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Leo Gura Ego Death & Reality vs. Dream [Part 2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YspFR9JAq3w Introduction to Part 2: The second part of the conversation with Leo Gura continues from where part one ended, exploring the nature of consciousness, and idealism, suggesting that individuals are expressions of God but have forgotten this truth. Curt Jaimungal's role and focus: Curt, a filmmaker with a background in mathematical physics, delves into theories of everything with a focus on the nexus between consciousness and theoretical physics. He shares his intent to examine these subjects with rigor and clarity. Interview dynamics and length: The interview is noted as the longest Curt has had, characterized by reflective pauses and moments of fervor that he chose to retain in the recording for their expressiveness. Recommendation for audience engagement: Curt encourages the audience to engage in deeper conversations on related subjects through the podcast's Discord and subreddit and thanks patrons and sponsors for their support. Sponsors' support for exploration: The support from sponsors like Algo, Brilliant, and Project Transcend is acknowledged, as it enables the podcast to delve into topics such as consciousness and various theories in theoretical physics. Curt's acknowledgments and reflections: He offers thanks to those who introduced him to Leo's content and reviewers who provided analysis of the previous interview, committing to better internalize and communicate Leo's teachings. Discussion approach and self-critique: Curt recognizes his own tendencies during the interviews, such as being overly contentious and neglecting to fully appreciate and convey Leo's points, pledging to improve future discussions by embracing Leo's terminology and ideas more openly. Balancing objections with openness: Curt admits his challenge in balancing skepticism with genuine truth-seeking, aiming to alter his approach by similarly considering what is right about Leo's perspective, not just potential flaws. Comments moderation policy: Curt explains his policy of engagement with audience comments, differentiating between critiques directed at himself versus ad hominem comments toward Leo, aiming to foster constructive discourse. Uniform oneness and fractal reality: The infinite field of consciousness must construct differences to manifest varied experiences, much like the Big Bang transitioning from oneness to a diverse universe. God's desire for exploration: Like a mathematician fascinated by the infinite intricacies of numbers, God explores its own finite aspects, desiring granularity over abstract infinity. Human vs. God imagination: Humans imagine within physical and societal constraints, but from the God perspective, there are no limits to manifesting entire universes or new experiences. Psychosis and societal norms: Those with unbounded imaginations, like individuals experiencing psychosis, often find difficulty adhering to the consensus reality and can face institutionalization or exclusion. Survival and maintaining humanness: The limited scope of human imagination is tethered to the necessity of maintaining a coherent human experience and aligns with societal survival mechanisms. The responsibility to explore: Despite the limitless imagination from the divine viewpoint, humans face the responsibility of staying grounded in consensus reality to function and survive. Imagining new realities: God's boundless imagination can envision anything, including new universes or continents, transcending the limitations of human conceptualization. Constrained human imagination: Humans are limited in what they can imagine, as losing grasp on consensus reality can lead to dysfunction and being labeled as psychotic or schizophrenic. Survival's grip on imagination: The attachment to survival constrains our ability to experience reality beyond the physical; fear of death roots us in this dream life, preventing exploration of infinite possibilities across universes. Disclaimer for at-risk individuals: Leo issues a warning that those with mental instability or contemplating suicide should be cautious with these concepts and anchor themselves in reality to handle survival basics. Life's value amidst non-duality: While reality is a dream and life may seem insignificant from an absolute point of view, Leo urges valuing life as a precious gift, maintaining good health, and not succumbing to harm based on philosophical explorations. Relative vs. absolute perspectives on life and death: Actions like suicide are neither fundamentally wrong nor right, fitting within infinite reality; the decision is relative, with Leo finding reasons such as terminal illness sometimes justifiable, but generally advocating for appreciating life's beauty. Interplay between evidence and definitions of God: Echoing Tyler Goldstein's sentiment, Leo suggests that a lack of evidence for God should inspire a transformation of the definition of God, emphasizing truth-seeking over god-seeking and staying open to surprises on the spiritual journey. Unknown specifics within infinity: Leo distinguishes between general omniscience, realizing the concept of infinity, and specific omniscience, which details exact knowledge of events or entities; he admits many individual aspects of existence remain mysterious even when aware of infinity. Illusions of objective reality: The consensus concept of objective reality is questioned as layers of shared imagination create illusionary objectivity, highlighting the challenge in distinguishing between vivid dreams and waking life cohesion. Differentiating degrees and kinds: Curt explores the question of when differences in degree between entities or phenomena translate into differences of a fundamentally different kind, a notion not fully appreciated in debates like pro-life vs. pro-choice or the analogy between dream states and waking life. Imagination and distinction: Leo addresses the question of difference and imagination, explaining that differences are relative and subject to how they're delineated by the mind, which can alter some boundaries, like the definition of when life begins, while others, like physical separations, are more fixed by universal laws or physics. Cohesion and consistency in reality: He elaborates on why reality feels solid and persistent, contrasting this with the fluidity of dreams. Cohesion and consistency are crucial for constructing a reality indistinguishable from a dream without glitches, which requires a consistent dreaming process. Hallucination and material reality: Psychedelics are discussed as tools that reveal the malleable nature of material reality, challenging materialist perspectives and forcing a reevaluation of the solidity of reality constructs, such as the brain or atoms. Literality of labels: Leo argues that labels like "real" and "unreal" are variable and that reality is an interplay of imagination where even constructs like Santa Claus can be real in the context of consciousness, highlighting the need for a worldview adjustment when we redefine terms. Academic attachment to model of reality: He critiques the academic and scientific tendency to rigidly anchor reality in concepts like materialism, which filter out experiences that don't fit within their paradigm, warning that this approach limits our understanding of an infinite reality. Dissolving physical limitations: Leo explains that through the expansion of consciousness and the use of psychedelics, even seemingly solid physical boundaries can begin to dissolve, similar to experiences in dreams, illustrating the influence of imagination on perception. Permanence of differences: By using the example of one's wife vs. Santa Claus, Leo contends that differences we perceive as permanent are actually variable, subject to change under different conditions, and that materialists err in assuming the fundamental permanence of such distinctions. Literal interpretation of scientific rigor: Scientists often believe in the rigorousness of their fields, like mathematics and logic, but Leo argues that the perceived concreteness is an illusion; even quantum mechanics involves metaphorical explanations. Limitation of the scientific mindset: A rigorous approach to reality creates a self-fulfilling prophecy, where a scientist's expectation of strictness and precision shapes their perception, leading to a reality that reflects these biases, similar to a conspiracy theorist creating a paranoid worldview. Construct awareness: Leo emphasizes a developmental stage called "construct awareness," where individuals realize how their minds construct their perceived reality. Most scientists have not reached this stage, hindering their ability to transcend materialism and fully understand the infinite nature of reality. Ego's defense mechanisms: The mind-scientific or otherwise-constructs a limited reality and defends this model by denying or discrediting experiences that contradict it, creating a hermetically sealed worldview. Problems with logicism and paradoxes: Leo discusses historical attempts, such as Gottlob Frege's, to base all of mathematics on logic, which were undermined by paradoxes like Russell's Paradox. Such endeavors reveal the impossibility of fully capturing infinite truths within finite logical systems. Inadequacy of logical proofs: Proofs depend on the prior existence of truth. Leo criticizes the common assumption that every truth must be provable, suggesting instead the recognition of truths beyond provability and the limitations of reason. Limits of consistency and provability: Gödel's incompleteness theorem, which trades off between consistency and provability, underlines limitations. When discussing logic, Leo points out that accepting contradictions opens up infinite possibilities, which is more reflective of reality's true nature. Contradictions in logic as a pathway to infinity: Leo explains that contradictions allow for the recognition of infinite possibilities beyond what a finite logical system can accommodate, consistent with the infinite nature of reality. Limits of scientific models: Leo argues that scientific methods are useful within restrictions but fail to grasp the full complexity of reality, particularly in the realms of quantum mechanics where classical concepts don't apply. Ontological presuppositions in science: There is a dissonance where scientists claim to avoid ontological assumptions while implicitly operating within them, restricting the scope and limiting the understanding of relational reality versus objectivity. Scientism versus pure investigation: Leo differentiates between science entangled with ontological assumptions and the pure process of investigation free from metaphysical biases, suggesting that the former can hinder the discovery of deeper truths. Ontological assumptions in science: Scientists often unconsciously adopt a certain ontology and may be defensive and unaware of it, which can limit the scope and application of science. Materialist exploratory limitations: The process of debunking supernatural explanations (e.g., fairies, angels) through materialism and logic does not guarantee that this approach can be extended to the entire universe, as reality is infinite and science assumes a finite reality. Infinite versus finite methodologies: Since reality is infinite, using science-a finite method-to grasp all of reality is fundamentally flawed. Science is useful for understanding parts of reality but fails to address questions like "Why is there something rather than nothing?" Identifying limits of scientific inquiry: It's challenging to predetermine which questions science can or cannot answer. This meta-scientific question reveals the testing limits of scientific methods, as fully exploring and applying science to the universe is near-impossible. Science's sneaky ontology: Science often denies inconsistencies within itself and covertly brings in ontological assumptions about separate, discrete objects that it cannot prove-e.g., one's body being distinct from another's. Construct-aware science: Science should become construct-aware, recognizing how it constructs nature in the process of scientific inquiry. Transforming science's foundational philosophy and epistemology can enable groundbreaking research. Confusing models with reality: Science may claim not to make ontological claims and only provides models for predictions. However, Leo asserts science does make ontological claims by denying areas where it is inconsistent, failing to grasp its own construction of reality. Merging East and West knowledge: The integration of Western and Eastern perspectives is key, as Western philosophy and mysticism contain ideas typically associated with Eastern thought, challenging the East versus West dichotomy in understanding reality. Leo's synthesis of Eastern and Western philosophies: Despite the perception that Eastern philosophy is more aligned with his ideas, Leo asserts that his teachings are not novel but are rooted in the wisdom of Western philosophers, Christian mystics, and Sufi and Jewish mystics, advocating for a unified view of wisdom across cultures. The importance of progress: Leo embraces the Western concept of evolution and progress but redefines its purpose as an evolution towards higher consciousness and love. He emphasizes that progress is intrinsic to human and societal development. Compatibility of Leo's ideas with Western values: While acknowledging the material benefits of Western civilization, Leo sees a need to reintegrate the spiritual elements back into Western society to create a balance between material and spiritual development. Reconciling notions of progress with spirituality: Leo explains that understanding evolution from a spiritual perspective gives deeper meaning to Western scientific advancements, suggesting an evolutionary purpose and a target for humanity. Perpetuation of evolution and scientific advancement: Leo expects that future societies will not abandon material advancements like science, politics, and capitalism but will evolve to include mystical understanding. Progress in cognitive and moral development: Highlighting the importance of models from developmental psychology, Leo points to evidence of societal progress in increasing construct awareness and meta-thinking, as well as in fortifying pluralism, reduced discrimination, and an expanding sense of global ethics. Eastern and Western conceptions of reality: Leo finds the Eastern notion of a protean, cyclic reality fashionable, but believes the Western concept of a linear, distinct reality with moral absolutes also holds value, implying the necessity to merge both perspectives for a comprehensive worldview. Retaining Western advancements: Leo asserts that advancements from the Western tradition need not be lost; instead, they should be woven with spiritual understanding, alluding to a harmonious evolution of both material and spiritual dimensions within society. Absolute vs. relative insights: Distinguishing between absolute truths about the nature of existence and relative perspectives on societal matters, Leo acknowledges that his views on the latter may evolve while his understanding of absolutes like God or infinity remain unchanged. Anti-fragile nature of humanity: Leo believes mankind is exceptionally resilient due to selfishness, which paradoxically prevents self-destruction and ensures survival despite causing harm through actions like environmental damage or warfare. Self-correcting mechanism: He views humanity as inherently capable of learning from mistakes, implying that as pain from issues like climate change is felt, society will mobilize and enact change, showing an upward trend in collective conscious awareness. Learning through suffering: Suffering is seen as a key driver of human growth, with Leo suggesting that while wisdom can enable learning without suffering, most of humanity needs painful experiences to evolve. Metaphysical necessity of pain: Though suffering is not deemed metaphysically necessary for AI, Leo views it as vital for human psychological development given current evolutionary constraints. Feasibility of mind uploading: Leo dismisses the materialist pursuit of mind uploading as naive, criticizing figures like Ray Kurzweil for misunderstanding consciousness. He likens the ego, which materialists attempt to upload, to an illusory concept akin to Santa Claus. Exploring consciousness beyond computers: Leo promotes spiritual practices like meditation and psychedelics over technological advancements, suggesting they offer deeper insights into consciousness than computational means. Future consciousness exploration: He envisions a transformative future where genetic understanding of consciousness might create mystic generations capable of evolving human awareness far beyond current limitations. Experiencing versus understanding consciousness: Leo differentiates between the experience of consciousness and the empirical study of its architecture, suggesting a blend of spiritual experience and material study is necessary to truly understand consciousness. Science and metaphysics evolution: Leo and Curt discuss the evolution and integration of scientific understanding and metaphysical insights, emphasizing a balance between scientific models and direct spiritual experiences. Distinction between science and psychic realms: Physical reality, like the motion of the moon, appears consistent and deterministic, whereas psychic phenomena resemble uncertain quantum states, producing only probabilistic intuitions that are not guaranteed. Denial of psychic phenomena by materialists: Psychic phenomena have been statistically validated, but materialist scientists deny them to preserve their paradigm. They require paradigm opening before accepting such evidence. Open-mindedness and extraordinary evidence: Extraordinary evidence necessitates an extraordinarily open mind. Materialists mistakenly believe closed-minded scrutiny suffices for understanding extraordinary claims, underestimating the role of mindset in acknowledging evidence. Materialistic standards conflict with non-materialistic phenomena: Materialism's rigid standards fail to accommodate non-materialistic domains like psychic phenomena, hindering recognition of existing evidence. Empirical verification of God through psychedelics: Using psychedelics like 5-MeO-DMT can empirically reveal the existence of God. Materialists reject this method as hallucinatory, but scientific integrity requires practical application of the method before dismissing its validity. Consistency of psychedelic experiences: Leo states all psychedelics lead him to a state of infinite consciousness or love, with the type of psychedelic merely altering the "flavor" of the experience. Transformation through challenges: By directly confronting deep-seated fears like insanity, one gains empathy and a deeper appreciation for sanity and reality, despite potential loss of rationality or functionality. Limitations of language in expressing truth: Leo stresses the importance of experiencing states of consciousness beyond linguistic constructs to understand reality's transformative power, as language and concepts are insufficient in capturing profound realizations. Spiritual and intuitive inquiry: Curt clarifies his pursuit is not solely about building rational models but also involves intuition and judgment, recognizing that meaningful aspects of life transcend strict rationality. Critiques based on worldview differences: Some view Leo's insights as beyond Curt's rational model-focused approach, but Curt emphasizes his broader interest in truth and awakening beyond formal models. Models versus actuality: Leo cautions that a Theory of Everything is a concept, emphasizing the distinction between concepts and the true nature of being, advising truth seekers to focus on fundamental reality. Extraordinary open-mindedness as a prerequisite for insights: The acceptance of unusual phenomena like psychic experiences depends on an open-minded approach, contrasting with the skeptical framework that predetermines outcomes based on existing beliefs. Changeability of the mind: Despite its stubbornness, the human mind can change given sufficient experience, exemplified by Leo's shift from materialism to a belief in God following a profound experience. Experience vs. belief: Direct experience always trumps belief, and individuals will change long-held beliefs when confronted with undeniable evidence, yet the mind resists experiences that could challenge its current worldviews. Materialist perspectives and avoidance: The materialist mind may avoid experiences that challenge its skepticism, such as attending 'hippie-dippy' events associated with psychedelics, due to preconceived notions of what is unscientific or a waste of time. Michael Shermer's openness: Skeptic Michael Shermer surprisingly attends Deepak Chopra's meditation retreats despite apparent ideological differences, indicating an openness to experiences beyond his usual skepticism. Beliefs shaping reality: Leo clarifies that while reality is ultimately imaginary, believing alone doesn't materialize desires like wealth. Imagination is deeper than belief, and while both a chair and Santa Claus are imaginary, Santa is a weaker form of imagination under ego control, unlike the chair which is part of a universal imagination. The ego's control and definition of reality: The ego defines reality based on what it does not control, which is typically outside the individual's influence-what the ego perceives as objective reality. Ego perception and self-bias: The ego perceives reality selfishly, corrupting the understanding of good, love, and reality itself by defining them in terms that benefit it personally. Control, omnipotence, and belief in finitude: Omnipotence implies indistinction between the controller and the controlled, but believing oneself to be a finite form, like a human body, naturally limits control. Skepticism and worldview: Genuine skepticism involves questioning even one's skeptical worldview, recognizing that it often serves as a defense mechanism rooted in fear and not a path to ultimate truth. Fear and its impact on truth-seeking: Fear is antithetical to genuine truth-seeking as it often signifies a rejection of uncomfortable or challenging aspects of reality, whereas genuine pursuit of truth accepts reality no matter the cost. Science and its assumed path to truth: Leo challenges the assumption that science necessarily leads to truth, suggesting that scientists need to be willing to accept that science, as a methodology, could be a delusion if ultimate truth demands it. Leo's perspective on truth and selfishness: Leo discusses the connection between fear and truth, indicating that fear is an avoidance of one's infinite self, which is the truth. All fears are ultimately unfounded since they are based on imagined distinctions that do not exist in a state of infinite consciousness. Fear of losing self in the pursuit of truth: Leo and Curt explore the fear associated with pursuing truth, contemplating the implications of shedding all selfishness as potentially leading to self-destructive actions. This highlights the deep existential concern that without selfishness, one might act in ways that are contrary to personal survival and well-being. Dynamics of fear in relationship to awakening: Truth is equated with infinite love, and falsely perceiving differences in experiences as good or bad breeds fear. An awakened state is characterized by the absence of fear, as one recognizes all experiences as equal manifestations of the infinite self. Balance between love and survival: The conversation touches on the nature of reality as a game, where the avoidance of infinite love equates to a necessary survival mechanism. Leo sees this reluctance to face truth as a fundamental aspect of life and a way to maintain existence. Surrender to truth as equivalent to truth-seeking: Leo defines surrendering as the act of fully accepting reality as it is, which equates to seeking truth. Ego resists this surrender due to its perceived need for control and survival. Metaphor of Satan/Lucifer for ego: The figures of Satan and Lucifer are described as symbols for the ego's illusion of separatism and control-representing the ego's attempt to dominate its own realm contrary to the boundlessness of truth. Dichotomy between philosophical denial of free will and behavior: Atheists like Sam Harris may intellectually deny free will but still behave as if they exercise control, displaying cognitive dissonance. Leo discusses that despite philosophical beliefs, everyday reactions suggest an underlying expectation of control. Cognitive dissonance between belief and behavior: Leo illustrates how the ego creates complex ideologies that obscure the connection between worldview and suffering, culminating in cognitive dissonance where actions contradict proclaimed beliefs. Difficulty of separating concepts and being: Leo explains the challenge of using language that inherently suggests separateness, distinguishing between upper case "You" representing the all-encompassing self and lower case "you" denoting individual identity within the larger universal context. Science creating distinctions: Science relies on distinguishing between what's considered scientific and non-scientific (pseudoscience), upholding a dichotomy that defines science's boundaries. Reality inclusive of non-science: However, science's denial of non-scientific elements, like Santa Claus, is a denial of aspects of reality, as all things are part of reality – even those deemed non-scientific by its standards. Science of conceptual entities: The possibility of a valid scientific exploration of conceptual entities like unicorns exists, which differs from their physical existence, focusing instead on their conceptualization within reality. Encountering worldview contradictions: When faced with ideas that contradict one's worldview, the response may be to embrace contradictions or claim that these contradictions paradoxically support one's existing beliefs. Authority in determining truth: Seeking an external authority for truth is common, but non-duality suggests that truth must come from within as all distinctions, including authority, collapse, leaving only the self as the judge of truth. Self-authority as the ultimate truth: In non-duality, since God (the infinite self) has no outside, it has no external authority; thus, whatever God (the individual) deems true becomes its reality – showcasing the infinite power of self-authority. God's capacity for self-deception: Despite God's infinite authority, it can deceive itself indefinitely, conjuring its own reality based on its imaginations, which for the finite self (lowercase 'u') may be construed as delusions. Lowercase 'u' vs. uppercase 'U': There is a distinction between truth from the finite, individual self (lowercase 'u') and the infinite self (uppercase 'U' or God) with the latter being fully authoritative in its declarations of truth. Hermetically sealed worldviews: Individuals create closed-off systems of belief, mistaking them for the ultimate reality, while non-duality reveals the capacity to construct and deconstruct such systems. Love as the essence of reality: Addressing the nature of God and truth, Leo explains that the essence of reality is infinite love, challenging the constraints of isolationist and finite perspectives. Dynamic of surrender and spiritual growth: The journey towards infinite love involves continuously surrendering finite definitions of self, progressing to a state of peace where all perspectives, even conflicting ones, can be accepted without defense. Self-criticism as an indicator of care: The act of self-criticism implies an underlying sense of care and correct orientation, suggesting a person's conscientiousness despite potential over-seriousness in personal evaluation. Guilt and developmental stages: Guilt is recognized as evolutionarily necessary at lower levels of development to confront ego-driven actions, but higher spiritual realizations require self-acceptance and the cessation of self-judgment. Complexity of guilt dynamics: The spiritual journey involves a paradox where recognizing one's flaws calls for self-love and self-forgiveness, even in the face of egregious missteps, which challenges societal norms and traditional religious precepts. True integration of Christian teachings: Leo explains that fully embracing Christian teachings means loving oneself unconditionally despite one's flaws, yet not using this as justification for harmful actions. Social acceptance vs spiritual honesty: Expressing the philosophy of self-acceptance can be socially threatening, as it seems to offer a carte blanche for sin, which society construes as dangerous for collective thriving. Concept of sin and societal constructs: Leo discusses sin as a societal construct meant to facilitate legal and social order, suggesting that a deeper understanding and release of the concept may paradoxically lead to more virtuous behavior. Karmic consequences of labeling sin: The labeling of actions as 'sinful' sets up a karmic dynamic where one sees reality through a moralistic filter, creating cycles of guilt and self-recrimination. Self-forgiveness amidst serious mistakes: Leo emphasizes the importance of maintaining love for oneself even after serious errors, viewing this acceptance as a pathway toward spiritual growth and evolution. Upholding moral standards while embracing non-duality: Leo acknowledges the difficulty of reconciling the non-dualistic acceptance of all facets of oneself with societal norms that demand moral accountability and condemnation of wrongdoing. Challenging conventional views of divine encounters: Leo redefines typical responses to divine encounters, suggesting one need not apologize or feel sorry to God, as the assumption of sin and the accompanying guilt are unnecessary in the face of divine acceptance. Seeing all as divine, including Jesus and Hitler: Leo states that all beings are divine, including historical figures like Jesus and Hitler, noting that recognizing the divinity in oneself and in all is integral to spiritual awakening. Jungian shadow integration related to God-realization: He links the process of integrating one's shadow with the realization of God, suggesting embracing all aspects of oneself, even those labeled as evil or unwanted, is essential for true love and understanding. Asymptotic process of shadow integration: The full integration of one's shadow is described as an ongoing, asymptotic process that never quite reaches completeness but continuously evolves toward greater wholeness. Spiritual realization as a choice free from compulsion: Leo stresses that the pursuit of truth, awakening, or God should be a voluntary choice motivated by intrinsic desire and not out of obligation or forced reasoning. Personal integration of honesty for spiritual advance: Honesty is underscored as vital for spiritual advancement, with Leo recalling a personal experience where acknowledging his own deceptions was a prerequisite for further development. The foundational role of honesty: Honesty serves as a foundational principle for approaching truth and facilitates a clearer perception of reality, essential for both spiritual and personal growth. Lies, karma, and self-deception: Lies mix selfish intent with truth, and perpetuating them creates suffering and distortion of reality-this karmic dynamic is intrinsic to ego-based deception and is countered by honesty. Weaponization of ideals: Leo illustrates how partial truths can be twisted to fit one's worldview, like a vaping CEO dismissing studies for self-preservation. This self-deception involves first lying to oneself, then others, often unconsciously, and becomes the foundation for a distorted perception of reality. Consequences of deep lies: Living a life built on deep lies one cannot face has profound karmic repercussions, as it forces one to avoid the truth and hold a skewed view of concepts such as science, leading to an ongoing conflict with reality. Survival conflicts with truth: The ego's survival instinct can create a conflict of interest, leading to a denial of facts that threaten one's livelihood or deep-seated beliefs, often resulting in a twisted worldview that rationalizes personal agendas. Self-deception and devilry: The most insidious form of deception is the strategic intertwining of truth with lies, carried out by the ego to justify selfishness under the guise of partial truths, a process Leo defines as "devillery." Finite versus infinite: Leo discusses the sinfulness associated with finiteness, suggesting that conflating the part for the whole leads to problems, akin to the Gnostic view that materiality is sinful. Leo advises recognizing the holographic nature of reality, where each part reflects the whole, thus bridging the apparent gap between the finite and infinite. Holism versus fragmentation: Leo posits that ultimate truth lies in holistic perception, while fragmentation and focusing on parts as complete "wholes" results in falsehood, similar to how science might propose it can understand everything. Lies tied to finiteness: Curt Jaimungal questions the connection between lies (which he associates with finite aspects) and sin, proposing that finite elements and temporality may be intimately linked to what's considered sinful. Leo confirms this, explaining the concept of holography in consciousness, where every part, even something as small as a charger cable, carries infinity within it, challenging the notion that finiteness is inherently profane. Curt's approach to interviews: Curt recognizes the need to focus on what is right about a speaker's points and rephrase them in an agreeable way, rather than just pointing out contradictions. Literal mindedness and scientific attitude: Leo observes that scientifically minded individuals can be overly literal, expecting reality to follow simple binary logic like ones and zeros in a computer, but human minds function in a much looser way. Computational models of reality: In response to computational approaches to theorizing about reality, Leo points to chaos theory's proof that you can't predict systems like weather long-term because of the butterfly effect, supporting computational irreducibility as recognized by Wolfram. Models vs. reality and their limitations: Leo cautions about getting too lost in models to the point of ignoring the actual world. He states that models are crucial, but not infinite, and cannot predict everything or reach infinity. Map vs. territory concept: Leo discusses how models (maps) can become so detailed that people might forget to experience real life (the territory), warning against becoming too absorbed in models to the detriment of engaging with the actual world. Impact of isolation and shallowness of social interactions: Leo admits a preference for deeper engagements with reality over shallow social interactions, explaining why some mystics seek isolation. However, he doesn't advocate total disengagement and values connecting with all types of people. Flip side of isolation: Curt self-reflects on his personal antisocial tendencies, valuing deeper connections with family, and the impacts of projecting onto others, recognizing the potential to push oneself toward social engagements as a spiritual practice. Pressures and temptations for the wealthy: Curt speculates on the additional spiritual challenges faced by the wealthy, noting that material abundance can make spiritual focus more difficult, contradicting the common dismissal of the rich as merely materialistic. Handling ego and spiritual growth alongside everyday life: Both Curt and Leo discuss the challenge of maintaining spiritual growth and applying it in practical aspects like business, family, and politics, without retreating into monk-like isolation. Models, precision, and the trap of detail: Leo advises Curt to balance the big picture with the attention to detail, expressing concern that exclusive focus on conceptual work may hinder personal spiritual awakening. The 'better the model, the bigger the problem' view: Leo introduces the idea that highly refined models can become a hindrance rather than an aid in understanding reality, as they may draw attention away from direct experience and interaction with the world. Effects of fame on Leo Gura's social life: Leo reminisces about a time when he was more publicly recognized, noting a decrease in such occurrences as his content delved into niche subjects. Views on personal vices and habits: Leo discusses his perspective on watching porn and eating meat, explaining that he doesn't see such activities as detrimental to his spirituality and acknowledging the healthy push towards vegetarianism. Spirituality in unconventional spaces: Leo shares experiences of discussing spirituality in places like strip clubs, indicating that profound insights about the divine can emerge even in seemingly unlikely or non-traditional settings. Jailbreaking the mind: The process of spiritual growth and ego death can be likened to jailbreaking a phone, which carries inherent risks and may lead to detrimental outcomes if not done carefully. Fear of negative consequences: Curt expresses a concern that fully surrendering to what he perceives as God's will could result in harmful actions like suicide or harming others, revealing a profound fear of trusting himself and the world. Attachment and prioritization: Curt admits his attachment to his wife and life, suggesting that his reluctance to change or surrender these attachments indicates a prioritization of survival over spiritual truth. Facing physical death and the leap of faith: Leo insists that confronting physical death is essential for experiencing God, and true awakening requires accepting the risk of death and being willing to "jump" into infinite love. Rapid-fire questions and focus on Leo: Despite intentions to discuss more personal aspects of Leo, the conversation delves deeper into his spiritual ideas with rapid-fire questions on his perspective and experiences. Challenges in promoting a Theory of Everything: Leo offers advice to individuals like Steve Scully, who propose theories of everything but struggle to gain recognition, suggesting a long-term commitment to developing and sharing their theories instead of seeking instant validation. Information sorting and fringe theories: The challenge faced by individuals like Curt in deciding which theories to explore, amidst an abundance of both serious and crackpot ideas, is outlined, emphasizing the importance of careful discernment and the evolving ability to recognize valuable theories. Personal examples of fear and ego management: Curt shares his fears around engaging deeply with spiritual topics, including the concern of self-harm or harming others, as well as the difficulty of managing his ego post-psychedelic experience. Popularizing personal theories: Leo emphasizes that success and recognition in sharing theories require persistent self-promotion and providing value rather than relying on a single influential person to "put you on." He encourages creators to continuously work hard and explore multiple avenues, such as reaching out to various influencers, starting one's own channel, or offering unique value to potential collaborators. Persistence despite rejection: Leo advises those facing rejection not to be discouraged but to persist and increase their efforts in promoting their work, suggesting that the more effort one puts in, the more likely luck will favor them. Offering value for collaboration: When seeking opportunities for collaboration or promotion, Leo highlights the importance of offering something of value in return, whether through bringing subscribers, sending gifts, or other means that can appeal to the potential collaborator's interests. Evolution from indie filmmaking to TOE: Curt reflects on his transition from indie filmmaking, abbreviated as "if TOE," to working on theories of everything ("TOE"), seeing it as symbolic of his growing open-mindedness and readiness to embrace broader understandings. Staying still while recording videos: Leo shares that sitting during recordings helps maintain a still posture and avoids distractions like looking at oneself, which ensures a focused and engaged delivery to the camera. Challenges of non-linear thinking in public speaking: Leo discusses his biggest speaking challenge-maintaining structure in his speeches due to his highly nonlinear and intuitive mind that naturally explores various threads and tangents of thought. Perception of own influence and followers: Leo reveals that the amazement of having a large following fades over time as one gets accustomed to it; he also addresses the dangers of ego inflation from fan admiration and the necessity of balanced feedback. Viewing critics as trolls: Curt considers taking serious criticism as a means of improvement, while Leo suggests that some critics are indeed trolls and that it's necessary to differentiate between constructive criticism and non-helpful negativity. Using spirituality to avoid psychological issues: Spiritual bypassing is discussed as the misuse of spirituality to evade addressing personal problems, implying that genuine spiritual growth requires confronting one's shadow and working through psychological challenges. Questioning the necessity of suffering for spiritual growth: Leo questions the belief that suffering is necessary to attain spiritual heights, warning against self-fulfilling prophecies and encouraging a recognition that spiritual awakening can happen easily for some people. Reinforcement of perception: The way you perceive the world often reinforces itself – difficulties can become self-fulfilling prophecies based on one's mindset, advising caution against negative outlooks. Advice to younger generations: Leo emphasizes the practical value of imparting wisdom to youth so they can avoid repeating historical mistakes and navigate life more effectively, recognizing the importance of learning from elders and ancestral wisdom as crucial. Increasing disregard for wisdom: Discusses the modern cultural decline in the appreciation of wisdom, exacerbated by social media and other influences, making a case for why wisdom, even within academia, is crucial and should not be hastily discarded. Idealized views of spiritual figures: Misconceptions about Jesus and Buddha are likely due to the development of myths over time, with actual historical knowledge quite scant, suggesting that if details of their lives were known, they'd seem less deified and more human. Jesus's special consciousness: While everyone embodies divinity in some sense, Leo speculates that Jesus possibly had a uniquely high baseline consciousness with paranormal abilities, illustrated through variability in human traits such as height and cognition. Thumbnail selection process: Leo actively collects various images online and from stock photo sites, keeping them for future video topics. He occasionally modifies images in Photoshop, aligning with his aesthetic orientation and graphic design experience. Video preparation method: Leo combines both premeditated outline preparation and spontaneous expression during recordings. For technical subjects, he prepares outlines but prefers improv as it yields more organic insights, albeit with the risk of missing key points. Video recording technique: Videos are shot in a single take without edits, a skill developed over time akin to live public speaking. Leo uses a teleprompter-like setup with a two-way mirror for notes, enabling a natural flow. Opinion on UFOs and altered states for contact: Personal lack of experience with UFOs but believes in their existence due to the abundance of reports across time and cultures. Claims the difficulty of capturing fast-moving objects like UFOs on camera should not dismiss their existence. Open to the idea that altered states or specific methodologies like CE5 could potentially facilitate contact with extraterrestrial entities. Spiritual perfection and imperfection: Leo points out that even entities recognized as spiritually elevated, like Jesus or the Buddha, likely had imperfections, and their historical depictions are probably idealized, with actual videos likely showing them as less divine than portrayed. Jesus's unique abilities: Speculates that Jesus had extraordinary conscious and mystical abilities due to genetic makeup, possibly healing certain individuals which contributed to his supernatural reputation. Content creation and selection process: Describes an aesthetic approach to choosing thumbnails for videos, accumulating a collection of images for future use, and personally modifying them to fit video themes. Non-edited recordings: Leo recounts his practice of recording videos without cuts similar to live public speaking, which has improved his articulation over time. Acknowledging the existence of UFOs: Leo believes in the plausibility of UFOs, acknowledging the challenge in capturing them on camera, and suggests personal experiences strongly influence an individual's belief in such phenomena. Riffing vs. outlining for content delivery: Mentions a balance between pre-contemplation and casual delivery of content, with some topics requiring detailed preparation, while others benefit from impromptu speaking for authenticity. Critique of UFO skepticism: Challenges the idea that all UFO evidence is unconvincing or hoaxed, considering the technical difficulties of photographing fast-moving objects and the substantial anecdotal evidence suggesting their reality. Occam's Razor Misapplication: Leo considers the dismissal of UFOs as a misuse of Occam's Razor. He believes that given the vast number of stars and planets, the existence of aliens is highly probable, challenging the simplistic application of this principle by skeptics. Bayesian Reasoning Flaws: Leo criticizes Bayesian reasoning for being susceptible to subjective biases. It assumes starting probabilities that cannot be known and is affected by the reference class problem, making it unreliable for making conclusions about phenomena like UFOs. Probability Assessment Challenge: Discussing the issue of assigning probabilities to unique events, Leo notes the inherent difficulty in determining the chances of occurrences like UFO sightings and points out how personal experiences can drastically alter someone's perceived probability of such events. Intuition as Consciousness Access: Leo describes intuition as an aspect of consciousness that allows for logical leaps without a formal pattern. It's an irreducibly mysterious element he ties to infinite intelligence, and while he believes intuition can be developed, he refrains from recommending specific books on the topic. Role of Arts in Awakening: Leo sees beauty as fundamental to reality and ties art to participating in the creative process of God. He views art, including music, films, and his own work, as expressions of God's creative power and encourages people to treat every aspect of life, from business to cooking, as an art form for a fulfilling existence. Art and Psychedelics: Addressing the appreciation of art under the influence of psychedelics, Leo discusses the ability to perceive beauty in all forms, and the shift in perception that allows even the mundane to appear divine. He suggests that all music, including "left-brain" music, can be experienced as profound under psychedelics. Experiencing Psychedelic-Induced Psychosis: Leo talks about his states of madness during mushroom trips, describing them as humbling and developing empathy for those with mental illnesses. He emphasizes the importance of facing fears of insanity and learning from the experience. Sanity Appreciation: He reflects on the value of sanity, which is often taken for granted until lost. Leo stresses that losing sanity briefly aids in understanding its importance and appreciating the grounding and coherence it provides. Ontology and Epistemology Coupling: In the CTMU, ontology and epistemology are understood to be inseparably coupled, a contrast to their traditional separation. Chris Langan suggests that through truths like Gödel's incompleteness theorem, reality can't fully be explained by reason alone. Language and Non-Language: Leo warns about equating everything with language or reason, as he differentiates between human language and other forms of expression, which can include experiences beyond language. He invites those engaged in logical or conceptual work, like followers of the CTMU, to attain states of consciousness where language doesn't apply, enriching their understanding beyond linguistic constructs. Psychedelics vs. Traditional Enlightenment: Addressing the comparison between psychedelic experiences and traditional forms of enlightenment, Leo clarifies that the core truths of absolute reality are uniform and can be accessed through various means, whether psychedelics or meditation. He emphasizes that while his teachings do not exclusively advocate for psychedelics, they are an accessible tool for those not adept at or committed to profound meditative practices. Relativity of Spiritual Practice: Leo agrees with the premise that attempting to bring the absolute into the relative is somewhat delusional, given the illusory nature of separation. However, he portrays this process as a personal and deliberate choice of delusion for one's own sake – a conscious game rather than a genuine effort to convert others who, from a non-dual standpoint, don't exist separately. Possibility of Perfect Embodiment: Leo is open to the idea that it could be metaphysically possible to embody the absolute perfectly, but pragmatically, he sees this as incredibly challenging due to human limitations. He actively discourages imposing expectations of perfection on oneself or spiritual teachers, recognizing that finite physical and psychological factors inevitably influence one's actions and thoughts. Expectations in Spiritual Teaching: He warns against the trap of using any imperfection in spiritual teachers as evidence to discredit their insights, illustrating the futility and potential ego-serving nature of such critiques. Leo advises a balance between striving for alignment with spiritual truths and exercising compassion towards oneself and others in the face of inevitable human imperfections. Jesus in Modern Times: If Jesus returned to the current era, modern evangelicals might reject him as a communist for advocating to care for the poor. Evolution Beyond Atheism: There's a cognitive development trajectory from fundamentalist Christians, to atheists who question beliefs, to a deeper understanding of God, embodying true Christian values. Sly Answers of Spiritual Figures: Like a Zen master, Jesus avoided affirming or denying claims of being the Son of God, embodying humility and avoiding the egoic pitfalls of explicitly claiming divinity. Teacher-Student Dynamic: Teaching inherently suggests superiority, and some spiritual practitioners may refrain from teaching to avoid these implications and the shortcomings of language in conveying truth. Leo on The Ra Material: Leo finds the core teachings about infinity in The Ra Material aligned with his views, but remains skeptical of its more esoteric claims, such as the construction of the Egyptian pyramids being a manifestation of consciousness rather than built manually. Hypothetical Issue with Leo's Theory: A scenario where a daughter imagines a $100 bill on her desk based on her mother's assertion examines layers of imagination in perception. Leo suggests all parties, including the daughter, mother, and $100 bill, are imagined within imagined layers, challenging the notion of objective reality. Objective Reality and Consensus: The concept of objective reality may relate to multiple layers of mutual imagination. Leo emphasizes reaching an understanding of the absolute, where the distinction between the absolute and notions of objectivity collapses. Leo Gura's Social Manner: Although perceived as serious online, Leo claims to be relaxed and playful in social settings, not always discussing profound topics like God. Social interactions and relatability: In casual social interactions, Leo discusses everyday topics like cat videos instead of deep metaphysical concepts to relate to people on a familiar level, which he finds enjoyable and necessary. Recommendations on psychedelic use to family: Leo has indeed recommended strong psychedelics to his family but does not push them to partake; he respects their individual choices and recognizes his mother's resistance due to traditional views. First-person reality experience: Leo's first-person experience of reality remains visually consistent but has undergone a profound recontextualization; every aspect is now seen as absolute truth, God, and imagination, rather than just a human perception. Perceiving objections as ego defense: When engaging with others, Leo acknowledges valid disagreements and differences in perspective; however, he also recognizes when people's objections stem from ego defenses, though not all objections are seen this way. Navigating arrogance and ego: Leo admits to sometimes feeling arrogant or looking down on others with lower consciousness or wisdom levels; managing this involves cultivating compassion for others' ignorance and recognizing one's own spiritual ego. Approach to justice and punishment: Leo doesn't rule out the death penalty in extreme cases where rehabilitation fails and immediate threat prevention is necessary, but he supports efforts towards rehabilitation consistent with certain Scandinavian models. Distinction between disapproval and condescension: Leo advocates for making survival-based societal decisions, such as imprisonment, without becoming morally superior; he distinguishes between disapproving of someone's actions and condescendingly looking down upon them. Recognizing and overcoming condescension: While truthful judgments about lower levels of consciousness can occur, it's a matter of balance and evolving beyond tendencies to look down on others by empathizing with their circumstances and recognizing the truth in their actions. Admitting personal shortcomings: Leo openly admits to his own shortcomings, recognizing instances where he has unjustly looked down on others and hopes to grow beyond such behavior. Rehabilitation and human error: Leo favors investing in rehabilitation over harsh punishment, understanding human behavior can often be attributed to circumstances beyond one's control, advocating for humane approaches within the justice system. Improvement of mental models: When confronted by others' seemingly poor decisions, rather than assuming superiority, consider updating personal mental models to more empathetically understand their actions. Philosophy of universal goodness: Deepening understanding may lead to the realization that all actions are inherently good, progressing toward the view that everything is absolutely good. Personal standards and self-judgment: Differences in self-regulation are highlighted, with Leo permitting himself occasional "sins" without self-rebuke, trusting in natural outgrowing of such behaviors, while the interviewer maintains tighter self-restraint. Leo's upbringing advantages: A balanced family dysfunction in childhood fostered Leo's independent thinking and work ethic, with his parents not imposing any strict worldviews, aiding in his open-minded development. Cultural perspective from emigration: Moving from Russia to the USA as a child allowed Leo to experience cultural relativism firsthand, understanding American cultural norms as somewhat arbitrary compared to different background. Educational opportunities and challenges: Acknowledges a fortunate upbringing with quality education in Southern California, despite financial challenges, which taught him fiscal responsibility. Attachments to Actualized.org: Leo recognizes his work with Actualized.org as his significant attachment and contemplates the potential need to disengage for further spiritual advancement versus the possibility of expanding his teaching. Treating life purpose as a game: Leo suggests finding fulfillment through engaging in a personal 'art form' that aligns with spiritual development, blending creative endeavors with the pursuit of spirituality. Practicality and spiritual work: Leo admits being practical and grounded in material life benefitted his spiritual work, and it's uncertain whether to pursue a more public teaching role or personal retreat for spiritual advancement. Judging others: Leo still judges others at times, acknowledging it as a work in progress, striving to overcome this behavior as his understanding evolves. He emphasizes that truly comprehensive understanding inherently encompasses empathetic perspectives of universally "good" actions. Leo's perspective on playing life seriously: Leo compares engaging in life to playing a serious game like Dark Souls, advocating for approaching every aspect with intense focus and curiosity. Early involvement in Bioshock Infinite: His initial role in Bioshock Infinite during pre-production was minimal; he contributed to early concept discussions, including proposing the idea of a female companion in the game, inspired by Half-Life 2. Breaking into game design: Leo entered game design through modding, creating a popular mod for Oblivion which he then used as a portfolio to get hired at Irrational Games. Job interview challenges: Sharing his experience with job interviews, particularly one with Todd Howard from Bethesda, Leo reflects on his early lack of interview skills and excitement that hindered his performance. Project development dynamics: Discussing game design processes, Leo describes pre-production stages where a team collaboratively discusses game mechanics, critiques past projects, and ideates future directions around a conference table. Leo's self-acknowledged "vice": Arrogance is identified as Leo's vice, stemming from his quick dismissal of what he perceives as "bullshit" and occasionally looking down on others, citing a developed skill for quickly detecting falsehoods in various domains. Public recognition over time: Leo notes that public recognition has decreased since his content has become more niche and YouTube traffic has grown more competitive; he recalls past experiences of being recognized in public. Personal consumption habits: Leo addresses vices like porn, which he does not view negatively in relation to his spiritual practice, and eating meat, despite a desire to shift toward vegetarianism or veganism for health and ethical reasons. Influence of consumption habits on spirituality: He argues that habits like masturbation do not detract from his consciousness or spiritual practice, and highlights the importance of personal responsibility and genetics in potential addictions. Leo's dietary choices: Due to energy requirements and the physical sensation of cold, Leo's attempts at a vegetarian diet have been unsuccessful. He remains open to alternatives like lab-grown meat but feels technology is not yet advanced enough to adopt fully. Perspectives on the porn industry: Leo has conflicting views on porn; he acknowledges issues in the industry and suggests avoiding it as it might skew perceptions of people as interchangeable. However, he mentions a trend towards user-generated content that reflects genuine relationships, which he views more positively. Preferences for high-quality adult content: Leo considers himself a connoisseur of porn, preferring premium, artistically shot adult content that enhances aesthetic appreciation over typical low-quality material. Finding spirituality in unexpected places: He recounts discussing spirituality and enlightenment with strippers at a Vegas strip club, illustrating his belief that divine understanding can exist in unconventional settings. Leveraging unusual topics to connect with others: Leo finds discussing psychic phenomena and hallucinations to be effective conversation starters, especially with women who are generally open to these topics. Leo's daily routine variability: Health issues cause inconsistency in Leo's routine, leading to days filled with varying activities-including work, relaxation, or coping with poor health-depending on his physical state. Balancing hard work with self-compassion: While Leo has a natural drive to work, he has learned the importance of self-care and compassion, especially regarding health-related limitations. Attachment to work and spiritual depth: Leo acknowledges that his conceptual work and recording videos can hinder deeper spiritual practices, as they involve analytical thinking which needs to be put aside for profound personal development. Embracing intuition alongside rigor: He attributes much of his insight to an intuitive understanding that helps him quickly discern the essence of ideas without getting lost in details, suggesting a balance between holistic intuition and focused study. Leo's perspective on intellectual rigor: Leo debates the merits of intellectual rigor, cautioning that getting lost in the minutiae may prevent one from seeing the bigger picture and reaching the highest level of understanding. Trade-off between details and the big picture: Leo expresses a preference for the big picture rather than getting bogged down in technical details, arguing that you can miss fundamental truths by focusing too much on specificity. Allocating energy between theories and truth: Leo advises Curt to develop a method for managing time and mental resources, warning that an obsession with theories and models can hinder the path to awakening. Curt's dilemma between rigorous study and awakening: Curt expresses concern that his meticulous nature and focus on developing a Theory of Everything could impede personal spiritual growth, potentially perpetuating the intellectual journey without reaching absolute truth. Existential decision on channel focus: Curt considers removing his name from his channel's title to underscore its goal-oriented nature and his role in contributing to the quest for a Theory of Everything, reflecting on whether he'll be the one to achieve it or pass the baton to another. Awakening's impact on Curt's work: Leo conveys that achieving awakening would significantly empower Curt's work, providing a unique perspective valuable to the scientific community, and marking not an end but a renaissance for his personal endeavors. Negative feedback and personal transformation: Leo shares experiences of negative feedback from personal development, highlighting the resistance to change by family, friends, and the community. He stresses the significance of pursuing authenticity over maintaining a "happy" facade. Curt's serious demeanor in interviews: Curt explains his seriousness during podcasts as an effort to remain engaged and authentic, avoiding superficiality and inviting genuine, in-depth conversation. Seriousness in online content: Leo advises Curt to focus on authenticity in his videos rather than modifying content due to seeming overly serious, as it's important for genuine engagement. Spiritual figures claiming godliness: Leo addresses the question by saying that many spiritual figures do indeed identify with God, but often use subtler language to avoid misinterpretation and the perception of arrogance. The danger of proclaiming divinity: Claiming to be God can be life-threatening, and throughout history, individuals like Mansur Al-Halaj have been executed for such proclamations. The suppression of these truths is linked to survival, as they can undermine societal structures and beliefs. Difficulty in articulating profound insights: Leo notes that some of his deepest insights are challenging to communicate due to the limitations of language, and he encourages listeners to see the convergence in spiritual teachings toward the concept of oneness. Information manipulation strategies: Leo warns about individuals or groups who deliberately spread misleading information to confuse people and push selfish agendas, exemplified by Steve Bannon's strategy of "flooding the zone with bullshit." Leo's message of love: When addressing humanity, Leo would convey that reality is fundamentally love, questioning why existence would be anything but infinitely loving. Advice for growing influence: Leo suggests maintaining energy and passion, not allowing critical feedback to affect self-perception, avoiding burnout, and combining intellectual pursuit with spirituality for a significant impact. Blurring lines between concepts and being: In constructing a Theory of Everything, Leo cautions against confusing concepts with actuality, emphasizing the need to base theories on primary and absolute truths. Navigating strangeness and awe in reality: Leo reflects on life's beautiful strangeness and the need for a constant sense of wonder, recognizing reality's intrinsic mystery. Final word to Curt's audience: Leo advises TOE enthusiasts to discern between being and concept, emphasizing the primary nature of direct experience and actuality over secondary conceptual understanding. Experiencing the Alien Nature of Reality: Leo expresses wonder at ordinary objects like dinner forks, encouraging a perspective where everything is seen as alien-that is, seen for the first time without assuming familiarity or taking it for granted. Gratitude Towards Existence: Leo experiences intense gratitude for life, appreciating everyday experiences and even the chance to have the conversation he's having, acknowledging the feeling as undeservedly lucky. Appropriateness of the Term 'God': When directly confronting the concept of God, Leo argues that the most fitting response is one of profound awe, exclaiming "Oh my God" or "Oh my fucking God" to express the grandeur and profundity of the experience. Personal Invitation from Leo Gura: In a friendly offer, Leo invites the host to hang out with him for deeper conversation and connection, moving beyond the confines of an interview setting. Matthew Phillips and the Transcend App: Matthew Phillips shares the inspiration for creating Transcend, a platform designed to facilitate deep, meaningful communication, spurred by personal loss and the desire to preserve the essence of loved ones. Holistic Purpose of Transcend: The app aims to enable users to share important life stories and advice with a focus on intimacy and authenticity, without being driven by superficial engagement metrics commonly seen on other social platforms. We Transcend Initiative: Transcend introduces a program to donate app subscriptions to individuals facing end-of-life situations or terminal illnesses, allowing them to preserve their legacies and stories for loved ones. Helping to Preserve Memories for the Elderly: The app is typically used by caregivers who assist those with Alzheimer's or dementia, acting as a memory care tool to safeguard their narratives for future generations. Legacy as Elevation of the Human Condition: Concluding the section, Matthew Phillips articulates his belief in the power of legacy to improve the human experience, viewing it as a critical yet overlooked element of life. Mission of Transcend app: Transcend aims to empower everyone to capture and pass on their life story, with the belief that everyone's story matters and has the potential to make progress easier for future generations. Fulfilling a sacred obligation: The creator of Transcend feels that the app allows him to honor predecessors while also fulfilling a duty to future generations by preserving knowledge and wisdom. Early access to Transcend: The app is near its beta release, with invitations extended to users who sign up at projecttranscend.com, aiming to facilitate meaningful family connections and legacy preservation. Utilizing Transcend with family members: Curt Jaimungal expresses interest in using the app to capture and preserve interactions with his parents, highlighting its personal significance. Leo Gura as a content contributor: Transcend considers Leo Gura an ideal candidate to create engaging prompts for the app, providing value to users and enriching experiences. Creating meaningful conversation with prompt cards: Transcend plans to include "starter packs" with themed prompts meant to enhance conversations by raising thought-provoking questions, much like physical relationship cards currently used by some couples. Intrinsic reward system within Transcend: Instead of relying on likes or hearts, Transcend focuses on intrinsic rewards such as the satisfaction of creating permanent and meaningful content. Transcend differentiating from social media: The app avoids typical social media engagement metrics, promoting authenticity and purposefulness by facilitating content creation motivated by meaning rather than external validation. Ego management post-psychedelic experience: Leo is asked for suggestions on how to maintain the perspective of ego dissolution experienced during psychedelic use on a day-to-day basis without recurring use. Navigating spiritual growth amidst relationships: Leo is asked for advice on balancing profound spiritual experiences with maintaining connections to loved ones who may not be on the same spiritual journey. Dealing with the paradox of ego death: The paradox arises after an ego death experience, where one gains new wisdom but must manage the ego's return; Curt reflects on how to handle this dichotomy. Ferula

