Part 1: Bitcoin’s Uncomfortable Truth—A Journey Through Cognitive Dissonance
- The Psychology of Bitcoin: Awakening to Systemic Programming (Series)
- Part 1: Bitcoin’s Uncomfortable Truth—A Journey Through Cognitive Dissonance
The Psychology of Bitcoin: Awakening to Systemic Programming (Series)
Discovering Bitcoin can bring up a lot of questions, and even some discomfort. Writing the book Beyond Money: Regaining Sovereignty, Rediscovering Humanity helped me uncover some of the hidden psychological hurdles we face when exploring this new technology.
Note: This is a human-crafted exploration of what’s unfolding in Bitcoin based on my own personal experience and writing. Full details here: <https://primal.net/e/nevent1qqswkthldqf9l3w56x97zqhzw8ktswx4uru03k6szy29y6rl8r36tjcld87w7>
I’ve created this series to share what I’ve learned, hoping it might offer some clarity on your own path and in conversations with others.
Part 1: Bitcoin’s Uncomfortable Truth—A Journey Through Cognitive Dissonance
Does exploring Bitcoin ever feel challenging, or even unsettling? It is natural to experience some resistance when encountering new ideas, and Bitcoin certainly is a paradigm shift. Explore how our current perspectives may influence our understanding of Bitcoin by uncovering the role of subconscious programming (childhood, societal, and systemic). We will examine self-imposed limitations and how ego may sometimes get in the way of this unlearning process.
Part 2: The Courage to Look in the Bitcoin Mirror—The Stages of Awakening****
Why do so many of our friends and loved ones seem so hesitant to explore Bitcoin? It’s easy to feel frustrated or disappointed when those closest to us don’t share our enthusiasm; but there may be more to the story. What if there were subconscious reasons for their hesitation? This article explores systemic programming and the cognitive dissonance it creates through Bitcoin’s stages of awakening.
Part 3: The Bitcoin Matrix—Entering a Parallel Reality by Exposing and Reframing Deep Systemic Beliefs (Coming Soon)
This article will delve into some of the deeply held beliefs that shape our perspectives, even for those who are well-versed in Bitcoin. We will spell out the tacit agreements we made as children born onto this planet in the Fiat Era so they can come into conscious awareness and be reframed if we choose. The goal of this article is to translate the cognitive dissonance: What is someone really saying when they say “Bitcoin is volatile”? What is it we are exposing about ourselves when we say: “Bitcoin is going up forever?” What deeper beliefs might be at play?
Recognizing my own challenges with Bitcoin have provided a deeper understanding of the hurdles others face; I hope to share those insight with you. Through writing Beyond Money and presenting my work at in-person events, I feel like I’ve gained a better understanding of the deeper origin of the concerns and fears that often arise when exploring Bitcoin. I’m finding myself seeing these moments more clearly—what I now hear when people bring up doubts is “this is my cognitive dissonance” and the deeper beliefs they hold.
I’m curious to hear your thoughts on all of this; what resonates and the challenges you may face in unlearning and sharing Bitcoin with others. Thanks for reading ✨
Part 1: Bitcoin’s Uncomfortable Truth—A Journey Through Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive dissonance is a mental discomfort that arises from misaligned beliefs, desires, actions, and behaviours. Bitcoin can cause cognitive dissonance because it challenges our traditional understanding of money and how the financial system works—a system many of us have relied on for years.
Our reaction to this inner conflict may propel or stunt our growth.
This is where the connection to spirituality and personal development comes in. I view spirituality as a sovereign search for truth; a questioning process unique to each individual that, when embraced, leads to a more expanded experience of reality as well as greater free will. This search may lead us to science, Christianity, atheism, a mix of spiritual beliefs, or something else—your sovereign path. Spirituality requires sincere curiosity, an open mind and an open heart, and the willingness to question all of our preconceived beliefs.
A spiritual awakening or ego death entails the releasing of who we were told we are, who we believed we are, and an embracing of who we truly are. This work often involves looking closely at the stories that have shaped us from a young age, helping us to let go of limiting beliefs and discover our authentic selves. It’s an invitation to cultivate self-discovery and embrace personal responsibility as we navigate the natural dissonance that arises when we realize our beliefs and actions are misaligned.
Bitcoin is a sovereign search for truth that leads to a deeper questioning of our assumptions about money, power, and our collective reality; how the system programmed us to believe certain things and act certain ways.
