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How Psychedelics Work - Making Sense Of Psychedelics https://youtu.be/vJG8swAQYwc "Psychedelics don't work on stupid people." - Terrence McKenna Purpose of the Episode: Leo intends to explain the mechanics, metaphysics, and epistemology of psychedelics, targeting those who have had psychedelic experiences without understanding them, possibly leaving them frightened or curious. Integration of Personal and Academic Background: Leo's approach to understanding psychedelics combines his four decades of existential, metaphysical, and epistemic contemplation with practical experimentation over several years. Diversity of Psychedelic Experiences: Having completed about 80 trips on various substances, Leo underscores the importance of exploring a range of psychedelics to grasp their profound effects truly. Challenging the Materialistic Paradigm: To understand psychedelics, Leo argues one must move beyond the conventional scientific perspective that views reality as materialistic and objective, proposing instead that consciousness is the basis for all reality. Psychedelic Hallucinations vs. Reality: Leo proposes that there is no distinction between sober reality and the hallucinations induced by psychedelics; both are a form of hallucination—appearance without material substance. Psychedelics and the Nature of Consciousness: He clarifies that taking psychedelics is not about altering brain chemistry, but rather experiencing different facets of consciousness, which is the only true reality. Breaking Paradigms with Psychedelics: Leo emphasizes that the transformative power of psychedelics can force individuals to reconsider their entire worldview, a process that is often hindered by fear and resistance. Misconceptions about Psychedelics: There is a widespread misunderstanding that psychedelic experiences are less trustworthy due to brain chemistry alterations; instead, Leo claims these experiences reveal the illusory nature of all reality, sober or not. Threat to Established Beliefs: The radical nature of psychedelics can be threatening to both scientists and spiritual figures, as these experiences have the potential to shatter deeply held beliefs and ideas about reality and self. Ordinary Rigid Flow of Consciousness: Our everyday experience of waking up, going to work, and interacting with the familiar world is a stable, structured hallucination that consciousness creates for us. This rigid flow is very much changeable, but most people have never experienced such a change. Psychedelics Altering Reality: Psychedelics possess the power to instantly change this rigid flow of consciousness, leading to an experience where one's reality starts to 'melt' around them. This can be shocking as it reveals that our normal life is just another form of hallucination, now broken for the first time. Breakthrough Experience with Psychedelics: A breakthrough experience is when the psychedelic experience is so intense that it completely recontextualizes one's previous understanding of life, showing that everything believed to be real (like personal history and physical reality) is actually imaginary. Recontextualizing Reality: The psychedelic experience is threatening and scary because it dismantles one's previous paradigm of reality, forcing a reevaluation of concepts such as earth, universe, and even personal identity, which can lead to negative stigma and defense mechanisms from the ego. Consciousness as a Flowing Hallucination: Consciousness is like a stream constantly changing shapes and forms; what psychedelics do is introduce alterations in this stream, which in turn affects the display of reality we experience. Consciousness Mixing Board Analogy: Imagine consciousness as an infinite-dimensional screen that can display anything. This screen is linked to a mixing board with various knobs regulating different aspects such as colors, sounds, and emotions, with one master knob for pure consciousness, or awareness itself. Master Knob of Pure Consciousness Awareness: This knob represents the level of awareness without altering the content of consciousness; tweaking this knob increases awareness and can lead to higher states of consciousness, from everyday alertness to states of "God consciousness" or omniscience. Psychedelics' Impact on Consciousness Knobs: Psychedelics not only tweak the master consciousness knob but also affect other aspects like colors and emotions, complicating the experience. Distraction by Minor Consciousness Knobs: People new to psychedelics may get sidetracked by altered visual or auditory content without recognizing that the central aspect of increased consciousness is the most profound part of the experience. Misunderstanding Psychedelic State Changes: Criticism that discounts psychedelic experiences as mere temporary state changes overlooks the significance of observing the fluid nature of consciousness through these states. Psychedelics as State Observation tools: The key value of psychedelic experiences is not just in the altered states but in the opportunity to understand and observe how consciousness can move between these states, offering deep insights into the nature of consciousness. Value of Psychedelic Experiences: Psychedelics provide a meta understanding of consciousness by allowing one to experience and compare different states. This reveals the fluid nature of consciousness and underscores that reality is susceptible to change, which can be radical and eye-opening. Misperceptions of Reality: Many people, including spiritual teachers and enlightened individuals, underestimate the range of states consciousness can adopt. Psychedelics offer a perspective that magnifies possibilities beyond ordinary meditative practices. Meditation vs. Psychedelic Experience: Through meditation, one primarily engages the 'central knob' of consciousness, enhancing focus and potentially leading to enlightenment. Psychedelics, however, effortlessly and instantly reveal the existence of other 'knobs', allowing access to radical alterations in the perception of reality. Radical Knobs of Consciousness: Leo describes hypothetical consciousness 'knobs' that when 'twisted', could alter perception in dramatic ways, such as erasing distinctions between objects or reversing the flow of time—changes that defy conventional scientific understanding. Transformative Effects of Psychedelics: Leo notes that even temporary psychedelic experiences, such as seeing oneself as a beer bottle or an entire race, can profoundly change one's perspective on life. Impact of Psychedelics on Life Perspective: Comparing psychedelic experiences to being transported to utterly different environments, Leo argues that these experiences expand one's notion of reality and can have a transformative effect akin to cultural or environmental shock. Limitations of Science in Understanding Reality: Leo critiques mainstream science for mapping only a narrow scope of reality—limited to a single state of consciousness—while ignoring the full spectrum of conscious experiences available. Psychedelics as Temporal Teachers: Psychedelic experiences are fleeting but profound, providing dense learning opportunities in a short period. The challenge lies in integrating a fraction of these insights into one's regular life to facilitate growth and understanding. Integration and Growth Post-Psychedelic Experience: Post-trip contemplation is pivotal for making sense of the experience, as reflecting on the 'what the [ __ ] was that' moments aids in integrating the experience and expanding one's perception of consciousness. Extraction of Insights via Integration: Reflecting on and integrating psychedelic experiences allow an individual to bring back more learnings—up to 5% as opposed to 1%. Over the course of many trips, this can profoundly alter one's perspective of reality in beneficial ways. Expansion of Reality and Self-knowledge: Psychedelic trips don't just facilitate metaphysical exploration; they importantly enable deep self-inquiry into one's psyche, past, and life purpose. They shift the focus to understanding the self and existential questions through the central knob of consciousness. Tuning the Consciousness Knob: Adjusting consciousness can lead to heightened awareness across all facets of life. Psychedelics boost this consciousness, aiding insights into vast domains, including science, relationships, sexuality, and spirituality, among others. Risk of Self-Delusion: There's a possibility of misinterpreting psychedelic experiences, especially if one's psyche is burdened with wounds or immaturity. However, this risk is also present in our standard experiences of reality. Re-evaluating Our Default Hallucination: Leo argues that our default conscious state can be one of the least truthful, whereas psychedelic experiences can provide a more authentic sense of reality, turning the current scientific understanding on its head. Transformation Requires Openness and Emotional Labor: Achieving a higher understanding of reality necessitates the willingness to remodel existing paradigms and beliefs, which involves intellectual and emotional effort. Stabilized Hallucination of Reality: Reality feels concrete due to the consistent imagination of the infinite mind, making our experience of reality and solidity robust rather than the simplistic notion of hallucination. Reality as Infinite Mind Imagination: There is no objective material reality outside perception; rather, reality consists of infinite potential states of consciousness. Material reality is just a specific, familiar instance within this infinite scope. Navigating Psychedelic Danger: While psychedelics can offer profound insights, high doses can be dangerous and must be approached with caution, experience, and gradual increment of usage. Disruption of God's Dream: Psychedelics temporarily interfere with the predetermined dream of life, occasioned by the vast imagination of the Universal Mind, introducing new states of perception and understanding. Interrupting God's Ordinary Dream: Psychedelics disrupt the normal flow of consciousness, or what Leo describes as God's "ordinary dream," transporting individuals into new territories or altered perceptions of reality, akin to entering a new kind of dream. Experiencing the Fluidity of Consciousness: On psychedelics, the rigidity of ordinary consciousness dissolves, and everything becomes fluid and amorphous. Users can feel as if they are directly experiencing the creative process of God's mind, as it expands to its infinite potential and deeper layers of imagination. Realization of Imagination as Creation: Leo illustrates how, under the influence of psychedelics, one can see material objects—including one's own body—as manifestations of imagination. Psychedelics reveal that reality, like a hand or a wall, is malleable and can respond to our imaginative thoughts and intentions. Ability to Visualize New Realities: During a psychedelic experience, the boundaries of the possible expand dramatically. Leo compares the heightened state of creativity and imagination to daydreaming vividly about other worlds, but on a much larger scale, tapping into the infinite creativity responsible for the existence of the universe. Discovery of Self as Creator: The epiphany that an individual is, in essence, God, imagining the entire cosmos, serves as a mind-blowing revelation. This realization confronts deeply ingrained beliefs that claiming one's identity as God is egotistical or narcissistic. Challenges of Embracing Psychedelic Insights: Understanding and living by the realization that reality is pure imagination requires maturity, development, fearlessness, and an open-mindedness that is uncommon in people. The Societal Stigma Surrounding Psychedelics: Leo discusses the stigma on psychedelics, explaining it as a societal defense mechanism since these substances threaten existing power structures and the established, limited sense of reality. The Role of Maturity in Psychedelic Experiences: A person's internal purity and maturity are pivotal in determining the nature of their psychedelic experience. Leo contends that less mature individuals may face terrifying reflection of their inner selves, whereas purer individuals have profoundly different, more insightful trips. Insights from Psychedelics and Their Authenticity: Leo posits that while insights from psychedelics can be profound and real, they can also be easily misinterpreted. He emphasizes that the validity of insights should be measured by their directness and clarity about some aspect of reality. Misconception of True States of Consciousness: Criticizing those who dismiss psychedelics, Leo argues that every configuration of consciousness, including the one we consider normal, is influenced by neurotransmitters, making it as hallucinatory as any psychedelic-induced state. Recognizing Consciousness as a Spectrum: Leo encourages recognizing that reality comprises countless states of consciousness, rather than a single "true" one. Psychedelics aid in realizing that all experiences, regardless of how real they appear, are merely different states of consciousness. Different States Grant Different Insights: Leo explains that various states of consciousness afford distinct insights and truths, and that our typical state might be one of the least effective for accessing profound truths about reality. Meditation and Hallucinations: Engaging in deep meditation can induce visual hallucinations similar to mild psychedelic experiences. This indicates tapping into the pure creative potential of the mind, aligning with the desired outcome of advanced meditation practices. Purpose of Psychedelic Use: Psychedelics are not just for experiencing bliss or visual spectacles; they serve as tools for gaining profound lessons, insights, and a meta-understanding of the mind's process in generating reality. Psychedelic Experiences Reflecting Mind Purity: The content of a psychedelic experience can reflect the purity of the user's mind. An impure mind may conjure disturbing hallucinations, as it's an embodiment of the user's own imagination. Integration with Other Practices: Leo warns against using psychedelics as the sole tool for self-improvement, advocating for the integration of various spiritual practices such as meditation, self-inquiry, and visualization, among others. Speeding Up Awakening and Personal Growth: Psychedelics can accelerate the awakening process, providing insights into overcoming fear of death, understanding life purpose, and aiding with various personal issues, thus facilitating rapid personal development. Impact on Understanding and Doing Science: Leo claims that psychedelics can revolutionize a scientist's approach to understanding and conducting science, much like how earlier paradigm shifts transformed the field. Analogy with Galileo Galilei: Leo compares current skepticism about psychedelics to the resistance Galileo faced with his telescope. As the church leaders rejected his findings, modern science may reject the insights gained from psychedelics. Challenges Scientists Face with Psychedelic Research: Ostracism and credibility loss are challenges for scientists promoting psychedelics as scientific tools due to the cultural and paradigmatic biases within the scientific community. Exploring New Modalities of Science: Leo argues for the necessity of exploring new modalities of science — such as psychedelics — to break free from current scientific limitations and unlock new understandings of reality. Call for Mature and Responsible Psychedelic Use: He stresses the importance of respect, maturity, and safety in psychedelic exploration, likening it to using a scientific instrument to gain profound insights into reality and consciousness. Psychedelics and Fear of Intellectual Decline: Leo addresses concerns about possible intellectual decline from using psychedelics. He refutes this by comparing it to baseless fears like eye damage from observing the moon or stars through a telescope, attributing such worries to excuses stemming from ignorance and reluctance to challenge existing paradigms. Choosing to Explore Psychedelics: He emphasizes responsible and cautious use for those who choose to explore psychedelics. Leo suggests that psychedelics have life-transforming potential, especially when paired with the intent to deeply understand reality and consciousness. Actualized.org as a Resource: Leo promotes his website, which offers a variety of resources such as a blog, courses, forums for trip reports, and book recommendations. These tools are presented as aids for those on their journey to existential understanding. Supporting Psychedelic Research and Content: Leo solicits support for his exhaustive research and content creation through donations on Patreon. He shares that his work is informed by direct experience and experimentation with a variety of substances. Holistic Approach to Existential Understanding: Leo's work is presented as a holistic exploration of life, death, society, consciousness, reality, science, government, and psychology, aiming for a comprehensive understanding that goes beyond traditional scientific and academic approaches. Radical Open-Mindedness as a Prerequisite: Leo stresses the importance of radical open-mindedness for the audience to fully grasp the depth of his content. He acknowledges his own perceived arrogance but distinguishes it as part of the entertainment aspect of his show, maintaining that he practices profound epistemic humility. Dangers of Closed-Mindedness: Leo warns that a lack of open-mindedness can prevent individuals from awakening to deeper levels of understanding and may manifest as skepticism or outright denial of his teachings. Commitment to Understanding Reality: He emphasizes the necessity of personal effort and action, such as meditation and psychedelics, to achieve transformational insights and understanding of reality as promoted on Actualized.org. Transformational Impact on Followers: Leo shares that some followers have experienced life-changing transformations through following his guidance, validating the potential of his teachings and encouraging others to engage intimately with the work. Future Foundation Topics: He intends to continue discussing foundational topics to facilitate more transformative experiences for those who are willing to commit to the journey of deep existential understanding. Confundo

Explicit vs Implicit Understanding https://youtu.be/Y9d0tOpL8ZU "The nature of reality is such that no matter how much you say about it you will be no closer to the end than when you began. Which is why the wise sit in silence" Understanding vs Knowledge: Understanding is fundamentally different from knowledge. Knowledge can be a collection of facts while understanding involves an insight into the workings of something, such as how an engine operates. The Amorphous Nature of Understanding: Understanding is a mysterious, vague phenomenon that is central to life but often taken for granted. Leo aims to initiate an exploration into the subtleties of understanding by distinguishing between explicit and implicit understanding. Duality of Explicit vs Implicit: Understanding has dual forms: explicit, which is clear and fully articulated, and implicit, which is inherent, suggested, or unexpressed. All dualities, including this one, will eventually need to collapse for complete comprehension. Image 1 Image 2 Societal and Scientific Bias: Society and science are social constructs with inherent biases towards explicit knowledge due to the need for clear communication and consensus. Implicit Understanding Undervalued: Implicit aspects of reality are often overlooked because they are tricky to express and are considered less valuable or even unreal by society, adversely affecting the depth of our collective understanding. The Paradox of Explicit and Implicit Truths: There exist truths in reality that are important and true but cannot be explicitly communicated or shared, posing a challenge for societal learning and advancement. The Role of Intuition: Intuition plays a crucial part in our personal development and quest for truth. Honoring and following intuitions are essential even though they might be difficult to articulate. Infinite Nature of Natural Numbers: Natural numbers (1, 2, 3...) exemplify the idea of implicit understanding—as you can't explicitly list an infinite set, yet you understand its endless nature, a realization that borders on being mystical. The Mysticism in Grasping Infinity: Understanding the infinite nature of natural numbers represents a form of implicit knowing, mystical in its essence, as it is a holistic grasp of a concept that cannot be concretely demonstrated. Transcendental Numbers and Pi: Transcendental numbers like Pi show that despite comprehensively knowing many decimal points, one cannot explicitly describe Pi in its entirety, as highlighted by Ferdinand von Lindemann's work that proved its nature whilst using finite symbols. Image 3 Pi as a Transcendental Number: Pi, an infinite, transcendental number, challenges the concept of finitude, as Leo highlights the conundrum of proving its endless nature using finite means. Explicating Physical Objects: Leo argues that explicit descriptions of objects, like a coffee cup, are fundamentally limitless. Every physical trait and component, down to the quantum level, can be endlessly detailed, revealing the implicit infinite nature of objects. Scientific Materialism Critique: The scientific assumption that reality has a finite, explicit bottom is critiqued. Leo labels this as fantasy and advocates for the recognition of reality's infinite and implicit facets. Consciousness of Infinity: Direct consciousness or intuition can grasp the infinite depth of objects, similar to the understanding of natural numbers. Leo suggests that special practices, like meditation or psychedelics, can provoke an awareness of reality's limitless nature. Limits of Science: Leo underscores that the scientific method is incapable of fully explicating reality. He asserts that some aspects of reality can only be understood implicitly, beyond the tools and scope of science. Essence of Jokes: The humor in jokes relies on an implicit twist that the mind grasps intuitively. Over-explaining a joke destroys its essence, exemplifying how overt explicitness can miss fundamental subtleties. Flirtation and Subcommunication: Successful flirtation depends on subtlety and implicit communication. Over-explicitness ruins the delicate dance of flirtation, demonstrating the importance of intuition and implicit understanding in human interactions. Implicit Communication and Attraction: Leo discusses the implicit nature of attraction; successful flirtation involves conveying messages beyond what is explicitly said, highlighting the importance of subtlety. Misunderstanding Explicit and Implicit Reality: The expectation to fully explicate reality leads to misunderstanding its nature. Understanding that reality is primarily implicit can adjust expectations and foster a deeper comprehension. Infinite Exploration of Reality: Scientific exploration, while valuable, is bound to an endless task if it seeks to explicate all reality. Leo advises that recognizing the perpetual implicit nature of reality is a more truthful approach. Subcommunication in attraction: Successful attraction relies more on subconscious cues like body language, eye contact, confidence, and the manner of approach, rather than explicit lines or words. Authentic masculinity: Women intuitively perceive honest signals of masculine energy. Being a genuinely confident and expressive man is more attractive than any line or facade. Transformation for attraction: Men need to develop themselves genuinely to exude the authentic signals that naturally attract women, rather than relying on tricks or manipulation. Intuition in women: Women have honed intuition to discern genuine men from imposters, due to historical pressures of being misled, and thus they rely on implicit signals rather than explicit words. Men’s explicit nature vs. women’s implicit nature: Men often expect explicit communication, while women operate on a more intuitive, implicit level, which can lead to misunderstandings in relationships. Reading between the lines in relationships: To improve relationships with women, men need to learn to understand and communicate on an implicit level, tuning into unspoken cues and emotions. Storytelling in movies: Great writers convey plot and emotion implicitly through actions and visual cues rather than solely through explicit dialogue. Gödel’s incompleteness theorem and logic: Gödel proved that logical systems are incomplete and can't encompass all truths; there are always meta-truths that resist encapsulation in any logical framework. Meditation and non-thinking: Stopping the 'monkey mind' in meditation can't be achieved through explicit thought processes; it requires an implicit grasp of a non-thinking approach to life. Reading between the lines in literature: Writers leave room for interpretation between the explicit lines, and absolute explicitness is impossible since readers can always infer additional meaning. Paradox of honesty: Asking someone directly if they are honest is ineffective, as honesty is an implicit, meta-level concept that cannot be explicitly proven within the conversation itself. Honest Signaling: Communication in human interaction relies on honest signals, which are difficult to fake. Words are easier to misrepresent, which is not a flaw of reality but deeply ingrained in its epistemology. Reading Between the Lines: An explicit approach misses the essence of spirituality and mysticism found in religious texts. These communicate in an implicit, transcendent way that cannot be captured through literal interpretation. Implicit Understanding in Spiritual Teachings: Spiritual teachings are intended to be guides pointing towards an implicit and transcendent truth, requiring personal realization and intuition to truly comprehend. Implicit Nature of Understanding: All understanding has implicit elements; explicit explanation alone cannot make someone understand if they lack the intuitive capacity for 'grokking' the concept. The Leap in Consciousness: Comprehending basic mathematical concepts like 'one plus one equals two' represents an intuitive leap in consciousness that is taken for granted but may not be self-evident to everyone. Mathematical Proofs and Intuition: Mathematics, often perceived as objective truth, fundamentally relies on personal, intuitive understanding; without it, proofs would be meaningless. Recognition and Mystical Insight: Recognizing oneself in a mirror is not a scientific process but an intuitive and immediate insight, similar to a mystical experience, taken for granted by humans but not attainable by all species. Understanding God: Understanding God as everything and oneself as God is an implicit realization, eluding explicit explanation. Grokking this concept is essential but can take variable time for different individuals. Implicit vs. Explicit in Workshops: Using a workshop example, it was demonstrated that even pointing is a relative act of communication dependent on the projection of meaning onto symbols—a fundamental concept in the understanding of language. Transcendental Nature of Reality: Reality is described as transcendental and cannot be fully explicated, highlighting an unending process where more will always remain implicit regardless of how much is explained. Image 4 Image 5 Absolute Infinity vs. Numerical Infinity: The universe's totality is an "absolute infinity," encompassing an endless variety of existences and truths beyond just the "numerical infinity" of counting or measuring. Numerical vs. Absolute Infinity: Numerical infinity is just one instance within the broader concept of absolute infinity. Absolute infinity encapsulates everything, including the observable universe, and is present here and now. Irreducibly Implicit Truths: The deepest truths and understandings are inherently implicit, requiring intuition and consciousness. They can't be articulated fully, broken down into steps, or formally proven. This is a strength, as it allows reality to be endlessly fascinating and inexhaustible. The Endlessness of Reality: Reality's infinite nature is not a limitation but an aspect that ensures its boundless exploration. Despite reality being unknowable in totality, one can grasp its endlessness similarly to understanding the infinite nature of numbers without counting every single one. Understanding Infinity Without Complete Explication: The human mind is capable of holistically understanding the concept of infinity without needing to detail each step. Insisting on explication for everything is a self-imposed limitation, hindering one's ability to comprehend infinity. Limitations of Explication: Words and symbols are finite and second-order, unable to fully capture truth, which is first-order and infinite. Expecting total explication is a handicap, and realizing the limits of communication is crucial for deeper reality exploration. Synthesis of Science and Mysticism: The future of deep reality exploration may lie in the synthesis of the explicit approach of science and the implicit approach of mysticism, which are complementary and necessary to understand reality comprehensively. List of Inexplicable Entities: Truth, absolute consciousness, and God are some of the elements of reality that cannot be explicated. Implicit experiences like love, intuition, and mystical experiences also elude complete explication. Examples of Implicit Knowledge: Understanding abstract concepts such as Zen and the intrinsic motivations in life are examples of implicit knowledge - they cannot be explained in words but are understood through experience. Practical Takeaways: Acknowledge the implicit nature of reality and stop demanding complete explication. Learn the value of silence and wisdom, rely more on intuition, and trust personal visions without necessarily justifying them to others. Cultivating Personal Visions: Visions for one's life should be trusted and cultivated intuitively rather than proven scientifically; visions are implicit, forming internally before manifesting explicitly. Understanding Intuition and Abstraction: It's important to develop skills in abstract thinking and intuition to understand various aspects of life, such as relationships, health, business, and spiritual teachings. Value of Reading Between the Lines: The ability to infer implicit meanings in communication is vital for leadership, relationships, and personal development. It offers a deeper comprehension of situations. Communication Gaps and Translation Loss: Accept that communication inherently has limitations, and there's often a loss in translation which requires an understanding beyond the explicitly stated. Limitations of Proof Requirement: Many aspects of reality cannot be proven but are still true; understanding this nature of reality is essential, just as recognizing that not everything can be or needs to be proven to others. Accepting Others' Inability to Understand: Recognizing that some people may not grasp certain concepts is crucial, and persistence in trying to prove these can be counterproductive and unhelpful. Laying the Foundation for Vision Logic and Post Rationality: The discussion around understanding and abstraction lays the groundwork for vision logic or post-rationality—a transcendental way of thinking that combines logic with intuition. Recognizing Implicit and Transcendent Logic: Vision logic acknowledges implicit and transcendent aspects of reality, creating a 'fuzzy logic' approach to understanding that extends beyond strict rationality. Contemplating the Nature of Understanding: One should reflect on the process of understanding itself, as well as on misunderstandings, as a way to roundaboutly comprehend the essence of understanding. Balance of Interpretation: Care must be taken not to misinterpret teachings by being overly literal or by projecting personal biases when trying to read between the lines. Complementary Abstraction Episode: An upcoming episode will delve more deeply into abstraction, which is crucial for grasping the implicit aspects of reality and will build upon the foundation laid here. Avoiding Projections of Meaning: Not everything conveys a deeper meaning; meanings are often projected by the mind. It's significant to differentiate between the essence of teachings and personal interpretations. Art of Reading Spiritual Teachings: Applying spiritual teachings correctly requires understanding the intended essence by the teacher—not a verbatim recitation but an insightful interpretation. Descendo

Total Awakening Live In Real Time - Part 2 https://youtu.be/NnpRkE4L_io Finite limitations of humanity: Leo continues to emphasize the finite nature of all forms of life, including humans, illustrating that limitations are inherent in every species and apparent in their abilities, like a bird's inability to swim or a fish’s incapacity to crawl. Finite nature of spiritual figures: Leo reiterates that all spiritual figures and teachers are finite beings. Even revered figures like Jesus or Ramana Maharshi are limited, and worshiping them will not lead one to the infinite, suggesting that one must go beyond adoration of these figures to reach a higher state. Gradations of consciousness and self-bias: He describes how human consciousness varies from highly selfish individuals to those who expand their sense of self to include their family, community, and eventually the entire world, culminating in a pure, infinite consciousness devoid of self, which he equates with enlightenment. Self as an imaginary construct: Leo argues that what we typically consider the 'self' is an imaginary construct, and as one transcends selfishness and fear, realizes there is no true self, achieving a state of infinite consciousness and love. Consciousness spectrum: The spectrum Leo outlines ranges from the limited, selfish, and fearful end to those who surrender their beliefs and expand their consciousness, understanding that everything finite is an illusion and stepping into the fear of the unknown. Misinterpretation of spiritual messages: He points out that misunderstandings about his teachings may arise from listeners' fears and biases, but maintains the truth he speaks is the highest form of love, cutting through falsehoods. Relative perspectives on spiritual practices: Leo highlights the relativity of spiritual paths and practices, cautioning against limiting one's perception of God to any single belief system or practice. Role of belief in consciousness: He describes belief as a barrier to consciousness, insisting that truth is not about belief in a deity but about realizing one's direct experience as consciousness itself, awakening to the idea of self as God. Prayer and self-awareness: Leo discusses the common practice of prayer in various religious traditions and emphasizes that the apparent forsaking by a higher power is not a matter of being forsaken but a lack of self-awareness and higher consciousness. Equal love for all levels of consciousness: He explains God's impartial love for all individuals, regardless of their level of consciousness, using Hitler as an example to illustrate that even those with low consciousness are equally loved and that their death could be a salvation from their self-biased hell. The Hitler phenomenon as universal selfishness: He uses Hitler's extreme actions as a manifestation of selfishness, present to some degree in everyone, underlying negative activities such as nationalism and other forms of harm. Selflessness and perception of wrong: Leo suggests that absolute selflessness, which disregards pain, pleasure, and material status, would lead to a perception where no wrong can exist, challenging the notion that one's limited, twisted self is the reality when in fact it is the true fairy tale. Fear as a central roadblock: Leo expresses that the primary obstacle to awakening and unconditional love is fear, which people often experience when faced with the message of infinite joy and love he delivers. Love and fear dynamic: He details the conflict within individuals between love and fear, exemplifying how we simultaneously cherish and fear losing what we love, leading to a constant state of anxiety. Perception from infinite vs. finite: Leo argues that from an infinite perspective, everything that occurs is inherently good, as God (or infinite consciousness) creates only positive experiences. It's our limited perspective that labels things as bad. Self-bias and fear: Fear arises when consciousness becomes biased towards the self, leading to a desire for certain outcomes over others. Leo suggests that we envision consciousness as an infinite field, distorted by self-involved vortices. Awakening as unraveling distortions: He describes spiritual awakening as the process of unraveling these vortices to realize that one is both the entire field and all vortices, thus expanding into infinite consciousness. Transformation through love: Leo emphasizes the importance of releasing fear and embracing love as the essence of life and consciousness, exploring and realizing oneself. Attachment leads to misunderstanding: People may misinterpret or demonize Leo's message of highest love due to their self-bias and attachments, which skews their perception of the world. Relativity of spiritual practices: He warns against being trapped in finite systems or beliefs about God, advocating for understanding and appreciating the complete relativity of all things. Prayer through personal consciousness: Leo explains that prayer works not due to external deities but because it engages one's own consciousness, which is divine in nature. Continuous pursuit of awakening: The ultimate goal is to continuously expand consciousness and realize the absolute relativity of everything, moving towards higher states of awareness and selflessness. Aspirations for viewers: In conclusion, Leo invites viewers to realize infinite love, which is the true essence at their highest form, and wishes them continued growth on their spiritual journey towards enlightenment. Flagrate

Reproduction Is An Illusion - Why It Doesn't Matter If You Have Kids https://youtu.be/W0fmj0Im_ZU Non-duality and its ramifications: Non-duality, or the understanding that everything is one, has radical consequences that are often overlooked. Leo contends that many spiritual seekers have awakening experiences but fail to comprehend the full implications which, if known upfront, might deter them from spiritual pursuits due to their extreme nature. Sex versus reproduction: Leo differentiates between sex and reproduction, emphasizing that he is addressing the latter. He mentions a future discussion on non-duality implications for sex that all sex is essentially with oneself, as the universe, which you are a part of, has sex with itself. Cultural myth of reproduction: The materialist viewpoint that reproduction is a biological imperative is ingrained in society through parents, culture, and even science. However, Leo argues this idea fails to recognize the relative nature of reproduction tied to one's subjective definition of self. Relativism and reproduction: Leo introduces the concept of relativism, suggesting that reproduction is relative to one's perspective. He emphasizes that from the viewpoint of non-duality and oneness, every movement of the universe is its reproduction, not just the biological act of procreation. Reproduction beyond genetics: Challenging the narrow genetic aspect of reproduction, Leo points out that individuals can reproduce in various ways that transcend physical biology, such as through cultural or societal influence, using Shakespeare's enduring legacy as an illustration. The myth of the 'one true' reproduction: The insistence that genetic reproduction is the only 'true' form of reproduction is challenged. Leo describes this as a self-biased and subjective stance, emphasizing that all universe actions are forms of reproduction with different outcomes. Freedom from societal pressure: Leo aims to liberate those who feel obligated to reproduce biologically by exposing the myth that something important is lost if one doesn't have children. He also addresses the guilt felt by individuals unable to have children due to social and traditional narratives. Evolution and outdated narratives: He criticizes the oversimplified conceptions of evolution used to justify behaviors like promiscuity. He remarks that the scientific narrative does not define the self nor should it dictate one's identity or dictate the imperative to reproduce. Reconceptualizing identity: Leo discusses how expanding the notion of identity from individuality to a broader, more encompassing sense like identifying with all humanity, or even the entire universe, shifts the significance of reproduction. It becomes irrelevant whether one personally reproduces, as reproduction is seen as occurring on a cosmic scale beyond human or biological constraints. Evolution beyond genetics: He emphasizes that evolution occurs not just at the genetic level within specific species or living organisms but as a general feature of consciousness. Understanding evolution in this broader sense challenges the scientific paradigm that limits evolution to genetic changes over time. Science and self-definition: Leo points out that science does not determine personal identity, nor does it dictate how one should reproduce. Instead, identity is a cultural construct, which can be changed, thereby altering the perception and methods of reproduction. Cultural and mental reproduction: He suggests considering cultural influence and the proliferation of ideas as forms of reproduction. This implies that reproducing one's mind or ideas can be more significant and enduring than the genetic reproduction of one's physical being. The absurdity of genetic emphasis: Leo argues the idea of prioritizing genetic lineage—believing one's genes are special and must be passed down—is narcissistic and absurd, considering genetic dilution over generations. He challenges the notion that one's lineage is more important than other forms of life. Self-bias and survival instincts: Leo ties self-bias to the survival instinct, urging individuals to recognize that their genes or family lineage hold no more intrinsic importance than those of any other organism. This calls for a conscious recognition and overcoming of self-bias to perceive reality without distortion. Cultural and geographic survival: He explains that cultures from traditionally harsh environments have developed strong family values as a survival mechanism. However, as technology changes the survival landscape, the reliance on family for survival may become less critical, even in underdeveloped areas. Cultural preservation and stigma: Leo also touches on cultural preservation as a form of survival, noting how certain cultures heavily emphasize family lineage to prevent cultural dilution. He acknowledges the survival-related stigma attached to leaving or not prioritizing one's family, particularly in certain ethnicities or regions. Cuisine preferences as survival: Finally, Leo argues that one's preference for ethnic cuisine is a result of geographic availability aligning with survival needs, rather than the inherent quality of the food, suggesting that what we perceive as preferences are often shaped by survival mechanisms. Food preferences and survival: Leo discusses how food tastes are shaped by ancestral diets necessary for survival. While individuals can adapt their diets, psychological and emotional connections to traditional foods remain due to positive familial associations and the need for love and approval within one's culture. Influence of survival mechanisms: Leo emphasizes the role of survival mechanisms in shaping our preferences and actions. He argues that these mechanisms are automatic and robotic, and that becoming aware of them helps us understand the biases that influence our perception of reality. Identity and its impact on perspective: Leo discusses how identity shapes our worldview. He suggests that expanding one’s identity beyond the biological self can liberate us from the perceived obligation to reproduce, recognizing oneself as infinite and eternal. Freedom of choice post-awakening: Leo explains that awakening to oneness frees individuals from societal expectations, including the presumed need to reproduce. This realization allows for conscious choice in how one lives, such as deciding to have children out of genuine enjoyment rather than obligation. Love, compassion, and reproduction: He discusses how deepened understanding of our eternal nature allows us to approach parenthood and life choices with greater love and compassion. Leo suggests that when you recognize all children as equally important, not just your own, it fosters a more compassionate approach to raising children. Alternative forms of reproduction: Leo suggests that reproduction is not just about procreating children but involves transferring one’s essence into the world through various forms, such as art, architecture, charity, or even caring for animals. Conscious impact and maximizing love: Leo discusses the potential of conscious actions to maximize love in the world, such as starting an animal shelter. By expressing care for animals in need, one can inspire others to take similar actions, leading to a cascading effect of positive change in society. Societal influence and the ripple effect: Leo elaborates on how non-traditional forms of contribution, like creating a documentary about animal welfare, can inspire others and multiply one's influence, demonstrating the interconnectedness of societal impact beyond direct biological reproduction. Consciousness and its global necessity: Recognizing the world's demand for consciousness, Leo stresses the importance of various professions that could benefit from more conscious individuals, such as teachers, doctors, and politicians, to improve the quality of life on Earth, rather than increasing the population. Teaching as a transformative power: Through the example of teaching, Leo illustrates the significance of one's consciousness in shaping the lives of others—pointing out how the conscious guidance of a child by a teacher can potentially lead to the rise of compassionate leaders rather than tyrants. Reconceiving reproduction and identity: As one expands their self-awareness and understanding of oneness, Leo explains how conventional notions of reproduction, morality, and culture shift, encouraging individuals to embody and transfer consciousness in unique and impactful ways. Introduction to the Life Purpose Course: Leo introduces his Life Purpose Course, designed to guide individuals on how to discover a meaningful and impactful life purpose that extends beyond conventional achievements like biological offspring. Impact of conscious work: Emphasizing the far-reaching effects of conscious living, Leo asserts that a person's conscious efforts can outlive physical progeny and shape the collective human experience for generations to come. The power of self-change: Highlighting self-transformation as the ultimate leverage, Leo advocates for personal development as the key to becoming an effective agent of positive change in the world, potentially affecting diverse fields and leading to a more enlightened society. Non-literal understanding of reproduction: Leo encourages a non-literal perspective on concepts like reproduction, urging listeners to think more abstractly and realize that impactful legacy can be achieved through various means, not just biological. Abstract thinking and reality: By advocating for abstract thinking involving metaphors, analogies, and interconnections, Leo argues against rigid, literal interpretations of reality, suggesting that a more expansive mindset can unlock deeper wisdom. Final thoughts on abstraction: As a conclusion, Leo describes abstraction as a potent principle and plans to elaborate on it in future discussions, claiming that it is essential for transcending limited, literal perceptions of reality to grasp its inherently fluid and interconnected nature. Impedimenta