Pass #6 - Congruence Ratings Love/Intimacy/Spirituality/Beauty/Connection/Joy My definition: Being one with reality/divinity (with a human and other being and its vulnerability). Feeling awe, aliveness and expansiveness. Congruence rating: 3/10 Authenticity My definition: Feeling grounded in my core essence and truth. Moving from the core; expressing my truth. Congruence rating: 6/10 Clarity/Truth/Consciousness/Awareness/Feeling/Understanding/Honesty My definition: Living at a state of truth which illuminates, makes me feel and be conscious of any true form. Dispelling illusion. Congruence rating: 5/10 Contribution/Impact/Helping Others/Society/Wholeness/Nature My definition: Using my gift to help and elevate all of life to healthy and the highest possible form of living. Congruence rating: 2/10 Health My definition: Self-care and maintenance of the body and mind with nutrition, exercise, intentional habits (physical, emotional, mental hygiene) and inner work. Congruence rating: 5/10 Self-Mastery My definition: Being fully conscious of inner processes. Cleaning, Growing and Waking up. Kindling the inner flame and being a conscious creator. Congruence rating: 5/10 Friendship/Companionship/Community My definition: Support, trust, energy exchange and mirroring. Unknown, mysterious depths of the other psyches make me recognize myself. Congruence rating: 4/10 Open-mindedness/Perspective/Exploration My definition: Discovering and seeing reality from all different angles. Unattachment and fluidity of mind allow recognition where energy flows and stagnates. Congruence rating: 4/10 Wisdom/Simplicity My definition: Seeing the core of a thing. Root-cause thinking. Ripple effect. Trust in life. Alert & relaxed. Focus on energy flow. Congruence rating: 4/10 Communication/Creativity My definition: Sparking recognition and understanding via feeling images which capture the essence of any form and state of being. Congruence rating: 4/10 Pass #7: 10/10 During the writing process I noticed that my congruence ratings changed. And my last value Communication/Creativity isn't resonating. What I learn from that is that I need to feel into what I value at a high level or meta level and not just the content of something. Although communicating & sparking insight and bringing something across using the feeling images is something that I feel is meaningful to me (it's more connected to Contribution, Clarity, and Wisdom), it's not something I see as a value. There are values behind this skill but not the true resonant values which are deeply embedded in me. Perhaps the definition is too limited, but I'll investigate this soon and maybe swap out my 10th value. Love/Intimacy/Spirituality/Beauty/Connection/Joy My definition: Being one with reality/divinity (with a human and other being and its vulnerability). Feeling awe, aliveness and expansiveness. Congruence rating: 4/10 10/10: What is missing is a sense of deep presence and tranquility. A deep embodiment of feeling/letting through the love of/in my essence at all times. That embodiment illuminates identification & resistance to inner conflict. Seeing the world as myself, being universal consciousness. This is realized to be my inherent nature by daily prayer and meditation. Authenticity My definition: Feeling grounded in my core essence and truth. Moving from the core; expressing my truth. Congruence rating: 6/10 10/10: Continuously letting my inherent joy of living flow through me, come out of me and express itself through my being. Being undisturbed by fear because I see through it. Being grounded in self-love and all-accepting, judgment-free presence. Creating from my inner knowing anything I desire. Being internally sensitive and perceptive via meditation, and activating my will including the need to sometimes step outside my comfort zone Clarity/Truth/Consciousness/Awareness/Feeling/Understanding/ Honesty My definition: Living at a state of consciousness/truth which illuminates, makes me feel and be conscious of any true form. Dispelling illusion. Congruence rating: 4/10 10/10: Undisturbed, free-flowing cognitive ability. Cleaned-up and aligned psyche which requires deep meditative presence, observation, and lack of bias, which is achieved by doing introspection like process work. Compassionate understanding. At will thinking and operating at a high vibrational cognitive state which requires daily training through contemplative journaling. Contribution/Impact/Helping Others/Society/Wholeness/Nature My definition: Using my gift to help and elevate all of life to healthy and the highest possible form of living. Congruence rating: 2/10 10/10: Searching for ways to access my transformation & empowerment and transmitting/teaching these ways of being and doing to others. Helping people empower themselves through bodywork, process work (mental), and energy work. Being engaged in a high-conscious team in an educational organization which is the leverage point for global transformation. Seeing the transformation happen before my eyes in person; statistics are secondary. Health My definition: Self-care and maintenance of the body and mind with nutrition, exercise, intentional habits (physical, emotional, mental hygiene) and inner work. Congruence rating: 5/10 10/10: Starting each day with intentional self-care habits like meditation, body activation exercises, inner nurturing and visioning. Being so grounded and psychologically aligned on doing good for myself that attachment to old unhealthy ways of being are melting away. Having steady & continuous body awareness and introspective presence (solution for noticing bodily intelligence when and how to regulate and be in healthy homeostasis) through body-based meditation, process work, body work (body-based process work, and personal stamina & strength training) and energy work. Self-Mastery My definition: Being fully conscious of inner processes. Cleaning, Growing and Waking up. Kindling the inner flame and being a conscious creator. Congruence rating: 5/10 10/10: Continuous and steady presence & equanimity through meditation. Compassionate and non-judgemental understanding through meditation, journaling and process work. Living with conscious people and growing together through lifelong learning and exploration and mastery (resistance-less moving of energies). Stepping into challenge and the grow zone in social, physical, emotional, cognitive and energetic domains. Being engaged in creation without resistance by aligning the psyche through process work. Friendship/Companionship/Community My definition: Support, trust, energy exchange and mirroring. Unknown, mysterious depths of the other psyches make me recognize myself. Congruence rating: 5/10 10/10: Having up to 20 friends and 5 close friends by openly connecting to resonant people and maintaining present friendships. Feeling deep connection to friends, creating space for intimate recognition, and being in that intimate nature of connection in social situations by opening my heart, going into flow and exploring & feeling the other being. Living in an intentional community by having ways of income and seeking or founding resonant communities. Having healed my SD purple trauma of being the outsider in groups through process work. Having healed from avoidant attachment into secure attachment through process work. Open-mindedness/Perspective/Exploration My definition: Discovering and seeing reality from all different angles. Unattachment and fluidity of mind allow recognition where energy flows and stagnates. Congruence rating: 4/10 10/10: High-vibrational cognition accessible at all times by practicing deep contemplation and exploration of perspectives in journaling daily, and through meditation and aligning the psyche (process work). Putting myself in the other's shoes. Attaching and letting go of any thoughts, beliefs and theories through daily meditation and journaling. Being in presence which allows tapping into intuition, opening up the subtle sensors and introspecting what energy there is and where it flows. Wisdom/Simplicity My definition: Seeing the core of a thing. Root-cause thinking. Ripple effect. Trust in life. Alert & relaxed. Focus on energy flow. Congruence rating: 3/10 10/10: Deeply grounded and observant presence & alertness that recognizes & filters the energy, which is developed through daily meditation, and journaling & reflection on inner dynamics, processes and development, and also personal sharings with friends and close ones. A detached introspective focus on the essence of my being (love, presence, peace, joy) to be able to notice the energy flow arising the root/core/essence, which changes and moves with each moment and while being in connection with higher guidance. To live in that state I need a continuous connection to intuition & inner knowing and way of life of expressing/manifesting them, through daily introspection and consciously creating situations of my authenticity where I am stepping into tension, like ice bathing or going over my boundaries for a bit longer. Communication/Creativity My definition: Sparking recognition and understanding via feeling images which capture the essence of any form and state of being. Congruence rating: 4/10 10/10: Continuously living in that feeling state and capturing & expressing it on a daily basis through journaling and conversation. Deliberately bringing it into my way of communication with myself and others. It's developing a way of being in internal clarity and seeing how the inner feeling landscape is moving and shifting. Continuous internal understanding and knowledge. However now that I think of it, I notice that it doesn't really resonate. It's too limited, not really like a passion, but more like a side-hobby.