Through this understanding, Bitcoin is aligned with spirituality. As Max Kaiser put it: “You don’t change Bitcoin, Bitcoin changes you.”
Lets begin by understanding the different types of programming we have internalized to reveal what may be the biggest hurdle to moving beyond limiting beliefs: ego.
Unlearning to Reprogram the Subconscious Mind
When we first enter this world we are innocent and untainted, unburdened by bias or prejudice. As newborns, we have no preconceived notions; unshaped by the influences of caretakers, culture, society, or our environment. This natural state is fleeting as we begin to absorb the beliefs, opinions, and attitudes of those around us.
Gradually, we are programmed—not by choice, but by exposure.
<<<https://youtu.be/Olb3Oh43LN4>>>
Childhood programming refers to the process by which beliefs, behaviours, emotional responses, and cognitive patterns become ingrained during our formative years. This programming is shaped by experiences, interactions, and expectations from family members and caregivers, which in turn form our ego—the mental structure that defines our sense of self, often influenced by external forces. These early influences lay the foundation of our core beliefs and habitual responses, which persist into adulthood, impacting our coping mechanisms, self-esteem, and relationships.
If you are familiar with Western spirituality, personal development, self help, or have already been to therapy before, you may already be familiar with childhood programming. Sometimes, societal programming is also explored in these spaces, consisting in what we internalized from mass media, political discourse, schooling, religion, and cultural traditions. These collective beliefs reinforce our childhood expectations, shaping our perceptions of identity, success, gender roles, and social behaviour while profoundly influencing our career choices, relationships, and worldview as adults. For example we are often programmed to believe that a stable 9-to-5 job is the key to financial security. This influence runs incredibly deep, often without us even realizing it, and can make it difficult for us to embrace Bitcoin which challenges traditional notions of stability.
However, a third type of programming is never discussed in personal development or spirituality. Another group—Bitcoiners—have uncovered something even more fundamental: systemic programming, or how the system into which we were born programmed us to believe certain things and act certain ways.
Confronting these deeply ingrained beliefs can be unsettling, but it’s a necessary step in embracing the Bitcoin ethos. As we challenge our assumptions about money, power, and reality, we open ourselves to a more expansive understanding of the world—and our place within it.
This is not always easy, but it’s a journey worth undertaking. From my experience, embracing Bitcoin requires unlearning incredibly limiting systemic programming.
We will explore exactly what this programming is by exposing the deep subconscious collective beliefs ruling our lives. But first, why even bother? What benefit is there to revealing and reframing our programming in the first place?
Truth, Self-Liberation, and Sovereignty
Our subconscious mind holds our memories, fears, and beliefs—many of which were shaped by our early experiences.(1) Limiting beliefs internalized at a young age can act as invisible barriers restricting our perception of truth, our sense of self-worth, and our ability to make autonomous choices as adults.
Reprogramming or reframing these ingrained patterns allows us to break free from our own limitations, regain sovereignty, greater free will, and an expanded experience of reality.
Those raised in unconditional love or who have worked through their childhood trauma often develop a strong sense of personal power and sovereignty as adults. In contrast, individuals raised in dysfunctional environments—such as those marked by alcoholism, drug abuse, mental illness, narcissism, co-dependency, or domestic violence—are more likely to repeat detrimental patterns in adulthood. This is especially true if underlying limiting childhood programming remains unaddressed (2) but we have agency.
Therefore, understanding and reframing our programming is crucial for self-liberation, sovereignty, and free will. We are not responsible for our trauma, the system into which we were born, or the limiting beliefs we acquired from others, but we hold the power and responsibility to heal—we create our reality, either through the lens of past trauma or empowered consciousness.
As psychologist Carl Jung’s teachings suggest, we are not defined by our past, but rather by the choices we make about who we wish to become.(3)
Bringing it back to fiat and our systemic programming: free will cannot exist without truth—without an understanding of how our financial system is designed to anchor us in a fabricated reality, it is difficult to claim we have exercised conscious, sovereign choice or true free will our entire lives.
Therefore, embracing the Bitcoin ethos—sovereignty, truth, freedom—is challenging without recognizing limiting beliefs acquired through childhood, societal, and systemic programming.
Together, we will question our individual and collective reality, revealing the hidden aspects that restrict true liberation, authentic self-sovereignty, and deeper free will. But we must first recognize a massive hurdle holding us back: our ego.
A Massive Hurdle to Embracing Bitcoin: The Ego’s Fiat-Based Attachments
Buddhism teaches that while pain is an inevitable part of life, suffering arises from craving and attachment to the physical world.(4) One of the reasons Bitcoiners say that “Bitcoin is an ego test” is because it requires we let go of fiat-based attachments.
Ego is the awareness of oneself as an individual, distinct and separate from others. This state is deeply intertwined with the physical body and encompasses our beliefs, perceptions, emotions, desires, and attachments, all reinforcing the sense of being a ‘separate self.’ Our ego is shaped by conditioned thought patterns, including memories, opinions, and beliefs, which feed into a personal identity centred on survival and self-preservation.
In the book, I argue that fiat and ego are very much intertwined. How much of our identities are built upon fiat-based incentives? How much of how we define ourselves is tied to our job? Who we vote for? Where we live? What we eat? What we do?
While this process is different for everyone, it can be incredibly destabilizing to realize that we have been told lies our entire lives about politics, inflation, taxes, what we should eat, and why.
Bitcoin demands we question everything we thought defined us as individuals: our career choices, where we live, how we allocate our time and energy. It also demands we question larger collective assumptions around money, government structures, and divisive political us vs. them narratives.
It’s our ego’s attachment to fiat-based beliefs that reinforce the very system in which we find ourselves. To fully embrace Bitcoin, we often must release and redefine many fiat-based beliefs and subconscious attachments for ourselves. Therefore, the more our identity is attached to fiat, the harder it may be to look in the Bitcoin mirror.
It can be challenging to confront uncomfortable truths—it takes readiness and courage to look inward. Therefore, it is very understandable if others, including friends and loved ones, are not yet prepared to fully explore these ideas yet. This may be one reason why so few of us have embarked on the Bitcoin path for now; our ego is naturally unwilling to let go of our familiar reality because it fears it own death.
The Ego’s Fear of ‘Death’
Also known as an ego death, a spiritual awakening is a process of questioning who we think we are—dismantling limiting beliefs, narratives, and attachments that prevent us from being who we truly are—and embracing our authentic selves.
A spiritual awakening can occur spontaneously or be triggered by significant life events like a divorce, job loss, or near-death experience. Similarly, large-scale systemic events can lead entire groups to experience spiritual awakenings. Wars, terrorist attacks, financial crises, and pandemics have prompted millions to reexamine their belief systems, behaviours, decisions, attitudes, patterns, prejudices, and priorities.
This journey typically begins with the question: Is this all there is to my life?
It generally unfolds in several stages, sometimes including the Dark Night of the Soul; a profound period of inner turmoil and spiritual crisis where one feels disconnected from their sense of purpose and identity. While this period can be dark, bleak, lonely, and depressing at times, this temporary stage often acts as a catalyst for deep transformation, leading to greater self-awareness, spiritual growth, and a renewed sense of meaning after acknowledging repressed emotions and transmuting resurfacing trauma.
During this questioning phase, we may reconsider how we allocate our time, energy, and resources, realizing we are unhappy, even if we have everything we thought we ever wanted—or that we feel lost. A spiritual awakening is akin to the metaphor of the phoenix—the destruction of the old to make way for the new—usually leading to a deeper sense of agency as we continue to evolve.
To clarify, by spiritual awakening, I don’t mean a sudden, miraculous transformation, or achieving an elevated state of being. It’s more of an ongoing process of questioning our assumptions, challenging limiting beliefs, and seeking a deeper connection to ourselves and the world around us. It’s about embracing the messiness and imperfections of life with greater awareness. Similarly, the concept of ego death is often misunderstood. It is more of a metaphor and does not mean eliminating the ego entirely, but recognizing that it no longer needs to be at the forefront in control. The ego remains a necessary and practical tool for navigating physical reality providing a functional sense of identity for practical matters and social interactions. Spiritual teachers often use the illustration of the lobster shedding its shell once it no longer fits—it’s uncomfortable to let go, but underneath is a more expanded self.
By leading us into the collective underworld, Bitcoin can act as a catalyst for spiritual awakening or ego death. When not ready, some egos can intuitively sense the profound and transformative change Bitcoin entails, and thus naturally avoid it.
Even experienced individuals coming from personal development or Western spirituality, despite years of experience questioning childhood programming, may look away from Bitcoin, unready to face another awakening and the collective truths it reveals; because it calls into question those very identities as well.
