E183 - Nir Eyal: How Your Beliefs Shape What You See (And Hold You Back)

E183 - Nir Eyal: How Your Beliefs Shape What You See (And Hold You Back)

From Know Thyself by André Duqum

February 24, 2026 · 1h 40m · Season 1 · Episode 183

About this episode

Nir Eyal discusses how beliefs shape our perception of reality and influence our experiences.

Nir Eyal joins the podcast to explore one of the most foundational forces shaping our lives: belief. What if the way you see reality isn’t reality itself, but a simulation filtered through prior assumptions, expectations, and unconscious scripts? In this conversation, we unpack the difference between fact, faith, and belief—and why most of our suffering stems from confusing the three. Nir shares powerful research on predictive processing, placebo and nocebo effects, learned helplessness, and how our expectations literally alter what we see, feel, and experience in our bodies. From secular prayer and gratitude practices to Byron Katie’s turnaround method, this episode is a deep dive into how to move from limiting beliefs to liberating ones. If beliefs are tools, then the real question becomes: are the ones you’re using serving you? EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/knowthyself Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee 3/10 Book release: http://geni.us/beyondbelief André's Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list ___________ 00:00 Intro 01:35 The Difference Between Fact, Faith, and Belief 05:36 Illusions of Reality 07:29 The Core of Our…

People in this episode

Host: André Duqum

Guest: Nir Eyal

Topics covered

  • belief
  • perception
  • self-improvement
  • mental health
  • cognitive psychology

Keywords

  • beliefs
  • perception
  • predictive processing
  • placebo effect
  • learned helplessness
  • gratitude practices
  • limiting beliefs

Sponsors

NordVPN

More episodes of Know Thyself

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Know Thyself podcast page.