WonderSeeker

Good luck and get busy!

Over the past few weeks I have been contemplating the positions of Free-will vs. Determinism. During a 200ug LSD trip last week, the notion of no free-will hit me strongly. A few days ago, I watched Leo's video on Free-will vs. Determinism, and it all squared with what I found just days prior. However, accepting this truth has been very emotionally challenging. I find this truth somewhat useless in its practicality, in that it can slow one's motivation down and make one feel like a doormat in life, because whatever happens, happens. At the very same time, you can take the opposite approach and feel empowered for knowing such a deep truth. The only problem is, that no, you can't. You don't have a choice! Only one of those options will happen, and you have no control whatsoever over it. It's freaky and a tough "problem" to work through! P.S. I had no free will in typing this, and likewise you had no free will in reading or comprehending this.

What are your top 5? After reading about 20 books off of Leo's Book List this year, my top 5 are: 1) Spiral Dynamics, by Don Beck and Christopher Cowan This book is the ultimate map to realizing why you think and act the way you do on a rock-bottom level. Truly mind-blowing stuff. The book is written relatively well, but the concept and the practicality of it make it paramount to self-actualization work. Become a Spiral Wizard today! 2) The Big Leap, by Gay Hendricks Mr. Hendricks is a very authentic man, his words resonated on a very personal level as I read his book. In fact, previously being a non-reader, I don't think I've ever enjoyed a book so much in my life. This book will show you some ingenious tricks for pointing you toward your life purpose. And even if you think you already have your life purpose figured out, it is still worth the read. I refer to the advice in it weekly. 3) The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, by Thomas Kuhn If you want to discover how science has evolved as a practice through time, then you best read this book. You will be shocked by what the history of science really is about (hint: it's not a linear accumulation of facts and truths). Rather, there are many twists and turns in science and the rules have changed time and time again to accommodate for new phenomena and surprises that have arisen. As a masters student pursuing a science degree, this book helped recontextualize what science is, such that now I can be more flexible with my work. If you are a scientist or are pursuing a science degree in school, this is mandatory reading. 4) Mastery, by George Leonard To become a master at something, is to follow a certain set of principles. Leonard shows you just what principles you need to live by, and how each will help you on your path to mastery of _____________. He also points out how American culture is toxic and distracting, and how you will have to go against the tide if you want to be a master. It's a lonely road, but truly worth it. 5) Labyrinths of Reason, by William Poundstone As someone who was previously devoted to strict reasoning skills, I did not see what blind-spots this way of thinking had. In this book, Mr. Poundstone shows you where you can find some holes in logic. He lays out dozens of puzzles and riddles that turn into clear examples of reasoning gone astray. I thouroughly enjoyed this book, although it was difficult to read at times...it's like a labyrinth to read!

@Leo Gura, @tuckerwphotography , great suggestions! I think I'll buy a second SD book just for lending to people. Everybody who I've explained the model to are at least intrigued by it. Most aren't willing to take the book right away, so perhaps using examples of healthy yellow may help draw a more true interest. @soos_mite_ah , I like your way of building a bridge between green and yellow by highlighting what green does well, yet showing how its blindspots can be realized and worked on in yellow.

For all of you spiral wizards out there, what are your strategies for helping middle stage green evolve toward the second tier? I live in a very progressive, communal city and one of my desires is to help facilitate movement up the spiral. Cheers!

My life purpose is evolving, but right now it is studying seismology to develop safer, more sustainable cities in earthquake-prone areas like California. I've been passionate about science since I was in high school, and now as a masters student I'm raising my consciousness for various reasons, including to be more creative with my life purpose. (Of course from doing reading and doing contemplation, I recognize that science is not absolute truth and that it is underpinned by paradigms that change.) However, in Leo's most recent video, he stated that doing science is just chasing your own tail in materialism. Now my life purpose feels at odds with raising consciousness. Is this misguided thinking or do I need to change my LP? Thank you!

@Espaim Right on. That may be hard to catalyze, but definitely worth it for the relatively high rationality that tends to still be in green.

@dflores321 , those are some good thoughts. I like your idea of balance. It's a high leverage point, which is certainly a yellow approach. I think that showing green how to use psychedelics to explore reality and gain insights, rather than just to feel good could also be a strategy. Lots of people that I know here are into that stuff purely for feeling, haha.

@Himanshu That is a very helpful explanation. Thank you so much!

Thank you for sharing! Ego backlash is harsh - glad that you pushed through it though.

Hi all! Lately I've been activating my life purpose and finding new ways to inspire and to get inspired. One way to be inspired is through some fresh, new music. This new song by one of my favorite musicians, Matt Bellamy, was was written about the pandemic and it's pretty moving (tears surfaced). In a social media post, Bellamy said, "This song captures my mood and feelings whilst in lockdown. I have been reminded of what really matters in life and have discovered growing optimism, appreciation, and hope for the future." Feel free to share what songs inspire you!

I would say that reading textbooks gives you a good perspective about the past or current state of ideas in the field you are studying. It will also be very time consuming, so you have to strategize how and when you should read them. I would recommend raising your consciousness to boost creativity, which you can then use in the two subjects you want to integrate. Cheers!

What the heck happened? I am a newbie meditator (9 weeks now). Two nights ago, during the 40 minute mark of my daily meditation, things went wonky. I was concentrating on a large object about six feet in front of me, and it began to look as if it were "decaying" into a skeleton of what it once was. My surroundings were disappearing and popping back into view as well. While the visual show was occurring, I was having this strong sense of BEING, similar to past psychedelic sessions. It felt as if my body was locked in place, ascending upward, and plummeting downward all at the same exact time. My palms got really hot and sweaty as tears were streaming down my face out of both eyes. It was a beautiful and scary experience all at the same time. I don't think this was anything near enlightenment or a form of awakening, as there was really no insight involved. Regardless, it left me in awe. If anybody can shed light on this experience, I would greatly appreciate the wisdom!

@whatthefucksgoinon and@Nahm , thank you for your inputs.

@soos_mite_ah Interesting hypothesis! Only time will tell. I've got many anecdotes from small interactions to suggest we are going more Green, but they are just that: fuzzy, anecdotal, and short-lived interactions. Your idea goes much broader to a national level. I'm curious to see what happens in the next decade and a half. I think that if there is a shift to the Green, HumanBond MEME, it will still take many years to integrate. What timetable would you put the shift on?

Thank you so much for this work!!!

@electroBeam , excellent! Your work sounds very exciting! How would you like to keep in touch? @Serotoninluv , thank you for your wisdom. I definitely see it as Stage Yellow, especially since truly grasping "being" cognition in my last 2 psychedelic experiences. Just another thought (and I'm sure others have raised this idea on the forum before), but I would love to see us all one day pool resources and create a Stage Yellow University. It would be a huge step forward.

Hi all, I am a scientist training specifically to become a professional geologist. I love geology, because I believe the Earth is a dynamic engine full of awe and excitement; a home, whose beauty and splendor we take for granted. For context, I have been meditating daily for one month and I have taken psychedelics four times (3 LSD and 1 psilocybin). I am basically trying to increase my consciousness to become the best scientist I can be. With that said, I see the potential in using psychedelics as tools for improving/enhancing science at different levels. What I would like to know from anybody reading this, is what do you think? Are there others reading who share my pursuit? Do any of you experienced psychonauts have advice? This post was inspired by Leo's recent video, How Psychedelic Work (1:43:34). Cheers!