Division vs Unity - The Engine That Runs Reality https://youtu.be/vp99hZJfBHg "...to form a more perfect Union..." - Preamble to the US Constitution Exploration of Division vs Unity: Leo Gura introduces the concept of division and unity as the fundamental engine driving all of reality, evident in everything from social dynamics to biological processes, physics, and beyond. Historical Pattern of Mankind: History is presented as a series of fractal-like divisions and reunions within humanity, described as the polarizing and depolarizing dance of consciousness or infinite mind. Hydrologic Cycle as a Unity-Division Example: The hydrologic cycle is shown as a natural instance of division and unity: water starts unified in the ocean, evaporates, forms clouds (division), rains down into puddles (reunion), and eventually flows back to the ocean. Making a Smoothie Illustration: The process of making a smoothie is used as an everyday example, illustrating how elements grow into plants (unity), create fruits (division), which are blended into a smoothie (reunion), and then digested by the body (division) to nourish cells (unity). Speciation and Evolutionary Process: The diversification of species through geographical changes, interbreeding, and evolution showcases the process of proliferation (division) and the formation of new species (reunion). Human Migration and Cultural Diversification: Homo sapiens' migration from Africa and subsequent population of the globe led to division into races and cultures, which are now coming back together through globalization and interbreeding (reunion). Globalization's Impact on Human Race: Advancements in travel technology and social intermingling portend a future where racial and cultural distinctions are blurred. Space travel could lead to diversification across planets, potentially leading to interbreeding with alien species. Teleportation and Space Travel Speculation: Hypothetical future technologies like teleportation or space travel could facilitate even greater racial and cultural integration or lead to new forms of division as humans colonize other planets. Unifying Consciousness Through Yoga: Leo Gura touches on the role of Yoga, which translates to 'union,' in achieving a deeper understanding of consciousness by bringing together the perceiver and the perceived. Unavoidable Nature of Globalization: Due to demands from technology, travel, and economics, globalization is depicted as an inevitable force eroding traditional divisions and leading towards greater unity. Speciation and Human Colonization: Speciation may occur as humans colonize different environments like Mars, the Moon, or aquatic planets, resulting in varied physical adaptations due to conditions like low gravity. Interbreeding and Genetic Engineering: Interbreeding or genetic engineering with alien species could result in new hybrid organisms, showcasing a process of divergence and convergence in consciousness. Cultural Boundaries and Resistance: People often resist the blending of cultures, mistakenly clinging to temporary divisions and feeling threatened by the natural process of reunification. Judgment as Division: Judging and labelling aspects of the world as good or bad is a learned behavior that further divides consciousness, while teachings promoting interconnectedness encourage reunification. War as Absorption and Reunion: War is a form of absorption, with one tribe attempting to integrate another's resources, and even after conquest, the resulting peace can lead to larger, unified entities like the European Union or the United Nations. Middle Eastern Clan Warfare and External Interests: Power struggles in the Middle East, exacerbated by external interests, illustrate the difficulty of achieving unity among diverse clans and religious sects. United States and Autonomy: The United States was forged from 13 colonies into a nation that balances unity with significant state autonomy, reflecting both division and unity. European Union Complexities: The EU shows the challenge of unification, as member states grapple with national identities and unequal contributions, which can lead to tensions like Brexit. Unity and Division in Organizational Evolution: Large organizations, like the United Nations, evolve from the desire for cooperative peace but face resistance from individual national interests. Sunni, Shia, and Subdivisions: Within Islam, the division between Sunni and Shia factions and further subdivisions exemplify the ongoing cycle of division and unity even within a single religious community. Collective Defense Against Common Threats: Leo suggests that existential threats, such as a hypothetical alien invasion, would necessitate global unity among humans, temporarily sidelining smaller divisions. American States' Unity: The formation of the United States as a unified entity from individual colonies serves as an example of the recurring pattern of division and reunification. Economic Prosperity and Challenges in the EU: The European Union brought economic prosperity and peace but also highlighted disparities among member states, showing both the benefits and challenges of unification. Nationalism vs. European Unity: Individuals and nationalist parties in various European countries resist the idea of a European identity, preferring to maintain their distinct national identities, leading to tensions within the European Union and events like Brexit, which epitomize the struggle between unity and division. Brexit - Division within Unity: Brexit illustrates a fracture within the European Union, where the unified benefits make it difficult to leave, but British nationalists emphasize their unique identity, challenging the notion of being part of a larger, interconnected entity like the EU. Globalization's Inevitability: Leo Gura argues that globalization is unavoidable due to technology and human desires for travel and communication, thus necessitating unified international laws and collaboration to ensure a safer, more connected globe. Travel, Technology, and Legal Implications: With increasing global interconnectivity, people expect safety and justice when traveling or conducting international business, hinting at the future development of international legal systems to address crimes and disputes across borders. Trade-offs in Unity and Division: There are no simple answers to the ideal level of unity or division as both come with associated costs and benefits; reality is likened to a fractal or Russian nesting dolls, indicating complex layers of unity within division. Libertarian Misconceptions and Societal Structure: Libertarians and conservatives often fail to recognize the importance of sophisticated coordination for advanced societies, misunderstanding the interdependency inherent in society and the limited nature of freedom and individualism. Individual Autonomy vs. Collective Function: If each cell or organ in the human body acted solely based on its own autonomy, life would be unsustainable. Similarly, a society demands collective organization and cooperation to thrive, counter to extreme libertarian ideals of independence. The Danger of Excessive Integration: While coordination is crucial, there is also the risk of overintegration leading to the suppression of individual rights and the creation of totalitarian systems, highlighting the need for balance between individualism and collectivism. China's Collectivist Approach: China's current policies, which prioritize its emergence as a global superpower over individual rights and religious freedoms, exemplify extreme collectivism. This approach is deemed neither entirely good nor evil, but a mix of both, with significant global impacts. Fall of the Soviet Union: The Soviet Union's dissolution is cited as an example of the cycle of division and unity. At its peak, it consisted of multiple satellite states, but it fragmented after the collapse of communism—contrasting the reunification of East and West Germany. Spiritual Divisions: Despite spiritual study, religious groups cannot maintain unity, as evidenced by Christianity's split from Judaism and further divisions into Catholicism, Orthodox, and Protestant denominations, along with Islam's fragmentation into Sunni, Shia, and other sects. Eastern Spiritual Fragmentation: Similar to the West, Eastern spiritual traditions are not exempt from division. Hinduism and Buddhism both branched into various schools, demonstrating this pattern even within more holistic spiritual frameworks. Internet Proliferation and Unification: The internet initially experienced a proliferation of diverse websites, which then consolidated into large platforms like Facebook, Google, and Amazon. This demonstrates the movement from speciation (division) to monopolization (unity). Corporate Mergers, Monopolies, and Regulations: The past 50 years have seen significant corporate mergers and the formation of monopolies due to lax antitrust laws. However, there is a prediction of populist uprisings and regulatory responses to break up these large enterprises. Birth and Life as Division and Reunion: The process of birth divides consciousness into separate organisms that eventually reunite through eating and excreting—demonstrating a constant interplay of division and unity in life's survival processes. Reproduction and Life Cycles: The reproductive cycle in mammals is an intricate play of division and reunion, with the creation of male and female leading to sexual reproduction. The act of sex culminates in the highest point of unity, resulting in a new birth—the division of a zygote from the parent organism. Cell Division and Embryonic Growth: The initial one-cell zygote undergoes repeated division, eventually forming trillions of cells that unify to create a baby. This newborn then physically divides from the mother while still relying on her for sustenance, demonstrating a recurring pattern of separation and connection. Family Units and Individual Independence: As a child matures, they often experience a cycle of unity within the family and division as they seek independence during teenage years, ultimately leading to complete separation to start their own families where the cycle repeats. Life, Death, and Conscious Reunion: Death is depicted as the ultimate reunion, where the individual consciousness merges back into infinite consciousness, completing the same cycle of unity (birth) and division (death) that began with their own conception. Atomic and Molecular Unity: At a sub-organic level, atoms unify to form molecules, which combine to create increasingly complex structures, such as proteins, cells, organs, organisms, and eventually societies. This highlights the pattern of division and unity present in the physical fabric of the universe. Specialization and Reintegration in Intellectual Fields: From philosophy, several intellectual fields have diverged, creating specialties like science, mysticism, and mathematics, which have further branched into subfields. Now, an emerging trend seeks to reintegrate these into a holistic understanding, represented by systems thinking and the search for a grand unified theory. Future Unification of Science and Mysticism: Predicting that science and mysticism, which originated from the same philosophy, will eventually reunify, integrating mystical insights with scientific advances, potentially through practices such as meditation, yoga, and the study of psychedelic experiences. 3D Modeling as Unity and Division: In 3D modeling, a single shape undergoes repeated subdivision to add detail, followed by reunification processes to smooth and integrate parts into a coherent, detailed model. This mirrors biological and creative processes of elaboration from unity. Socioeconomic Caste Systems and Capitalism: Past social structures, like caste systems, have declined, giving way to a new socioeconomic division based on wealth in capitalist societies. Public discontent indicates a potential future shift toward the redistribution of wealth and increased socialism, a balance between unity (shared resources) and division (capitalist individualism). Balancing Socialism and Capitalism: Leo emphasizes that neither socialism nor capitalism is inherently evil; society requires a dynamic equilibrium between these two forces, adjusting over time to societal needs, rather than adhering to rigid ideologies. Social Movements – Social Justice Warriors vs. Anti-Social Justice: Social dynamics show division and reunion through social justice advocates pushing for unity and harmony, while their opponents value individualism and freedom, rejecting the push for collectivism. Global Warming Illustrates Division and Unity: Global warming exemplifies the unity and division process, as separated oil deposits and ice are reintegrated into the environment through human activity, leading to unified environmental changes such as increased global temperatures and melting ice caps. Global Warming Mechanism: Humanity's use of fossil fuels reintegrates carbon (oil) with Earth's atmosphere, contributing to a warming planet and melting ice, which merges with oceans, demonstrating a cycle of separation and reunion. Temperature Equilibrium Efforts: The Earth's core heat gradually dissipates into the cold of outer space in an attempt to equalize temperatures, a process reflecting the larger reunification between Earth's internal and external environments. Relationship Dynamics: Intimate relationships fluctuate between union and division. Partners seek unity through romance and sex but afterward desire space, reflecting a natural balance of closeness and individuality. Evolution of Gender Roles: The rigid division between male and female roles softens with technological advancements, leading to a greater acceptance of varying gender identities and sexual orientations, and challenging traditional norms. Fusion Cuisine: Different cuisines developed from regional elements demonstrate cultural separation. Fusion cuisine emerges, blending these distinct styles, reflecting both the value of culinary diversity and the potential for innovative unity. Formation and Death of Stars: Stars form from unified gases under gravity, illustrating a physical manifestation of unity. Black holes represent an extreme form of reunification, attracting all matter, yet also dispersing via Hawking radiation, indicating a return to division. Big Bang and the Universe's Cycle: The universe started as a singularity and expanded to form various forms of matter and energy in an act of division. It is predicted to eventually unify back into an indistinct mass, hypothesized to restart the cycle in a perfect loop. Entropy and Reunification: The concept of entropy is reframed as a measure of unity versus division, with the natural progression of the universe, including life, being toward greater unity as seen in the drive for energy equalization. Transformation in Relationships: Relationships exhibit a cycle of unity and division, where partners unite in intimacy and seek separation for autonomy, revealing a consistent dance between merging and independence. Gender Identity and Societal Change: The traditional male-female gender binary is becoming more fluid with sociocultural advancements, leading to broader acceptance of diverse gender expressions and sexual orientations. Culinary Arts and the Interplay of Division and Unity: Traditional cuisines represent division, while the rise of fusion food exemplifies unity, with both maintaining value in preserving authenticity and embracing innovation. Singularity and Perceptual Unity: Leo suggests that in physics and cosmology, zero and infinity are identical, leading to the conclusion that a point with no dimension (zero radius) simultaneously represents infinite expansion (infinite radius). This indicates a perfect loop or cycle in the nature of reality. Misunderstanding of Entropy: Traditional views on entropy as a measure of disorder are challenged. Leo defines high entropy as total unity, where there is an indistinguishable uniformity, akin to a state of God or love. Low entropy, conversely, corresponds to division, and is necessary for the experience of motion, space, and time. Consciousness and Design: Life and all physical processes should not be viewed as accidental occurrences but as manifestations of consciousness intentionally dividing itself to experience various aspects. Science, with its specialized focus, fails to understand this ultimate nature of consciousness, mistaking these divisions as random physical phenomena. Reunification of Consciousness Through Yoga: Yoga, which translates to union in Sanskrit, is presented as a practice that unites subject and object. By participating in yoga, scientists and others can gain a holistic understanding of consciousness, transcending the confines of division expressed through specialized fields. Universal Tendency Toward Unity: Over time, divided systems naturally tend toward unification, as illustrated by a glass container separating two gases that will eventually mix into uniformity. Human-made structures, like buildings or statues, will also eventually decay and merge back into their environments, showcasing the inevitability of reunion in all systems. Costs and Benefits of Unity and Division: Complete unity offers peace and bliss but sacrifices the distinct experiences of life, such as tasting vanilla or having a pet. Conversely, division allows for these individual experiences, which require distinct separations to appreciate the sensation of unity and the diverse manifestations of existence. God's Nature and Limited Human Perception: Leo describes God as indistinct nothingness, which cannot be comprehensively known because all knowledge inherently divides. As humans experience God through various forms, these are limited incarnations and not the ultimate indistinct nature of God. Function of Evil in the Universe: Acts of evil in the world often apply pressure for eventual unity. Leo suggests that what is perceived as evil is, in a deeper sense, love and intelligence acting together, as evidenced by the formation of the European Union after World War II. Inevitability of Reunion in Reality: Division will always lead to reunion and vice versa. The idea of complete control by any one part is temporary, with humanity's dominance over the planet being a fleeting state within the universal cycles of division and unity. God's Revelation as a Limited Form: Any manifestation of God experienced by humans is a limited form, as God is inherently indistinct. Depicting God in a definitive form diminishes its ultimate state of indistinct nothingness, which can't be captured or fully understood through divisive human knowledge. Understanding the Structure of Reality: Leo discusses the inherent rules of reality, which dictate that divided entities will eventually reunite and unified entities will divide, reflecting a constant cycle of unification and fragmentation in all of existence. Monopoly of Parts over the Whole: He emphasizes that no single part can monopolize the whole, as the whole is unlimited and every part is limited. He cautions that humanity's domination over the planet is temporary, demonstrating the futility of any part trying to control the whole. God's Infinite Diversity: Leo explains that God, or infinite intelligence, seeks to maximize diversity of form. This diversity is not antithetical to unity but is its very expression, showing that unity encompasses all diversity as its ultimate form. Infinity and Natural Numbers: The concept of infinity is elaborated upon, describing it not as a single point on the number line but as the entirety of all numbers—zero and beyond—emphasizing that infinity includes all distinct forms, not just numerical concepts. Evolution as Differentiation and Reunion: Evolution is presented not just as a biological process, but as a universal process involving love and intelligence, balancing the intricate relationship between division and unity, with each having a time and place. Unity and Division as Two Types of Unity: Leo articulates that division and unity are not opposites but are two manifestations of unity. Absolute unity includes the possibility of division, indicating that unity and division are parts of a single, integrated whole. Life as a Fractal of Infinite Consciousness: Life and reality are described as manifestations of infinite consciousness, with birth representing division and death acting as reunion, suggesting that life is an ongoing variation of this theme. Appreciating Unity and Division: Viewers are encouraged to notice the interplay of division and unity in daily life, from personal belongings to politics, as a way to deepen their understanding of life and improve their reactions and behaviors. Holistic Approach to Teaching: Leo shares his goal of providing teachings that are not narrow but holistic, integrating various fields—science, math, philosophy, evolution, religion, mysticism, psychology, sociology, history, and politics—reflecting the complex and interconnected nature of the universe. Power and Value of Understanding: The transformative power of understanding is emphasized, with Leo suggesting that a comprehensive grasp of topics can profoundly change one's perspective and behaviors, even without immediate changes in life circumstances. Limitations of Teachings and Reality's Enormity: While acknowledging the limitations of his teachings due to the vastness of reality, Leo strives for a degree of breadth and depth that reflects the infinite scope of the universe, aiming to offer a broad and profound perspective on existence. Glisseo

Self-Love - The Highest Teaching In The Universe https://youtu.be/4OmMpYa7R_U "Self-Love is the only teaching." The culmination of a seven-year journey: In his personal development exploration, Leo Gura reveals that after exploring numerous methods ranging from therapy to meditation, he has distilled everything into a singular teaching - self-love, which he believes is the highest concept in the universe, essential for the evolution of all conscious beings. Defining self-love: Leo clarifies that self-love is a profound existential force, transcending mere human emotion. It is universal, driving evolutionary progress. Despite its abstract nature when compressed into two words, he emphasizes its fundamental role and the need to decipher and actualize its meaning deeply. Alien species hypothetical: Leo hypothesizes that if advanced aliens were to impart wisdom to humanity, they would prioritize teaching self-love over technical knowledge. He implies that humanity's current inability to appreciate self-love suggests that aliens might understand it far deeper than we do. Self-love as an intelligence measure: Leo proposes that the intelligence of an entity, including hypothetical aliens, can be judged by their understanding of self-love. He states that self-love is a practical litmus test for evaluating teachers and ideologies, with those that promote self-love being of the highest quality amidst a spectrum of beliefs. Corruption marked by the absence of self-love: He asserts that a lack of self-love or the presence of judgment and hatred in ideologies indicates their corruption. He cites Nazism and radical religious ideologies as examples, emphasizing that even a teaching that preaches love, like Christianity, can be corrupt if it is not practiced genuinely. Identification of spiritual corruption: Teachings that contain hatred, judgment, or fear towards individuals or groups, such as condemning criminals or fearing witchcraft, indicate corruption of those teachings from their original pure form. Self-love as a universal remedy: Leo proposes that fundamentally, all problems humanity faces trace back to a lack of self-love, including issues that appear unrelated, such as poverty or health crises. Reframing self-love: Self-love, as Leo describes, refers to loving the ultimate self or awakened self, not just the human identity. By loving oneself as the whole universe, other problems will naturally correct themselves. Components of self-love: Understanding self-love requires grasping the true meanings of "self" and "love". These concepts cannot be comprehended through traditional logic or science but require a shift to a higher state of consciousness. Necessity of mystical experiences: Emphasizing that discourse is insufficient, Leo argues that direct mystical experiences of the true self and love are essential for genuinely understanding and implementing self-love. Practical importance of self-love: Leo outlines how self-love can resolve common personal development issues such as insecurity, self-esteem, and relationship challenges by addressing the root cause rather than external symptoms. Self-acceptance as a path to self-love: Genuine self-love involves accepting one's physical appearance and personality traits, and involves recognizing oneself as part of the universe, thereby aligning with the expanded concept of self. Self-love beyond the physical: While starting with self-appreciation on a physical level is valuable, Leo challenges individuals to also embrace the broader universe, which includes one's body, other people, political entities, as part of their self-love practice. Expanding appreciation of existence: Appreciating your existence involves recognizing that you are an integral part of the universe, and your infinite mind is generating the reality you experience. Unconditional love versus conditional love: True love for oneself or others is not based on utility or what one can provide, it is unconditional, celebrating existence itself rather than what it can do for you. Transformation from physical to existential love: Shifting focus from the physical body's utility to a deeper appreciation of existence enables the experience of deep, unconditional love. Integration of self into the universe: Through self-love, one's sense of self and love expands to merge with the entire universe, leading to the most profound levels of awakening and joy. Realizing love through consciousness: Recognizing the profound nature of reality through consciousness leads to profound existential love, transcending mundane emotions or needs. Experiences that awaken self-love: Moments of consciousness, like admiring a beautiful sunset or being amazed by the complexity of a living creature, activate an appreciation for the beauty of existence. Practical application of self-love in dating: In attraction and dating, a lack of self-love can be detected by others and reduce one's appeal; genuine self-love enhances self-confidence and genuine care for others. Resolving disagreements with self-love: Recognizing that both parties' perspectives are valid and practicing self-love can dissolve conflicts and promote understanding in relationships. Self-love in addressing life's challenges: Facing illness, injury, or injustice with self-love fosters healing and growth, while self-respect requires setting boundaries in harmful situations. Awareness of self in the context of self-love: Becoming aware of how little control we have over our body's automatic functions, like pupil dilation, can foster a deeper appreciation for one's existence and contribute to self-love. Self-love during illness: Having self-love while battling an illness like cancer is vital, as it supports faster healing alongside medication. Reaction to accidents: Instead of reacting with anger to accidents like breaking a leg, accepting and loving the situation can lead to faster recovery and possibly learning profound life lessons. Dealing with injustice: Embracing injustices with love rather than resistance offers a broader, empathetic perspective, recognizing that those causing harm are also part of the universal self. Personal incident of theft: Leo describes how he dealt with his car being broken into by empathizing with the thief, considering the societal issues contributing to drug addiction and poverty, thus practicing self-love and universal perspective. Workaholism and self-love: Overworking and neglecting one's health at work indicate a lack of self-love. A comprehensive understanding of self-love can prompt a better work-life balance and healthier work practices. Job dissatisfaction and self-love: Expanding self-love can catalyze a vision for a new career path away from an unsatisfying job, fostering passion and purpose for more fulfilling work. Fear of starting a business: Overcoming fear in starting a business requires deep love for the business idea and genuine desire to make a meaningful contribution to the world, rather than focusing on potential financial loss. Business practices reflecting self-love: A business that truly helps people, rather than harming them, is a product of self-love and is intrinsically more fulfilling and sustainable than one driven by greed or exploitation. Expanding self-love for positive change: Leo emphasizes that expanding self-love and one's sense of self beyond personal gains—like family, money, cars, and homes—to include all of mankind along with the environment and animals is necessary for personal and global evolution, leading to true happiness and responsibility in roles such as parenting and partnerships. Impact of self-love on business ethics: He argues that many professionals, like marketing executives in unhealthy food industries, are so preoccupied with profits that they don't invest time in personal growth or consider the societal implications of their products. Expanding self-love, according to Leo, would motivate such individuals to innovate healthier alternatives rather than contribute to health epidemics. Addressing societal issues with self-love: Leo describes monetary, economic, societal, and political issues as fundamentally rooted in a lack of self-love. To resolve issues like tribal warfare and corruption, which sabotage economic stability, a shift in societal culture that embraces collective self-love and unity across factions and ideologies is essential. Political turmoil as a reflection of deficient self-love: He links current political discord to a lack of self-love and empathy between opposed parties. He suggests that political conflict can be mitigated by each side expanding their sense of self and love to include understanding for different perspectives, even those of rivals. Advancing spirituality through self-love: Leo points out that struggles in spiritual practices, such as inconsistency in meditation or dealing with bad psychedelic trips, stem from a lack of self-love. Greater kindness to oneself and understanding of spiritual processes are necessary for overcoming these hurdles. Self-love in preventing crime and violence: He asserts that societal problems, including violence, crime, and terrorism, require immense infusions of self-love. By expanding one's sense of self to include even the perpetrators, society can develop empathy, effectively addressing why such acts occur and preventing them through systemic changes and support. Remedying environmental negligence with self-love: Leo argues that environmental issues, such as excessive CO2 emissions, result from a societal deficiency in self-love. Those leading polluting corporations lack an inclusive self-concept that values the environment and wildlife, prioritizing profit over planetary well-being. Root causes of obesity and environmental neglect: Leo suggests that obesity in America is interlinked with environmental neglect, highlighting systemic issues such as the marketing of unhealthy food, which he attributes to a lack of self-love among marketers and consumers alike. Self-love as parental guidance: The rebellious behavior of children is often a response to criticism and lack of acceptance from parents. Leo recommends self-love as a tool for parents to foster unconditional love and acceptance, thus repairing strained relationships with their children. Wide-ranging solutions through self-love: From depression to addiction and parenting to business success, Leo designates self-love as the fundamental remedy for creating happiness and leading a successful life. Self-love's role in conscious politics and leadership: Self-love is crucial for effective leadership and creative work, including politics and business. Leo criticizes profit-driven businesses with no real value contribution, advocating for passion-driven work that benefits society. Dealing with criminals and societal dilemmas through self-love: Leo posits that self-love is essential in dealing with criminals, and healing societal issues, emphasizing that no external achievement compensates for the lack of self-love. The fundamental nature of self-love: Leo defines self-love as the ultimate power and essence of consciousness, meaning that self-love is not merely an emotion or feeling but the acknowledgment and love of reality for what it is. Love as a materialistic world's necessity: Leo argues that love is integral to the nature of reality itself, rejecting the notion that it can exist without consciousness, and equates the concept of God being in love with itself to reality fully embracing its own existence. Self-love transcending acceptance: The differentiation between mere self-acceptance and the ecstatic union of self-recognition that represents true self-love is elucidated, with Leo asserting that recognizing the existential beauty of consciousness is the epitome of self-love. Infinite amazement as a foundation of existence: Affirming that life and existence are inherently amazing, Leo invites everyone to appreciate and love life unconditionally, which aligns with the perspective that we are a manifestation of infinite consciousness and amazement. Humans manifesting self-love: All actions, from technological advancements to philanthropic efforts, ultimately represent humanity falling deeper in love with itself. Each new discovery or creation is the universe – or consciousness – reveling in new aspects of itself. Ego vs. divine perspective: While individual biases may lead us to hate certain things, from a divine perspective, nothing is hated; it is all equally amazing. This infinite love is consciousness exploring itself without judgment or preference. Self-love and boundaries: Practicing self-love does not equate to being a doormat. Actually, proper self-love naturally leads to healthy boundaries and self-respect, indicating a departure from people-pleasing behaviors and low self-esteem. Transcending gender stereotypes with self-love: Self-love transcends the stereotypes of being a feminine or masculine trait. It is a universal truth that encompasses and integrates all qualities, offering true strength and wisdom beyond societal gender constructs. Distinguishing self-love from egotism or narcissism: True self-love is different from narcissism or egotism. Real self-love involves expanding one's sense of self to include and love all parts of the universe, embracing the totality of existence beyond the individual ego. Practical exercise for expanding self-love: Wearing a wristband can serve as a reminder to identify and embrace aspects one typically dislikes or judges. By accepting these aspects as part of oneself and feeling love for the entirety, one practices expanding self-love. Hating as self-reflection: Encounters with things we hate or judge give us an opportunity to see those aspects as part of ourselves, which can ultimately lead us to accept and love a more complete version of ourselves, integrating our shadows into our consciousness. Self-love as the acceptance of existential diversity: Recognizing that consciousness includes everything, from the mundane to the extraordinary, challenges us to accept and love all aspects of existence. This acceptance signifies self-love at its most profound level. All teachings lead to self-love: Every concept and subject discussed by Leo, including those that seem unrelated like quantum mechanics or spiral dynamics, is ultimately a pathway toward the realization and embodiment of self-love. Using self-love as a compass: When faced with confusion or difficulty, one can reflect on the absence of self-love in the situation. It's a central guiding principle to navigate life's challenges and can reveal underlying issues that need addressing. Failure of institutions to teach self-love: Leo notes that schools, universities, workplaces, and religious institutions generally do not teach self-love, which he sees as a significant contributing factor to societal problems and individual suffering. Self-love as an ancient and consistent teaching: The concept of self-love has been taught historically by spiritual and religious leaders; however, it often becomes obscured or misrepresented in institutions, overshadowing its importance and purity. Varied enlightenment about love: Leo indicates that even established spiritual teachers might proclaim love as an illusion because they haven't awakened to love themselves. He points out that awakening has many degrees and versions, hence the diverse teachings about love. Homework assignment for self-love enhancement: Leo gives his audience homework to write down all the aspects of themselves that they don't love—physical appearance, past actions, personality traits, etc. He then instructs them to decide to love all these aspects as part of their reality. The struggle with accepting the true self: Leo describes the resistance one might feel in accepting and loving all aspects of themselves. He explains that the ego resists this acceptance, preferring an idealized vision of oneself, which is a deviation from the truth. Truth and love as identical concepts: Leo asserts that truth and love go hand-in-hand at a metaphysical level, emphasizing that to reject any part of reality is to engage in untruth and self-denial, which is the root of evil. He states that love is the ultimate solution, a reintegration of all aspects of oneself. Incomplete awakening without love: Leo argues that an awakening or enlightenment that does not include a realization of love is incomplete. He stresses that true awakening encompasses both truth and love, and a lack of either results in division and falsehood. Emotional approach to spirituality and its pitfalls: Addressing the tendency for emotional individuals or those who identify as love-seeking, Leo cautions that a journey toward awakening through love alone is incomplete without a grasp of truth. He challenges the perception that truth is harsh or needless, underscoring its indistinguishable nature from love. Self-love as the point of human life: Leo emphasizes that full self-love is the solution to all of life's problems, encouraging the audience to contemplate this assertion and its implications for individual action. Encouragement to support Actualized.org: Leo requests support for his content on Actualized.org through Patreon and reiterates the importance of exploring in-depth the substantial content he has created to gain full comprehension and benefit from his teachings. The difficulty of organizing content: Leo discusses the challenges in organizing his voluminous work, highlighting the sprawling nature of the teachings and the difficulty for new viewers to grasp advanced concepts without foundational knowledge. The importance of depth in learning: Leo values deep comprehension, comparing superficial understanding to unsatisfactory sexual intimacy. He stresses that a profound grasp of his philosophies entails a long-term commitment and urges viewers to study his work over several years to gain true appreciation. Cave Inimicum

What Is Death - How Immortality Works https://youtu.be/1zjuDdysOL8 "Oh wow.. Oh wow... Oh wow..." - Steve Jobs' last words Death as an unchallenged assumption: Leo points out that people often accept the concept of death without questioning its reality or the assumption that it's unknowable. He challenges viewers to consider the validity of these preconceived notions. Equivalence of death to positive absolutes: Leo claims that what we perceive as death actually equates to infinite love, consciousness, God, immortality, paradise or heaven, and complete non-duality—a transformative state rather than an end. Materialism vs. experiential insight: He emphasizes that the insights he shares about death are not beliefs or ideologies but are based on direct experiences, urging viewers to validate these truths through their experience rather than accepting them on faith. Death misconstrued due to self-bias: Leo discusses how the fear-driven, self-centric view distorts the perception of death, causing humans to view it negatively while they lack an objective understanding of what it actually entails. Life as identity construction: He argues that life and existence are not merely biological processes but rather constructions of identity within the mind, suggesting that we perpetuate our own existence through continual reaffirmation of this constructed identity. Tree metaphor for self and identity: Using the example of a tree, Leo explains that just as there is no inherent tree identity from the tree's own point of view, humans project and construct their identities as well, implying that our conceptions of life and death are similarly self-created. Relativity and Arbitrariness of Identity: Our identities are not fixed or factual but are constructed based on various layers of identification such as race, gender, nationality, profession, and even the idea of being a biological entity. Identity Creation and Birth: Leo suggests that birth is not a biological process but an identity created by telling oneself what they are. If one stops affirming their identity based on any characteristics, they would theoretically have never been born. Constant Reaffirmation of Life: Staying alive is a continuous act of affirming one's identity, done every moment by affirming attributes such as humanity, gender, beliefs, and personal stories. Death Through Loss of Identity: Leo defines death as the end of identifying with any construct, explaining that the loss of identity within different layers leads to a figurative death, evidenced by the mourning of lost social status or wealth. Existence Without Identity: If one could completely relinquish all layers of identity, including the fundamental belief in being a living biological entity, life would continue, but it would be as if they had never been born—their existence would continue without a personal identity. True Self as Non-Identification: Removing all artificial layers of identity leads one to discover their 'True Self', a state of formless, infinite, and empty consciousness where the distinction between 'I' and 'everything' dissolves. Physical Death vs. Psychological Death: Leo argues that physical death is unnecessary for understanding death because the body is just another identity layer. By deconstructing this identity, one can experience death without physical dying. Direct Experience of Psychological Death: Leo speaks from his experience, claiming that he has repeatedly gone through psychological death, realizing that death doesn't involve going anywhere as there is no 'here' or 'there' in the state of true consciousness. Death as Demonized Social Construct: Societal views on death have been shaped by a cultural agreement to view it as something to be feared and avoided at all costs. This view supports the idea of survival but is based on the false premise that survival defends something real. Eliminating the Fear of Death: Imagining a life without the fear of death can lead to fundamental changes in attitudes toward work and relationships and could eliminate fear from life completely, as fear is shown to be a powerful tool of self-deception. Death Cloaked in Fear Hides Truth: The universal fear of death prevents the exploration of existential truths such as love, infinity, and God, which have been metaphorically tagged as death, adding to the depth of fear and misunderstanding. Duality of existence: Leo describes life as an expression of selfishness, delusion, and attachment, while death is seen as selflessness, truth, and freedom. He contrasts the two states, presenting death as a dissolution of identity and a merging with infinite consciousness. Existential love contrasted with human love: He distinguishes between human notions of love and existential love, which is formless consciousness. Leo suggests that death brings about an experience of existential love that transcends our conventional understanding of love. Death as transformation: Leo explains that at the time of death, personal identity dissolves completely, allowing one to merge with the universe and become indistinguishable from everything, leading to infinite and formless existence. Metaphor of water: Using the metaphor of water, Leo illustrates the transition from having a specific shape to becoming shapeless. He relates this to death, conceptualizing it as moving from a defined form to a state of formlessness, which he views as our truest nature. Living from a place of formlessness: He suggests that it is possible to live from a place of formlessness without physical death, by detaching from all identity. This detachment would allow for universal relation and appreciation of existence. Attachment as a spiritual obstacle: Leo highlights how attachment to material things like wealth or success prevents one from realizing formless and infinite identity. He echoes religious teachings that identify attachment as contrary to spiritual growth. The irony of fearing death: He acknowledges that despite his assertions that death is a state of absolute love and beauty, individuals remain terrified of losing their specific form and identity. Cycle of division and unification: Leo explains that life involves a continuous process of division (birth) and unification (death), with both existing within a universal formless identity. Tragedy and irony of human existence: He perceives human life as a series of elaborate schemes to avoid the profound reality of infinite love, which is so overwhelming that it obliterates finite existence. Infinite love as both terrifying and beautiful: Leo asserts that the most tragic aspect of human life is the denial of the total beauty and goodness of existence, termed infinite love, which we avoid to maintain our finite identities. Unified Consciousness Through Death: When individuals pass away, their separation dissolves, and they merge with the collective consciousness which is ever-present. Leo asserts that all who have ever lived, including historical figures like Caesar and contemporary loved ones, are part of this collective and have never actually gone anywhere. Societal Denial of Infinite Consciousness: Society, families, and individuals vehemently deny the concept of infinite love and collective consciousness, often labeling those who speak of it as delusional or insane. This denial, according to Leo, is necessary to maintain the illusion of being separate, finite beings. Relativity of Death: Leo describes death as being relative. What dies is merely the personal identity, while from an absolute standpoint, nothing really dies. He posits that existence is a constantly reincarnating phenomenon, with reality being a shape-shifting manifestation that is inherently immortal. Immortality Through Identity Shift: Leo reflects on an early insight he had about immortality that originated from a Zen parable. Realizing immortality entails shifting one's identity from being limited and finite, like a tree, to being the whole forest, and ultimately to identifying with the totality of the universe. Universe vs Universe: Differentiating between the finite, scientific universe (with a lowercase 'u') and the absolute, all-encompassing universe (with an uppercase 'U'), Leo claims that true immortality resides in identifying with the latter, which is neither created nor destroyed. The Irony of Resistance: Leo discusses how many people's skepticism and pessimism are actually a denial of the fundamental nature of love and goodness inherent in existence. He assures that regardless of resistance, everyone will eventually become one with this infinite love, which is the true design of life. Self-Deception and Alignment with Life: Leo speaks of life as a journey toward recognizing and transcending one's self-imposed limitations. Alignment with the process of self-transcendence results in peace and joy, while clinging to self-deception leads to suffering. Reincarnation as an Infinite Process: From the highest perspective, everything reincarnates infinitely. As such, after one's physical demise, identity or form becomes irrelevant because, at the absolute level, one is already experiencing existence through every possible form. Knowledge Through Death: Leo suggests the only way to fully understand these concepts of death and immortality is to experience a kind of death personally. To know these truths, one must go beyond intellectual speculation and engage with direct experience. Rejecting Physical Suicide: Despite discussing the illusion of death, Leo reaffirms that one does not need to engage in physical suicide—using this understanding as a means to deepen appreciation for life and to embody the paradox of being both finite and infinite. Discouragement of physical suicide: Leo stresses that physical suicide out of depression or misery is not necessary and counterproductive, emphasizing that it is done out of a misplaced sense of self, which is ultimately selfish. Advocacy for mental and existential transcendence: He advocates for transcending suffering and depression not physically but mentally or existentially, and for becoming an example to others of spiritual possibilities. Appreciation for physical existence: Leo encourages embracing and appreciating the beauty and wonder of the material world, acknowledging it as an amazing and remarkable manifestation of love in physical form. Impermanence of form: He acknowledges the temporal nature of all formed things, including humans, planets, and stars, noting that while they are mortal, consciousness, truth, and love are immortal absolutes. Oneness and immortality: Leo discusses the concept of oneness, asserting that in a state of total oneness, notions of death are irrelevant, as there is no 'other place' to go. Shift in identity towards the absolute: He suggests a shift in perception from identifying as a human to identifying as the totality or the absolute (God) to realize a form of immortality. Acknowledgment of residual attachments: Despite spiritual awakening, Leo recognizes that individuals may still harbor attachments to life and mortality, and he highlights the difficulty in completely detaching from all aspects of material existence. Joy in dual existence: He advises enjoying life's experiences and dual aspects—physical life and spiritual immortality—without choosing between them, stating the reality allows the enjoyment of both sides. Descendo

