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Ishanga replied to Inliytened1's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
I plan to someday, but in the end its just an experience, its the drug causing a certain experience, not sure why you all here don't realize that, take one drug and it gives You this sort of experience, take another it changes, as Leo has described in his video..As well many have had just as intense experiences with a proper Yoga practice as with any psychedelic, your making a huge assumption... Sadhguru does share methods that work for the masses, but at the least its Real, not like here where You believe in imaginary this and that, its actually quite Delusional, and can lead to a unhealthy life and outlook...The further You go into it the more intense practices there are., plus its not about he practices, its about the Transformation that happens, Peaceful, Mindful, Conscious Human Beings are the result, not ideological and delusional ones... -
UnbornTao replied to B222's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
Again, my contention isn't that the absolute isn't absolute. It can't be experienced as it isn't an experience, it's the word we use. Relative phenomenon appear to us in distinct forms, depending on what we're talking about. An experience of an emotion isn't the same as an experience of an object, for example. A hug isn't a hunch, etc. Absolute doesn't imply insight into the relative. That's why, if other things such as skill or transformation are desired, there's more work to do besides enlightenment. Gautama might have not been a masterful cook. Then grasp how it's being imagined, to what degree, and how it's done and lived. Acknowledge and master it as it is experienced. This is an answer about what's true. It's the same principle: self-survival. What drive is pushing you? What is surviving? Distinction isn't limited to language, though. It is that you experience what you do. Uniqueness may occur conceptually as self does. Given that, the self dynamic can also be said to operate similarly as any other distinction. Uniqueness is a subset of a perceived "self", entity or object. Is distinction conceptual, and viceversa, though? Have to look into it. Everything might be nothing, yet our experience of life is unlike that. Completely transcending self, suffering, life and death is unlikely and rare. Ultimately, we don't know anything and therefore must remain open. Enlightenment is a good first step. Tried to come up with an analogy: Electricity is foundational to a computer's operation. It sources and is present throughout all of the computer processes, hardware and software. The experience of using a PC (managing apps, writing, editing videos, playing games, customizing the GUI) are forms of electricity while at the same time they show up in particular ways which are experienced as different from each other. In this analogy, for example: What are hardware and software? What's writing a book? This would be the equivalent of investigating the relative. Something like that. -
I don't harbor a specific or intellectual fear towards the experience. It's more about the sheer intensity of it all—there's an overwhelming amount of energy involved, accompanied by profound moments of astonishment and exhilaration. It's an experience filled with unexpected revelations and a rollercoaster of emotions that's hard to articulate. However, there's a nuanced fear related to the journey towards discovering my authentic self, especially after having built an entire life and family around what feels like an inauthentic version of me now. The prospect of embracing my true self holds the promise of greater joy and fulfillment for me personally. Yet, I'm acutely aware that this transformation might come at a cost to those around me, as they adjust to the changes it entails. This path of self-discovery and its impact on others is reminiscent of the journey undertaken by Martin Ball. It's a complex balance between personal evolution and the potential repercussions on my loved ones.
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One of the initial goals of some ancient civilization was to understanding the idea of how to transform a Human of that time obviously into God... Even though there was lots of ancient knowledge, principles and techniques...they are lost sadly..... Wish I can get my hands upon such powerful knowledge..... Of the ancients...of how to transform the self -Human one into God by giving him the ability to transform any idea into matter... Modern term is manifestation... But this idea is very old,among ancients too... Can Human be a God?.... Remember everything is In constant motion... Nothing remains the same... Life is Motion filled with Emotion .... So Transformation or alchemy of reality.. It's like principles of alchemy ìn relation.. To transform an entity ,chosen or handpicked... Or any into a divine in the manifested world...so an entity can experience itself in powerful ways which were hidden before.... Now I also know that despite spiritual advancement and understanding, techniques and knowledge ancients may have.... None were successful in transforming Human into God...if they did... World landscape right now would be different so I think they failed despite having very precise understanding of spiritual knowledge... But that's the key... Knowledge doesn't equate to power of experience...u can have alot of knowledge..bit if can't apply it... Or experience it...it's waste... The idea I can have anything I imagine.. Or law of universe which states u can be,do or have whatever u imagine.... Is nice knowledge... But how to experience this knowledge leading to realization is key... To become God... Which is to be creator of your reality.... One has to go through system of 3...3d dimension.... Without going through 3 layers...u cannot manifest anything... Jesus method of manifestation was different...It was a different method... More instantaneous method to turn an idea into reality like water to 🍷 wine,etc... Now they are not miracles simply pure understanding of nature of reality that each entity has power to transform matter... But if u understand how...or else u get no result... U may get frustrated and say it's all fake... I think jesus method was based on unification with total consciousness kind of method so any idea became instantly projected into experience... Because projection comes from true self .... But that's a different method of manifestation, like in dream... Instant manifestation... But for us it's ok to understand system of 3.... Trinity ...Create the alignment of three components which make up your ego personality hologram and get a new version of reality.... Without going through 3 ...u get no result... So it's important to consider these components and Time experience in this dimension.. Because u know experience of time is different in different frequencies... In total sense,time doesn't exist.... It's all now ... So......... Can u be a God... Then ,well that's what I'm looking for to... Rather than looking to become buddha meditating under waterfall, which I would like to experience... Not to exclude any experience and any possibility ..... I am looking to become A God by understanding the final key to manipulate this dream like night dreams... I feel I'm close ... Once I get it....then everything changes for me... I will change the holograms of existence of my life ,I'll change my reality experience... Since self is God...and Me as ego is tool of it to experience itself as creator of it's own reality, that's why creation is based on pure choices on your own.... I'm so passionate about reality because it holds the power to become God... It will be more fun to walk in air as a divine being and raise water columns -hydrokinesis.... And balls of water flowing around me in circles all these awesome things infront of other people's eyes.... As they witness your power and glory as What one Consciousness is capable of on it's own.... As u open your divine Godly eyes... Seeing creation around you as your playground... Which u can amend change at will... Total self will always be happy , no matter u choose to be a positive creator or destructive since it's all one being... Experimenting with itself, so it's all key to evolution through ego Consciousness like me which is an instrument to Total self... And I'll play my part with honour and contribute myself to universal consciousness...so it may evolve.. Or US may evolve ..since it's all one being... Everything is one... So if I become a god by finally creating realities relentlessly.... My experience of myself as God in dream is the experience of Total true self ..it's just one experience of one being... Not two beings... Only one... So it can never be affected by anything so that's why it doesn't create u live or die.. Infinite possibilities to experience itself in infinite ways with no rules or limitation... Because that leads t evolution, to reject some experience available and calling it evil...is to reject a part of yourself... Because self is everything... Like in a night dream.. When your projections like people try to hammer u and put u in oil barrel...haahaa in a dream, so see it's all holograms within your consciousness... They all exist within u...part of u and me... As one
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2. This is a false, egoic identity. If you're not spiritually advanced it seems like that's what you are. 3. This point is false because the second is. So you didn't learn anything significant and what you did learn is false. A girl not wanting you to have female friends is natural and you should want the same from her side (guys). I'll share some lessons, or topics to consider, but you will need to mature and get them yourself at some point. What is a real man? What seperates teenagers from men? Most men are only men in age, they don't know what it really means to be a man. Inside, most men are immature boys masquarading as men by being macho, overconfident, etc.. although a lot aren't even covering it up, they are just goofy children in a big body. I could write a whole book on what it means to be a man and it wouldn't help much. It comes if you have enough wisdom and experience. Truth and honesty. The whole relationship needs to be built on this. Otherwise, you are building your relationship on sand and it will crumle. That's a guarantee. There's also levels to honesty and you can learn to express truth masterfully. Maintaining intimacy long-term. This is an art. You have to navigate the relationship in a particular manner to keep the flame of passion burning for years. No matter how sexy you both are to each other at the start, being together for years will extinguish the passion, unless you know what to do to prevent this. Grasping how to truly love someone. This one is only accessible when you become love through spiritual transformation. You also need a lot of wisdom to be a perfect lover. Remaining rooted within the Self is the most attractive inner trait and only a few people in the whole world are capable of this. People feel attracted to it because you radiate the Divine Essence which they long for the most. Maintaining physical beauty is, of course, necessary for a variety of reasons. Many of these will fly over your head, but whatever.
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I dunno man, I think that could be a limiting belief .. Ive seen some crazy transformation stories online, everyone is capable of drastically changing their looks if they actually make it a pursuit over a few years
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Carl-Richard replied to Carl-Richard's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
I identified another salient point in your post: The problem of infinite regression in causal chains is a different problem than what I've been talking about. With the brain and experience, you don't even have a chain. That is the problem. And again, it has to do with a lack of a satisfactory causal mechanism. What is a satisfactory causal mechanism? Well, it gives you a sense of understanding and continuity between the proposed cause and effect. There is a recognition of "ah it makes sense". It sounds subjective now, but it's reflective of a deeper point which I'll explain later. Anyways, when you take a concept like gravity and look at the different practical instances where it can apply, and when you apply it to the example of the apple falling, you do get the sense of "ah, it makes sense". It's a satisfactory causal mechanism. It's a "quality" about that causal mechanism. Now, the problem of infinite regression is more "quantitative": you can keep adding an infinite number of satisfactory causal mechanisms without finding the bottom so to speak. That's of course a problem, but again, it's a different problem than establishing a satisfactory causal mechanism in the first place. In other words, you've been talking about finding a satisfactory number of mechanisms, while I've been talking about finding a satisfactory kind of mechanism. Both are significant problems in their own right, but they are indeed different. And why is "neurons firing" not a satisfactory causal mechanism for the brain-experience relationship? Because just look at it: Like "what?!" "ATP and shit" and then boom -> "psychological transformation, rapture, fear, amazement, awakening". There is a clear discontinuity there, and in this case, it's mostly because you're dealing with two different ontological categories ("abstract physical stuff" -> "concrete mental stuff"). Now compare that with the falling apple: You see a kind of continuity there that is absent in the brain-experience relationship. It's a continuous process of different kinds of abstract physical stuff bringing about other kinds of abstract physical stuff. It's a difference in forms, but it's not a difference in fundamental ontological categories. Also, hearking back to an earlier point about another big problem, i.e. the empirical problems contradicting the brain-experience causal hypothesis; when there is a gravitational field present, you can predict that an apple will fall. When there is brain activity present AND when there is brain activity not present (or it's reduced), you can predict that there will be experience (and more intense experiences). Again, that's another big issue for the hypothesis, and even there, the mainstream paradigm will throw ad hoc hypotheses at you like no other ("there is some activity deep in the brain stem...", "there is an increase in brain noise...", "functional connectivity...", etc.). -
Princess Arabia posted a topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
We are here to have experiences. We are already all there is. The ego is an expression of the All. The one true Source. This is why it manifested itself as a human being so it can experience what it's like to be human. Why are we trying to accomplish ego death when, to me, it seems like an impossible task as it is merely a mental construction. Why are we trying to become a "nobody" when that is not the reason for our existence. We as humans are limited but we stem from the unlimited so we can have the experience of what it's like to be limited. This is not our true nature. Most of us recognizes this and as long as we know this to be true and keep that running in the background can't we just allow for the Universe to flow through us and allow it to manifest through us as it pleases instead of trying to become unlimited - we are already inherently unlimited by nature and are just playing roles. Isn't Source seeing it's reflection through us and all we need to do is remove all the faulty and conditioned layers we have constructed for ourselves and work towards seeing ourselves as Source sees itself in order to live a more fulfilling life. That's transformation, not death. Trying to kill the ego is like trying to kill God as God is the Ego because God is everything, Can someone make this make sense to me because I'm not understanding why we are even trying to accomplish this. Why not just aim for it's transformation and transform it into something beautiful. -
Jac067 replied to Emotionalmosquito's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
Recently, i come to know the intended meaning of the huur (aka gorgeous heavenly women) and Jannah etc. It is completely different model then the one we know. You can't imagine the shock i went through, it took away my fantasy and left me dry. Still going through transformation but it was eye opening. And no its not in Quran and you are joking for that matter. Quran never spoke about sex or women distinctively. -
There are no relationships until there's sex. This rule is actually set by women. Before attempting to get into a relationship and creating a healthy long-term relationship, a man has to know how to attract a woman and lead her to sex. This is the "attraction phase". After sex comes the relationship territory which is completely different from the attraction phase. Leo's advice on relationships is actually really good. Why? Well, maybe because we're on his forum and he is the creator of Actualized.org. In addition, he has studied the theory of female attraction and dating for several hundred hours. On top of that, he spent two solid years implementing the principles of female attraction by talking to several thousand women. He turned himself from a highly introverted, logical, and analytical guy into a social, awesome, high-quality man. I understand that from a woman's POV, there's not much value in such a transformation. But for a man, such a transformation is indeed life-changing. Humans are selfish, it's not just guys. We're talking about survival. The key element of all attraction and dating is survival, as Leo has mentioned a lot of times (because it is simply true). What both men and women are fundamentally doing is maximizing the survival chances of their offspring, which all happens subconsciously. Just because we live in a modern world, with all the technologies and effective systems, doesn't negate tens of thousands of years of evolution. Yes, it is human interactions, but more specifically human interactions with a certain set of principles, mindsets and techniques, also known as "game".
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Guys Sadhguru has million of followers around the whole world. What do you think would happen if he says “ Ayahuasca is a super tool for self transformation bla bla bla…” There are ignorant people and unbalanced ones, it could be a pretty disaster if they take his words for truth. It’s quite obvious that he shares this words
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This is the Marketing Copywrite I got in Instagram. Do you thing is something good? Genuine? I have a Starseed friend about to buy a full program from this man Empaths, Healers, Star Seeds, this is for you ✨ I’ve worked with thousands of you, for many years. So, I understand that you face a hidden block 🚧😐 I empathize. This block is very common, and it feels difficult to resolve. It can make you feel frustrated, disempowered, and separated from your soul’s true purpose. It prevents you from expressing your 🎇Unique Gifts 🎁 ✨Compassion, Sensitivity, Light 🌠 It keeps you trapped in financial scarcity or mediocrity. And impacts many or maybe all parts of your life in painful, soul-crushing ways. Yuck! In this Live Event, I empower you to identify and clear this block ☄️ New LightWorkers, the LightWorker-curious, Sensitive Souls, you’re all Invited. Join like-minded people for a session of Transformation. Clearing this block enables you to: 🪐 Gain greater access to and Mastery over your Gifts 🪐 Achieve major Transformations in your Relationships 🪐 Amplify your Field of Miracles 🪐 Release chronic pain and improve your energy levels and physical health 🪐 Deepen your Purpose Alignment 🪐 Experience more accurate levels of Financial Abundance as you surrender more deeply to your Highest Self and play your unique role in the healing & awakening of humanity 🪐 And so much more
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The swastika, an ancient symbol with roots in various cultures, held a profound transformation during its association with Nazi Germany in the 20th century. One original insight is the manipulation of a symbol's meaning and the power of symbolism itself. Before the Nazis adopted it, the swastika was a symbol of auspiciousness and good fortune in many cultures, including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Native American traditions. Its adoption by the Nazi Party under Adolf Hitler altered its connotations drastically, turning it into a symbol of hate, oppression, and genocide. This transformation highlights the malleability of symbols and their susceptibility to being hijacked for ideological purposes. It underscores the importance of understanding the context and intent behind symbols, as their meanings can be manipulated to serve different agendas. The swastika in Nazi Germany serves as a stark reminder of the potential for symbols to be weaponized and the responsibility we have in interpreting and preserving their original cultural meanings.
