Adam Shankman
Acclaimed producer/director Adam Shankman discusses his journey from childhood trauma and substance abuse to sobriety and meditation. He shares how quieting his inner critical voice transformed his life and allowed him to pursue more authentic, character-driven creative projects.
Deep Dive Analysis
17 Topic Outline
Introduction to Adam Shankman and his career
Childhood experience with conversion therapy and its impact
Lifelong struggle with internal shame and self-loathing
Substance abuse and alcohol as coping mechanisms
The 'Rock of Ages' project and its professional setback
Decision to enter rehab and the journey to sobriety
Finding meditation and other soothing practices
The negativity bias and managing news consumption
Meditation's role in dissolving the critical internal voice
Releasing victimhood and control through meditation
Adam's evolving creative work and new projects
The 'Stonewall' project at HBO
The true story of Gypsy Rose Lee's family project
Meditation and maintaining creative 'edge'
Adam's daily meditation practice and managing agitation
Discussion on dancing and overcoming self-consciousness
The experience of skydiving as a brain cleanse
4 Key Concepts
Conversion Therapy
A program Adam Shankman was unknowingly placed in at age three, disguised as a study on sexual identity, which aimed to change his sexual orientation and instilled in him a belief of being fundamentally defective.
Negativity Bias
The inherent wiring of the human brain's prefrontal cortex to prioritize threat detection, leading people to focus more on problems and negative news rather than positive aspects or gratitude.
Visualization (Meditation)
A meditation technique taught in rehab, where individuals visualize positive light radiating from within or unearthing inner light, used to help combat feelings of self-loathing and foster self-acceptance.
Fast Breathing (Holosync/Wim Hof-like)
A technique involving continuous, rapid breathing for an extended period (e.g., 30 minutes), which can induce altered states, hallucinations, and emotional unblocking due to increased oxygen flow to the brain.
7 Questions Answered
At age three, his parents, concerned about his gender expression, unknowingly placed him in a program that told him he was fundamentally defective, leading to a lifelong struggle with shame.
He started drinking and using cocaine at 15 to cope with an 'ugly voice' in his head, eventually leading to daily alcohol consumption and isolation after a professional setback.
After a period of intense darkness and daily drinking, he woke up to what looked like a 'crime scene' and realized he needed to understand why he was using, checking himself into a month-long program.
Through extensive therapy, both group and individual, during rehab, he dealt with critical issues and blockages, which helped the self-loathing dissolve and opened him to meditation.
Adam found that rather than losing his edge, meditation helped him release control issues and fears, allowing him to explore more complex and edgier projects that resonate with his authentic self.
For sudden high agitation, he sometimes opts for calming activities like watching a procedural TV show, then naturally transitions to regulating his breathing and body awareness as he sinks into relaxation.
Skydiving offers an extraordinary experience of pushing past survival instincts and surrendering control, leading to 'unbelievable exhilaration' and a feeling of being 'pure and clean,' which can make one feel capable of anything.
20 Actionable Insights
1. Reject Victimhood Mentality
Actively work to shed any sense of victimhood, even if it has historically influenced your self-perception, as this shift can empower you and reveal your true, positive self.
2. Take Responsibility for Shame
Recognize when you are holding onto shame from past experiences, even when evidence proves it untrue, as it can become enmeshed in your identity and prevent growth.
3. Address Core Psychological Blockages
Engage in therapy or self-reflection to deal with critical issues and blockages, as their disintegration can open you up to self-acceptance and make practices like meditation more effective.
4. Embrace Meditation for Well-being
Consider meditation, especially if recommended during recovery or challenging times, as it can help quiet critical internal voices and foster a sense of being “okay.”
5. Practice Daily Gratitude
Incorporate morning and evening rituals to start your day with gratitude and focus on positive aspects, affirming that you are lucky to be alive, as this practice is effective in improving well-being.
6. Seek Professional Help for Addiction
If struggling with addiction, consider checking into rehab for a month to understand the root causes and develop coping mechanisms, as it can lead to lasting sobriety and happiness.