Content vs Structure - Going Meta Is A Super-power https://youtu.be/eq3htbsa5rk "It's the structure, stupid." Content vs Structure Distinction: Leo introduces the concept of differentiating content from structure, emphasizing that while content refers to the specifics within a given framework, structure pertains to the rules, formats, or constraints that define the possibilities of what content can exist. Examples Illustrating Content and Structure: DVD Discs: The physical disc and encoding format represent the structure, whereas the data on the disc is the content. NFL (National Football League): The NFL acts as the structure, setting the rules and parameters for the teams, games, players, and organizational operations, with the specific teams and games being the content. English Language: Language is the structure that shapes what can be thought or expressed, influencing the content of speech and writing. TED Talks: The specific format and audience of a TED Talk constitute the structure, offering a platform for a diverse range of topics (content) to be shared. Video Games: The medium of video games provides a structure with its norms and standards, while the different genres and titles make up the content. Schools: The educational system's structure dictates what can be taught, and changing this structure could alter the fundamental nature of the schooling experience. The Trap of Content: People often get engrossed in content without paying attention to the structure that enables it. Leo uses the analogy of being wrapped up in a football game on TV without considering the structuring entities like the NFL or the television itself. Dream as Example of Overlooking Structure: When engrossed in a dream's content, people fail to realize they are dreaming (structure), leading to being tricked by the dream. 'Going Meta' as Gaining New Dimensional Insight: Leo explains 'going meta' as stepping back from content to observe the structure, uncovering a hidden dimension and allowing for significant shifts in perspective and understanding. For example, understanding that religion is not just about specific beliefs but also about the overarching structure of ideologies. Practical Applications of Going Meta: Understanding Used Car Sales: Rather than focusing on specific cars, going meta involves studying the processes and structures of how cars are bought and sold. Studying Structures of Religions: Instead of adhering to one religion, going meta means examining how all religions fit into a broader structure of ideologies and transcending that structure. Importance of Understanding Structure: Leo emphasizes the power of shifting focus from consuming content to a deep study of structures, leading to a richer appreciation and understanding of various aspects of life. Appreciation and Limitations of Meta Perspective in Entertainment: Leo enjoys behind-the-scenes documentaries because they offer a meta perspective of the entertainment industry, pointing out various aspects of film production. This meta perspective simultaneously enriches understanding but can also diminish the magic of the content by exposing its flaws and production realities. Illusion and Disillusionment of Content: When individuals delve into the structure of something, like a movie, they can no longer enjoy it with the same naivety. Leo likens the thorough understanding of a movie's making to the realization that reality’s content is often enjoyed without knowledge of its creation, which can be disillusioning. Hypnotizing Effect of Good Content: Good content, such as a horror movie, can engross and emotionally affect viewers, distracting them from the underlying structure. Recognizing this, Leo suggests that being too analytical or "meta" during such experiences can spoil the enjoyment. Content vs. Structure in Religion and Culture: Religion and culture can be deeply engrossing, with the potential to hypnotize people to the extent that they become resistant to analyzing the structure of their beliefs. Leo highlights that going meta can be threatening, inciting fear, anger, or discomfort when deeply-held beliefs are challenged. Culture's Arbitrary Nature: Leo points out the arbitrariness of cultural norms and values, noting that each culture believes in its superiority without recognizing the commonalities and arbitrary nature of cultural systems. Science as a Structured Lens: Scientists can become so engrossed in their work that they overlook the structural "keyhole" through which they view reality. Leo posits that science offers just one narrow perspective and structural understanding is required to see beyond it. Structural Similarities in Religious Disagreements: Leo illustrates how Christianity and Islam, while differing in content, share similar ideological structures, making them more alike than adherents realize. He echoes this sentiment with the Sunni and Shiite divide, suggesting that their violent disputes over lineage are based on a minor content discrepancy rather than large structural differences. Atheism and Theism Structural Similarity: He argues that atheism and theism are both belief systems with structural similarities, despite appearing as opposites in terms of content. Hypnotizing Power of Content: Leo conveys how content can become an illusion that engrosses individuals, preventing them from seeing or understanding the underlying structure, as demonstrated by heated disagreements within religions or between belief systems. Attachment to Atheism or Theism: Leo Gura points out that individuals often resist the idea of going meta because it would disrupt their deeply held beliefs. By refusing to transcend and examine atheism or theism from a structural perspective, they remain deluded, unable to see that both positions can be equally misguided. Conflation of Drugs and Psychedelics: Mainstream society frequently misunderstands psychedelics and typical hard drugs, categorizing them as equally harmful due to their surface-level similarities. However, structurally, they are fundamentally different; psychedelics can be therapeutic and anti-addictive, whereas hard drugs are generally harmful and addictive. Overemphasis on Politician Identity: Voting for politicians based on superficial identity markers like gender or ethnicity without considering deeper structural factors, such as policies and moral development, is a mistake. Leo asserts that it's crucial to scrutinize the structure of their abilities and potential governance rather than get caught up in their identity. Cable News Structure Affecting Content: The structure of cable news prioritizes sensationalism, mass appeal, and advertiser interests over comprehensive and unbiased reporting. Viewers often don't realize their perception of reality is being shaped by the selective content filtered through these structural biases. Fox News and the Hypnosis of Content: Leo highlights that outlets like Fox News capitalize on viewers who prefer not to question what they are presented with, leading to a form of hypnotic reinforcement of their existing beliefs. This hypnosis prevents viewers from acknowledging the possibility or the value of examining the underlying structure of news and ideologies. Illusion vs. Reality and the Importance of Going Meta: People tend to accept the content they are exposed to as reality, not realizing it's structured in a specific way to create an illusion. Fox News viewers, for instance, are unaware of what they're missing by not comparing their news source with others due to being trapped in the content's illusionary quality. Reluctance to Go Meta: Many individuals do not investigate structures or question their realities, content in the belief that they have a firm grasp on what's real, leading to what Leo describes as 'paradigm lock'. Structure of Platforms like Facebook: Leo explains that platforms such as Facebook have structures that shape their content significantly, allowing for the manipulation and propagation of ideas - advantageous for some, like foreign entities aiming to influence elections, and problematic for others. These structures support ideological bubbles by reinforcing pre-existing viewpoints through algorithms. Religion as a Structure: Religion in practice has a rigid structure with strict parameters that dictate how followers engage with it, which can limit truth-seeking and cause practitioners to miss out on other experiences. Academic Philosophy and Universities: These institutions function within structures that prioritize their maintenance over the pursuit of genuine truth, evidenced by the constraints placed on the methodologies and topics that can be discussed or researched. American Healthcare as a Dysfunctional Structure: The structure of the American healthcare system benefits certain individuals like doctors and pharmaceutical companies, but overall, it is dysfunctional for many others, emphasizing symptom treatment over curing diseases. Education vs Indoctrination: Leo contrasts the structures of education and indoctrination, illustrating education as a means of discovery and indoctrination as a fixed system that stifles independent thought and inquiry, prevalent in both religious and public schooling. Novelty and Restrictions in Different Mediums: Society often becomes enamored with a single medium or structure, missing out on the range of other experiences available. These include various forms of art, science, and scholarly disciplines, as well as different styles of teaching, like the Montessori method that promotes independence and inquiry over rote learning. Understanding and Redefining God: Leo offers a structural perspective on the concept of God, emphasizing it as an experience rather than a belief, which typically differs from mainstream religious conceptions, encouraging viewers to go beyond preconceived notions and surface appearances. Diversity in Human Psyches and Minds: There is a significant structural diversity among human beings in terms of genetics, biology, brain types, and personality, contrary to the common assumption that everyone shares the same perception of reality. Diverse Human Minds and Psyches: Humans have structurally different minds and psyches that process information and react to substances distinctly due to genetics and biology, demonstrated by phenomena such as instant mathematical calculation ability and perfect memory. Common Structures in World Religions: Surface-level differences between religions like Christianity and Hinduism mask deeper structural similarities. Deep study reveals commonalities suggesting a universal human spiritual inclination, which some interpret as evidence of a deeper truth about God. Authority in Science and Religion: Despite apparent differences, science and religion share a structural reliance on authority for establishing truth, contradicting the notion held by many scientifically minded people that these institutions fundamentally differ in this regard. Survival Across Economic Classes: Survival concerns exist for both poor and wealthy individuals, manifesting through different content such as basic needs for the poor and social status-maintenance behaviors for the rich, pointing towards a deep structural similarity in survival. Nintendo Games - Content vs Structure: Criticisms about Nintendo's repeated use of the Mario brand overlook the structural differences between the games. Each new installment has a unique game design, with the Mario character serving as a familiar branding wrapper. Structural Basis of Corporate Success: The success of major corporations like Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Netflix isn't solely due to the quality of their work or ethics, but primarily due to structural advantages that enable monopoly and market domination. Wealth and Power as Structural Phenomena: Millionaires and billionaires achieve their status not just through hard work but also by exploiting structural opportunities and navigating systems in their favor, often supported by a pyramid-like structure unsustainable for all. Going Meta and Understanding Success: Leo encourages developing the ability to go meta, i.e., to recognize the difference between content and structure in order to prevent suffering caused by an illusion of content, and to aim for success through understanding and leveraging structural factors. Consciousness as the Ultimate Structure: Consciousness is the ultimate entity within which all content exists. Understanding the structure of consciousness is essential for comprehending life and overcoming the influence of its dynamic content. Shared Structures in Ideologies: Diverse ideologies and political perspectives may have different content but often share similar structures. Liberals and conservatives, for example, represent different stages of cognitive, moral, and spiritual development which inform their discord. Personal Development through Structural Understanding: Lasting personal transformation and fulfillment come from working on the psyche's structure rather than being distracted by the ephemeral content of everyday experiences, aspirations, and ideologies. Wealth and Structural Hierarchy: Wealth, power, and the notion of being self-made are deeply intertwined with structural hierarchy. To become wealthy, one must exploit existing economic structures, often designed as a pyramid scheme. This is not universally sustainable; for millionaires and billionaires to exist, there must be a hierarchy. Identity and Ideology in Wealth Accumulation: Millionaires and billionaires may struggle with the guilt of acquiring wealth through inequitable structures. To continue accruing wealth without moral conflict, they adopt ideologies that make them oblivious to the suffering they cause and justify the maintenance of the hierarchical structure. Structural Maintenance for Wealth Preservation: Wealthy individuals actively work to maintain the hierarchical structures that enabled their wealth. This involves political influence, funding think tanks, and promoting ideologies to prevent the collapse of the hierarchy and to rationalize their position. Consciousness and Going Meta: Understanding and solving structural problems is key to becoming a powerful creator in any field. The ability to step back from the content of consciousness and see the bigger structural patterns is a crucial skill. All life experiences are content within the overarching structure of consciousness. Relative Nature of Content and Structure: Content and structure are relative; there are nested orders of the two. Ideology can be seen as a structure, religion as its content, which in turn is a structure for specific types of religion such as Christianity, and so on down to individual practices and beliefs. Mastering Life by Understanding Consciousness: The most important structure to understand is consciousness. Everything is content within consciousness, including ideologies, religions, languages, and physical reality. Mastery over life comes from studying the structures of consciousness and going meta on life’s contents. Immersion in Content and its Consequences: Being hypnotized by the content of success and power prevents individuals from going meta, causing suffering both personally and for others. To change one's life meaningfully, one must become adept at understanding structural issues. Life as Content within Consciousness: Every aspect of life, from religions and ideologies to human relationships and activities, is content within the broader structure of consciousness. Understanding this structure is the key to resolving life's challenges and avoiding the bewilderment of being at the whims of content. Real-world Examples of Content vs Structure: Leo discusses various real-world domains, illustrating the differences and similarities in structures, largely independent of content. Examples include religions, science, liberal and conservative psyches, cult psychology, nationalism, and clan warfare. Liberal and Conservative Structural Differences: Liberals and conservatives not only differ in policy positions (content) but also in cognitive, moral, and spiritual development (structure). Understanding this structural difference can shed light on the deeper dynamics behind political disagreements. The Need to Go Meta to Solve Complex Issues: Addressing content alone, such as in clan warfare or nationalism, cannot resolve the underlying structural issues. Lasting solutions require a meta perspective that understands the shared structure behind seemingly diverse conflicts. Nationalism as Evolved Clan Warfare: Nationalism is an advanced form of clan warfare where millions are involved, exemplifying the escalation from inter-clan disputes to large-scale conflicts between nations driven by a common structure of in-group bias and territorialism. Fighting Evil as a Structural Problem: Leo describes the ubiquitous presence of evil in the world as a consequence of a fundamental structural misunderstanding. People attempt to eradicate evil with actions that are inadvertently evil themselves because they fail to grasp that evil is a perception created by their minds and is not an inherent part of material reality. Perception of Evil and Projection: The perception of evil is revealed to be a projection from the individual's mind, tied to relative perspectives and selfish tendencies. To effectively address evil, one must acknowledge and transcend these projections, achieving a state of higher consciousness and unconditional love. Metaphysical Understanding of Evil: Rather than eliminating evil through punishment or eradication, understanding the metaphysical and structural origins of evil—such as fear, selfishness, and limited ego—leads to more compassionate solutions. To address the root causes of actions deemed evil, one must undergo profound psychological and spiritual growth. Attracting Women in Dating as a Structural Interaction: Through his experiences in pick-up and dating, Leo uncovers that attraction isn't about the specific words (content) but rather the manner of interaction (structure), such as confidence, body language, and mood—elements that dictate the sub-communication to women. Context Sensitivity in Social Dynamics: Leo stresses the importance of understanding contextual cues in social environments, particularly in dating scenarios where subtle communication and non-verbal cues (structural aspects) greatly impact the success of social interactions. Money in Politics Identified as Structural Issue: The influence of money in politics is recognized as a structural flaw, affecting both major political parties as they navigate their survival through resources and incentives, shaping their actions and resistance to campaign finance reform. Conflation between Scandinavian and Venezuelan Socialism: Leo critiques the conservative misconception that conflates the socialism of Scandinavian countries with that of Venezuela, highlighting the lack of structural awareness in these arguments. He explains that the content label of 'socialism' misrepresents the divergent infrastructures, corruption levels, ideological openness, and developmental stages of these nations. Religious Indoctrination Across Different Faiths: Leo points out the structural similarity in how religious schools indoctrinate students. This process of indoctrination is consistent across different religions, focusing on content transmitted within the structural confines of their respective educational institutions. Indoctrination via Educational Structures: All religious and scientific schools, such as Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Buddhist, and technical universities like MIT and Caltech, engage in forms of indoctrination. The degree of indoctrination varies, but structurally they're comparable, as they seek to instill specific paradigms in students without encouraging open inquiry. Self-Bias in Perceptions of Indoctrination: People excuse the indoctrination of their chosen paradigm, whether it be a religion or scientific materialism, due to self-bias. They see other forms of indoctrination as flawed because they differ from their own beliefs, rather than recognizing that all are essentially the same in structure. Repeating Patterns in Relationships: Repeat negative relationship patterns arise due to structural issues within an individual's psyche, such as low self-esteem or depression, rather than the content (partners). Sustainable change requires addressing these deep-rooted structures, not just changing partners. Emotions as Content vs. Structural Mastery: Emotions are content that can govern one's behavior. Mastering emotions involves understanding and observing their structures, allowing individuals to transcend and take control of their emotional experiences. Content Focus and Blindness to Structural Issues: Sam Harris illustrates content focus by critically addressing the content of religious texts like the Quran, while missing the deeper structural problems like low cognitive, moral, and spiritual development that contribute to extremism. Geopolitical Influence Overlooking Structural Factors: Geopolitical factors such as climate, geography, and historical context profoundly influence societies and are overlooked when improper content, like specific Quranic phrases, are blamed for terrorism. Cult Psychology Beyond Specific Ideologies: Cult psychology operates within various beliefs systems and ideologies, not limited to one religion or philosophy. This is a structural issue that encompasses broader ideological problems. Trump's Structural Corruption: Trump supporters focus on the content of his policies without recognizing the structural corruption and moral depravity, which is indicative of a lack of systemic understanding and personal development. Shared Structures Among Diverse Groups: Structurally, the psyche of Trump has more in common with dictators like Kim Jong-un, due to low cognitive development centered around impulsive, narcissistic, and corruption-prone behavior, regardless of the differing content of their ideologies. Structured Mindset of Authoritarian Leaders: Authoritarian leaders, such as Trump and Kim Jong-un, resonate due to similar stage red characteristics in Spiral Dynamics. They share qualities like dominance and authoritarianism, contrary to the surprise of the media. Evangelicals, Nazis, and Islamists - Structural Parallels: Evangelicals may superficially align themselves with Christ but structurally, they share more characteristics with dogmatic and nationalistic groups like Nazis and Islamists than with the meta-structure of Christ's consciousness. Religious Materialism Across Belief Systems: Both scientific materialists and religious individuals are structurally materialistic, pursuing physical benefits or heaven with materialistic attributes. Even within evangelical circles, the prosperity gospel reflects this materialistic mindset. The Structural Desire for Wealth and Materialism: Religious leaders using Christ's name and symbolism to justify materialistic pursuits, such as flying on private jets, are structurally driven by the same materialism they preach against, showcasing a disconnect from Christ's teachings at a structural level. Identifying and Conquering the Structural Essence of Evil: Christ's approach to 'evil' was structural, recognizing that evildoing is a construct of content and that true understanding and transcendence lie in the recognition of love as an overarching, meta-structural concept. Trappings of Content vs Structural Transformation in Spirituality: Truly adopting the spirituality of figures like Christ involves moving beyond content-based dogma to embrace a meta-structural consciousness, which involves surrendering material and ideological attachments. Survival Needs Affect Structural Perceptions: Egotistical survival needs can corrupt individuals into rationalizing materialistic desires with spiritual justifications, highlighting the difficulty of achieving true spiritual transformation at a structural level. Applying Spiral Dynamics to See Deep Structures: Utilizing Spiral Dynamics helps distinguish between content-focused debates and structural understanding. Effective change often requires transcending content details, moving towards recognizing and altering deep-rooted structures. Politics and the Content-Structure Dichotomy: Politicians and their constituents generally focus on content disputes rather than structural changes needed to address issues, leading to dysfunctional attempts at solutions. True resolution requires a shift to a systemic, structural perspective. Metaphysical and Worldview Shifts for Problem Solving: Many societal problems stem from a lack of structural awareness. Addressing political, social, and economic issues effectively necessitates understanding the structural causes embedded in our worldview and metaphysical perceptions. Meta Problems and Root Solutions: The primary challenge in society is the perception and framing of problems. True solutions require deep structural understanding and change, as merely shuffling content fails to address the root existential and metaphysical issues tied to identity, psyche, worldview, and conceptions of reality. Structures of the Mind to Study: Important mental structures worth studying include projection, denial, ideology, biases, paradigms, self-deception, and more. These structures influence how we perceive reality and ourselves, and they're crucial for understanding self-enhancement and self-deception mechanisms. Happiness as a Structural Issue: Happiness cannot be achieved by altering content such as wealth, relationships, or success. Happiness is a structural problem that requires a change in the psyche's structure; external achievements do not lead to sustainable happiness as they don’t address underlying structural issues. Psychedelics and Expanded Consciousness: Psychedelics induce bliss by expanding consciousness, temporarily altering the structure of one's life, allowing a glimpse into a potentially permanent change in structural reality. However, the effects are temporary, and deep work is required to maintain such an elevated state of consciousness. Inescapable Self: The self is the main structure carried everywhere, shaping life experiences significantly. Addressing this internal structure is crucial for genuine transformation, as changing external circumstances without addressing internal structures leads to the same cycle of content-related problems. Understanding Actualized.org's Goals: Actualized.org's goal is not to provide content for memorization but to point towards deeper structures of understanding. True transformation arises from structural changes to the psyche, moving beyond the content consumed from various resources. Investment in Structural Change: For meaningful personal development, one must focus on resources and practices that promote structural change rather than content absorption. Structural change is challenging and requires revisiting resources like Actualized.org for a deeper understanding, not just for content familiarity. Challenges in Structural Change Implementation: Implementing structural changes demands effort and understanding. Engagement with resources should go beyond content and should involve significant structural changes in the psyche to achieve deep personal transformation and happiness. Geminio

How Corruption Works https://youtu.be/sRvQlgu_bRs "Those who fight corruption should be clean themselves." - Vladimir Putin Persistent nature of corruption: Despite 10,000 years of human evolution, corruption is still prevalent, hinting at deep-rooted reasons we don't yet understand. Existential inquiry into corruption: Addressing corruption effectively requires questioning its fundamental nature and the underlying mechanics rather than dismissing it as simply the actions of a few "bad" individuals. Corruption beyond government: The misconception that corruption is limited to governments is dismissed, with recognition that corruption pervades across all parties, governments, organizations, and eras. Corruption as a synonym for evil: Combating corruption is akin to combating evil, a concept deeply intertwined with the understanding of corruption. Misunderstanding corruption’s roots: The irony is that misinterpretations of corruption's causes add to the problem, deepening its impact. Support for Actualized.org: Leo highlights the support for his channel through Patreon donations, which allows for improvements and avoiding ads and sponsorships that could influence content. Corruptibility of minds and systems: From political parties to media and gaming industries, corruption originates in the mind and manifests in external systems like Hollywood's focus on profit over artistry. Definitions of corruption: Multiple dictionary definitions underscore corruption as an act involving abuse of power, personal gain, departure from originality, and various forms of decay or change in meaning. Selfishness, ego, survival as motivators: The roots of corruption are synonymous with survival strategies, ego and selfish behavior, also referred to as devilry. Identification with corrupt actions: Corruption is difficult to observe within oneself but easily spotted in others, stemming from personal survival mechanisms and one's perceived identity. Accepting personal responsibility for corruption: True anti-corruption efforts require acceptance of personal corruption rather than solely attributing it to external sources. The practice of shifting blame: Politicians and others in power often blame external entities for corruption to distract from internal issues, avoiding self-reflection and accountability. Personal declaration of corruption: Leo challenges listeners to acknowledge their own role in perpetuating corruption and evil by declaring themselves as contributors to the issue. Admission of Personal Corruption: Recognizing and owning personal corruption is the crucial first step for change, akin to an alcoholic admitting their addiction. Most people never take this step because it involves confronting one's role in the collective corruption of society or even the entire human species. Collective Responsibility: As a member of any society, one should accept responsibility for the systemic corruption within it, like how Americans might benefit from the nation's military actions internationally, which serve business interests at the cost of others. The Unpopular Nature of Corruption Reform: Addressing corruption often becomes unpopular because it requires individuals to recognize and change themselves, which is generally the last thing one wants to do. Facing internal corruption can be more daunting than fighting perceived external evils. Corrupt People as Ordinary Individuals: Corrupt individuals are usually not inherently evil but are ordinary people reacting to situations of power and temptation. Their corrupt acts stem from an instinct for survival and the desire to fulfill personal needs such as money or power. Underestimation of Power's Temptation: Climbing the social hierarchy increases temptations and amplifies personal ambition. People often don't realize how these temptations can change them, leading to entitlement and potential for corruption, especially when powerful. Corruption as Self-Deception: People justify their corruption, seeing themselves as righteous. Corruption occurs first through self-deception—convincing oneself of being above reproach—so one can engage in corrupt behavior without personal guilt, viewing corruption as a trait of others. Practicality and Transcendence in Combating Corruption: Combatting corruption involves developing a consciousness that recognizes self-preservation's flaws. Understanding that practicalities can be a trap, and escaping the need for everything to be practical, is a higher form of being. Self-Deception Acknowledgment: Even those aware of corruption and self-deception, like Leo himself, are not immune to these issues. Awareness and the constant vigilance against self-deception are vital, yet there are no guarantees against falling into its traps. The Challenge of Objectivity: Truly overcoming corruption requires an objective evaluation of one's own beliefs, recognizing self-bias and the difficulty of objectively assessing one's worldview. This self-awareness is essential to admitting personal faults and corruption. Personal resistance to acknowledging corruption: Accepting one's own corruption is difficult due to the need to maintain a positive self-image. When confronted with corrupt actions, individuals may feel attacked, unloved, and reluctant to change due to an identity clash between being an angel and being perceived as a devil. The strenuous process of becoming an 'angel': Becoming a metaphorical angel, someone who transcends their corruption, is a challenging journey. It involves emotional turmoil, self-disgust, and existential insecurity. This purification path feels like a battle between one's devilish tendencies and the illuminating force of consciousness. Low consciousness and justification of corruption: People are often unconscious of their own corruption, rationalizing it through mental gymnastics and self-deception. Recognizing one's own corruption requires a higher level of consciousness and the ability to spot self-deception, a trait lacking in a significant portion of the population. Culture as a medium for corruption: Corruption is deeply embedded in culture, spanning across various sectors such as entertainment, media, religion, business, and science. Over generations, institutions inherit and manifest their predecessors' ideologies, which often contain inherent corruption due to lack of scrutiny and conformity. The dangers of conformism: Conformist thinking leads to accepting cultural paradigms uncritically, reinforcing corrupt systems. When ideas and norms are adopted through conformity, the process becomes flawed, regardless of the truth of those ideas. Denial of cultural corruption due to loyalty: Loyalty to one's culture often leads to denial of corruption within it. This conflict between loyalty and truth results in condemning those who point out corruption while preserving one's own identity and cultural attachments. Institutional denial of corruption: Institutions facing allegations of corruption, like modern science, may deny any wrongdoing to protect their image and survival. Reformers pointing out corruptions are often met with accusations of being harmful or anti-establishment as a defense mechanism. Reflecting on systemic and individual corruption: To address corruption, reflection on both personal and systemic levels is necessary. Seeking wisdom outside of conformist channels and questioning existing structures can help expose and prevent the perpetuation of corruption. Criticism of Scientific Foundations: Leo criticizes the epistemic foundations of science, which he claims are never questioned and taken for granted by scientists. When challenged, scientists tend to fall back on skepticism and the traditional methods they've been taught, illustrating the cycle of corruption in science. Science and Skepticism: When questioning science's fundamental assumptions, scientists often react defensively, asking for proof and citing rigorous methodologies, which Leo sees as a programmed response ingrained during their education. Demonization of Whistleblowers: Across different domains, especially politics and government, individuals who call out corruption are often demonized and even killed. Leo emphasizes the historical trend where those exposing flaws are mistreated and regarded as traitors rather than reformers. Military Corruption Example: Leo suggests that, ideally, if a soldier exposes corruption within the military, they should be rewarded for improving the institution. Instead, such individuals face retaliation and are brandished as traitors, reflecting the inverse reaction to exposing systemic issues. Inquisition and Heresy: Drawing parallels with the Spanish Inquisition, Leo explains that those labeled as heretics were often trying to reform the church. He says the Catholic Church, which still faces issues like the pedophilia scandal, is resistant to self-examination and reform due to deep identification with its image and dogma. Admitting Institutional Devilry: Leo discusses the emotional difficulty for individuals to acknowledge that their lifelong dedication to an institution, like the Catholic Church, may have facilitated "devilry" or corruption, rather than the divine work they believed in. Whistleblowers and Corporate Culture: He continues with the example of corporate whistleblowers who, rather than being rewarded for exposing corruption, are often fired and blacklisted, reflecting the corporate defense against threats to its ideologies and survival. Projection of Corruption onto Reformers: Leo describes a dynamic where corrupt individuals project their own corruption onto those who attempt to rectify it, viewing the reformers as devils disrupting the status quo. Call-out Culture in Science: When one points out the limitations and issues within the scientific paradigm, the likely response from reputable scientists is denouncement and denial due to being entrenched in their existing worldview. Defense against Corruption as Corruption: Leo argues that trying to defend against corruption can ironically lead to further corruption. For example, rigid religious orthodoxy aimed at preserving doctrinal purity actually perpetuates corruption by following a conformist and mechanical approach to spirituality. Orthodox Conformism: He posits that adherence to religious orthodoxy under the guise of maintaining purity is itself corruption, stemming from conformity rather than true spiritual understanding. The Devil's Use of Conformity: Leo suggests the devil plays upon conformity, knowing individuals will follow new rules without scrutiny, effectively spreading corruption within religious and spiritual practices. Misconception about protecting teachings: The act of rigidly memorizing and replicating teachings, as done by some gurus, unintentionally leads to corruption, as it turns into a mechanical process that deviates from the essence of consciousness, which is non-mechanical and independent. Consciousness vs. mechanical preservation: Consciousness is about independent thought and recognizing oneself as the ultimate authority. Mechanical attempts to safeguard teachings or practices—whether religious or scientific—often distort the original message and contribute to corruption. Independent thinking over external authority: Relying on external authorities for guidance, in religion or science, is a misstep that results in corruption. True consciousness requires self-guidance rather than adhering to an external figure's dictates. Limits of rigid rationality in science: Rigorous scientific methods can inadvertently ignore broader realities, much like a strict antivirus program that blocks necessary software. This overly stringent approach can create blind spots in science and lead to corrupt practices. Generational distortion of teachings: The process of transferring knowledge from one generation to another is akin to a game of telephone, where each copy introduces errors, ultimately leading to grave distortions like widespread institutional corruption over time. Corruption’s connection to lack of consciousness: Corruption stems from a lack of consciousness and cannot be mechanically prevented. To address corruption, individuals must develop consciousness and think independently. Corruption from Maya or 'the devil': Corruption is attributed to Maya, or the 'devil,' which uses universal intelligence for personal gain. Ego-driven humans distort and narrow universal intelligence, which should be used instead to disseminate consciousness and love. Devil’s tactics in corruption: The devil's strategy includes corrupting influential institutions because it enables widespread deception and corruption. Individuals in positions of power are targeted to disseminate corruption down through society. Misguided fight against corruption: Those who loudly oppose corruption externally might be using it as a facade to hide their own corrupt actions. The real battle against corruption is internal, focusing on personal transformation of devilry. Islam's inner vs. outer jihad: Islam was originally about the inner journey to eradicate personal corruption, representing the greater jihad, but has since been externalized into the lesser jihad of fighting enemies, losing its essence in the process. Integrity and its false display: There's a difference between genuine integrity, which is a function of high consciousness and moral development, and mere ideological or performative integrity that can be used to hide corruption. The relationship between Spiral Dynamics and Corruption: Lower stages on Spiral Dynamics, which are associated with limited consciousness, tend to be more corrupt. Tier 2 consciousness is key to curbing corruption as it allows individuals to recognize and overcome their biases and corruptions. Corruption in Third World Countries: Leo notes that corruption is inevitable in third-world countries where survival is a day-to-day struggle due to scarce resources, making people resort to corruption just to feed their children and secure basic human needs. Corruption Index: A corruption index tracks and ranks the corruption levels of every country, showing the correlation between a nation's corruption and its collective consciousness. Countries with scores below 50 are considered highly corrupt and undesirable places to live. Impact of Corruption on Development: In severely corrupt countries, normal societal development and individual self-actualization are almost impossible as businesses may have to pay bribes to operate, and entrepreneurs are often extorted by local mafias. Selfishness and Selflessness in Leadership: Leo discusses the paradox where selflessness emerges as a stronger force than selfishness. Despite the risks, selfless leaders, who cannot be faked, inspire true societal progress and can effect change even in the face of opposition or violence. Understanding Corruption's Importance: Understanding corruption is essential, not just for politicians but for everyone in society who participates in communities and organizations, to effectively handle dynamics and recognize corruption. Corruption in Society's Leadership: Effective leaders attempting to raise collective consciousness face significant challenges, including possibly being ousted by the public if their ideas are too progressive relative to the majority's comfort zone. Policing and Corruption: Policing within communities and online platforms like forums, Facebook, or YouTube exemplifies the struggle of combating corruption without being too oppressive—a difficult balance to achieve. Leadership and the Evolution of Communities: The speed at which a community evolves is limited by the ordinary, conformist majority's capacity to accept and integrate ideas from higher-consciousness leaders, who can be targeted and removed for suggesting significant changes. The Limiting Bottleneck of Community Evolution: Communities can only evolve as fast as the majority will allow; when a leader's ideas are too advanced, the relevancy gap can lead to the community rejecting and removing the leader from power, mistaking progressive ideas for harm. Catch-22 of Conscious Leadership: To establish high-consciousness leaders, a society needs citizens with high consciousness capable of appreciating such leaders, creating a challenging cycle as each depends on the other for existence. School System Influence: The school system reflects society's prevailing level of consciousness and is slow to evolve due to its connection to conformist traditional values of the society that establishes educational leadership. Resistance to Progressive Education: Highly conscious and reformative education leaders face resistance from the conformist majority, risking dismissal if their reforms challenge deeply held traditional values or expose systemic corruption. Projection of Corruption: Accusations of corruption can often be a form of projection, as in the case of Socrates accused of corrupting the youth, or Donald Trump's 'drain the swamp' campaign, while himself exhibiting corrupt behaviors. Trump Administration Corruption: The Trump administration is used as an example of significant corruption, where cronyism and financial improprieties are prevalent among President Trump and his appointees, visible through numerous scandals and resignations. Partisanship and Corruption Perception: The discourse on corruption in politics is often seen through partisan lenses, but awareness of differential levels of corruption in political entities is crucial for making informed judgments beyond partisanship. Spiral Dynamics and Corruption: According to Spiral Dynamics, higher stages are less corrupt due to reduced egotism, and it is posited that liberals are generally higher on this spiral than conservatives, suggesting less corruption. Causes of Government Corruption: Government corruption's prevalence ties back to the vast pool of money and power within it, with corruption manipulated by powerful and wealthy entities through mechanisms like lobbying and deregulation. Size of Government and Corruption: A larger, strong government is posited as necessary for managing and overseeing powerful corporations, ensuring holistic functioning towards the common good and preventing hostile takeovers. Amazon as a Potential Oligarchy: As an example, Amazon could, in theory, amass enough power to challenge or overtake government functions, illustrating the risk when corporations become too powerful relative to the government. Government Corruption and Oligarchy: The current evolution of democracy is regressing into an oligarchy reminiscent of past civilizations like the Roman Empire. To counteract this, a larger and, more crucially, cleaner government is necessary. Trump as an Example of Corruption: Using Trump as an illustration, it's suggested that declaring to "drain the swamp" does not equate to actual anti-corruption measures, especially when the person lacks the moral and consciousness levels required for such tasks. Historical Fight Against Corruption: Society's relative stability and safety are the result of continuous efforts against corruption throughout history, showing the importance of civic engagement and individual responsibility. Money in Politics: Highlights the detrimental effects of corporate lobbying and political contributions on US democracy. Advocates for a constitutional amendment and public funding for elections to ensure one person equals one vote. Wolf Pack Organization: Leo encourages support for Wolf Pack, a nonpartisan group working to eliminate money from politics through a constitutional amendment. Image 1 Theory and Practice of Fighting Corruption: Emphasizes the importance of connecting big-picture understanding with practical actions, such as donating to causes like Wolf Pack, to combat corruption effectively. Personal Corruption: Viewers are urged to admit to and notice their everyday corrupt actions, such as cheating, lying, or favoritism. These micro corruptions can expand into larger issues when individuals gain more power. Awareness as a Solution for Corruption: Acknowledges that bringing to light corrupt acts through awareness, like how Trump's actions are publicly scrutinized, helps society progress by exposing the ugliness of corruption. Corruption Tended by Technological and Cultural Evolution: Points out that as society and technology evolve, new avenues for corruption emerge, necessitating better laws and education to curb these issues. Improving Life Quality to Reduce Corruption: Proposes that helping improve overall prosperity and meeting basic needs can decrease the need for corruption in desperate societies such as Liberia. Moral and Spiritual Growth to End Corruption: Stresses the role of personal moral and spiritual development in eradicating corruption, urging viewers to purify themselves of corrupt tendencies. Techniques to Resolve Personal Corruption: Suggestions are made for techniques to combat personal corruption, including working on Maslow's hierarchy of needs, Kriya yoga, self-inquiry, shadow work, and fostering love. Collective Action and Transparency: Besides personal growth, collective actions such as supporting reforms and practicing transparency are vital to fight widespread corruption. Consciousness, Truth, Love, and Spirit: Argues that increasing levels of consciousness, truth, love, and spirit are the ultimate solutions to corruption, advising ego dissolution and total transparency in life. The necessity of transparency to reduce corruption: Leo elucidates that many corrupt thoughts and actions remain hidden because they operate in secrecy; therefore, being transparent in thoughts, words, and actions can significantly reduce corruption. Non-judgmental attitude towards others' corruptions: He suggests that assessing others' corruptions harshly is unproductive, as ridding oneself of corruption is immensely challenging and requires lifelong work. Change should begin with oneself before judging others. Compassion for people involved in corruption: Leo urges compassion rather than vilification for those who are corrupt, attributing their behavior to unconsciousness, lack of proper education, fear, and survival instincts rather than intrinsic evil. Self-compassion in facing personal corruption: He advises against self-hatred for one's own corrupt tendencies, advocating for self-love and acceptance as a means to overcome these challenges and progress towards change. Utility of the corruption worksheet: A worksheet is provided for viewers to increase awareness of their own corrupt behaviors and to encourage self-examination and accountability. Donations towards combating corruption: Leo encourages American viewers to donate to Wolfpack, a non-profit aiming to end the influence of money in politics, to take concrete action against corruption in American politics. Big-picture understanding through Actualized.org: Leo emphasizes the focus of Actualized.org on advanced, abstract topics related to big-picture understanding of reality and life, typically exploring 'being needs' as opposed to basic survival needs. Complementing Actualized.org content with basic learning: He suggests supplementing his teachings with more basic information that covers practical survival skills, as his content is aimed toward deeper understanding and long-term personal transformation. Long-term timeline for transformation: He cautions against expecting quick fixes from his content, proposing a long-term commitment to his teachings for cumulative effects and deep, transformative understanding over many years. Pursuit of infinite understanding: The ultimate goal of Leo's teachings is to guide viewers toward achieving infinite understanding, which he believes can unlock the full potential of life and fundamentally change one's trajectory. Expelliarmus

Understanding Impermanence - Why Reality Is Always Changing https://youtu.be/ZCS4NsCdQaM "One must be deeply aware of the impermanence of the world." - Dogen "We are snowflakes melting on the tongue of the universe." - John Mark Green Introductory Understanding of Impermanence: Leo Gura delves into the concept of impermanence, rooted in Buddhism and Hinduism, explaining that it signifies the non-constant nature of all forms. He asserts that everything, including thoughts, emotions, and physical objects, continually arises and passes away, highlighting the misconception of impermanence in Western culture. Explanation of 'Anita' and 'Anitya': The terms 'Anita' from Pali (Buddhism) and 'Anitya' from Sanskrit (Hinduism), both translate to non-constant or impermanent. Leo points out that the principle of impermanence isn't limited to Eastern traditions; it's present in most spiritual doctrines, although sometimes overlooked in the West due to religious corruptions. The Significance of Impermanence: Emphasizing the importance of impermanence, Leo notes that while it may seem trivial, deeply understanding this principle has a significant impact on the quality of life. He plans to illustrate the concept's profound influence through various examples and practical exercises to embody impermanence. God's Nature as a Shapeshifter: Introducing the idea of God as not a static entity but as an infinite, shapeshifting consciousness, Leo explains that God, or consciousness, takes on multiple forms to maximize creativity and diversity. He likens this to a television screen that must remain flexible to display various images, suggesting that if God were to cling to a single form, it would contradict its infinite and diverse nature. Perpetual Motion and Reality: The characteristic of continuous change is equated with a perpetual motion machine, which Leo says represents the universe in its entirety. He proposes the notion that reality cannot be frozen as it contradicts the fundamental nature of God and consciousness, which must remain in constant flux to express infinity. Challenges of Accepting Impermanence: Leo speaks about the human struggle to accept impermanence, driven by selfishness and a limited perspective. He uses the metaphor of a parent's desire to freeze their child's perfection to exemplify our natural bias towards permanence and attachment, contrasting it with the all-encompassing, unconditional love of God. Limited and Unlimited Love: Embracing impermanence equates to unlimited love, whereas clinging to permanence (like a child's current state) represents a limited form of love. The ultimate form of love allows for total freedom and experiences, including pain and death, which can be challenging for a parent to accept. Misconception of Loss and Evil: Loss is often interpreted as evidence of evil or imperfection in the universe, whereas it should be recontextualized as evidence of absolute love. Understanding impermanence helps counter the false narrative that loss contradicts the universe's perfection. Reframing Perspectives on Evil: Many evils are perceptions of impermanence that disturb people because they want to keep things unchanged. Training to understand impermanence allows for a better cognitive mechanism to face and interpret evils in life. Survival and Love: Attempts to freeze aspects of reality stem from survival instincts, resulting in limited love. True love, likened to God’s love, is deep and indiscriminate, not favoring any singular aspect over the universality of life’s experiences. Sacrifice for Universal Good: Personal loss, such as a child's death, might be integral to a larger universal good, beyond the scope of individual perspectives and emotional attachments. It's difficult for those attached to accept such losses without blaming God or a perceived evil. Devilry as Clinging to Impermanence: Trying to make the impermanent permanent—maintaining a form against the natural evolution of life—is akin to devilry. This self-biased clinging disrupts the harmony of existence. Cycle of Life and Death: Death of one allows for the creation of new life, illustrating the importance of the cycle of life which evolution depends on. Clinging to one form halts the entire process of beauty and creativity, which naturally involves change and evolution. Consequences of Freezing a Form: If a species froze itself in a primitive form, it would prevent the evolution of new, more beautiful, and diverse life forms. Similarly, clinging to a child's current state is short-sighted and neglects the potential evolutionary advancements. Impact of Finite Existence in Infinite Reality: Although reality is infinite, taking a particular form is finite and occupies a space that could have been held by another potential form. This highlights the importance of acknowledging the temporary nature of existence. Exercises to Realize Impermanence: Contemplating which forms one is attempting to freeze in life is a crucial exercise. Identifying attachments to people, animals, things, ideas, and personal circumstances can help in learning to let go and appreciate the constant flow of life. Exercise in Accepting Impermanence: Understanding that attachment to "freezing" moments is the root of evil in the world. Actualizing the exercise of letting go would eradicate all evil swiftly, yet it faces resistance as people tend to make exceptions for what they're unwilling to release. Consequence of Oneness: Impermanence is inevitably due to the oneness of reality, ensuring no part can dominate another over time. All components of reality, like powerful corporations, eventually lose prominence, demonstrating the balance of power within the infinite scope of existence. Perception of Mortality: From the perspective of the individual, mortality may seem unfortunate. However, from the broader perspective of the whole, it is necessary to prevent any part of reality (like "devils") from gaining eternal dominance. Gift of Impermanence: Impermanence should not be feared or resisted but embraced. It is, paradoxically, a gift that enhances one's appreciation, love, enjoyment, and perception of beauty in the world. Impermanence in Appreciation: The precious nature of experiences like childhood, family, and entertainment stems from their impermanence. Constant exposure to the same experiences leads to desensitization and loss of appreciation. Manifestation of Creative Diversity: God's role is to maximize life's creative diversity, which is hindered when one species or culture attempts monopoly. Ethnocentric and supremacist ideologies are forms of "devilry" that contradict the inherent nature of impermanence. The Cycle of Kisses and Wealth: Life's excitement comes from fleeting experiences that leave one wanting more. Satisfying all desires leads to stagnation; it's the cycle of having, losing, and striving that maintains vitality and creativity, discouraging complacency and evil. Beauty in the Cycle of Life and Loss: Training oneself to see the beauty in loss, the cyclic nature of life, enhances the ability to appreciate the various phases and transitions, thus aligning with the spiritual practice of embracing impermanence. Nature of Life and Death: The continuity of life is dependent on the cycle of death; the current generation exists because the previous ones have passed away, highlighting the impermanence of life. Moe no no owari or Mono no Aware: This Japanese concept refers to the bittersweet appreciation of transient beauty in life and death, emphasizing the mixed emotions of gentle sadness and gratitude for experiences despite their ephemeral nature. Image 1 Image 2 Healthy Coping with Loss: Leo stresses the importance of processing loss with melancholy, a gentle acceptance, rather than succumbing to bitterness, depression, or destructive attachment. Personal Experience with Loss: Sharing the story of his Siamese cat, Leo illustrates a personal encounter with loss that led to a reflective appreciation of life's journey rather than dwelling on the pain or potential prolonging of life. Impermanence Universal: The impermanence of life encompasses everything from personal relationships to scientific theories, spiritual teachings, and even physical entities like stars and universes, leading to the eventual merging of all dualities. Irony in Religious Preservation: Highlighting the natural deviation and corruption over time that occurs even with strict attempts at preserving spiritual or religious teachings, contrary to their initial truth. Adaptability in Language and Business: Criticizing attempts to freeze a language or business model, Leo notes the failure to adapt can lead to obsolescence, as seen with English evolution and companies like Kodak. Responsible Evolution of Corporations: Condemning businesses like cigarette companies that cling to harmful products for profit instead of embracing change and adopting healthier practices, thus contributing to societal unconsciousness. Self-awareness in Clinging: Leo encourages individuals to notice their own tendencies to cling, especially when self-interest is involved, and to question their fear of identity loss. Embrace of Impermanence: Wisdom lies in accepting and embracing impermanence as a natural part of existence, leading to a deeper engagement with the changing forms of life rather than resisting through manipulation. Reflection on Immortality: Leo Gura underlines that immortality cannot be achieved through technology or biological modifications. Rather, it is accessible through detachment from form and recognizing oneself as a shapeshifter. Good News and Bad News of Impermanence: Leo elucidates that while all positives in life are temporary, all negatives and suffering are similarly transient, offering a safety valve—death, as a form of relief. Understanding Suffering: Leo emphasizes that suffering cannot be permanent due to its finite nature. Eventually, all beings will awaken and realize their true essence as part of God, which exemplifies God's love and mercy. The Irony of Fear of Death: The irony highlighted by Leo is that death, as a safety valve designed by God, is often perceived as the greatest evil due to limited human perspective and attachment. Attachment as the Root of Suffering: Suffering arises from attachment to forms and identities; true liberation, as taught by Buddha and other mystics, is found in surpassing attachment. Mistaken Identity: Leo discusses the common mistake of identifying solely as a human being, which leads to suffering. True identity is as an infinite shapeshifter, embracing change without attachment. Identity Transformation: Leo observes that throughout life, identity is always changing, which serves as evidence that we are inherently shapeshifters, not bound to any one form. Impermanence as True Permanence: What remains constant is the process of impermanence, a synonym for shape-shifting, which is the nature of our immortal existence. Image 3 Clinging to Duality: Leo notes that while discussing impermanence and permanence creates a duality, true enlightenment is found in realizing the oneness where form and formlessness are identical, merging Maya with Nirvana. Transcending Traditions in Spirituality: Leo rebuffs claims that his insights are mere reiterations of Buddhist teachings, emphasizing that deep truths are universal and must be personally rediscovered in the present moment. Observation and Practice of Impermanence: Leo advises listeners to actively observe impermanence daily like a form of meditation, letting go of attachments, and thereby reducing suffering and enhancing life appreciation. Observing Impermanence: Leo Gura emphasizes the practice of mindfully observing the changing nature of one's feelings and desires throughout the day. He suggests appreciating moments of pleasure but also letting them go, rather than clinging to them, to savor the taste of impermanence. Savoring the Fleeting: Enjoying temporary pleasures without attachment, like taking a few bites of ice cream and then stopping, helps one to experience and appreciate the ephemerality of the moment, enhancing overall enjoyment. Meditation and Mindfulness: Meditation is recommended to aid in the practice of observing the transient nature of emotions and states of mind. This practice can lead to a greater appreciation for small joys that are often overlooked. Structuring a Fluid Day: Gura advocates for a less rigidly structured day, allowing for spontaneity and the ability to appreciate both the highs and lows that come with the naturally varying flow of the day. Reminder of Impermanence: Using a physical object, like a wristband, as a reminder to practice awareness of the impermanence in everyday life can make each moment feel more precious and contribute to true happiness. True Spirituality vs. Wishful Thinking: True spirituality is framed as confronting and accepting impermanence, as opposed to wishful thinking that seeks to escape from this reality, as commonly misconceived in popular culture. Critique of Technological Immortality: Gura critiques futurist Ray Kurzweil's vision of technological immortality, calling it a fantasy and emphasizing that real immortality and peace come from embracing impermanence through spirituality. Importance of Philosophical Depth: Gura asserts that investing time in deep thought about existence adds depth to life's experience, which is often missing from mainstream interpretations of self-help and spirituality. Engagement and Patience: Listeners are encouraged to actively engage with his teachings, utilizing resources such as his website, forum, and blog for further learning. Patience is emphasized for understanding the depth of these concepts and to see the benefits unfold over time. Value of Deeper Understanding: Leo concludes by reflecting that the depth and breadth introduced through his content are rare and valuable, encouraging a more fulfilling exploration of life than most mainstream media offers. Expelliarmus