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I'll shoot a list at you with the raw data. More details can be discussed later on. I have done the LP course three times to 60% and I have been procrastinating on it on and off since 2017. I'll finish it soon ( haha) (In no particular order of importance) I love problem solving. I love thinking about solutions for situations in multiple novel and possibly original ways. I'm basically an idea generator on command. I'm vastly resourceful . I love speaking and communicating ideas. I love teaching and explaining. I love improv comedy. Sense of humor is a core part of my personality. It's literally impossible for me to be talking or thinking without funny perspectives or observations popping into my mind. Im passionate about studying and contemplating personal development ( embodying is a while different can of worms) , psychology ( understanding self esteem, beliefs, epistemology, self image, confidence, emotions, trauma, limiting beliefs and the raw instincts , biases and genetic expression of what it is like to be incarnated as a human being. I'm very patient with people, extremely humble ( no brag ). I've always been curious about philosophy and metaphysics. I'm also extremely radically openminded. I have consumed vast amounts of personal development content . I may have watched almost all of Leo's vids around 3 times if not more over last years, tons of attraction , game cold approach and social dynamics content. I love the potential of social drills and personal social experiments to trigger yourself or someone to release trauma and build confidence. Cold approach for the personal development gains is amazing as well. I'm in love with how they fuck with you on stage in RSD seminars to trigger you. Beautifully effective. I have done psychedelics a few times and I'm looking forward to doing more, mostly for trauma release purposes rather than metaphysical insight. I love singing and I definitely have an itch for music. A beautiful voice ( or chorus ) is one of the few thing that bring me to tears. I often fantasize about singing out loud in public. Music hypes me the fuck up way too much. I love putting emotion into speaking, funny voices, acting and expressing myself spontaneously. Since very young I have allways been interested in theater but never really got into it. I have a bazillion ideas for skits , short videos and cartoons but when I sit down in front of the pc by myself to start making it happen I feel I'm wasting my time terribly. It could be a hobby perhaps. I enjoy video editing but it also makes me feel im wasting my time . I love dancing and moving my body. It's also one of my favorite ways of socializing besides improv comedy. I love giving advice and listening to peoples problems. I have fantasized quite often about sitting on a bench in a busy street with a sign saying " tell me your problems" . I would mind doing this for free. I'm pretty introverted and have been extremely cripplingly shy in the past. I was raised pretty poor. I was raised in caravans and a shack. My mom has been an alcoholic my entire life and my dad is a functional alcoholic. I've played videogames for 16 hours per day until 17 years old. I've overcome my shyness by rewiring my beliefs and direct experience socializing. I was motivated because I had a crush on a girl from highschool. Overcoming shyness and building confidence is probably one of the most meaningful impacts I could have on people and the world if I had to choose. The thing is that due to life circumstances, perhaps health issues ( heavy metal toxicity, possible allergies ) and getting way too deep into spirituality from a young age , my ambition is and has been pretty minimal for now. I've gone through such a crippling Dark Night of the Soul at 21 it felt like my soul had been brutally raped and it had left scars on me till this very day. I also have access to a bliss state on command if I'm doing nothing and I focus on the present moment which further demotivating for material success. I'm pretty damn happy doing nothing but I battle lack of motivation . I like to think of myself as very creative, mostly mentally and not in the meaning of bringing things into existence. I'm also extremely frugal. I want to say the low ambition is genetic as well but I'm nowhere close to maxing out my genetic Ambition and I'm slowly working on that. I want to say I'm responsible and have vastly above average morals I thought about becoming a dating coach for men in the past. I love the personal transformation aspect but as of right now I don't see relationships as something very important. Getting laid is critically important for men and I've felt that exact pain before and it's very dear to my heart. When I think about Reckful's suicide and almost losing one of my best friend ti the same cause ( heartbreak, loneliness and dysfunctional beliefs ) it brings me to tears. I wouldn't mind being a life coach but I feel it's not exactly ideally IT yet. It's too serious for me to be motivated and excited in the long run. It's missing the room for sense of humor and playfulness. Also sitting in front of a screen is a waste of time Imo because Ideally I prefer to work with people face to face in front o a small crowd I believe, while involving the crowd, I think. The vision i've got right now is some sort of teacher for self esteem, confidence, playfulness , expression and personal development. Almost like an acting teacher focused on personal development. I'm notoriously inexpressive and monotone though as a fellow polish slav. And more specifically something like an Improv comedy teacher that works mostly with small group of 20 people, and sometimes one on one. But my twist would be focused on personal development, healing trauma, building confidence, social skills, expression , spontaneity and sense of humor. If it's not a game like this I couldn't keep it up for long. Lemme know what ya got
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UnbornTao replied to B222's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
That someone is yourself. How would you know it is your family if it didn't relate to you? See how you and not you are still operative? Self might be taken as a superficial construct similar to a conventional thought, yet the self principle appears solid and is tightly intertwined with survival -- they might be synonymous. I think we may be approaching the matter superficially. Essentially we're asking, among other things, what is self? Ironically enough, you might to some degree realize your nature, yet unconscious self aspects remain to be discovered and let go of. This is why enlightenment doesn't necessarily transform the individual. Getting completely free from self seems to be about personal transformation, which isn't the same as enlightenment. I define enlightenment as being conscious of your nature. And then the laundry. -
intresting read, good on you just came across your Youtube vid, and will check out some of the other vids, btw that transformation gym pic above ´´hes so handsome whats his nameee´´ loool
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Absolutely agree with you here. I started having more false psychedelic awakenings in recent years as someone who's had probably over 500 psychedelic trips. Psilocybin mushrooms for me used to bring me to a place of Absolute Truth, they used to unite me with the Spirit in a purer, truer way. But all of my psilocybin trips in 2023 led to schizophrenia. Don't get me wrong, I still achieve such creative, ethereal, alchemical, supernatural, psychoanalytical, and consciousness-expanding experiences, but I just fall so deep into the abyss of it that it always turns me into a zany, schizophrenic madman in due time. My psyche can't quite handle the bottomless nature of the awakenings. Psychedelics don't get you to the end because the abyss is bottomless. You can get to a point of such Absolute Truth that it spirals into demented, harebrained, schizophrenic fiction. I'm just glad that I can still handle THC edibles and psychoactive botanicals like nutmeg and chamomile even if the magic mushrooms that once healed me greatly tend to be too much. I think that when you learn enough about the occult, the idea of psychedelics ever possibly being the "end of all suffering" or "the end of all awakening" starts to feel so ridiculous. Although I will add that the alchemical and neurological transformation that psychedelics incited within me is the only thing that ever catalyzed me to start feeling higher sober awakenings because it's the only thing that led me to start cutting out harder, unhealthier drugs.
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I messaged you, I am open to the narrow path of transformation. Where is it? you sound a bit vague, but maybe for your own security to be not attacked
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I've surpassed everyone here and all the public teachers. If you're interested please message me because I will not teach trolls on this forum. In short it's a narrow path of transformation through a series of teachings from heaven.
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Aztec Nonduality - Profound Life Lessons From Aztec Philosophy https://youtu.be/8GjGMWBWWKM "Brahman is real; the world is not real; Brahman is the world." - Shankara Aztec Non-duality: Leo introduces Aztec non-duality which shares similarities with various major religions, emphasizing the dynamic, self-generating essence of the universe called Teotl. He plans to detail this spiritual outlook by citing an article from the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, offering an overarching view of spirituality and God from an Aztec perspective. Concept of Teotl: Teotl is depicted as an all-encompassing, sacred power that is immanent within and transcendent beyond the universe. It signifies an interconnected cosmos that is ever-generating and regenerating, where every element is both a facet of Teotl and wholly identified with it. Image 1 Image 2 Image 3 Understanding of Immanence and Transcendence: Leo clarifies that Teotl represents both the tangible world (immanence) and the formless, overarching unification of the universe (transcendence), a concept paralleled in Christian theology and other spiritual traditions. Image 4 Process-Oriented View of the Universe: The universe is described not as a static object but as an ongoing process comparable to a constantly changing waterfall. This view contrasts with static perceptions of the material universe, suggesting a more fluid and dynamic reality. Image 5 Dialectical Polar Monism: Introducing the idea of dialectical polar monism, Leo explains the universe as a single entity that expresses itself through an endless interplay of opposites such as life and death, or order and disorder, reflecting a balance inherent to the cosmos. Image 6 Balance and the Cycle of Polarities: The lecture touches on the importance of balance in life, indicating that reality involves navigating between complementary opposites without rigidly clinging to any static point or trying to eliminate one side of a duality. Image 7 Materialist versus Aztec Metaphysics: Leo contrasts the materialist notion of an objective, unchanging universe with the Aztec view, which recognizes no static reality but rather an unceasing transformation and renewal of the cosmos—a principle of impermanence also found in Buddhism. Image 8 Image 9 Impermanence and Clinging: Highlighting the concept of impermanence, Leo warns against clinging to transient aspects of life such as possessions, relationships, and ideologies, advocating for a recognition of constant change as a fundamental quality of existence. Universality of Aztec Non-duality: The overall emphasis is on the universal nature of Teotl as a living, sentient cosmic process that is continuously self-transforming, aligning with the non-dual teachings expressed across multiple spiritual traditions. Dynamic Nature of Reality and Personal Growth: The constant change and development of all phenomena, including personal growth from childhood, illustrate the continuous flow and transformation characteristic of Teotl. This opposes the human tendency to cling to a static identity or state. Image 10 Dialectical Presentation of Teotl: Teotl is described dynamically, transcending the dichotomies of being and non-being, order and disorder, and other polarities. This persuasive non-duality is beyond the predication of any specific qualities and manifests as a 'third kind' that is at once both and neither of the dualistic states. Paradox of Non-duality: Teotl encompasses qualities like male and female, life and death, yet it transcends all such dualities. This presents a paradox for human understanding, which is accustomed to categorizing reality into distinct forms rather than perceiving the non-dual essence. Teotl's Ontological Indeterminacy: Nahua metaphysics points to an anti-realist view that rejects the concept of a static, fixed, objective reality. Teotl resembles Kant's noumenon, being the essence beyond all perceivable phenomena. Image 11 Pantheistic View of Nahua Philosophers: Nahua philosophy embraces pantheism, the view that all existence is a sacred, interrelated unity identical with the sacred totality of Teotl. This challenges orthodox religious views by dismissing the notion of God as a separate, anthropomorphic being. Image 12 Cosmic Artistry and Shamanic Disguise: Teotl is seen as a sacred artist, endlessly creating the cosmos in an artistic presentation. The universe is perceived as an ongoing, metaphorical performance of Teotl. Additionally, the concept of 'nahual' implies that the cosmos and its transformations are manifestations of Teotl's shamanic self-masking, illustrating the elusive and ever-changing nature of the divine. Image 13 Challenges in Recognizing God's Presence: God, the ultimate shapeshifter with no intrinsic form, is compared to a perfectly camouflaged creature in the forest, illustrating the difficulty in recognizing the divine in everyday existence without a cultivated consciousness. Image 14 Metaphor of Chameleon for God: The metaphor highlights God as the ultimate chameleon, perfectly camouflaged within existence. Materialists struggle to find evidence for God because divine presence is intricately integrated into all aspects of reality, requiring conscious recognition rather than empirical proof. Concepts of God in Various Traditions: In different religious traditions, God includes both deceptive (like the Christian devil) and transformative traits (shapeshifter), showing that God has a multifaceted character, including both creative (Maya) and deceptive (devilish) aspects. Nature of Existence According to Nahua Philosophy: Existence is characterized by three specific illusions: the perception of static entities (like humans or trees), the belief in individual, separate existences, and the apparent opposition of dualities. These are considered deceptions of Teotl, masking the true oneness and dynamic movement of all things. Image 15 The Human Mind's Deceptiveness: Leo underlines the idea that the human mind is prone to self-deception, shaping our perceptions and creating illusions that hinder our understanding of the universe. He emphasizes the need for self-inquiry and spiritual practice to transcend these illusions. Wisdom's Role in Realizing Teotl: Wisdom allows humans to discern Teotl's presence beneath its many disguises. Spiritual practices aim to penetrate the illusion and recognize "Teotl as Teotl," the empty, formless truth behind all forms. Image 16 Understanding Teotl's Metaphysical Attributes: Teotl embodies a complex set of attributes, functioning as the source, object, and standard of reality, knowledge, and aesthetic value. A dual nature of Teotl as both male and female energy is presented, balancing and sustaining the cosmic rhythm. Image 17 Image 18 Image 19 Recognizing Earthly Life as a Divine Disguise: Earthly existence is perceived as a dream or illusion, with humans often misled by Teotl's artistic self-disguise. This is not an ontological claim but an epistemic one, emphasizing the deceptive nature of ordinary human perspectives. Image 20 Image 21 Illusion Versus Ultimate Reality: Leo explains that while materialists or dualists may see non-duality as a false distinction between illusion and ultimate truth, Nahua philosophy maintains those are identically aspects of the singular reality. This concept underscores the monistic worldview that aligns with the non-dual understanding of existence. Image 22 Embodiment of Non-duality: Non-duality must integrate the absolute with relative perceptions, similar to viewing a half-full glass as both half-full and half-empty. The challenge lies in recognizing the unity of these opposing perceptions; there's only one reality that can be seen in different ways based on perspective. Perception of Teotl as the Sole Reality: According to Nahua monism, humans can only truly perceive 'Teotl', the ultimate reality. To perceive 'Teotl' directly (De Rey) is to become one with it, rather than seeing it through a veil of perception or as separate from oneself. Image 23 Human Misconception of Teotl: Humans often misperceive Teotl by seeing it under disguise or specific descriptions (De Dicto), such as maleness, death, night, etc. This prevents them from seeing Teotl as it truly is and leads to a misunderstanding of divine reality. Image 24 Direct and Indirect Perception of God: There are two modes of perceiving God: indirectly, through descriptive forms which cause delusion, and directly, through a mystical union with God that transcends language and concepts, leading to true knowledge of Teotl. Metaphysical and Epistemological Unity: To know something fully is to become it, eliminating the subject-object duality. Western philosophy struggles with the hard problem of consciousness because it relies on concepts and categories, while Nahua philosophy suggests direct knowledge through unity. Image 25 Existence on a 'Treacherous Habitat' Earth: Earthly life is viewed as precariously balanced on a 'slippery earth' full of danger. Moral misstep is likened to slipping on slick ground, causing humans to easily lose balance and suffer misfortune, underscoring the need for guidance. Image 26 Philosophy for Maintaining Balance: Nahua philosophy is practical, focused on the essential question of how humans can maintain balance in life. This contrasts with the abstract, detached analytical philosophy of the West, emphasizing the need for a practical approach to philosophical wisdom. Image 27 Applying Philosophy to Real-World Problems: Actualized.org aims to make philosophy practical by