your existence is based on a philosophy which was established in the 1600s. Around 400 years ago.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this video episode, we discuss how memory is represented in the brain as pathways. We discuss how humans get conditioned and what is the true nature of our existence.

If you like it, please share it with people who may find it useful.

Love,

Sebastian

#spiritualawakening #spirituality #spiritual #meditation #love #awakening #healing #spiritualjourney #consciousness #selflove #lawofattraction #mindfulness #spiritualgrowth #lightworker #energy #yoga #peace #motivation #enlightenment #inspiration #wisdom #tarot #soul #positivevibes #quotes #manifestation #universe #higherconsciousness #life #selfcare

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We discuss trauma, childhood, relationships and how we can manage these aspects. Is there a way to forget trauma?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You want good in life? Sure. Let’s explore.

This life is full of paradoxes and one of them which we will explore today sits at the heart of our physical existence and thought.

The human brain has learnt to define things over the course of its evolution. It has identified many concepts and understood what to do and what not to do for its survival. That the brain’s job and it does that very well. Bravo!

During this process of translations and definitions, the brain describes an arrival of “something” in their body as a feeling or a sensation. Due to an event or an action or another feeling. The brain calls whatever happens in the brain a “thought”. Our brain has defined its own workings as well. It is defining everything even when you are just looking at something and while doing this, it is also identifying all these thoughts, sensations and feelings as pleasant or not pleasant. Good or not good. Purely based on the data it already has. Memory of what’s good and what not good. Hence the world comes into existence. Our world.

All events in this world, in a way, happen on a cosmic level. We don’t really know what actually happens when we feel sad or happy. However we define them to understand them based on our memory, conditioning and previous experience. This definition is what creates the paradox which we are investigating.

For example, a thought, action or sensation may be defined as a “good” happening by one person, but by another the same could be defined as “bad”. We do this on a daily basis as we judge everything and every event. If we lose money because of an event, we define the event as bad. However the money itself is not lost. Someone, somewhere made that money and for them this event which led to this, is good. This is happening all the time in our lives.

It is that “good” we humans focus on all our lives. We try and find good in everything. At work, in love, in health and in life. Good which was defined by memory and conditioning. We chase good so much, that it ends up becoming a personality which sits as another memory in our brain. All the good gets automatically amalgamated into a person which is our inspiration. We want to be just like them. We want to be always good. The brain carries this all the time. Just observe it yourself. Don’t you have a very clear what is good for you?

Rest in the episode...

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When one looks at these big, thick clouds. Perhaps by a waterfall. Or at night on a backdrop of moonlight. When one sees them move. The marvel of these structures. What beauty! Merging with each other. Spreading out. Dancing. 

One thinks, realises and agrees that all of this is how it looks because of how my mind perceives it. In 21st century, this is basic science. Nothing special. How an image. A movie. All these marvellous clouds are happening inside me. My brain, which is part of this body.  In unity. 

Then one looks around and sees other things, people, stars, the moon or the sun. You must then also agree that all of these objects exists in your minds. They are imprinted in your minds. Without your mind, you won’t be able to view these images and videos of the world. All what you see. So for you they won’t exists. Nothing will exist. If this is the case for one person or a being, then it must be true for all life. Everything that can view things.

That means if everyone, and by that I mean everyone and everybeing, had their eyes removed, there would be no seeing. Hence nothing to see. No concept of anything to do with seeing. 

A creature which doesn’t have eyes, would have no concept of space and hence things and objects. If we remove all senses to explore the nature of reality objectively, there won’t be anything to smell, touch, feel, taste or see. 

So if there were no eyes (or other senses) and brain to support the eyes viewing, then what? Nothing? Maybe. But that is not what we are establishing here. The fact is that lots of us creatures have eyes and that has bigger implications for all of us.

Please listen to the episode for the rest...

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In his thought-provoking and analytical book and podcast, "What Are You? Sebastian takes readers and listeners on an introspective journey, challenging the very foundations of human existence and understanding of life. 

Through a captivating storytelling approach, Sebastian explores the profound questions that have perplexed generations of thinkers, artists, and individuals seeking the true purpose of life. Drawing from personal experiences after an awakening and realisation what we are beyond this body and mind, Seb invites readers to dive deep into their own consciousness, uncovering the hidden truths that reside within. By detaching ourselves from the data-driven mind and the limitations of our bodies, we can experience life with unconditioned freedom, discovering peace, harmony, and absolute joy. 