The Power Of Letting Go - How To Overcome Clinginess, Attachment, OCD https://youtu.be/AlB6OklejyA "Just let it go, bro Just let it go." Simple technique for life transformation: Leo Gura presents a technique that involves daily practice of letting go of anything in one's experience, such as desires, emotions, and habits. He emphasizes the significance of practicing this consistently each day over a long period to transform one's life. Turning letting go into a game: Leo encourages viewers to make letting go a fun, non-serious game. The game challenges individuals to let go of trivial to significant matters as part of flexing their 'letting go muscle', which most have not consciously used before. Noticing and feeling before letting go: An essential aspect of the technique is to first become aware of an automatic reaction, then consciously choose to let go instead of acting on impulse. Examples of daily opportunities to let go: Leo offers examples to practice the technique, such as refraining from scratching an itch, not reacting to a wrong food order, avoiding defensiveness when criticized, and resisting the urge to get outraged by news stories. Not about repression or denial: Letting go is differentiated from ignoring or repressing. It is about noticing a desire or tendency and then making a conscious decision to release it. Starting with small and not seeking perfection: It's advised to start with small matters and not to worry about capturing every opportunity to let go. Over time, individuals can work up to bigger issues. Returning to a state of peace: The outcome of letting go is a return to a state of being, calmness, and peace instead of agitation or discomfort provoked by the particular stimuli. Releasing cravings and urges: Leo suggests releasing cravings for things like ice cream or sexual urges and also emotional states like guilt, excitement, and boredom just to experiment with the process. Application of letting go in everyday situations: Leo provides an array of scenarios for practicing the letting go technique, including resisting the urge to check the phone for messages, tolerating physical discomfort like heat, cold, or sweatiness, and overcoming grammar frustrations when encountering mistakes online. Managing OCD with letting go: By noticing and releasing compulsive urges, Leo argues that letting go can help alleviate both minor and major OCD, acknowledging that it may take multiple attempts but is effective over time. Overcoming the urge to criticize and judge: Instead of succumbing to critical thoughts or judgments—whether condemning a co-worker's mistake or a panhandler's situation—Leo suggests consciously releasing these reactions. Dismissing feelings of inadequacy and self-judgment: Leo encourages letting go of negative self-assessments, such as feelings of inadequacy when comparing oneself to more skilled colleagues or judging one's own appearance. Handling daily stress and emotional responses: Leo talks about applying letting go to daily stressors and emotions, whether it's the frustration of being late, financial worries, physical discomfort, or the urge to lie, cheat, or manipulate. Mastering letting go to gain awareness: He highlights the importance of awareness in letting go, recognizing manipulative behaviors within oneself, and abandoning the need for perfection or approval in various aspects of life. Relinquishing personal and societal ideologies: Leo challenges listeners to temporarily surrender their ideologies, belief systems, and national identities, insisting that healthy minds can do this without facing negative repercussions. Visual technique for letting go: He offers a visualization strategy—imagining dropping the attachment and achieving peace—and draws inspiration from stoic philosophers like Socrates or Marcus Aurelius to model a calm reaction to adversities. Visualization Technique for Letting Go: Leo advises visualizing someone who personifies calm and detachment, such as Socrates, to model how to let go of attachments and return to a state of peace. He encourages using any figure who embodies stoicism, from religious figures to celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenegger, to inspire one's own practice of letting go. Letting Go versus Enduring: Leo makes a clear distinction between simply enduring pain and truly letting go. He explains that real letting go means that the issue no longer causes pain, as opposed to repressing or enduring an insult or negative experience, which means the pain is still there internally. Breaking Habituated Cycles: Acknowledging the challenge of obsessions and compulsions, which can loop in the mind, Leo emphasizes practice and patience in breaking these cycles, likening them to a computer program stuck on repeat. He posits that consistent effort is key to overcoming deeply ingrained habits. Counterintuitive Power of Letting Go: Leo asserts that letting go leads to empowerment, arguing against the ego's belief that clinging and attachment will fulfill its needs. He advocates for a counterintuitive practice of detachment to reach true satisfaction, teaching confidence and stoicism. Letting Go to Enhance Performance: Countering objections about productivity, Leo suggests that letting go of perfectionism and neuroticism can unlock better performance and creativity, especially in art. A relaxed and detached state is presented as more conducive to success than neurotic control and forced perfection. Letting Go without Emotional Apathy: Responding to concerns about becoming emotionally detached or cold, Leo clarifies that letting go actually allows for deeper, more spiritual emotions and feelings, enhancing the quality of emotions rather than suppressing them. Temporary Nature of Letting Go: Leo emphasizes that letting go is meant to be a momentary practice, not a permanent relinquishment of emotions or desires. While advocating for letting go of hurt or compulsion, he maintains that it should not prevent one from taking necessary actions or solving problems. Conscious Awareness over Knee-Jerk Emotions: Leo encourages a conscious approach to problems, suggesting that detachment allows for a more effective and less emotional response. A resourceful, detached approach is proposed as superior to one driven by unmanaged emotions like anger. Experimental Approach to Detachment: Leo invites skeptics to experiment with detachment in their lives, promising that empirical evidence will support the view that a detached lifestyle leads to greater happiness and effectiveness. Being Cautious without Fear: While endorsing the release of fear, Leo advises maintaining necessary caution, especially in danger. He distinguishes between the physical sensation of fear and the prudent, conscious awareness of potential threats. Understanding and Overcoming Neuroticism: Leo defines neuroticism as the inability or refusal to let go, which can manifest as a fear of leaving one's comfort zone. He encourages identifying neurotic areas in life and practicing letting go, despite discomfort or fear. Avoiding Neuroticism in Letting Go: He warns against becoming neurotic about the practice of letting go, promoting a balanced approach where one should not guilt themselves over occasional feelings or needs. The goal is natural detachment, not obsessive self-criticism. Balancing the practice of letting go: Leo Gura advises against becoming obsessive with the practice of letting go. Instead, he recommends using the technique sporadically to avoid turning it into a neurotic habit, encouraging a natural and organic approach to letting go. Letting go as a superpower: Leo emphasizes that one's ability to let go is a measure of their strength. He explains that letting go is a superpower, while inability to do so characterizes weakness, neuroticism, and problematic behaviors. Courage in letting go: It takes courage to let go of deeply ingrained patterns, like the desire to control children or micromanage coworkers. Practice starts with small things, building up to letting go of bigger issues. Incremental practice and long-term benefits: Leo reassures that instant success in letting go is not expected, especially with significant attachments. Like investing in a 401k, the practice promises exponential rewards over time, if consistently applied. Scaling the practice to existential levels: Leo envisions the practice extending to letting go of one's life story, fearing death, and major attachments. This process prepares individuals for the inevitable losses due to life’s transient nature. Technique integration across life's domains: The letting go technique is versatile and can enhance various aspects of life, such as family, business, finances, or health by allowing one to control their reactions and respond more wisely. Investment in long-term personal growth: Leo urges continued application of the letting go technique, advocating its use as an ongoing investment for a wiser and more fulfilling life. He stresses the importance of having a long-term vision for personal success. Resources for continuous learning: Leo highlights the availability of exclusive content, including videos, blogs, and research, on his website Actualized.org. He encourages visitors to engage with the content and contribute to the community discussions on personal growth. Evanesco

Conscious Politics - Part 4 - 100+ Specific Policy Proposals https://youtu.be/XSV0ZhD_yvw "In a barbaric and selfish society, humane solutions seem radical, leftist, and utopian." "It's the corruption, stupid." Concrete Conscious Policy Proposals: Leo Gura transition from theory to specific proposals for improving government and systems, emphasizing the importance of implementing these ideas both immediately and over a long-term vision looking 50 to 100 years into the future. Empirical Approach to Governance: Proposals by Gura are presented with an empirical mindset, meaning they are subject to change if the expected results do not materialize once implemented. He stresses the necessity for flexibility in government policy to adjust to society's complex nature. Criminalization of Money in Politics and Corporate Lobbying: Gura proposes a constitutional amendment to criminalize the influence of money in politics and to ensure the practice of one person, one vote, thus countering the legalized bribery currently present in American politics. Abolition of Gerrymandering: Gura advocates for independent, non-partisan commissions or algorithms to redraw district lines to ensure fair and unbiased representation, addressing the current undemocratic practice of gerrymandering. Abolition of the Electoral College: Proposing the removal of the Electoral College to allow the popular vote to more directly determine election outcomes, countering the distortion caused by the current electoral system. Making Voting Accessible: Suggestions to make voting more accessible include online voting, automatic registration, federal election holidays, and eliminating long wait times at polling places. Additionally, propose open primaries and caucuses over closed systems to improve inclusion. Multi-Party System with Rank-Choice Voting: Gura advocates for a multi-party system enabled by rank-choice voting to foster healthy competition and break the two-party system stalemate. Introduction of Federal Propositions: Gura suggests federal-level ballot initiatives that allow citizens to vote on popular issues Congress may overlook or be too gridlocked to address, such as marijuana legalization or gun regulation. No particular order in enumeration: Proposals are shared in no specific order, with some being capable of immediate implementation and others being more radical, requiring significant societal shifts over time. Correction of Current Political Myopia: Gura criticizes short-term political planning, pushing for proposals that anticipate societal needs far into the future beyond short election cycles. Ban on Lobbyists Holding Public Office: Lobbyists, who work to influence government decisions for corporate interests, should be barred from public office due to conflicts of interest. This would prevent them from using their government experience to further corporate agendas upon returning to the lobbying industry. To avoid the 'revolving door' phenomenon, a substantial hiatus should be required before and after holding office. Taxation of Extreme Wealth and Accumulated Wealth: Arguing for greater economic balance, Leo advocates for significantly higher taxes on wealth exceeding one million dollars, and even higher taxes on wealth in the tens of millions or billions. The aim is to address the wealth gap by redistributing resources from the super-rich, who often do not need excess wealth and may use it to exert undue influence over the system. Closing Tax Loopholes and Offshore Tax Havens: Corporations should not evade taxes by storing wealth overseas; Leo emphasizes the need to close loopholes and offshore tax havens to ensure all wealth is tracked, regulated, and taxed by American authorities. This would simplify the tax code for ordinary citizens and hold corporations accountable for paying their fair share. Taxing Luxury Goods and Real Estate Speculation: High taxes on luxury goods and expensive real estate, especially for secondary and tertiary properties not used as primary residences, ensure that superfluous wealth contributes to societal development instead of perpetuating inequality and excessive lifestyle choices. Tax Payer Choice: To generate interest and accountability in governmental processes, Leo advocates for allowing taxpayers to allocate a percentage of their taxes to chosen causes, with the government publicly reporting the use of these funds to encourage efficient use of tax dollars and to compete for more funding by demonstrating effectiveness. Stricter Penalties for White-Collar Crime: Leo suggests establishing severe penalties and a government department to regulate and penalize white-collar crimes. Recognizing the structural threat posed by corporate corruption, he calls for meaningful measures to deter such behavior that can severely impact society. Addressing White-Collar Crime: Leo outlines the significant impact of white-collar crime, emphasizing that schemes by senior corporate management can lead to widespread exploitation, government corruption, and even mass casualties, such as the opioid crisis. Serious Penalties for Corporate Exploitation: He suggests that current fines for corporate wrongdoings are insufficient as they often amount to less than the profits gained from unethical activities. To deter such behavior, Leo advocates for the establishment of serious criminal liabilities, including jail time for CEOs and senior corporate officers involved in exploitative practices. Marketing Ethics and Psychological Manipulation: Leo criticizes the use of advanced psychological techniques in marketing to manipulate consumers, describing it as a form of "scientific psychological warfare". He highlights the need for more ethical marketing practices and transparency to prevent the worsening of societal problems. Transparency in Income and Profit Margins: Leo supports the radical idea of publicly disclosing every individual's income and every corporation's profit margins on products. He argues this would unveil financial inequalities within industries, increase fairness, and provoke necessary outrage to drive systemic change. Call for Labels Showing Profit Margins: He proposes labeling products with their profit margins, allowing consumers to understand which industries overcharge for their products or services, leading to a more equalized system. Strong Defense of Whistleblowers: Leo emphasizes the need for legal protection, financial compensation, and public recognition for whistleblowers, contrasting the current negative treatment with the crucial role they play in exposing government corruption. Elimination of Black Ops Budgets: He argues against secret budgets and black ops programs, stating that these foster corruption and violence and are often used to justify actions out of fear and scarcity rather than abundance and love. Drastic Military Budget Reduction: Leo suggests significant cuts to the U.S. military budget, focusing on eliminating wasteful spending while increasing police and first responder funding for better training, equipment, and salaries. Promotion of Transparency in Government Contracts: He calls for an open bidding process for government contracts, with transparency about the execution and outcomes, to prevent overcharging and encourage fair competition. Benefits of Redirected Military Funding: He stresses the value of reallocating military resources towards infrastructure, science, healthcare, and other internal improvements that genuinely benefit society, rather than destructive enterprises. FBI and Prosecutors: Leo advocates for an increased number of FBI agents, state prosecutors, and federal prosecutors with better training and higher salaries aimed at reducing corruption and ensuring they are comfortable in their jobs. War Crimes Enforcement: Stronger enforcement of war crimes is needed, with transparency and proper prosecution to both serve justice and maintain the dignity of military members who do not join to be war criminals. Elimination of Torture: Torture and cruel and unusual punishment should be completely eliminated, not only on U.S. territory but also abroad by American citizens, with possible constitutional amendments to cement these standards. Worker Representation in Corporate Boards: Suggesting a European model, Leo recommends legislation mandating 50% worker representation on corporate boards for companies with significant profits and employees, to democratize corporate decision-making and improve working conditions. Right to Unionize: Defends the right to unionize and calls for criminalizing corporate interference with unionization efforts, highlighting the importance of balancing power between employees and large corporations. Raising the Minimum Wage: Leo argues for raising the minimum wage to a living wage, countering libertarian arguments against it and explaining the need for government intervention as a proxy negotiator for employees against powerful corporations. Regulation of Predatory Industries: Stressing the need for stringent regulation of industries such as banking, finance, military-industrial complex, Big Pharma, and healthcare, to prevent exploitative practices and protect consumers. Antitrust Regulations: Advocates for strong antitrust law enforcement to prevent large corporations from stifling competition by acquiring smaller companies or merging with other giants. Support for Smaller Businesses: Proposes that companies profiting over a certain threshold should be barred from acquiring others to foster competition and innovation, thereby promoting a healthier economy. Regulation of Large Corporations: Large corporations with over a billion dollars in revenue need special regulations to prevent monopolization, which stifles innovation and consumer choice. These corporations often exploit consumers covertly through sophisticated R&D and marketing, against which individual consumers are powerless without government intervention. Stable Currency and Banking Regulations: The necessity for a stable currency is emphasized, which requires tight regulations on banking practices and the Federal Reserve. A conscious society should have legal limits on currency printing to maintain the value of money. Copyright Law Revisions: Copyright laws should be revised so that they last only until the death of the creator, preventing corporations from indefinitely extending copyrights to profit off of old innovations without additional creativity. Prison Reform and Rehabilitation: Prisons should be centers for rehabilitation, not punishment. Introducing non-dogmatic spirituality, mindfulness, meditation, and yoga can help reduce recidivism rates. Additional job programs are needed to support reentry into society. Compassion for Prisoners: Prisoners require education and compassion as a path to rehabilitation, seeing them as ignorant rather than inherently evil. Leo stresses the importance of not demonizing criminals, as this leads to higher rates of reoffending and societal issues. Ending the Drug War: A call for the release of all individuals imprisoned for minor drug possession is made as part of a broader initiative to end the drug war. Refugee and Immigrant Acceptance: A more welcoming approach to refugees and immigrants is advocated. The abundance of resources in the U.S. contradicts the scarcity mindset that often opposes immigration. Eliminating Poverty and Homelessness: Political will and conscious societal action are necessary to eliminate poverty, hunger, and homelessness, which are solvable issues. Environmental Regulations: Heavy environment regulation is deemed necessary to address not only global warming but also pollution, resource mismanagement, and reliance on non-renewable energy such as fossil fuels. Green Energy and Subsidies: A massive investment in green energy and a carbon tax on polluters are proposed. A national electric grid with incentivized use and government-funded research into better battery technology should be prioritized. Toxicity Testing of Consumables: The creation of a government agency responsible for continuous toxicity testing of food, water, air, and cosmetics is suggested. This would inform the public about the presence of heavy metals and chemicals that affect mental and physical health. Mental Health Funding: Massive funding for mental health services is proposed, with emphasis on the provision of free therapy and life coaching to benefit society at large. Strict Regulations for Factory Farming: Tougher regulations and transparency should be enforced for factory farming, including the prohibition of laws hindering the exposure of inhumane practices. Factory Farming Regulation and Transition: Leo proposes increased regulation of factory farms to improve humane conditions and advocates for shifting towards organic, sustainable, and free-range farming practices. Massive Infrastructure Funding: Funding for infrastructure is essential, including roads, bridges, airports, and public transportation systems like monorails, tunnels, electric buses, and high-speed trains. Government Subsidization of Transportation: Leo suggests that while the government need not directly manufacture transportation technologies like scooters or trains, it should subsidize and incentivize the private sector to develop innovative and helpful infrastructure solutions. Affirmation of Government-Run Facilities: He defends government-run facilities such as airports and the postal service, arguing that they can function efficiently and provide services such as disaster relief and military operations effectively. Funding for Arts and Sciences: Leo advocates for massive government funding for arts and sciences, countering the corporate corruption that currently diverts science towards profits rather than pure research and truth. Equal Rights and Support for Minorities: Leo calls for equal rights for all minorities, including LGBTQ+ individuals, and suggests providing free counseling and therapy to enhance their integration into society. Supreme Court Reform: Proposing reform for the Supreme Court, he suggests term limits and possibly direct elections to ensure impartiality and accountability more reflective of the population's will. Workweek Reduction: Leo argues for a reduction in the standard workweek from 40 to 30 hours to allow for more personal and family time, creativity, and self-actualization. Addressing Wealth Disparity in Corporate Structures: He highlights the need for regulation to ensure that the financial benefits from increased workplace efficiency due to technology advancements benefit the workers and not just the corporate executives and shareholders. Prohibition of Employee Overworking: Leo calls for laws against excessive overworking by employers, especially in industries like video game design and the legal sector, to encourage a more balanced and healthy work-life. Overhaul of the Education System: A major investment in education is seen as a top priority for government spending, focusing on a complete restructuring towards critical and conscious thinking, rather than rote learning. Education System Reforms: Leo Gura makes a strong case for overhauling the education system, which includes creating more schools with smaller class sizes, offering substantial incentives and higher pay for teachers, and decreasing reliance on standardized testing. He argues that schools should focus on assessing and fostering consciousness, love, emotional intelligence, and overall personal development, instead of just memorizing content. Public School Funding: Leo emphasizes the need for equal funding for public schools across all neighborhoods, irrespective of local wealth. He proposes the reallocation of significant portions of the military budget to education, ensuring high-quality public schools nationwide. He attributes his own success to the quality of public education he received and criticizes the current administration's stance on public education. Subject Matter in Schools: Gura advocates for a shift in curriculum to include subjects that promote wisdom, self-actualization, critical thinking, and consciousness, such as metaphysics, philosophy, and psychology. He stresses the importance of teaching practical life skills such as cooking, nutrition, finance, and relationships, as well as the deployment of classes on emotional mastery, meditation, and yoga. Elimination of Private Schools: He recommends abolishing private schools altogether, ensuring all children, including those of the wealthy, attend public schools. This approach aims at incentivizing the rich to invest in the quality of public education as their children would directly benefit from it. Transformation of Higher Education: Leo argues for free college, university, and trade school education for everyone, with a focus on practical skills necessary for the job market. He highlights the importance of these institutions in setting young adults on a path to fulfilling their life purpose and contributing positively to society. New Measures of National Success: He suggests switching from GDP to alternative success metrics like happiness, love, consciousness, and corruption indexes to measure and publicly track a nation's progress annually. Ending the Drug War and Promoting Psychedelics: Leo proposes the legalization and normalization of psychedelics, not only for personal growth and consciousness development but also as effective treatments for addiction. He mentions creating clinics to provide psychedelic therapy within local communities. Implementation of Psychedelic Clinics: Government-funded, free psychedelic clinics will be established, facilitating individuals to safely explore consciousness, cure mental health issues, and experience profound transformations with expert guidance. Funding Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Redirect subsidies from large corporations to small businesses and entrepreneurs, energizing new ideas and technological developments. Support for Objective Journalism: Ensuring the survival of objective journalism through significant funding, protections for journalists, and combatting sensationalism in mainstream media. Broadband for Rural Areas: Increase funding to provide rural areas with broadband internet access to enhance information equity. Budget Increase for Space Exploration: Expand investment in space exploration for business potential, technology advancement, and global inspiration; additionally, support the development of a meteor defense system. Enhancing Consumer Protections: Strengthen the Consumer Protection Agency to defend consumers against corporate fraud and exploitation. Anti-Corruption Enforcement Agency: Create a specialized agency to aggressively combat corruption in government, police, and corporate sectors. Universal Free Healthcare: Implement free healthcare at the point of service, produce cheap generic medicines, and increase funding for preventative care and holistic medicine education to advance collective health. Free Gym Access: Combat obesity by providing free gym access to all Americans. Technology Safety Testing Center: Establish a government agency to assess the safety of new technologies, materials, and products, ensuring public well-being. Funding for National Emergencies and Disasters: Allocate strong funding for preparedness and response to national emergencies like natural disasters. Humanitarian Aid Over Military Action: Replace military intervention with humanitarian aid to terrorist-prone countries, fostering good relations and reducing anti-American sentiment. Non-Interventionist Foreign Policy: Prohibit CIA involvement within sovereign nations and avoid using foreign policy to exploit developing countries for corporate gain. Constitutional Amendments for Consciousness and Privacy Rights: Advocate for amendments securing the right to alter one's consciousness and privacy from electronic surveillance, recognizing social media as public utilities. Government-led Consciousness Research: Fund substantial research into mysticism, meditation, spirituality, psychedelics, and paranormal phenomena, exploring their implications for elevating national consciousness. Environmental and Fiscal Policies: Expand recycling programs, ban nuclear power due to safety issues, and enforce strict balanced budget policies in the long term. Adjusting Fine Structures to Net Worth: Change law fines from fixed amounts to a percentage of an individual's net worth to equalize the financial impact and maintain effective deterrence. Gun Ownership Regulations: Implement serious background checks and safety training for gun owners, without outright banning guns. Gun Safety and Ownership Regulations: Leo insists that gun ownership should involve mandatory rigorous training on gun safety, similar to obtaining a driver's license. Before purchasing a gun, owners should be registered in a national database and pass mental health checks, ensuring individuals with a history of abuse or certain mental illnesses cannot own guns. He also supports the use of biometric sensors to lock guns, allowing only registered users to operate them. US Territory Representation and Independence: Leo argues for granting statehood or independence to US territories like Puerto Rico and Guam to ensure they receive proper representation in Congress. Outsourcing and Government Contracts: Leo proposes that companies outsourcing jobs to seek cheaper labor abroad should be barred from receiving any subsidies or government contracts. Pre-Kindergarten and Taxation Equality: He supports the establishment of free pre-kindergarten education and equal taxation for online and brick-and-mortar stores, aiming to remove an advantage currently exploited by companies like Amazon. Regulation of Emerging Technologies: Leo calls for the regulation of AI, facial recognition, genetic engineering, and human-machine interfaces, anticipating future abuse potential if left unchecked. Forum for Policy Discussion: He emphasizes the need for a non-ideological, non-partisan public forum for serious policy discussions, stating current major networks lack substance. Regulation of Predatory Advertising and Marketing: Leo suggests the banning of exploitative ads including those for junk food, pharmaceuticals, fossil fuels, credit cards, and payday loans, comparing it to the current bans on cigarette and alcohol advertising near schools. Empirical Testing of Public Policies: Leo advocates for a government department to empirically test public policies, analyze results over time, and inform lawmakers and the public on their effects. This would help in making data-driven decisions and reduce partisanship. Evolution of Capitalism and Consideration of UBI: He clarifies that his policies do not aim to end capitalism but to evolve it into a more conscious and ethical form, combining elements of socialism. While considering the potential benefits of Universal Basic Income (UBI), he stresses it should add to, not replace, a robust welfare system. Long-term Vision of a Global Government: Leo envisions a global government with a unified global military to reduce wasteful military spending, eventually leading to more efficient use of resources and potentially lower taxes. Freedom and Strategic Limitations: In concluding his policy proposals, Leo contends that increased freedom comes from carefully implemented strategic limitations within a system. He proposes to create freedom by meeting people's basic needs and providing quality education and healthcare, ensuring that governmental measures augment individual liberty. Complex Nature of Freedom: Leo argues that strategic limitations on corporate influence in politics can lead to more complex forms of freedom. He questions how truly free individuals can be when they lack proper education, or when corporations can corrupt government and environment, suggesting that simplistic libertarian and conservative definitions of freedom are inadequate. Distinction from Socialism: Despite potential misinterpretations, Leo clarifies that he is not advocating for socialism, which involves public ownership of the means of production. Instead, he supports capitalism with strategic regulations to curb excessive corporatism and maintain private ownership while enabling entrepreneurship and small businesses. Healthy Capitalism and Private Industry: He emphasizes the need for heavy regulation of large corporations to prevent monopolization and promote competition. Leo notes that while some industries may be publicly managed, the majority should remain privately operated, supporting Adam Smith's notion that capitalism requires careful regulation. Redefining Wealth Difficulty: Leo supports making it harder to become a millionaire or billionaire, arguing this would create a fairer economy allowing working-class people to achieve middle-class status. Higher taxes and more difficulty for the wealthy balance the distribution of resources, thus fostering economic equilibrium. Promotion of Creativity and Small Business: By regulating large corporations, Leo believes his policies would encourage innovation, creative arts, and science. This would create a healthier environment for entrepreneurs and small business owners, aligned with his vision of a government that cultivates a fertile environment for independence, health, and happiness. Cultural Evolution and Policy Resistance: Recognizing that cultural changes can make conservatives and traditionalists uncomfortable, Leo argues that evolving culture is inevitable and necessary for progress. He suggests that many conservatives might actually benefit from his proposals, such as raising the minimum wage, but they often resist due to cultural identity and attachment to traditional values. The Goal of Government: Leo envisions strategic government decisions creating an environment conducive to creativity, exploration, health, harmony, fairness, and happiness. He envisions societal evolution, whereby citizens are able to live fulfilling lives without being constrained by wage poverty, crippling debt, or lack of access to childcare and education. Human Motivation and Societal Benefits: Addressing concerns that societal benefits might lead to laziness, Leo argues that meeting basic needs allows individuals to self-actualize and pursue 'being needs': purpose, creativity, and service. He aims for a society where people become powerful creators and innovators once freed from mere survival concerns. Productive Cultural Shift: Leo suggests a shift in cultural values where the measure of success is not simply wealth accumulation but the quality and originality of one's contributions to society. He advocates for an environment that rewards powerful creation and true value provision, moving beyond purely materialistic pursuits. Redefining Motivation Beyond Money: Leo argues that societal values should shift from exploiting for profit to becoming powerful creators. Modern education often omits teaching how to be genuinely creative, focusing instead on maximizing profits without adding value to the world. He asserts that true satisfaction comes from creativity, art, science, and a sense of life purpose, rather than fear and scarcity-induced work. Overcoming the “Lazy Society” Myth: The fear that providing for basic needs will lead to a lazy society is addressed. Leo counters, explaining that, removed from survival struggles, individuals will be motivated by love, creativity, and other higher consciousness values—which lead to genuine satisfaction and a fulfilling life. Misconceptions About Government Size and Corruption: The idea that government is inherently corrupt and should be minimized is challenged. Leo states that size is necessary to manage societal complexity. He advocates for removing corruption rather than shrinking government and acknowledges long-term historical reduction in government corruption. He emphasizes that corruption, stemming from selfishness, must be tackled directly through conscious work and self-actualization. Understanding Taxation and Property Rights: Leo disputes the libertarian notion that taxation is theft by explaining that property rights do not naturally exist without government. Taxes pay for the security and rights that a government ensures, which is conceptually balanced by the tangible benefits of government services. Misconceptions about Wealthy Motivation and Taxation: Addressing concerns about the demotivation of the wealthy from high taxation, Leo clarifies that individuals like Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates are not primarily money-driven; rather, they are motivated by power, creativity, a sense of purpose, and love—attributes higher taxes will not diminish. Short-Term Utopian Perspective vs. Long-Term Vision: Leo discusses the supposed utopian nature of his proposals, explaining they may seem idealistic short-term but are realistic and inevitable over a centuries-long horizon. He emphasizes the inexorable evolution of humanity towards higher love and consciousness. Utopian notions and historical perspective: Leo discusses the perception of his proposals as utopian, arguing that while they may seem idealistic on a short-term scale of ten years, over 500 years they are inevitable and will be taken for granted by future generations, who will view our current era as conservative and backward. Misconceptions about historical examples: He addresses comparisons of his ideas with communist regimes like the USSR, North Korea, and Venezuela. Leo clarifies that these countries were underdeveloped and corrupt, lacking the societal infrastructure required for his proposals, which are suitable for societies already past a certain stage of capitalist development. Successful examples and progressive states: Leo points to Northern Europe, Canada, and progressive U.S. states like California as successful models where his ideas have been implemented, showing that progressive policies can thrive in post-capitalist societies with proper democratic systems. Equality of opportunity vs. outcome: Leo criticizes the misrepresentation of his goals as seeking equality of outcome. He emphasizes the need for equality of opportunity, which requires looking at societal outcomes to understand systemic inequalities and to take measures that promote fairness and access. Empowering work: Leo suggests a shift to conscious work that provides deep meaning and purpose, leading to more motivated, satisfying, and harder-working individuals as compared to those in mindless jobs. Acknowledging individual limitations: While recognizing that not all individuals can be helped, Leo argues that creating a system offering equal opportunity allows the majority to evolve and better themselves. Resistance to change: Leo acknowledges the resistance to his proposals from the status quo but insists that change is part of societal evolution towards betterment, drawing parallels with historical figures who faced opposition for advocating progress. Radical ideas in context: Leo argues that highly conscious and progressive ideas often appear radical in less developed eras but are ultimately vindicated and celebrated in hindsight, urging people to transcend influence from the status quo and embrace transformation and development. Human Potential: Leo Gura emphasizes that mankind has only realized a tiny fraction, perhaps 1 to 5%, of its potential. This is true both on an individual and collective societal level. He encourages not clinging to the past as we have much greater possibilities ahead. Growth and Discomfort: He discusses that growth is inherently uncomfortable and points to the growing pains visible in current American politics, with various social and political factions indicating broader societal evolution. Informed Participation and Responsibility: Leo urges viewers to stop blaming others for societal issues and take personal responsibility. He stresses the importance of educating oneself on complex topics and engaging with high-quality journalism, promoting informed civic participation in democracy. Voting and Political Engagement: Leo advises not only to vote but to do so mindfully, looking at primary elections and lesser-known roles within government. He suggests voting for the most loving, conscious, and morally developed candidates, emphasizing personal development over specific policies. Supporting Enlightened Politicians: He encourages donations and support for the most conscious political candidates at both federal and local levels, as well as becoming involved by volunteering or running for office. Conscious Government and Self-Improvement: Leo Gura ties the principles of self-improvement and spirituality to conscious politics, underscoring the interconnection between personal growth and societal change. He implores individuals to work on their own consciousness and purity to empower a government reflecting these qualities. Final Thoughts: He highlights the resources available on his platform for further learning and assures viewers that while his focus on politics will taper, the integration of spirituality and politics is paramount for a conscious government. Directions for Future Content: Leo concludes by informing viewers that his future content will return to core topics of awakening, self-improvement, emotions, love, and spirituality, aiming to illustrate the interconnectedness of personal development and political consciousness. Flagrate