addressing real-world problems like depression, addiction, and career dissatisfaction. The goal is to help individuals live more fulfilling lives through authentic philosophical practice. Consequences of Disconnection from True Philosophy: Many societal and personal problems stem from a collective disconnection from true philosophy, leading to dysfunctional, unfulfilling lives. True philosophy, such as the Nahua's, is vital for addressing issues like war, genocide, and environmental destruction. Balancing Human Life According to Nahua Philosophy: Nahua philosophy emphasizes wisdom and balance as crucial for human beings to navigate life. Unlike the pursuit of technology or intelligence, wisdom affords stability amid an impermanent life filled with challenges. Achieving balance is dynamic, like riding a unicycle, and needs to be applied in all facets of life, from business to personal relationships. Image 28 Wisdom as Practical Dynamic Balance: Wisdom is not about holding static, eternal truths but rather about the skillful balancing of consumption, recognizing that lifestyles should be rooted in indigenous shamanism and connected to the concept of Teotl. Wisdom leads to stability and well-being by guiding actions in a balanced way. Image 29 Becoming Wise by Rooting in Teotl: True wisdom and living a good life, according to all religions, involve becoming deeply rooted in Teotl—or divine consciousness. Wisdom is not grasping eternal truths but actively maintaining balance across life's various situations. Image 30 Religion's Role in Connecting with God: Properly practiced religion should quickly connect people with God through various techniques, leading to inherently moral behavior without the need for rules or commandments. Four Aspects of Wisdom for Nahua: Wisdom includes (1) maintaining balance and purity for well-being; (2) adapting and extending the way of life inherited from ancestors; (3) participating in the regeneration and renewal of the cosmos; (4) performing ritual activities that genuinely represent Teotl. Image 31 Image 32 Interdependence and Impact of Human Actions: Nahua philosophy acknowledges a participatory universe where humans and the cosmos are mutually influential. Human actions contribute to either cosmic harmony or disharmony, reinforcing the importance of an integrated approach to existence. Image 33 Earthy Life and Juvenile Moderation: While the Nahua recognize earthly life's potential for well-being, they urge moderation in all aspects to prevent imbalance. This reflects their holistic perspective that balance cannot be found in outdated, rigid rules but requires adaptive wisdom specific to the current societal context. Image 34 Image 35 Rootedness in Teotl for an Authentic Life: Humans have a deep yearning for rootedness, often being misled by appearances of stability in various pursuits. True balance and purity stem from rootedness in Teotl, which contrasts materialistic grounding leading to dissatisfaction and repeat searching. Image 36 Wisdom over Dogmatic Moral Codes: The Nahua philosophy stresses the ability to balance dynamically rather than relying on a fixed set of moral codes, which can be inadequate and lead to imbalance in a rapidly changing world. Wisdom allows for practical flexibility and is necessary for well-being in complex modern societies. Image 37 Rooting in the Absolute Truth: The only unchanging and absolute truth, which represents stability and well-foundedness in the face of change, is equated with nothingness. This contrasts with the impermanence of language, national identities, norms, and even the human body. Consequences of Disconnection from Teotl: A disconnection from Teotl leads to a scattered, unbalanced, and beastly existence. Humans become lost, intemperate, and vicious, lacking humanity and engaging in deceptions and self-deceptions. This is reflected in various sectors of society such as politics, religion, and business, and in personal relationships. Force Cannot Instill Consciousness of Teotl: Coercing or indoctrinating individuals to understand Teotl through dogmatic or ideological means is counterproductive. Genuine consciousness of Teotl cannot be substituted with ideas or beliefs about it; it requires a higher state of consciousness and practice for proper, decent living. Image 38 Importance of Proper Education: Current education systems fail to prepare individuals to be decent human beings. They should instead teach children philosophy, metaphysics, spirituality, and proper scientific thinking within bounds. The lack of such education contributes to societal and environmental pollution. Societal Contagion Methods: The prevalence of materialism and disconnection from Teotl acts like a contagion, spreading through various channels such as the media and influencing different sectors like healthcare and government. Attempts to cure this contagion without proper understanding may exacerbate the problem. Epistemological Cognition and Balance: Nahuas view well-grounded stability in cognition as walking in balance on slippery earth. Their concept of truth is non-semantic, emphasizing stability and well-rootedness rather than correspondence or descriptions. Image 39 Western Intellectual Tradition's Misinterpretation of Truth: Western philosophy and science often misunderstand the essence of truth, treating it as statements or propositions. True understanding is deeper than language and demands direct insight, which most do not seek, leading to a fundamental disconnection from truth. Image 40 Spectrum of Authentic Representations of Teotl: There is a continuum ranging from authentically embodying and representing Teotl to those poorly rooted in it. The effectiveness and truthfulness of everything, from personal actions to commercial products, are evaluated on this continuum. Disclosing and Unconcealing Truth Through Entities: Genuine and authentic entities that are well-rooted in Teotl can reveal the profound truth, providing people with better access to this understanding. Societal institutions need to foster systems that are revealing of Teotl for collective well-being. Heart Over Head in Knowing Teotl: True knowledge of Teotl comes through the heart, characterized by a holistic mindset, rather than the left hemisphere of the brain which is logical and demanding. Living from the heart leads to better health, less selfishness, and fulfillment of life's mission through love and wisdom. Image 41 Image 42 Experiencing Platonic Existential Love: As one recognizes themselves as Teotl and feels intimately connected with the universe, they relinquish judgment and tribalism, leading to the experience of platonic existential metaphysical love that embraces all as facets of Teotl. Ineffability of Teotl: Teotl is ultimately ineffable, a seamless totality unrelated to language, concepts, or categories. True experience of Teotl comes non-rationally and without symbolic or linguistic mediation, as these are merely facets of its disguise. Image 43 Limits of Symbolic Consciousness: Ordinary human consciousness is trapped in a symbolic, conceptual realm, thinking in terms of models and quantifications. One needs non-symbolic consciousness to truly understand Teotl, as it is beyond finite models and symbols. Role of Art in Presenting Teotl: Song poems and artistic creation are the highest forms of human artistry that closely imitate Teotl's cosmic creativity. Great art comes from a Teotlized heart and reveals the beauty and truth of Teotl. Image 44 Artistic Expression and Life Purpose: Developing a "Teotlized" heart and engaging in creative activities can improve one's connection to Teotl. Finding one’s life purpose in artistic expression is crucial, as creation is a core aspect of Teotl and personal fulfillment. Acquiring a Teotlized Heart: To truly know Teotl, one must lead a balanced, pure, moral, and moderate life, showing respect and humility towards Teotl. Without authenticity and moral righteousness, the knowledge of Teotl remains elusive. Image 45 Interdependence of Epistemology, Morality, and Aesthetics: Becoming knowledgeable about Teotl involves not just intellectual understanding but also moral and aesthetic self-improvement, as they are intertwined in living a balanced and beautiful life connected to Teotl. Image 46 Reciprocal Moral Relationship with Teotl: Knowing Teotl is part of a moral exchange; moral conduct leads to the merits of wisdom and beauty. This interaction is essential for understanding Teotl, highlighting the interconnectedness of moral behavior and epistemological enrichment. Image 47 Consequences of Mechanical Morality: People who try to be good through mechanical means without raising their consciousness often feel guilt and shame. Authentic self-improvement comes from becoming more conscious, leading to a natural desire to live a better life. Morality is crucial for creating a conducive environment for spiritual growth among all community members, not just the deeply dedicated individuals. Humaneness and Flourishing through Balance and Purity: Living in balance and purity perfects humanness and leads to flourishing. Conversely, the absence of these qualities degrades humaneness and causes suffering. Teotl, embodying beauty and purity, sets the ultimate standard of value. Virtual connection with Teotl is essential for balance and purity. Image 48 Beauty in Nature as a Reflection of Teotl: Observing the natural world, such as peacock tail feathers or animals, can illustrate the beauty inherent in Teotl's design, contrasting with man-made objects that lack symmetry and order, reflecting a disconnection from Teotl. Evolution drives towards higher beauty, consciousness, and balance, aligning with Teotl's principles. Moral Conduct as Path to Authenticity: Morally appropriate behavior develops one's authentic human nature, enriches life, and cultivates a good heart. In contrast, morally inappropriate actions leave individuals undeveloped and impoverished. Moderation in all pursuits, as advocated in Buddhist and Aristotelian philosophy, is the key to wisdom and balance. Image 49 Image 50 Health Issues as Byproduct of Lifestyle: Conditions such as autoimmune diseases, mental illnesses, and heart disease are not merely accidental but result from how individuals live, including diet and mindset. Societal spoilage stems from a collective disconnect from Teotl, leading to an imbalance between oneself and the environment. Purpose of Education: The true aim of education is to cultivate a wise and robust character, instilling the means to maintain balance in life. Modern education fails to provide this, focusing on academic achievements. Still, one can take individual responsibility for their own furthered education in wisdom and authenticity. Image 51 Role of Educator and Ritual Activities: The educator's task is to shape character and foster a connection to Teotl. Addressing issues like addiction requires rituals and techniques that restore balance and purity. Modern society needs new, relevant methods to realign with the heart and Teotl. Image 52 Interplay of Aesthetics, Morality, and Knowledge: Aesthetic value correlates with moral and epistemological value. Balance, truth, and purity enhance aesthetic appeal, while disorder and impurity reflect ugliness. Appropriate techniques and rituals should be developed to address specific imbalances and reclaim connection with Teotl. Image 53 Image 54 Artistic Integrity and Business Alignment: Genuine artistic creations and business operations should be well-rooted, balanced, true, and pure, reflecting and disclosing Teotl or ultimate reality. Leo critiques businesses that are detached from Teotl, causing ecological and societal damage, and suggests striving to align business practices with Teotl to promote balance and purity in the cosmos. Aesthetic Value and Moral Uprightness: Art and creative endeavors are aesthetically valuable when they present and embody Teotl, contributing positively to cosmic balance and purity. This requires a "Teotlized" heart, implying that the individual must be morally upright and aligned with ultimate truth to produce such work. Image 55 Image 56 Materialism and Environmental Collapse: Leo points to the harmful impacts of businesses operated by people who lack a connection to Teotl, such as environmental destruction and social conflicts. He considers the rational-materialistic focus damaging, leading to widespread suffering and instability. Upright Behavior and Knowledge of Truth: Leo asserts that those who are unaware of Teotl create destructive art and business practices. He underscores the necessity for creators and leaders to be morally upright to contribute positively to society and the environment. Image 57 Life, Suffering, and Transience: Drawing parallels with Buddhist teachings on suffering and impermanence, Leo emphasizes the importance of connecting to Teotl to minimize personal and societal suffering. This connection can transform one's life into a beautiful and noble existence, akin to "flowering and singing." Image 58 Life Blueprint and Self-Connection: Leo reiterates the importance of connecting with one's true nature, Teotl, to lead a fulfilling life. He describes this as the "master blueprint" for an amazing life and warns against the futility of seeking satisfaction in transient worldly pursuits. Religion and Its Essence: Encouraging a deep understanding of religion, Leo asks materialists and atheists to contemplate the significance of religion and find the kernel of truth it holds. He advocates an integral approach to spiritual texts, gleaning from them the high-level concepts and techniques to apply to one's life, transcending dogmatic and orthodox views. Integrative Approach to Wisdom: Leo advises studying a variety of spiritual and philosophical texts to triangulate on wisdom and truth. He emphasizes the value of ancient scriptures while cautioning against becoming overly attached to any single tradition to avoid spiritual traps and broaden one's understanding of truth. Undervaluing Religion's Wisdom: Leo criticizes the materialist view that dismisses religion as outdated superstition. He highlights the importance of recognizing the valuable role religion has played in human societies across history and seeks to uncover the deeper truths contained within spiritual traditions. Expecto Patronum
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Leo Gura Ego Death & Reality vs. Dream [Part 2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YspFR9JAq3w Introduction to Part 2: The second part of the conversation with Leo Gura continues from where part one ended, exploring the nature of consciousness, and idealism, suggesting that individuals are expressions of God but have forgotten this truth. Curt Jaimungal's role and focus: Curt, a filmmaker with a background in mathematical physics, delves into theories of everything with a focus on the nexus between consciousness and theoretical physics. He shares his intent to examine these subjects with rigor and clarity. Interview dynamics and length: The interview is noted as the longest Curt has had, characterized by reflective pauses and moments of fervor that he chose to retain in the recording for their expressiveness. Recommendation for audience engagement: Curt encourages the audience to engage in deeper conversations on related subjects through the podcast's Discord and subreddit and thanks patrons and sponsors for their support. Sponsors' support for exploration: The support from sponsors like Algo, Brilliant, and Project Transcend is acknowledged, as it enables the podcast to delve into topics such as consciousness and various theories in theoretical physics. Curt's acknowledgments and reflections: He offers thanks to those who introduced him to Leo's content and reviewers who provided analysis of the previous interview, committing to better internalize and communicate Leo's teachings. Discussion approach and self-critique: Curt recognizes his own tendencies during the interviews, such as being overly contentious and neglecting to fully appreciate and convey Leo's points, pledging to improve future discussions by embracing Leo's terminology and ideas more openly. Balancing objections with openness: Curt admits his challenge in balancing skepticism with genuine truth-seeking, aiming to alter his approach by similarly considering what is right about Leo's perspective, not just potential flaws. Comments moderation policy: Curt explains his policy of engagement with audience comments, differentiating between critiques directed at himself versus ad hominem comments toward Leo, aiming to foster constructive discourse. Uniform oneness and fractal reality: The infinite field of consciousness must construct differences to manifest varied experiences, much like the Big Bang transitioning from oneness to a diverse universe. God's desire for exploration: Like a mathematician fascinated by the infinite intricacies of numbers, God explores its own finite aspects, desiring granularity over abstract infinity. Human vs. God imagination: Humans imagine within physical and societal constraints, but from the God perspective, there are no limits to manifesting entire universes or new experiences. Psychosis and societal norms: Those with unbounded imaginations, like individuals experiencing psychosis, often find difficulty adhering to the consensus reality and can face institutionalization or exclusion. Survival and maintaining humanness: The limited scope of human imagination is tethered to the necessity of maintaining a coherent human experience and aligns with societal survival mechanisms. The responsibility to explore: Despite the limitless imagination from the divine viewpoint, humans face the responsibility of staying grounded in consensus reality to function and survive. Imagining new realities: God's boundless imagination can envision anything, including new universes or continents, transcending the limitations of human conceptualization. Constrained human imagination: Humans are limited in what they can imagine, as losing grasp on consensus reality can lead to dysfunction and being labeled as psychotic or schizophrenic. Survival's grip on imagination: The attachment to survival constrains our ability to experience reality beyond the physical; fear of death roots us in this dream life, preventing exploration of infinite possibilities across universes. Disclaimer for at-risk individuals: Leo issues a warning that those with mental instability or contemplating suicide should be cautious with these concepts and anchor themselves in reality to handle survival basics. Life's value amidst non-duality: While reality is a dream and life may seem insignificant from an absolute point of view, Leo urges