On Mysticism II: Enlightenment, Non-Duality, & Perennialism
Added 2024-09-26 16:00:13 +0000 UTCAlyson and Breht return to do a follow up conversation to their well-received previous episode regarding this topic, "On Mysticism: Ego, Suffering, & Love". In this episode, they dive even deeper, discussing what enlightenment really is, the universal accessibility of Non-Dual awareness, the arguments for and against Perennialism, the mystical branches of Abrahamic religions, Buddhism and Taoism, meditation, awareness, fascist mysticism, and much more.
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Outro Song: Lonely Heart by Neva Dinova
Comments
I think the ego develops through stream of consciousness and awareness of self, and shaped by a mix of our subjective experiences and environment. The human brain is pretty amazing! Human beings have such a dual nature. The ability to feel emotions as tools to perceive threats, or pleasure, and to process these emotions, and influx of hormones that have drug like effects, that enhance our experiences and ensures some kind of survival. We are both thinking creatures, and feeling creatures, we have reasoning, and ability for deep emotions. Both are equally as important for survival. There are sooo many experiments that show once your mental survival is threatened, even if you're otherwise healthy physically, you eventually start exhibiting physical symptoms that could be equally as threatening if not more. I think where people come into conflict with their ego, is when they have certain perceived needs, that are more (emotionally) ego driven, that have a sense of urgency to be met (for mental survival), and it impedes on someone else needs, and a power struggle ensues. The ego needs to be put in check by using reasoning. But as a society we don't really prioritize reasoning as a skill that's worth building upon. When people have to think too hard into things they get frustrated and overwhelmed, this is by design. Everything about our capitalistic society is aimed at driving our ego, emotions, aesthetics, appealing to our senses and pleasures, appealing to our emotions and sense of self. We get rewarded with fleeting dopamine hits in the form of fleeting consumer products and fads and social media likes for example. This system is aimed at controlling our sympathetic nervous system (our antiquated lizard brains). I think so many people in the 1960's especially realized this and were experimenting with mind altering substances as a way to kill the ego, to look beyond our human conditioning to get to the core of consciousness and what it means to be human, and seek liberation through those means (nirvana, ego death, enlightenment aka "woke" as it's called disdainfully nowadays). But indegenous cultures have been using meditation and altered states of consciousness for answers to fundamental philosophical questions for thousands of years. I don't think it's worth diving more into the ego, we know that we can become hijacked by it, and it can be used against us by powers that be, what we need to do, is combat the systems of oppression that are aimed at our egos, and keep our reasoning. Philosophy is amazing in that aspect, as there are so many thought experiments that get the gears rolling, and can condition our minds for deeper thought and reasoning. It doesn't have to be dogmatic, or binding systems of belief, but just food for thought. I think having these conversations and normalizing open dialogue, and discourse with the aims of understanding each other on deeper levels without the ego taking over, is also helpful. I think it would take a total restructuring of society to pivot away from this ego driven, individualistic society. If it's not going to happen at the macrocosmic level (top down), then starting it at the microcosmic level (ground up) is more attainable. But I think it takes a certain degree of faith, and people are so drained and fed up. By design of course....Sorry for the rant comrade. Be well πΉ
Nicki
2024-10-07 17:50:44 +0000 UTCConflicted on the discussion about evolution/human development/consciousness development?. Keep hearing you bring it up when talking about spiritualism and enlightenment or whatever. Now that we humans are aware of evolution, isn't it our duty to rebel against it? We've developed ways to cure disease and treat genetic pitfalls due to evolution. We save children born with defects and cancer-causing genes. Is the 'next step' in human (cognitive) evolution important? I understand the argument that the ego was likely important in the development of humanity and society and it could one day be 'obsolete.' But how certain can you/we get for this? It isn't quite as concrete as class struggle. We know that we come from a stateless, communistic life and will return to it (or die out as a species in the attempt). What do we know about the ego and how it can develop?
Daewoo
2024-10-04 02:28:55 +0000 UTCWhere'd the liberal socialism episode go?
Payton McDermott
2024-10-03 00:17:44 +0000 UTC