This is not the cause of my perfectionism; it's one of the manifestations. My perfectionism operates on a different level because it's all-encompassing. Most perfectionists have very limited scopes for their perfectionism; only in directing a movie, performing a musical concert, washing hands after touching a public door, writing a book, recording a video, etc. In my case, I'm a perfectionist in almost all domains and aspects of life. Yes, it's natural and instinctive for me to see defects or faults in everything. I easily identify what can be improved, and many times I feel a burning desire to accomplish that improvement or perfection. In my 'Perfectionism is Wrong and Cruel' thread, I explained why it is the case. But I feel the need to emphasize that perfectionism is also a very beautiful thing. It's crazy because they're all true, though seemingly contradictory. I'll share a real story: My parents, especially my father, are two of the most ignorant and egotistical humans ever. When I was a kid, I used to point out their humanshit (bullshit). There was a time when my father became extremely angry with me; he threw a dustpan and stones at me with a very harmful intention. When my right arm got hit a few times, the skin peeled off a bit, revealing the meat and blood underneath. I became traumatized as fuck! It's distressing for an adult to experience such shit, let alone for a very young boy. I tend to detect faults in various forms and feel compelled to correct them. This has resulted in me being antagonized by my coworkers when I corrected their work or behavior. In my 20s, I always wondered why humans feel offended when their shortcomings or humanshit are pointed out or when they are shown a better way to do things. In my case, I feel grateful when somebody shows me a better way to do things. Why not? I just learned a better way. It's only in my 30s when I finally understood why, and I felt very disappointed. I lost respect for normal humans, and I'm not interested in them. But, I still treat them well, not because they're good and respectable (they're full of humanshit), but because I'm good. That might sound pretentious or egotistical for me to say, but it is the case, and hence, I must say it. My perfectionism has influenced my parents to become better humans, especially my mother. I never stopped pointing out their humanshit and showed them a better way to do things. I explained to my mother that the harmful and twisted ways they inflicted on me, especially when I was a young boy, caused extreme anxiety, depression, anger, and self-murder thoughts. I clarified that they needed to change their ways, or I would completely cut them off. Indeed, I did cut them off from my life a few times because they were unable to change. My perfectionism made it a clean break, with zero communication for years. But after many years, a miracle happened. My mother changed her behavior. For the first time ever, she confessed how ignorant and foolish she had been as a mother and asked for an apology. I began to notice her increased self-awareness. She also learned how to become a loving mother, and right now, I can even say she's one of the most loving mothers in the world. When I say it's a big miracle, it's not an exaggeration. It's accurate. My father was a hopeless case, unfortunately. But at least he learned to properly behave in my presence. He knew I would inflict physical and mental-emotional pain on him if he displayed his twisted ways. He learned this via direct experience. In the last few weeks of his life, I was surprised he became an "angel". I couldn't believe my eyes. I took care of him when he was sick and dying. I was able to do it because of years of strict and "perfect" self-therapy, enabling me to forgive him for his big sins. So, perhaps, my perfectionism changed him, though it was too late. I've just demonstrated a few ways perfectionism can make things better and create beautiful results. In fact, my own self-transformation is a result of my perfectionism. That's why it's very difficult and even feels impossible for me to release. But as the old saying goes, 'What gets you here doesn't necessarily get you there.' It's time for me to transcend perfectionism. Much easier said than done, but it must be done; hence I'll go for it. I awakened to no-self many years ago. But that was a different version of the no-self awakening being talked about in this forum. But I want to say you can't live a very good life via wearing a no-self lens all the time. It's useful for some situations. But in most situations, embracing, loving, and transcending yourself (the ego) accomplishes better results, materially and even spiritually. I'm busy as fuck, girl. I'm not supposed to spend time replying to my threads. But there's some sense in your post and I appreciate the effort; I feel compelled to reply to you. So, Arabic is a strong contender for the craziest language in the world? But I've heard Arabic is known for its accuracy and consistency. If that's true, then English still holds the throne.

Transformation (14 of 29) https://youtu.be/5vXBP7aM37s?si=t2vbbK6lr1qcwfJB Impact of truth on transformation: The realization of enlightenment acts as a catalyst for change within the human psyche by reframing the relationship one has with their identity, thoughts, and emotions, hence making personal transformation more attainable. Misconception about transformation: Enlightenment does not eliminate one's humanity or character traits; individuals remain fundamentally human with the same mind and character post-enlightenment. Variability in trait dissolution: Some personal aspects may dissipate immediately following an enlightenment experience without a clear understanding of why, whereas others persist and may require intentional effort to change. Human function persistence: The basic human functions and character remain post-enlightenment, and any changes in these areas must be consciously and deliberately pursued. Individuality in enlightenment: Enlightened individuals preserve their unique personalities and characteristics, showing that enlightenment does not create a uniform personality, but rather it allows one to consciously operate through or modify their character. Enlightenment's gift of understanding: Enlightenment provides the profound understanding that one is not their character, thoughts, emotions, or reactions, which underlies the transformational process. Dissendium

Requisite Variety & Creative Laziness https://www.actualized.org/insights/requisite-variety-and-creative-laziness Concept of requisite variety: Requisite variety is a principle from cybernetics suggesting that to control a system effectively, one must have a greater number of potential responses or states than the system itself. This allows for flexibility, adaptation, and creative problem-solving that surpass the system's possible states. Problem-solving and creativity: Life's challenges often require creative and intelligent responses, and possessing a high degree of requisite variety enables individuals to overcome these challenges. Conversely, without sufficient requisite variety, problems may prove unsolvable, emphasizing the importance of a nuanced approach in an increasingly complex world. Evolving complexity in society: As society progresses beyond simple lifestyles such as farming, the complexity of professions, societal systems, and multicultural interactions grows. To thrive and succeed in such an environment, one's mind must be sophisticated, nuanced, and creative, capable of handling and adapting to the vast array of modern variables. Challenges in modern politics: American politics is cited as an example where partisan friction leads to ineffective governance, akin to honey slowing down a high-performance engine. The system's inefficiency is attributed to a lack of requisite variety and the simplification of complex issues, which hinder informed decision-making and evolve democratic processes. Advancements and requirements in engineering: The advancement of technology has made contemporary engineering far more complex than in the past, requiring sophisticated tools, software, and a grasp of accumulated knowledge. Engineers today must possess a mindset that is more nuanced and sophisticated than ever before to address complex engineering challenges. Creativity versus creative laziness: Many people exhibit "creative laziness" in problem-solving, relying on simplistic or superficial approaches. By contrast, cultivating creativity and a willingness to explore novel workarounds can lead to personal and collective success in navigating life's intricate challenges. Integration of spirituality with modern challenges: Simplicity of traditional spiritual practices contrasts sharply with the complexity of a 21st-century lifestyle. Integrating deep spiritual consciousness into an active, complex modern world is a significant challenge requiring flexibility and creativity. Breadth in spiritual teachings: Leo emphasizes the importance of addressing a wide range of real-world issues in spiritual teachings, moving beyond narrow focus and to encompass topics like politics, society, and technology, broadening the impact and relevance of spiritual work. Binary political debates and complexity: Simplistic, binary debates like capitalism vs. socialism fail to address the intricate and interconnected nature of modern economies. Real problem-solving requires considering the full complexity of issues rather than resorting to partisan oversimplifications. Policing and societal complexity: Simplistic solutions to complex issues like policing reforms are inadequate. Leo argues that to genuinely improve intricate systems, one must acknowledge the complexity, avoid binary choices, and work creatively towards new, nuanced solutions. Climate change and nuanced problem-solving: Tackling complex issues such as climate change demands more than idealistic targets; it requires pragmatic solutions that consider the balance between reducing emissions and economic vitality, informed by creativity and a thorough understanding of the nuanced challenges. Evolution and societal complexity: Just as life has evolved to become more complex, solutions to societal issues must also develop. Progress depends on creative, nuanced, and sophisticated approaches that go beyond rehashed solutions and simplistic thinking. Requisite variety for personal impact: For individuals seeking to make a meaningful impact through their life's work, cultivating a variety of creative solutions is crucial. One must surpass the creativity and problem-solving capacity of predecessors to create systems that contribute positively to the world. Embracing creativity as a driver of success: To achieve significant life goals, investing time in learning how to be creative is essential. Creativity fosters success, joy, and the ability to address one's problems effectively, making it a critical skill for escaping restrictive circumstances and attaining financial independence. The importance of original thinking: People often miss out on the full experience of life when they are not at their creative peak or lack a purpose-driven approach to creativity. Living without tapping into one's full creative potential is compared to living life as a slave, as it limits the joy and success one might otherwise achieve. Business innovation and requisite variety: To succeed in business, it's essential to offer unique products or services that haven't been seen before. This requires tremendous amounts of creativity and a higher degree of requisite variety than previously imagined. A sustainable business not only feeds and sustains its creators but also contributes positively to society by elevating consciousness and adding meaningful value. Leadership and problem-solving: True leaders in business must take ownership of all aspects of their projects, displaying the ability to solve new and unknown problems creatively. Success comes from tackling each challenge without excuses, embodying creativity, innovation, and perseverance beyond the capacity of ordinary individuals who may rely on others for direction. Challenges of entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurship demands constant innovation and adaptability, combined with rigorous honesty about one's ideas and their viability in the marketplace. Entrepreneurs face the stress of responsibility and the need to maintain integrity without succumbing to selling out their original vision for financial gain. Commitment beyond conventional thinking: Achieving significant ambitions requires 100% commitment and the expansion of one's creative potential beyond traditional thinking. Creative ownership over goals and problems is critical, and embracing necessary changes in identity and perspective can facilitate progress towards these goals. Breaking free from herd mentality: Most people don't think originally and merely echo the beliefs and ideas prevalent in their culture. To truly succeed and impact the world, one must step away from this herd mentality, taking ownership, and thinking outside the box in every aspect of life. Only by treading new ground can one come up with genuinely novel solutions. Value of Innovation: Success in business and personal endeavors is often determined by the ability to innovate rather than imitate. Focusing on creating novel, original solutions rather than rehashing existing concepts is key to standing out and moving society forward. Radical Open-mindedness: Embracing radical open-mindedness and considering multiple perspectives is crucial for creativity. Self-education, exploring niche content, and thinking outside traditional frameworks enable the development of unique ideas that propel industries and personal growth. Significance of Intentions and Priorities: Prioritizing the significance and big picture of one's goals is more important than the step-by-step "how" of achievements. A deep commitment and the right intention naturally guide the process towards innovative solutions. Creative Process as Discovery: The process of creativity is not linear or predictable, it's a discovery journey. One doesn't need to understand every detail in advance; commitment and an openness to learn and adapt are what enable individuals to tackle complex problems and possibly achieve ambitious goals like starting a space tourism business. Cultivation of a 'Creativity Vortex': Engaging deeply with one's life purpose, practicing consciousness work, and expanding the mind through various techniques can create a "creativity vortex" where ideas and inspiration naturally emerge, leading to visionary insights and the synthesis of new solutions. Utilization of Downtime for Creativity: Regardless of one's job or circumstances, it's possible to leverage free time for creative thinking and problem-solving. This can lead to escaping wage slavery and finding innovative solutions to life's challenges. Transformation Through Creativity in Problem Solving: Committing to solve problems through creativity can lead to a transformative journey. As exemplified by Leo's personal story, harnessing creativity and being open to drastic measures can lead to overcoming significant challenges like dating and social anxiety. Solution to being stuck: Committing to enhancing creativity and expanding one's range of possible solutions is key to overcoming feelings of being stuck. This might involve drastic actions, such as moving to a new city for better opportunities, which is often dismissed by many due to comfort and convenience but can lead to significant personal growth and success. Attitude towards unconventional decisions: Leo's decision to move first to Austin and then to Las Vegas for 30-day challenges embodies embracing creative problem-solving and demonstrates a refusal to remain stagnant or succumb to a victim mentality. It illustrates the importance of an open mind and the willingness to invest in oneself, even if it means taking unexpected paths. Impact of openness and flexibility: The ability to break away from ingrained ideologies and consider novel approaches is essential for progress. Leo's experiences highlight that being open to new ideas and adaptable in strategy can lead to accomplishing goals that might seem unattainable with a closed mindset. Balancing identity and goal adaptation: The willingness to change at an identity level, such as transitioning from an introvert to someone who is socially confident, is a significant aspect of solving problems. Shifting one's identity can unlock new possibilities, whereas stubbornly clinging to old ways can sabotage efforts to achieve goals. Process of expanding solutions: Expanding the range of potential solutions for a persistent problem involves creativity and willingness to step outside comfort zones. This can include seeking social skills classes, attending networking events, or even hosting one's own event to become more central and influential within desired circles. Dealing with and learning from failure: Embracing failures as learning opportunities encourages the expansion of one's creative toolkit, leading to eventual success. Perseverance and the ability to iterate upon failed attempts are key components in this growth process. Practical relevance of requisite variety: The concept of requisite variety is far from abstract; it represents a pragmatic framework for problem-solving that has been unconsciously practiced by many. Recognizing its importance allows for a more deliberate and effective approach to overcoming challenges. Commitment and proactive self-development: Rather than waiting for guidance, individuals are encouraged to set ambitious goals and actively work towards becoming more creative by researching, learning, and engaging with varied information sources. This proactive approach can lead to achieving goals that seemed out of reach. Expanding horizons through powerful questions: Creativity can be further enhanced by asking powerful, high-quality questions that can lead to novel solutions and strategies, a technique that can be honed through various learning resources, including workshops and seminars, which can be researched using tools like Google. Evolving identity for problem-solving: Successfully tackling problems might require changes at the level of identity, stepping away from comfort zones and outdated self-perceptions. This evolution is key to not only solving problems but experiencing genuine growth and change. Openness to change for growth: To thrive and solve problems effectively, one must be truly open to change. This may entail life-altering decisions or breaking free from stagnation by shedding layers of your ego and identity, facilitating the pursuit of ambitious goals and new experiences. Expanding Possibility Space: To overcome being stuck, Leo emphasizes the importance of expanding your range of potential solutions. This expansion may involve researching new methods, considering ideas previously deemed unreasonable, and stepping outside comfort zones. Shifting Goals for Achievability: Initial goals might need refinement. What appears to be the desired outcome may be too narrow; broader, more flexible goals can offer more fulfilment and are often more attainable, like shifting from attracting a specific partner to becoming more socially confident and charismatic overall. Creativity in Problem-Solving: Leo encourages embracing creativity not just as a solution-finding tool but as a life-enriching practice, akin to art. This approach entails constantly refining one's life and identity to navigate evolving challenges and contribute originally to every aspect of life. Ferula