valuing life as a precious gift, maintaining good health, and not succumbing to harm based on philosophical explorations. Relative vs. absolute perspectives on life and death: Actions like suicide are neither fundamentally wrong nor right, fitting within infinite reality; the decision is relative, with Leo finding reasons such as terminal illness sometimes justifiable, but generally advocating for appreciating life's beauty. Interplay between evidence and definitions of God: Echoing Tyler Goldstein's sentiment, Leo suggests that a lack of evidence for God should inspire a transformation of the definition of God, emphasizing truth-seeking over god-seeking and staying open to surprises on the spiritual journey. Unknown specifics within infinity: Leo distinguishes between general omniscience, realizing the concept of infinity, and specific omniscience, which details exact knowledge of events or entities; he admits many individual aspects of existence remain mysterious even when aware of infinity. Illusions of objective reality: The consensus concept of objective reality is questioned as layers of shared imagination create illusionary objectivity, highlighting the challenge in distinguishing between vivid dreams and waking life cohesion. Differentiating degrees and kinds: Curt explores the question of when differences in degree between entities or phenomena translate into differences of a fundamentally different kind, a notion not fully appreciated in debates like pro-life vs. pro-choice or the analogy between dream states and waking life. Imagination and distinction: Leo addresses the question of difference and imagination, explaining that differences are relative and subject to how they're delineated by the mind, which can alter some boundaries, like the definition of when life begins, while others, like physical separations, are more fixed by universal laws or physics. Cohesion and consistency in reality: He elaborates on why reality feels solid and persistent, contrasting this with the fluidity of dreams. Cohesion and consistency are crucial for constructing a reality indistinguishable from a dream without glitches, which requires a consistent dreaming process. Hallucination and material reality: Psychedelics are discussed as tools that reveal the malleable nature of material reality, challenging materialist perspectives and forcing a reevaluation of the solidity of reality constructs, such as the brain or atoms. Literality of labels: Leo argues that labels like "real" and "unreal" are variable and that reality is an interplay of imagination where even constructs like Santa Claus can be real in the context of consciousness, highlighting the need for a worldview adjustment when we redefine terms. Academic attachment to model of reality: He critiques the academic and scientific tendency to rigidly anchor reality in concepts like materialism, which filter out experiences that don't fit within their paradigm, warning that this approach limits our understanding of an infinite reality. Dissolving physical limitations: Leo explains that through the expansion of consciousness and the use of psychedelics, even seemingly solid physical boundaries can begin to dissolve, similar to experiences in dreams, illustrating the influence of imagination on perception. Permanence of differences: By using the example of one's wife vs. Santa Claus, Leo contends that differences we perceive as permanent are actually variable, subject to change under different conditions, and that materialists err in assuming the fundamental permanence of such distinctions. Literal interpretation of scientific rigor: Scientists often believe in the rigorousness of their fields, like mathematics and logic, but Leo argues that the perceived concreteness is an illusion; even quantum mechanics involves metaphorical explanations. Limitation of the scientific mindset: A rigorous approach to reality creates a self-fulfilling prophecy, where a scientist's expectation of strictness and precision shapes their perception, leading to a reality that reflects these biases, similar to a conspiracy theorist creating a paranoid worldview. Construct awareness: Leo emphasizes a developmental stage called "construct awareness," where individuals realize how their minds construct their perceived reality. Most scientists have not reached this stage, hindering their ability to transcend materialism and fully understand the infinite nature of reality. Ego's defense mechanisms: The mind-scientific or otherwise-constructs a limited reality and defends this model by denying or discrediting experiences that contradict it, creating a hermetically sealed worldview. Problems with logicism and paradoxes: Leo discusses historical attempts, such as Gottlob Frege's, to base all of mathematics on logic, which were undermined by paradoxes like Russell's Paradox. Such endeavors reveal the impossibility of fully capturing infinite truths within finite logical systems. Inadequacy of logical proofs: Proofs depend on the prior existence of truth. Leo criticizes the common assumption that every truth must be provable, suggesting instead the recognition of truths beyond provability and the limitations of reason. Limits of consistency and provability: Gödel's incompleteness theorem, which trades off between consistency and provability, underlines limitations. When discussing logic, Leo points out that accepting contradictions opens up infinite possibilities, which is more reflective of reality's true nature. Contradictions in logic as a pathway to infinity: Leo explains that contradictions allow for the recognition of infinite possibilities beyond what a finite logical system can accommodate, consistent with the infinite nature of reality. Limits of scientific models: Leo argues that scientific methods are useful within restrictions but fail to grasp the full complexity of reality, particularly in the realms of quantum mechanics where classical concepts don't apply. Ontological presuppositions in science: There is a dissonance where scientists claim to avoid ontological assumptions while implicitly operating within them, restricting the scope and limiting the understanding of relational reality versus objectivity. Scientism versus pure investigation: Leo differentiates between science entangled with ontological assumptions and the pure process of investigation free from metaphysical biases, suggesting that the former can hinder the discovery of deeper truths. Ontological assumptions in science: Scientists often unconsciously adopt a certain ontology and may be defensive and unaware of it, which can limit the scope and application of science. Materialist exploratory limitations: The process of debunking supernatural explanations (e.g., fairies, angels) through materialism and logic does not guarantee that this approach can be extended to the entire universe, as reality is infinite and science assumes a finite reality. Infinite versus finite methodologies: Since reality is infinite, using science-a finite method-to grasp all of reality is fundamentally flawed. Science is useful for understanding parts of reality but fails to address questions like "Why is there something rather than nothing?" Identifying limits of scientific inquiry: It's challenging to predetermine which questions science can or cannot answer. This meta-scientific question reveals the testing limits of scientific methods, as fully exploring and applying science to the universe is near-impossible. Science's sneaky ontology: Science often denies inconsistencies within itself and covertly brings in ontological assumptions about separate, discrete objects that it cannot prove-e.g., one's body being distinct from another's. Construct-aware science: Science should become construct-aware, recognizing how it constructs nature in the process of scientific inquiry. Transforming science's foundational philosophy and epistemology can enable groundbreaking research. Confusing models with reality: Science may claim not to make ontological claims and only provides models for predictions. However, Leo asserts science does make ontological claims by denying areas where it is inconsistent, failing to grasp its own construction of reality. Merging East and West knowledge: The integration of Western and Eastern perspectives is key, as Western philosophy and mysticism contain ideas typically associated with Eastern thought, challenging the East versus West dichotomy in understanding reality. Leo's synthesis of Eastern and Western philosophies: Despite the perception that Eastern philosophy is more aligned with his ideas, Leo asserts that his teachings are not novel but are rooted in the wisdom of Western philosophers, Christian mystics, and Sufi and Jewish mystics, advocating for a unified view of wisdom across cultures. The importance of progress: Leo embraces the Western concept of evolution and progress but redefines its purpose as an evolution towards higher consciousness and love. He emphasizes that progress is intrinsic to human and societal development. Compatibility of Leo's ideas with Western values: While acknowledging the material benefits of Western civilization, Leo sees a need to reintegrate the spiritual elements back into Western society to create a balance between material and spiritual development. Reconciling notions of progress with spirituality: Leo explains that understanding evolution from a spiritual perspective gives deeper meaning to Western scientific advancements, suggesting an evolutionary purpose and a target for humanity. Perpetuation of evolution and scientific advancement: Leo expects that future societies will not abandon material advancements like science, politics, and capitalism but will evolve to include mystical understanding. Progress in cognitive and moral development: Highlighting the importance of models from developmental psychology, Leo points to evidence of societal progress in increasing construct awareness and meta-thinking, as well as in fortifying pluralism, reduced discrimination, and an expanding sense of global ethics. Eastern and Western conceptions of reality: Leo finds the Eastern notion of a protean, cyclic reality fashionable, but believes the Western concept of a linear, distinct reality with moral absolutes also holds value, implying the necessity to merge both perspectives for a comprehensive worldview. Retaining Western advancements: Leo asserts that advancements from the Western tradition need not be lost; instead, they should be woven with spiritual understanding, alluding to a harmonious evolution of both material and spiritual dimensions within society. Absolute vs. relative insights: Distinguishing between absolute truths about the nature of existence and relative perspectives on societal matters, Leo acknowledges that his views on the latter may evolve while his understanding of absolutes like God or infinity remain unchanged. Anti-fragile nature of humanity: Leo believes mankind is exceptionally resilient due to selfishness, which paradoxically prevents self-destruction and ensures survival despite causing harm through actions like environmental damage or warfare. Self-correcting mechanism: He views humanity as inherently capable of learning from mistakes, implying that as pain from issues like climate change is felt, society will mobilize and enact change, showing an upward trend in collective conscious awareness. Learning through suffering: Suffering is seen as a key driver of human growth, with Leo suggesting that while wisdom can enable learning without suffering, most of humanity needs painful experiences to evolve. Metaphysical necessity of pain: Though suffering is not deemed metaphysically necessary for AI, Leo views it as vital for human psychological development given current evolutionary constraints. Feasibility of mind uploading: Leo dismisses the materialist pursuit of mind uploading as naive, criticizing figures like Ray Kurzweil for misunderstanding consciousness. He likens the ego, which materialists attempt to upload, to an illusory concept akin to Santa Claus. Exploring consciousness beyond computers: Leo promotes spiritual practices like meditation and psychedelics over technological advancements, suggesting they offer deeper insights into consciousness than computational means. Future consciousness exploration: He envisions a transformative future where genetic understanding of consciousness might create mystic generations capable of evolving human awareness far beyond current limitations. Experiencing versus understanding consciousness: Leo differentiates between the experience of consciousness and the empirical study of its architecture, suggesting a blend of spiritual experience and material study is necessary to truly understand consciousness. Science and metaphysics evolution: Leo and Curt discuss the evolution and integration of scientific understanding and metaphysical insights, emphasizing a balance between scientific models and direct spiritual experiences. Distinction between science and psychic realms: Physical reality, like the motion of the moon, appears consistent and deterministic, whereas psychic phenomena resemble uncertain quantum states, producing only probabilistic intuitions that are not guaranteed. Denial of psychic phenomena by materialists: Psychic phenomena have been statistically validated, but materialist scientists deny them to preserve their paradigm. They require paradigm opening before accepting such evidence. Open-mindedness and extraordinary evidence: Extraordinary evidence necessitates an extraordinarily open mind. Materialists mistakenly believe closed-minded scrutiny suffices for understanding extraordinary claims, underestimating the role of mindset in acknowledging evidence. Materialistic standards conflict with non-materialistic phenomena: Materialism's rigid standards fail to accommodate non-materialistic domains like psychic phenomena, hindering recognition of existing evidence. Empirical verification of God through psychedelics: Using psychedelics like 5-MeO-DMT can empirically reveal the existence of God. Materialists reject this method as hallucinatory, but scientific integrity requires practical application of the method before dismissing its validity. Consistency of psychedelic experiences: Leo states all psychedelics lead him to a state of infinite consciousness or love, with the type of psychedelic merely altering the "flavor" of the experience. Transformation through challenges: By directly confronting deep-seated fears like insanity, one gains empathy and a deeper appreciation for sanity and reality, despite potential loss of rationality or functionality. Limitations of language in expressing truth: Leo stresses the importance of experiencing states of consciousness beyond linguistic constructs to understand reality's transformative power, as language and concepts are insufficient in capturing profound realizations. Spiritual and intuitive inquiry: Curt clarifies his pursuit is not solely about building rational models but also involves intuition and judgment, recognizing that meaningful aspects of life transcend strict rationality. Critiques based on worldview differences: Some view Leo's insights as beyond Curt's rational model-focused approach, but Curt emphasizes his broader interest in truth and awakening beyond formal models. Models versus actuality: Leo cautions that a Theory of Everything is a concept, emphasizing the distinction between concepts and the true nature of being, advising truth seekers to focus on fundamental reality. Extraordinary open-mindedness as a prerequisite for insights: The acceptance of unusual phenomena like psychic experiences depends on an open-minded approach, contrasting with the skeptical framework that predetermines outcomes based on existing beliefs. Changeability of the mind: Despite its stubbornness, the human mind can change given sufficient experience, exemplified by Leo's shift from materialism to a belief in God following a profound experience. Experience vs. belief: Direct experience always trumps belief, and individuals will change long-held beliefs when confronted with undeniable evidence, yet the mind resists experiences that could challenge its current worldviews. Materialist perspectives and avoidance: The materialist mind may avoid experiences that challenge its skepticism, such as attending 'hippie-dippy' events associated with psychedelics, due to preconceived notions of what is unscientific or a waste of time. Michael Shermer's openness: Skeptic Michael Shermer surprisingly attends Deepak Chopra's meditation retreats despite apparent ideological differences, indicating an openness to experiences beyond his usual skepticism. Beliefs shaping reality: Leo clarifies that while reality is ultimately imaginary, believing alone doesn't materialize desires like wealth. Imagination is deeper than belief, and while both a chair and Santa Claus are imaginary, Santa is a weaker form of imagination under ego control, unlike the chair which is part of a universal imagination. The ego's control and definition of reality: The ego defines reality based on what it does not control, which is typically outside the individual's influence-what the ego perceives as objective reality. Ego perception and self-bias: The ego perceives reality selfishly, corrupting the understanding of good, love, and reality itself by defining them in terms that benefit it personally. Control, omnipotence, and belief in finitude: Omnipotence implies indistinction between the controller and the controlled, but believing oneself to be a finite form, like a human body, naturally limits control. Skepticism and worldview: Genuine skepticism involves questioning even one's skeptical worldview, recognizing that it often serves as a defense mechanism rooted in fear and not a path to ultimate truth. Fear and its impact on truth-seeking: Fear is antithetical to genuine truth-seeking as it often signifies a rejection of uncomfortable or challenging aspects of reality, whereas genuine pursuit of truth accepts reality no matter the cost. Science and its assumed path to truth: Leo challenges the assumption that science necessarily leads to truth, suggesting that scientists need to be willing to accept that science, as a methodology, could be a delusion if ultimate truth demands it. Leo's perspective on truth and selfishness: Leo discusses the connection between fear and truth, indicating that fear is an avoidance of one's infinite self, which is the truth. All fears are ultimately unfounded since they are based on imagined distinctions that do not exist in a state of infinite consciousness. Fear of losing self in the pursuit of truth: Leo and Curt explore the fear associated with pursuing truth, contemplating