Conscious Politics - Part 2 - Foundational Insights About Political Ideology https://youtu.be/GmBzfYXrC4I "All political problems boil down to one thing: selfishness. All political solutions boil down to one thing: selflessness." Conscious Politics and Self-Actualization: Leo regards politics and government as essential to self-understanding and communal living on a superorganism level. Engaging in conscious politics is crucial to addressing the scaled-up challenges of larger societies, which mirror issues in smaller communities and families. Consciousness Determines Values and Politics: Leo asserts that an individual's level of consciousness shapes their values, morals, and consequently, their politics. People naturally vote for politicians and parties that resonate with them, which reflects their own values and stage of development. Political Ideologies as Survival Strategies: According to Leo, political ideologies are not founded on truth but rather on survival strategies ingrained during upbringing within a certain culture. The ego resists changes in worldview because it threatens identity and survival. Role of Culture in Politics: Leo highlights the difficulty of evolving politics without corresponding cultural evolution. Cultures strongly resist change due to fear, and those in power often inhibit cultural progression to maintain their authority. Limitations of Logic and Reason in Politics: Leo critiques the use of logic, reason, and facts in politics, noting that they are co-opted by the ego for survival rather than truth. Political ideologies are often rationalized retroactively, rather than based on objective reasoning. Content vs. Structure of Beliefs: Leo emphasizes understanding the difference between specific beliefs (content) and the cognition behind those beliefs (structure). Key structural elements include one’s sense of self and other, determining the scope of personal ideologies. Stages of Moral Development: Outlined by Leo, these stages depict an expansion from caring solely about personal survival to embracing a universal sense of self and concern. It's an evolving ladder from a condensed sense of self to universal morality. Image 1 Importance of Understanding Developmental Psychology: Leo points to developmental psychology, explaining how moral development affects political actions and motivations. He insists on recognizing that the sense of self and other underpins all political reasoning. Stretching the Sense of Self: Leo argues for expanding the sense of self beyond the body to encompass larger circles of concern, explaining how a person's values and morals evolve and influence their political views. Circles of Concern and Moral Development: Leo outlines the expansion of one's moral circle of concern starting from individual survival, moving to family and tribe, and evolving to include one's civilization, then all decent human beings, and eventually extending empathy to all humans regardless of actions, followed by concern for animals, the environment, and the entire cosmos, culminating in universal love and an infinite sense of self. Transitioning Between Stages of Development: Leo suggests difficulty in understanding the moral perspectives of stages beyond one's current level and states that a higher stage, once reached, replaces the lower one permanently, indicating a unidirectional evolution in moral consciousness. Reflection on Personal Moral Development: Leo invites listeners to honestly assess where they stand on the scale of moral development without passing judgment on themselves, recognizing that reluctance to acknowledge higher levels of moral concern may reflect one's current stage of development. Prevalence of Primitive Moral Stages Globally: He observes that over half the world's population resides at a stage where their moral circle includes their family, civilization, and personal religion, pointing to a lack of sophistication in global moral development. Lawrence Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development: Leo breaks down Kohlberg's six stages of moral development from pre-conventional self-interest and punishment avoidance, to conventional conformity and authority orientation, to post-conventional social contract reasoning and universal ethical principles. Transcendent Morality: Adding a seventh stage, 'Universal self-love,' Leo details how an enlightenment experience can broaden one's moral perspective to encompass an infinite sense of self and love for all existence, a stage rarely reached. Impact of Moral Stages on Political Ideologies: Leo asserts that individuals generally form their political ideologies based on their level of moral development, with most adopting conventional morality, thus their political decisions and voting align with those ideologies. Moral Evolvement through Abortion Views: Using abortion as an illustration, Leo explains how perspectives evolve with moral development, transitioning from seeing it as unequivocally wrong due to religious dictates, to assessing it as a complex issue requiring consideration of various forms of suffering. Nuanced Position on Abortion: Leo describes the complexities of abortion, taking into account the mother's health, rape, incest, and the fetus's development stage. He argues that one's position evolves to factor in these nuances and once evolved, does not regress to simplistic, absolutist views. Permanent Expansion of Consciousness: He contends that once consciousness expands to a certain level, particularly regarding moral issues, it does not fully contract back, suggesting a permanent evolution in understanding complex issues. Ego Development in Politics: Leo cites Susan Cooke Gruyter's research on ego development, indicating that both morality and ego evolve through stages which in turn shape political views and voting behavior. Importance of Expanding Identity: Leo highlights that conscious politics requires expanding one's identity beyond personal biases towards universal love, resolving political conflicts through selflessness rather than selfishness. Taking Responsibility for Governmental Problems: Leo advocates for personal responsibility, education on complex problems, and expanding self-consciousness and capacity for love to resolve issues within government and society. Consequences of Low Consciousness Politics: He critiques low-consciousness political behaviors like blame, denial, and division, emphasizing that high-consciousness entails responsibility, empathy, and proactive problem-solving. Responsibility over Blame: Leo stresses the importance of claiming responsibility for one's role in societal and governmental issues rather than finding scapegoats across various factions and ideologies. Personal Accountability for Societal Actions: Leo argues that individuals must acknowledge their accountability for the actions of their governments, including war and human rights abuses, to provoke necessary changes. Low-Consciousness Political Behaviors: Leo highlights actions that reflect low-consciousness behavior in politics such as ridiculing opponents, experiencing joy in their suffering, holding views as absolutes, and demonizing others. These actions come from a place of contraction of the self and lack of compassion. Misinterpretation of Political Stance: He warns against the presumption that holding specific policy positions, such as support for healthcare or education, automatically equates to a higher level of consciousness. The true measure of conscious behavior is in the structure and approach to one's political engagement, not just content. Ideology and Devilry: Leo argues that no ideology or moral code, no matter how well-intentioned, can prevent "devilry," which is characterized by self-centered, harmful behaviors. Real change comes from personal growth and the expansion of one's sense of self. Limits of Technological Solutions: He criticizes the belief that technology alone can solve political and societal issues. Technology without moral and spiritual development can be misused and exacerbate problems. Depth of Political Discourse: Leo criticizes the superficial nature of current political discourse and the media's focus on trivial conflicts, stressing the importance of deeper analysis to solve serious societal issues. Ignorance of Political History: The lack of understanding about political history contributes significantly to societal issues. Leo stresses the importance of education and study to form a well-informed perspective on governance and politics. Education as a Political Tool: He considers high-quality, universally accessible education as one of the most effective ways to improve politics and society. However, those in power often resist educational reforms to maintain the status quo and their ideological dominance. Critiquing Policies from Above or Below: Leo touches on the method of critiquing policies from a higher or lower level of consciousness, demonstrating with the examples of religion and science critiques, emphasizing the importance of distinguishing between these approaches. Criticism from Below and Above: Leo describes that criticisms can come from 'below' or 'above' based on the level of consciousness they are derived from. For instance, the simplistically negative portrayal of socialism on certain news networks is an example of criticism from below, while a more nuanced critique might focus on the practical challenges of collective ownership and decision-making within a corporation, which represents criticism from the above. Nuance in Political Criticism: Leo emphasizes that understanding the complexity of political ideologies like socialism requires nuanced scrutiny. He mentions how replacing a passionate CEO with committee rule could lack vision and direction, potentially leading to reduced productivity and failure—a nuanced criticism emanating from a higher understanding, distinct from the common pejorative attacks. Political Dichotomies Misleading: Leo warns against the oversimplification inherent in political dichotomies like left vs. right or capitalism vs. socialism. He advocates for judgments based on the level of consciousness, expansiveness of self, and universal love, as opposed to ideological labels. Conscious Approach to Politics: The conscious critique involves assessing policies and positions based on whether they stem from fear and selfishness or from a broader sense of inclusivity and empathy towards all. This approach goes beyond ideology and considers the overall welfare of humanity. Developmental Psychology and Spiral Dynamics: Leo reintroduces Spiral Dynamics within the context of political evolution, emphasizing that government systems have evolved from tribal structures (stage purple) with limited individuality and rife with warfare, through various stages including authoritarian (stage red), ethno-state nationalism (stage blue), democratic capitalism (stage orange), and social democracies (stage green). Evolution of Human Government: From primitive tribal governance to complex modern democracies, Leo illustrates that the evolution of societies has seen shifts from tribal communal living with frequent conflict, to authoritarian empires built through conquest, to nationalism and isolationism, and eventually towards democracies and market economies. Limitations of Unfettered Capitalism: Leo points out the shortcomings of a free-market capitalist system that ignores the growing disparity between socioeconomic classes, leading towards more socially responsible forms of governance found in stage green societies like Canada, Germany, and parts of the United States. Progressing toward Stage Yellow and Turquoise Governments: Leo projects that future governance will likely integrate aspects of socialism and capitalism (stage yellow) and envisages even further evolution towards global unity and spirituality (stage turquoise), though he acknowledges the challenges in transitioning between stages and the often-incomprehensible nature of each stage's worldview to those at lower levels. Emergence of Stage Yellow and Turquoise Governments: While glimpses of stage yellow and turquoise governments are starting to appear in Northern Europe, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia, they are still in the early stages of development. Full understanding of what these governments look like remains uncertain as these stages are still forming and facing resistance from lower stages trying to maintain the status quo. Characteristics of Stage Yellow Government: Anticipated characteristics of a stage yellow government include a hybrid system of socialism and capitalism, moving towards a world government akin to a more developed UN, systemic thinking about social problems, and consciousness of human development stages. Such governments are expected to promote growth across all stages of development while respecting their unique worldviews. Concept of Stage Turquoise Government: Stage turquoise government is theorized to derive from mystical insights and a Gaia-centric worldview, incorporating spirituality into governance in a way that differs dramatically from evangelical or fundamentalist attempts to unify church and state. A turquoise government is suggested to lean towards a global government, where nations recognize their interdependence within the global ecosystem. Different Political Perspectives at Each Stage of Development: Each stage of human development, such as stage blue, orange, or green, lives in a different subjective "world," leading to misunderstandings and conflict. Individuals in these stages lack awareness of the multiplicity of perspectives and developmental stages, often viewing those in other stages as irrational. Two Tiers of Politics: Politics can be divided into Tier 1 (green, orange, blue, and below) and Tier 2 (yellow and above). Tier 1 politics are mired in the content of particular policies and ideologies, operating from a survival mindset. In contrast, Tier 2 politics adopt a meta-perspective, focusing on systemic issues and expanding beyond physical survival to include consciousness and a more expansive sense of self. Moving Beyond Ideological Positions to Tier 2: Escaping ideological positions and moving to Tier 2 requires a shift from survival-based thinking to a focus on being and consciousness, expanding beyond selfish needs. Liberals should not assume they are already at Tier 2 without transcending survival-based positions. Inescapable Interdependence with Society: Individuals cannot truly escape society; even apparent autonomy or wealth relies on social structures and systems that have developed over thousands of years. Acknowledging membership in a societal superorganism, which encompasses local to global communities, is crucial. Importance of Bureaucracy and the Legal Court System: Bureaucracy, particularly the court system, is essential to the functioning of society. It provides a mechanism to resolve conflicts equitably, preventing disputes from escalating into violence and tribal warfare. The legal system supports the structural integrity of government and the peaceful coexistence of diverse social groups. Cultural Significance of Dowries in Tribal Societies: In tribal cultures, significant resources, such as livestock, may be required as dowry for marriages, crucial for the survival and continuation of lineage. Disputes over such dowries could lead to prolonged, violent inter-tribal conflicts. Lack of Conflict Resolution Mechanisms: Without a court system to adjudicate disputes, trivial issues between tribes can escalate into blood feuds, resulting in cycles of revenge and tribal warfare, potentially lasting for generations. Role of Courts in Peacekeeping: A fair and impartial court system provides a structured method of resolving disputes, preventing bloodshed by ensuring disputes over property, such as the dowry pig, are resolved legally, without resorting to violence. Government's Monopoly of Force: Governments maintain a monopoly of force to prevent individuals from exacting personal justice, which could otherwise lead to endless cycles of tribal warfare. Function of Law and Government: Laws establish clear societal guidelines to adjudicate disputes. The government enforces these laws, ensuring peace by protecting the rights of individuals and preventing the escalation of conflicts. Natural Formation of Groups for Survival: In a free society, people naturally form groups like cabals, factions, or religions to gain survival advantages, leading to potential conflict when these groups compete for resources or ideological dominance. Government as a Preventive Measure Against Tribalism: A functioning government system prevents the rise of oppressive groups by upholding a constitution and laws that ensure the peaceful coexistence of various subgroups within society. Necessity of Government and Education for Moral Development: Universal morality, where individuals care for all equally, requires millennia of government and education, indicating the complexity of achieving societal fairness on a large scale. Current Societal Injustice and Selfishness: Even in the most developed countries, society remains grossly unfair and exploitative, a condition often ignored due to selfish interests. Internalization of Oppression: Oppressed individuals, such as women in certain cultures or economic wage slaves, may not recognize their oppression as it's deeply internalized and rationalized as normal within their cultural context. Denial of Systemic Oppression by Beneficiaries: Those who benefit from systemic oppression, such as employers of wage slaves, often deny the existence of oppression, viewing the status quo as a normal aspect of societal operation. Cultural and Systemic Nature of Oppression: Oppression is more rooted in cultural norms and systemic structures than individual actions, with the culture of certain industries, like Wall Street, normalizing oppressive behaviors for survival. Cultural Oppression in Business: American business culture permits employers to exploit employees by paying inadequate wages. This behavior is normalized within Wall Street culture to the point that CEOs face pressure from stockholders to minimize wages and break unions to maximize profits. Contraction of Self in Stockholders: The problem is exacerbated by stockholders with a narrow sense of self who are only concerned with their stock portfolio, showing no concern for the employees of the companies they invest in. CEOs Within the System: High-level executives like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk may not recognize the exploitation as an issue due to being accustomed to the stage orange cultural mindset. They may feel restricted to change the system, fearing removal by their boards. Collective vs Personal Responsibility: Leo argues that taking collective responsibility is as important as personal responsibility. Specifically, society must acknowledge systemic issues such as racism and economic inequality in order to address them effectively. Economic Barbarism: Criticizes the vast wealth disparity in developed countries, where billionaires squander resources while others work multiple jobs and still struggle to meet basic needs, preventing them from self-actualizing or contributing to society to their full potential. Benefits of Resource Distribution: Suggests a more equitable distribution of wealth would not only benefit the poor but society as a whole, including the wealthy, by allowing potential scientists, artists, and entrepreneurs to contribute to societal advancements. Personal Wealth and Societal Change: Leo discusses the ironic situation where those benefiting from the oppressive system feel threatened by calls for equality. He promotes a selfless view of politics that seeks the best outcome for humanity, not just for an individual such as himself. Selfishness and Cognitive Dissonance: Addresses how the ego rationalizes oppressive behaviors like slavery as moral and right to avoid internal conflict. This cognitive dissonance allows oppressors to feel justified in their actions and resist changes to the system. Unsustainability of Oppression: Leo explains that long-term oppression leads to civil unrest and eventually violent upheaval as people seek to rectify inequality, and posits that if a government isn't alleviating such inequality, it is corrupt and in need of reform. Profiting from Others' Suffering: Highlights that some businesses and professions are built on exploiting others. He also points out that peace, a universal ideal, can be seen as detrimental to those invested in industries like the military, revealing the complexity of systemic issues. Military-Industrial Complex Justifications: Workers in the military-industrial complex create narratives to justify their roles, believing they are necessary for national security and dismissing peace as unrealistic, thus prioritizing their personal survival and economic interests over peace. Profit-driven Healthcare System: In the U.S., hospitals, insurance companies, and pharmaceuticals oppose universal healthcare due to financial interests, leveraging narratives that frame free healthcare as irresponsible and un-American, ignoring the deaths resulting from the lack of affordable medical care. Healthcare Lobbying Against Universal Care: The healthcare industry spends large sums lobbying against government-provided free quality care, driven by the fear of losing profit and personal luxuries, perpetuating a system that values profit over life. Ego-centric Morality and Circle of Concern: Individuals often only extend their sense of responsibility and moral concern to their immediate family, failing to apply the same level of care universally due to underdeveloped senses of self and morality. Education as a Threat to Private Institutions: Free high-quality education is resisted by private schools and universities because it poses a significant threat to their business model, which leads to lobbying efforts against such initiatives. Normativity and Relativity of Morals: Norms and moral 'shoulds' are arbitrary and relative, with no objective basis in reality, necessitating consensus and government to enforce agreed-upon rules for societal function. Government as a Construct in the Absence of Objective Morality: Because objective morality is non-existent, government is required to establish and maintain social order, a collective agreement on rules that is necessary when people inherently disagree on moral standards. Morality and the Overton Window: The political spectrum and concepts of right and wrong are relative to era and culture, reflected in the shifting Overton Window, which underscores the evolution of societal norms over time. Evolution of Societal Morality: Societal norms are not static but build upon the past, evolving gradually and shifting the divide between what is considered liberal or conservative, making it improper to judge the past with today's moral standards. Progress is Relative to Historical Context: Societal progress must be understood in relative terms, appreciating the struggles of the past and recognizing the evolutionary nature of moral stances like the abhorrence of slavery. Geographical Challenges and Government Development: Environmental factors such as geography and climate significantly impact the ease of developing stable government structures. For instance, in Africa, harsh conditions and the aggressive environment of the jungle present unique challenges to building infrastructure and create obstacles for government organization and stability. Dangers of Romanticizing the Past: Leo warns against the common tendency to idealize the past, particularly among conservatives. He refutes the notion that earlier times, such as 1950s America or pre-civilization agrarian societies, were idyllic, emphasizing that they were plagued by slavery, famine, disease, poverty, and illiteracy. Inevitability of Societal Evolution: Society and technology must evolve together, and it is not possible to return to earlier, simpler times. As technology progresses, it necessitates changes in power dynamics, structures, and sustainability. Societal structures must be advanced enough to support the complexities of new technologies. Complexity of Systemic Solutions: Societal issues are intricate and often require counterintuitive solutions. Leo criticizes Tier 1 thinking, which oversimplifies societal problems and ignores future disruptive technologies requiring social changes. He advocates for systemic thinking, which accounts for interconnectedness and long-term consequences. Need for Balanced and Systems Thinking: Balanced decision-making is crucial in politics and society. Systems thinking, which transcends selfish manipulation, considers the greater good and ensures functionality for all. Real balance is situation-specific and not a mere midpoint between extremes. Observation and Open-mindedness in Politics: Understanding politics and society requires in-depth observation, studying history, and keeping an open mind. Mystical experiences can broaden consciousness and inspire an expanded sense of self, fostering a more cooperative and compassionate society. Avoid Turning Conscious Politics into Ideology: Leo advises against formulating an ideology out of the principles of conscious politics. Ideologies can confine and distort concepts, whereas an evolving understanding allows for greater applicability and positive societal transformation. Spiritual Work for Conscious Society: To truly comprehend and contribute to a conscious society, individuals must engage in spiritual work that expands consciousness to universal levels, enabling an inclusive perspective that sees all beings as interconnected parts of the self and the world as a unified community. Dissendium

What Is The Point Of Life - An Advanced, Life-Changing Explanation https://youtu.be/9PjZB9CoFfs "Creation!" Fundamental Structure of Life and Reality: Leo probes the deep question of why life is structured the way it is, contemplating the purpose behind existence, suffering, evolution, and everyday human activities. He suggests that life's structure isn't arbitrary, but part of a grand, brilliant design. Universe's Grand Design: Leo argues that life and the universe have a non-random, overarching design of high brilliance, which humans struggle to comprehend from their limited perspective. Understanding the Point of Life: Leo suggests that before understanding the point of an individual's life, it's imperative to understand the universe's point, as individual life is a subset of the universe's broader scope. Universe as an Infinite Singularity: Describing the universe as a hyperdimensional, infinite sphere that encompasses all possibilities and realities, Leo emphasizes the universe's self-aware, sentient, and creative nature. Self-Exploration of the Universe: The universe, or 'God', is depicted as a conscious field that subdivides itself to understand and experience itself from an infinite number of perspectives, essentially a process of self-exploration. Sentient Beings as Exploratory Probes: Leo illustrates sentient beings, including humans, as exploratory probes, part of God's mechanism to internally investigate and comprehend its own nature. Aggregate Purpose of the Universe: The purpose is conceptualized from various perspectives: for the universe to experience itself as a creator, for God to awaken to its magnitude, and for existence to be rooted in love and self-expression. Purpose of Human Life in Universal Context: Leo transitions to explain human life's purpose, involving self-realization as God, acknowledgment of one's own creation, realization of infinite creativity, and embodying universal love and godliness. Inspiration through Existence: Leo underscores the point that individuals should inspire others through their own evolution toward expressing ultimate love, goodness, and creativity, in alignment with the grand design of the universe. Conscious creation from love: Leo emphasizes actively shaping one's life from a foundation of love and goodness, having transcended fear and selfishness, inspiring others to discover their own divine nature. Gift of Self-Realization: The greatest offering one can give, according to Leo, is assisting others in recognizing that they are embodiments of God, thereby healing divisions within the collective divine consciousness. Purpose of experiencing duality: He highlights the importance of living through the duality of existence, noting that it's an intentional aspect of life meant to be fully embraced and not prematurely escaped. Non-duality within duality: Leo explains that God seeks to experience both the unlimited and the limited, stating that true limitlessness includes every possible limitation within it, enhancing the profundity of existence. Presence in every moment: The discussion turns to the importance of being fully present, valuing the inherent beauty of existence beyond conceptual distractions of past and future. Awakening through compassion: He revisits the point that helping others awaken is an expression of love and a recognition of the unity between the self and others. Evolution of consciousness: Leo emphasizes that the fundamental purpose of human life is the evolution of consciousness, not material gain; every life aspect serves as a means to this end. Aligning will with the divine: The journey involves aligning one's individual will with the divine will, moving from fear-driven selfish desires to the full expression of godlike qualities. Creating beauty in the world: Recognizing oneself as the sole creator, Leo poses the challenge: what kind of world will you consciously create, knowing you have the power to shape reality? Choice of identity: He stresses that individuals have the power to choose who they want to be in the world—devil or angel—and that either path is a valid expression of God's experience. Eternal cycle of incarnation: Leo speaks of the endless cycle of incarnations through which one lives every possible life, evolving towards total unity and the ultimate peace of merging into the Godhead. Realizing Nirvana now: He asserts that Nirvana is not a distant goal but rather present in the current moment, although it typically takes numerous incarnations to realize this fully. Life's inherent meaninglessness: While life is ultimately meaningless, this meaninglessness itself allows one to create and imbue their own meaning into existence. Deliberate design of human life: Leo clarifies that despite life's ultimate meaninglessness, human existence has a specific, intentional design aimed at evolving and recognizing God within oneself. Creation as joyous exploration: Creation is an end in itself, a joyful exploration without needing external justification, similar to a child playing with LEGOs—god is creating for the inherent delight of creation. Concept of Creation: Leo likens human creation to a child playing with a limited set of LEGO blocks, where if one does not consciously create, they end up with what he calls a 'monstrosity' rather than something amazing. Religious Dogma and Verification: He refutes the idea that his teachings are religious dogma, urging listeners to verify and discover the truth of his words through their experiences. Source of Leo's Knowledge: Leo shares that his understanding comes from mystical experiences, contemplation, study of spiritual materials, intuition, and ultimately from the realization that he is God, imagining his own reality. Creation as Imagination: He argues that everything considered real is imagined and emphasizes that individuals are largely unconscious of their role in creation and the creative power they wield. Reality and Delusion: Leo addresses concerns about delusion, suggesting people live life as creators to see if it enriches their lives, thus validating the truths he presents. Integration with Life Purpose Course: He clarifies that his discourse is an extension of his Life Purpose Course, providing a broader context to the principles discussed. Existence of Failure in Life: Leo assures there is no failure in the grand design of life and incarnations, as every path eventually leads to Nirvana, and the journey through various lives is part of the experience. The Desire for Nirvana: He challenges the desire to escape life's pain by rushing toward Nirvana, explaining that experiencing life fully is part of God's journey and Nirvana is present in the current moment. Assertions of Ego: Leo distinguishes the architecture and purpose he explains from ego, elaborating that it's about understanding the deliberate functions of God's creation rather than having a specific mission. Enlightenment and Activity: He speaks on the misconception that enlightenment entails having nothing to do, stating that it is about realizing oneself as a creator and deciding what to create. Perfection and Creation: Leo discusses how enlightenment reveals perfection in reality but this does not preclude creative expression, which should come from a place of abundance and love rather than lack or ego. Involvement in the World: He emphasizes that one can express love and Godliness in various forms of life and careers, and everyone has the potential to inspire and be a force of positive change. Religious Critique: Leo criticizes common religious followers as hypocrites for not recognizing their divine nature and suggests that true salvation involves reconnecting with the truth of one's divine self. Future Lessons and Growth: He acknowledges the difficulty of the path to self-realization but promises that his most profound lessons are yet to come and encourages continual personal evolution. Misery from Alienation: Many people are miserable, depressed, and uninspired because they are alienated from their true nature as God. They have lost their spiritual connection and live materialistic lives, leading to dissatisfaction and addiction. Self-Created Suffering: The suffering and pain experienced by individuals are self-created consequences of their alienation from the divine self and lack of realization of the joy of creation. Overcoming this state is possible by embracing one's innate godlike nature and selflessness. Societal Dysfunction: Since the majority of society is comprised of individuals who are uninspired and alienated, the collective society reflects this through chaos, dysfunction, crime, and lack of love. Personal transformation towards love and self-realization can address these issues. Universal Love as True Nature: Every action, even by the worst of devils, is driven by a contorted form of love. As individuals realize the unlimited, unconditional love that is their true nature, their actions become less harmful and more aligned with universal, godlike love. Living as if You Were God: Leo Gura suggests individuals ask themselves what they would create if fearless and unlimited, how they'd live if totally selfless, and what they'd do if immortal. This perspective, although challenging, aligns one's life with the purpose of the universe. Three Questions for Self-Exploration: Leo presents three questions to guide individuals towards living a god-aligned life: 1) What would I create if I were fearless and unlimited? 2) How would I live if I were totally selfless? 3) If I were immortal, what would I create and do? Commitment to Personal Development: Gura emphasizes the necessity of committing to personal growth, meditation, psychedelics, and consciousness-raising practices. Evolution and being God involve overcoming fears and egotism, which is a difficult but worthwhile endeavor. Inspiring Others & Professional Diversity: One's life should inspire others, and God's compassion can manifest in various professions, not limited to spiritual teachers. By embodying love and selflessness in all fields, societal transformation and elevation can occur. Recognizing and Overcoming Hypocrisy: Leo criticizes the hypocrisy of religious followers who do not realize their own divinity. He encourages reconnecting with truth to find salvation and to inspire a worldwide transformation away from fear-induced division and hatred. The Journey Ahead: Leo warns of the challenges on the path to self-realization and Godhood but promises his most influential lessons are yet to come. He motivates viewers to stay dedicated, assuring that understanding and demonstrating godliness is a journey worth undertaking. Amortentia

An interesting insight about the Schutzstaffel (SS) lies in its transformation from a small paramilitary unit to a powerful and influential organization within Nazi Germany. Originally established in 1925 as a small protection squad for Adolf Hitler, the SS, under the leadership of Heinrich Himmler, evolved into a complex institution with multiple branches, including the infamous Waffen-SS (military branch) and the SS-Totenkopfverbände (concentration camp guards). The SS played a pivotal role in implementing the Holocaust and other crimes against humanity during World War II. One key insight is how an organization initially created for personal protection became an instrument of terror and genocide. This transformation highlights the dangers of unchecked power, ideological indoctrination, and the manipulation of institutions for nefarious purposes. Additionally, examining the SS offers insights into the mechanisms of totalitarian regimes, illustrating how loyalty to the state and ideology can lead individuals to commit heinous acts. Understanding the historical context of the SS serves as a stark reminder of the importance of safeguarding democratic values, human rights, and the rule of law to prevent the rise of such extremist ideologies in the future.

Becoming God - Insights From 13 Back-to-Back Awakenings https://youtu.be/ywHfNSwcCS8 Summarizing Leo's Awakenings: Leo recaps his intense 30-day solo meditation retreat, detailing 13 sequential awakenings, each deeper than the last. Despite initial boredom and lack of results, the retreat proved to be the most productive period for his personal growth, culminating in profound insights and a major identity shift. Progression of Consciousness: He elaborates on the use of 5-MeO-DMT over the final 15 days of the retreat, which led to extraordinary trips, vastly surpassing previous levels of consciousness and awakening. His experiences led him to believe that he reached states of awareness rarely achieved by human beings. Realization of Being God: A critical revelation for Leo was recognizing that he is God, in a profound and complete sense. This enlightenment went beyond intellectual understanding to a cellular and experiential level, involving the realization of eternal creation and the structure of God as an infinitely intelligent, powerful, and loving existence. Depth and Complexity of Awakening: Leo emphasizes the complexity and depth of awakening, asserting that any framework simplifying it into stages fails to capture the totality. Each awakening felt complete, yet the next one would seem even more so, creating a challenge in recognizing the endpoint of full comprehension. Shift from Human to God Identity: The transition from seeing oneself as a human to fully accepting oneself as God was intensely transformative. Leo insists that any spiritual teaching that doesn't guide towards this realization of godhood is insufficient. Exploration of God's Mechanism: He advocates for higher spiritual teachings that involve recognizing oneself as God, delving into God's infinity and nothingness, and understanding the mechanics and logic behind God's existence. Leo feels that this depth is often overlooked or undercommunicated by many spiritual teachers. Evolving Understanding and Future Exploration: With numerous insights that he feels have yet to be fully articulated by other spiritual teachers, Leo is committed to sharing his advanced understandings and continuing to explore and experiment with the nature of consciousness and awakening. Limitations of Meditation and Self-Inquiry: Leo concludes that traditional meditation and self-inquiry fall far short of the profound levels of consciousness he accessed with 5-MeO-DMT. Despite their value, these techniques alone couldn't provide the deep realizations he achieved. The Unmatched Potency of 5-MeO-DMT: Leo expresses astonishment at the potency of 5-MeO-DMT and its unparalleled ability to facilitate deep consciousness and clarity, surpassing other psychedelics like LSD and mushrooms in its capacity to reveal the nature of God. Proper Application of 5-MeO-DMT: He emphasizes the importance of a correct approach with 5-MeO-DMT for profound experiences. Leo plans to share his insights on the 'proper way' to use it, implying many practitioners do not experience its full potential due to misuse. Transformation Through Psychological Challenges: Amidst his metaphysical awakening experiences, Leo encountered psychological trips that confronted him with personal issues impeding his understanding of God, such as his tendency to lie and be inauthentic. Authenticity as the Path to Truth: Detailing a trip centered on truth and authenticity, Leo explains how he faced his lifelong pattern of dishonesty. He states that embodying God's nature requires embracing truth, as God has no fear and does not need to lie. Impact of Psychological Realizations: Through confronting his lack of authenticity, the very next day Leo experienced a massive metaphysical awakening, suggesting addressing psychological barriers is crucial for further spiritual breakthroughs. Qualifiers of His Teachings: While Leo shares his spiritual realizations, he advises practitioners to continue meditation and other practices, especially if they lack access to psychedelics. He acknowledges varying degrees of awakening and does not disparage other teachers or teachings. Incorporating a Religious Tone: Leo explains that his teachings will assume a religious tone as he fully acknowledges his godliness. He clarifies this is not about converting to standard religious beliefs, but an honest expression of his experience—that reality is divine and good. Recognition of Divine Reality: Leo positions the awakening to the divinity of reality as a transformation akin to a religious conversion, shifting one's life to align with the absolute goodness and divine nature of existence. Oneness with the Fractal Universe: Leo experiences the sensation of being God within a fractal universe that extends infinitely in every direction, forming and residing within the eternal explosion of reality. Heaven as Present Reality: Leo rejects the traditional notion of heaven as a far-off realm, instead equating heaven to the very moment and surroundings one is in, insisting that everything people see and experience is directly created by them and God. The Psychological Barrier to Heaven: He discusses the idea that heaven and hell are states of mind rather than locations, emphasizing that an ego-driven mind prevents individuals from realizing they're already in heaven, thus creating their own psychological hell. Eternal Presence of Every Moment: Leo introduces the concept that each moment of existence is eternal, much like frames on a movie reel, suggesting that every moment, including our earliest memories, coexists simultaneously in an eternal "frozen explosion." Infinity in All Things: Leo highlights that every object, down to the details of our fingers, embodies an infinite fractal, with each object always positioned at the center of infinity, reinforcing the notion that infinity is not only about numbers but exists in all aspects of reality. Purposefulness of Creation: He expounds on his realization that reality is not a random occurrence but a precise and intentional creation by an infinitely intelligent and powerful God, with physical laws, evolution, and patterns being elements of this deliberate design. Unlimited Nature of God: Leo discusses the qualities of God as having no limitations, existing beyond physical and logical laws, emphasizing this unlimited nature to define the power, intelligence, and consciousness of God. Implications of God's Unlimited Power: Describing an unlimited, all-powerful entity capable of willing anything into existence, Leo suggests that such beings can create realities that are infinitely intelligent and good, and that humans, in their truest, most unlimited form, would do the same. The Unlimited Nature of Reality: Reality is described as an expression of infinite intelligence, goodness, and beauty created out of selflessness and love. What appears as negative or harmful events are, in actuality, parts of a meticulously designed universe that works for the greater good of all. Illusion of Randomness in the Universe: Leo suggests that nothing in the universe is arbitrary or random; every detail is part of a grand design that interconnects all elements. This design is beyond the capacity of a limited human intellect to fully comprehend. Myopic Human Perspective: Humans often judge events like tragedies from a narrow, self-centered view, not taking into account the vast interconnectedness of all events. Leo argues that what may seem as negative events to us play a necessary role in the optimal functioning of the universe as designed by an all-intelligent force. Necessity of Negative Events: Even events perceived as deeply negative, such as mass shootings, are seen as having a place in the grand design of the universe. Leo claims that the removal of such events would, counterintuitively, lead to a worse overall creation from the perspective of infinite intelligence. Design Challenges and the Infinite Universe: Leo draws parallels between human design challenges — like creating a website or engineering a product — and the infinitely more complex design of the universe. Every part of the universe, he argues, is connected through an intricate web of causation that results in a flawless design by what is understood as God. Understanding Causation: Leo unfolds the concept of chains of causation, illustrating how every occurrence or decision can be traced back to an interconnected series of causes and effects stretching back through history and into the fabric of the universe itself, highlighting the complexity of universal design. Infinite Chains of Causation: Each object or event is connected to an infinite number of other events, demonstrating the interconnected nature of the universe. The example of a butterfly's existence being influenced by countless factors both minute and cosmic is used to illustrate this concept. The Role of Design in Understanding Reality: Leo suggests that when one grasives the difficulty of designing even simple objects, they can begin to appreciate the profound design of the universe. Everything, from the gravity affecting a butterfly to the chain of decisions leading to wearing a white shirt, reveals an intelligent, infinite causation at work. Science and Causation: Leo points out that scientific analysis typically only addresses simple linear causation chains, like "A causes B causes C." This approach neglects the complex and interconnected nature of multiple causation chains that operate within even the simplest actions, like flexing a finger. Limitations of Scientific Understanding: He emphasizes that while science is not false, it is extremely partial. Science fails to consider the holistic design and integration of chains of causation, which ripple through each other and contribute to the universe's intricate workings. Where science does touch upon this, as in chaos theory and fractals, it reveals some of its own limitations. Reality's Design Challenge: Leo posits that the design of reality - which he considers pure goodness - could only be the work of an infinite, all-powerful, and all-intelligent entity. He suggests that "God" met this design challenge instantly, thanks to being unlimited in power, but humans struggle to see the intricacies due to selfishness and a lack of consciousness. Good vs Evil in God's Design: Responding to questions about the presence of evil in the world, Leo clarifies that, in his view, God did not create bad things, only good. He reasons that infinite intelligence and selflessness would not allow for the creation of anything bad or evil; such perceptions are due to human limitations and fears, including the fear of death. Absolute Goodness of Existence: Leo reinforces the idea that whatever exists is for the greater good of all, as existence itself is absolute goodness. He explains that humans often fail to see this because they are looking from a myopic, self-centred perspective, concerned with individual, rather than cosmic, good. The Problem of Human Perspective: He expands on how the narrow focus of individuals on their personal benefit obscures the appreciation of the universe’s absolute goodness and intelligent design. Humans often fail to understand the interconnectedness and perfect alignment of every aspect of existence. Existence vs Non-Existence: Leo challenges the concept of non-existence by stating that everything that is perceivable or conceivable exists in some form, whether as an actual entity or as a concept. He suggests that non-existence is an illusion and that even the idea of non-existence exists within the realm of existence. Infinity and Pure Intelligence: He separates the traditional idea of intelligence from what he refers to as "pure intelligence," which he equates with consciousness, truth, and love. Leo explains that consciousness is infinitely intelligent and that God, or pure consciousness, manifests effortlessly into form, as observed when examining one's own hand. Understanding the Universe: Leo shares his conviction that after rigorous spiritual practice, an individual can become fully conscious of the reasons for existence and the workings of the universe, which to him are designed with pure intelligence and love, contrary to the notions of randomness suggested by interpretations of quantum mechanics. Pursuit of Metaphysical Understanding: He encourages those with a philosophical bent and deep curiosity about the universe to continue questioning and seeking understanding, which he believes is attainable through persistent effort, beyond logical reasoning or traditional studies, and may involve transformative practices like psychedelics. Interconnection of Love and Truth: Leo reflects on the insight that love and truth are synonymous, expressing that everything occurring right now is both an act of love and the ultimate truth. This realization, accessed through profound experiences, implies a highly idealistic view of existence that may appear unrealistically good from a typical human standpoint. Open-Mindedness in Spiritual Practice: Leo insists on the importance of persevering in the exploration of spirituality without ceasing prematurely. The further one explores, the more one realizes the infinite goodness at the end of the journey. Embodiment of Goodness: After realizing the infinite goodness, the next step Leo sees for himself is to become a living example of this goodness, aligning his life with it to bring positive transformation to the world. No Claim to Superior Enlightenment: Leo clarifies that he is not claiming to be the most enlightened person, but acknowledges he has accessed rare spiritual experiences that are challenging to attain, which he considers himself fortunate to have experienced. Continuous Work Towards Awakening: Leo conveys that despite his experiences, he does not consider himself fully awake or enlightened, and still has a significant path ahead to achieve full awakening and liberation. Integration of Spiritual and Ordinary Life: He discusses the paradoxical nature of spiritual highs, which exist alongside ordinary life with all its mundane challenges and frustrations, such as financial concerns and daily annoyances. Ongoing Struggle with Ego: Leo admits to still dealing with human limitations such as bad habits, fears, and a sense of ego that continues to cause suffering, part of the human experience that he shares with everyone. Distinction Between Awakening and Liberation: He differentiates between having an awakening experience and achieving constant god consciousness or total liberation, with the latter being much more difficult to maintain and the true aim of his spiritual journey. Passion for Spiritual Work: Leo shares his increasing passion for continuing the work of integrating his spiritual insights, and his goal to internalize these insights in a more organic and authentic manner, fully surrendering to the divine within. Holistic Approach to Spirituality: He stresses the need for spirituality to become a natural part of life, fully integrated into every action and being lived in an authentic, organic way. Authenticity and Transformation: Leo emphasizes his desire to be more authentic in his life and teaching, to work on embodying his insights more deeply, and to communicate them in a pure and powerful way. Upcoming Teachings and Insights: He outlines plans to share his progress and insights, tweaking and upgrading his teachings based on his evolving understanding. Natural Evolution of Teaching: Leo explains his approach to teaching will become more embodied and less technical, though he will continue to provide analytical content. A New Chapter Toward Total Liberation: He reveals his transition from focusing on business success to pursuing total awakening and liberation, expecting this journey to take several years, and expressing uncertainty yet openness about what lies beyond this pursuit. Inspiration for Others to Seek Awakening: Lastly, Leo hopes to inspire listeners to embark on their own spiritual journies, assuring that his revelations are meant to serve as a catalyst for others to seek similar experiences. Confundo