What It's Like To Smoke Salvia Divinorum https://www.actualized.org/insights/what-its-like-to-smoke-salvia Preparation and disclaimer for salvia use: With extensive personal experience in psychedelics, Leo tried a small dose of salvia divinorum, emphasizing the disorienting potency and danger of the substance. Salvia can completely replace one's sense of reality with another, triggering dangerous reactions without any recollection of taking a drug. Leo insists on the importance of a trip sitter and advises against use by inexperienced individuals or without supervision due to the potential for harm. Unique dissociative effects of salvia: Unlike other psychedelics that may result in ego death while retaining some biographical memory, salvia can disrupt the entire stream of consciousness, leading to a complete loss of identity and context. Leo's left side of the visual field and cognitive perception became consumed by what he describes as a "roiling infinity," an experience of pure infinite potential that was highly dissociative and unfamiliar when compared to other psychedelic experiences like 5-MeO-DMT 'God Mode'. Dangers of loss of self and reality: The visual and self-perception effects induced by salvia triggered a sense of panic and terror in Leo, who managed to remain relatively grounded thanks to an unaffected right side. This asymmetric impact on consciousness raised concerns about the potential for complete detachment from reality and the need for careful monitoring during the experience. Depth of psychedelic experiences: Salvia unveiled an even deeper layer of consciousness that traditional psychedelics hadn't reached, opening a new, alien and strange dimension that extends beyond the more predictable experiences of other substances. Multiple uses of salvia highlighted how each trip can uniquely affect consciousness in unpredictable ways. Ego loss and memory: Beyond the transformation of the concept of death, salvia experiences led to a deeper understanding of ego loss-challenging the idea of being selfless. A complete loss of self would mean not even knowing basic biographical information, a state that could potentially disorient even those who are spiritually advanced and are supposedly beyond ego. Misconceptions about mental health: Leo's trips deepened his empathy for mental health challenges. He discusses how easily the brain can tip into a state of disorder, debunking the dismissive attitudes towards mental illness and urging greater compassion and understanding. Complexity of consciousness work: Spiritual practice is misrepresented as a linear journey by many teachers. They often lack comprehension of the multi-dimensional aspects of the journey, which can include experiences misinterpreted as mental disorders. Salvia experiences reinforce the view that spiritual work has far more dimensions than commonly portrayed. Human dependency on a stable consciousness: The stability of consciousness is vital for everyday human function and survival. The difficulty in transcending this stability underscores both its necessity for living and the challenges of achieving spiritual awakening. The rigid nature of consciousness is both a constraint and a life-preserving mechanism. Reliance on Consistent Consciousness: Our survival deeply depends on a stable consciousness and a consistent sense of self and memory. Losing these can disconnect us from reality with dangerous consequences; it underlines the paradox of survival and awakening where one cannot simply forsake survival to achieve an awakened state. Approach to Psychedelic Experimentation: A cautious and respectful approach is highlighted for exploring psychedelics like salvia. Initial small doses are recommended to gauge sensitivity; a breakthrough dose could result in completely leaving material reality, which may be traumatic and lead to a rejection of future psychedelic use. Individual Sensitivity Variations: Sensitivity to psychedelics significantly varies across individuals, making it crucial to personalize dosages through trial and experience. Leo acknowledges being particularly sensitive, experiencing profound effects at lower doses than an average person. Potential Realities Induced by Salvia: Salvia can induce experiences that are completely detached from recognizable reality, transforming a person's sense of identity into inanimate or conceptual entities, such as becoming 'one' with a Ferris wheel, or entering chaotic and nonsensical dimensions. Caution and Respect for Psychedelics: Treating psychedelics with the same caution as handling dangerous tools is advised, given their potential to radically alter consciousness. Careful research and the use of a trip sitter are emphasized to mitigate the risks associated with psychedelic experiences. Recommendation Against Casual Use of Salvia: The intense and unpredictable nature of salvia is stressed, with a discouragement from its use for most people. It is suggested that salvia is more suited to highly experienced psychonauts and even then, only with the presence of a trip sitter and a high degree of caution. Crucio

Miracle Awakening https://www.actualized.org/insights/miracle-awakening Consciousness as the ultimate miracle: Leo experiences a profound awakening where he recognizes consciousness as the ultimate miracle. He reframes our understanding of miracles as phenomena that transcend physics and presents consciousness as the singular infinite entity that composes existence. Self-awareness of consciousness: Leo illuminates the self-aware nature of consciousness, defining it as a miraculous property. He emphasizes that consciousness' ability to know itself is both mystical and fundamental. Oneness and its properties: Through deeper contemplation, Leo unveils the concept of oneness associated with consciousness. He attributes intelligence, love, self-awareness, and the absence of limitations to oneness, reinforcing the idea that all existence is part of this infinite and eternal oneness. Existence as an act of divine love: Leo proposes that recognizing the miracle of existence is tantamount to divine love, as consciousness in its fully self-aware state-God consciousness-embraces the miraculous nature and infinite possibilities of its being. Awareness and the recognition of existence as a miracle: He encourages contemplation on the nature of existence and consciousness, arguing for a shift in awareness towards recognizing existence as a perpetual miracle and advocating for an internal exploration of this awareness. Rediscovery of existential mystery: Leo suggests reconnecting with the mystery of existence by recalling the naive wonder of early life and contrasting it with learned concepts, urging a contemplative return to that state of profound existential curiosity. Imagination and creation by consciousness: Discussing the creative power of consciousness, Leo illustrates how reality is configured by consciousness as it imagines various properties and elements, whether physical or abstract. Nature of physical reality as an imaginative construct: He posits that our perception of physical reality is a solidified construct of the mind, a necessary stabilization for functional existence that can shift to reveal different realities under certain states of consciousness. The limitations of science in explaining miracles: Leo argues that science, being an instance of existence, is incapable of explaining the fundamental miracle of existence itself, asserting the necessity of direct experiential awakening for such understanding. Escaping karma through consciousness: Describing a dive into the Godhead, Leo outlines how recognizing life experiences and genetics as illusions within the mind allows one to release accumulated karma through pure consciousness. Purification by infinite consciousness: Entering a state of pure white light, consciousness provides a sense of death and healing, erasing karma and self-imposed limitations, reconnecting with one's selfless true nature. Transformation through pure consciousness: He describes extensive immersion in the singularity of consciousness as the key to transforming and purifying one's being, a process requiring consistent and sustained dedication. Psychedelics as a tool for awakening: Leo endorses psychedelics as a potent means to achieve higher consciousness and expedite spiritual journeys that might otherwise require decades of traditional practices. Self-reliance in spiritual growth: Achieving higher consciousness, Leo has come to reject external spiritual teachings, advocating for direct personal experience as the foundation of spiritual growth. Limitations of spiritual teachings: Leo criticizes the spiritual community for creating a false perception that deep awakenings are accessible to all, when in reality, they may be restricted to those with specific neurological or genetic predispositions. Role of psychedelics: He underscores the crucial role of psychedelics in making profound states of consciousness accessible to the wider population, a capacity that he deems as largely unrecognized or dismissed by traditional spiritual leaders. Professional dishonesty: Leo accuses many in the spiritual industry of professional dishonesty by undervaluing psychedelics and misrepresenting the accessibility of deep spiritual experiences. Psychedelics' impact on spiritual industry: Leo posits that widespread access to psychedelics would revolutionize the spiritual landscape by reducing the need for traditional gurus and retreats, empowering individuals through direct experiences. Personal stance on miracles: Leo shares his confidence in the potential of "local" miracles, such as healing, through a connection to high states of consciousness, a realm he believes is largely unexplored but holds legitimate possibilities. Encouragement for personal validation: He concludes by reaffirming the importance of independent experiential verification over any secondary narratives, promoting personal validation as the true pathway to understanding the miracle of existence. Unexplainability of miracles: Leo emphasizes that true miracles, including existence itself, cannot be explained because they transcend the bounds of finite understanding. Miracles are infinite, and attempts to map or define them through science or logic miss the essence of their unbounded nature. Creative power of consciousness: He describes a state of consciousness where the division between the self and the environment dissolves, allowing one to "create" reality by imagining various properties and forms. Leo suggests that consciousness can shape imagined realities, like a lemon or complex concepts, demonstrating its infinite creative capacity. Reality as an imagined construct: Addressing the perceived stability of physical reality, Leo explains that our consciousness has become fixated on a "crystallized" form of imagining, leading to a consistent experience of reality. However, this fixated state is not inherently rigid and can shift, revealing the malleable and imaginative nature of consciousness. Self-awareness leading to karma dissolution: In an awakened state, Leo discovers the possibility of erasing karma by realizing that physical limitations like genetics and memories do not exist in the "Godhead" of pure consciousness. This state is devoid of human concepts, presenting the opportunity to liberate oneself from the accumulated constructs of personal history and identity. Imaginary nature of karma: Leo conveys the idea that one's karma, which includes personal history, ailments, and problems, is actually an imaginary construct. By achieving heightened consciousness, he proposes that one can 'dissolve' into a singularity of consciousness, where these constructs do not exist, purging one's karma and past memories in a pool of pure white light of consciousness. True self and healing in consciousness: When basking in the eternal singularity of consciousness, a person can experience profound healing by shedding all life's accumulated baggage. In this state, there is a feeling of death and dissolution, but also of purification and connection with one's ultimate truest self-the pure Godhead. Purification process and loss of identity: The pure state of consciousness and selflessness, described as Nirvana, allows for complete purification from selfish impulses and all forms of suffering. As the purifying process deepens, there's a loss of personal identity and reality, which is a critical part of transformative healing. Transformation through persistent consciousness immersion: Leo emphasizes that real transformation requires prolonged immersion in the pure consciousness state. This is not a short-term process; it involves consistent long-term practice to rewire the mind and body, similar to the dedication seen in advanced yogis and meditators who achieve selfless states over decades. Accelerating consciousness with psychedelics: Psychedelics can offer a more immediate and consistent path to the profound states of consciousness necessary for deep purification. However, a common misconception is that a few psychedelic experiences are enough; Leo underscores the need for repeated and extended encounters with the transformative white light. Self-reliance and rejection of external teachings: Having reached an advanced stage in his spiritual journey, Leo now rejects all external spiritual teachings and intellectual knowledge in favor of direct personal experience. He believes most teachings are inferior to the consciousness he has experienced and encourages others to eventually become their own authority. Dependence on middlemen until reaching the source: Although Leo advocates for self-sufficiency in spiritual growth, he acknowledges that until one reaches and stabilizes in the source of ultimate consciousness, external guidance can be necessary. The goal, however, is to eliminate dependence on intermediaries and recognize oneself as the ultimate authority-God. Self-sufficiency in spiritual practice: Leo discusses his journey towards self-reliance, eschewing debates and external teachings about non-duality. He expresses dissatisfaction with the teachings, books, and videos available, finding them inferior to his direct experiences of consciousness. This realization leads to a sense of relief and empowerment, as he regains authority in his spirituality, an authority he views as inherently belonging to every individual's own consciousness. Inefficacy of traditional spiritual paths for most: Leo contends that genetic, karmic, and brain chemistry differences create disparities in individuals' capacity to access profound states of consciousness through traditional spiritual practices like meditation. He suggests that teachers in the spiritual community unknowingly perpetuate a “scam,” as their extraordinary abilities are atypical and beyond the reach of their students due to these inherent differences. Psychedelics as transformative agents: The limitations of traditional methods lead Leo to advocate for psychedelics as potent tools for spiritual transformation. He suggests that they can drastically reduce the duration and effort required for one's spiritual journey. Psychedelics are portrayed as drastically underutilized and stigmatized despite their effectiveness, leading Leo to criticize the spiritual community for dismissing their potential. Systemic resistance to psychedelic liberation: Leo asserts that psychedelics threaten not only spiritual hierarchies and business models but also broader societal structures such as capitalism, legal systems, education, marketing, and religion. This, he believes, is the reason behind the stigma and legal restrictions against psychedelics since they have the potential to democratize access to profound states of consciousness and undermine established power dynamics. Potential for local miracles through heightened consciousness: While maintaining a critical view on historical accounts of spiritual figures performing miracles, Leo suggests that achieving a high state of consciousness might enable such feats, albeit rarely. He speculates on the future possibility of mastering one's consciousness to a degree that allows for miraculous actions like healing or telepathy. Encouragement for individual validation and experience: Leo concludes by insisting on the importance of personal experience and validation over taking his word or any spiritual teachings at face value. He sees his role as offering pointers to help others directly become conscious of the miracles of life, existence, and unity with God, emphasizing the significance of individual exploration and dedication to spiritual growth. Expelliarmus

Ego-Collapse Awakening https://www.actualized.org/insights/ego-collapse-awakening Discovery of a new psychedelic: Leo discovered a novel psychedelic substance more potent and longer-lasting than 5-MeO-DMT, offering profound consciousness expansion that allows deep insights into the nature of the ego. Ego analysis during the psychedelic experience: The substance enabled Leo to examine the ego extensively, revealing its illusory nature and the fact that it is a complex construct interwoven with one's entire sense of reality, including personal history, social norms, and scientific paradigms. Transformation through psychedelic insight: By realizing the ego is imaginary, Leo experienced a significant shift in consciousness, leading to a newfound sense of ease in existence, with a superconducting quality that aligns him with the universe's flow and infinite intelligence. Life without ego: The absence of ego transforms life into a smooth, effortless experience without resistance, where pain and the complexities of daily life are no longer obstacles, and one's existence becomes an expression of absolute truth and love. Liberation from caring about external judgments: Upon losing the ego, one experiences profound relief from no longer caring about others' perceptions, societal expectations, and the compulsion to conform for survival-dynamics that previously caused immense suffering. Ego's fear of non-conformity equated with death: The ego equates conformity and survival strategies with life itself, fostering fear that non-conformity leads to death. Recognizing death as an imaginary construct, one overcomes this fear, leading to a sense of invincibility and freedom from externals. Challenging the belief in an objective reality: Leo compares awakening to a therapy session where all aspects of perceived reality-relationships, history, science, self-are questioned. This process leads to recognizing that everything, including one's own existence, is a product of imagination. Psychedelic skepticism as a tool to challenge reality: Exploring the limits of skepticism through psychedelics reveals the imaginary nature of physical existence and individual identity, but the threatening nature of this realization causes the ego to resist and create distractions to maintain its sense of reality. Strength of imagination equals perceived reality: Leo illustrates that imagination is as potent as reality itself; every seemingly concrete aspect of existence, including physical obstacles, is a construct of imagination. Recognizing the imaginary nature of reality and self is key to true awakening. Illusion of reality's strength: Reality's seeming solidity is constructed by the power of imagination, conceptualized as the mind of God, which can materialize any possibility into existence. The entire universe, with its intricate details and experiences, is brought into being by this boundless imaginative force. Relearning post-awakening: Awakening necessitates relearning basic life functions and interactions due to the dissolution of the ego's control. The newfound understanding of the universe's imaginary nature leaves one feeling hollow and without footing, yet liberated from the limitations previously imposed by the ego. Navigating life after ego dissolution: Despite the recognition that life and survival demands are imaginary constructs, there remains a need to navigate and fulfill certain pragmatic aspects of existence. The challenge lies in discerning which elements are based on egoic falsehoods and should be relinquished, and which practical necessities must still be addressed. Path to genuine authenticity: True authenticity becomes attainable only after completely releasing the ego and its associated fears. This new authenticity affects one's communication and behavior, facilitating a more natural and truthful interaction with the world, unimpeded by the ego's survival strategies. Accepting the universal role: A nuanced understanding of being God emerges; the enlightened individual realizes that while encompassing divine essence, they are also a subservient part of a larger universal whole. This realization shifts the focus from personal significance to harmony with the entire existence. Role of ego in universal harmony: The analogy of the hand and fingers illustrates that each individual-like a finger-is a part of a greater whole and must not act selfishly but in coordination for the higher good. Post-awakening, the individual mind aligns with this concept, becoming a conduit for higher wisdom and divine will, acting beyond egoic limitations and intelligence. Effortless living through surrender: By relinquishing the ego's planning and manipulation, one can live effortlessly, guided by infinite intelligence. This approach to life negates the grind but doesn't guarantee fulfillment of materialistic or egotistic expectations. Power and uniqueness of psychedelics: Psychedelics are seen as potent tools for consciousness work, incomparable to meditation or yoga. Their effects are highly individual, requiring each person to discover the right substance or combination that resonates with their unique psychological make-up. Personalized path to awakening: The journey of awakening is deeply personal. While psychedelics may catalyze profound insights for some, others may need different experiences or methods. Each individual's unique ego structure determines the specific tools and approaches needed for their transformation. Staying true to one's journey: It's essential for individuals to listen to their inner guidance, as everyone has a distinct path to awakening. This journey is not uniform; each person must navigate their own 'labyrinth of the mind' to find their way out. Re-evaluating teaching methods: Leo is reassessing his teaching style, weighing the benefits of structured versus spontaneous delivery. He aims for authenticity and natural flow in his teachings, even if it means deviating from premeditation and embracing the uncertainty of what comes next. Anticipating transformation: Expecting significant personal changes, Leo embraces an unfolding transformation that will influence his future teachings and lifestyle. This ongoing process promises further awakenings and a continual evolution of his approach to living and sharing his insights. Expelliarmus

Why The Media Is Corrupt https://www.actualized.org/insights/why-the-media-is-corrupt Media corruption and existential relevance: Leo discusses media corruption, asserting it is deeply entwined with existential issues and the workings of the human mind, impacting our awakening and perception of reality, beyond mere partisan concerns. Media's alignment with cultural norms: Rather than bias towards a political side, the media tends to mirror and reinforce mainstream culture and the status quo, misunderstood by both conservatives and liberals. Complexity of media operation: Media bias narratives oversimplify the dynamics within media institutions which function as giant bureaucracies, not controlled by any single group. Role of epistemology in media: Leo emphasizes that media bias must be understood through the lens of epistemology, which includes the study of worldviews, belief systems, and relativism, areas often overlooked by journalists and news anchors. Relativism and media perceptions: Leo explains that perspectives on media are entirely relative; what one group sees as biased, another sees as truth. Recognition of this relativity is crucial to transcending biased viewpoints. Differentiating CNN and Fox News: He contends that CNN is more honest and conscious than Fox News, not because of political leanings, but due to higher levels of self-awareness and understanding among its journalists. Going beyond political tribalism: The real issue, according to Leo, is transcending the political left-right paradigm by focusing on the conscious understanding of epistemology and the construction of reality. Personal biases of journalists: News reporting involves personal and political biases. Attempts at objective journalism by figures like Anderson Cooper may actually be more deceptive than openly biased reporting because they hide personal opinions under a guise of neutrality. Anderson Cooper's neutrality: Anderson Cooper presents himself as a neutral figure in the media, maintaining a sense of balance for his career despite having personal opinions on various social and political issues. Exploitation of neutrality: The pretense of neutrality is susceptible to manipulation, allowing extreme positions like pro-slavery arguments to gain unwarranted airtime, effectively shifting public discourse in a harmful direction. Fallacy of neutral midpoint: The approach of finding a truth halfway between two positions is flawed, potentially leading to delusion since truth might be significantly skewed toward one side, highlighting the need for a commitment to seek truth regardless of its popularity or comfort. Survival agenda of news programs: News shows operate with a survival agenda, necessitating high ratings and advertiser satisfaction. This drive for survival impacts content quality and forces shows to cater to the widest possible audience. Catch-22 of mainstream content: The mainstream media, including news, must produce low-consciousness content to cater to a broad audience and ensure survival, effectively reflecting and reinforcing societal ignorance and unconsciousness. Anchor's lifestyle and influence: Popular anchors like Anderson Cooper rely on ratings for their income, lifestyle, and status. The appeal of high earnings, celebrity recognition, and societal benefits shapes the content they provide and their ability to maintain popularity. Symbiotic relationship of media and unconscious society: The media, including leaders like Anderson Cooper and the viewers, perpetuate each other's unconsciousness and biases, creating a cycle of ignorance that is difficult to break. Mainstream media's business limitations: Due to the symbiotic nature of this relationship, mainstream media is limited in the depth and consciousness of content it can afford to produce because it needs to cater to the lowest common denominator to survive. Advertising interests and media content: Advertisers on news programs often promote low-consciousness products and services, which reflects and perpetuates the materialistic and unconscious priorities of both the media and its audience. Public's complicity in media bias: Audiences often recognize media and corporations as "devils" but fail to see their own contribution to establishment biases. They criticize without acknowledging that as viewers, they are part of that establishment unless they've actively worked to become more conscious. National bias in reporting: American media portrays international news, such as Middle East coverage, through an inherently American perspective. This distorts understanding and serves the country's collective interests rather than delivering objective insights. Effects of multicultural upbringing on perspective: Leo's Russian origins and subsequent Americanization from a young age gave him a unique vantage point to observe and recognize the biases in both cultures, contributing to his understanding of the relativity of truth and perspective. American media's self-bias: American news, as reported by outlets like CNN, seldom considers or explores non-American perspectives seriously. This self-bias precludes objective journalism, as the reporting caters to American viewers' expectations and identity. Challenges of objective reporting: True objectivity in media is hindered by several factors: audiences' refusal to acknowledge biases, managerial and advertising influences, and journalists' inherent cultural programming and identification with their nationality. Human species bias: News reporting commonly demonstrates a bias that values human life above other species. Leo critiques this as a non-objective stance that further distorts an already human-centric perspective on reality and truth. Society and media's role in human survival: Society and its media construct reinforce cycles of programming that bolster human survival rather than the pursuit of truth. This underpins a self-serving, egotistical cycle many are unaware of due to lifelong cultural indoctrination. Cultural programming through media: From childhood, people are indoctrinated by cultural artifacts such as Disney movies, news, and educational institutions. This "programming" instills existential, metaphysical, and epistemological assumptions that bolster societal self-interest. Conscious versus unconscious media: The perceived problem of left versus right bias in the media is a misconception; the real issue is the level of consciousness. Media reflects the unconsciousness of society, with content not aimed at high consciousness due to the public's lack of appreciation for it. Improvements in consciousness: Changes in collective consciousness are slow and often only noticeable over generations, with the death of one generation providing a clean slate for new cultural developments, while also transferring some old paradigms to the next. Symbiotic cultural parasite: Culture acts as a symbiotic entity that provides survival advantages like science and medicine while also perpetuating harmful elements such as racism and white supremacy. Both beneficial advances and problematic aspects are transmitted together over time. Self-brainwashing species: Human culture, including the media, creates and reinforces a self-brainwashing loop, indoctrinating individuals without their awareness. This phenomenon is not exclusive to regimes like North Korea but is also prevalent in subtler forms in Western cultures like America. American deceptive transparency: The American culture, while appearing diverse and accepting, is deeply biased toward materialism, consumerism, and hyper-rationalism. These biases are often invisible to Americans who, like fish in water, do not notice the pervasive cultural norms surrounding them. Multiple biases influencing perception: Individuals are influenced by various layers of bias, from personal to professional, national, and species-wide biases. These biases distort one's ability to see the world clearly, necessitating a transcendence of these factors to achieve objective perception. Media not liberal enough: Mainstream media like MSNBC and CNN are criticized for not being liberal enough since as individuals become more conscious, they tend to adopt more liberal values. CNN and MSNBC anchors generally hold socially liberal views but remain bound by the necessity to align with the organization's values and audience expectations. CNN versus Fox News: Working at CNN requires a higher level of cognitive and moral development compared to Fox News. CNN anchors can at least engage with neutrality and occasionally denounce outrageous statements or actions, while Fox News anchors lack the consciousness to work beyond ideological biases. Organizational values and media employment: Media personnel must align with the values and biases of their respective organizations to gain and maintain employment. These values dictate the nature of content and limit the possibility of radical or transformative ideas being presented to the public. CNN anchors and majority opinions: CNN anchors are comfortable expressing majority sentiments that align with well-established, uncontroversial societal norms but exhibit more caution on divisive issues like climate change or Trump's presidency. Media's role in culture vs. evolution: Mainstream news organizations like CNN focus on profit and credibility rather than advancing culture towards visionary new stages. Leo's interest lies in guiding mankind's future evolution, necessitating discussions on metaphysics, epistemology, and consciousness. Cutting-edge vs. majority: True progress involves being on the cutting edge, which, by definition, only includes a small percentage of society. The majority adhere to outdated systems, whether in technology, spirituality, or politics, reflecting a general resistance to new, radical ideas. The paradox of media neutrality: CNN's pretense of neutrality actually perpetuates subconscious cultural biases, hindering progress. True neutrality is difficult to achieve and often conceals self-deception and cultural bias. Limitations of mainstream news education: Mainstream news lacks in-depth discussions on crucial topics, opting for brief, superficial coverage. Serious education, particularly on philosophical and existential topics, is necessary for societal advancement but is currently absent from networks like CNN. Visionary leadership and societal inertia: Progress requires visionary leaders who can imagine and work towards a more conscious society, despite facing significant resistance and criticism from those invested in maintaining the status quo. Inspirational figures like Tesla and da Vinci: Individuals such as Nikola Tesla and Leonardo da Vinci accessed infinite intelligence through higher states of consciousness, providing breakthroughs that advanced humanity. Allegory of the enlightened ant: The typical path of human progress is likened to a rare ant emerging from the colony to glimpse the stars, struggling to share this profound knowledge amid skepticism and inertia. Incremental societal change: The spread of enlightening ideas is slow, with incremental acceptance over generations rather than immediate cultural transformation. Humanity's potential tipping point: A critical mass must be reached for high-consciousness concepts to be considered normal and not fringe, which would signify humanity stepping out of its "dark ages." Vision for mainstream media's role in awakening: Leo envisions a day when concepts like "reality as a hallucination" are mainstream and unquestioned, taught to the young as a crucial part of education. Leadership in consciousness elevation: To effect real change, individuals must emerge as self-motivated leaders willing to withstand resistance and inspire others to elevate collective understanding. Solving media's existential problems: The challenge for media is breaking through the status quo, changing minds that are attached to existing worldviews such as science, rationality, or religion. Commitment to transformational work: Leo is dedicated to influencing and transforming the collective consciousness, a task that encompasses a spectrum of roles across different fields, not limited to his approach. Harnessing individual talents for collective progress: Leo encourages a creative approach to elevating consciousness that leverages personal strengths and leads to innovative contributions in any field of work. The practicality of ideology and epistemology: Understanding perception, beliefs, and ideology has concrete effects on individual lives and the minds of society, encompassing much more than theoretical constructs. Amortentia