7. Understand Addiction’s True Goal
Recognize if your substance use aims for obliteration rather than relaxation, as this clarity can help maintain sobriety when the desire to obliterate no longer appeals.
8. Trust Your Instincts in Work
Do not shut down your instincts or do things you feel are wrong, especially in work, as ignoring them can lead to negative outcomes and self-disappointment.
9. Be Open to New Practices
Adopt a mindset of willingness to try any recommended practice to feel better, especially during challenging times, as this openness can lead to significant personal growth.
10. Establish Regular Meditation Schedule
Meditate every morning for 15-20 minutes, adjusting duration to avoid falling asleep, and supplement with shorter meditations throughout the day during breaks or when feeling agitated.
11. Meditate Anywhere, Anytime
Practice short meditations (e.g., 5 minutes) in unexpected places like a cab by closing your eyes, focusing on your breathing, and going inward, to release stress and maintain calm throughout the day.
12. Incorporate Visualization Practices
Engage in visualization techniques, often focusing on radiating positive light or unearthing inner goodness, to help dissolve self-loathing and foster self-kindness.
13. Try Intense Breathing Techniques
Explore rapid, continuous breathing exercises to induce altered states, unblock emotions, and gain self-awareness through intense imagery and oxygen flow to the brain.
14. Choose Appropriate Coping Mechanisms
When feeling overwhelmed or “freaking out,” consider alternative calming activities like exercise or watching a comforting show before attempting meditation, as it may be more effective.
15. Use Deep Breathing for Stress Relief
When feeling overwhelmed, take three giant deep breaths with big exhales to quickly regulate your body and bring down your stress level.
16. Monitor News Consumption
Be aware that constant exposure to the news cycle can create agitation and stress, and actively monitor your intake to prevent it from becoming a problem.
17. Utilize Guided Meditation Apps
If new to meditation or needing structure, use guided meditation apps, as they provide accessible support and can be a consistent part of your practice.
18. Encourage and Support Others
When in a position of evaluation or mentorship, focus on encouraging and supporting individuals rather than judging them, speaking to them as you wished someone had spoken to you.
19. Redefine “Dancing” for Expression
Understand that dancing is about physical expression and losing yourself in music, not organized steps; allow yourself to jump, flail, and move without self-consciousness to unlock your body.
20. Try Skydiving for Breakthrough
Consider skydiving to push past survival instincts and experience exhilaration, as the act of overcoming fear and surrendering control can cleanse your brain and instill a belief that you can achieve anything.
5 Key Quotes
I now take full responsibility for dragging that voice into my adult life. You know, he stopped talking to me at a certain point, and I became the voice.
Adam Shankman
I don't, when I drink, I don't want to have a drink and relax. I want to obliterate.
Adam Shankman
We don't report on the plane that lands safely. We'll report on problems. And so if you're going to be consuming news, you're going to get a view of the universe that is inherently negative.
Dan Harris
It's not that every moment is the right time to meditate. Like if you're freaking out, I mean, it's not throwing yourself in the lotus position is not going to fix all of your problems.
Adam Shankman
The sheer act of getting past everything your brain is telling you and pushing past it and through it, and then experiencing the unbelievable exhilaration of 1 million percent not being in control of what's happening, and then suddenly taking control or control being taken because I did it in tandem and trust, having trust, and then floating for all that time. But that adrenaline rush cleanses your brain like nothing else.
Adam Shankman
3 Protocols
Adam Shankman's Morning Ritual
Adam Shankman- Start the day with a sense of gratitude.
- Focus on positive aspects.
- Affirm being lucky to be alive.
Adam Shankman's Acute Stress Regulation
Adam Shankman- If highly agitated, engage in a calming activity (e.g., watching a procedural TV show).
- As the body sinks and relaxes, automatically regulate breathing, focusing on inhales and exhales.
- Focus on points of contact where the body rests.
- Go inward, allowing the body to relax and calm.
Quick Stress Reduction Technique
Adam Shankman- Take three giant deep breaths.
- Exhale fully with each breath.