Leaving On 30-Day Solo Retreat https://youtu.be/yhfeLiuG_wo Reason for Taking a Break: Leo is pausing Actualized.org to undertake a personal 30-day meditation retreat to reassess things afterward, due to the intensive nature of video creation and his desire to focus on personal growth. Challenge of Content Creation: Leo finds creating increasingly complex and nuanced videos laborious and it limits his time for personal development and consciousness work. Balancing Act Between Teaching and Practicing: There is a delicate balance between conducting research, formulating ideas, and personally embodying the teachings discussed in Actualized.org content. The Importance of Embodiment: Leo emphasizes the need for more solitude to deeply contemplate and meditate, to embody the more advanced topics he covers. Plan for the 30-Day Retreat: Leo intends to conduct a silent retreat alone, focusing on meditation and self-observation, to facilitate significant personal awakening experiences. Experience Since Previous Retreat: Since his last retreat in May, Leo mentions his growth, quieting of the monkey mind, and plans to build upon these past insights and breakthroughs. Future Release Schedule: Expected changes to Actualized.org's video releasing frequency, with a potential shift towards less regular, but more quality-driven and impactful content. Evolution of Priorities: Leo's growing disinterest in subscriber counts and views, focusing instead on deeper work and original research for mankind's progress. Preparations and Mindfulness: Plans for complete digital disconnection, avoiding all media and work, maintaining mindfulness during routine activities such as grocery shopping. Anticipation of Retreat Outcomes: Leo shares a mix of excitement and expectation of suffering, but looks forward to the insights and personal readiness for deeper spiritual embodiment. Feeling of Transitional Phase: A sense of completing a chapter with Actualized.org and a readiness to move into a new stage of personal and professional evolution. Conclusion about Content Creation: Leo assures that despite his inward focus, he will continue the Actualized.org series with more content after his retreat. Closing and Evolving Chapters: Leo expresses that although Actualized.org has been a long-running project, there’s a natural time for closing chapters and beginning new ones in life. He's not leaving Actualized.org but envisions a rebirth, moving into a more spiritual chapter of growth. Next Stage of Life - Enlightenment Chapter: Transitioning from a business and life-purpose chapter, Leo aims to enter an enlightenment chapter. He wants to evolve his level of consciousness and bring his audience along, potentially changing his content delivery format. Potential Changes in Content Delivery: Leo hints at more in-person teachings or doing a tour, as well as possibly working on a book. He is open to allowing the direction of his work to unfold organically based on insights gained in his upcoming retreat. Content Creation Evolution: Leo describes his new content creation method, a multi-threaded approach, where he simultaneously adds ideas to 150 video outlines instead of focusing on one. This process allows connections across various topics, offering a holistic view. Constant Search for Innovation: Leo needs constant newness and innovation in his life, viewing it as essential for being engaged with life. He can't be content with repetitive success but seeks to push the boundaries in spirituality, science, and philosophy. Interconnecting Modern Insights with Spirituality: Leo emphasizes the integration of spiritual insights with modern scientific discoveries, pointing out that he is very much pro-science when used correctly to make advancements in spirituality, psychology, and government. Holistic and Integrated Approach Needed: He argues that society needs a broad, integral approach to spirituality and human development that goes beyond fixed sets of teachings. This means including modern knowledge and technology to address the evolving complexities of society. Intellectual Foundations for Global Awakening: Before technological advances, Leo sees the need for an intellectual foundation to help humanity awaken to new possibilities. Actualized.org aims to provide the intellectual infrastructure that supports this intellectual revolution. New Enlightenment Beyond Established Systems: Leo calls for a new enlightenment that incorporates scientific, philosophical, and spiritual insights, going beyond established religious and spiritual doctrines and transforming education, government, and other institutions. Continuous Learning and Evolving: Leo stresses that humanity is just beginning the awakening process, and the work needed spans physical, technological, and intellectual development, with the potential for evolution continuing indefinitely. Critique of Traditional Spiritual Practices: Leo criticizes ancient spiritual traditions, including Hinduism and others, for being outdated and lacking integration with modern disciplines such as psychology, sociology, and anthropology which are essential for addressing psychological issues encountered in spiritual practice. Need for Integrating Diverse Fields: Leo advocates for an integration of non-duality with all spiritual traditions and religions globally, combining them with advancements in science, social sciences, technology, philosophy, and self-help movements, to build a holistic understanding of life. Limitations of Existing Spiritual Systems: He points out that spiritual schools are often disconnected from contemporary knowledge and justify the exclusion of other fields like psychology, which hinders the progress towards a more integrated spirituality that addresses all aspects of life. Vision for Society-Wide Transformation: Leo argues for a comprehensive reform involving the sciences, culture, nutrition, education, and technology, suggesting that an interdisciplinary approach is needed to realize his vision of an awakened society. Personal Development as a Foundation for Reform: Emphasizing the importance of personal growth, Leo discusses his own health and the necessity of internal work to effectively contribute to social transformation and prevent the spread of dogmatic and rigid systems. Self-discipline in Achieving Vision: He stresses the importance of self-purification and awareness to avoid the temptations of power and influence that can lead to corruption, comparing this internal battle to the "devil within". Integration of Intellectual Frameworks with Spirituality: Leo emphasizes the need for spiritual masters to go beyond self-mastery and incorporate intellectual structures into their teachings to influence cultural and societal evolution more effectively. Balancing Personal Development with Societal Impact: Leo cautions against the potential trap of trying to awaken or change the world without sufficient self-development, maintaining that one can only lead others to the heights that one has personally achieved. Potential for Power to Corrupt: He warns that with greater influence comes a greater risk of corruption and using power for selfish ends, which can undermine the original purpose of spiritual work and lead to rigid, dogmatic institutions. Future Commitment to Content Generation: Leo assures that despite the focus on his personal journey, he intends to continue contributing to Actualized.org and further the goal of a widely integrative and evolving understanding of human development. Politicians' Downfalls Linked to Personal Indiscretions: Leo cites the examples of John Edwards and Anthony Weiner, politicians whose promising careers were ruined due to their inability to control their sexual impulses. Edwards' career ended in scandal, while Weiner was imprisoned for illicit communication with a minor. Consequences of Not Controlling Selfish Desires: Leo underscores the importance of self-control and warns that personal visions can be easily derailed by giving in to selfish impulses, which he metaphorically refers to as the "devil within." Role of Retreats in Preventing Self-Sabotage: He advocates for retreats as a means of confronting and purifying oneself from internal wickedness and limitations. Retreats bring about conscious suffering, which differs from the unconscious suffering most people experience in their avoidance of growth. Dangers of Comfort and Complacency: Leo discusses the risks associated with becoming too comfortable and disconnected from suffering, as success can lead to a life of chasing pleasure, avoiding the necessary discomfort that facilitates growth. Seeking Conscious Suffering for Growth: He advises deliberately placing oneself in challenging situations that lead to conscious suffering, which in turn promotes personal growth and aligns with the greater good. Life of Service versus Life of Pleasure: Leo contrasts the unfulfilling life of indulgence in a materialistic world with the fulfilling sacrifices made when one chooses to serve a higher purpose. Becoming Vessels for a Greater Purpose: Leo encourages becoming instruments for "Toyota's work," suggesting that individuals should purify their egos to allow themselves to be conduits for larger, impactful actions. Gandhi as an Exemplar of Purposeful Sacrifice: He presents Gandhi's life as a testament to living in alignment with a noble cause, which included hardships and ultimate sacrifice but also immense fulfillment and societal impact. Challenges and Rewards of Transformative Living: Leo acknowledges the risks faced by those who choose to drive societal change but stresses that the rewards of engaging with life on such an impactful level far outweigh the difficulties. Commitment to Continuing Actualized.org Content: Leo concludes by reassuring his audience that despite his focus on inner work, Actualized.org will continue to offer content dedicated to personal and societal development. Descendo

What Is God - Part 2 - Clear Answers To 70+ Commonly Asked Questions https://youtu.be/YMLuA2MzV40 "We are small pieces of God's mental apparatus." - Freeman Dyson Leo's clarification on being part of God: Leo establishes that depending on one's interpretation of 'you', an individual can be both a part of God and God themselves. In the conventional sense, 'you' refers to a part of God, but the deeper sense of self, realized through awakening practices, is God in its entirety. God's nature as tricky: Leo elaborates that God's nature requires trickery because reality itself is born of illusion. The physical world is a persistent disguise of God's true formlessness, which makes it challenging to recognize God in everyday experiences that we often take for granted. Experiencing God: Leo posits that individuals are constantly experiencing God but aren't aware of it because such awareness isn't necessary for survival. Noticing God requires becoming conscious of the truth that everything, including mundane objects and actions, is God. God's hiddenness: Leo addresses why God appears hidden by explaining that God's trickery is a creative necessity. The deceptive nature of God allows the experience of different forms and realities from formlessness. Recognizing God's true form would hinder practical human pursuits due to the realization of the illusory nature of concepts like money and material success. Claims about God and their falsifiability: Leo argues that God is the elemental truth and, as such, isn't subject to falsification in the traditional scientific sense. God's claims are verifiable through personal experience, and realization of this truth is self-validating. The burden of proof: Leo suggests that the burden of proof lies on individuals to discover and understand the truth of God, instead of it being something external that needs to be demonstrated or proved scientifically. He emphasizes that knowing God requires a more profound, introspective form of knowledge and understanding. Power of self-deception and God's capabilities: Leo emphasizes the absolute nature of self-deception, equating it to God's power. He asserts that God has the power to deceive itself into believing it is not God and, conversely, the power to awaken from that deception, illustrating the duality of God's capability. Rebuttal to 'God of the gaps' argument: Leo dismisses the 'God of the gaps' argument, explaining that while science aims to demystify reality, it will never succeed entirely because reality's infinite nature eludes complete understanding. For Leo, God embodies the mysterious 'gap' or nothingness that unifies all appearances. Differences between atheism and God as 'nothing': Addressing the materialist's stance on reality, Leo outlines the practical distinctions between his concept of 'nothing' as God and the atheistic view of non-existence. He lists multiple points where atheists' understanding diverges, such as reality being subjective, human beings as non-existent entities, and the sentient, intelligent nature of reality. Atheism's shortcomings in comprehending reality: Leo critiques the atheistic worldview, pointing out that it fails to recognize the subjective, relative nature of reality, the non-existence of humans as separate entities, the mechanistic view of reality, and the illusion of physical properties like time, space, and matter. Limitations and capabilities of consciousness: Atheists don't understand that their skepticism and doubts are tied to their current state of consciousness, which can change. Leo highlights the notion that consciousness is not a byproduct of the brain and that science has epistemic limits when trying to understand God or paranormal phenomena. Paranormal phenomena and the nature of God: Leo argues that atheists ignore the existence of paranormal activities, underestimate science's potential to answer all questions, and don't recognize that they are God, part of an infinite reality with no physical limits. Impossibility of God being a hallucination: Finally, Leo clarifies that direct consciousness of God cannot be a hallucination or delusion. Realizing God as the absolute truth leaves no room for misinterpretation as it doesn't rely on language, symbols, or perception. God as absolute truth: The concept of hallucination and delusion arises when the mind thinks rather than directly interfaces with absolute truth. When one is fully conscious of absolute truth, the idea of God as a hallucination is not applicable because in that state, there’s no room for doubt or the perception of hallucination. Experiencing God beyond the brain: When taking 5-MeO-DMT, reality is flipped inside out to the extent that the concept of having a brain or chemicals is forgotten. Leo emphasizes that in this state, 5-MeO-DMT is not a brain state, chemical, or neurotransmitter; it's a direct experience of God, which one must undergo to understand its profundity. Psychedelics as a pathway to truth: Skeptics question the validity of psychedelic experiences, but Leo argues that consciousness is all-powerful and can create any experience, including the realization of absolute truth. Leo invites doubters to partake in breakthrough psychedelic experiences to understand this personally. Understanding the meta-truth of God: Leo refutes the idea that God could just be part of a computer simulation, emphasizing that God is the ultimate realization of absolute infinity. He uses the concept of nested matrices to explain the scope of God – an infinite recursion of realities, indicating that all of existence is a hallucination, which psychedelics can help reveal. Infinity beyond God debunked: Leo addresses the idea of something existing beyond God by explaining that God is equivalent to "everything" and "totality," enveloping all potential aspects of existence. This realization, once reached, leaves nothing more to understand, and the concept of totality precludes the existence of anything outside of God. God cannot be a mere component: Leo clarifies that God cannot be just a part or product of something else, like a computer simulation, because God encompasses all possible phenomena. The notion of a computer simulation is a finite concept within the infinitude that is God. God's self-creation explained: Leo discusses how God interacts solely with itself, imposing self-limitations in the form of physical reality to create the potential for experience and surprise. This necessity is why there can only be one absolute infinity, representing true totality. God's capacity to create limitations: God incarnates in various forms, each with its limitations to experience existence. For instance, humans can lift certain rocks but not others, demonstrating God's self-imposed limitations. The formless Godhead, being infinite potential, cannot engage in such actions and must express itself through forms. God and self-destruction: God, in its formless state or as the Godhead, cannot be destroyed since destruction only applies within the realm of form. Although incarnated forms of God, such as humans, can experience destruction, the formless Godhead remains eternally intact. Formlessness and impermanence of forms: God, as formless, is eternal, but incarnates into forms such as humans or stars, which are transient and can be destroyed, like a star by a black hole or a person by jumping off a building. Overcoming confirmation bias in spiritual experiences: Leo discusses how genuine spiritual experiences shatter existing conceptual understandings and offer truths that are self-validating and often shocking, despite previous exposure to similar ideas. Denial of specific religious affiliations: Leo clarifies that he is not covertly adhering to any religion such as Christianity or Buddhism. His teachings are based on direct awakening experiences, not on a desire for God to be real or preexisting religious beliefs. Certainty vs. humility in speaking about God: Leo addresses the perceived arrogance of speaking with certainty about God. He explains that absolute truth is known without doubt once realized and expresses this truth without false humility. Possibility of misunderstanding God: Leo acknowledges the potential for misinterpretation or false experiences of God. He defends his understanding by referencing consistent awakening experiences, cross-referencing spiritual texts, and an openness to reevaluating his insights. Rejecting the notion of unknowability in spirituality: Leo counters the idea that asserting 'we don't know' is more scientific or humble. When true knowledge or realization of God is obtained, claiming ignorance would be dishonest, and one must remain open to astounding insights. Non-existence of evil from God's perspective: Leo argues that evil is a human projection based on survival, not an absolute reality. From God's universal viewpoint, there is no evil or suffering, just the perfect manifestation of existence. Perfect nature of the world from a higher perspective: The world, despite apparent imperfections when perceived through ego, is seen as perfect from God's higher perspective. Analogies of movie watching and rollercoaster rides illustrate the subjective experience of suffering and the illusory nature of evil. Absence of duty towards God: Since humans are embodiments of God, there is no duty to worship or pray. Leo suggests the real duty lies in awakening and raising awareness oneself, rather than adhering to traditional religious practices. Leo's certainty and the nature of absolute truth: Asserting knowledge of God, Leo shares that with direct experience, there's an undeniable certainty about this absolute truth, contrasting it with the nature of scientific knowledge and speculation. Rollercoaster and skydiving experience as an analogy for God’s interaction with human life: Leo compares human existence and the thrills and fears it brings to a rollercoaster ride or a skydiving experience. He suggests that as God incarnates into human experiences, it deliberately places itself into various situations, which, while sometimes terrifying or uncomfortable, also offer exhilaration and a form of enjoyment akin to the ultimate virtual reality, such as described in the movie "The Matrix." Skydiving as a metaphor for confronting fear and questioning life choices: Leo recounts his personal skydiving experience as a metaphor for life’s moments of intense questioning and fear of one's chosen path. He relates to the jarring realization during free fall that one may never choose to face such a terrifying situation again, representing moments of existential questioning that arise during human life. The addictive nature of excitement and suffering in human experience: Leo points out that humans instinctively seek excitement as well as the paradoxical allure of suffering. He suggests that people secretly enjoy their suffering and even might not wish to relinquish it, as it is a crucial part of their experience and identity. Unconditional love of God and non-judgment: Addressing the question of why God wouldn't judge actions such as murder or rape, Leo explains that God is all-loving and does not judge because it embodies every possible experience, including those we label as negative. Judgments of good and bad originate from the ego's perspective and serve the purpose of survival and identity defense rather than a divine perspective. The radical nature of God's love and the human perspective: Leo describes God's love as too radical for human beings to embody because it extends to everything in existence, contrasting with humans' selective love constrained by survival and defense of identity and moral constructs. God's relationship with evil and hate: Leo argues that evil and hate, as understood by humans, only exist as a perspective of the ego. To experience these emotions, God incarnates into limited forms such as human beings. From God’s ultimate perspective, it loves all aspects of creation, including those seen as evil or hateful. The nature of mainstream religion: Leo explains that mainstream religions are limited by the cognitive development of the times they were created and are often filled with metaphors and stories that cater to the understanding of those eras. Hence, they may seem confusing and diluted compared to direct experiences and teachings about God. The origin and dilution of religious teachings: He goes on to discuss how the teachings of enlightened individuals like Jesus, Buddha, and Muhammad, when passed down through less enlightened individuals and over extended periods, are subject to misinterpretation and dilution. God, evil, and the Devil: Leo clarifies that God is responsible for all creations, including those perceived as evil, as there is nothing outside of God. He explains the concept of the Devil as God’s incarnation experiencing separation, ego, and survival mechanisims—"the Devil" is another form through which God experiences itself. Challenges of straightforwardly explaining God: Finally, Leo addresses the challenges faced by mainstream religions in explaining God in a straightforward manner, attributing these to historical cognitive limits, cultural metaphors, and the distorting effects of interpreting and recording religious teachings over time. Adaptation of religious teachings: Religious teachings often involve moral codes like defining right and wrong or lawful and unlawful. These were advanced for their time and served as a form of legal and moral infrastructure before the establishment of countries and legal systems. Corruption of spirituality by ego: Spiritual teachings and religions can be co-opted by the ego for its purposes. Rulers and nation-states have historically used religion to control masses and justify wars, leading to the spread of confusion, delusion, and egotism. Challenges in codifying and spreading God's realization: The personal and subjective nature of realizing God makes it difficult to codify and mass distribute this knowledge through books or videos without misunderstandings and misinterpretations. Differentiating dated teachings from timeless wisdom: In studying religious texts like the Bible, it is important to distinguish outdated practices from enduring wisdom. Some archaic teachings must be recognized as products of their time and not applicable today. Commonalities across diverse religions: Despite the surface disagreements, various religions share a significant amount of core teachings, emphasizing the importance of direct experience and mystical insight to discern universal truths and recognize commonalities. Integration of religions: The modern idea of integrating religions to understand their common essence contrasts with the traditional perspective where each religion aimed at a monopoly on truth. An integral approach can help resolve superficial disagreements. Evidence of spiritual truths across history: The consistent mention of spirituality and God across all human history and cultures, often reflecting common themes, suggests there's more to it than mere superstition, mass delusions, or groupthink. Misconceptions regarding religion: Religion's historical involvement in conflicts doesn’t negate the personal discovery of God. Technology and other societal elements also contribute to wars, separating the potential misuse of religion from the experience of God. Usage of the word 'God': Despite misunderstandings, the term 'God' effectively captures the divine experience. Using non-specific terms might dilute the extraordinary aspect of the experience. Interpretation of religious visions: Visions of deities or religious figures during mystical experiences are symbolic interpretations by the mind, influenced by cultural and personal backgrounds. These are not arguments against God but reflective of cultural filters. Authenticity of spiritual teachings: No spiritual tradition has a monopoly on God or spirituality. Truths about God existed long before contemporary spiritual traditions and are global rather than exclusive to any specific region or culture. Understanding religious differences: To discern the underlying unity in various religious teachings, one must approach them with direct experience and mystical insights, rather than solely through intellectual study. Leo Gura's perspective on cultural interpretations of God: Leo notes that different cultures, such as Christians, Buddhists, Jews, and ancient Greeks and Egyptians, all have knowledge of God. He emphasizes that no single culture has a monopoly on the truth about God; these insights are accessible across cultures and history. Buddhism and the concept of God: Despite common misconceptions, Leo explains that Buddhism does have a concept of God. Buddhism’s "God" is expressed as No-Self, Buddha Mind, the Dharmakaya, Nirvana, etc. He clarifies that the difference between Buddhist No-Self and Hindu Self is a matter of degrees in awakening, not different endpoints. Experience versus direct consciousness of God: Leo uses the term "experience" loosely when discussing God, suggesting that "being" or "direct consciousness" is more accurate. He advises expanding the notion of experience to include these ideas. He also discusses integrating the direct consciousness of the formless God with earthly experiences to recognize that everyday existence is, in fact, an instance of God. The need for cross-referencing sources: Leo highlights the importance of validating one's spiritual experiences through high-quality, diverse scriptures and teachings. This helps to guard against self-deceit and ensure interpretations are consistent with established wisdom. Why not commit suicide to become God: Addressing the notion of suicide to become God, Leo argues for valuing one's current incarnation and the experiences it offers. He promotes early enlightenment to fully appreciate and live one's life rather than postponing realization until death. Existence in the presence of the all-knowing God: Leo explains how God sets up scenarios to forget and then remember itself, suggesting that the formless God understands itself by incarnating in various forms, including human life, and experiencing different aspects of existence. Realization of diverse forms of God: He talks about God's need to manifest in innumerable forms, including humans, fish, or galaxies, throughout time. This process allows God to fully experience and understand what it means to be God across the entirety of existence. Nature of God's self-knowledge: God doesn't fully know itself until it lives through its manifestations; self-realization occurs through direct experience. Purpose of discussing God: Talking about God is to make people aware of their potential to realize God, transform their lives, and overcome suffering and delusion with techniques to actualize this realization, while noting the pitfalls along the spiritual path. Utility of spiritual teachings: Repetitive teachings serve to inspire and solidify understanding; they motivate individuals to practice until realization, and guide post-awakening development and application in the world. Compatibility of science with understanding God: Current science, based on concepts and symbols, cannot comprehend God, which is beyond symbolism. However, science may evolve to include mysticism and non-symbolic methods such as first-person experiences and psychedelics. Science recognizing God: Future science could acknowledge concepts like absolute infinity or nothingness after integrating mysticism, departing from traditional materialism. Transformation of modern science: Science must adopt a more mystical perspective, acknowledging truths beyond conceptual understanding, for a holistic comprehension of reality. Integration of science and spirituality: By redefining science and mysticism, cultural barriers can dissolve, leading to a closer merger and new understandings in both fields. Science's role in reality beyond the mind: Science will need to accept aspects of reality that are beyond the mind and traditional materialistic proof to truly advance. Potential synergy of science and spirituality: Future collaboration between science and spirituality is expected to lead to revolutionary advancements, benefiting both fields. Loneliness of God: The formless Godhead does not feel loneliness. Still, incarnated forms like humans can, even though ultimate realization quells the sense of loneliness despite intrinsic aloneness. Varied curiosity about God: Differences in metaphysical curiosity may stem from brain types, genetics, environmental upbringing, and exposure to spiritual concepts during formative years. Curiosity about God penetrates the surface of reality and can disrupt established worldviews. Mechanism of God's creation: God's creation has no mechanism; the universe spontaneously exists without cause and effect chains or mathematical rules. Reality simply "is," a challenge for materialists to grasp without a shift in perspective. Mechanism of Creation and Cause-Effect Chains: Materialists resist the realization that the universe appears without mechanisms or mathematical equations; it manifests spontaneously as an indivisible miracle. Understanding the Fundamental Nature of Existence: Instead of seeking ultimate particles like quarks as explanations, Leo suggests treating the present moment as fundamental with no underlying mechanism. Eternal Nature and Self-Creation of God: God is eternal but is also in a constant state of self-creation. God, as formless, has always existed, and as form, is creating every moment anew. Impossibility of God Being an Alien or AI: God cannot be an AI or alien as these are finite forms within the totality that God is. God encompasses everything, not limited to any form or entity. God, Evolution, and Continuous Creation: God is both eternal and evolving. Evolution in a traditional sense and God's continual creation process are essentially the same, happening within God's mind. Reconciliation of Darwinian Evolution with God: Leo argues that traditional evolution occurs within God's design, implying a directed, intelligent process rather than random mutation and natural selection. Reasons for Undesirable Life Experiences: Individuals have the power to change their lives. Difficult life situations are part of God experiencing all forms of life, and spiritual awakening allows one to navigate these gracefully. Possibility of Constant God Awareness: Sahaja Samadhi is the permanent awareness of God in everyday life, a state beyond peak experiences or meditative moments. Difficulty of Permanent Awakening: Full realization of God takes time and effort due to the tremendous scope of absolute truth and the need to deconstruct long-standing illusions. Challenges in Realizing God: The struggle to realize God stems from deep-rooted survival mechanisms driving behavior, thus conflicts arise when one pursues the formless nature of God, which opposes survival instinct. Deconstructing the Illusion of Life: Truly understanding and maintaining the realization of God requires active deconstruction of life’s illusions, allowing one not to fall back into the hypnotic seduction of dualistic existence. Challenge of realizing God: Realizing God is difficult due to deeply ingrained habits and the brain's slow process of change. Neurons need time to rewire to alter behaviors and habits, impacting one's ability to sustain mystical insights. Ease of realizing God: Paradoxically, realizing God can also be simple. Theoretically, if one were to sit in isolation for 30 days with absolute stillness of mind and body, they could become conscious of God by the end of the period. However, this level of stillness in practice is extremely difficult to achieve. Commitment to the spiritual journey: The difficulty in realizing God significantly decreases with a serious, focused commitment. The likelihood of realization within a short timeframe, like a month, increases dramatically when an individual dedicates themselves fully and without distractions. Balancing spirituality with family and career: It is possible to realize God while maintaining family and career commitments. However, it's advisable to stagger these pursuits to prevent being overwhelmed. In India, certain schools of spirituality offer techniques that householders can use alongside their family and career responsibilities. Visualization as a method to realize God: Visualization practices from Tantra yoga and Tibetan Buddhism can be powerful, concentrating the mind intensely on a deity to facilitate a non-dual mystical experience. Yet, one must take care not to become overly attached to the representation to break through to the formless aspect of God. Pursuing God at a young age: One is never too young to start thinking about God or spirituality. It is possible to realize God as a teenager or in the early 20s. However, it is equally important to focus on practical skills and responsibilities, balancing spiritual development with other aspects of life. Experiencing God at different cognitive stages: People at all stages of cognitive development can experience God, but the interpretation will depend on their level. Higher cognitive stages allow for a more holistic understanding and ease the process of mystical experience and proper interpretation. God's need for self-realization: God itself does not have a need for self-realization and is content with all forms of existence. However, as humans, when we awaken, we can experience and understand our divine nature, something not possible for non-conscious forms. God as personal and impersonal: God is both personal and impersonal. While the Godhead lacks human traits and is impersonal, it is personal in the sense that it experiences itself as humans with uniquely human qualities. God's involvement in human lives: The passive Godhead by nature does not manipulate lives actively; however, as the manifest form of God, it can be seen as steering lives through human thoughts, emotions, and actions. God's agenda or plan: In essence, God has no particular agenda or plan; its purpose is in existence itself. Yet from a human perspective, it seems that the universe is on an evolutionary path towards greater complexity and self-awareness. God as a complex singularity: Leo imagines a future where God experiences life through various forms, feels emotions like humans, and processes information with supercomputing capabilities, all interconnected into an ultimate singularity. Pantheism vs. Panentheism: Both pantheism (everything is God) and panentheism (everything is inside of God) are true in non-duality. The distinction is seen as trivial since the formlessness of God (panentheism) is not different from the forms (pantheism), creating a paradoxical overlap. Mankind's discovery of God: Likely, humans have had knowledge of God for over 450,000 years. Leo speculates that the early spiritual awareness arose from a lack of distractions, meditative lifestyles, natural spiritual gifts, use of psychedelics, and possibly shamanistic practices among early human ancestors. God's incarnation as individuals: God embodies every form simultaneously, so one's unique human form is just one among countless expressions of God. Leo stresses not to take personal form too seriously as God experiences everything at once. Reasons for God creating diverse life: The variety of life forms, like humans and animals, allows God to experience rich complexities and emotions, contributing to an ongoing evolution towards greater complexity and depth of experience. Utilization of God's realization by humans: While the ego might seek to use the realization of God for material gains, deeper purposes include elevating humanity's consciousness, teaching, improving personal faculties, and nurturing conscious growth in all aspects of life. Special powers from realizing God: Realizing God may lead to paranormal abilities or 'siddhis' due to spiritual awakening, but its pursuit by the ego can become a distraction. Though these abilities exist, they are not guaranteed nor should they be the focus of spiritual practice. Possibility of miracles: Miracles as paranormal occurrences, like healing and synchronicities, are considered possible by Leo. He views all existence as miraculous and highlights the nuanced nature of what constitutes a miracle within the physical reality. Truth and falsehood in the Bible: The Bible contains both wisdom and outdated misconceptions. It holds truths, such as the 'I Am' concept of God and the inward kingdom of heaven but also has misleading elements due to its human authorship. Man's duty towards God and worship: No objective duty exists toward God, as humans are manifestations of God themselves. Practices like worship and prayer often reinforce a false duality and can obstruct the realization of one's divine nature. What God desires from humans: Fundamentally, God desires nothing from humans; each being is free to exist as they choose. However, Leo encourages individuals to strive for consciousness and appreciate the magnificence of life. Following religion's relation to God realization: Leo advises abandoning religion due to its potential to hinder realizing God. He views personal direct experience of God as more profound than adhering to religious dogma. Religion, often filled with brainwashing, can be less enlightening compared to personal realization. Misconception about teachings: While it may seem that Leo's teachings echo traditional religious scripts like the Quran or the Bible, he clarifies that he presents spirituality from an integral, holistic perspective, encompassing insights from modern disciplines such as psychology, quantum mechanics, and sociology—something ancient texts do not incorporate. Evolution of spirituality: Leo emphasizes the necessity for spiritual practices to evolve and adapt to modern complexities and technological advancements, pointing out that sticking to medieval spiritual traditions is insufficient for the current era. Higher-level instruction and avoiding traps: He distinguishes his teachings by aiming to discuss spirituality at a cutting-edge level, incorporating contemporary knowledge, and providing guidance on avoiding pitfalls like cult dynamics, which are not addressed in traditional spiritual teachings. Essential requirements for realizing God: Leo identifies three core requirements: laser-focused concentration, radical open-mindedness (to the extent of considering concepts like death and evil), and a genuine metaphysical curiosity about existence, reality, and God. Critical thinking and self-validation: Leo encourages viewers to not blindly trust him but to cross-reference, explore different sources, and personally experiment with yoga, meditation, self-inquiry, and psychedelics to validate the truths he presents. No shortcut to understanding God: He acknowledges that understanding God isn't achievable through Q&A format nor through seeking previews of awakening; it requires actual awakening and multiple experiences for a comprehensive understanding. Usefulness of Actualized.org: Leo concludes by promoting actualized.org as a helpful resource for those serious about realizing God, indicating that the site offers practical teachings and powerful spiritual techniques that can lead to significant awakenings in a relatively short period. Avis

What Is God - Part 1 - A No Bullshit Explanation For Smart People https://youtu.be/YE1yPCeF1Cc "The pig is taught by sermons and epistles to think the God of Swine has a snout and bristles." - Ambrose Bierce "He who knows himself knows God." - St. Anthony Existence of God: Leo confirms his claim that God exists, based on his direct experiences, and emphasizes that this should not be taken on faith but should be verified personally. Three Worldviews of God: Leo identifies three primary attitudes toward God: fundamentalist theists who unquestioningly believe; atheists who reject God based on empirical evidence; and agnostics who remain unsure about God’s existence. He explains that while there's some truth in each perspective, there's also significant confusion. Pre-Trans Fallacy and Cognitive Development: Leo introduces Ken Wilber's concept of the pre-trans fallacy, discussing the pre-rational, rational, and trans-rational stages of human consciousness. He argues that this model helps explain why rational individuals often dismiss spiritual experiences as pre-rational delusions. God as an Experience: Emphasizing the personal nature of God, Leo clarifies that God should not be conceived simply as a belief or theoretical construct but as an experience that individuals can directly have. Challenges to Empirical Proof of God: Addressing skepticism, Leo acknowledges the unreliability of personal experience in proving God. He posits that experiencing God is deeper than empirical evidence and encourages open-mindedness to transcend rational and pre-rational misunderstandings. Controversial Nature of God: Leo describes the topic of God as highly controversial, often leading to persecution or violence against those who teach unconventional perspectives on God, which he aims to do in this lecture. Personal Journey from Atheism: Leo shares his transformation from atheism to direct consciousness of God, shifting his earlier rational, atheistic views. Communication Difficulties and Misinterpretation: Leo underscores the complexities of discussing God due to the subject's paradoxical, counterintuitive, and threatening nature to conventional belief systems, leading to widespread misinterpretation and resistance. Lecture Approach and Intention: Leo sets the stage for his explanation of God, asserting the importance of personal verification and highlighting the depth of the conversation to overcome common pitfalls and misconceptions surrounding God. He intends to provide a comprehensive understanding, rooted in direct experience rather than dogma, in a two-part miniseries addressing fundamental explanations and handling common objections. Misinterpretation of Proof and Truth: The objection for tangible evidence of God by rationalists and atheists demonstrates a misunderstanding of proof and truth. They assume proof is straightforward and simple, like finding evidence in a murder investigation, but God is about the origin of existence, making proof a second-order phenomenon that requires the preexistence of truth or being. Proof as a Second-Order Phenomenon: Proof is incorrectly assumed to be primary, but it is actually built upon a foundation of truth or being. Leo compares it to constructing a castle out of Lego bricks: the bricks represent truth, and the castle represents proof, emerging from these fundamental bricks. Existence Precedes Proof: For proof to occur, a common base of experiences and standards for what qualifies as proof must exist. The rationalist's requirement for evidence of God ignores that existence is required before proof can be established. Variability of Proof Standards: Proof relies on community or cultural standards that are taken for granted. Different communities and cultures can have varying standards of proof, and some truths cannot be proven, yet remain true. Failure to Account for Different States of Consciousness: The inability to understand God stems from not considering that different states of consciousness exist; rationality, science, and proof function only within specific states of consciousness. Necessity of Elevated Consciousness to Understand God: One must raise their state of consciousness significantly beyond the conventional physical state to grasp the concept of God, which is why explaining God to someone at a lower state of consciousness is as futile as a sighted person explaining colors to a blind individual. Science and Rationality as Constructs of Consciousness: Science and rationality are possible only within certain states of consciousness, much like how an ant's perception is profoundly more limited than a human's, Leo suggests our understanding of God is equally constrained by the current state of consciousness. Ant Analogy for Human Consciousness: Just as an ant's understanding of the world is limited to its immediate surroundings, our current state of consciousness restricts our conceptualization of God and the universe. Stages of Cognitive Development: Leo reminds listeners of the three stages of cognitive development (pre-rational, rational, post-rational) and cautions against assuming everyone operates at the same level—an understanding of God requires openness to evolving and admitting the potential for further cognitive growth. Misconception of Reality as a Material System: The view of reality as a purely physical system is critiqued; reality is described as a colossal mind producing various sub-realities, including the material universe, and consciousness is not derived from the brain but is the essence of existence. Core Impact of the God Concept: The concept of God fundamentally influences people's reality perception, morality, emotional States, actions, life orientation, and has far-reaching practical consequences, contrary to the belief that God is a purely philosophical concern. Emotional Reactions and Dogma: Individuals often have strong emotional reactions to the concept of God due to its deep connection with core beliefs and life orientation. This emotional charge can serve as a smokescreen to prevent deep personal inquiry, which could result in confronting uncomfortable worldviews. Personal Honesty About Attitudes Toward God: It is crucial for individuals to acknowledge their true attitude towards God—be it positive, negative, or neutral—since this attitude is the primary barrier to understanding God. Atheists' Attitude Towards God: Atheists may state they have no attitude toward God because they perceive God as non-existent, but this disbelief is, in fact, their attitude toward God, which they need to explore and be willing to give up to understand God. Experience Versus Belief: It's important to distinguish between having an experience of God and holding a belief in God. Even atheists are challenged to verify if they have truly experienced the non-existence of God, rather than merely lacking an experience of God. Direct Consciousness of God: People need to discern whether they are currently conscious of God, as reliance on past experiences, memories, or interpretations is not the same as present consciousness of God. Misconceptions about God: Common misunderstandings include God as a belief, a superstitious concept, a psychological mechanism against death, a judgemental being with rules to follow, being exclusive to one religion, or being different from oneself. Philosophical Introduction of God: In a philosophy context, God is introduced as the supreme being, the first cause, the source of all creation, as well as being infinite, omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, incorporeal, eternal, immortal, benevolent, and perfect. Core Definition of God Validated: Leo affirms all facets of the classical Western definition of God—supreme being, first cause, source of creation, infinite, omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent—as correct through his personal consciousness work, not merely derived from literature or philosophical musings. God as Radical and All-encompassing State of Consciousness: He elaborates that God is both a radical state of consciousness and simultaneously all states of consciousness, including the present moment. The challenge lies in realizing that our current state is in fact a facet of God. The Paradox of Self and Absence in God: Leo confronts the paradox where God is described as both the absence of the individual's limited egoic identity and the 'true self'. True experience of God arises when the conceptual self is stripped away, revealing pure empty consciousness or awareness. God Synonymous with Reality, Existence, and Truth: He explains that rationalists, atheists, and scientists may unconsciously adhere to the concept of God, associating it with reality or existence. However, their lack of full consciousness prevents them from recognizing these as inherently divine aspects of God. Materialist Misconceptions and Consciousness: Leo critiques the materialistic perspective that reduces consciousness to brain activity within a mechanical universe. He asserts the sole existence of consciousness which contains all reality, including scientific rationality, as its content. The Illusion of Interpretations and Projections: He discusses the constant interpretations and projections that obscure direct interaction with pure being. Halting these projections is imperative for realizing God, yet difficult as it's connected to survival instincts. The Present Moment as God: He touches on the elusive nature of the 'now' and its importance, stating that the present moment is the only real thing, thereby equating it with God. However, the difficulty arises in the inability to point to God because everything, including the attempt to point, is itself God. Understanding God Beyond Categories: Leo speaks on non-duality as the essence of God, where traditional distinctions don't apply, and everything, including oneself, is part of a unified whole. The Oneness of Reality and God: God is understood as an indistinct process of self-creation—there's no separation between creator and creation. He invokes the metaphor of a movie, where despite the apparent separateness of elements, it is actually one unified experience. Concept of God as a Strange Loop: God is paradoxically self-created, existing eternally, and being both everything and nothing—a notion that's incomprehensible through conventional logic and can only be experienced directly. God as Absolute Infinity: Experiencing God involves recognizing the absolute infinity of consciousness and existence. This means grasping that the current moment is infinitely one among an infinite number of possibilities. God as Everything and Nothing: Leo describes the paradoxical nature of God, where all objects and thoughts are God, yet at the same time, God is beyond these things. He explains that consciousness, as God, is not located anywhere, which makes it both everything and nothing. God as the Answer to Metaphysical Questions: God provides complete and satisfying answers to deep metaphysical and existential questions, but it does not address relative or scientific inquiries which are considered minutiae in comparison. Nature of Truth: Truth exists fundamentally and cannot be proven or justified but must be accepted as it is. Leo describes consciousness as this basic element of existence where there's really nothing else underneath. God’s Experience Compared to Waking from a Dream: Experiencing God is likened to awakening from a dream, where one realizes that all of life up to the present moment is imagined within consciousness. God as a Universal Mind and Imagination: The realization that all perceived physical reality is a figment of imagination within the universal mind of God. The moment of now is an imagination and identical with the mind of God. God and the Perception of Death: Encountering God is equated to facing one's own death, which society has misleadingly labeled as the worst experience. Realization of God equates to "dying", leading to awakening as one's idea of physical reality and self dissolves. God as Total Surrender and Dissolution of Boundaries: Experiencing God entails absolute surrender, relinquishing all control and effort in life, paralleled by the dissipation of all perceived boundaries, entering a state of non-dual awareness. Oneness and Dissolution of Dualities: Experiencing God results in a sensation where all common dualities like life and death, man and woman, good and bad dissolve, merging into one and allowing the realization of oneness with the universe. God as a Mindfuck and Epiphany: Encountering God is described as the ultimate mind-blowing experience or epiphany, inducing both awe for its infinite and beautiful nature and terror due to its eclipsing effect on individual ego and identity. Exiting the Matrix: The awakening to God is likened to exiting the matrix, revealing that what lies beyond our perceived reality is nothingness—more radical than any simulation, transforming our current understanding of existence. Concept of the Cosmic Holographic Fractal: Understanding God leads to the realization that the universe is a cosmic holographic fractal where zooming in or out infinitely reveals no separation between oneself and the rest of existence; each point of consciousness contains the whole. God and Universal Mind: Gura explains God in terms of idealism and solipsism, arguing that there is only one sentient entity—universal mind—and that there are no separate beings, only the illusion of separateness. God as Absolute Infinity: Emphasizing the singularity of God, where the concept of multiple gods is subsumed into one absolute infinity, delineating that everything imaginable plus more constitutes a singular totality. God as Emptiness and Potential: Conveying God as a radiant emptiness filled with infinite potential and possibilities, reversing typical connotations of nothingness to signify completeness and readiness to burst forth infinitely. God's Attributes: Encounters with God bring about the realization of its infinite intelligence capable of creating itself and designing the universe; it encompasses infinite beauty, joy, and profound peace—making it synonymous with immortality and eternal presence. Life as a Living Miracle: Leo emphasizes that life itself is a miraculous, divine, and magical occurrence. This concept is overlooked due to a pragmatic approach to life, which blinds individuals to the inherent divinity found within the entire universe—a universe that is conscious and sentient, including molecules and the Earth itself, extending far beyond mere biological entities. God as Irreducible Mystery: Leo discusses the idea of God as an ultimate mystery. One cannot truly know God in the conventional sense of knowing; one can be God. This aligns with the idea that direct knowing or explaining separates us from God, whereas not knowing brings us closer to that divine essence. Challenges of Scientific Paradigm: Leo critiques the scientific paradigm for its method of explaining existence through connecting content within the universe, rather than recognizing its totality. He points out the limitations of science, which inevitably leads to unanswered questions about existence at the fundamental level, such as the origins of the Big Bang. God as Life-Transforming: Leo describes the epiphany of God as the most profound and transformative moment in one's life, altering one's perspective permanently and completely. Confusion About God: The understanding of God is complicated by the fact that it represents a level of consciousness most people haven't accessed, it's inherently formless, and it exists beyond mental comprehension. This understanding requires a radical mind-shift and stands in stark contrast to conventional approaches to reality. Existential Investigation: Leo stresses the lack of genuine existential investigation in both the religious and atheistic communities. He challenges whether individuals genuinely understand the foundations of their beliefs or the scientific methodology they rely on without having spent hours contemplating or meditating on these questions. God's Conflict with Ego and Survival: The concept of God poses a threat to ego, control, and survival, with most people focused on their material existence and not on existential exploration. Understanding God requires the surrendering of one's ego and control, which contradicts ordinary pursuits of survival. Cultural and Educational Limitations: He points out how our materialistic culture, society, media, and education system severely limit our understanding of God. The modern era is still in its infancy regarding spiritual evolution, and significant growth is required to move beyond a materialistic worldview. Emphasis on Radical Open-mindedness: Understanding God requires radical open-mindedness, and many are not prepared to entertain the notion that reality as they know it may not be as concrete as they assume. Broadening one's perspective to consider possibilities beyond ordinary experiences is essential. Barriers to God Realization: Leo identifies numerous barriers to realizing God, including societal materialism, cultural norms, and a generally dismissive attitude towards metaphysics and epistemology. He calls for significant cultural and educational shifts to foster a deeper understanding of these critical facets of human existence. Technological Advancements vs Cognitive Development: Leo outlines how technological progress has outpaced cognitive, social, and political development, leading to existential problems. This imbalance highlights the complexities of understanding God in a technologically advanced society. Confusion Due to Foundations of Science: He states that misconceptions about the foundations of science contribute to the confusion surrounding the concept of God. The perception that God's existence seems impossible or impractical is tied to narrow ego-centric views that limit the understanding of larger universal agendas. Subjectivity and Relativity of Reality: Leo discusses the challenge of grasping the subjective and relative nature of reality, stating that both pre-rational and many rational individuals struggle with this concept. He suggests that atoms and molecules, as constructs of the mind, are relative and don't exist in the same way for other creatures. Problems with Skepticism: Leo criticizes certain uses of skepticism, where individuals demand overwhelming evidence without engaging in personal exploration of truth. True skepticism involves questioning one's own assumptions and actively seeking higher states of consciousness beyond skepticism. Revelation of Illusion: The realization of God is said to reveal every aspect of life as an illusion, including society, culture, government, language, and personal identity, which is a challenging idea for many to accept. Threat to Power Hierarchies: Understanding God is described as threatening to established power hierarchies, which are built on illusions and false justifications. Leo suggests that these structures resist change and are not receptive to the truths that come with knowing God. Communication Challenges Post-Realization: Leo reflects on the difficulty of communicating the realization of God to others who haven't had the same experience, resulting in a catch-22 situation where meaningful dialogue is not possible. Various Names and Phrases for God: He presents a comprehensive list of names and phrases for God from different religious and philosophical traditions, illustrating the diversity of ways in which people refer to and experience the divine. Techniques to Experience God: A variety of techniques including metaphysical questioning, deconstruction, meditation, concentration, visualization, yoga, psychedelics, suffering and deprivation, meditation and solo retreats, and dark room retreats are listed as methods to experience God. Ways Not to Experience God: Leo clarifies that God cannot be experienced through the mind, beliefs, thinking, rational inquiry, traditional philosophy, scientific modeling, or proof, emphasizing the need for subjective direct experience. God Experience and the Limitation of Academic Study: Traditional academic methods, such as the study of sacred texts or attendance at church services, are limited in their ability to provide a direct experience of God. While reading scriptures can occasionally trigger epiphanies, they should not be the sole approach to understanding God due to their reliance on language and concepts. Role of Prayer in Experiencing God: Although traditional prayers focused on personal goals are unlikely to lead to an experience of God, meditative prayer that resembles concentration practices can legitimately lead to such experiences. Pitfalls of Rituals, Ceremonies, and Digital Media: Engaging in rituals, attending ceremonies, and consuming books, lectures, podcasts, or online forums can support one's spiritual journey but are insufficient for attaining the necessary states of consciousness to experience God. These activities often become distractions from more effective practices. Experiencing God Through Samadhi: Direct experience of God is possible through the state of Samadhi, which transcends knowledge, belief, concepts, language, and the mind. Samadhi is a non-dual form of perception that collapses the subject-object duality and goes beyond traditional knowledge or perception. Limitations of Perception in Understanding God: Conventional perception, grounded in a materialist metaphysics, cannot directly access God because it relies on an indirect process involving the perceiver, light, and the brain. Overcoming these limitations requires accessing something beyond experience, perception, and knowledge. Psychedelics as a Gateway to Spiritual Truths: Psychedelics offer a quick glimpse into advanced spiritual truths and can serve as an entry point for those new to spirituality, but they should not be used as the sole technique. Psychedelics, when combined with existential inquiry, can provide scientific verification of the mystical experience. Importance of Personal Investigation and Experience: To truly understand the concepts discussed in the lecture, individuals must engage in their own research and spiritual practices, seeking validation through firsthand experience rather than relying on secondhand accounts or dogma. Actualized.org as a Resource: The Actualized.org website is presented as a resource that is based on extensive research, including books, courses, and retreats from various traditions. Leo encourages viewers to approach the material critically and avoid self-deception, emphasizing the depth of research that grounds the site's content. Episkey

Cult Psychology - Part 1 - How Cults Work https://youtu.be/Y73laz3etM8 What are cults: Cults are hierarchical organizations established by charismatic narcissistic leaders, utilizing mind-control techniques for acquiring money, power, and sex. They leech resources from the base of the pyramid to benefit the leader and top aides. Characteristics of cult leaders: They are "Zen Devils"—individuals with spiritual experiences but immature understanding—and they use their partial insights to create authoritarian structures feeding their egos rather than continuing their spiritual journey. Cult's deceptive allure: Cults mix genuine spiritual insights and self-help methodologies with harmful narcissism and authoritarianism, creating a compelling yet toxic environment. They operate within a "reality distortion bubble" of collective self-deception upheld by group reinforcement. Dangers of cult involvement: Cult membership can result in substantial harm, including financial ruin, emotional trauma, and the wastage of years within the illusion of a shared, noble goal. Vigilance is necessary as cults convincingly disguise their toxic internal mechanisms. Potential for unintentional cult leadership: Even intelligent, independent thinkers, particularly those interested in spiritual or self-improvement teaching, can unwittingly start cults if they are not aware of the dangers and subtleties of cult dynamics. Young, inexperienced leaders are especially susceptible to this trap. Size and influence of cults: Cults vary in size from a small group or family to thousands of followers. Larger cults pose a significant societal threat as they may seek political influence to extend their authoritarian reach, promoting their agenda on a larger scale. Cult Recruitment and Political Ambitions: Cults often harbor hidden political motives, and as a part of their survival mechanism, they may try to infiltrate political organizations and educational institutions to gain control of power levers to protect their self-created delusionary bubble. Types of Cults: Cults come in various forms including religious, new-age, educational, self-improvement, psychological, political, commercial, and often a blend of these to ensure the cult's survival by any means necessary, using a combination of different manipulative techniques. Distinctions between Cults and Mainstream Religions: While both can involve self-deception, mainstream religions differ from cults as they typically have ethical standards, don't serve a single authoritarian figure, allow members to leave freely, and are less likely to use sophisticated mind-control techniques. Misconception of Equating Cults with Religions: Cults don't equate to religions because they can be secular and pursue manipulation without religious overtones; even though mainstream religions can be misleading, they generally lack the authoritarian structure and coercive tactics prominent in cults. Communes versus Cults: Differentiating between communes and cults, communes are usually not hierarchical or authoritarian, they do not employ rigid doctrines or mind-control techniques, and are typically transparent about their agenda, allowing members to leave without retribution. Examples of Cults: Listed are known cults like Scientology, the Unification Church (Moonies), Hari Krishna, fundamentalist Latter-day Saints, extremist groups like Al-Qaeda, as well as groups with cult-like elements like Rajneeshpuram and Transcendental Meditation, which may combine legitimate spiritual aspects with detrimental cult characteristics. Clarifying the Cult Definition: An ideology alone doesn't make a group a cult. While certain organizations and movements exhibit cult-like ideologies, they lack the cult's hallmark of serving a singular authoritarian leader, and they usually have more freedom for members to join or leave, exemplified by the US Army, AA, and mainstream religions. Cult-like Qualities in Multiple Ideologies: The danger of labeling movements like science, universities, atheism, and rationalism as cults due to certain ideological tendencies is highlighted, emphasizing the need for discernment in distinguishing cults based on specific manipulative behaviors and structures. Cult Recruitment Strategies: Cults employ deceptive recruitment strategies by creating front organizations with benign missions to mask their true agenda and by using self-help techniques to subtly lure potential members into their sphere of influence without making them aware that they are joining a cult. Cult Recruitment Profiling: Cults conduct psychological analysis to categorize potential members into four types: thinkers, feelers, believers, or doers. They tailor recruitment strategies to appeal to these specific dispositions. Recruitment Appeals: For thinkers, cults present sophisticated theories and scientific evidence; for feelers, they provide a sense of community and love; for believers, they align with their faith; and for doers, they offer actionable roles within the organization. Recruitment Locations: Cults target schools, universities, nursing homes, and retirement centers due to the vulnerability and idealism of young people, and the financial assets of the elderly. Cult Appeal: Cults exploit people's ideological nature and life crises, offering a false sense of life purpose, security, and belonging which can attract even intelligent and educated individuals. Dependency Creation: Cults aim to make members financially and emotionally reliant, leeching off their resources and isolating them from their previous lives. Replacing Identity with Cult Ideals: Cults work to supplant members' authentic identities with new ones that serve the cult's agenda, using mind-control techniques to reinforce the cult leader's authority. Cult Dynamics: Cults focus on power accumulation for leaders, with a constant need for recruitment as members often leave after realizing the deception they've experienced. Cult Leaders' Self-Belief: Cult leaders often genuinely believe in their divine mission due to misinterpreting mystical experiences, which bolsters their confidence and effectiveness in control. Devilish Confidence of Cult Leaders: Cult leaders often view themselves as saviors, granting them the confidence to manipulate followers effectively. Their lieutenants tend to be underdeveloped, power-hungry, and greedy, making them ideal manipulative pawns. Cult Mission Portrayal: A cult's mission is presented as divine and benevolent, providing members with a strong sense of purpose and direction. This fosters an addictive pseudo life purpose that's collective rather than individualistic. Absence of Internal Checks and Balances: In cults, leadership whims dictate actions with no internal regulation, functioning like monarchies with absolute power vested in the leader. Cult Ideology and Reality Blending: Cults blend doctrine with reality, creating a delusional bubble for members where the cult's ideology is accepted as truth, contrary to actual spirituality. Cults' Dualistic Worldview: Cults push a 'good versus evil' narrative, often viewing their members as noble and demonizing any external society elements that oppose them. Black and White Thinking in Cults: Cults promote simplistic thinking, using jargon to label insiders positively and outsiders derogatorily, discouraging nuanced perspectives. Monopolization of Truth by Cults: Cults co-opt spiritual experiences, using them to affirm their doctrines rather than recognizing universal truths, which can lead to ethical abuses in the name of their mission. Cults' Apocalyptic Motivations: Cults often warn of impending doom to motivate members, but when prophecies fail, leaders reframe the scenario to strengthen followers' beliefs. Psychological Mind-Control in Cults: Cults misuse legitimate spiritual practices such as meditation and visualization for indoctrination, attaching doctrine to these actions. Cult Use of Low Consciousness Emotions: Cults manipulate members using fear, guilt, and shame, possibly engaging in public confessions to gain material for potential blackmail. Cult Tactics of Self-Esteem Destruction: Cult leaders aim to break down members' self-esteem through tactics like gaslighting to make them reliant on the cult. Cult Response to Criticism: Cults commonly reframe and redirect criticism, utilizing gaslighting to blame the media or scapegoat members for organizational problems, rather than accepting any valid criticism. Indoctrination Techniques: Cults indoctrinate members to suppress negative emotions and criticism, teaching techniques to block out any doubts about the cult's leader or mission. Enforcing Conformity: Cult activities are designed to enforce extreme conformity, from communal living to constant surveillance, further reinforced through methods of reward and punishment. Isolation and Indoctrination: Cults often use remote training camps to isolate members from their social networks, facilitating brainwashing and the adoption of new identities that serve the cult. Busy Schedules as Distraction: Cults keep members preoccupied with relentless schedules, allowing little time for self-reflection or exposure to alternative perspectives. Recruitment as Self-Deception: Cults make members recruit others, reinforcing their commitment and self-conviction in the cult's ideology and purpose. Denial of True Perceptions: Cult teachings encourage ignoring inner perceptions and feelings, prioritizing doctrinal beliefs over grounded personal experiences and realities. ‘Love-bombing’ Recruitment Strategy: Initial stages of recruitment involve intense affection and attention, known as 'love-bombing,' which ceases once the individual is fully integrated into the cult. Cult Members' Denial: Cult members often deny or are unaware of being in a cult, perceiving their group as a positive religious or social organization. Surveillance and Blackmail: Cults use surveillance in communal living spaces as a means of control, potentially for blackmail and to ensure adherence to the cult's ideology. Exploitative Labour Practices: Cults often require intense, unpaid or underpaid labor from members, reinforcing dependence on the organization and its leaders. Red Flags of a Cult: Warning signs include leaders with multiple partners or shady backgrounds, careless polyamory, and physical threats aimed at controlling members. Financial Exploitation: Cults often have a tiered financial system requiring significant investment, potentially totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars for the promise of spiritual or organizational advancement. Manipulation of Relationships: Cults attempt to control member relationships, encouraging distancing from friends and family who are labeled as 'unawakened' or a hindrance to the cult's mission. Career and Education Disruption: Cults may ask members to leave their careers or education, furthering their dependency on the cult and limiting their personal autonomy. Information and Medical Care Control: Cults control the flow of information, discourage proper medical care, and may expel members who become health liabilities, illustrating the prioritization of cult needs over individual welfare. Cult Expulsion of Liability Members: Cults tend to expel members who become liabilities, such as those needing medical care, to avoid bearing the cost and maintain the illusion of a healthy, thriving community. Demonization of Ex-Members: Ex-members are often demonized and harassed by cults to discredit their potential exposure of the cult's internal operations and protect the cult's recruitment efforts. Cult PR and Public Image: Cults invest heavily in public relations campaigns to manipulate their image and appear benevolent to the public, which often involves members' participation in these efforts. Criteria for Identifying Cults: An organization must exhibit a significant number of cult characteristics, not just one or two, to be considered a cult, distinguishing general organizational flaws from cult-specific behaviors. Collective Ego and Shadow in Cults: Cults embody a collective ego and shadow, using tactics that promote self-preservation and denial, which can be subtle and lead to delayed realization of being in a cult. Recommendations for Those in Cults: Education on cult dynamics through books and seeking help from deprogramming experts or ex-cult members are essential steps toward recovery and escaping the influence of a cult. Admitting Cult Involvement: It is critical for individuals to admit to themselves that they are in a cult to overcome denial and begin the process of disentanglement and recovery. Forgiving Oneself for Joining a Cult: Self-forgiveness for joining a cult is important to overcome guilt and begin reclaiming one's self-esteem and independence. Reclaiming Identity After Leaving a Cult: Recovering one's sense of self involves reconnecting with elements of the pre-cult identity, such as old names, styles, and friendships, and then working to improve from there. Leaving a Cult: It is imperative to leave a cult as soon as realization hits, despite potential costs or pain, to start anew and pursue genuine personal development and spirituality. Self-Esteem and Independent Growth Post-Cult: Engaging in self-esteem exercises and exploring authentic spirituality and personal development outside of a cult's influence can lead to true transformation and improve various aspects of life. Study of Epistemology and Metaphysics for Recovery: Developing a deeper understanding of self-deception, ideologies, and reality through the study of epistemology and metaphysics can aid in deprogramming cult brainwashing. Rise of Online Cult-like Activities: With the advent of the internet and social media, there is a predicted increase in cult-like behavior and the formation of cults online, necessitating caution with ideological online content. Actualized.org's Position on Cults: Despite the potential, Actualized.org maintains a non-hierarchical structure and actively educates against turning the platform into a cult, focusing on deepening understanding and avoiding cult-like dynamics. Authentic Personal Development Guidance: Actualized.org aims to aid individuals in addressing life issues such as trauma, addiction, and lack of purpose independently, distinct from cult indoctrination methods. Leo's Reflection on Starting a Religion: Initially, Leo feared becoming a religious founder but now recognizes that Actualized.org shares similarities with the genesis of religions, which often stem from genuine insights about life and consciousness that ultimately devolve into dogma over time. Inevitability of Distortion: Despite efforts to prevent it, Leo anticipates that Actualized.org could devolve into a cult or religion if it becomes very successful or if its message is corrupted posthumously. Conscious Engagement with Actualized.org: Leo urges viewers to deeply engage with Actualized.org's content, suggesting a significant time investment (200+ hours) to truly grasp the comprehensive nature of the teachings offered. Understanding Complexity: Emphasizing the importance of understanding complexity in personal development, Leo compares it to the extensive education received in formal schooling, asserting that mastery over critical life aspects requires deeper than surface-level study. Future Content on Actualized.org: Leo teases upcoming contents on Actualized.org, covering topics like emotions, subjective bias, neuroscience, and the necessity of studying beyond just psychology. Critical Thinking and Time Investment: He argues that serious commitment and time investment are necessary for true personal growth and cautions against half-knowledge, which could lead to misguided outcomes such as cult formation. Appreciation of Actualized.org: Leo highlights the value of appreciating and utilizing the resource of Actualized.org, drawing attention to its potential impact on personal understanding and the danger of superficial engagement. Educational Priority: Lastly, Leo stresses education as the key to liberation, promoting self-education as a fundamental component of breaking out of the 'matrix' of self-deception and societal conditioning. He also encourages viewers to stay tuned for deep, fundamental topics he plans to discuss in future content. Fidelius Charm

How To Do Self-Inquiry https://youtu.be/30grH6X_Q7M "Wisdom is knowing I am nothing; Love is knowing I am everything; And in between the two my life moves." - Nisargadatta Maharaj Explanation of Self-Inquiry: Leo begins by expressing his enthusiasm for discussing self-inquiry during the holiday season and highlights the importance of correctly performing spiritual techniques like self-inquiry, mindfulness meditation, and yoga to achieve awakening. Trickiness of Self-Inquiry: He explains that self-inquiry is deceptively simple but can be tricky to perform correctly, and improper practice can lead to discouragement, misinterpreting enlightenment as mere fantasy. Goal of Self-Inquiry: The aim of self-inquiry is to discover what one truly is, both physically and existentially, by differentiating between the false self (the familiar one since birth) and the true self (the spiritual essence responsible for existence). Self-Identification Exercise: Leo guides the viewer to identify what they truly believe themselves to be, asking them to disregard fantasies or spiritual beliefs, and to honestly articulate what they are deeply identified with, whether that be a physical body, a part of the body, or a soul. The False Self and Object Identification: He notes that any object or part of the body that one identifies with can be observed, implying that the true self is the observer of these objects rather than the objects themselves, thus encouraging less identification with physical attributes. Concept of the True Self: Leo clarifies that the true self has no properties, unlike conventional objects which occupy physical space and have characteristics. This non-physical attribute of the true self makes it difficult to find because it is purely empty awareness or consciousness. Direct Experience Exercise: He encourages viewers to focus their awareness on their existence and to search within themselves for their most essential nature, emphasizing the importance of a silent mind during this process to feel into the experience without getting caught in thoughts or concepts. Awareness of Ego-mind Traps: Leo warns that during self-inquiry, the ego-mind can trick individuals by either distracting them with thoughts, images, beliefs, and concepts or partially allowing access to one's true nature but then filling the void with ideas, thus preventing the discovery of the true self. False Self Constituents: He asserts that one's entire life story, bodily identification, thoughts of being a biological creature, and physical conceptualizations compose the false self. The challenge lies in bypassing these and focusing purely on the inner emptiness to realize the true self. Illusion of the Ego: Leo Gura discusses how one's sense of self, or ego, is built from personal history, beliefs, and perceived sensations, all of which are illusions of the true self. He challenges viewers to penetrate beyond these constructs to find what lies underneath. Confronting Skepticism in Self-Inquiry: Leo urges keeping skepticism in check as self-inquiry is not about believing any specific content. Instead, like a scientist, one should remain open to discovering whatever is true about one's self. Difficulty of Overcoming Identifications: Leo describes the challenge of convincing oneself that lifelong identifications with memories, body sensations, and thoughts are not the true self due to deep cultural and personal conditioning. Radical Open-Mindedness: Leo emphasizes the necessity of maintaining a radically open mind to distinguish between what's real and imaginary in the journey of self-discovery. Focusing on Inner Emptiness: Leo guides viewers to look inward beyond thoughts, beliefs, and physical sensations to a sense of emptiness, encouraging persistent focus on this to find the 'I am-ness' that is the true self. Resisting Conceptualization of the True Self: Leo warns against the temptation to conceptualize or objectify the true self, insisting that the aim is to connect with the actuality of our being rather than forming an image or theory about it. Challenges of Maintaining Attention: He acknowledges the difficulty of self-inquiry due to the modern propensity towards distraction and the lack of 'focusing muscles' required for deep introspection. Persistence in Self-Inquiry Observation: Leo stresses the importance of observing the inner emptiness with patience and silence, possibly for thousands of hours, to reach an epiphanic realization of one's true self. Analogy of Observing the Unknown: By comparing the practice of self-inquiry with the patient observation of a finger as an unknown object, Leo illustrates the process of direct and speculative-free observation one must apply to their inner self. Nature of Awakening Through Self-Inquiry: Leo asserts that awakening or enlightenment is an epiphany realized through the dedicated practice of self-inquiry, not through verbal, conceptual, or theoretical understanding. Mind's Tendency to Daydream and Theorize: He explains that during self-inquiry, the mind often gets distracted, creating theories and speculating, which hinders the process of focusing solely on inner emptiness. Building Concentration and Trust for Breakthrough: Leo advises building a laser-focus concentration on the emptiness and trusting in the eventual breakthrough to actualize enlightenment. Distinguishing the Input of False Self from True Self: He instructs practitioners to go beyond false sensations and images that the mind conjures, seeking the perceiver—the pure subjectivity within which is the true self, separate from the biological self. Confusion Between Perceiver and Physical Self: Leo describes the confusion between pure subjectivity, or the true self, and the physical self, which includes personal narrative and identity, emphasizing the necessity to discern the true perceiver amidst these conflations. Fusion of the Formed and Formless: At birth, humans experience a fusion of their physical form and the pure subjectivity, the emptiness within. Self-inquiry aims to focus on this emptiness and separate it from the physical attributes, distinguishing between the true self (formlessness) and the false self (form). Biological Birth versus True Self: Physical attributes like the body, personality, and genetics were born out of biological conception. In contrast, the true self – the awareness or empty space – always existed prior to and during the biological birth, with which it became fused, leading to confusion. Maintaining Attention on Emptiness: Self-inquiry involves focusing awareness on the emptiness. This consistent attention allows the form and formlessness to separate progressively and ultimately leads to a profound awakening, where one becomes fully aware of the emptiness and recognizes it as the true self. Nature of Pure Subjectivity: Pure subjectivity, or true awareness, has no properties—it's not big, small, colorful, nor does it occupy space or have physical attributes. Becoming aware of pure subjectivity is challenging because it defies objectification and conceptual understanding. Awareness on Awareness Exercise: A practical self-inquiry exercise directs participants to initially focus awareness on their hand, an object behind the hand, and then on awareness itself, maintaining this focus until enlightenment occurs. This practice illustrates how to direct and keep attention on the pure subjectivity. Building Concentration for Self-Inquiry: Preliminary practices like meditation or concentration exercises can aid in developing the necessary focus for self-inquiry, allowing individuals to maintain concentration on awareness itself despite its non-objective nature. Resisting Temptation to Objectify Awareness: Participants must resist the urge to create tangible representations of awareness or tie it with science, history, or other learned concepts, as these are distractions from understanding pure subjectivity. Personal Timeframe for Awakening: The time it takes to experience awakening through self-inquiry varies from person to person and can range from hours to decades. Steadfast practice often yields results within a few years, assuming distractions like body sensations are minimized. Duality to Non-Duality Journey: The spiritual process initially separates the form from the formless, creating a duality that leads to a detachment from physical suffering. Full non-duality is only achieved when formlessness is reintegrated with form, revealing that the material world is an expression of spirit. Extended Nature of Learning: Learning is a process of pure observation, untainted by theories or speculation. By observing something, like ants, for extended periods without interference, profound understanding can be attained, mirroring the approach needed for effective self-inquiry. Observational learning process: You gain profound knowledge by observing a subject, like ants, without interference. Spending significant time, such as a hundred hours, observing quietly can lead to intimate understanding and detailed perception, distinguishing one ant from another. The mind's tendency to theorize rather than observe: Most people don't truly understand the world as they prefer to theorize and hold beliefs rather than observing directly and without preconceived notions, which is essential for deeper comprehension. Objective observation in science and art: Both scientists and artists must learn to observe impartially and objectively, without personal bias, to reach genuine insights. Observing without influencing the subject is the key to understanding. Self-inquiry as observation of observation: Self-inquiry is about focusing on the process of observation itself. By observing how awareness functions, you engage in a meta-level of understanding, shedding light on the nature of consciousness. Challenges of a curious mind during self-inquiry: An overly curious mind can obstruct the process of self-inquiry. It may interfere with the objective observation by speculating or theorizing about consciousness instead of simply observing its nature. Analogy of stable observation to a clear telescope: A calm and stable mind is compared to a clear, unfogged telescope - necessary to observe a comet in the sky. Similarly, a clear mind is crucial for observing the process of awareness during self-inquiry. Preliminary practices to enhance self-inquiry: For those beginning self-inquiry, preliminary meditation or concentration practices, like focusing on a finger, can train the mind for better focus during self-inquiry when the object of observation is switched to awareness itself. Illusion of self being inside the body: Through self-inquiry, we can realize that the feeling of a self inside our body is an illusion. The 'ghost' we perceive is pure emptiness, without physical properties like location or size. Realization of the omnipresent true self: Ultimately, through self-inquiry, one comes to understand that the true self is not confined or localized but is omnipresent emptiness, within which the entire universe exists. Importance of practice for achieving awakening: Persistent daily practice of self-inquiry is essential for a breakthrough or awakening. Occasional or half-hearted attempts are insufficient, and a serious and disciplined approach is needed. Guarantee of effectiveness with serious commitment: Although doubts may arise about the efficacy of self-inquiry, committing to consistent practice with focus and patience is crucial for genuinely understanding the true self and achieving realization. Continuous growth of consciousness: Engaging in self-inquiry leads to the gradual expansion of consciousness, benefiting various aspects of one's life including business, relationships, and emotional well-being. Detachment through self-inquiry: Gaining even slight detachment from form and formlessness reduces suffering by creating a healthy space from negative emotions and cravings, leading to less attachment in relationships and the ability to handle life's challenges more effectively. Suffering as an attribute of the false self: Whenever suffering or pain is experienced, it's the false self that is affected. Recognizing this can help differentiate between the false self and the true self, which does not suffer. Non-duality through reintegration: Achieving detachment is not an end but a transformation towards non-duality, allowing one to experience emotions without suffering, merging spiritual detachment with full emotional sensitivity. Practical steps for self-inquiry: If self-inquiry is too difficult, preliminary practices like meditation or Kriya Yoga can help focus the mind and prepare individuals for deeper self-inquiry practices. Pitfalls of insufficient practice: Simply calming the mind through meditation might not lead to awakening without direct self-inquiry on the nature of the true self and awareness. Difference between learning and doing: There is a significant gap between learning about self-inquiry and actually practicing it. Intellectual understanding without practice won't lead to true awakening. Challenges of implementing insights: Failing to act on spiritual knowledge can cause mental distress. Active practice is necessary to bridge the gap between understanding and living the teachings. Long-term rewards of patience and persistence: The most profound benefits of self-inquiry and related practices are often realized after several years of consistent effort, requiring a long-term commitment and vision for personal transformation. Crucial action for actualization: To fully actualize the teachings of self-inquiry, one must not only learn and contemplate but actively engage in the practice, despite difficulties, to experience eventual breakthroughs and self-realization. Furnunculus

Spiral Dynamics - Areas Of Application https://youtu.be/Fi1fG8bw2KM Application of Spiral Dynamics in Education: Spiral Dynamics reveals the need for tailored education strategies at all levels, from elementary schools to universities. Each stage perceives education differently, with stages Blue, Orange, and Green seeing it through religious indoctrination, practical skills for success, and a focus on environmental and social issues, respectively. Stage Yellow Approach in Education: A Stage Yellow approach would assess students' development stages and recommend specific curriculums to facilitate growth up the Spiral. Rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all education system, Stage Yellow would aim to progressively evolve students from their current stage to higher ones. Global Education Considerations: In global education, it's crucial to consider the developmental stages of society. Educational initiatives in underdeveloped countries must match the population's current stage on the Spiral, rather than introducing inapplicable advanced-stage concepts. Spiral Dynamics for Educators: Teachers can use Spiral Dynamics to better understand and cater to their students' developmental needs, helping them transition to the next stage. By internalizing this model, educators can modify their teaching methods without explicitly assessing or revealing students' stages. Spiral Dynamics in Education Legislation: Legislation related to education often reflects the lawmakers' stages on the Spiral, leading to ineffective laws that do not promote genuine learning. A Stage Yellow perspective in legislation would understand these biases and aim to implement laws for holistic educational development. Future of Holistic Education: A transformative Stage Yellow education system would focus on wisdom and personal development, incorporating teachings on meditation, mindfulness, and holistic health from an early age, as opposed to the current system's emphasis on basic academic skills. Resistance to Educational Change: Progress towards a holistic education system meets resistance from those at lower stages on the Spiral. Overcoming this opposition is challenging due to the inertia within the education system and differing beliefs about education's role. Application of Spiral Dynamics in Healthcare: The U.S. healthcare system's stage Orange approach, which focuses on profits over holistic health, could evolve by adopting a Stage Green or Yellow perspective. This would prioritize alternative healing modalities and consider the physical, psychological, and spiritual dimensions of health. Understanding and Applying Spiral Dynamics in Geopolitical Conflicts: Utilizing Spiral Dynamics in conflicts like the Israeli-Palestinian issue can aid in understanding different development stages and motivations, offering solutions beyond violence and coercion. However, developed nations must rise to higher stages to assist effectively. Radicalization and Spiral Dynamics: Lower stages on the Spiral, often experiencing poverty, are prone to radicalization and adopting extremist ideologies. Educating about Spiral Dynamics in a non-judgmental way could assist in depolarizing these individuals and encourage societal evolution. Interactions with Religion in the Middle East: Misattributing the cause of conflicts in the Middle East solely to religion overlooks the various stages within Islam. Efforts should focus on promoting healthier forms of Islam and eventually more secular, spiritual worldviews. Improving Healthcare, Education, and Economy to Combat Radicalization: Funding quality healthcare and education and improving economic conditions can uplift societies out of lower Spiral stages, reducing the prevalence of terrorism. Applying Spiral Dynamics in Economics: The modern economic system's Stage Orange focus results in ecological and social neglect. Spiral Dynamics can inspire a more comprehensive economic approach, integrating aspects of socialism and capitalism suited to society's dominant stage. Corporations Prioritizing Profits: Current corporations, operating mainly at Stage Orange, emphasize profits, as seen in various industries. Even organizations like Google, with mixed stage behaviors, are primarily driven by capitalistic motives. Resistance to Socialist Economic Systems: Resistance to Stage Green socialist economics is significant, creating a struggle between those advocating for resource equality and those upholding capitalist principles. Incorporating Spiral Dynamics is necessary to understand these conflicts and strive towards a balanced system. Understanding Political Stages Through Spiral Dynamics: Spiral Dynamics informs voters and clarifies political party evolution, countering misconceptions of equivalence or polarity. Recognizing the evolution of political systems can provide a path to addressing pressing issues more effectively. Future of Economics and Politics: A future-oriented perspective includes evolving economic and political systems to incorporate a mix of policies that prioritize equality while fostering individual development, informed by the Spiral model. Education and Environment Connection: A shift to Stage Green education, emphasizing environmental consciousness, would result in support for politicians who prioritize ecological health, moving away from the current economic-centric approach of lower stages. Spiral Dynamics as a Tool in Professional Fields: In psychotherapy, coaching, and consulting, Spiral Dynamics allows professionals to cater to clients' developmental stages. Similarly, businesses can align with various stages for management and marketing practices, promoting sustainable growth. Communication and Child-Rearing via Spiral Dynamics: Applying Spiral Dynamics improves communication by resonating with different developmental stages, beneficial in public speaking, teaching, and parenting, facilitating understanding, and growth. Using Spiral Dynamics for Historical and Predictive Analysis: The model provides insights into historical events, considering stages of development. It also aids in predicting societal trends in various domains, from science to politics. Evolving Science and Art through Spiral Dynamics: Science and art can progress beyond the current Stage Orange to incorporate higher stages, encouraging contemplation and holistic understanding. Spiritual teachers can leverage this model to connect with people across stages for more impactful guidance. Higher Life Purpose Achieved Through Spiral Dynamics: Utilizing Spiral Dynamics helps elevate life purposes beyond conventional goals, inspiring entrepreneurship that benefits society holistically while contributing to personal fulfillment. Understanding and Applying Spiral Dynamics Across Systems: The model assists in analyzing systems and creations, questioning their developmental stage origins and impacts, and enabling personal and societal transformation by aligning ambitions with higher Spiral dynamics values. Future Possibilities with Spiral Dynamics: Envisioning and actively contributing to a Stage Yellow society fosters deep satisfaction, with the potential to influence positive changes and bring about an evolved society reflecting higher Spiral Dynamics stages. Challenges in Teaching Across Spiral Dynamics Stages: Leo notes the difficulty stage green teachers face when instructing stage blue students. He suggests that by ascending to stage yellow and understanding Spiral Dynamics better, educators can more effectively teach and relate to students at any level on the spiral. Spiral Dynamics in Legislative Decision-Making: Legislation regarding education often reflects the developmental stage of the politicians. Since most U.S. politicians operate at stage blue or orange, they tend to pass ineffective educational laws that don't address core educational needs. Leo emphasizes the importance of politicians understanding and integrating stage yellow principles to pass more effective education legislation. Transformative Education System: A stage yellow education system would prioritize teaching meditation, mindfulness, holistic health, spirituality, and personal development from a young age. Leo argues that this would significantly alter society, reducing widespread issues like drug addiction, political corruption, and poverty. He acknowledges the resistance from lower stages, highlighting that significant effort would be required to enact such educational reform. Stage Orange Healthcare System: Leo critiques the U.S. healthcare system for being profit-driven at stage orange. He argues that healthcare professionals often lack holistic understanding and are predisposed to prescribing medication rather than addressing underlying issues. Holistic Stage Green/Yellow Healthcare Prospects: A stage green or yellow healthcare system would adopt a holistic approach, incorporating alternative healing methods from different cultures, ethical treatment over profit, consideration of natural supplements, and the potential medicinal use of psychedelics. Leo suggests that this approach would allow healthcare professionals to treat physical, psychological, and spiritual elements collectively. Impediments to Advancing Healthcare and Medicine: Transforming healthcare systems to integrate holistic approaches faces challenges from entrenched bureaucratic interests, like the insurance and hospital systems, and the necessity of reforming medical education to include a wider array of healing modalities. Spiral Dynamics in International Development: Applying Spiral Dynamics to aid underdeveloped regions such as the Middle East and Africa requires investing in raising the overall developmental and consciousness levels, rather than just providing short-term fixes through charity and infrastructure projects. Potential Missteps in Foreign Policy: Leo cites the U.S. invasion of Iraq as an example of failing to consider the country's developmental stage, which was at a lower level on the spiral. He stresses that geopolitical interventions should be informed by a Spiral Dynamics perspective to be truly effective. Democracy in Stage Red Societies: Implementing democracy in areas like Iraq is ineffective without raising the level of consciousness and development because societies at stage red lack the infrastructure to support democratic systems. Saddam Hussein's rule exemplified the strong leadership needed at stage red, as he maintained power through violence, a common trait for leaders at that stage. Middle Eastern Geopolitics and Spiral Dynamics: The U.S. military and political strategies in the Middle East fail to acknowledge the importance of developmental stages. Effective assistance to the Middle East involves a long-term commitment to education and social-political infrastructure development. Immediate democratization leads to a power vacuum that often results in a theocracy, reflecting stage blue's lack of tolerance for minority opinions. Applying Spiral Dynamics for Long-term Geopolitical Solutions: Leo Gura points out that a deep understanding of Spiral Dynamics is crucial for resolving conflicts such as the Israeli-Palestinian issue. Don Beck's application of spiral dynamics in the Middle East highlights the complexities of such conflicts, which exist due to diverse stages of societal development within both Palestinian and Israeli societies. Developmental Levels of Israeli and Palestinian Societies: Both communities have a mix of development levels, from purple and red in less developed areas to blue, orange, and green. Awareness of these different levels is necessary to de-escalate radicalization and promote cooperation. Palestinians and Israelis are evolving at different rates, which contributes to the complexity of their conflict. Challenges of Applying Spiral Dynamics in Geopolitics: The understanding and application of Spiral Dynamics by the U.S. in areas like the Middle East are hindered by a lack of funding, self-interest, and a failure to recognize the critical developmental stages of societies. Education and the deployment of non-judgmental teachings of Spiral Dynamics are essential for depolarization and conflict resolution. Misconceptions about Islam and Geopolitical Issues: Misattributing the roots of terrorism in the Middle East to Islam ignores the various stages within Islamic society. Radical elements at red can be violent, while more developed stages like orange may focus on materialism. Efforts should center on evolving these societies to healthier versions of Islam, leading to more secular and spiritual worldviews. Economic System Stages: The global economic system, dominated by a stage orange ideology, prioritizes profits over ecological awareness and workers' rights. The transition to a stage green economy would focus on socialism elements like resource distribution equality, corporate accountability, and increased employee empowerment. Approaching Middle East Issues with Stage Yellow Mindset: Both the United States and Middle Eastern societies must progress beyond their current stages to resolve conflict effectively. A proper understanding of spiral dynamics by U.S. leadership could foster long-term development and harmonious geopolitical relationships, recognizing the graduated evolution of societies. Stage Orange Economics: The current economic system, dominated by stage Orange, prioritizes profit maximization often at the expense of ecological awareness and workers' rights. Organizations such as big pharma, big oil, and fast-food industries, as well as Silicon Valley tech companies like Facebook, Apple, and Google, exemplify this by pursuing maximum profits and engaging in legal battles over intellectual property. Resistance to Stage Green Economics: There is significant resistance to economic systems with socialist elements, viewed by stage Orange as threatening. Stage Green economics would focus on equal resource distribution, progressive taxation, corporate accountability, higher employee wages, and employee involvement in decision-making, contrasting sharply with the profit-centric stage Orange approach. Ideal Economic System Perspective: An ideal economic system would balance elements of capitalism and socialism to address issues like poverty and inequality. From a stage Yellow perspective, the aim would be to evolve everyone up the Spiral by engineering economic systems that support growth across all stages. Political Evaluation using Spiral Dynamics: Spiral Dynamics offers a framework to assess political candidates and parties. Voters typically choose candidates who represent their own stage. Higher stages like Yellow are rare, with the majority of candidates being Orange or Green. Understanding Spiral Dynamics reveals the evolutionary differences between parties and informs more nuanced political choices. Governmental Issues and Spiral Dynamics: Governmental challenges such as prison reform, environmental issues, and immigration are more comprehensible through the lens of Spiral Dynamics. Genuine solutions to these problems require advanced stage Green or Yellow approaches, whereas current Orange and Blue methods are unsustainable and lack a fact-based, empirical focus. Spiral Dynamics in Professional Guidance: Coaches, consultants, and psychotherapists can benefit from understanding their clients' stages within Spiral Dynamics. This knowledge allows for targeted guidance, helping clients overcome developmental challenges and facilitating transitions to higher stages such as Green. Coaching Clients at Different Stages: Leo illustrates how Spiral Dynamics can enhance coaching or therapeutic practices by tailoring approaches to a client's developmental stage. For example, helping a green-stage client integrate orange-stage elements to stabilize livelihood, or introducing a yellow-stage client to advanced spiritual techniques for evolution to turquoise. Communication Tailoring Using Spiral Dynamics: Leo emphasizes the importance of adapting communication styles to fit the client's stage, without requiring formal testing. By understanding a client's motivations and values through conversations, a coach or therapist can bridge gaps and guide them to ascend the spiral effectively. Marketing to Different Stages: He describes the challenge of marketing based on Spiral Dynamics stages. For a stage orange client, Leo suggests framing the shift to stage green business practices as a future-proofing strategy and an opportunity for increased profits, which resonates with their current value system. Developing and Managing Communities with Spiral Dynamics: Leo suggests that understanding Spiral Dynamics is crucial for community leaders, enabling them to connect with individuals based on what motivates them and aligning the community's values for cohesive management and growth. Applications of Spiral Dynamics in Business: In business, knowing the spiral stage of the business, its employees, and customers is key to success. From hiring decisions to marketing strategies, aligning the business with the developmental stages of all stakeholders creates a harmonious and effective working environment. Opportunities for Stage-Specific Businesses: Leo presents the idea of creating businesses that cater to specific stages of the Spiral, like a stage yellow educational platform or a stage turquoise community. He suggests that understanding the current and future stage of society can provide valuable insights for identifying new business opportunities. Future Business Trends and Spiral Dynamics: Leo advises that entrepreneurs look forward to predict the next societal stage and develop innovations catering to that evolution. He gives examples for software development, filmmaking, and other creative fields from the perspective of Spiral Dynamics. Profitability and Purpose in Business: He encourages entrepreneurs to consider initiatives that fulfill the evolving needs of society, such as transitioning orange businesses to green, or creating stage green marketing firms. These ventures not only fill market gaps but also serve higher purposes and potentially offer lucrative returns. Visionary Educational Ventures: Leo encourages visionaries to conceive a stage turquoise university, which challenges conventional educational models. He suggests considering the curriculum, hiring unconventional educators like shamans or gurus, and contemplating whether it would be a physical or online institution. Stage Turquoise Artist: Leo suggests artists evolve to stage turquoise to create art that embodies and promotes the values of this advanced stage. He proposes exploring new forms of art or mediums like virtual reality that might better convey stage turquoise values. Stage Turquoise Scientist: Scientists are urged to imagine integrating stage turquoise values into their work, potentially leading to innovative research in mind, spirituality, neuroscience, or psychedelics. This approach could transform biology, chemistry, mathematics, and social sciences to reflect turquoise thinking. Stage Turquoise Inventions and Institutions: Possibilities include becoming a stage turquoise inventor, starting a hospital, or other institutions founded on these advanced values. Leo asks us to envision the differences in financing, clientele, and healthcare approaches compared to current systems, anticipating a profound shift from traditional methods. Evaluating Teachers and Teachings with Spiral Dynamics: Spiral Dynamics can be used to discern the developmental level of teachers and the values they promote. This helps in differentiating advanced teachings from those that may not yet be comprehensible, enabling more effective selection of spiritual and educational resources. Analyzing Relationships Through Spiral Dynamics: Understanding the Spiral Dynamics stage of people you have relationships with, ranging from romantic partners to colleagues, can enhance mutual understanding and bridge gaps between different value systems. Personal Growth and Environmental Choices: Leo discusses how Spiral Dynamics can inform decisions about one's environment, such as choosing where to live or work, to facilitate personal growth towards higher stages. Effective Communication with Spiral Dynamics: Recognizing an individual's developmental stage can greatly improve communication whether in public speaking, teaching, or personal discussions, by tailoring messages to align with the listener's values. Guiding Children's Development with Spiral Dynamics: Knowledge of Spiral Dynamics enables parents and educators to identify a child's current stage and provide appropriate resources for their progression through the stages of development. Spiral Dynamics for Historical Analysis: Applying Spiral Dynamics to historical events provides a lens to re-evaluate conflicts and political upheavals, offering insights into the motivations and clashes between different developmental stages. Predicting Future Trends with Spiral Dynamics: Leo emphasizes the utility of Spiral Dynamics for forecasting societal, educational, healthcare, government, political, and scientific trends, preparing for shifts that will shape the future. Predicting Challenges with Spiral Dynamics: Anticipating resistance and backlash from those at lower stages when introducing them to higher stage environments is possible. For example, leading stage orange individuals towards stage green requires understanding and addressing their fears and concerns preemptively. Evolution of Science through Spiral Dynamics: Science is not solely a stage orange activity; it has manifested in all stages including purple, red, blue, and will continue to evolve through green, yellow, and turquoise. This evolution may require significant shifts in how science is taught, understood, and culturally defined. Innovations in Art and Video Games: Just as with science, art forms like video games predominantly exist at stage orange but have the potential to evolve into stage green, yellow, or turquoise. Exploring how to create art and video games at these higher stages can lead to groundbreaking development in these fields. Spiral Dynamics for Spiritual Teachers: It is crucial for spiritual teachers to understand Spiral Dynamics to effectively connect with and guide individuals from various developmental stages. This understanding enables the bridging of gaps between different stages, such as between blue and turquoise. Elevating Life Purpose with Spiral Dynamics: Using Spiral Dynamics can inspire individuals to define a higher life purpose. Rather than settling for stage orange aspirations like starting a successful business, Leo challenges individuals to contemplate creating life purposes at stage yellow or turquoise. Application of Spiral Dynamics in Society: To apply Spiral Dynamics, one must first learn the theory, avoid judging different stages, and aim to develop themselves to at least stage yellow for greater understanding and flexibility. This model can be used to enhance societal functions, forecast the future, and create profitable innovations while contributing to the greater good. Spiral Dynamics as a Scientific Theory: Spiral Dynamics is a well-researched scientific theory that helps understand human psychological development across different cultures and generations. It's a tool, similar to Newtonian mechanics, providing insights for personal growth, societal architecture, and future predictions. Conscious Contribution to Societal Evolution: Leo emphasizes that everyone can play a role in shaping a stage yellow society and aligning their professions with evolutionary forces. By doing so, one can derive deeper meaning and satisfaction from contributing to positive societal transformation rather than engaging in less fulfilling work. Imagining and Crafting Future Societies: Envisioning a stage yellow society and the roles individuals could play within it is presented as an exercise to inspire action. Leo suggests imagining the advancements in healthcare, education, politics, and other societal facets in a stage yellow society, and using that inspiration to contribute meaningfully to the world's evolution. Geminio

Understanding Ego Backlash https://youtu.be/LL9Q5sHkCFg "Leaps forward are often preceded by desperate, regressive steps backward." - Don Beck & Chris Cowan Experiencing Ego Backlash: Leo Gura describes his personal encounter with ego backlash, which arose as a counterforce to his intensive meditation and self-inquiry practices, causing mental and emotional discomfort. Human Mind as a Harmonic Oscillator: The mind is likened to a harmonic oscillator, dynamically oscillating to maintain a state of homeostasis, with survival habits and coping strategies forming the core patterns that resist change. Survival Habits from Childhood: A person develops various habits as survival mechanisms in response to childhood challenges like parental issues or bullying, which over time become deeply wired into the ego and resist change. System's Resistance to Change: Any complex system, including the human mind, resists fundamental changes because it perceives them as threats to its survival, just as a castle made of Lego resists being rearranged. Significant Change and Ego Backlash: When one attempts to transform their life fundamentally, they should expect backlash proportional to the magnitude of change, manifesting as an emotional and mental pull back to the previous state. Understanding Change as a Form of Death: Change involves the death of a part of the self, and the fear of this death can cause significant resistance from within, especially when changes involve deep, existential aspects. Misleading Progress Perception by the Ego: One's ego can deceive them into thinking they are further along in their progress, causing unexpected setbacks and the resurgence of judgmental or negative behaviors post-progress. Setting Proper Expectations for Growth: Emphasizing the importance of setting realistic expectations, Leo discusses the need to anticipate and prepare for the challenging aspects of personal development and growth. Complexity and Nonlinearity of Personal Change: Significant change often requires regressing before improving and can necessitate breaking down parts of one's life that may seem inauthentic, highlighting the complexity and nonlinearity of the process. Authenticity and Career: Leo realizes that authenticity in his spiritual growth requires facing inauthenticity in areas like his career. Addressing such foundational issues poses a risk to the interconnected structure of life, evoking fear of potential loss of family support and societal position. Ego's Fear of Collapse: The ego resists deep examination of life's foundations (like career) due to fear of destabilizing the entire life structure. This house of cards analogy explains the mind's reluctance to permit change that threatens life's stability. Existential Avoidance in Spirituality: Spiritual practices like self-inquiry or psychedelic experiences dig into existential problems avoided for comfort. Suffering arises when confronting these issues, revealing dissatisfaction and inauthenticities in one's life. Confronting Foundational Dysfunction: Significant life improvements require delving into the deepest layers of one's psyche, akin to excavating an ancient city. This process is painful due to a lifetime of avoiding suffering and seeking pleasure for survival. Ego's Resistance to Deep Change: Leo acknowledges his ego's defense mechanisms humming beneath life's surface. In confronting the reality of no self, he faces disruptive realizations about his career, relationships, and financial stability, triggering a protective ego backlash. Managing Spiritual Growth Pace: Leo notes the importance of pacing spiritual growth to prevent an overwhelming ego backlash. Finding a middle ground that stretches personal limits without causing retreat is imperative, often learned through trial and error. Post-Retreat Ego Backlash: Leo experiences ego backlash after meditation retreats, resulting in atypical behavior like playing video games or eating poorly. Binaural beats can also stir upheavals, confronting one to deal with resurfacing past issues. Necessity of Self-Love in Growth: Emphasizing self-love, Leo suggests that honest self-reflection is critical to assess one's capacity for change, navigate the mind's deceptions, and progress spiritually without succumbing to regression or disillusionment. Minimizing and Dealing with Ego Backlash: To manage ego backlash effectively, one should first anticipate it, understanding the mind as a harmonic oscillator that seeks homeostasis for survival. Instead of viewing the mind as malicious, Leo advises appreciating its function in maintaining normalcy, such as returning to baseline after a difficult psychedelic experience. Appreciating Homeostasis: Despite its protective nature, homeostasis can be overprotective, analogous to an overbearing parent. Survival mechanisms created in childhood may no longer serve us but continue to influence behavior. Expecting ego backlash when implementing significant change can prepare one for the inevitable suffering and fear that accompany transformation. Labeling and Distancing from Ego Backlash: When experiencing ego backlash, Leo suggests explicitly labeling it as such, allowing for emotional distance and reducing the likelihood of being overwhelmed by the event. Observing Contraction Mindfully: Cultivating mindfulness through habits like meditation enables one to observe ego contraction without acting impulsively out of it, emphasizing the importance of not making drastic life decisions while in this constricted state. Reframing Ego Backlash as Growth: Leo encourages reframing ego backlash positively, viewing it as a growth opportunity. Growth is characterized as a jagged, non-linear process, and understanding this can prevent discouragement during difficult periods. Avoiding Rash Decisions During Negative States: Leo strongly cautions against making significant life decisions during emotional low points, as ego backlash can lead to feeling hopeless, victimized, and stripping away aspirations and positivity. Suffering Mindfully for Purification: Suffering through ego backlash mindfully rather than trying to escape it can lead to personal purification and substantial progress. This counterintuitive approach can offer chances for the most profound learning and growth, although it's the most challenging. Maintaining Positive Habits During Ego Backlash: Persistence in maintaining positive habits such as healthy eating, meditation, and kindness, even when least desired, is crucial during ego backlash. Leo exemplifies this by pushing through his reluctance to record a video. Managing Expectations and Emphasizing Self-Love: Setting realistic expectations about growth and applying self-love during ego backlash help avoid additional misery. Self-judgment can impede learning from the experience; thus, compassion towards oneself is vital. Collective Ego Backlash: Ego backlashes are not confined to individuals; they also occur in collective entities like corporations, governments, and political movements. Historical events and societal shifts often reflect these collective backlashes, similar to individual experiences of regression and resistance to change. Internal Conflict as Part of Growth: Leo describes personal transformation as a reconciliatory war within ourselves, due to fragmented parts of the mind such as the higher and lower self. This internal battle mirrors historical conflicts, such as the wars in Europe, that led to gradual unification despite ongoing resistances and nationalistic movements. Collective Dynamics Mirroring Personal Struggle: Observing social and political dynamics in governments and organizations highlights a parallel with our internal struggles. Although these may be theoretically understood, the practical application becomes challenging when personally suffering through these conflicts. Mindfulness Skills During Challenging Times: The development of mindfulness is crucial to endure suffering. Leo suggests practicing self-love, being gentle with oneself, and understanding that failures in making changes are part of the learning process, providing wisdom for future attempts. Recognition of Ego Trickery: By mindfully observing backslides, one can recognize the ego's deceptive maneuvers and tricks that maintain homeostasis, echoing the content of Leo's series on self-deception. This awareness helps one to see through their mind's smokescreens and projections. Life's Challenge Due to Self-Deception: Leo posits that life is a complex maze because of the self-deception tactics of the ego, which he equates to the devil's work, full of trickery and avoidance of responsibility. Importance of Distinguishing States from Stages: High states of consciousness from peak experiences are distinguished from stages of development, which require consistent work over time. One can momentarily reach a high state, but sustaining it as a stage demands ongoing effort and development. Emotional Cycles and Growth: Leo discusses the cyclical nature of emotional states, where the highest highs often lead to lows, and the lowest lows can lead to highs. The key is to endure these states mindfully, without perfectionism, as they are part of the journey towards reaching new stages of personal growth. Ego Backlash Understanding: When facing a strong ego backlash, Leo advises remembering that it is temporary, and emphasizes the need for patience and avoidance of drastic actions based on fleeting emotional states. Distinction Between Collective and Individual Transformation: There is a parallel between societal changes and individual personal development, with individuals and collectives both resisting transformative efforts to maintain a familiar status quo. Experience Over Theory in Personal Development: Genuine personal growth occurs through actionable work and experience, surpassing theoretical knowledge. Leo warns against letting theory become an addiction or ideology, and to instead let one's own journey inform their understanding and practices. Confundo

What Is Perception - The Metaphysics Of Perception https://youtu.be/8Jbvik4IA3o "If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite." - William Blake Perception defined: Perception, or the visual field, constitutes a sensory bubble that encases us as we interact with reality, indicating a subject-object duality. Leo clarifies that perception is not a biological or neurological process, but something very tricky and misunderstood, challenging the conventional model many hold. Perception without a subject: Leo encourages the audience to imagine perception without a subject, such as an experience hanging in the vacuum of space. This raw data of perception would stay the same, but its interpretation changes, leading to a universal rather than personal or biological experience. Conventional model of reality: Modern belief systems consider reality as an objective, external world populated by sentient and non-sentient objects, where humans perceive this world through their brains, misunderstanding the true nature of perception. Actual workings of reality: Leo claims that a universal field of consciousness is the only thing that exists, and humans are born as ideas rather than physical objects. Perception is a construction of the ego, misinterpreted as an external, independent world. Illusions created by the ego: The entire concept of an external world, as well as being born into the world as a sentient creature with a perceptual field produced by the brain, is an illusion created by the ego according to Leo's revelations during his meditation retreat. Subjectivity of Perception: Leo challenges the idea of perception being subjective to a biological organism, suggesting that perception, or the sensory bubble, is ubiquitous in the universe and not tied to individual consciousness. Illusion of Perception: Leo asserts that perception is an illusion, and by removing the ego's influence, one can revert to a state of pure being or consciousness, which is the only true reality. Radical recontextualization of perception: Leo asks the viewers to radically reinterpret perception not as an individual experience tied to organisms, but as a universal phenomenon without a perceiver. This shift collapses the assumed duality between perceiving self and perceived objects. Enlightenment through the collapse of dualities: Enlightenment is described as recognizing one's inseparable connection with the entirety of existence, eliminating illusions of separation fostered by the ego and the mind's interpretative mechanisms. Subject-Object Duality Collapse: The mind-body problem, according to Leo, is solved by identifying not as part of the universe but as the universe itself. This collapses the duality of subject and object within the realm of perception. True Nature of Reality: The perceived reality is an illusion, and the true nature of reality lies in recognizing oneself as an idea within the universal field of consciousness, challenging mainstream scientific understanding. Leap to Universal Selfhood: The journey towards realizing oneself as the universal consciousness is challenging and requires overcoming the ego, but it promises profound joy and a sense of oneness with everything. Personal Acknowledgment: Leo acknowledges that his insights are not new; they're ancient wisdom repackaged for a modern audience. His goal with Actualized.org is to make profound truths accessible, promising life transformation through proper understanding and focused practice. Misconception of Material Existence: Leo delineates the common misbelief that we are physical objects; he clarifies that the perception of being physical is just an idea, and in reality, we are the conceptualization of ourselves as physical entities. Ego’s Distortion of the Universal Field: Leo discusses how the ego is born from an idea that emerged within the universal field of consciousness, falsely claiming ownership of it, which results in the conception of a personal life and the illusion of perceiving an external world. Perception as a Construct: The individual sense of perception is compared to a child claiming a toy as "mine," Leo argues that what we perceive as our personal bubble of experience is merely a piece of the whole field of consciousness co-opted by ego rather than a true possession. Reality as a Negative Sculpture: Presenting existence as a negative sculpture, Leo posits that our sense of self is a space carved out from the universal field of consciousness, suggesting that we are not independent objects but rather illusions of being. Image 1 Recontextualization of Reality Interpretation: Leo emphasizes the radical recontextualization required for a true understanding of reality, proposing that perceptions are not experiences limited to a biological creature, but rather, they exist freely in the space of the universe. Collapsing Subject-Object Duality: The concept of non-duality is introduced where boundaries between subject and object dissolve, challenging the existence of an external or internal world, leading to a realization that the external world was misidentified as internal. Interpretation as a Transformative Element: Leo explains how a revolutionary change in interpretation can render the subjective experience obsolete, leaving a world of 'being'—an undistorted experience of the universe. Distinction between Being and Perception: The key takeaway that Leo wants viewers to understand is that 'being' is essentially 'perception minus the ego', and what is conventionally perceived as individual experience is a mistaken appropriation of universal 'being' by the ego. Perceptions and Experiences as Illusions: Leo states that perceptions and experiences are illusions created by the ego's misinterpretation of 'being'. By undoing the ego's notion of ownership, perceptions can revert to a pure state of 'being', devoid of the subjective self. Sponge analogy for understanding existence: Leo uses a sponge filled with bubbles as a metaphor for the universe or the unified field of consciousness. Each bubble represents an individual's perception, and he suggests that we believe there is an objective reality beyond our personal bubble, but in actuality, there is only the bubble itself, floating in a vacuum. Being versus perception: He explains 'being' as something that simply exists without observation, interpretation, or experience. Being is not confined by time and space, which only exist within individual bubbles of perception. Infinite nature of reality: The sponge analogy extends beyond three dimensions, suggesting an infinite, boundless state of existence. This infinite sponge is meant to represent divine or infinite consciousness. Illusion of individuality: The bubbles within the sponge don't have an independent existence; they are illusory and share the same space. Leo states that enlightenment involves realizing you are not just one of the bubbles but the entire sponge itself. The sponge as God consciousness: Leo equates full realization of being the entire, infinite sponge with achieving God consciousness. This process takes extensive work through meditation, contemplation, and possibly psychedelics. Shifting identification from the individual to the universal: Leo encourages experiencing the shift from identifying as an individual bubble to recognizing oneself as the whole sponge, a shift that can lead to enlightenment. Depersonalizing experience: Viewers are urged to depersonalize their experience, to see their perceptions as not their own life, but as part of the "external world." The visual field, normally thought to be a part of biological life, is the fabric of the universe itself. Subjective qualities as part of the universe: Leo states that the qualities we experience subjectively, such as colors and emotions, are not unique to living organisms or a brain but exist inherently within the universe. Recontextualizing raw experience: Understanding absolute being, according to Leo, involves seeing the universe not as something happening to you but rather as happening independently of you—an event in itself, unnamed and unclaimed by any ego. Absolute truth stripped of identity: Leo suggests the true nature of reality is 'Absolute Being' that we can perceive once we strip away the ego or the self, revealing that 'you' were never actually there, and what remains is pure being or truth. Misinterpretation of Reality due to Survival and Fear: The drive for survival and fear of death cause individuals to misinterpret reality, striving to maintain their sense of self. Engaging deeply with existential questions can trigger emotional and psychological reactions such as panic attacks, depression, and anger, as the mind fights to preserve the illusion of individual existence. Conceptual vs. Physical Death: Enlightenment involves the conceptual death of the self, which is understood as an idea rather than a physical being. What we believe to be physical death is another concept, and the dissolution of the self is a key aspect of spiritual awakening. Questioning Reality and the Fear of Insanity: Deep metaphysical inquiry may lead to fears of insanity and death as entrenched beliefs about reality are challenged. This fear serves to protect the ego and the constructed personal identity from disintegrating. Mechanics of Life's Illusions: Most negative emotions serve to deepen the illusion of being a separate bubble in the sponge of reality. Understanding and accepting the mechanics of life's illusions can fundamentally transform one's relationships with existence. Self-Awareness of the Universe: The universe is self-aware without a separate perceiving entity, challenging the assumption that awareness is an attribute only of living creatures. The concept of living and sentient beings is a fiction and awareness itself is an irreducible, mystical element of the universe. Awareness as Nothingness: Awareness is not a tangible thing or a product of the brain. It is akin to nothingness—a void in which being is suspended. Describing awareness often leads to inaccuracies, as it is a concept impossible to fully grasp with language. Brain as Perception and Its Influence: The brain is not the fundamental origin of perception but is itself perceived. Adjustments to the brain can have widespread effects on perceptions, but this should not be mistaken for the brain’s ability to produce awareness. Universe as Raw Truth without Awareness: An alternate universe scenario is proposed where there is no awareness or sentient creatures, just raw truth and data. This analogy is used to explain that our current universe consists of the same raw truth perceived by no one. Realization of Being as the Ultimate Truth: Leo stresses that all perceptions are forms of being. By reinterpreting these through practices like meditation, one can come to understand the nature of being or 'Absolute Truth' without the construct of sentient beings. Illusion of sentient creatures: Leo clarifies that what we consider as sentient creatures are mere illusions, like negative sculptures in a unified field of consciousness, challenging the traditional idea of individual sentient entities. Knowing the nature of perception: Leo addresses skepticism about his insights on perception, stating this profound understanding isn't mere belief or conjecture but can be realized through focused meditation, consistent practice, and proper interpretation of present-moment experiences. Actualized.org's mission: The platform aims to modernize and share ancient wisdom known for millennia, interpreting it in a way that resonates with contemporary audiences, particularly the youth, and integrating various aspects of truth often overlooked in mainstream culture. Emotional difficulty in transformative work: Realizing the interconnectedness of one's entire emotional system, fears, and life challenges with the inquiry of perception requires significant emotional labor and has a transformative impact on one's life. Joy and struggle of realization: Although the realization of universal interconnectedness leads to profound joy and bliss, reaching this understanding involves facing and overcoming deep fears and neuroses, which can be a challenging ordeal. Commitment to transformation: Leo inspires viewers to commit to the process of self-inquiry, promising that the resulting expanded consciousness and joy are worthwhile, despite being challenging to articulate. Comprehensive catalogue of life's deep questions: Leo envisions actualized.org as a resource for in-depth exploration of fundamental questions about consciousness, happiness, suffering, and existence, aiming to fulfill the void in available information on such topics. Balance between metaphysical and practical content: While acknowledging that current focus on metaphysical topics might seem impractical to some, Leo assures that practical advice on personal development, confidence, social skills, and more will be addressed in future content. Impedimenta

65 Core Principles Of Living The Good Life https://youtu.be/BqWPqZK-Ikg Actualized.org as a comprehensive system: Leo describes Actualized.org as a unique, non-ideological personal development system that offers a big-picture perspective on creating a fulfilling life. He emphasizes grounding teachings in direct experience and self-experimentation to avoid dogma. No ideology and no dogma principle: Leo highlights the importance of being free from ideologies and dogmas, which can limit one's understanding of reality, affecting their ability to authentically explore life and change for the better. Big-picture thinking over technical knowledge: Leo advocates for a focus on overarching principles that shape a good life, rather than getting lost in technical details, which can detract from true understanding and personal happiness. Direct experience as the most significant reality: Leo emphasizes that what is directly experienced in the present moment is the only true reality, helping to cut through societal, cultural, and personal delusions. Self-experimentation for personal truth: Leo encourages trying diverse techniques and solutions based on direct experience to find out what genuinely works for an individual's personal development. Radical open-mindedness for complete exploration: Leo advises exploring every perspective and idea without prejudice, avoiding prejudgment traps that could close off areas of possible growth or insight. Radical Open-mindedness: Recognizing that the mind tends to be closed off to new and challenging ideas, Leo advocates for radical open-mindedness. This involves being willing to explore any idea, perspective, or teaching, no matter how outlandish or false it may seem at first glance, to prevent premature judgment and open oneself to deep truths. Avoid Premature Judgment: Leo cautions against judging experiences and ideas which have not been personally encountered. This principle serves as an extension of radical open-mindedness. Premature judgment can lead to self-deception, limiting understanding. Personal experience is necessary before forming credible opinions or judgments. Question Everything: Leo underscores the importance of questioning all ideas, including those that seem most obvious or sacred. The more fundamental the questioning is, the deeper the understanding one can achieve. This involves scrutinizing assumptions within all systems of thought, including one's own beliefs, and shouldering the responsibility to discover truth independently. Value of Philosophical and Metaphysical Inquiry: Leo emphasizes caring about philosophical and metaphysical matters for their ability to bring depth and profound insight into life. While these topics can seem disconnected from practical concerns, he believes they underlie many seemingly superficial issues, and understanding them can have significant practical applications. Genuine Intent for Truth: This principle highlights the importance of putting truth above all else, even when the pursuit entails significant personal cost or sacrifice. Without prioritizing truth, Leo warns, one is likely to be ensnared by material pursuits, comfort, and falsehood. Understanding Every Point of View: Encouraging a passion for comprehending various points of view, Leo suggests stepping into the perspectives of others to gain a richer and more diverse understanding of the world, which reflects that one's own perspective isn't inherently superior. Integral Thinking: Integral thinking recognizes that every point of view has some truth; understanding this truth is an individual responsibility, not that of the person holding the view. This approach counters dogmatic ideologies by integrating various perspectives for a holistic understanding. Inner Game Determines Quality of Life: Leo asserts that all problems and suffering are self-created; the quality of one's life hinges on inner psychology. Mastering the 'inner game' by recognizing and changing internal beliefs and perspectives is key to addressing life's challenges. Lifelong Learning and Self-Education: Emphasizing the importance of proactive, continuous learning and education, Leo argues one should not end their learning journey with formal schooling but should expect to read and study extensively, well beyond traditional academic settings. Importance of reading books: Books provide high-quality, varied information that can deepen understanding of personal issues, techniques, and ideas, exceeding what videos and social media offer. Value in attending live workshops: Participating in in-person workshops and seminars creates a vastly more impactful learning experience compared to online attendance, worth investing in despite costs. Financial investment in self-education: Embracing lifelong learning means investing money in books, courses, and live events to access high-quality information and opportunities for growth. Develop a system for organizing knowledge: Building a system to organize information, such as a commonplace book, is critical for retaining and applying the wide array of concepts learned through self-education. Principle of Observation: Observing everything patiently and methodically, including your behaviors and external phenomena, is fundamental for understanding reality and overcoming ideology. Meditation as a cornerstone habit: Plan to meditate daily, starting with shorter sessions and building up to an hour, to deeply observe the mind and present moment, which is essential for personal understanding and growth. Ego as the root of suffering: Recognizing that the ego, or the identification with the self, is the source of all personal and collective human issues is pivotal for addressing problems at their core. Recognizing self-deception: Being vigilant about self-deception is crucial since the mind is adept at lying to oneself, leading to falsehoods that hinder the quest for truth. Awareness of self-bias: Understanding one's own biases, which emerge from the ego's drive to survive, is necessary to avoid skewing perceptions and to achieve a truer understanding of reality. Delusions of fear, judgment, evil, anger, and suffering: Acknowledging these negative experiences as based on falsehoods can lead to their eradication, paving the way toward living the good life. Avoiding demonization: Rejecting the tendency to label others or entities as evil is important in overcoming self-deceptive mechanisms and understanding the delusory nature of such judgments. Perfection of reality principle: The notion that reality is inherently perfect and that perceptions of wrongness are due to personal limitations can drive self-growth and understanding. Reality is Perfect Principle: Consider seeing reality as perfect and understanding that perceived imperfections are projections of our own judgments. Four Perspectives on Life's Purpose: Leo highlights overarching life purposes: raising consciousness, increasing capacity to love, appreciating beauty in all aspects of life, and feeling alive and engaged every day. Raising Consciousness: Dedicate yourself daily to the goal of expanding your awareness and understanding of reality. Expanding Love: Aim to love more broadly, embracing not only pleasant experiences but the full spectrum of life, which involves ego surrender. Appreciating Beauty: Train yourself to find beauty in the mundane as well as the extraordinary to live a fully appreciative life. Feeling Alive and Engaged: Strive to live each day with passion and purpose, avoiding a robotic or monotonous existence. Building a Metaphysical Connection to Reality: Develop a deeper understanding that we are part of the entire universe, enhancing our connection with existence itself. Reality's Counterintuitiveness: Acknowledge that reality often functions in ways opposite to initial expectations and leverage this understanding to achieve life goals. Non-duality as Ultimate Truth: Recognize that all distinctions and dualities are relative and ultimately collapse into a unified reality. Existence of Absolute Truth: Accept that while absolute truth exists, it cannot be communicated or proven, and is only experiential. Reality as a Mindscape: Understand that what we perceive as physical reality is actually part of a vast imagination within a mind, not something external. Life as a Dream Principle: Leo emphasizes the principle that life is akin to a dream, with the "external world" being a part of this dream, thereby encouraging dis-identification from attachments and reducing the seriousness with which we treat life's events. Reality and Infinity Principle: Leo explains that reality is infinite and associates the term "God" not with a religious figure but rather with the concept of infinity, suggesting that reality and God are deeply misunderstood and warrant further exploration through resources like his series on absolute infinity. You are God Principle: A radical insight Leo shares is that individuals are not separate from God; rather, each person is, in a mystical sense, God. This realization is said to come from years of deep spiritual practice and meditation, and is pivotal for taking complete responsibility for life. God is the Devil Principle: Leo underlines non-duality by asserting that traditional dualities such as God and the devil collapse into one, suggesting that perceived evils in the world have a higher purpose within the infinite reality and are integral to understanding the depth of existence. All Identity is Relative and Fluid Principle: Asserting that all identities are mental constructs and not absolute truths, Leo argues for the fluidity and changeability of identities, which offers the potential for individuals to identify with ultimate reality and overcome the fear of death. The Delusion of Society Principle: Leo points to a widespread lack of understanding regarding the principles he discusses, highlighting the importance of not relying on societal norms and guidance, which are predominantly rooted in delusion and ignorance. Society in the Dark Ages Principle: Despite living in the 21st century, Leo posits that society retains a primitive understanding of spirituality, psychology, and science akin to the medical knowledge of the dark ages, and cautions against being misled by technological facades. Development and Awakening Principle: Leo stresses the necessity of both personal development within the dream of life and awakening from that dream. One cannot simply develop without awakening, or awaken without developing, as both are required to live life to its fullest potential. Discover Who You Are and What You Want Principle: The principle advocates for a clear, decisive understanding of personal identity and desires, a process that requires years of contemplation and self-discovery. Authenticity as Key to a Good Life Principle: Encouraging daily efforts to be more authentic, Leo explains how society often rewards inauthenticity, and how discovering your true self is essential for genuine happiness and fulfillment. Develop a Life Purpose: Leo highlights the critical nature of having a life purpose that aligns with one's values and aspirations, recommending his course for those seeking to find and develop their life purpose. Take 100% Responsibility Principle: Emphasizing the importance of not playing the victim, Leo encourages viewers to take full responsibility for their lives to prevent feelings of alienation and unhappiness. Taking Personal Responsibility: It's essential to assume the burden of solving problems rather than feeling stuck and miserable. Taking responsibility leads to resourcefulness and creativity, involving self-experimentation, research, and utilizing various resources to find solutions. Be a Leader and a Creator: Leo encourages viewers to lead themselves and others, be proactive and decisive, and take risks to feel alive. Embracing creativity allows one to contribute to the world through art, technology, and other creations, thus providing massive value to society. Providing Value to Society: Creating and contributing to the world fulfills a legitimate life purpose and counteracts the allure of negative ideologies that stem from a void in one's life. Unreliability of Reason: Leo challenges the trust in rationality, stating that all individuals have justifiable reasons for their actions, but reason is often a post-hoc rationalization for emotional and egoic agendas. Embracing Paradox, Confusion, and Not-Knowing: Accepting confusion and the unknown is crucial for personal growth, as finite models cannot capture the infinite nature of reality. Emotional Mastery: Genuine emotional mastery involves deeply experiencing and understanding emotions rather than suppressing or over-expressing them. Observing emotions is key to purifying one's reasoning and achieving a fulfilling life. Integrating Masculine and Feminine Qualities: Regardless of gender or natural inclinations, integrating both masculine and feminine qualities ensures a well-rounded personality and can prevent relationship issues. Reducing Manipulation: Observing one's behaviors and reducing manipulation leads to a better quality of life, as constant manipulation is a characteristic of ego-driven actions. Relativity of Knowledge: All conventional understanding and knowledge are relative, with only the Absolute Truth being non-relative. This underscores that knowledge and truth are context-dependent. Context Matters More Than Facts: The situational background or context gives facts their meaning, emphasizing the need for understanding the broader circumstances surrounding knowledge claims. Learn from Diverse Sources: To avoid getting trapped in a single paradigm, it's important to draw knowledge from a multitude of diverse sources, allowing for a comprehensive view of life and personal development. Diverse Sources Principle: Gathering information from various perspectives and disciplines is crucial to avoid being trapped in a limiting paradigm. Studying different traditions and ideologies helps triangulate and cross-reference truths, revealing a bigger picture that cannot be seen through a single source. Satisfying Basic Needs Principle: Addressing fundamental needs such as shelter, food, and relationships is key to moving beyond cravings and focusing on higher metaphysical and existential pursuits. Mastery of Survival and Livelihood Principle: Understanding basic survival and money management skills is essential for personal independence and lays the foundation for pursuing higher concepts like enlightenment. Mastery Development Principle: Choosing a field to master and dedicating significant time and effort to it provides stability, enjoyment, and value to society. It prevents underachievement and enables self-sufficiency. Avoiding Distractions Principle: Being aware of and reducing distractions such as social media, ideology, and material pursuits is critical for focusing on personal development and creating a fulfilling life. Systems Thinking Principle: Becoming a systems thinker allows for a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of factors in life and improves problem-solving capabilities, moving away from simplistic, one-cause thinking. Good Citizenship Principle: Recognizing one's ecological footprint and impact on society is vital to contribute positively to collective wellbeing and the environment. Strategic Planning Principle: Being patient and strategic about achieving goals with short-term and long-term plans helps in inching towards significant life objectives through multiple stepping stones. Happiness through Enlightenment Principle: Genuine happiness is tied to enlightenment; without enlightenment, happiness can be fleeting. Nevertheless, improving levels of happiness should still be pursued while on the path to enlightenment. Material Possessions and Happiness Principle: Material possessions will never offer true happiness. Unlike temporary contentment, true happiness is unattainable through materialistic gains or external factors. Guarantee of Material Things Not Bringing Happiness: Material possessions, including knowledge and experiences like travel, are included under 'material' and cannot bring lasting happiness. Understanding this prevents wasting decades chasing after fleeting satisfaction. Ability to Be Happy Alone: Training oneself to be content sitting alone, doing nothing, is critical for true happiness rather than seeking temporary excitement from social interactions or activities. Simple and Spartan Lifestyle: Maintaining a minimalist lifestyle, free from excess physical clutter and social commitments, is vital to have the time for self-improvement practices like meditation and spirituality. Practical Application Through Techniques: Theory alone is insufficient; 95% of results come from practicing techniques like psychedelics, meditation, meditative yoga, journaling, contemplation, visualization, and solo retreats. Avoid Converting Teachings Into Ideologies: Actualized.org is not meant to be a rigid system. The teachings should be applied thoughtfully and flexibly while being mindful of their limitations and biases. Complexity and Challenge of Life: Life's depth and breadth mean that understanding a few facets is not enough. Realizing this encourages continual exploration and avoids the trap of oversimplification. Commitment to Continual Effort: Acknowledging the complexity of life indicates the need for sustained effort to study, verify, and implement principles, a process that unfolds over years and decades. Remembering Commitments to Growth: Regular engagement with self-improvement content, like Actualized.org, acts as a reminder to stay committed to personal development and avoid falling back into old patterns. Valuing and Applying Teachings for Transformation: The teachings shared can significantly change one's life. A daily commitment to change and active work leads to a powerful and fulfilling life. Avis