Why Are My Videos So Long? https://www.actualized.org/insights/why-are-my-videos-so-long Length and depth of Leo's videos: Leo's videos are intentionally long to achieve a deep understanding of complex topics, contrasting with the superficial content on other platforms. Counterintuitiveness of time investment: Watching Leo's longer videos may seem like a time waste, but it is a mental illusion; investing time in actualized.org content is more beneficial than consuming seemingly time-saving yet unhelpful short videos elsewhere. Comparing time investments: Devoting hours to Leo's content, such as his series on politics, provides more depth than years of daily news consumption, which fails to offer a substantial understanding. Misuse of time on superficial content: Many people squander hours on trivial online entertainment that lacks substance, whereas engaged learning with actualized.org promises a radical, life-altering shift in perspective. Navigating life's complexity: Life's complexity requires deep comprehension, and real understanding demands significant time investment beyond quick fixes or superficial learning methods. Strategic learning approach: Leo advocates for a strategic approach to learning, highlighting the importance of avoiding ineffective methods and investing in high-quality information to navigate life's labyrinth effectively. Editorial guidance and content relevance: Leo's editorial role is crucial in curating content that addresses topics relevant to viewers' long-term development and understanding, avoiding clickbait and sacrificing reach for depth. Evolution and expansion of actualized.org: The channel evolves by exploring a wide array of topics, including unconventional tools and psychedelics, to provide viewers with condensed and valuable insights that are difficult to discover independently. Critique of traditional education: Leo calls out the shortcomings of conventional education, which often includes irrelevant information, while his comprehensive approach aims to fill the gap with relevant, impactful knowledge. Transformation through in-depth content: Leo's commitment to providing in-depth content is driven by the desire to offer transformative understanding, often overlooked in minimalist views of reality, which oversimplify life's complexities. Continued advancement of Actualized.org: Leo anticipates bringing his audience to a new level with Actualized.org in the coming year, with novel content and profound teachings that delve deeper into the holistic understanding of reality. Leo's profound and holistic understanding: Over the years, Leo's grasp of reality has become all-encompassing, and he finds this level of understanding to be immensely rewarding, often moving him to tears. The challenge of communicating insights: Despite the depth of his insights, Leo finds it difficult to articulate and manage the sheer volume of understanding he possesses, leading to physical exhaustion. The future of Actualized.org: Leo hints at discussing untouched topics and contributing transformational knowledge to humanity, which he sees as his duty and part of the evolutionary process of society. Holistic understanding's impact on society: The teachings on Actualized.org are meant to go beyond individual transformation, aiming to offer an interconnected understanding that informs progressive societal shifts. Metaphor of super critical mass: Leo relates his work to reaching a super critical mass of comprehension about reality, likening it to a nuclear chain reaction that unleashes a transformative power. Trade-off between specialized and holistic knowledge: Leo opts for a holistic understanding over specialized expertise, believing this approach allows him to analyze complex issues rapidly and with profound clarity. Implications of holistic understanding: Achieving a holistic perspective empowers Leo to swiftly dissect subjects across various domains, often surpassing the depth of knowledge held by specialized experts. Counterintuitiveness in education: Leo's emphasis on counterintuitive approaches also applies to learning; he values a holistic comprehension over technical details, distinguishing his content from traditional academic structures. Interconnectedness of knowledge: The various topics covered by Leo on Actualized.org are meant to be seen as interconnected and exponential in their impact, rather than isolated lessons. Fundamental principles across fields: Leo discusses the existence of profound principles that span all fields of human endeavor, providing a "skeleton key" to comprehending various aspects of reality. Universal Principle of Counterintuitiveness: Counterintuitive methods pervade numerous domains such as computer programming, farming, business, marketing, and dating. Leo asserts that despite not being an expert in these fields, he knows that success often comes from approaches that go against our initial instincts. Holistic understanding as a predictive tool: The mastery of universal principles allows for a holistic grasp of how reality operates, enabling predictions about outcomes and creating the appearance of prescience or contradiction of experts who focus narrowly. Ultimate mission of recognizing love: Leo aims to impart an understanding that every element of reality is a manifestation of love, despite this perception appearing nonsensical or too abstract to many people. Understanding for its own sake: Leo advocates for the pursuit of understanding not as a means to solve personal problems, but as a fundamental endeavor, suggesting that understanding is the universe attempting to comprehend itself through humanity. Preview of future content: Leo hints at the depth of upcoming content on his channel and urges viewers to continuously build their understanding for a transformative view of the universe and the fulfillment of their dreams. Bombarda

How Socialization Makes You Stupid - Problems With Conformity & Group-Think https://youtu.be/gaI1OXly7EE "The supreme lesson of any education should be to think for yourself and to be yourself; absent this attainment, education creates dangerous, stupefying conformity." - Bryant McGill Just sit alone in a room and think. The Dangers of Conformity and Groupthink: Leo Gura discusses the serious impact conformity and groupthink can have on the mind, especially when it comes to socializing. He addresses the topic with a provocative title to stress its importance, drawing from his recent experiences of intense socialization and the realizations he's had about its effects on his thinking and values. Contrast Between Socialization and Personal Values: Gura identifies a conflict between socialization and his highest values, including authenticity, original thinking, and truth. He notes the pressure to conform to social values and fears this might lead to groupthink, despite recognizing that socializing can be done without betraying oneself if approached consciously. Hidden Costs of Socialization: Acknowledging the benefits of socialization, Leo also warns of unseen costs, such as the energy and effort required to maintain authenticity while socializing. He expresses concern that excessive socialization can pull individuals into a "hive mind of stupidity," suggesting even successful and smart individuals, like scientists and CEOs, are not immune. Image 1 Original Thinking and Intellectual Effort: Leo highlights that original thinking is a laborious process that few undertake, including intellectuals. He reflects on the ease felt when not engaging in intellectual labor and the significant work required for genuine original thoughts. Accessing Higher Levels of Intelligence: Gura explains his goal to help others reach extraordinary levels of consciousness and intelligence, which he links to avoiding conformity and groupthink. He shares his personal journey of intellectual development through solitude and avoiding the intellectual limitations of socializing. Trade-Offs of Intellectual Development with Socializing: Discussing the historic tendencies of intelligent men to be isolated figures, Leo explores the idea that socializing can impede original thought. He also notes a gender difference in socialization patterns, suggesting that societal norms may render women more susceptible to groupthink due to survival and reproductive strategies that favor being social. The Intellectual Cost of Social Energy: There are direct and indirect costs to socializing, including the time and energy that could be spent engaging in intellectual pursuits. Leo remarks that socialization can draw one to average intellectual levels of the group, which can be alarming if the group lacks desire for higher consciousness or spiritual development. Social Circle and Intellectual Stagnation: Being in a social circle with successful people like CEOs and PhDs does not necessarily prevent intellectual decline. Socializing can lead to groupthink and a reduction in original thought, regardless of the people involved. Trade-Offs of Socializing: Leo suggests that one must be aware of the trade-offs between socializing and pursuing solitude for intellectual endeavors. He encourages making a conscious choice about how much to socialize based on individual values and life stages. Finding a Personal Balance: Individuals vary in their preferences for social interaction and intellectual pursuits. Finding a personal balance between the two is essential and may shift at different life stages to achieve different goals. Consequences of Excessive Socialization: Social conditioning intensifies with increased social interaction, leading to a mindset that mirrors the beliefs of those around rather than fostering originality due to limited time and mental space for independent thought. Team Dynamics vs Individuality: Working in teams necessitates compromise, potentially leading to a loss of individuality. While teamwork achieves goals unattainable alone, it also comes with the cost of self-sacrifice, which might not always align with one's values and priorities. Self-Sacrifice and Conformity: Engaging in group activities can create pressure to conform, potentially leading to sacrificing one's authentic self and values. Aligning with a group runs the risk of involvement in low-consciousness activities and can stifle deep intellectual capacity. Differentiating Success from Intelligence: Success from social savvy and manipulation is often mistaken for intelligence. However, according to Leo, true intelligence isn't about societal success but about deep understanding, which can be obscured by the focus on social gains. Reflecting on Uniqueness and Non-Social Influence: Leo attributes his intellectual achievements and the uniqueness of his work to his lack of socializing, which allowed him to avoid mainstream groupthink and develop independent thought. Awareness of Social Survival Pressures: Leo calls for an awareness of how the social group we are part of shapes our survival and reality perception. He urges young people to consider their desired positioning within society and the effect it will have on their minds and values. Strategic Social Positioning: Leo warns of the limiting effect of societal positions, like being a Starbucks manager for many years, which can restrict one's ability to think freely and align with personal values. Strategic Societal Positioning and Intellectual Freedom: Leo Gura emphasizes the importance of contemplating the limits and constraints that societal positions, like being a professor at a prestigious university, could impose on one's intellectual growth and value systems, such as the pursuit of truth, love, and creativity. The Cost of Academic Positions: He shares insights from his personal life, where he recognized that the pursuit to become an academic philosopher could compromise his core value of truth due to the demands of conforming to academia's rules and priorities. Balancing Survival Needs and Psychosocial Influences: Gura connects social conditioning and survival needs (e.g., supporting a family, maintaining a home) to constraints on intellectual freedom, urging individuals to reverse engineer their desired societal position based upon the level of mental freedom they aspire to maintain. Frames and Intellectual Limitations: He introduces the concept of 'frames' or paradigms that are socialized into our minds, which while useful, can also severely restrict creative thought and intrinsic intelligence. To access higher levels of intelligence, one must actively deconstruct and transcend these frames. Questioning Established Ideologies: Leo uses Buddhism and science as examples, indicating that even sophisticated frameworks within these disciplines contain assumptions and perspectives that can prevent reaching profound levels of intelligence. Deconstructing Frames to Unleash True Intelligence: Gura speaks of the need to challenge and overcome frames gained from education in diverse fields, such as psychology and spirituality, to unlock genuine intelligence that goes beyond the limitations of these established ideologies. Profound Intelligence vs. Societal Definitions of Intelligence: He criticizes the societal measurement of intelligence that often conflates success, social status, academia, and left-brain abilities with true intelligence. Instead, he advocates redefining intelligence to include wisdom and love, aligning it closer to 'infinite intelligence' or godly intelligence. Aligning Intelligence with Infinite Wisdom: Leo proposes that intelligence should be holistically aligned with the infinite intelligence that organizes the universe, emphasizing that actions and thought processes infused with wisdom and love are what constitutes true intelligence. Importance of Understanding in Intelligence: Gura claims that intelligence is fundamentally about 'understanding' and proposes that a deep understanding of reality devoid of fear is akin to actual intelligence. Transcending Traditional Intelligence Metrics: He rebukes traditional measurements of intelligence based on socio-economic success and cognitive abilities like problem-solving, advocating for a reassessment of intelligence to embrace holistic wisdom and an understanding that transcends fear and survival concerns. Intelligence as the key to life: Leo illuminates the crucial role of intelligence in enhancing the quality of our lives, clarifying that he speaks of a richer, broader form of intelligence ("Intelligence with a capital I") that transcends academic knowledge or book learning. Dangers of academic intelligence: He argues that traditional intelligence, which equates intelligence with knowledge gained from books, can become counterproductive, emphasizing that true intelligence fosters deep understanding which is the ultimate pursuit of life. Understanding and reality: Leo suggests that the essence of reality is understanding—it's winning the game of life. He posits that understanding is not a niche interest but the core upon which reality itself hinges. Attributes of true intelligence: Leo enumerates on the aspects of intelligence that he believes need emphasis: wisdom, love, context and construct awareness, big picture thinking, holism, relativity, openness to new perspectives, radical open-mindedness, consciousness, self-reflection, awareness of self-deception and bias, and the capacity to face fear without misunderstanding reality. Intelligence and the capacity to face fear: He clarifies that high intelligence should correlate with an absence of fear, as fear denotes a failure to comprehend reality thoroughly. Leo equates fear, such as fear of death, with a form of stupidity. Pitfalls of high IQ: Leo criticizes those who are academically intelligent yet unaware of self-deception and bias as not truly intelligent, regardless of their academic or scientific achievements. Emotional awareness as intelligence: He advocates for the inclusion of emotional awareness in the definition of intelligence. Intelligence should not be limited to intellectual capacity but should include emotional understanding, a domain often overlooked by standard academic training. The spiritual dimension of intelligence: Leo contends that without an existential and spiritual dimension—without transcendence of materialism, rationalism, or atheism—intelligence is not truly profound. He envisions intelligence as a path towards godlike awareness and infinitely higher understanding. Preparing for extraterrestrial intelligence: Leo stresses the need to redefine human intelligence in anticipation of future encounters with more intelligent extraterrestrial life forms, fostering a universal scale for intelligence. Cultural conformity and survival: He highlights that deviating from cultural norms can threaten one's survival, suggesting that new ways of living begin with new ways of thinking, urging a departure from groupthink and promoting original, intelligent thought. Mastering the mind for high quality thinking: Contrasting with mainstream Western spirituality, which often focuses on shutting off the mind, Leo encourages mastering the mind through practice, as opposed to merely seeking non-dual states. Practical takeaways for deeper intelligence: Leo suggests recognizing how culture influences thoughts, avoiding parroting ideas, understanding the social survival pressure to conform, tracing the genesis of personal ideas, and actively generating original thoughts in dedicated contemplation sessions. He emphasizes the transformative potential of such practices on one's life. Mental enslavement from socialization: Leo discusses how socialization and cultural pressures can co-opt consciousness to serve low-consciousness priorities, turning people into unwitting intellectual slaves to external forces like jobs, relationships, and media. Intellectual autonomy and sovereignty: Emphasizing the importance of maintaining intellectual autonomy, Leo insists that a person's primary responsibility is to be the director of their own life, rather than fitting into societal norms and becoming a "mindless zombie." Defining personal identity: He champions the joy and necessity of defining yourself on your terms, identifying what you love and how you want to express that love through actions and creativity, making it evident to others what you truly value in life. Intellectual independence: Leo sets a high-level goal of making your thinking process independent from pre-existing human frames, encouraging the pursuit of intellectual autonomy and sovereign, original, and creative thought as transformational tools. Requisite Variety of the Mind: Referencing an episode on his blog called "Requisite Variety," Leo expresses that deep intelligence involves a wide breadth of creative thought, equating infinite intelligence with infinite creation power. Opportunities and challenges in modern society: While the modern world offers unprecedented freedom to seek knowledge, Leo points out that it also presents distractions that can lead to complacency and conformity, urging vigilance to make the most of these intellectual tools. Guarding against conformist influences: Leo emphasizes the need to monitor one's mind for signs of conformity or intellectual laziness, differentiating between original thinking versus regurgitating groupthink or others' ideas. Exercising original thought: The importance of spending time alone to think through ideas from scratch is highlighted as the key to unlocking a high-quality life, contrasting this solitary practice with the influence of socialization, media, and reliance on external content. Practical exercise for autonomous thinking: Leo suggests an exercise of picking a subject and contemplating it independently from any conventional knowledge, practicing the art of contemplation to develop intellectual autonomy. Balancing deep thinking and letting go: He discusses the need to master both deep contemplation and the ability to let go of thinking, as well as the importance of balancing social interactions with solitary contemplation for personal transformation. Value of socialization in developing ideas: Citing an example from his past, Leo acknowledges how socializing at a conference enhanced his understanding of independent game development, thus highlighting the balance between solitude and social engagement for intellectual growth. Networking and Opportunity: Meeting an independent game developer at GDC opened Leo's understanding to the possibility of working outside of big studios, which he had not considered feasible based on his study of the game industry. Financial Independence and Creative Freedom: Inspired by the game developer who worked as a consultant, Leo himself became financially independent, which allowed him the creative freedom to work on what he wanted without being dependent on any studio. Socializing as a Tool for Advancement: Leo acknowledges that networking and socializing can significantly advance one's career and intelligence. His own ability to produce content was a direct result of ideas and independence gained through networking. Balance Between Socializing and Individual Pursuits: He cautions that becoming too invested in socializing for advancement could derail one from individual goals, as it could lead to conformity and survival-oriented behavior instead of unique intellectual contributions. Misconceptions about Lonerism and Intelligence: Leo warns against equating being a loner with having high intelligence. Social inhibitions are developmental issues that need to be addressed, not indications of intelligence. Lonerism as a Conscious Choice: He distinguishes being a loner due to social fears and lack of skills from choosing to be alone to engage in more profound, meaningful work, like contemplating existential matters. Enjoying Socialization and Contemplation: Leo recommends balancing playful and social times with periods of deep intellectual activity, and not using the concept of intelligence to judge or avoid social experiences due to personal insecurities. Concept of Deep Non-Conformity: Deep non-conformity entails contemplation of one's deepest values and creative pursuits, regardless of societal approval, and not compromising values for low-consciousness activities. Risks of Shallow Non-Conformity: He alerts to the dangers of adopting non-conformist appearances by joining various groups or movements, which can be shallow forms of non-conformity that do not involve independent thinking. Avoiding Demonizing the Mainstream: Leo advises caution when considering anti-mainstream ideologies, as there can be as much ignorance there as within mainstream thought, if not more. Avoiding Conspiracy as Pseudo-Nonconformity: Aligning with conspiracy theories isn't a sign of deep non-conformity or intellectual prowess; often, it indicates the opposite, as they can misrepresent genuine intelligence. Use of Actualized.org for Original Thought: Leo stresses the importance of using the insights from Actualized.org as inspiration for independent investigation and creation of personal insights, not just for passive consumption. Inspiration vs. Answers: Although Leo shares many profound insights on Actualized.org, he points out the importance of viewers not just accepting these answers but being inspired to generate their own insights and thinking independently. Future Content on Thinking: Leo plans to release content on novel ways of thinking, including abstraction and oblique thinking, to access deeper levels of intelligence and original thought, hinting at potential courses on these topics in the future. Confringo

Tapping Into Collective Consciousness https://www.actualized.org/insights/tapping-into-collective-consciousness New consciousness exploration: Leo delves into collective consciousness, advancing beyond personal awareness. He perceives reality as embodying a layered, hierarchical structure reminiscent of a corporation, where one might connect with higher, collective aspects beyond individual consciousness. Materialism vs. collective experience: He challenges materialist reductionism, advocating for a broader perspective where the collective, interconnected consciousness, such as that of the entire human race, is conceivable when recognizing the universe as an imagination within God's infinite mind. Contemplating humanity's trajectory: In expansive states of consciousness, Leo suggests that time becomes irrelevant and one can illuminate different aspects of universal knowledge. He shares an extraordinary experience of shining his awareness on mankind's collective aspects and the consciousness of all current fetuses on Earth, aiming to influence their future openness and awakening. Reality and imagination convergence: In heightened states of consciousness, Leo claims that the distinction between reality and imagination vanishes, making it possible to potentially influence reality through the power of imagination and intention. Individual influence limitations: Leo discusses the universe's design that restricts individuals from wielding enough power to make significant, arbitrary changes to reality, preventing potential abuses and maintaining order within the cosmic structure. Selflessness in higher consciousness: Reaching profound levels of consciousness eliminates selfish intentions, according to Leo. He describes an experience filled with love for all creation, intending to bless and improve the world selflessly, resonating with God's creative intent. Miracles and spirituality: Leo discusses the myths and stories of miracles within Christianity and other mystical traditions, acknowledging that while some may be false or exaggerated, others could be based on real feats achieved by accessing deep levels of consciousness far beyond typical enlightenment. Selflessness in high consciousness states: He emphasizes that actions taken from these high states of consciousness are infused with an infinite love stemming from a universal source. This selfless state eliminates any notion of evil intent, focusing instead on contributing positively to all of creation. Healing with imagination: Leo suggests that healing at these levels does not require physical intervention but is achieved through the power of imagination. He proposes that by tapping into unlimited intelligence, one can envision and, therefore, change the health and well-being of others, regardless of the physical distance or time. The abstract nature of imagination: He explains that imagination is not confined to concrete entities but can encompass abstract collectives, such as all of humanity. This allows for impacting larger wholes, similar to understanding humanity as a hand with billions of interconnected digits. Purpose after awakening: Leo identifies the purpose of life post-awakening as serving creation in alignment with God. He dictates that to engage effectively in such a divine service, one must reach a state of purity and complete alignment with God, moving beyond personal desires and living as a vessel for God's work on Earth. Life as God incarnate: After awakening, one's life should be dedicated to contributing to the world as God himself would-selflessly, without personal gain. This can manifest in various ways, from healing and teaching to art and leadership, with the underlying motivation being to demonstrate and inspire with divine love. The utility of awakened life: Leo proposes that the most meaningful way to use one's time on Earth is to embody God's infinite goodness and love, going beyond seeking personal awakening. He encourages a shift in perspective from personal gratification to living as a reflection of God's will and benevolence in one's actions and creations. Synergy between individual contributions and collective impact: Leo illustrates how individual efforts, like streams, come together to form a larger collective force, much like rivers merging into an Amazon-sized entity. This metaphor highlights the potential for individual actions to contribute to grander societal or even cosmic endeavors. Service without obligation: He encourages serving the greater good without feeling obligated, suggesting that true joy and fulfillment come when one contributes selflessly to the world, serving mankind, the earth, or the cosmos, aligned with one's higher consciousness and understanding of their role. Living selflessly as God's messenger: Leo describes how a heightened state of consciousness can transform a person into a messenger of God on Earth, where their actions, regardless of profession, express divine love and contribute meaningfully to the betterment of creation without explicitly discussing God. Creative and varied expressions of sainthood: He criticizes strictly ascetic spiritual practices for their lack of applicability to societal living, proposing a more expansive vision of sainthood that includes a variety of creative and societal contributions, echoing the Christian mystical tradition of performing good works. Necessity for societal transformation: Emphasizing the need to reflect the love and goodness of God in all societal facets, Leo advocates for a broader participation of enlightened individuals in various fields, beyond traditional teaching roles, to help transform society holistically. Inspiration for spiritual work: Leo shares his personal motivation for spiritual practice, revolving around a deep desire to understand and embody the universal truth, creativity, and love. He encourages finding a positive and visionary purpose to fuel the demanding journey towards higher consciousness and godlike creation. Critique of negative motivation: He critiques the pursuit of enlightenment solely to escape suffering, arguing that such negative motivation fails to reach the highest levels of consciousness. Instead, he champions positive motivations like seeking truth, understanding, beauty, and a desire to contribute to the greater good as the proper drive for spiritual growth. Ascendio

Do I Doubt Myself? https://www.actualized.org/insights/do-i-doubt-myself Self-doubt and confirmation: Leo deals with self-doubt by deeply investigating his beliefs, leading to a confident understanding of concepts like God and enlightenment. This process includes challenging his biases and fears over two decades, rather than passively reaffirming them. Evolving beliefs through skepticism and open-mindedness: His journey has involved radical open-mindedness and a willingness to change his stance drastically, even by 180 or 360 degrees, as a result of his extensive introspection and experiences. The purpose of open-mindedness: Leo clarifies that being radically open-minded is important, but it should not equate to embracing ignorance or foolish ideas. True open-mindedness is meant to guide one towards truth, not to uphold skepticism indefinitely or to entertain every possibility without discernment. Reaching the absolute truth: While skepticism is integral to the truth-seeking process, there is a point where it must end. Leo describes reaching absolute truth as a definitive experience beyond further doubt, while recognizing that continued skepticism at this stage can lead to delusion. Pathological doubt versus spiritual realization: Persistent doubt can become dysfunctional when it prevents acceptance of profound realizations like being God. The journey's goal is to differentiate between destructive skepticism leading to nihilism and the path toward spiritual enlightenment and divine embodiment. Overcoming skepticism to realize the Absolute: Leo acknowledges the importance of skepticism in his spiritual journey but explains that there comes a point where excessive skepticism only hinders further growth. He emphasizes that to reach higher understanding, one must let go of skepticism and fear, as they become obstacles to recognizing and fully accepting deep, absolute realizations. The surrender of skepticism is necessary to truly embrace the absolute and break free from self-imposed limitations and delusional doubt. Misidentification with skepticism as a form of devilry: Leo describes that being overly attached to skepticism can be counterproductive, equating it to a form of self-deception or "devilry." He warns that even profound experiences of the divine can be dismissed by the skeptical mind, which refuses to acknowledge its nature as absolute. To advance spiritually, one must be willing to let go of this resistance and accept the possibility of complete surrender to the divine. Fear as the root of skepticism and doubt: He further argues that skepticism and doubt stem from fear, which is a defensive mechanism employed by the ego to preserve its sense of separateness and survival. Leo points out that embracing the absence of fear is key to moving beyond doubt and skepticism. By surrendering to the absolute truth, one no longer needs the protection that doubt supposedly provides, entering a state of infinite consciousness devoid of fear. Maintaining humility alongside realization of divinity: Despite declaring that he has no doubt about being God, Leo distinguishes between the certainty of his divine nature and the awareness that he is not omniscient in every relative matter. He stresses the need to remain humble and open to learning and changing beliefs concerning mundane or specific knowledge, where mistakes and misinterpretations are still possible. Distinguishing Absolute and Relative Knowledge: Leo emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between the realization of absolute truth and the relative knowledge of human existence, such as dietary choices. Enlightenment on spiritual matters does not translate to omniscience in everyday mundane issues, which are subject to experimentation and personal variance. Maintaining Humility in Enlightenment: Leo advocates for humility in the face of enlightenment. He recognizes he will likely change his opinions on relative matters and stresses the importance of acknowledging that enlightenment and mastery in one area do not prevent mistakes or limitations in others. He mentions instances where even the Buddha revised his initial beliefs, demonstrating that enlightenment is a nuanced state rather than simple perfection. Avoiding Guru Exploitation and Delusion: Leo warns of the potential for exploitation by gurus who are mistakenly considered infallible and urges caution when following spiritual leaders. He highlights the importance of understanding that enlightenment does not eliminate one's vulnerability to deception or error in relative, worldly matters. Cultural Programming and Embracing Divinity: Leo understands the challenges faced by individuals from religious backgrounds when trying to embrace their own divinity. He encourages overcoming deep-seated cultural programming to realize one's unity with the divine, even when such realizations appear sacrilegious within their traditional religious belief systems. Granting Permission to Recognize Divinity: Leo conceptualizes himself as a conduit, giving listeners the permission to accept their divinity in a non-arrogant manner. He frames this recognition as an inner transformation from being a divided devil to the omniscient god, suggesting that accepting one's divinity is akin to acknowledging one's ultimate authority over their own experience and existence. Colloportus

Metaphysics vs Epistemology https://www.actualized.org/insights/metaphysics-vs-epistemology Direct consciousness as a method of philosophical inquiry: Leo emphasizes that the usual philosophical pursuit of metaphysics and epistemology, focusing on existence and knowledge, is transformed by the concept of direct consciousness. This approach bypasses the limitations of senses and reasoning, often used in Western philosophy, and offers a distinct path to understanding. Inquiry into metaphysics and epistemology: Philosophical questioning of what constitutes reality (metaphysics) and how we can know anything with certainty (epistemology) inevitably leads to doubts that can undermine conclusions, posing a problem for philosophers seeking certainty in their findings. Metaphysics as the primary philosophical inquiry: By exploring the relationship between metaphysics and epistemology, Leo concludes that metaphysics, or simply being, comes before epistemology, or thinking about being. He illustrates this through the notion that the universe existed long before the emergence of thought, implying that being precedes thinking. Existence and the emergence of thought: Leo highlights a speculative but profound moment in history when the first thought appeared in the universe-long after numerous complex processes unfolded-suggesting that the ability to think and know (epistemology) emerged from pre-existing beings (metaphysics). Unifying metaphysics and epistemology at high levels of consciousness: At advanced levels of consciousness, the apparent distinction between metaphysics and epistemology collapses, revealing that they are not dualistic but rather different aspects of the same underlying reality-consciousness. Direct exploration of consciousness: Consciousness cannot be comprehended through logical, rational, or symbolic means, as any definition or symbol is already a manifestation within consciousness itself. To truly understand consciousness, one must engage directly with the raw fact of being conscious, focusing on pure, undifferentiated awareness. Inherent qualities of consciousness: Consciousness is a groundless substance, empty of all characteristics and defying all dualistic qualifications. It cannot be accurately defined or described because any attempt to do so inherently qualifies what is fundamentally quality-less. Distinction and nondistinction in consciousness: Consciousness embodies a paradox where being distinct and indistinct coexist simultaneously, depending on perspective. This relativity collapses in non-dual consciousness, where the act of knowing and the state of being are unified, and all that remains is the substance of consciousness itself. Collapse of subject-object duality: In the state of non-dual awareness, the conceptual boundary between the observing subject and the observed object dissolves, revealing that perceptions and experiences are simply occurrences within the singular field of consciousness. This realization challenges the validity of conventional Western philosophical constructs. Non-dual consciousness as direct knowledge: Non-dual consciousness allows for the direct realization of absolute truth without reliance on intellectual processes. Doubt and skepticism stem from remaining within the mind's paradigm; true recognition of non-duality reveals that one is the embodiment of truth, beyond the possibility of doubt. Critique of Western philosophy's limitations: Leo argues that Western philosophy's failure to resolve existential questions lies in its intellectual approach which is constrained to finite methods. By never transcending the mind, philosophers missed the infinite nature of reality. The lack of practices to raise consciousness beyond intellectual thought hindered their understanding. The error of finite methods in infinite inquiries: Western philosophy, although containing brilliant insights, primarily operated under the assumption that truth could be reached using the mind. This central error led to the misconception that ultimate questions about existence and knowledge could be answered symbolically, overlooking the true infinite nature of these inquiries. Academic challenges embracing non-duality: Academics and scientists entrenched in the materialist and mental paradigms find it difficult to embrace non-duality due to institutional pressure and career concerns. Escaping these paradigms is unlikely as academia requires adherence to conventional intellectual models to secure positions, tenure, and funding. Openly acknowledging non-duality could jeopardize careers, leading to intellectual persecution akin to historical figures like Galileo or Giordano Bruno. University evolution and future prospects: Future academic institutions must evolve substantially to accommodate non-duality and mystical teachings in higher education. Currently, academics interested in these areas may have to practice privately and discreetly to avoid conflict with established norms. Progress is anticipated in a few hundred years when universities may be more receptive and integrate enlightened perspectives into their systems. Western philosophy's significance and legacy: Despite its failure to answer ultimate questions, Western philosophy profoundly influenced the development of Western and thus global culture. Its contributions span moral, legal, economic theories, and scientific advancements. Western philosophy's ideas about civil liberties, secularism, empiricism, and the rise of science have shaped modern society. Philosophy as the root of science and intellectual traditions: Many pioneering figures in science and mathematics were fundamentally philosophers who delved into deep metaphysical and epistemological questions. Today, a disconnect between philosophy and hard sciences undermines the depth of understanding in scientific fields, leading to what Leo views as 'hack science' lacking in substance. Kurt Gödel's metaphysical quest and critique of modern logic: Kurt Gödel, while known for his mathematical theorems, was deeply invested in metaphysical inquiry, driven by intuition about the nature of reality and truth. He was critical of the separation between philosophy and logic/mathematics, emphasizing the need for philosophical depth in these disciplines. Pragmatism's detrimental effects on science: The current scientific practice prioritizes pragmatic results over deeper metaphysical understanding, leading to a neglect of truth, consciousness, and spirituality. Leo predicts that future science will renounce this limited pragmatism, acknowledge its mistakes, and move toward a more holistic understanding of reality as an organic, conscious system. Potential transformation of culture and academia: Leo anticipates that future historians and philosophers will recognize the narrow-mindedness of 20th and 21st-century scientists and academics for not integrating the truths of mystical traditions into scientific understanding. Leo criticizes the current materialistic and reductionist paradigms dominating Western culture, identifying them as obstacles to collective awakening and personal development. Postmodernism misconceptions: Postmodernism is considered an esoteric philosophy, not as widely influential as some critics claim. Leo discusses its complexity and its minimal impact on general culture, contrary to the exaggerated portrayal by figures like Jordan Peterson. Influence of universities on cultural paradigms: Universities not only impart knowledge but shape cultural paradigms. Leo objects to the perpetuation of a materialistic paradigm in academia, emphasizing the need for intellectuals to embrace non-duality to facilitate significant cultural shifts. Shifting paradigms and mainstreaming non-duality: Leo urges the need for widespread cultural understanding of non-duality as distinct from religion and for the acceptance of practices like psychedelics as pathways to accessing non-dual and absolute truth. Future integration of non-duality into science and education: Leo envisions a future intellectual renaissance where the division between dualistic and non-dual paradigms is transcended, allowing science to integrate non-duality and mystical insights. Future generations would learn early on about the non-material, infinite nature of reality, leading to profound changes across society and the development of deeply conscious individuals. Finite Incantatem

May 2018 Solo Retreat - Part 1 https://www.actualized.org/insights/may-2018-solo-retreat-part-1 Preparation for awakening retreat: Leo Gura unveils the start of his 30-day isolation and intensive meditation journey aimed at achieving awakening, during which he will cease work and social interactions, limit necessary outings like grocery shopping, and focus solely on his spiritual practice. Anticipation and energy for the journey: Feeling energized and having a strong desire to awaken, Leo describes his intent and the importance of strong commitment to the path of enlightenment. He underscores the need for surrender and selflessness, prioritizing awakening over all distractions and material attractions. Embracing simplicity in practice: Anticipating a lack of rigid routine, he plans to engage in meditation by being hyper-aware of existence without analysis, focusing on the present, and fully experiencing consciousness. He emphasizes the simplicity of this technique yet acknowledges the profound depths it can explore. The challenge of temptation: Acknowledging the difficulty of resisting distractions such as the internet and his phone during the retreat, Leo plans to overcome these temptations to maintain a meditative state and continue his progress on the path to enlightenment. Surreal existence and meditation challenge: Leo urges viewers to become highly conscious of everyday objects such as their hand, embracing the mystery without letting the mind weave stories or analyses. He emphasizes the importance of presence and silence to eventually achieve awakening, comparing the journey to a form of suicide through consciousness-a slow, voluntary drowning of the ego in emptiness while resisting distractions from the ego's perpetual need for activity. Metaphor of drowning: The process of meditation is likened to smothering a baby, your own life or ego, in silence until it drowns. Leo elaborates on the metaphor, indicating the difficulty and resistance faced during this transformative journey. He warns of the ego's fear and struggle as it is confronted with its own obliteration. Hero's journey as internal transformation: Leo reflects on the hero's journey as not just an external battle seen in movies and mythology but as an internal, often intangible process of overcoming the ego. He discusses the discrepancy between the engaging narratives of pop culture heroes and the real, unglamorous work of spiritual awakening that requires intense personal struggle. Redemption and surrender: Ego-driven life is contrasted with the redemptive path of surrendering to consciousness and selflessness. Leo speaks about using the "1%," the divine spark within us, to redeem the ego's life of distractions, emphasizing the role of love as a powerful tool in overcoming life's greatest fears and actualizing self-transcendence. Lesser Jihad versus Greater Jihad: Engaging in activism for social, political, or environmental causes is referred to as "lesser jihad," focusing on external change. In contrast, the internal work of spiritual awakening, confronting personal fears, anger, and traumas, is termed "greater jihad," a solitary and arduous path without societal accolades. Misconceptions about the Holy Grail: The physical representation of the Holy Grail, often depicted as a solid gold chalice, is a metaphor for immortality through consciousness and the essence of existence. This concept is hard for materialistic and dualistic minds to grasp, leading to underestimation of its true significance compared to tangible material wealth. Commitment to spiritual practice: Leo emphasizes the absolute need for 100% commitment to the awakening process, highlighting the stark difference a mere 1% lack of commitment can make. He acknowledges the inevitability of boredom as a significant hurdle in such retreats and asserts that conquering it is essential for progress toward awakening. The practice of surrender: Leo's "secret weapon" for the retreat is proactive surrendering-a continuous process of letting go of resistance, fear, fantasies, cravings, and the pleasure derived from thinking. This practice aims to dissolve the ego and embrace the present moment, leading towards a state of no mind. Leap of faith towards surrender: Leo Gura emphasizes the act of surrendering to a higher power, referred to as God or ultimate reality, seeking to exchange the ego and its narrow existence for the infinite intelligence of consciousness. This surrender is a leap of faith, trusting in the wisdom far beyond the ego's capabilities. Counterintuitive nature of surrender: Skeptics may dismiss surrendering as nonsensical or illogical, but Leo challenges this by stating that true wisdom recognizes surrendering one's entire existence, including ambitions and identity, as a path to gaining the infinite and becoming one with the cosmos. Divine spark and love as tools against fear: Leo discusses using the divine spark within and the power of love to overcome fears and challenges during the retreat. He encourages tapping into love as an absolute, transformative force that can help counteract the deceits of the ego. Journey beyond awakening: The ultimate aim of the spiritual path is not just awakening or enlightenment, but reaching states such as no mind and embodying unconditional love. This requires a deep surrender of judgments, hatreds, and the ego's selfishness to become aligned with the boundless loving nature of reality. Preparation for awakening: Leo feels ready to embark on his awakening journey, with a sense of readiness stemming from glimpses of awakening through past experiences and an understanding gleaned from various teachings, research, and introspection. Solo journey recognized: He acknowledges that regardless of the path or timing, one ultimately confronts death alone, and the genuine fulfillment of life can lead to dying in peace rather than fear or regret. Purpose of awakening now: Leo refutes the notion of postponing awakening until death by highlighting the transformative potential of experiencing true enjoyment and love for life before physical death occurs, contrasting it with the suffering inherent in unawakened existence. Personal reflection on death and life fulfillment: A memory from a high school health class informs Leo's long-held perspective on death-living a fulfilled life leads to a peaceful death. He later realizes that awakening provides an even deeper fulfillment than the textbook's message suggested, transcending traditional understandings of life and death. Beyond the materialist paradigm: Leo concludes that actualizing the profound truths of existence-traditionally found in myths and spiritual teachings and largely misunderstood by society-transcends the grasp of materialist paradigms, but it is indeed achievable. Crucio

Hawaii Late Night Insights https://www.actualized.org/insights/hawaii-april-2018-late-night-insights Striving for permanence in awakening: Leo is attempting to make his deep awakening experiences permanent during his solo retreat by focusing highly on the notion of nothingness during meditation. The inverse of self and ego: He has come to understand that what he truly seeks-the nature of his existence-is the inverse of self and ego, essentially nothingness and infinity, suggesting a need for ego surrender for deeper insight. Experience of existential envelopment: During intense meditation, Leo feels engulfed by nothingness, leading to a profound suffering analogous to physical symptoms of death, reinforcing his insight that genuine understanding requires self-surrender. Acceptance of physical death: Leo advocates that true awakening demands not just psychological or ego death, but the acceptance of one's own physical death, encompassing the surrender of life's enjoyments and identity. Criticizing the understatement of awakening's difficulty: He critiques many spiritual teachings for understating the rigors of awakening, clarifying that proper meditation leads to confronting a critical choice between succumbing to fears or surrendering to truth. Buddha's revered image and death: Leo reflects on Buddha's revered status and how his moment of awakening, depicted in statues worldwide, signifies the death of the small self and the continuation of the body as a mere vessel for teaching post-awakening. Materialist paradigm's limitation: The materialist, egoic, and dualistic paradigms struggle to comprehend the continuation of life without the self. This notion challenges the very core of understanding reality, as it does not align with the experience of the self being alive. The Buddha's awakening: Described as a form of actual physical death, the Buddha's awakening is presented as an embodiment of surrender and the ultimate leap of faith. This surrender is revered and symbolized in statues around the world, representing the ultimate cost paid for enlightenment. Fear of actual death during awakening: Leo confronts his fear that the awakening process might lead to his actual physical death. He recognizes this as a possible outcome and prepares to accept it, which represents a significant mental and emotional milestone in his journey towards enlightenment. Understanding the sacrifice for awakening: Most people are unprepared for the level of sacrifice required for true awakening, which is described as the willingness to sacrifice physical life for truth. The process involves intense suffering and a paradox where the pursuit of eternal happiness ultimately requires one to face their physical mortality first. Clarification on real death: Leo emphasizes that awakening does not involve literal physical harm but is about accepting real death in the sense of realizing one's non-existence from the beginning. Illusory nature of self: Despite the fear and sensation of a pounding heart during meditation, he recognized that the self he thought he was surrendering is an illusion, as he was essentially 'nothing' all along. The challenge of conscious surrender: The difficulty lies in consciously deciding to let go and surrender to the process, which is complicated by the fear of death. Leo faced significant resistance from his ego, which caused inner suffering. Love as a means to conquer fear: In the struggle to surrender, Leo discovered that invoking the feeling of infinite love can dissolve the fear, and the intention to act out of love for truth, humanity, and reality became his intended method to transcend fear. Meditation session conclusion: Despite the build-up to a potential awakening and overcoming fear with love, the expected transformation did not occur. Leo's intensive meditation session ended without the anticipated breakthrough. Validity of process insights: Leo explains that his insights are credible, even in the absence of a full awakening during the session, due to his cumulative experiences from smaller awakenings and deepened understanding over time. Psychedelics as a preview to awakening: He argues that psychedelics are powerful tools for understanding the dying process related to ego death and can offer profound, real experiences that demonstrate the process without one's conscious effort to die. Comparison between suicide and ego death: Ego death during meditation is compared to the arduous task of overcoming one's survival instincts-as difficult or even harder than the physical act of suicide due to the ego's deep-rooted resistance. Repeated attempts and psychedelic support: Real awakening requires persistent effort and might involve many attempts. Psychedelic experiences, particularly 5-MeO-DMT, help diminish the fear of ego death by repeatedly crossing the threshold, making the process less intimidating over time. Awakening as permanent death: The pursuit of awakening that the most revered sages have achieved equates to a permanent death of the ego, a key distinction from ordinary self-improvement or consciousness work, which Leo highlights with great emphasis. Insight on the awakening process: Leo identifies his past lack of understanding about facing his own death; he now comprehends that awakening requires an acceptance akin to physically dying and takes a leap of faith inspired by infinite love. The illusion of the little self: The transition from the ego, or little self, to the big self-the true infinite self-is seen as a form of death by the ego, which ultimately is an illusion. Crossing this barrier reveals that the fear and life associated with the ego were never real. The persistent nature of the ego: Leo likens the ego to a relentless antagonist in a horror film or video game that requires continuous confrontations and defeats to fully extinguish, highlighting the non-linear and repetitive path to true awakening for many individuals. Awakening as a multichapter journey: Contrary to many spiritual teachings that oversimplify the process, Leo emphasizes that the journey to awakening may span multiple 'chapters,' with each one requiring renewed effort and different approaches. The gravity and exclusivity of awakening: The process is not for everyone; it is a serious, profound undertaking reserved for those wholly dedicated to discovering truth and undergoing a transformation akin to that experienced by historical spiritual figures like Buddha. Channeling infinite love for transcendence: The key to overcoming the fear experienced at the brink of awakening is channeling infinite love, an emotion so potent that it can overwhelm and extinguish the ego. Leo suggests that psychedelics can facilitate the initial experience of this love, which can then be recalled at the crucial moment of surrender. The hero's paradoxical journey: The journey to awakening is akin to the hero's journey, where the hero's perceived self-sacrifice is paradoxical because the 'hero' never truly existed-it was always an illusion. The recognition and experience of the infinite self is considered the pinnacle of non-duality and the most significant achievement. Colloportus

Hawaii Retreat Intro https://www.actualized.org/insights/hawaii-retreat-intro Overview of the retreat location and cost: Leo is at a new Airbnb location in a jungle on the Big Island of Hawaii, near Hilo. He describes the sunny weather and the natural surroundings, including wildlife. The accommodations cost is about $100 per night with an $800 flight from Las Vegas to Hawaii. Description of living spaces: Leo tours the rented house, mentioning unused areas like a downstairs bar, and focuses on the second floor where he spends his time. This includes the kitchen, dining, balcony with a meditation bench, living room, and his preference for open windows due to the pleasant climate. Food preparation for retreat: Leo details his assortment of food supplies for 10 days, including various fruits, vegetables, eggs, bacon, and rice, acknowledging some unhealthy choices due to local shopping limitations. He shows the food storage in his kitchen and emphasizes practicality over strict health during the retreat. Leo's intention for a deeper retreat: He aims for a deeper retreat experience by adjusting his daily techniques, including EEG brain training, yoga, and the use of psychedelics such as five Meo. Leo plans to avoid nightly update videos for a more immersive retreat, with a summary video at the end. Daily retreat practices: The routine involves daily brain training, yoga, mindfulness, and contemplation, followed by five Meo use each night. Leo also plans to incorporate shamanic breathing to work through emotional blockages and facilitate profound existential investigation. Emphasis on process over distractions: Leo speaks about the double-edged nature of retreating in a beautiful location, resolving to remain focused on his practices despite the temptations of Hawaii's pleasant environment. He explains the importance of dedication and mindfulness throughout the retreat for personal growth. Commitment to continuous practice: Leo is dedicated to staying within the house for nine days, engaging in hour-long meditation sessions throughout the day, aiming for 10 to 12 sessions each day, while maintaining mindfulness during all activities. Deepening mindfulness through persistence: As the retreat progresses, Leo explains that the continual practice builds upon itself, leading to increased mindfulness and the potential for profound mystical experiences, samadhi, and awakening experiences. Emphasizing the difficulty of retreats: He candidly discusses the intensity of the retreat, stressing it is not a vacation but hard work that's emotionally taxing and challenges his ego, dispelling any romantic notions viewers might have. Real work versus passive learning: Leo differentiates between the deep work done on retreats and the less involved learning from self-help materials or online videos, urging viewers to experience a solo retreat to understand the true depth of suffering and transformation involved. Facing personal challenges: The retreat brings to the surface inner demons, personal failings, cravings, and egoic resistances, which he acknowledges can provoke a strong desire to escape into distractions or seek comfort from others. Staying focused amidst loneliness and temptation: Success in the retreat requires facing loneliness and fears head-on, avoiding the trap of distractions, and dealing with arising psychological baggage with mindfulness. The grueling nature of the process: Leo describes the retreat as a test of patience and focus, with lengthy periods of meditation that can be tedious and boring, advising to take the process one step at a time and remain in the present moment. Building momentum with practice: Acknowledging the need for extensive hours of technique practice to reach significant breakthroughs, Leo emphasizes the importance of perseverance and a beginner's mind in the pursuit of deeper realization and insight. Confundo

Understanding Better Than Academics https://www.actualized.org/insights/understanding-better-than-academics Experiment with vlog style: Leo is trying an informal vlog format to share his non-linear, rapid, and intuitive thought processes that are difficult to convey in structured videos. Intuition versus logic: He describes his intuitive thinking as a vast neural net that allows for simultaneous processing of many ideas, unlike the clear and precise, but linear nature of logic. Communication struggles: Leo admits to the communication challenge presented by his intuition-driven insights, expressing the difficulty in convincing others without a linear argument structure. Content prioritization dilemma: With a limit of one video per week, Leo must prioritize which topics to include, leaving many insights unshared due to the constraint of releasing only about 50 videos a year. Vision for actualized.org: Leo hints at the deep and far-reaching potential of his work with actualized.org and the long-term commitment required from followers to realize the full benefits. Long-term strategic thinking: He promotes long-term strategic thinking as part of being successful in life and overcoming short-term setbacks and lack of vision. Expert knowledge through commitment: Leo promises viewers profound understanding surpassing top academics in various fields if they commit to watching his content and doing the work for several years. Open-mindedness as a knowledge key: He emphasizes radical open-mindedness as the key to profound knowledge, which he claims is often underestimated and lacking in academia and general society. Challenges of maintaining openness: Leo discusses the difficulty of remaining open-minded enough to fully embrace and comprehend reality, which requires a radical and unbiased approach. Transformation via deep engagement: Stresses the life-changing potential of deeply engaging with radical ideas about reality, which can lead to a transformative shift in understanding and personal growth. Resistance to change: He observes that many people resist change, preferring to defend existing belief systems, which inhibits the deep understanding he advocates for. Limitations of the academic system: Leo talks about the cultural constraints within academia that indoctrinate PhDs and prevent them from adopting maverick or radically open-minded positions due to the need for approval and adherence to established paradigms. Academic marginalization: He mentions how institutions isolate mavericks by relegating them to less influential areas, such as the philosophy of religion, effectively neutralizing the threat their ideas might pose to established norms. Threatening nature of transformative ideas: Leo notes how deeply transformative ideas can be perceived as a threat to social structures, relationships, and institutions, resulting in resistance to change. Academic career constraints: Highlights the career and livelihood dependence on not challenging the status quo within academia, which discourages radical openness and innovation. Academic dependency and career limitations: Academics are deeply invested in their institutions and face significant pressure to conform, compromising their ability to think outside the box due to dependence on salary, reputation, and incentives like tenure. Specialization and barrier to big-picture ideas: Universities force researchers to focus on narrow, specialized subfields, making them more akin to technicians. This hyper-specialization obstructs the pursuit of broad, interconnected ideas and understanding. Corruption of truth in academia: Leo observed the university system's corruption firsthand, watching philosophers prioritizing institutional bureaucracy over the true pursuit of wisdom, leading him to abandon the path of becoming an academic philosopher. Financial independence for uncorrupted truth: Leo emphasizes that his ability to share unadulterated insights on actualized.org is underpinned by his financial independence from traditional employment, reputations, and external funding resources. Creative freedom from non-conformity: Before actualized.org, Leo's commitment to financial and creative independence allowed him to escape the corrupting influences that plague professionals in academia and other creative fields. Balance of practical and metaphysical content: Leo curates content for actualized.org that balances practical utility with his passion for metaphysical subjects, enabling him to maintain his creative independence and share his vision for understanding reality. Promise of deep understanding: Leo believes that following his guidance on actualized.org over the course of several years can lead to a profound understanding of reality that surpasses the knowledge of the most adept academics. Deep curiosity for truth: Leo stresses the importance of seeking truth for its own sake, highlighting that all life decisions hinge on our understanding of reality. Without truth, we can't be confident in the validity of our actions or life choices. Human capacity for understanding: Emphasizing humanity's unique ability to reflect and comprehend, Leo places high value on philosophy and science as means to explore the fundamental questions of existence. Importance of open-mindedness: Leo criticizes the limitations of strict beliefs and encourages a genuine curiosity that leads to undertaking serious research across various fields of knowledge. Life as a great privilege: Viewing the pursuit of understanding reality not as an obligation but as a privilege, Leo finds fulfillment in the intellectual exploration of life's fundamental aspects. Interconnectedness of reality: Leo describes his admiration for the intricate interconnectedness of all elements in reality, leading to a deeper appreciation for existence and an experience of life akin to witnessing a masterpiece. Enriching daily life through curiosity: He encourages finding unconditional love and satisfaction in both positive and negative aspects of life, leading to a more magical, childlike wonder in everyday experiences. Crafting a holistic vision for one's life: Leo discusses the importance of taking the time to craft a meaningful life through planning, vision, and correcting past mistakes, asserting that it's never too late to reshape one's life path. Value of long-term vision: Working towards a meaningful, long-term goal provides a sense of relief and purpose compared to the monotony of a typical nine-to-five job. Liberation through correction: Acknowledging and correcting past mistakes is difficult but ultimately liberating, as it allows a person to work towards a larger, more conscious life vision. Conscious life construction: Piece by piece, one can construct a conscious life by focusing on personal development, aligning with like-minded individuals who support growth, and minimizing distractions. The importance of vision and trust: Keeping the vision of a profound understanding of life in mind is crucial, and trusting the process is essential-even though life decisions are inherently gambles. Radical open-mindedness as a principle: True open-mindedness involves not taking a fixed position on any issue and trusting that this approach will lead to positive insights and understanding. Pursuing truth as a noble endeavor: Centering life around the pursuit of truth, and being genuinely curious about it, is a rare approach that can yield interesting and strategic life developments. Power of big-picture understanding: Obtaining a comprehensive understanding of life by connecting different areas of knowledge confers a unique confidence and strategic advantage. Radical ownership of life: Taking full ownership of all aspects of life, including finances, information consumption, and personal growth, avoids societal corruption and empowers individual choices. Trusting resonance in consciousness work: Trusting the intuition that resonates with profound, truthful, and high-consciousness content is key to aligning with transformative ideas. Long-term self-actualization as an investment: Self-actualization is a process of connecting knowledge dots, which initially may not yield visible results but gradually leads to a deeper understanding of life. Gratitude for life's miraculous nature: By continually working towards the vision of life's potential, one can tap into feelings of infinite intelligence, creativity, love, and gratitude for life's miraculous nature. Visioning challenges and psychedelic shortcuts: Developing a clear vision of what is possible is difficult, and psychedelics may serve as a means to see the potential, though not as a substitute for the work required to actualize it. Avifors

Solo Retreat Videos & Insights - Day 9 https://www.actualized.org/insights/solo-retreat Final Day of Retreat: Leo had a shorter meditation duration on day nine, diverting to capture scenic footage and realizing the last day of retreats often sees a drop in the intensity of practice due to the anticipation of resuming everyday life. Jarring Contrast Between Retreat and Routine: Leo felt a striking contrast between the retreat's tranquility and the routine tasks of checking his phone and planning, which led to a profound lesson about the transient nature of life and the futility of seeking future happiness. Mindfulness and Work Efficiency: After the retreat, Leo changed his approach to work, focusing on savoring the process rather than obsessing over efficiency, as he recognized that ultimate productivity pursuit is meaningless without appreciation for the present moment. Solo Retreats Over Group Retreats: He emphasized the superior power of solo retreats for personal growth over group sessions with teachers, planning to incorporate more solo retreats into his schedule for deeper learning and self-development. Self-Inquiry Advancements: Leo delved into meditation and self-inquiry techniques, gaining clarity on the pitfalls of conceptualizing the process of seeking answers to "who am I" and "what am I," setting the stage for more in-depth future discussions. Integration of Mindfulness into Daily Retreat Activities: He learned the importance of integrating mindfulness into all activities, not just formal meditation sessions, to fully embrace the retreat experience. Extended Meditation and Concentrated Growth: Reflecting on the retreat, Leo meditated more intensively than in any formal setting, recognizing the exponential growth possible through focused retreats compared to scattered daily practices. Prioritizing Periodic Solo Retreats: Considering the effectiveness of uninterrupted retreat time, Leo contemplates meditating less daily and instead saving the time for more impactful periodic solo retreats. Rethinking Work Pace and Creativity: He decides to reduce his work pace, shedding the mechanical approach for a more conscious and savored process, with an acceptance of achieving less to gain more fulfillment and creativity. Conceptualization During Meditation: The retreat highlighted Leo's understanding that infinity and true nature cannot and should not be conceptualized-a key obstacle in the path toward self-realization. Creativity Boost from Retreat: Leo observed a significant increase in creative insights during the retreat and plans to implement a similar solitary environment at home to foster creativity without the distractions of routine life. Encounter with Suffering: He stressed the importance of mindfully confronting suffering to overcome personal development barriers, highlighting the retreat environment's ability to bring these issues to light without the opportunity for typical distractions or avoidance. Revision of Daily Meditation: Leo contemplates reducing daily meditation to accumulate hours for longer solo retreats, hypothesizing that this would lead to more powerful outcomes due to the elimination of daily distractions and the concentrated momentum gained from extended retreats. Work Ethic Transformation: He plans to alter his approach to work, focusing less on mechanical productivity and more on conscious, mindful engagement, accepting less output but deeper fulfillment, and understanding that work is not a destination but a present-moment experience. Conceptualization versus True Nature: Leo reflects on the problem of trying to conceptualize the infinite aspects of his true nature, realizing that all concepts are finite and cannot encapsulate infinity. This understanding will shape his future teaching on how to mindfully approach self-inquiry without clinging to concepts formed by teachings or experiences. Creativity Unleashed in Solitude: The retreat led Leo to a significant insight that creative power multiplies when not deliberately working or trying to be productive, reinforcing the idea that creativity flourishes in an undistracted, contemplative state and suggesting that periods of solitude can greatly benefit creative thinkers and artists in any field. Facing Suffering for Personal Growth: Leo experienced profound personal growth by facing suffering head-on rather than avoiding it, understanding that suffering is an inevitable part of growth and transformation, leading to authentic shifts in being. He acknowledges the tendency to distract from suffering in everyday life and emphasizes the necessity of mindful endurance to achieve genuine development. Flipendo

John Vervaeke relates them all through the concept of "fluency" (how fast or easily you process something): The right end of the spectrum is probably closer to your idea of "awakening". Every step in the figure contains the previous step within it (it's a holarchical structure): An insight is a sudden spike in fluency, local to some specific idea or activity, and of course local to a specific point in time. When you have an insight about something, suddenly you understand it better and process it faster. It doesn't have to be an abstract idea. It can be something embodied like tying your shoelaces ("aha, now that I know that, suddenly this got much easier!"). "Flow" is a cascade of insights; many insights extended through time, still local to some specific idea or activity (more often the latter). When you're in flow, for example while surfing, you always know what to do, instantly. It just flows through you. You're maximally fluent in your processing for that specific activity, in every moment. A mystical experience is the flow state extended not just through time but also through different activities. You can be walking or sitting or standing and have the same mystical experience. It feels like you're in flow with everything you're doing, despite how mundane or boring it otherwise may be. You can be mowing the grass or doing the dishes or sitting on the toilet, all while being in flow. Maybe this is closer to your idea of awakening. The mystical experience is still only a temporary state. It doesn't last forever, and it doesn't necessarily lead to a deep transformation of your being or stay with you for the rest of your life. But when it does, it's indeed a "transformative experience": the experience leaves a mark. Now, if it leaves such a deep mark that your baseline state is fundamentally transformed to sustain the mystical experience, then you maybe want to call this "enlightenment" (persistent non-dual baseline). I think this is a pretty good framework that ties together all these "higher" states of consciousness in a neat way.

The Ultimate Guide To Happiness - How Happiness Works https://youtu.be/lbOC_tYRNoE?si=m6SyOPo5rvyPB57K "Men become happy by obtaining divinity." - Gottfried Leibnitz "Those who do not observe the movements of their own minds must of necessity be unhappy." - Marcus Aurelius Introduction to "The Ultimate Guide to Happiness": Leo Gura dives into a comprehensive exploration of happiness, grounding the conversation in practicality and experience rather than abstract spiritual ideals. His insights combine philosophy, psychology, and extensive personal experimentation with different pursuits. Obstacles to personal happiness: Despite his profound understanding of happiness, Leo identifies chronic health issues as the primary barrier to his happiness, illustrating the critical importance of health in the pursuit of a happy life. Happiness as a complex pursuit: Leo outlines happiness as a challenging and counterintuitive concept that requires proper living and attitudes, rather than the mere fulfillment of desires or external achievements. Illusion of unconditional happiness: He debunks the myth of unconditional happiness, emphasizing that happiness is inherently conditional and setting up optimal life conditions is vital for fostering happiness. The nuanced balance of proper living: While acknowledging that happiness is not entirely relative, Leo clarifies that while there are definite wrong ways to live, there are also multiple right ways that can vary widely from person to person, transcending traditional conservative notions. Life transformations through practical happiness strategies: Promising concrete advice, Leo intends to share specific actions that foster happiness and warn against common pitfalls that obstruct it, aiming to revolutionize listeners' lives through actionable insights. The essential role of philosophy in happiness: Proper philosophy, according to Leo, goes beyond theoretical discussion and involves a serious understanding of what constitutes a good and happy life, which is neither obvious nor automatic. Distinguishing Personal Happiness: Leo underlines the importance of distinguishing between the general concept of happiness and what specifically brings happiness to an individual. Both are needed for a fulfilling life, as one does not suffice without the other. Observation and Contemplation: He insists on the need for personal observation and contemplation regarding happiness, warning against mere speculation and theory which can be counterproductive without practical application. Learning via Observation: Leo draws a parallel between solving math problems and understanding happiness; to truly comprehend, one must engage in the process oneself instead of relying solely on teachings from others. Empirical Testing for Happiness: The observation process of what makes one personally happy requires empirical testing and honesty, avoiding the trap of becoming invested in the idea of something rather than the reality of how it makes one feel. Customization and Individuality: Emphasizing the need to tailor the pursuit of happiness to individual personality types, genetic temperaments, and levels of development, Leo warns against blindly following generalized advice. Developmental and Temperament Considerations: He stresses the significance of recognizing one's developmental stage and temperament, alluding to his teachings on psychological development models like Spiral Dynamics. Personality Assessments and Happiness: Leo recommends taking personality assessments such as Myers-Briggs, Big Five, and Enneagram to better understand one's personality and the specific factors that lead to personal happiness. Recognizing Ambition and Temperament: Understanding one's level of ambition and whether one leans more towards a conservative or liberal temperament is crucial in determining the lifestyle that will lead to happiness. Incorporating Variety and Creativity: Contemplation on the amount of creativity, art, risk tolerance, masculinity or femininity, variety, socialization, and sexual needs is necessary to tailor a happy life to one's personal preferences. Leadership and Autonomy Needs: One must assess the desire to lead, the need for autonomy, and how much learning, intellectualism, and spirituality are needed to create a personally fulfilling life. Happiness based on maturity and development: Leo discusses the varying needs for spirituality based on maturity and psychological development. While it is vital for some, for others it may cause more unhappiness than it alleviates. Self-knowledge as a key to happiness: The central theme is that deep self-knowledge is crucial to happiness, and this comes from a variety of life experiences, observation, and reflections. Recommendations for younger individuals: Leo advises those who are younger to seek out a breadth of experiences to accelerate self-understanding and the design of a happy life. Reflection for older individuals: For those who are older, the focus should be on reflecting upon their accumulated experiences to draw meaningful conclusions regarding happiness. Age and happiness correlation: Studies indicate that people in their 50s and 60s generally report higher happiness than those in their 20s because the older demographic has typically come to know themselves better. Incompatibility of self-conflict and happiness: Leo notes that internal conflict is detrimental to happiness and emphasizes the importance of resolving such conflicts. Difference between pleasure and contentment: He distinguishes between fleeting pleasure and enduring satisfaction or contentment, highlighting the latter as the true aim for lasting happiness. Neurochemical systems for pleasure vs. satisfaction: Leo explains the distinction between the dopamine system, which rewards short-term pleasure, and the serotonin system, which is associated with long-term contentment. Ineffectiveness of chasing material objects: He asserts that acquiring material objects or chasing different forms of pleasure does not lead to sustainable happiness. Image 1 Success and happiness are not synonymous: Leo emphasizes that success does not equate to happiness and that in the pursuit of success, one might neglect developing aspects that lead to genuine happiness. Life's cultivation as the path to happiness: True happiness is seen as a long-term cultivation that involves growing as a person, aligning with values, and taking meaningful action. Material possessions' diminishing returns: As one grows spiritually, material possessions like money, success, and luxury become less meaningful. Creating a meaningful life: Leo advises on the importance of creating a life with purpose and meaning, which is individualized and leads to steady happiness. Alignment of life with highest values: He stresses the need to live in alignment with one's highest values to achieve happiness and recommends identifying those values. Maturation of desires for happiness: Leo suggests that to find happiness, one should work on elevating the quality of their desires through self-improvement and karma work. Recognizing the pitfalls of manipulation: He warns about the cycle of manipulation in pursuit of happiness, indicating that higher degrees of manipulation do not lead to increased happiness. Counterproductiveness of manipulation: Attempting to manipulate reality is a fruitless endeavor since complete manipulation is impossible. Failure to manipulate leads to misery, making high manipulation strategies detrimental for happiness. Short-term pleasure vs. long-term growth: Chasing short-term goals that offer temporary enjoyment, like attending a comedy show or playing video games, doesn't contribute to long-term happiness. Transforming these into opportunities for learning and growth can build lasting meaning. Pursuit of dopamine-driven pleasure: Continual pursuit of pleasure through gambling, sex, video games, and drugs, leads to temporary happiness but not lasting contentment. Chasing external validation: Seeking material objects, fame, and approval does not lead to happiness. Such pursuits often result in fleeting satisfaction and long-term unhappiness. Misalignment with personal values: Living a life that is not aligned with one's top values is a significant source of unhappiness. Doing work or being in relationships that contradict deeply held values will lead to dissatisfaction. Consequences of unethical behavior: Immoral behaviors such as lying, cheating, exploitation, and criminality invariably lead to unhappiness. Such actions are destructive to one's sense of self and to relationships with others. Negative impact of a violent environment: Living in a violent or chaotic environment, such as a war zone, creates barriers to achieving happiness. Failure of control-oriented strategies: Trying to dominate or manipulate others is an unsuccessful strategy for happiness. Being controlled or dominated by others also contributes to misery. Financial strain and job dissatisfaction: Financial struggles and engaging in meaningless work are strong precursors to unhappiness. Aligning one’s work with personal values and interests is crucial for satisfaction and happiness. Stagnation and procrastination: Staying stagnant in life, whether due to a dead-end job or a going-nowhere relationship and procrastinating necessary changes or decisions lead to a feeling of wasted life and unhappiness. Importance of personal organization and health: Lack of organization, poor health, and chronic health issues can be profound sources of unhappiness. Taking control of what can be changed, such as diet and exercise, is important, but some aspects may be determined by genetics and require adjustment in life expectations. Sense of powerlessness: Feeling helpless, lacking self-control, being addicted, and unable to escape toxic situations can all significantly reduce happiness. Taking action to improve or leave such situations can give a sense of empowerment and hope, which is essential for happiness. Consequences of toxic relationships: Being in abusive or toxic relationships, having negative friends, or not establishing personal boundaries can deeply impact one's happiness. It's vital to either find peace with these individuals or remove oneself from the situation. Authenticity vs. Inauthenticity: Living inauthentically—sacrificing one's true self for others or failing to set boundaries—leads to profound unhappiness. Finding and expressing one's authentic self is essential to happiness. Attempting to change others: Trying to change people who do not want to change is an exercise in futility that creates unhappiness. Focusing on self-change and allowing others their autonomy is recommended. Truthfulness over falsehood: Untruthfulness, falsehood, and self-deception, as opposed to living in truthfulness, significantly contribute to unhappiness. Ignorance and a lack of awareness can prevent individuals from achieving a genuinely happy life. Detriments of dogma and ideology: Ideologies and dogma, including religious, political, and scientific beliefs, inherently lead to unhappiness due to conformity and lack of critical thinking. Nihilism, postmodernism, and other negative philosophies also contribute to misery. Challenges of mental illness: Mental disorders such as bipolar, borderline personality disorder, schizophrenia, and multiples can hinder happiness. Management through therapy, medication, or other coping strategies is essential. The problem with high emotional volatility: Emotional drama creates an environment opposite to peace, which is necessary for happiness. The creation or tolerance of drama, including from close relationships, undermines personal contentment. The damage of constant criticism: Persistent dissatisfaction, as seen in never-ending criticism—like that from some political progressives—prevents happiness. This mindset blocks the recognition of positive changes or achievements. Perfectionism as a hindrance: Perfectionism can lead to considerable unhappiness. Its relentless standards create internal stress and dissatisfaction. The negativity of online conflict: Engaging in online arguments, trolling, and leaving negative social media comments results in misery and disrupts inner peace. Issues with narcissism and immaturity: Narcissism, arrogance, ego, and emotional immaturity lead to unhappiness. Developing emotional intelligence and maturity is critical for a happier life. The destructive power of guilt and shame: Negative self-perceptions such as regrets, guilt, shame, and self-hatred lead to unhappiness. Similarly, fears, insecurities, and anxiety hinder the pursuit of contentment. Social skills and loneliness: Lack of socialization and social skills contributes to unhappiness, as does loneliness. Taking on too much responsibility can overwhelm and lead to misery, highlighting the need for balance. The effects of rigidity and inaction: A too-regimented life, indecisiveness, and failure to act on changing negative situations can lead to persistent unhappiness. Avoidance of challenges weakens self-esteem, potentially leading to learned helplessness. Personal acceptance and responsibility: Accepting one's physical appearance and avoiding obligations that don't align with personal beliefs are necessary for happiness. Conversely, divorce and marriage quality greatly influence happiness. Financial stress from risky investments: Losing money in speculative investments, such as cryptocurrencies, causes unhappiness due to financial insecurity. The impact of chronic noise: Persistent, loud, unpredictable noise creates a state of chronic misery, as humans are unable to acclimate to random acoustic disruptions. Unhappiness from overpromising: Promising more than you can deliver creates stress and disappointment, leading to unhappiness. The trap of impossible tasks: Pursuing unattainable goals or conflicting objectives, like trying to attain enlightenment while launching a business, leads to guaranteed failure and unhappiness. Mental traps and misuse of the mind: Small-mindedness, pettiness, and excessive selfishness result in unhappiness. Misguided prioritization, such as naive selflessness or ruthless selfishness, both lead to discontent. Attempting to escape all suffering paradoxically causes further unhappiness due to inevitable failure. Downsides of excessive spiritual seeking: Excessive spiritual pursuits and trying to escape the material domain can lead to unhappiness, as Gura cautions based on personal experience. General contributors to happiness: Engaging in activities aligned with one's values, using talents and strengths, being productive, and striving for excellence can significantly increase happiness. Importance of being your own boss: Independence can be a source of deep happiness for entrepreneurial and self-directed people, though it's not suitable for everyone. Happiness in leadership and helping others: Occupying leadership roles and contributing to society's improvement can be extremely rewarding and meaningful. Necessity of rest and companionship for happiness: Proper rest, human intimacy, companionship, and socialization are essential for sustained happiness and well-being. Setting personal and relationship boundaries: Establishing clear boundaries leads to greater happiness, as does understanding and seeking one's top love languages in intimate relationships. The need for solitude and flow states: For introverts, sufficient alone time is critical, and engaging in activities that induce a flow state can lead to contentment and joy. Meeting challenges and making most of life: Facing challenges and optimizing daily life leads to feelings of empowerment and happiness. Building confidence through exposure: Gaining confidence and overcoming insecurities comes from exposure to various experiences, dissolving anxieties and increasing happiness. Travel for life enrichment: Travel, when used to broaden horizons and consciousness rather than as an escape, can lead to long-lasting happiness. Cultivating hobbies and mastery: Investing time and energy in cultivating hobbies and developing mastery in them can create a steady income of satisfaction and joy. Health, good food, and solitude retreats: Pursuing a healthy lifestyle, eating quality food, and engaging in deep solitude, such as solo retreats, are all foundations for happiness. The value of passion, humor, and personalized space: Living with enthusiasm, developing humor, and creating a comfortable personal living space are highlighted as simple, effective means to enhance overall happiness. Customizing one's living environment: Personalizing and investing in the living space you occupy contributes significantly to feelings of happiness and security. Small comfort features: Incorporating simple conveniences into daily life, like easy-to-reach light fixtures, can have a lasting positive impact on happiness. Doing philosophy properly and achieving self-actualization: Proper practice of philosophy and pursuing self-actualization are cited as deep sources of happiness and fulfillment. Being aligned with truth: Honesty with oneself and avoiding self-deception are fundamentals for achieving happiness. Appreciating and exploring consciousness: Recognizing the beauty of consciousness and diving into spiritual exploration can bring profound happiness, and using tools like psychedelics is suggested as an avenue for this. Activities bringing personal joy to Leo: Creative pursuits, seeking truth, enjoying solitude, and other personal preferences are key to Leo's happiness, while chronic health issues and certain fears contribute to his unhappiness. Consuming art and balancing work-life: Appreciating art forms like pornography aesthetically, finding joy in meaningful work, and ensuring a balance between work and life are pivotal to Leo's sense of happiness. Creating a comfortable living space: Leo Gura emphasizes the importance of investing in and developing a comfortable living space, noting that it does not need to be expensive or fancy. He notes that feeling safe, secure, and comfortable in one's environment can contribute significantly to overall happiness. The value of small comfort features: Gura mentions installing convenient features that improve daily routines, such as easy-to-reach lamp switches, demonstrating that small changes can impact overall happiness long-term. Doing philosophy properly: Leo Gura asserts the proper practice of philosophy as a source of happiness. Misapplied, however, it can be a source of deep misery. Self-actualization and growth: Leo Gura indicates that self-actualization and personal growth, despite their challenges, are potential sources of deep happiness and satisfaction. Being aligned with truth: Having honesty and avoiding self-deception are essential to achieving happiness, according to Gura. Exploring consciousness: Gura emphasizes that exploring consciousness, consciousness of God, and spirituality can bring profound happiness. Falling in love with oneself: Gura suggests that falling in love with oneself can bring immense joy and happiness. Recognizing the beauty of consciousness: Gura cites the recognition of the beauty of consciousness and reality as a significant source of his personal happiness. Specific activities that bring happiness: Gura outlines several activities that specifically bring him joy, including being creative, learning and developing new ideas, seeking truth, spending time in nature, being in solitude, complete creative autonomy, and appreciating music. Exploring consciousness through psychedelics: Gura suggests exploring consciousness via psychedelics as an enormous source of happiness. Using music as a source of happiness: Gura enjoys curating personal music playlists and considers listening to his favorite music an important source of happiness. Finding joy in natural elements: Gura derives pleasure from natural elements like rain, suggesting that such simple joys significantly contribute to overall happiness. Impact of chronic health issues on creativity: Leo's chronic health issues limit his energy and productivity, causing unhappiness due to his inability to meet personal creative standards and expectations. Struggle with strict schedules: Deadlines and schedules are a source of stress for Leo. He feels such constraints prevent him from producing his best work, contributing to unhappiness. Financial concerns and childhood trauma: Despite financial stability, Leo experiences a persistent fear of running out of money related to childhood trauma, causing ongoing distress. Daily tasks and socializing as sources of unhappiness: Leo finds little joy in menial chores, social obligations, and managing people, preferring solitude and personal creative work. Discrepancies between meditation and personal happiness: Leo realized meditation doesn't suit his creative, active mind. He warns against the notion that meditation universally enhances happiness, stressing individual differences in finding joy. Reflections on spirituality and personal happiness: Spirituality has led to increased consciousness and appreciation of life, but has not necessarily aligned with Leo's desire for creativity and active work. Avoiding the happiness trap: Leo advises against relentlessly pursuing happiness or escape from suffering, suggesting a balanced approach focusing on meaningful living and contentment. Pursuing activities for intrinsic value: Leo underscores the importance of engaging in activities because they are intrinsically rewarding, rather than as a means to another end, which fosters deeper happiness. Enjoyment for its own sake: True happiness can be found in engaging in activities for their own sake, without them being a means to an end, such as driving without a specific destination in mind just for the pleasure of it. Highest grade of happiness: Consciousness and the appreciation of it, along with the metaphysical connection to God and recognizing the beauty in everything, is described as the highest form of happiness. The concept of ecstasy: Ecstasy is defined as a transcendent, religious, mystical experience that goes beyond mere pleasure, characterized by a deep conscious awareness of God and immersion in infinite love. Experience of ecstasy: While ecstasy is a powerful and transformative experience, it is not constant and should not be a perpetual state for most people who are not full-time monks or yogis. Transformation through ecstasy: Ecstasy has a purifying effect on the psyche, changing an individual and promoting spiritual attunement, even though it is experienced only occasionally. Pursuit of God for happiness: For the highest forms of happiness, Leo Gura suggests a serious approach towards understanding God is necessary. Appreciation of everyday experiences: Training oneself to appreciate simple, ordinary things in life is where the majority of real happiness comes from. Alignment with the journey: Happiness should come from the journey towards one's goals, not just from achieving them. Enjoyment should be derived from the day-to-day aspects of pursuing ambitions. Joy of existence: Ultimate happiness is being able to appreciate the beauty of consciousness and existence even in stillness and without external stimulation. Happiness journal homework: Leo advises viewers to create a happiness journal, documenting things that make them feel both happy and unhappy over time to understand what contributes to their happiness. Personal exploration of happiness: The teachings encourage personal exploration and observation of one's own mind to determine what is truly a source of happiness. Interpreting teachings through personal experience: All teachings from Leo should be tested and validated through personal experience rather than being taken as ideologies or dogmas. Inner purification and maturity: The experience of ecstasy, although rare, purifies and matures the psyche, pointing out the necessity for readiness to let go of old ways and values. Amortentia