the implications of shedding all selfishness as potentially leading to self-destructive actions. This highlights the deep existential concern that without selfishness, one might act in ways that are contrary to personal survival and well-being. Dynamics of fear in relationship to awakening: Truth is equated with infinite love, and falsely perceiving differences in experiences as good or bad breeds fear. An awakened state is characterized by the absence of fear, as one recognizes all experiences as equal manifestations of the infinite self. Balance between love and survival: The conversation touches on the nature of reality as a game, where the avoidance of infinite love equates to a necessary survival mechanism. Leo sees this reluctance to face truth as a fundamental aspect of life and a way to maintain existence. Surrender to truth as equivalent to truth-seeking: Leo defines surrendering as the act of fully accepting reality as it is, which equates to seeking truth. Ego resists this surrender due to its perceived need for control and survival. Metaphor of Satan/Lucifer for ego: The figures of Satan and Lucifer are described as symbols for the ego's illusion of separatism and control-representing the ego's attempt to dominate its own realm contrary to the boundlessness of truth. Dichotomy between philosophical denial of free will and behavior: Atheists like Sam Harris may intellectually deny free will but still behave as if they exercise control, displaying cognitive dissonance. Leo discusses that despite philosophical beliefs, everyday reactions suggest an underlying expectation of control. Cognitive dissonance between belief and behavior: Leo illustrates how the ego creates complex ideologies that obscure the connection between worldview and suffering, culminating in cognitive dissonance where actions contradict proclaimed beliefs. Difficulty of separating concepts and being: Leo explains the challenge of using language that inherently suggests separateness, distinguishing between upper case "You" representing the all-encompassing self and lower case "you" denoting individual identity within the larger universal context. Science creating distinctions: Science relies on distinguishing between what's considered scientific and non-scientific (pseudoscience), upholding a dichotomy that defines science's boundaries. Reality inclusive of non-science: However, science's denial of non-scientific elements, like Santa Claus, is a denial of aspects of reality, as all things are part of reality – even those deemed non-scientific by its standards. Science of conceptual entities: The possibility of a valid scientific exploration of conceptual entities like unicorns exists, which differs from their physical existence, focusing instead on their conceptualization within reality. Encountering worldview contradictions: When faced with ideas that contradict one's worldview, the response may be to embrace contradictions or claim that these contradictions paradoxically support one's existing beliefs. Authority in determining truth: Seeking an external authority for truth is common, but non-duality suggests that truth must come from within as all distinctions, including authority, collapse, leaving only the self as the judge of truth. Self-authority as the ultimate truth: In non-duality, since God (the infinite self) has no outside, it has no external authority; thus, whatever God (the individual) deems true becomes its reality – showcasing the infinite power of self-authority. God's capacity for self-deception: Despite God's infinite authority, it can deceive itself indefinitely, conjuring its own reality based on its imaginations, which for the finite self (lowercase 'u') may be construed as delusions. Lowercase 'u' vs. uppercase 'U': There is a distinction between truth from the finite, individual self (lowercase 'u') and the infinite self (uppercase 'U' or God) with the latter being fully authoritative in its declarations of truth. Hermetically sealed worldviews: Individuals create closed-off systems of belief, mistaking them for the ultimate reality, while non-duality reveals the capacity to construct and deconstruct such systems. Love as the essence of reality: Addressing the nature of God and truth, Leo explains that the essence of reality is infinite love, challenging the constraints of isolationist and finite perspectives. Dynamic of surrender and spiritual growth: The journey towards infinite love involves continuously surrendering finite definitions of self, progressing to a state of peace where all perspectives, even conflicting ones, can be accepted without defense. Self-criticism as an indicator of care: The act of self-criticism implies an underlying sense of care and correct orientation, suggesting a person's conscientiousness despite potential over-seriousness in personal evaluation. Guilt and developmental stages: Guilt is recognized as evolutionarily necessary at lower levels of development to confront ego-driven actions, but higher spiritual realizations require self-acceptance and the cessation of self-judgment. Complexity of guilt dynamics: The spiritual journey involves a paradox where recognizing one's flaws calls for self-love and self-forgiveness, even in the face of egregious missteps, which challenges societal norms and traditional religious precepts. True integration of Christian teachings: Leo explains that fully embracing Christian teachings means loving oneself unconditionally despite one's flaws, yet not using this as justification for harmful actions. Social acceptance vs spiritual honesty: Expressing the philosophy of self-acceptance can be socially threatening, as it seems to offer a carte blanche for sin, which society construes as dangerous for collective thriving. Concept of sin and societal constructs: Leo discusses sin as a societal construct meant to facilitate legal and social order, suggesting that a deeper understanding and release of the concept may paradoxically lead to more virtuous behavior. Karmic consequences of labeling sin: The labeling of actions as 'sinful' sets up a karmic dynamic where one sees reality through a moralistic filter, creating cycles of guilt and self-recrimination. Self-forgiveness amidst serious mistakes: Leo emphasizes the importance of maintaining love for oneself even after serious errors, viewing this acceptance as a pathway toward spiritual growth and evolution. Upholding moral standards while embracing non-duality: Leo acknowledges the difficulty of reconciling the non-dualistic acceptance of all facets of oneself with societal norms that demand moral accountability and condemnation of wrongdoing. Challenging conventional views of divine encounters: Leo redefines typical responses to divine encounters, suggesting one need not apologize or feel sorry to God, as the assumption of sin and the accompanying guilt are unnecessary in the face of divine acceptance. Seeing all as divine, including Jesus and Hitler: Leo states that all beings are divine, including historical figures like Jesus and Hitler, noting that recognizing the divinity in oneself and in all is integral to spiritual awakening. Jungian shadow integration related to God-realization: He links the process of integrating one's shadow with the realization of God, suggesting embracing all aspects of oneself, even those labeled as evil or unwanted, is essential for true love and understanding. Asymptotic process of shadow integration: The full integration of one's shadow is described as an ongoing, asymptotic process that never quite reaches completeness but continuously evolves toward greater wholeness. Spiritual realization as a choice free from compulsion: Leo stresses that the pursuit of truth, awakening, or God should be a voluntary choice motivated by intrinsic desire and not out of obligation or forced reasoning. Personal integration of honesty for spiritual advance: Honesty is underscored as vital for spiritual advancement, with Leo recalling a personal experience where acknowledging his own deceptions was a prerequisite for further development. The foundational role of honesty: Honesty serves as a foundational principle for approaching truth and facilitates a clearer perception of reality, essential for both spiritual and personal growth. Lies, karma, and self-deception: Lies mix selfish intent with truth, and perpetuating them creates suffering and distortion of reality-this karmic dynamic is intrinsic to ego-based deception and is countered by honesty. Weaponization of ideals: Leo illustrates how partial truths can be twisted to fit one's worldview, like a vaping CEO dismissing studies for self-preservation. This self-deception involves first lying to oneself, then others, often unconsciously, and becomes the foundation for a distorted perception of reality. Consequences of deep lies: Living a life built on deep lies one cannot face has profound karmic repercussions, as it forces one to avoid the truth and hold a skewed view of concepts such as science, leading to an ongoing conflict with reality. Survival conflicts with truth: The ego's survival instinct can create a conflict of interest, leading to a denial of facts that threaten one's livelihood or deep-seated beliefs, often resulting in a twisted worldview that rationalizes personal agendas. Self-deception and devilry: The most insidious form of deception is the strategic intertwining of truth with lies, carried out by the ego to justify selfishness under the guise of partial truths, a process Leo defines as "devillery." Finite versus infinite: Leo discusses the sinfulness associated with finiteness, suggesting that conflating the part for the whole leads to problems, akin to the Gnostic view that materiality is sinful. Leo advises recognizing the holographic nature of reality, where each part reflects the whole, thus bridging the apparent gap between the finite and infinite. Holism versus fragmentation: Leo posits that ultimate truth lies in holistic perception, while fragmentation and focusing on parts as complete "wholes" results in falsehood, similar to how science might propose it can understand everything. Lies tied to finiteness: Curt Jaimungal questions the connection between lies (which he associates with finite aspects) and sin, proposing that finite elements and temporality may be intimately linked to what's considered sinful. Leo confirms this, explaining the concept of holography in consciousness, where every part, even something as small as a charger cable, carries infinity within it, challenging the notion that finiteness is inherently profane. Curt's approach to interviews: Curt recognizes the need to focus on what is right about a speaker's points and rephrase them in an agreeable way, rather than just pointing out contradictions. Literal mindedness and scientific attitude: Leo observes that scientifically minded individuals can be overly literal, expecting reality to follow simple binary logic like ones and zeros in a computer, but human minds function in a much looser way. Computational models of reality: In response to computational approaches to theorizing about reality, Leo points to chaos theory's proof that you can't predict systems like weather long-term because of the butterfly effect, supporting computational irreducibility as recognized by Wolfram. Models vs. reality and their limitations: Leo cautions about getting too lost in models to the point of ignoring the actual world. He states that models are crucial, but not infinite, and cannot predict everything or reach infinity. Map vs. territory concept: Leo discusses how models (maps) can become so detailed that people might forget to experience real life (the territory), warning against becoming too absorbed in models to the detriment of engaging with the actual world. Impact of isolation and shallowness of social interactions: Leo admits a preference for deeper engagements with reality over shallow social interactions, explaining why some mystics seek isolation. However, he doesn't advocate total disengagement and values connecting with all types of people. Flip side of isolation: Curt self-reflects on his personal antisocial tendencies, valuing deeper connections with family, and the impacts of projecting onto others, recognizing the potential to push oneself toward social engagements as a spiritual practice. Pressures and temptations for the wealthy: Curt speculates on the additional spiritual challenges faced by the wealthy, noting that material abundance can make spiritual focus more difficult, contradicting the common dismissal of the rich as merely materialistic. Handling ego and spiritual growth alongside everyday life: Both Curt and Leo discuss the challenge of maintaining spiritual growth and applying it in practical aspects like business, family, and politics, without retreating into monk-like isolation. Models, precision, and the trap of detail: Leo advises Curt to balance the big picture with the attention to detail, expressing concern that exclusive focus on conceptual work may hinder personal spiritual awakening. The 'better the model, the bigger the problem' view: Leo introduces the idea that highly refined models can become a hindrance rather than an aid in understanding reality, as they may draw attention away from direct experience and interaction with the world. Effects of fame on Leo Gura's social life: Leo reminisces about a time when he was more publicly recognized, noting a decrease in such occurrences as his content delved into niche subjects. Views on personal vices and habits: Leo discusses his perspective on watching porn and eating meat, explaining that he doesn't see such activities as detrimental to his spirituality and acknowledging the healthy push towards vegetarianism. Spirituality in unconventional spaces: Leo shares experiences of discussing spirituality in places like strip clubs, indicating that profound insights about the divine can emerge even in seemingly unlikely or non-traditional settings. Jailbreaking the mind: The process of spiritual growth and ego death can be likened to jailbreaking a phone, which carries inherent risks and may lead to detrimental outcomes if not done carefully. Fear of negative consequences: Curt expresses a concern that fully surrendering to what he perceives as God's will could result in harmful actions like suicide or harming others, revealing a profound fear of trusting himself and the world. Attachment and prioritization: Curt admits his attachment to his wife and life, suggesting that his reluctance to change or surrender these attachments indicates a prioritization of survival over spiritual truth. Facing physical death and the leap of faith: Leo insists that confronting physical death is essential for experiencing God, and true awakening requires accepting the risk of death and being willing to "jump" into infinite love. Rapid-fire questions and focus on Leo: Despite intentions to discuss more personal aspects of Leo, the conversation delves deeper into his spiritual ideas with rapid-fire questions on his perspective and experiences. Challenges in promoting a Theory of Everything: Leo offers advice to individuals like Steve Scully, who propose theories of everything but struggle to gain recognition, suggesting a long-term commitment to developing and sharing their theories instead of seeking instant validation. Information sorting and fringe theories: The challenge faced by individuals like Curt in deciding which theories to explore, amidst an abundance of both serious and crackpot ideas, is outlined, emphasizing the importance of careful discernment and the evolving ability to recognize valuable theories. Personal examples of fear and ego management: Curt shares his fears around engaging deeply with spiritual topics, including the concern of self-harm or harming others, as well as the difficulty of managing his ego post-psychedelic experience. Popularizing personal theories: Leo emphasizes that success and recognition in sharing theories require persistent self-promotion and providing value rather than relying on a single influential person to "put you on." He encourages creators to continuously work hard and explore multiple avenues, such as reaching out to various influencers, starting one's own channel, or offering unique value to potential collaborators. Persistence despite rejection: Leo advises those facing rejection not to be discouraged but to persist and increase their efforts in promoting their work, suggesting that the more effort one puts in, the more likely luck will favor them. Offering value for collaboration: When seeking opportunities for collaboration or promotion, Leo highlights the importance of offering something of value in return, whether through bringing subscribers, sending gifts, or other means that can appeal to the potential collaborator's interests. Evolution from indie filmmaking to TOE: Curt reflects on his transition from indie filmmaking, abbreviated as "if TOE," to working on theories of everything ("TOE"), seeing it as symbolic of his growing open-mindedness and readiness to embrace broader understandings. Staying still while recording videos: Leo shares that sitting during recordings helps maintain a still posture and avoids distractions like looking at oneself, which ensures a focused and engaged delivery to the camera. Challenges of non-linear thinking in public speaking: Leo discusses his biggest speaking challenge-maintaining structure in his speeches due to his highly nonlinear and intuitive mind that naturally explores various threads and tangents of thought. Perception of own influence and followers: Leo reveals that the amazement of having a large following fades over time as one gets accustomed to it; he also addresses the dangers of ego inflation from fan admiration and the necessity of balanced feedback. Viewing critics as trolls: Curt considers taking serious criticism as a means of improvement, while Leo suggests that some critics are indeed trolls and that it's necessary to differentiate between constructive criticism and non-helpful negativity. Using spirituality to avoid psychological issues: Spiritual bypassing is discussed as the misuse of spirituality to evade addressing personal problems, implying that genuine spiritual growth requires confronting one's shadow and working through psychological challenges. Questioning the necessity of suffering for spiritual growth: Leo questions the belief that suffering is necessary to attain spiritual heights, warning against self-fulfilling prophecies and encouraging a recognition that spiritual awakening can happen easily for some people. Reinforcement of perception: The way you perceive the world often reinforces itself – difficulties can become self-fulfilling