Rainn Wilson, known for his role as Dwight Schrute on “The Office,” used his own experiences to emphasize spirituality, saying we all need a “revolution of the soul.”
“I went through many mental health crises when I was younger, but I found it incredibly valuable to rely on spiritual tools to help me navigate my path,” Wilson said. said on “CBS Morning.”
His new podcast, called “Soul Bloom,” is based on the New York Times bestselling book of the same name. In it, he speaks with experts, comedians, and writers about creativity, spirituality, and psychology.
“That’s the big question: ‘Why is this weird sitcom actor writing about spirituality, the soul, death, the meaning of life?'” Wilson joked. “It really was because I was on the brink of death.”
Wilson further explained that he asked himself, “Why am I here?” and “Why should I be here?”
“Sometimes the biggest and deepest revelations come when you get to that point, so I decided to dig into these big questions,” he said.
Those questions involved Wilson making decisions about faith, consciousness, and what it means to be human.
“My deep knowledge of the great texts of Buddhism and the Baha’i Faith, even though I am a member of the Baha’i Faith, has brought me so much comfort and direction in life that I am truly grateful for.”
The award-winning actor said that the best qualities of a human being are compassion, kindness, community and cooperation, but that they are not always the main focus in society.
“Our entire system is based on the worst aspects of humanity,” Wilson said. “One-upmanship, betrayal, everyone acting for himself, rivalry, rivalry, these are our worst traits, not our best traits. Our best traits are compassion, kindness. It’s about community and cooperation.”
Wilson believes that changing our hearts and minds is the key.
“Given our innate spirituality, whether you are in Gaza or Israel, whether you are in Russia or Ukraine, whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, we all have a human experience. It greatly increases our compassion, and when we truly feel compassion, you act on it,” he said. “It’s not just a feeling in the chest. It’s about putting it into action. We need to recalibrate our systems. It’s not about profit or competition.”
Wilson sat down with the podcast to discuss whether he would reprise his role in a new spinoff of “The Office.”
“I always welcome new appearances by Dwight,” Wilson said.