This aversion occurs subtly and subconsciously—a perfectly normal reaction.
However, contrary to what it may want us to believe, we are not our ego.
I go deep into what this entails in the last 50 pages of Beyond Money (my favourite part of the book :) but to summarize it here; humans are powerful beings who have been led to believe they are powerless. We are not who we were told we are; by family, friends, society, or the system. Bringing this subconscious realization to the surface can reveal a fear of seeing ourselves for who we truly are.
The Ego’s Fear of Seeing Ourselves
While we define ourselves by surface-level identifiers—our name, job, or past experiences—these roles and labels are just constructs of the physical world. They are stories we tell ourselves, useful for everyday life. However, they do not reflect our core essence. Contrary to what the system wants us to believe, gender, skin colour, sexual orientation, or nationality do not define us.
Beyond any labels and this physical form, a profound truth emerges—we are all the same, and something far greater; multidimensional beings having a human experience. We are therefore both the observers of the unfolding and active participants shaping it—consciousness experiencing itself through form. We are a bridge between the tangible, physical realm and the intangible, infinite universe.
Stepping beyond the ego’s grip requires a courageous act of surrender. It asks us to momentarily forget physicality, to quiet the incessant chatter of the mind, and to see each other as souls—expressions of a shared, universal consciousness.
We realize that, at our core, we exist as formless, limitless energy—all connected in essence, and free from division beyond the projections and artificial divisions of fiat. In that space of quiet observation, judgment falls away, replaced by a deep sense of connection and compassion.
It’s a realization that can feel both liberating and unsettling, as it challenges the very foundations of our perceived separate identity. This transcendental awareness reveals a deeper truth: that true power lies not in separation, but in recognizing our shared humanity and embracing the boundless potential within.
Before I explain how to step into self-liberation by reframing our reality, I would like to finish of this section with a subtle way the ego may resist our conscious desire for change; with the stories we tell ourselves.
The Ego’s Self-Imposed Limitations
There are 8 billion truths on Earth, one for each person, and each individual’s perception of truth is valid in its own right. What we believe to be true shapes how we experience the world. If we believe we are free, even in the confines of a prison, we are free. Conversely, if we see ourselves as victims of our circumstances, our reality will reflect that victimhood. These individual truths profoundly influence our unique perspectives.
Our perspectives are our individual truths form the foundation for our experiences, biases, emotions, assumptions, beliefs, values, and cultural backgrounds. These influences make perspectives inherently subjective and relative. Thus, they can influence our understanding of truth. For instance, an individual’s perspective of a historical event may be shaped by their cultural background, education, and personal experiences, which in turn affects their interpretation of the truth surrounding that event. These truths may evolve over time, yet they remain genuine and meaningful to the individual in the moment they hold them as true.
Our perspectives are shaped by ego.
We tell ourselves stories, often unconsciously, to reinforce our beliefs, justify our actions, and maintain a sense of control over our reality. These stories, while comforting, can also become limiting, blinding us to alternative viewpoints and hindering our growth. The ego fears vulnerability, change, and the possibility that its sense of self might be untrue. It clings tightly to familiar patterns, even when they no longer serve us.
This makes the ego one of our biggest hurdles in questioning reality and embracing change. Breaking free from limitations requires courage, introspection, and a willingness to question deeply held fiat-based assumptions. It’s about being open to peeling back layers of conditioning and revealing the vast, limitless potential that lies beneath our self-imposed prisons.
While writing Beyond Money, I had the privilege working with Jeff Booth. During one of our conversations, I sought his guidance, and he posed a deceptively simple question: “What are your self-imposed prisons?” It wasn’t a prompt for an immediate answer, but rather a seed of inquiry that resonated deeply. The question lingered with me for weeks, triggering a cognitive dissonance I couldn’t ignore. It forced me to confront a core question: Where was I failing to align my actions with my beliefs?
The answer, one my ego resisted, became increasingly clear: I’d been harbouring a long-held desire to leave Canada. After a decade spent dreaming of returning, I’d finally made the move ten years ago and found myself in a comfortable routine. The irony wasn’t lost on me—I was now experiencing the very stagnation I’d once sought to escape and with excuses as to why I had not yet made a change.