prophecies based on one's mindset, advising caution against negative outlooks. Advice to younger generations: Leo emphasizes the practical value of imparting wisdom to youth so they can avoid repeating historical mistakes and navigate life more effectively, recognizing the importance of learning from elders and ancestral wisdom as crucial. Increasing disregard for wisdom: Discusses the modern cultural decline in the appreciation of wisdom, exacerbated by social media and other influences, making a case for why wisdom, even within academia, is crucial and should not be hastily discarded. Idealized views of spiritual figures: Misconceptions about Jesus and Buddha are likely due to the development of myths over time, with actual historical knowledge quite scant, suggesting that if details of their lives were known, they'd seem less deified and more human. Jesus's special consciousness: While everyone embodies divinity in some sense, Leo speculates that Jesus possibly had a uniquely high baseline consciousness with paranormal abilities, illustrated through variability in human traits such as height and cognition. Thumbnail selection process: Leo actively collects various images online and from stock photo sites, keeping them for future video topics. He occasionally modifies images in Photoshop, aligning with his aesthetic orientation and graphic design experience. Video preparation method: Leo combines both premeditated outline preparation and spontaneous expression during recordings. For technical subjects, he prepares outlines but prefers improv as it yields more organic insights, albeit with the risk of missing key points. Video recording technique: Videos are shot in a single take without edits, a skill developed over time akin to live public speaking. Leo uses a teleprompter-like setup with a two-way mirror for notes, enabling a natural flow. Opinion on UFOs and altered states for contact: Personal lack of experience with UFOs but believes in their existence due to the abundance of reports across time and cultures. Claims the difficulty of capturing fast-moving objects like UFOs on camera should not dismiss their existence. Open to the idea that altered states or specific methodologies like CE5 could potentially facilitate contact with extraterrestrial entities. Spiritual perfection and imperfection: Leo points out that even entities recognized as spiritually elevated, like Jesus or the Buddha, likely had imperfections, and their historical depictions are probably idealized, with actual videos likely showing them as less divine than portrayed. Jesus's unique abilities: Speculates that Jesus had extraordinary conscious and mystical abilities due to genetic makeup, possibly healing certain individuals which contributed to his supernatural reputation. Content creation and selection process: Describes an aesthetic approach to choosing thumbnails for videos, accumulating a collection of images for future use, and personally modifying them to fit video themes. Non-edited recordings: Leo recounts his practice of recording videos without cuts similar to live public speaking, which has improved his articulation over time. Acknowledging the existence of UFOs: Leo believes in the plausibility of UFOs, acknowledging the challenge in capturing them on camera, and suggests personal experiences strongly influence an individual's belief in such phenomena. Riffing vs. outlining for content delivery: Mentions a balance between pre-contemplation and casual delivery of content, with some topics requiring detailed preparation, while others benefit from impromptu speaking for authenticity. Critique of UFO skepticism: Challenges the idea that all UFO evidence is unconvincing or hoaxed, considering the technical difficulties of photographing fast-moving objects and the substantial anecdotal evidence suggesting their reality. Occam's Razor Misapplication: Leo considers the dismissal of UFOs as a misuse of Occam's Razor. He believes that given the vast number of stars and planets, the existence of aliens is highly probable, challenging the simplistic application of this principle by skeptics. Bayesian Reasoning Flaws: Leo criticizes Bayesian reasoning for being susceptible to subjective biases. It assumes starting probabilities that cannot be known and is affected by the reference class problem, making it unreliable for making conclusions about phenomena like UFOs. Probability Assessment Challenge: Discussing the issue of assigning probabilities to unique events, Leo notes the inherent difficulty in determining the chances of occurrences like UFO sightings and points out how personal experiences can drastically alter someone's perceived probability of such events. Intuition as Consciousness Access: Leo describes intuition as an aspect of consciousness that allows for logical leaps without a formal pattern. It's an irreducibly mysterious element he ties to infinite intelligence, and while he believes intuition can be developed, he refrains from recommending specific books on the topic. Role of Arts in Awakening: Leo sees beauty as fundamental to reality and ties art to participating in the creative process of God. He views art, including music, films, and his own work, as expressions of God's creative power and encourages people to treat every aspect of life, from business to cooking, as an art form for a fulfilling existence. Art and Psychedelics: Addressing the appreciation of art under the influence of psychedelics, Leo discusses the ability to perceive beauty in all forms, and the shift in perception that allows even the mundane to appear divine. He suggests that all music, including "left-brain" music, can be experienced as profound under psychedelics. Experiencing Psychedelic-Induced Psychosis: Leo talks about his states of madness during mushroom trips, describing them as humbling and developing empathy for those with mental illnesses. He emphasizes the importance of facing fears of insanity and learning from the experience. Sanity Appreciation: He reflects on the value of sanity, which is often taken for granted until lost. Leo stresses that losing sanity briefly aids in understanding its importance and appreciating the grounding and coherence it provides. Ontology and Epistemology Coupling: In the CTMU, ontology and epistemology are understood to be inseparably coupled, a contrast to their traditional separation. Chris Langan suggests that through truths like Gödel's incompleteness theorem, reality can't fully be explained by reason alone. Language and Non-Language: Leo warns about equating everything with language or reason, as he differentiates between human language and other forms of expression, which can include experiences beyond language. He invites those engaged in logical or conceptual work, like followers of the CTMU, to attain states of consciousness where language doesn't apply, enriching their understanding beyond linguistic constructs. Psychedelics vs. Traditional Enlightenment: Addressing the comparison between psychedelic experiences and traditional forms of enlightenment, Leo clarifies that the core truths of absolute reality are uniform and can be accessed through various means, whether psychedelics or meditation. He emphasizes that while his teachings do not exclusively advocate for psychedelics, they are an accessible tool for those not adept at or committed to profound meditative practices. Relativity of Spiritual Practice: Leo agrees with the premise that attempting to bring the absolute into the relative is somewhat delusional, given the illusory nature of separation. However, he portrays this process as a personal and deliberate choice of delusion for one's own sake – a conscious game rather than a genuine effort to convert others who, from a non-dual standpoint, don't exist separately. Possibility of Perfect Embodiment: Leo is open to the idea that it could be metaphysically possible to embody the absolute perfectly, but pragmatically, he sees this as incredibly challenging due to human limitations. He actively discourages imposing expectations of perfection on oneself or spiritual teachers, recognizing that finite physical and psychological factors inevitably influence one's actions and thoughts. Expectations in Spiritual Teaching: He warns against the trap of using any imperfection in spiritual teachers as evidence to discredit their insights, illustrating the futility and potential ego-serving nature of such critiques. Leo advises a balance between striving for alignment with spiritual truths and exercising compassion towards oneself and others in the face of inevitable human imperfections. Jesus in Modern Times: If Jesus returned to the current era, modern evangelicals might reject him as a communist for advocating to care for the poor. Evolution Beyond Atheism: There's a cognitive development trajectory from fundamentalist Christians, to atheists who question beliefs, to a deeper understanding of God, embodying true Christian values. Sly Answers of Spiritual Figures: Like a Zen master, Jesus avoided affirming or denying claims of being the Son of God, embodying humility and avoiding the egoic pitfalls of explicitly claiming divinity. Teacher-Student Dynamic: Teaching inherently suggests superiority, and some spiritual practitioners may refrain from teaching to avoid these implications and the shortcomings of language in conveying truth. Leo on The Ra Material: Leo finds the core teachings about infinity in The Ra Material aligned with his views, but remains skeptical of its more esoteric claims, such as the construction of the Egyptian pyramids being a manifestation of consciousness rather than built manually. Hypothetical Issue with Leo's Theory: A scenario where a daughter imagines a $100 bill on her desk based on her mother's assertion examines layers of imagination in perception. Leo suggests all parties, including the daughter, mother, and $100 bill, are imagined within imagined layers, challenging the notion of objective reality. Objective Reality and Consensus: The concept of objective reality may relate to multiple layers of mutual imagination. Leo emphasizes reaching an understanding of the absolute, where the distinction between the absolute and notions of objectivity collapses. Leo Gura's Social Manner: Although perceived as serious online, Leo claims to be relaxed and playful in social settings, not always discussing profound topics like God. Social interactions and relatability: In casual social interactions, Leo discusses everyday topics like cat videos instead of deep metaphysical concepts to relate to people on a familiar level, which he finds enjoyable and necessary. Recommendations on psychedelic use to family: Leo has indeed recommended strong psychedelics to his family but does not push them to partake; he respects their individual choices and recognizes his mother's resistance due to traditional views. First-person reality experience: Leo's first-person experience of reality remains visually consistent but has undergone a profound recontextualization; every aspect is now seen as absolute truth, God, and imagination, rather than just a human perception. Perceiving objections as ego defense: When engaging with others, Leo acknowledges valid disagreements and differences in perspective; however, he also recognizes when people's objections stem from ego defenses, though not all objections are seen this way. Navigating arrogance and ego: Leo admits to sometimes feeling arrogant or looking down on others with lower consciousness or wisdom levels; managing this involves cultivating compassion for others' ignorance and recognizing one's own spiritual ego. Approach to justice and punishment: Leo doesn't rule out the death penalty in extreme cases where rehabilitation fails and immediate threat prevention is necessary, but he supports efforts towards rehabilitation consistent with certain Scandinavian models. Distinction between disapproval and condescension: Leo advocates for making survival-based societal decisions, such as imprisonment, without becoming morally superior; he distinguishes between disapproving of someone's actions and condescendingly looking down upon them. Recognizing and overcoming condescension: While truthful judgments about lower levels of consciousness can occur, it's a matter of balance and evolving beyond tendencies to look down on others by empathizing with their circumstances and recognizing the truth in their actions. Admitting personal shortcomings: Leo openly admits to his own shortcomings, recognizing instances where he has unjustly looked down on others and hopes to grow beyond such behavior. Rehabilitation and human error: Leo favors investing in rehabilitation over harsh punishment, understanding human behavior can often be attributed to circumstances beyond one's control, advocating for humane approaches within the justice system. Improvement of mental models: When confronted by others' seemingly poor decisions, rather than assuming superiority, consider updating personal mental models to more empathetically understand their actions. Philosophy of universal goodness: Deepening understanding may lead to the realization that all actions are inherently good, progressing toward the view that everything is absolutely good. Personal standards and self-judgment: Differences in self-regulation are highlighted, with Leo permitting himself occasional "sins" without self-rebuke, trusting in natural outgrowing of such behaviors, while the interviewer maintains tighter self-restraint. Leo's upbringing advantages: A balanced family dysfunction in childhood fostered Leo's independent thinking and work ethic, with his parents not imposing any strict worldviews, aiding in his open-minded development. Cultural perspective from emigration: Moving from Russia to the USA as a child allowed Leo to experience cultural relativism firsthand, understanding American cultural norms as somewhat arbitrary compared to different background. Educational opportunities and challenges: Acknowledges a fortunate upbringing with quality education in Southern California, despite financial challenges, which taught him fiscal responsibility. Attachments to Actualized.org: Leo recognizes his work with Actualized.org as his significant attachment and contemplates the potential need to disengage for further spiritual advancement versus the possibility of expanding his teaching. Treating life purpose as a game: Leo suggests finding fulfillment through engaging in a personal 'art form' that aligns with spiritual development, blending creative endeavors with the pursuit of spirituality. Practicality and spiritual work: Leo admits being practical and grounded in material life benefitted his spiritual work, and it's uncertain whether to pursue a more public teaching role or personal retreat for spiritual advancement. Judging others: Leo still judges others at times, acknowledging it as a work in progress, striving to overcome this behavior as his understanding evolves. He emphasizes that truly comprehensive understanding inherently encompasses empathetic perspectives of universally "good" actions. Leo's perspective on playing life seriously: Leo compares engaging in life to playing a serious game like Dark Souls, advocating for approaching every aspect with intense focus and curiosity. Early involvement in Bioshock Infinite: His initial role in Bioshock Infinite during pre-production was minimal; he contributed to early concept discussions, including proposing the idea of a female companion in the game, inspired by Half-Life 2. Breaking into game design: Leo entered game design through modding, creating a popular mod for Oblivion which he then used as a portfolio to get hired at Irrational Games. Job interview challenges: Sharing his experience with job interviews, particularly one with Todd Howard from Bethesda, Leo reflects on his early lack of interview skills and excitement that hindered his performance. Project development dynamics: Discussing game design processes, Leo describes pre-production stages where a team collaboratively discusses game mechanics, critiques past projects, and ideates future directions around a conference table. Leo's self-acknowledged "vice": Arrogance is identified as Leo's vice, stemming from his quick dismissal of what he perceives as "bullshit" and occasionally looking down on others, citing a developed skill for quickly detecting falsehoods in various domains. Public recognition over time: Leo notes that public recognition has decreased since his content has become more niche and YouTube traffic has grown more competitive; he recalls past experiences of being recognized in public. Personal consumption habits: Leo addresses vices like porn, which he does not view negatively in relation to his spiritual practice, and eating meat, despite a desire to shift toward vegetarianism or veganism for health and ethical reasons. Influence of consumption habits on spirituality: He argues that habits like masturbation do not detract from his consciousness or spiritual practice, and highlights the importance of personal responsibility and genetics in potential addictions. Leo's dietary choices: Due to energy requirements and the physical sensation of cold, Leo's attempts at a vegetarian diet have been unsuccessful. He remains open to alternatives like lab-grown meat but feels technology is not yet advanced enough to adopt fully. Perspectives on the porn industry: Leo has conflicting views on porn; he acknowledges issues in the industry and suggests avoiding it as it might skew perceptions of people as interchangeable. However, he mentions a trend towards user-generated content that reflects genuine relationships, which he views more positively. Preferences for high-quality adult content: Leo considers himself a connoisseur of porn, preferring premium, artistically shot adult content that enhances aesthetic appreciation over typical low-quality material. Finding spirituality in unexpected places: He recounts discussing spirituality and enlightenment with strippers at a Vegas strip club, illustrating his belief that divine understanding can exist in unconventional settings. Leveraging unusual topics to connect with others: Leo finds discussing psychic phenomena and hallucinations to be effective conversation starters, especially with women who are generally open to these topics. Leo's daily routine variability: Health issues cause inconsistency in Leo's routine, leading to days filled with varying activities-including work, relaxation, or coping with poor health-depending on his physical state. Balancing hard work with self-compassion: While Leo has a natural drive to work, he has learned the importance of self-care and compassion, especially regarding