Together, with the audience, Sebastian investigates the true nature of our existence and the workings of the Human Design. Seb calls this Logical Humanism, not spirituality. The book and this podcast invite readers to understand the workings of their brains and bodies, by coming out of it via meditation and other practices. He wants people to finally meet themselves and understand what they are made of. Discussed in this TRAILER/Intro episode: Instead of accepting that two people might simply have different paths in life, our brains crave logic and reasoning. By creating a strong sense of self and hence another, the brain finds it easier to demonise the latter. This sets off a chain reaction of thoughts that support the process of demonization. If we repeatedly feed the same thought to our brains, it becomes our reality.

Two beautiful beings who loved each other end up despising each other overnight. The contemplation of my relationship led me down that path too. Everything I thought about her became my reality, a fact in my mind. We broke up, and I left her to return to London.

Our brains have the power to turn thoughts into reality. If we constantly dwell on something, it will eventually manifest as our brains take the necessary actions to make it happen.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So if thoughts are simply a representation of the past experience and the environment, then how do we stop compulsive thoughts? If thinking is what the brain does and it keeps on thinking about a particular thing or event. How do we stop it? We are going to discover this together. Let’s unpack this and understand what is actually happening. Compulsive thoughts are thoughts which lead to other thoughts. They are like a thinker of the other thoughts. The thoughts which create agitation, frustration, anger or fear. No one has a choice of stopping these thoughts or any thought or decision for that matter. Thoughts come and go and you can experience the whole movement of them. But no one wants to live in a state of continuous thinking - yet we all do. A brain which is thinking about a good thing for itself is perhaps fine and is in peace with itself. A brain which thinks about a “bad” thought for itself is the problem. When this loop of thoughts start, there is no end to it. The brain is almost always thinking. Perhaps it gets a little break when you sleep. But the thought process continues. All thoughts are just thoughts. A chemical reaction. An energy flow. It’s just that the brain has been fed information about what thoughts are good and what are bad and what they mean. The brain creates this concept of duality when experiencing a thought, hence some thoughts are pleasant and others are not. This idea of preferring one thought over another. This is also highly subjective. A thought for one person is good and the same thought for another is bad. So there is no good or bad thought. It is just a thought. You will also notice that sometimes we get addicted to thoughts. We, as in our brains. The brain gets addicted to it.  Even if they are not pleasant. Why is that then? If the brain knows very well what thought is good and what is bad, why does it go into continuous autopilot of bad thoughts, leading to suffering, sadness and desperation and depression? Let’s discover this together. It is natural for the brain to think. That is its job. It won’t stop doing that. Now, thinking includes all thoughts. A thought arises from some activity in the brain, without warning. No one has any control over thoughts. They come and they go. The reason a thought arises could be attributed to trillions of events which happen inside and outside of the body. The weather, the environment, the stomach, the sleep pattern, the neighbour, culture, history, education… you name it. It is rather very elaborate why a single thought may arise. We won’t go into that now though! Once an unpleasant thought arises, there is instantly another thought which follows. That I, the person, thought that thought or made a decision. My friends, the decision was purely made by the brain based on its knowledge. ~The next thought is perhaps that you made the decision, reinforcing the fact that you as a person exist!There is there another thought about this person who you think you are. You think is the thinker. A thought rooted deep in our culture. A thought of not wanting to think. A thought of always wanting to be ok. A thought of resistance for the other thought - and then the drama of thoughts starts. It’s not the first thought which is the problem. It is the thought, the continuous thought, and the reminder from our society and family that everything should be ok all the time. It is a reminder humans have built themselves by defining and saving a memory of what is good. Who doesn't want to be good all the time? Yes, me and you! But is that possible, no! In a quest to be better, feel better, do better and be a better person, we forget who we actually are. We forget to accept what is. Life around us is a constant reminder to be better. All the time. For the rest, please listen to the podcast

Love is something which we need to look at without human definition. How do we find true love? How do we find happiness?

From my upcoming book:

What are you, not the person you think you are!

