Michael Hall PhD

Who Am I?

I am a clinical psychologist primarily located in Binghamton, New York. Beginning in the late 1970s, I began the intensive practice of zazen, the form of meditation taught in Zen Buddhism. Beginning in 1982 I attended multiple intensive meditation retreats at the Rochester Zen Center in Rochester, New York. Several spontaneous awakenings occurred in the early 1980s in the context of Zen training, followed by a long fallow period seemingly devoid of progress from 1988-2002. An abiding realization occurred in September 2002 while reading in my psychotherapy office between client sessions. I began teaching the new understanding of psychological pain and suffering that was spontaneously revealed during and after this shift in consciousness.

In 2019 I retired from the practice of psychotherapy, which had been my full-time occupation for over 45 years. I now travel extensively. I also teach and write about my understanding of spiritual awakening and the integration of spiritual realization into the understanding of psychological difficulties. The insights that arise from the intuitive realization of who and what we are provide a unique and highly beneficial perspective on the roots of suffering and psychological distress.

When I am in Binghamton, which is about half the time, I continue to teach a small group of local spiritual students. These talks are streamed live on my Facebook page.