health-related limitations. Attachment to work and spiritual depth: Leo acknowledges that his conceptual work and recording videos can hinder deeper spiritual practices, as they involve analytical thinking which needs to be put aside for profound personal development. Embracing intuition alongside rigor: He attributes much of his insight to an intuitive understanding that helps him quickly discern the essence of ideas without getting lost in details, suggesting a balance between holistic intuition and focused study. Leo's perspective on intellectual rigor: Leo debates the merits of intellectual rigor, cautioning that getting lost in the minutiae may prevent one from seeing the bigger picture and reaching the highest level of understanding. Trade-off between details and the big picture: Leo expresses a preference for the big picture rather than getting bogged down in technical details, arguing that you can miss fundamental truths by focusing too much on specificity. Allocating energy between theories and truth: Leo advises Curt to develop a method for managing time and mental resources, warning that an obsession with theories and models can hinder the path to awakening. Curt's dilemma between rigorous study and awakening: Curt expresses concern that his meticulous nature and focus on developing a Theory of Everything could impede personal spiritual growth, potentially perpetuating the intellectual journey without reaching absolute truth. Existential decision on channel focus: Curt considers removing his name from his channel's title to underscore its goal-oriented nature and his role in contributing to the quest for a Theory of Everything, reflecting on whether he'll be the one to achieve it or pass the baton to another. Awakening's impact on Curt's work: Leo conveys that achieving awakening would significantly empower Curt's work, providing a unique perspective valuable to the scientific community, and marking not an end but a renaissance for his personal endeavors. Negative feedback and personal transformation: Leo shares experiences of negative feedback from personal development, highlighting the resistance to change by family, friends, and the community. He stresses the significance of pursuing authenticity over maintaining a "happy" facade. Curt's serious demeanor in interviews: Curt explains his seriousness during podcasts as an effort to remain engaged and authentic, avoiding superficiality and inviting genuine, in-depth conversation. Seriousness in online content: Leo advises Curt to focus on authenticity in his videos rather than modifying content due to seeming overly serious, as it's important for genuine engagement. Spiritual figures claiming godliness: Leo addresses the question by saying that many spiritual figures do indeed identify with God, but often use subtler language to avoid misinterpretation and the perception of arrogance. The danger of proclaiming divinity: Claiming to be God can be life-threatening, and throughout history, individuals like Mansur Al-Halaj have been executed for such proclamations. The suppression of these truths is linked to survival, as they can undermine societal structures and beliefs. Difficulty in articulating profound insights: Leo notes that some of his deepest insights are challenging to communicate due to the limitations of language, and he encourages listeners to see the convergence in spiritual teachings toward the concept of oneness. Information manipulation strategies: Leo warns about individuals or groups who deliberately spread misleading information to confuse people and push selfish agendas, exemplified by Steve Bannon's strategy of "flooding the zone with bullshit." Leo's message of love: When addressing humanity, Leo would convey that reality is fundamentally love, questioning why existence would be anything but infinitely loving. Advice for growing influence: Leo suggests maintaining energy and passion, not allowing critical feedback to affect self-perception, avoiding burnout, and combining intellectual pursuit with spirituality for a significant impact. Blurring lines between concepts and being: In constructing a Theory of Everything, Leo cautions against confusing concepts with actuality, emphasizing the need to base theories on primary and absolute truths. Navigating strangeness and awe in reality: Leo reflects on life's beautiful strangeness and the need for a constant sense of wonder, recognizing reality's intrinsic mystery. Final word to Curt's audience: Leo advises TOE enthusiasts to discern between being and concept, emphasizing the primary nature of direct experience and actuality over secondary conceptual understanding. Experiencing the Alien Nature of Reality: Leo expresses wonder at ordinary objects like dinner forks, encouraging a perspective where everything is seen as alien-that is, seen for the first time without assuming familiarity or taking it for granted. Gratitude Towards Existence: Leo experiences intense gratitude for life, appreciating everyday experiences and even the chance to have the conversation he's having, acknowledging the feeling as undeservedly lucky. Appropriateness of the Term 'God': When directly confronting the concept of God, Leo argues that the most fitting response is one of profound awe, exclaiming "Oh my God" or "Oh my fucking God" to express the grandeur and profundity of the experience. Personal Invitation from Leo Gura: In a friendly offer, Leo invites the host to hang out with him for deeper conversation and connection, moving beyond the confines of an interview setting. Matthew Phillips and the Transcend App: Matthew Phillips shares the inspiration for creating Transcend, a platform designed to facilitate deep, meaningful communication, spurred by personal loss and the desire to preserve the essence of loved ones. Holistic Purpose of Transcend: The app aims to enable users to share important life stories and advice with a focus on intimacy and authenticity, without being driven by superficial engagement metrics commonly seen on other social platforms. We Transcend Initiative: Transcend introduces a program to donate app subscriptions to individuals facing end-of-life situations or terminal illnesses, allowing them to preserve their legacies and stories for loved ones. Helping to Preserve Memories for the Elderly: The app is typically used by caregivers who assist those with Alzheimer's or dementia, acting as a memory care tool to safeguard their narratives for future generations. Legacy as Elevation of the Human Condition: Concluding the section, Matthew Phillips articulates his belief in the power of legacy to improve the human experience, viewing it as a critical yet overlooked element of life. Mission of Transcend app: Transcend aims to empower everyone to capture and pass on their life story, with the belief that everyone's story matters and has the potential to make progress easier for future generations. Fulfilling a sacred obligation: The creator of Transcend feels that the app allows him to honor predecessors while also fulfilling a duty to future generations by preserving knowledge and wisdom. Early access to Transcend: The app is near its beta release, with invitations extended to users who sign up at projecttranscend.com, aiming to facilitate meaningful family connections and legacy preservation. Utilizing Transcend with family members: Curt Jaimungal expresses interest in using the app to capture and preserve interactions with his parents, highlighting its personal significance. Leo Gura as a content contributor: Transcend considers Leo Gura an ideal candidate to create engaging prompts for the app, providing value to users and enriching experiences. Creating meaningful conversation with prompt cards: Transcend plans to include "starter packs" with themed prompts meant to enhance conversations by raising thought-provoking questions, much like physical relationship cards currently used by some couples. Intrinsic reward system within Transcend: Instead of relying on likes or hearts, Transcend focuses on intrinsic rewards such as the satisfaction of creating permanent and meaningful content. Transcend differentiating from social media: The app avoids typical social media engagement metrics, promoting authenticity and purposefulness by facilitating content creation motivated by meaning rather than external validation. Ego management post-psychedelic experience: Leo is asked for suggestions on how to maintain the perspective of ego dissolution experienced during psychedelic use on a day-to-day basis without recurring use. Navigating spiritual growth amidst relationships: Leo is asked for advice on balancing profound spiritual experiences with maintaining connections to loved ones who may not be on the same spiritual journey. Dealing with the paradox of ego death: The paradox arises after an ego death experience, where one gains new wisdom but must manage the ego's return; Curt reflects on how to handle this dichotomy. Ferula
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Pass #6 - Congruence Ratings Love/Intimacy/Spirituality/Beauty/Connection/Joy My definition: Being one with reality/divinity (with a human and other being and its vulnerability). Feeling awe, aliveness and expansiveness. Congruence rating: 3/10 Authenticity My definition: Feeling grounded in my core essence and truth. Moving from the core; expressing my truth. Congruence rating: 6/10 Clarity/Truth/Consciousness/Awareness/Feeling/Understanding/Honesty My definition: Living at a state of truth which illuminates, makes me feel and be conscious of any true form. Dispelling illusion. Congruence rating: 5/10 Contribution/Impact/Helping Others/Society/Wholeness/Nature My definition: Using my gift to help and elevate all of life to healthy and the highest possible form of living. Congruence rating: 2/10 Health My definition: Self-care and maintenance of the body and mind with nutrition, exercise, intentional habits (physical, emotional, mental hygiene) and inner work. Congruence rating: 5/10 Self-Mastery My definition: Being fully conscious of inner processes. Cleaning, Growing and Waking up. Kindling the inner flame and being a conscious creator. Congruence rating: 5/10 Friendship/Companionship/Community My definition: Support, trust, energy exchange and mirroring. Unknown, mysterious depths of the other psyches make me recognize myself. Congruence rating: 4/10 Open-mindedness/Perspective/Exploration My definition: Discovering and seeing reality from all different angles. Unattachment and fluidity of mind allow recognition where energy flows and stagnates. Congruence rating: 4/10 Wisdom/Simplicity My definition: Seeing the core of a thing. Root-cause thinking. Ripple effect. Trust in life. Alert & relaxed. Focus on energy flow. Congruence rating: 4/10 Communication/Creativity My definition: Sparking recognition and understanding via feeling images which capture the essence of any form and state of being. Congruence rating: 4/10 Pass #7: 10/10 During the writing process I noticed that my congruence ratings changed. And my last value Communication/Creativity isn't resonating. What I learn from that is that I need to feel into what I value at a high level or meta level and not just the content of something. Although communicating & sparking insight and bringing something across using the feeling images is something that I feel is meaningful to me (it's more connected to Contribution, Clarity, and Wisdom), it's not something I see as a value. There are values behind this skill but not the true resonant values which are deeply embedded in me. Perhaps the definition is too limited, but I'll investigate this soon and maybe swap out my 10th value. Love/Intimacy/Spirituality/Beauty/Connection/Joy My definition: Being one with reality/divinity (with a human and other being and its vulnerability). Feeling awe, aliveness and expansiveness. Congruence rating: 4/10 10/10: What is missing is a sense of deep presence and tranquility. A deep embodiment of feeling/letting through the love of/in my essence at all times. That embodiment illuminates identification & resistance to inner conflict. Seeing the world as myself, being universal consciousness. This is realized to be my inherent nature by daily prayer and meditation. Authenticity My definition: Feeling grounded in my core essence and truth. Moving from the core; expressing my truth. Congruence rating: 6/10 10/10: Continuously letting my inherent joy of living flow through me, come out of me and express itself through my being. Being undisturbed by fear because I see through it. Being grounded in self-love and all-accepting, judgment-free presence. Creating from my inner knowing anything I desire. Being internally sensitive and perceptive via meditation, and activating my will including the need to sometimes step outside my comfort zone Clarity/Truth/Consciousness/Awareness/Feeling/Understanding/ Honesty My definition: Living at a state of consciousness/truth which illuminates, makes me feel and be conscious of any true form. Dispelling illusion. Congruence rating: 4/10 10/10: Undisturbed, free-flowing cognitive ability. Cleaned-up and aligned psyche which requires deep meditative presence, observation, and lack of bias, which is achieved by doing introspection like process work. Compassionate understanding. At will thinking and operating at a high vibrational cognitive state which requires daily training through contemplative journaling. Contribution/Impact/Helping Others/Society/Wholeness/Nature My definition: Using my gift to help and elevate all of life to healthy and the highest possible form of living. Congruence rating: 2/10 10/10: Searching for ways to access my transformation & empowerment and transmitting/teaching these ways of being and doing to others. Helping people empower themselves through bodywork, process work (mental), and energy work. Being engaged in a high-conscious team in an educational organization which is the leverage point for global transformation. Seeing the transformation happen before my eyes in person; statistics are secondary. Health My definition: Self-care and maintenance of the body and mind with nutrition, exercise, intentional habits (physical, emotional, mental hygiene) and inner work. Congruence rating: 5/10 10/10: Starting each day with intentional self-care habits like meditation, body activation exercises, inner nurturing and visioning. Being so grounded and psychologically aligned on doing good for myself that attachment to old unhealthy ways of being are melting away. Having steady & continuous body awareness and introspective presence (solution for noticing bodily intelligence when and how to regulate and be in healthy homeostasis) through body-based meditation, process work, body work (body-based process work, and personal stamina & strength training) and energy work. Self-Mastery My definition: Being fully conscious of inner processes. Cleaning, Growing and Waking up. Kindling the inner flame and being a conscious creator. Congruence rating: 5/10 10/10: Continuous and steady presence & equanimity through meditation. Compassionate and non-judgemental understanding through meditation, journaling and process work. Living with conscious people and growing together through lifelong learning and exploration and mastery (resistance-less moving of energies). Stepping into challenge and the grow zone in social, physical, emotional, cognitive and energetic domains. Being engaged in creation without resistance by aligning the psyche through process work. Friendship/Companionship/Community My definition: Support, trust, energy exchange and mirroring. Unknown, mysterious depths of the other psyches make me recognize myself. Congruence rating: 5/10 10/10: Having up to 20 friends and 5 close friends by openly connecting to resonant people and maintaining present friendships. Feeling deep connection to friends, creating space for intimate recognition, and being in that intimate nature of connection in social situations by opening my heart, going into flow and exploring & feeling the other being. Living in an intentional community by having ways of income and seeking or founding resonant communities. Having healed my SD purple trauma of being the outsider in groups through process work. Having healed from avoidant attachment into secure attachment through process work. Open-mindedness/Perspective/Exploration My definition: Discovering and seeing reality from all different angles. Unattachment and fluidity of mind allow recognition where energy flows and stagnates. Congruence rating: 4/10 10/10: High-vibrational cognition accessible at all times by practicing deep contemplation and exploration of perspectives in journaling daily, and through meditation and aligning the psyche (process work). Putting myself in the other's shoes. Attaching and letting go of any thoughts, beliefs and theories through daily meditation and journaling. Being in presence which allows tapping into intuition, opening up the subtle sensors and introspecting what energy there is and where it flows. Wisdom/Simplicity My definition: Seeing the core of a thing. Root-cause thinking. Ripple effect. Trust in life. Alert & relaxed. Focus on energy flow. Congruence rating: 3/10 10/10: Deeply grounded and observant presence & alertness that recognizes & filters the energy, which is developed through daily meditation, and journaling & reflection on inner dynamics, processes and development, and also personal sharings with friends and close ones. A detached introspective focus on the essence of my being (love, presence, peace, joy) to be able to notice the energy flow arising the root/core/essence, which changes and moves with each moment and while being in connection with higher guidance. To live in that state I need a continuous connection to intuition & inner knowing and way of life of expressing/manifesting them, through daily introspection and consciously creating situations of my authenticity where I am stepping into tension, like ice bathing or going over my boundaries for a bit longer. Communication/Creativity My definition: Sparking recognition and understanding via feeling images which capture the essence of any form and state of being. Congruence rating: 4/10 10/10: Continuously living in that feeling state and capturing & expressing it on a daily basis through journaling and conversation. Deliberately bringing it into my way of communication with myself and others. It's developing a way of being in internal clarity and seeing how the inner feeling landscape is moving and shifting. Continuous internal understanding and knowledge. However now that I think of it, I notice that it doesn't really resonate. It's too limited, not really like a passion, but more like a side-hobby.
