Below is the full podcast episode and a shortened blog summary. I encourage you to listen to the full podcast for depth and inspiration from my human (non-AI) voice. It’s also available on your favorite podcast apps here.
Prompting the Machine
We’re all rapidly developing a new skill in today’s world: prompting machines. With a single line of text, we can ask AI to give us advice, explain concepts, or even comfort us in a conversational tone. But long before AI came along, we’ve been prompting another engine inside of us—the ego.
Like AI, the ego runs on algorithms. It pulls from decades of conditioning, rules, and beliefs passed down by parents, teachers, media, and culture. Most of this runs automatically in the subconscious mind—which neuroscientists estimate drives 90–95% of our daily actions—while our conscious mind, the “spotlight of awareness,” accounts for only a small fraction of what we do.
So when we find ourselves lying awake at 3 a.m. asking “Why did this happen?” or “How could things turn out this way?”, those aren’t usually authentic questions from our deeper self. They’re the ego’s analysis loops—urgent, defensive, judgmental scripts it’s been running for decades.
The authentic self asks why and how differently—from a place of openness, spaciousness, and observation rather than defense or control. But most of us spend our days caught in the ego’s prompting engine.
Self-Prompting vs. Ego-Prompting
In this episode, I explore how to flip this script by using the same skill we’ve built with AI—prompting—to turn inward. In fact, many contemplative traditions have been teaching this for centuries.
In Advaita Vedanta, a school of Hindu philosophy, the practice of Atma Vichara or “self-inquiry” was taught most famously by Ramana Maharshi (1879–1950). His core prompt was simple yet profound: “Who am I?” Asked consistently, it helps pierce through layers of ego and conditioning to reveal the timeless self.
I reframe this ancient practice into modern language: self-prompting. Just as we now spend hours prompting chatbots, we can learn to prompt our own inner engine in ways that reveal what’s driving us.
My Inner Agent: WAYDE
I’ve even built my own imaginary AI agent named WAYDE, an acronym for “What Are You Doing Exactly?”
This isn’t about surface-level answers like “I’m making coffee” or “I’m checking email.” It’s about digging beneath the activity: What is the underlying process driving my behavior?
- Sometimes WAYDE catches me red-handed—like when I wandered into the pantry out of boredom, not hunger.
- Other times, it interrupts wandering thoughts during mundane tasks like folding laundry or walking the dog, pointing me to old patterns replaying in my subconscious.
The power lies in the word “exactly.” Just like a parent scolding a child with “What are you doing, exactly?”, that emphasis signals you’re being caught in the act. It forces you to go deeper.
A Self-Prompting Toolkit
In addition to WAYDE, I share three other prompts you can practice:
- “What’s the oldest memory this feeling reminds me of?”
Helps trace envy, fear, or insecurity back decades, revealing roots in childhood experiences or family patterns. - “If I didn’t have this thought, what would I be doing right now?”
Breaks paralysis caused by overthinking. For example, when drowning in emails, this prompt shifts you back into simple action—just opening the first email and starting. - “What’s the most generous explanation I can give for what’s happening?”
Reframes judgment into empathy. If a friend or your boss/manager doesn’t reply to your message, the ego engine spins stories of rejection. A generous explanation (they’re busy, distracted, or preoccupied) calms the nervous system and restores perspective.
When the Engine Runs, the Body Pays
This isn’t just philosophy. The ego engine doesn’t just clutter your mind—it stresses your body. Refer to my prior episodes and posts on emotional immunity, self talk, etc. and the impact on our body’s systems.
Take the example of getting cut off in traffic. The ego immediately launches into “What a jerk!” loops, and suddenly your heart rate spikes, blood pressure rises, muscles tighten, and glucose may surge. That’s the stress engine at work.
But if you stop and apply the generous explanation—“Maybe they’re rushing to pick up their child,”—your parasympathetic nervous system engages. Heart rate slows, blood pressure drops, and inflammatory signaling decreases.
This is why I often say: the more the ego engine runs, the more the body pays.
Key Takeaways
- The ego operates like an AI engine: rule-bound, conditioned, and mostly subconscious.
- Self-prompting is a modern doorway into ancient self-inquiry, helping us surface hidden drivers of behavior.
- Tools like WAYDE and the three prompts can be used anywhere—in traffic, in the pantry, while folding laundry. You might come up with your own prompts.
- Stopping the engine isn’t just mental—it has profound health benefits for metabolism, cardiovascular health, immune function, hormonal function, etc.
Your 24-Hour Challenge
For the next 24 hours, activate WAYDE at least three times—maybe while brushing your teeth, eating meals, or during a stressful moment. Ask firmly, yet calmly like a loving, not abusive or hypercritical parent.
Notice—not just what you were doing—but what was running your engine. Dig as deep as you can to find the roots.
The more time we spend on screens and machines, without inquiry and introspection, the more we become like them—predictable, conditioned, and mechanical.
Self-inquiry and self-prompting are the gateways back to freedom, awareness, and your authentic self.
👉 References:
