Thinking Above the Lower Mind with David Hanscom

Summary

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom discusses the interconnectedness of mental and physical pain, drawing from his own experiences as a former orthopedic surgeon. He shares his approach to healing through self-directed care and detachment from the ego. Co-host Emmy Vadnais supplements the conversation with her insights into intuitive development and holistic healing.

Key takeaways

• 1David Hanscom: Author of 'Back in Control' and former orthopedic complex spinal deformity surgeon who emphasizes the link between mental and physical pain.
• 2The DOC (Direct your Own Care) Journey: A self-directed action plan created by Hanscom for managing pain.
• 3Integration of mind and body: Hanscom proposes that mental and physical pain are not separate, advocating for cognitive strategies to manage both.
• 4Emmy Vadnais: Co-host and intuitive healer who has authored 'Intuitive Development' focused on trusting inner guidance.
• 5The release of cognitive distortions related to ego as a means to alleviate anxiety and promote healing.

Source

Transcript excerpt

New Thinking Allowed is presented by the California Institute for Human Science, a fully accredited university offering distant learning graduate degrees that focus on mind, body, and spirit. The topics that we cover here, we are particularly excited to announce new degrees emphasizing parapsychology and the paranormal. Visit their website at cihs.edu. Book 4 in the new Thinking Allowed Dialogue Series is Charles T. Tartt, 70 Years of Exploring Consciousness and Parapsychology. Now available on Amazon. Thinking Allowed Conversations on the Leading Edge of Knowledge and Discovery with Psychologist Jeffrey Mishlove. Hello and welcome. I'm Emmy Vadness, co-host with Jeffrey Mishlove. Today we'll be exploring thinking above the lower mind with my guest, Dr. David Hanscom, who is an orthopedic spine surgeon who left his practice in 2019 to help people break free from chronic mental and physical pain with or without surgery. After overcoming 15 years of his own severe pain, he developed the DOC, Direct Your Own Care Journey, a self-directed program that guides others through the same healing process. He is author of Back in Control, a Surgeon's Roadmap Out of Chronic Pain, and Do You Really Need Spine Surgery? Take Control with a Spine Surgeon's Advice. If you enjoy this program, please like, subscribe, press the bell icon, and share. David is joining us from the San Francisco Bay Area. Now I'll switch over to the internet video. Welcome, David. It is a great joy to have you back with me on New Thinking Allowed today. Thank you. I'm excited to be here. We have had three previous conversations on New Thinking Allowed, very much in alignment with what we're discussing today. You have spent many years as a highly accomplished spine surgeon. ...

Excerpt from New Thinking Allowed, Jan 31, 2026. Rights remain with the original creators. Hear the full episode at the source.