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This is not the cause of my perfectionism; it's one of the manifestations. My perfectionism operates on a different level because it's all-encompassing. Most perfectionists have very limited scopes for their perfectionism; only in directing a movie, performing a musical concert, washing hands after touching a public door, writing a book, recording a video, etc. In my case, I'm a perfectionist in almost all domains and aspects of life. Yes, it's natural and instinctive for me to see defects or faults in everything. I easily identify what can be improved, and many times I feel a burning desire to accomplish that improvement or perfection. In my 'Perfectionism is Wrong and Cruel' thread, I explained why it is the case. But I feel the need to emphasize that perfectionism is also a very beautiful thing. It's crazy because they're all true, though seemingly contradictory. I'll share a real story: My parents, especially my father, are two of the most ignorant and egotistical humans ever. When I was a kid, I used to point out their humanshit (bullshit). There was a time when my father became extremely angry with me; he threw a dustpan and stones at me with a very harmful intention. When my right arm got hit a few times, the skin peeled off a bit, revealing the meat and blood underneath. I became traumatized as fuck! It's distressing for an adult to experience such shit, let alone for a very young boy. I tend to detect faults in various forms and feel compelled to correct them. This has resulted in me being antagonized by my coworkers when I corrected their work or behavior. In my 20s, I always wondered why humans feel offended when their shortcomings or humanshit are pointed out or when they are shown a better way to do things. In my case, I feel grateful when somebody shows me a better way to do things. Why not? I just learned a better way. It's only in my 30s when I finally understood why, and I felt very disappointed. I lost respect for normal humans, and I'm not interested in them. But, I still treat them well, not because they're good and respectable (they're full of humanshit), but because I'm good. That might sound pretentious or egotistical for me to say, but it is the case, and hence, I must say it. My perfectionism has influenced my parents to become better humans, especially my mother. I never stopped pointing out their humanshit and showed them a better way to do things. I explained to my mother that the harmful and twisted ways they inflicted on me, especially when I was a young boy, caused extreme anxiety, depression, anger, and self-murder thoughts. I clarified that they needed to change their ways, or I would completely cut them off. Indeed, I did cut them off from my life a few times because they were unable to change. My perfectionism made it a clean break, with zero communication for years. But after many years, a miracle happened. My mother changed her behavior. For the first time ever, she confessed how ignorant and foolish she had been as a mother and asked for an apology. I began to notice her increased self-awareness. She also learned how to become a loving mother, and right now, I can even say she's one of the most loving mothers in the world. When I say it's a big miracle, it's not an exaggeration. It's accurate. My father was a hopeless case, unfortunately. But at least he learned to properly behave in my presence. He knew I would inflict physical and mental-emotional pain on him if he displayed his twisted ways. He learned this via direct experience. In the last few weeks of his life, I was surprised he became an "angel". I couldn't believe my eyes. I took care of him when he was sick and dying. I was able to do it because of years of strict and "perfect" self-therapy, enabling me to forgive him for his big sins. So, perhaps, my perfectionism changed him, though it was too late. I've just demonstrated a few ways perfectionism can make things better and create beautiful results. In fact, my own self-transformation is a result of my perfectionism. That's why it's very difficult and even feels impossible for me to release. But as the old saying goes, 'What gets you here doesn't necessarily get you there.' It's time for me to transcend perfectionism. Much easier said than done, but it must be done; hence I'll go for it. I awakened to no-self many years ago. But that was a different version of the no-self awakening being talked about in this forum. But I want to say you can't live a very good life via wearing a no-self lens all the time. It's useful for some situations. But in most situations, embracing, loving, and transcending yourself (the ego) accomplishes better results, materially and even spiritually. I'm busy as fuck, girl. I'm not supposed to spend time replying to my threads. But there's some sense in your post and I appreciate the effort; I feel compelled to reply to you. So, Arabic is a strong contender for the craziest language in the world? But I've heard Arabic is known for its accuracy and consistency. If that's true, then English still holds the throne.
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Transformation (14 of 29) https://youtu.be/5vXBP7aM37s?si=t2vbbK6lr1qcwfJB Impact of truth on transformation: The realization of enlightenment acts as a catalyst for change within the human psyche by reframing the relationship one has with their identity, thoughts, and emotions, hence making personal transformation more attainable. Misconception about transformation: Enlightenment does not eliminate one's humanity or character traits; individuals remain fundamentally human with the same mind and character post-enlightenment. Variability in trait dissolution: Some personal aspects may dissipate immediately following an enlightenment experience without a clear understanding of why, whereas others persist and may require intentional effort to change. Human function persistence: The basic human functions and character remain post-enlightenment, and any changes in these areas must be consciously and deliberately pursued. Individuality in enlightenment: Enlightened individuals preserve their unique personalities and characteristics, showing that enlightenment does not create a uniform personality, but rather it allows one to consciously operate through or modify their character. Enlightenment's gift of understanding: Enlightenment provides the profound understanding that one is not their character, thoughts, emotions, or reactions, which underlies the transformational process. Dissendium
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Requisite Variety & Creative Laziness https://www.actualized.org/insights/requisite-variety-and-creative-laziness Concept of requisite variety: Requisite variety is a principle from cybernetics suggesting that to control a system effectively, one must have a greater number of potential responses or states than the system itself. This allows for flexibility, adaptation, and creative problem-solving that surpass the system's possible states. Problem-solving and creativity: Life's challenges often require creative and intelligent responses, and possessing a high degree of requisite variety enables individuals to overcome these challenges. Conversely, without sufficient requisite variety, problems may prove unsolvable, emphasizing the importance of a nuanced approach in an increasingly complex world. Evolving complexity in society: As society progresses beyond simple lifestyles such as farming, the complexity of professions, societal systems, and multicultural interactions grows. To thrive and succeed in such an environment, one's mind must be sophisticated, nuanced, and creative, capable of handling and adapting to the vast array of modern variables. Challenges in modern politics: American politics is cited as an example where partisan friction leads to ineffective governance, akin to honey slowing down a high-performance engine. The system's inefficiency is attributed to a lack of requisite variety and the simplification of complex issues, which hinder informed decision-making and evolve democratic processes. Advancements and requirements in engineering: The advancement of technology has made contemporary engineering far more complex than in the past, requiring sophisticated tools, software, and a grasp of accumulated knowledge. Engineers today must possess a mindset that is more nuanced and sophisticated than ever before to address complex engineering challenges. Creativity versus creative laziness: Many people exhibit "creative laziness" in problem-solving, relying on simplistic or superficial approaches. By contrast, cultivating creativity and a willingness to explore novel workarounds can lead to personal and collective success in navigating life's intricate challenges. Integration of spirituality with modern challenges: Simplicity of traditional spiritual practices contrasts sharply with the complexity of a 21st-century lifestyle. Integrating deep spiritual consciousness into an active, complex modern world is a significant challenge requiring flexibility and creativity. Breadth in spiritual teachings: Leo emphasizes the importance of addressing a wide range of real-world issues in spiritual teachings, moving beyond narrow focus and to encompass topics like politics, society, and technology, broadening the impact and relevance of spiritual work. Binary political debates and complexity: Simplistic, binary debates like capitalism vs. socialism fail to address the intricate and interconnected nature of modern economies. Real problem-solving requires considering the full complexity of issues rather than resorting to partisan oversimplifications. Policing and societal complexity: Simplistic solutions to complex issues like policing reforms are inadequate. Leo argues that to genuinely improve intricate systems, one must acknowledge the complexity, avoid binary choices, and work creatively towards new, nuanced solutions. Climate change and nuanced problem-solving: Tackling complex issues such as climate change demands more than idealistic targets; it requires pragmatic solutions that consider the balance between reducing emissions and economic vitality, informed by creativity and a thorough understanding of the nuanced challenges. Evolution and societal complexity: Just as life has evolved to become more complex, solutions to societal issues must also develop. Progress depends on creative, nuanced, and sophisticated approaches that go beyond rehashed solutions and simplistic thinking. Requisite variety for personal impact: For individuals seeking to make a meaningful impact through their life's work, cultivating a variety of creative solutions is crucial. One must surpass the creativity and problem-solving capacity of predecessors to create systems that contribute positively to the world. Embracing creativity as a driver of success: To achieve significant life goals, investing time in learning how to be creative is essential. Creativity fosters success, joy, and the ability to address one's problems effectively, making it a critical skill for escaping restrictive circumstances and attaining financial independence. The importance of original thinking: People often miss out on the full experience of life when they are not at their creative peak or lack a purpose-driven approach to creativity. Living without tapping into one's full creative potential is compared to living life as a slave, as it limits the joy and success one might otherwise achieve. Business innovation and requisite variety: To succeed in business, it's essential to offer unique products or services that haven't been seen before. This requires tremendous amounts of creativity and a higher degree of requisite variety than previously imagined. A sustainable business not only feeds and sustains its creators but also contributes positively to society by elevating consciousness and adding meaningful value. Leadership and problem-solving: True leaders in business must take ownership of all aspects of their projects, displaying the ability to solve new and unknown problems creatively. Success comes from tackling each challenge without excuses, embodying creativity, innovation, and perseverance beyond the capacity of ordinary individuals who may rely on others for direction. Challenges of entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurship demands constant innovation and adaptability, combined with rigorous honesty about one's ideas and their viability in the marketplace. Entrepreneurs face the stress of responsibility and the need to maintain integrity without succumbing to selling out their original vision for financial gain. Commitment beyond conventional thinking: Achieving significant ambitions requires 100% commitment and the expansion of one's creative potential beyond traditional thinking. Creative ownership over goals and problems is critical, and embracing necessary changes in identity and perspective can facilitate progress towards these goals. Breaking free from herd mentality: Most people don't think originally and merely echo the beliefs and ideas prevalent in their culture. To truly succeed and impact the world, one must step away from this herd mentality, taking ownership, and thinking outside the box in every aspect of life. Only by treading new ground can one come up with genuinely novel solutions. Value of Innovation: Success in business and personal endeavors is often determined by the ability to innovate rather than imitate. Focusing on creating novel, original solutions rather than rehashing existing concepts is key to standing out and moving society forward. Radical Open-mindedness: Embracing radical open-mindedness and considering multiple perspectives is crucial for creativity. Self-education, exploring niche content, and thinking outside traditional frameworks enable the development of unique ideas that propel industries and personal growth. Significance of Intentions and Priorities: Prioritizing the significance and big picture of one's goals is more important than the step-by-step "how" of achievements. A deep commitment and the right intention naturally guide the process towards innovative solutions. Creative Process as Discovery: The process of creativity is not linear or predictable, it's a discovery journey. One doesn't need to understand every detail in advance; commitment and an openness to learn and adapt are what enable individuals to tackle complex problems and possibly achieve ambitious goals like starting a space tourism business. Cultivation of a 'Creativity Vortex': Engaging deeply with one's life purpose, practicing consciousness work, and expanding the mind through various techniques can create a "creativity vortex" where ideas and inspiration naturally emerge, leading to visionary insights and the synthesis of new solutions. Utilization of Downtime for Creativity: Regardless of one's job or circumstances, it's possible to leverage free time for creative thinking and problem-solving. This can lead to escaping wage slavery and finding innovative solutions to life's challenges. Transformation Through Creativity in Problem Solving: Committing to solve problems through creativity can lead to a transformative journey. As exemplified by Leo's personal story, harnessing creativity and being open to drastic measures can lead to overcoming significant challenges like dating and social anxiety. Solution to being stuck: Committing to enhancing creativity and expanding one's range of possible solutions is key to overcoming feelings of being stuck. This might involve drastic actions, such as moving to a new city for better opportunities, which is often dismissed by many due to comfort and convenience but can lead to significant personal growth and success. Attitude towards unconventional decisions: Leo's decision to move first to Austin and then to Las Vegas for 30-day challenges embodies embracing creative problem-solving and demonstrates a refusal to remain stagnant or succumb to a victim mentality. It illustrates the importance of an open mind and the willingness to invest in oneself, even if it means taking unexpected paths. Impact of openness and flexibility: The ability to break away from ingrained ideologies and consider novel approaches is essential for progress. Leo's experiences highlight that being open to new ideas and adaptable in strategy can lead to accomplishing goals that might seem unattainable with a closed mindset. Balancing identity and goal adaptation: The willingness to change at an identity level, such as transitioning from an introvert to someone who is socially confident, is a significant aspect of solving problems. Shifting one's identity can unlock new possibilities, whereas stubbornly clinging to old ways can sabotage efforts to achieve goals. Process of expanding solutions: Expanding the range of potential solutions for a persistent problem involves creativity and willingness to step outside comfort zones. This can include seeking social skills classes, attending networking events, or even hosting one's own event to become more central and influential within desired circles. Dealing with and learning from failure: Embracing failures as learning opportunities encourages the expansion of one's creative toolkit, leading to eventual success. Perseverance and the ability to iterate upon failed attempts are key components in this growth process. Practical relevance of requisite variety: The concept of requisite variety is far from abstract; it represents a pragmatic framework for problem-solving that has been unconsciously practiced by many. Recognizing its importance allows for a more deliberate and effective approach to overcoming challenges. Commitment and proactive self-development: Rather than waiting for guidance, individuals are encouraged to set ambitious goals and actively work towards becoming more creative by researching, learning, and engaging with varied information sources. This proactive approach can lead to achieving goals that seemed out of reach. Expanding horizons through powerful questions: Creativity can be further enhanced by asking powerful, high-quality questions that can lead to novel solutions and strategies, a technique that can be honed through various learning resources, including workshops and seminars, which can be researched using tools like Google. Evolving identity for problem-solving: Successfully tackling problems might require changes at the level of identity, stepping away from comfort zones and outdated self-perceptions. This evolution is key to not only solving problems but experiencing genuine growth and change. Openness to change for growth: To thrive and solve problems effectively, one must be truly open to change. This may entail life-altering decisions or breaking free from stagnation by shedding layers of your ego and identity, facilitating the pursuit of ambitious goals and new experiences. Expanding Possibility Space: To overcome being stuck, Leo emphasizes the importance of expanding your range of potential solutions. This expansion may involve researching new methods, considering ideas previously deemed unreasonable, and stepping outside comfort zones. Shifting Goals for Achievability: Initial goals might need refinement. What appears to be the desired outcome may be too narrow; broader, more flexible goals can offer more fulfilment and are often more attainable, like shifting from attracting a specific partner to becoming more socially confident and charismatic overall. Creativity in Problem-Solving: Leo encourages embracing creativity not just as a solution-finding tool but as a life-enriching practice, akin to art. This approach entails constantly refining one's life and identity to navigate evolving challenges and contribute originally to every aspect of life. Ferula