Gary Boucher

I was a reader further back than I can now remember; but writing began for me, I think, in fourth grade, when I found a poem called “Where the Wild Geese Are.” I felt for the first time the power of words to shape mood and help us see the world in a new way. I wrote the first of what is now over a thousand poems that year. From there it was Marvel Comics leading me to science fiction and fantasy, to Isaac Asimov and Lord of the Rings, which took me to Shakespeare. All of these influences combined in me, to make the clarity of science, the grace and elegance of poetry, and the boundless imagination of science fiction the target I’m always aiming for in my writing--a goal that’s never perfectly reached, but where the fun lies in trying to come closer and closer.

Thinking Mindfully

Mental Health Spirituality

Avoiding the Pitfalls of Meditation

Do you have any problems? Then meditation may not be the right thing for you. That might seem to be the message that’s emerging from some sources that are pushing back against the increasing popularity of meditation over the last decade or more, especially under the banner of “mindfulness,” which has become a buzzword in spiritual and therapeutic circles. Read More

Spirituality

Be What You Love: Create Your Own Meditations Part 2

Nonetheless, having a few hints and suggestions to try out does no harm. So I want to offer here some ideas that I’ve found useful—not so much to say “do this” as “try something like this,” in your own way. Read More

Spirituality

Be What You Love: Create Your Own Meditations Part 1

For at least 2,500 years, there was general agreement in spiritual circles around the world that some form of meditation was the best, quickest, most powerful way to deepen and transform the mind and gain access to the wiser, more real self within. Read More

Spirituality

ENOUGH! Can We Choose to Break Our Addictions? Part 2

We all have addictions, big or little…. We might, for example, be addicted to our own point of view, causing unnecessary harm through bigotry or hypocrisy. We might be addicted to coming in first, or never trying because it is all too hard. We might be addicted to getting people to say nice things about us, or making them angry with us so we can blame them for our misery…. In the end, we are addicted to our own self-pity. Read More

Spirituality

ENOUGH! Can We Choose to Break Our Addictions? Part 1

One of the main points about Buddhist teachings is that we can change our minds for the better. “Better” … means being in balance…. It means we accept the world for what it is and ourselves for what we are…. It means we give up the blame game…. It means accepting the things we cannot change and doing something about the things we can change, whether…inside our heads or outside in our homes and environment. Read More

Spirituality

Is DBT a Breakthrough in Recovery Treatment?

Building bridges between the different aspects of our human nature has been something of a passion of mine. Read More

Health & Wellness Spirituality

Is Addiction a Spiritual Problem?

A wise friend of mine always said that what we experience in life is more important than what we believe, because it’s experience that actually gets into our bodies and makes us who we are… Read More

Health & Wellness Sober Events Spirituality

Tips for Great Meditation

Over the past month or so, I had the wonderful experience of leading a three-part meditation series on Zoom, courtesy of Soberocity. Read More

Health & Wellness Sober Events Spirituality

Sitting like a Mountain: Building Your Inner Foundation

I’d like to start this new blog in this New Year by asking you to visualize something. Imagine that you’re entering a meditation hall in a beautiful retreat center in the type of place in nature you love: by the ocean, in the mountains, or the forest; even on the moon, with a breathtaking view of the Earth through enormous windows. Read More