Books & Publications
My books bring psychology, philosophy, and lived experience together to explore the mind, question what we take for granted, and discover stronger possibilities for meaning, growth, and inner freedom.
The Mind That Creates Suffering explores one of the most fundamental questions of human life: Why do we suffer—and how much of that suffering is created by the way our minds interpret reality?
Bringing together psychology, Eastern and Western philosophy, mindfulness, and lived experience, the book examines the hidden processes through which thoughts become beliefs, beliefs shape identity, and identity influences how we experience ourselves, other people, and the world. It explores fear, desire, attachment, control, expectations, relationships, self-awareness, emotional pain, and the mental patterns that can quietly keep us trapped—even when our external circumstances appear to change.
Rather than simply teaching readers how to “think positively” or avoid difficult emotions, the book invites them to turn inward and observe the mind itself. Why do we become attached to certain thoughts? Why do we struggle against realities we cannot control? How much of what we call “myself” has been constructed through memory, experience, culture, and expectation? And what might happen if we learn to see these processes more clearly?
Drawing inspiration from both modern psychological understanding and contemplative philosophical traditions, the book explores how awareness, acceptance, reflection, and a different relationship with our thoughts may create greater psychological freedom. It does not promise a life without pain. Instead, it asks whether we can experience pain without allowing the mind to continually transform it into additional suffering.
At its heart, The Mind That Creates Suffering is not simply a book about suffering. It is an exploration of consciousness, identity, meaning, inner freedom, and the possibility of living differently.
You do not have to agree with every idea in this book. In fact, you are invited to question it. Read slowly. Challenge what you encounter. Bring your own experiences into the conversation.
Because perhaps the most important question is not simply, “How can I stop suffering?” but, “Who is the ‘I’ that is suffering—and what happens when I begin to understand the mind that created it?”
Coming Next
Shawn’s journey as an author is only beginning. Four future books will expand his exploration of the human mind and the meaning of life from very different perspectives:
Psychoeducation will make psychology and mental health knowledge accessible for everyday life, helping readers better understand thoughts, emotions, behavior, and personal growth;
The Tao Te Ching and the Bible will bring two ancient traditions into dialogue, exploring their surprising connections and differences in wisdom, morality, love, human nature, and the art of living;
Letters to Sylor will be a deeply personal collection of letters from a father to his son, weaving love and developmental psychology into reflections on childhood, growth, resilience, relationships, and the person we gradually become;
Chinese-language 《问心》 will return to some of the deepest questions of the self, consciousness, suffering, meaning, and inner freedom through psychology, philosophy, and Eastern wisdom.
Each book approaches human life through a different doorway, yet all return to the same question: How can we understand ourselves more deeply and live more consciously?
More stories, questions, and explorations are still ahead—stay connected and continue the journey with Shawn.