----

#spiritualawakening #spirituality #spiritual #meditation #love #awakening #healing #spiritualjourney #consciousness #selflove #lawofattraction #mindfulness #spiritualgrowth #lightworker #energy #yoga #peace #motivation #enlightenment #inspiration #wisdom #tarot #soul #positivevibes #quotes #manifestation #universe #higherconsciousness #life #selfcare

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The perpetual thinking phenomenaSebastian, turned 16 and had a thought. Then Sebastian becomes a person including this new thought. This new Sebastian plus the thought. He then thinks the next thought and so on. These thoughts also lead to action, hence making this new Sebastian different, from the person he was at 11:59. Old Sebastian + thought + action = New Sebastian. This is happening every moment, perpetually. Sebastian is continuously changing and creating thoughts based on previous thoughts. Sebastian lives in the short term, continuously adapting and changing based on his thought, and thinking about the next thought. Sebastian loses the vision and the movement of life. He is just living in thoughts. He thinks he is changing and evolving all the time. He thinks he is the change he is experiencing. He keeps all the experiences, which happen to him because of his thought and thinking, and becomes an amalgamation of thought and memory, continuously changing and making new thoughts and realities based on his own thought, in his own mind. Hence, creating his life and reality in his brain and projecting it out via action. This is the continuous loop and struggles humanity is stuck in. It is a path of endless change, no stillness, no observation and no concept of peace. It is a life of continuous known and unknown suffering. But what is the truth? So we have established that Sebastian is continuously changing by accumulating thoughts, experiences and memory. He is not still and can’t experience a continuous presence. That is the world Sebastian lives in. That is the world humans believe they live in, however, that is not true based on your own experience. So I ask myself, and you should ask yourself too, have I changed? Or have I experienced change? Has my presence and knowing of life; my existence changed? I was here on my 16th birthday and I am still here. You were still here when you started reading this, and you are still here. Your thoughts have changed and you are aware of the change. Like being aware of people passing by. You are not the movement you experience, you are the observing of that movement. It's this movement of life that you are here to see. The change in this person. When I realised that my true presence and being sits outside of the changing nature of Sebastian’s life, I could observe his whole life movement. You experience the flow of the life of this person. You can be aware of this person. You see that it is because of your stillness, this person’s life exists. If you were not still, no movement could be observed. What happens when you realise your own being? What happens when you “awaken?” Magic! Sebastian realises that there is a “watcher”. A presence, an awareness. Sebastian’s brain starts to notice this presence and with time changes its thought process and hence his behaviour. With time the brain also drops the idea of the thinker, Sebastian, hence removing all old habits which were continuously being reinforced in him as we discussed earlier. Now he is being watched by me and he does everything with love, as that is what I am made of. That is indeed what you are made of. Abundance, love, peace, joy - the nature of your being where all life happens to you is pure stillness. Now there is no thinker to generate thoughts based on conditioning. Now Sebastian, the person who is writing this, is free to think based on ever-changing, new, fresh information from my presence and awareness. Once you realise what you are, this person you think you are, automatically changes. Its brain thinks, acts and behaves in line with nature and your existence. In line with you and your presence. Because the only fact you know about yourself, the only truth, is that you exist and are a true representation of life. Once you realise what you are, your brain aligns itself with you and becomes a tool for experience and life. You become free, from yourself.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How will AI impact our thinking and our brains and how to cope with AI?#artificialintelligence #brain #spirtuality

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During a conversation and meditation session, Sebastian investigates the workings of Atrem's brain, his past and his life. They talk about childhood, trauma, work, life and the desire for change. We talk about human consciousness, awareness and understanding of what we are, beyond who we are.

Thank you Artem for opening up and trusting Sebastian.

#mentalhealth #consciousness #spirtuality #life #work #trauma #childhood #whatareyou

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Understanding this illusion means the brain can itself start to understand that whatever we are, we don’t live in that illusion. We are the understanding and the knowing of this space time and memory world, but we are not “it”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If your physical body and mind are doing something again and again, without you feeling happy and joyous, it might be time to ask these questions. Who is this drinking making happy? You or this brain and the person it created? 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Now you can let it go and rest. #choice #mind #awareness #consciousness

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Humans are earth, reorganising itself as humans with a bit of randomness, which gives us life and movement. Hence space and time. Hence what we call life, memories and thoughts. Understanding this means, realising that you are not a disconnected thing. You are connected to everything which is happening in the universe. It is common sense, after all, you are in the universe. You are part of it. You don’t live in it. Or on it. You are it. A reflection of it. By understanding yourself and your true nature, you can understand the very meaning of life and love. When you realise that you are part of a self-organising colony itself, with a bit of randomness which produces life, you become life itself. You don’t fight the randomness and the flow of life. You become one with it. You understand that brain activity is rooted in the past and there is a certain story it is part of it at our level of existence. There then remains no difference between living and life.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I discuss how simply because of a feeling of incompletion of one person, and the longing for happiness from another outside being, the other person was physically and emotionally hurt. Because of a simple thought of one brain. Another body, brain and soul got hurt. #relationship #love #thinking #couple

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.