The decision to move to Portugal wasn’t a sudden epiphany, but rather the culmination of months of introspection. Selling my belongings and relocating was undoubtedly challenging, but it opened doors to unexpected growth. I immersed myself in local Bitcoin meetups, joined a writer’s group, and began leading educational events—experiences that have accelerated my learning in ways I couldn’t have imagined.
There is always more on the other side of fear, especially when it comes to embracing new perspectives and challenging our own narratives. Ultimately, Jeff Booth’s simple question served as a powerful reminder: the most significant barriers to growth often reside within ourselves.
The journey of dismantling our self-imposed prisons is ongoing, and it requires a willingness to confront our own biases, question our assumptions, and embrace the discomfort that comes with genuine transformation.
And so, the first step in this process is awareness—bringing subconscious beliefs to the forefront of our mind. It may seem scary, but I am sure you sense, deep down, that on the other side of the ego’s perceived limitations is a beautiful, bright, orange light.
Self-Liberation Through Reframing Reality
The first step in the process of reprogramming limiting beliefs is becoming aware of them. This means paying attention to our inner dialogue, noticing the recurring patterns, observing our thoughts and beliefs without judgement, and recognizing that some are limiting, no serving us, or are holding us back. We can recognize the comforts of our ego, its stories, its perceptions of reality. These perspectives are often passed on to us through childhood, societal, and systemic programming.
Once we recognize and acknowledge our programming, we can then reframe reality. In the next two articles, I will clearly spell out our systemic programming and provide direct reframing making it easy to catch ourselves and replace our thought patterns. However, in the book I also provide an entire chapter with multiple sections, exercises, modalities designed for this very purpose from a holistic perspective: the mental, emotional, physical, energetic, and spiritual aspects of ourselves.
We regain sovereignty through conscious choice. And so, once we become aware of our thoughts, and replace them, we must then implement the change, walk our talk, step to the other side of cognitive dissonance.
It’s not always easy, but its worth it.
However, this entire process demands something incredibly important: intrinsic motivation—an unshakable desire for change. In the video above I gave an analogy of a smoker, explaining that if they want to become a non-smoker, while aware of the problem, they must change their thoughts, beliefs, behaviours, and actions in order to make meaningful change in their life. That requires a desire to resolve the cognitive dissonance. It cannot come from without—people telling us what to do—it must come from within.
Liberation can only come from the self. Mentors, teachers, pastors, or gurus can guide us, however, it is up to us to take action in the real world. We must question our beliefs, adopt new ones, and implement the change we wish to see in our lives or nothing will concretely materialize.
Unlearning and exploring who we truly are is a lifelong process. I know I will always be on this journey with no destination—exploring opportunities to acquire wisdom along the way. I truly believe that through these actions, we are a key part of the broader rising tide lifting all ships. What a wonderful time to be alive! 🙌🏼
Embracing these shifts in perspective, confronting our own limitations, and questioning the system—these are all integral parts of the Bitcoin journey, leading to a deeper understanding of ourselves and our potential for ushering in a more sovereign reality.
I dive much deeper into this type of exploration and provide more context in Beyond Money, a book designed to spark deeper questions and insights. If you feel drawn to explore these ideas further, it could be a valuable companion on your journey:
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Author Copy: High quality prints, lightning payments ⚡️
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Extracts: Listen to the first 2h of Beyond Money or read the first 50 pages of the book
In the next article we will uncover why so many of our friends and loved ones may be hesitant to explore Bitcoin. It’s easy to feel frustrated or disappointed when those closest to us don’t share our enthusiasm; but there may be more to the story.
Read the Next Articles in the Series
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Part 2: The Courage to Look in the Bitcoin Mirror—The Stages of Awakening
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Part 3: The Bitcoin Matrix—Entering a Parallel Reality by Exposing and Reframing Deep Systemic Beliefs (Coming Soon)
References
(1) Freud, S. (1900). The Interpretation of Dreams (J. Strachey, Trans.). Basic Books. (Original work published 1900).
(2) Felitti, V. J., Anda, R. F., Nordenberg, D., Williamson, D. F., Spitz, A. M., Edwards, V., Koss, M. P., & Marks, J. S. (1998). Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14(4), 245–258. <<<<<<https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-3797(98)00017-8>>>>>>
(3) Jung, C. G. (1969). The Collected Works of C. G. Jung (Vol. 9, Part 1). Princeton University Press.
(4) Bodhi, B. (Trans.). (2000). The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Saṃyutta Nikāya (SN 56.11, p. 1844). Wisdom Publications.