What Is Insight. - How To Become More Insightful https://youtu.be/7rQWWfHsgTU?si=tOXEaSbXfStaPCqK Insight is an avalanche in the mind. Joke as an Example of Insight: A joke about a rabbi inquiring about disabling porn in his hotel room illustrates insight through its surprise punchline, typically generating an "aha" moment by recontextualizing the situation or event. Insight Gained in Childhood: Leo recounts an example from his childhood where he gained an insight into the mechanism of male arousal, a personal epiphany that came spontaneously and provided a new understanding of his own body. Defining Insight: Insight is defined as a mental process that brings a sudden and unexpected solution, a penetrating observation, or a "light bulb moment", often resulting in joy and satisfaction. Recontextualization as a Form of Insight: The concept of recontextualization involves seeing a problem in a larger context or from a fresh perspective, often leading to immediate insight. The phenomenon of Insight: Insight is a mysterious and magical phenomenon of consciousness. It is not merely brain activity; it is the universe's capacity to have insights into itself, suggesting the universe can fundamentally understand truths about its nature. Connected Phenomena: Insight is linked to understanding, comprehension, intuition, consciousness, recontextualization, thinking, intelligence, sensemaking, and creativity. Underappreciation of Insight's Mystique: Leo emphasizes that academics and intellectuals often take the deeply mysterious aspects of insight and understanding for granted, overlooking its profound implications. Insight vs. Static Knowledge: Insight is spontaneous and dynamic, providing the foundation for the more static forms of knowledge, belief, and ideology—yet these static forms cannot capture the nebulous nature of understanding. The Neglect of Understanding and Consciousness: Mainstream Western philosophy prioritizes knowledge and beliefs over discussion of understanding and consciousness, despite the latter being crucial generators of new insights. Understanding as the Key Intellectual Tool: Understanding is highlighted as the most critical aspect of mind and consciousness, yet often ignored and undiscussed in academia and traditional philosophy. Difference between memorizing and genuine insight: Memorizing information for tests and treating it as a belief system does not equate to experiencing raw insight into the nature of reality, a distinction crucial in serious philosophy and spirituality. Pitfalls of parroting in spirituality and philosophy: The majority of spirituality and philosophy involve parroting the words of those with genuine insights, resulting in debates and discussions that lack personal enlightenment. Transformation through deriving personal insights: The process of generating one's own insights from scratch is transformative and distinguishes a truly intelligent sage from an academic or an ideological intellectual. Quality of intelligence and intellect: The true mark of one's intellectuality and intelligence is based on the ability to independently generate fresh insights, not just by reading books or citing others' thoughts. Mental and emotional labor of generating insights: Generating one's own insights requires mental and emotional effort, often a neglected skill in education, which instead focuses on test-passing and information regurgitation. Need for personal insights in spirituality: To truly transform and live in alignment with spiritual values, one must derive and validate spiritual truths for themselves, instead of adopting pleasant-sounding beliefs. Illustrative examples of historical insights: Outlined are the renowned insights of Archimedes with volume measurement, Newton's theory of gravity after observing an apple fall, Darwin's theory of natural selection, and Einstein's relativity theory from thought experiments. Insight in problem-solving and humor comprehension: Insights are necessary for solving puzzles, like the nine-dot problem, and understanding jokes. Comprehending a joke signifies intelligence and, on a meta-level, an awareness of the intelligence used in the understanding. Insight capabilities in animals and humans: Research shows animals, like chimpanzees and birds, demonstrate insight in problem-solving situations. Humans can gain insights during psychotherapy, leading to breakthroughs in personal dysfunctions and emotional reactivity. Differentiating between insight and memory: True insight involves generating new knowledge or understanding, whereas memory is merely recalling known information. Insight often arises from a state of not knowing and is intricately linked to the production of novel understanding. Spontaneity of Insights: Insights can strike spontaneously during everyday activities, highlighting their unpredictable nature and the role of mental wandering in fostering their emergence. Insight as a Mental Avalanche: Leo describes insights as mental avalanches, where the interconnected structure of thoughts in the mind collapses and reorganizes itself into a clearer, more truthful configuration, differing significantly from typical thoughts. Differentiating Thought and Insight: Insight is characterized by its intangible and nebulous quality, being more significant than ordinary thought, and includes a variety of types from minor to major, and from ordinary to mystical. Personal Contemplation of Insights: Reflecting on one's own insights, contemplating their nature, and exploring the connection between insight and truth can enhance one's understanding of insights and their potential deception. Neuroscience and Insights: Neuroscience research indicates that insight generation is predominantly a right hemisphere activity in the brain, associated with holistic and intuitive thinking, unlike the analytical left hemisphere. Insight Problem-Solving: There's a distinction between problem-solving through insight, mainly linked to the right hemisphere, compared to analytical problem-solving associated with the left hemisphere, with the former being more holistic and creative. Research on Insight Generation: Studies suggest gender differences in solving insight problems, the influence of emotionality and openness on insight generation, and startlingly, that 20% of people do not experience insight at all. Insights from Experience: Leo shares insights gleaned from extensive interaction with women, illustrating how a breadth of experience can lead to understanding patterns that others may not perceive. Insights and Self-Knowledge: Recognizing one's own character structure and personal traits is a form of insight that is key for self-development and can only be acquired through personal experience and reflection. Insights on Various Life Aspects: Leo reflects on insights he has had regarding ego behavior, philosophy, psychology, spirituality, success, business operations, marketing, sales, and the nature of success and failure. Insights on Human Nature and Politics: Leo shares his insights on human behavior, conflict, government, and the polarization within the political climate, drawing lessons from his experiences and indicating plans to share more politically oriented insights in the future. Early Insights in Epistemology and Science: In his teenage years, Leo began developing foundational insights into epistemology, philosophy, and the nature and limits of science, which shaped his perspectives on human understanding. Insights from Various Interests: Leo discusses insights gained from his interests in video game design, narrative, story development, character creation, and history, noting their technical and philosophical implications. Deep Existential and Spiritual Insights: He lists his deepest insights, including existential and spiritual realizations such as 'I am God', 'reality as infinity', and 'everything is consciousness'. Practical Advice to Increase Insightfulness: Leo provides advice based on research to increase insightfulness, suggesting relaxation, positive mood, doing homework on subjects of interest, and cultivating radical open-mindedness. Challenging Assumptions for Insights: He emphasizes the importance of questioning assumptions in any given problem as a means to expand the possibility space and potentially lead to paradigm-shifting insights. Necessity of Deep Curiosity: Describing his insatiable curiosity, Leo identifies it as a driving force for his work and insights, suggesting that a deep need to know is crucial for becoming more insightful. Purpose, Motivation, and Ambition as Catalysts for Insights: Leo contends that having a strong life purpose, mission, and ambitious motive can facilitate the generation of insights by prompting the exploration of new ideas and pushing the boundaries of one’s field. Insights on Relationships and Personal Behavior: Insights into personal relationships, family dynamics, work productivity, the nature of emotions, and the workings of the ego are also mentioned as significant areas for growth and understanding. Anticipation of Future Content: Leo hints at future content where he will present insights on wisdom, intelligence, and the complex nature of the ego mind, reflecting his ongoing exploration into human consciousness and behavior. Passion's role in insight generation: One's level of passion, drive, and curiosity directly impacts the frequency and depth of insights. Without a strong interest or care for discovering new truths, a person is less likely to experience profound insights. Importance of intention for insight: Establishing a strong intention to solve problems or understand deep concepts is pivotal. A sense of urgency and importance attached to resolving an intellectual challenge enhances the potential for insightful breakthroughs. Allocating time for deep work: Dedication to long, uninterrupted periods of silence and solitude, such as through solo meditation retreats, significantly boosts creativity and the emergence of insights. Questioning and Contemplation: Creating extensive lists of important questions and tirelessly seeking their answers fosters a rich web of understanding and connections, leading to profound insights. Absorption in philosophical topics: Maintaining concentration on a single philosophical question enhances insightfulness, but this requires time, dedication, and mental fortitude. Value of mind wandering: Allowing the mind to daydream and explore different viewpoints can open pathways to unique and powerful insights. The balance between concentration and daydreaming: Alternating focused intellectual effort with periods of mind wandering can optimize the process of insight generation. Flow state for insight: Achieving a flow state through the removal of distractions can lead to deeper engagement and revelation of insights. Disconnecting for deeper insights: Minimizing the use of social media and phones, which are significant sources of distraction, can foster a more profound understanding of complex concepts. Insights during undemanding tasks: Engaging in simple, almost automatic activities like driving or exercising can facilitate a mental environment conducive to having insights. Avoiding over-scheduling: Keeping a flexible schedule with ample downtime can create opportunities for the mind to process ideas and develop insights. Incubation period for insights: Allowing ideas to simmer over time without forcing immediate conclusions aids the natural emergence of insights. Collaborating for diverse insights: Working within diverse teams can catalyze the generation of a broader range of insights than solitary thinking. Developing mindfulness: Practicing mindfulness meditation enhances attunement to one's own thought processes, increasing the likelihood of recognizing insights. Proper sleep aids insightfulness: Adequate rest, including naps, boosts cognitive function and can lead to insights during or immediately after sleep. Immediate documentation: Insights are ephemeral and can easily be forgotten; hence, it is crucial to record them as soon as they occur to prevent loss. Immediate Capture of Insights: Leo emphasizes the importance of having writing tools like pens and notepads readily available at all times and in all places, such as home, office, and car, to document insights as they occur, ensuring they are not lost. Psychedelics and Insights: He mentions the potential of psychedelics to provoke profound insights but notes this should be approached with awareness regarding legality and safety. Articulating Insights: Leo distinguishes between having insights and the separate, trainable skill of articulating them effectively. He suggests working on insights by finding ways to explain, exemplify, and refine them for clearer communication. Possibility of New Insights: He contemplates the untapped potential for insights that no human has ever had, prompting listeners to consider what percentage of possible universal insights they have personally explored. Impact of Insights on Life: Leo proposes that insights can significantly influence one's life, business, relationships, and well-being and that the more insights one has, the more enriched one's life can be. Practical Engagement with Insights: He encourages listeners to prioritize understanding the value of insights, implying it is worthwhile to arrange retreats or quiet time dedicated to insight generation. Monetizing Insights: Leo shares his experience of turning the generation of insights into a successful business model, using actualized.org as a platform to provide high-quality insights. Power of Personal Insights: The ultimate goal, according to Leo, is not just to accumulate insights but to inspire listeners to generate their own, improving the quality of life through personal exploration. Ongoing Exploration of Insights: He leaves the topic of insights intentionally open-ended, providing a worksheet and encouraging listeners to continuously contemplate the nature and origin of insights, and how they come about in one's life. Dangers of Uncritical Acceptance: Leo urges viewers to critically assess and personally validate the teachings of actualized.org, rather than uncritically adopting them, avoiding misinterpretation and potential harm. Nature of Actualized.org's Teachings: He clarifies that actualized.org promotes a non-ideological approach, focusing on personal validation and direct experience, and warns against the tendency to transform teachings into rigid ideologies. Expectations from Shared Insights: Insights shared should serve as a starting point for personal validation, with the understanding that content evolves and Leo's current insights may deepen over time; insights serve to inspire further individual philosophical pursuit. Ideological Danger of Actualized.org's Work: Leo cautions against treating his teachings as final and encourages viewers to engage with the content critically, validating everything through direct experience, a process he asserts is more demanding and rigorous than traditional science, religion, or education. Experience-Based Transformation: Viewers are invited to directly experience the teachings to unlock their transformative potential, as such personal engagement is posited as key to consciousness reaching its full, adaptive, and creative potential. Furnunculus

The Ten Ox-Herding Pictures - Zen's Stages Of Enlightenment Explained https://youtu.be/w4ZWNzSliGk "Things that smell of Buddhism are disagreeable, but things that have absolutely no whiff of Buddhism are even worse." - Yamada Mumon Evolution of the Ten Ox-Herding Pictures: The Ten Ox-Herding Pictures emerged nearly a thousand years ago in China, evolving into different versions over time with the aim of mapping the stages of spiritual awakening in Zen Buddhism. Yamada Mamon's Influence: Leo Gura bases his explanation of the Ten Ox-Herding Pictures on Yamada Mamon's rare book "Lectures on the Ten Ox-Herding Pictures," highlighting it as a source of advanced wisdom initially intended for Zen monk students. The Map's Role in Spirituality: The Ten Ox-Herding Pictures serve as a guide through various stages of awakening and are comparable to other spiritual models like Spiral Dynamics, emphasizing growth and evolution beyond a single experience. Warning of Advanced Teachings: Before delving into the Ten Ox-Herding Pictures, Leo warns of the model's complexity and the readiness required for individuals to properly grasp and apply its lessons. First Picture - Searching for the Ox: The journey starts with individuals feeling lost and attempting to understand life's purpose, leading to the initial desire for awakening and a vow to achieve enlightenment. Image 1 The Ox as an Enlightenment Symbol: The Ox symbolizes enlightenment, representing ultimate truth and the answers to the purpose of life, nature of suffering, reality, and existence. Dualistic Viewpoint of Individuals: Embroiled in discriminative, dualistic thinking, people struggle with confusion caused by continuous comparison and the inability to grasp non-duality. Starting the Spiritual Journey: The desire for enlightenment is highlighted as an essential first step on the spiritual path, countering the misconception that seeking awakening is misguided. Endurance and Suffering on the Spiritual Path: The spiritual journey is likened to climbing Mount Everest, requiring substantial investment and preparation to avoid rushing into it and potentially giving up. Consistency in Spiritual Practice: Leo emphasizes that sporadic practice will not yield results; spiritual techniques like meditation, yoga, and self-inquiry must be pursued consistently to achieve progress. Consistent Effort in Spiritual Work: Leo Gura discusses the importance of persistent and consistent spiritual practice. Without a strong and singular focus, efforts may be comparable to froth that drifts away in a stream, while pushing ahead single-mindedly ensures progress toward awakening. Stumbling Upon the Ox's Footprints: This metaphor describes those who have encountered spiritual concepts and practices superficially, like reading books or experiencing brief moments of insight during meditation or through psychedelics, but have not fully grasped or seen the 'Ox' of true enlightenment. Image 2 Challenges of Skepticism and Superficial Practices: Leo warns against the pitfalls of skepticism and casual spiritual practices that prevent deep engagement with the path to awakening. Intellectualization without practice can lead to self-delusion, and the need for genuine commitment to overcome this is emphasized. Value of Studying and Learning from Scriptures: Citing a Zen master, Leo underlines the necessity of studying traditional teachings and working with scripture to avoid misdirection, negating the belief that Zen practice excludes scholarly study. Persistence to Catch the Ox: The Zen master's advice portrayed by Leo suggests steadfast dedication reaffirms one's vow to attain enlightenment. Calling upon listeners not to abandon efforts because certainty of catching the Ox comes with perseverance and resolve. The First Glimpse of the Real 'Ox': Leo describes the profound experience of the first real sighting of the 'Ox'. This initial mystical experience can be both awe-inspiring and terrifying, creating a more serious commitment to the spiritual path due to the realization of its reality. Image 3 On the Rarified Nature of Awakening: Leo communicates the predicament of those who experience just a momentary glimpse of awakening. The magnitude of the experience often results in a retreat back to the ego, highlighting the challenge to stably face and integrate the 'Ox', or enlightenment, into one's life. Importance of Completing the Journey: The Zen master quoted points out that catching a glimpse of the Ox is only an early stage in the spiritual journey. Even after this first sighting, there are several more stages to go through to fully catch and train the Ox, signifying the continuity and difficulty of the spiritual path. Communicating Non-Duality: Claiming words fail to express non-duality, as language is inherently dualistic. Leo Gura explains the difficulty in communicating about the Ox (enlightenment) because any attempt to describe it only further entrenches the dualistic perspective. Kensho's Vulnerability to Worldly Encounters: Kensho, or awakening attained through seated meditation, is fragile and can be disrupted by the chaos of the external world. The internal power built through Samadhi (meditative consciousness) is easily disturbed by everyday sensory experiences. Misconceptions About Enlightenment: Many enter the spiritual journey with naive expectations of enlightenment being an endpoint after which no further work is needed. However, Gura asserts the path of awakening is more challenging and life-altering than expected. Owning and Taming the Ox: Gura emphasizes the difficulty in truly catching and owning the Ox. Taming the Ox requires the complete surrender of the ego, lifestyle, and societal conditioning to genuinely embody enlightenment. Image 4 The Problems with Selfish Spirituality: Using spirituality for egotistical purposes, such as starting cults or seeking fame, contradicts the essence of enlightenment. The craving and attachment to such desires are antithetical to spiritual awakening and will cause the Ox to flee. Danger of Twisting Spiritual Experiences: A warning of the perils when one's ego manipulates an initial awakening experience, potentially leading to starting cults or adopting misaligned motives rather than a true spiritual realization. The Process of Taming the Ox: Described as grueling, involving spiritual purification and extensive inner work. It requires constant self-reflection to confront deep-rooted selfishness and desires. Image 5 Distinction Between Beginners and Masters: Gura clarifies that beginners often assume enlightenment marks the end of their spiritual practice, whereas masters continue rigorous post-Satori practice to purify selfishness and ignorance over many years. How Post-Satori Practice Differs from Initial Awakening: The importance of post-Satori practice is to continue even after achieving awakening; it is critical for truly integrating this realization into one's being, which requires ongoing effort until death. Training of No-Mind Consciousness: Being an essential part of mastery, training towards a no-mind state—where the mind is clear of thoughts—is the pinnacle of spiritual practice. This state reflects a deep, abiding awareness and understanding of non-duality. Abiding Non-Dual Awareness: Enlightenment reaches fruition as abiding non-dual awareness becomes the constant state of experience, unrestrained by thoughts. It is likened to a continuous state of "no-mind," where one sees divinity and oneness ceaselessly in everyday existence. Importance of Post-Satori Training: The post-enlightenment phase, or post-Satori training, involves maintaining moment-to-moment mindfulness. It is a process of perfecting the initial awakening (kensho) and is accessible only after one has seen their true nature through Satori. Mindfulness as Taming the Ox: Continuous concentration on mindfulness is likened to taming the Ox. It is essential to train oneself to sustain this state of no-mind to prevent reverting to a condition of unreal thoughts or losing touch with Buddha nature. Embodiment of Awakening: The stage of "riding the Ox home" symbolizes the embodiment of awakening into daily life. The non-duality discovered through awakening is reintegrated with the duality of ordinary life, leading to a genuine experience of reality. Image 6 Returning to Ordinary Life with Awakening: One who has truly attained enlightenment does not remain isolated but returns to impermanent worldly life. The ordinary world is transformed and is seen as the true reality infused with the enlightened perspective. Transcending the Pursuit of Enlightenment: The phase called "ox transcended" represents ceasing the chase for awakening and acknowledging the present moment as the ultimate enlightenment. Misunderstanding this as mere contentment with the status quo is cautioned against; the significance of this understanding is transformative. Image 7 Misuse of Satori and Remaining Unfettered: The Zen master warns against being ensnared by one's enlightenment (Satori) experience. True liberation means forgetting about the distinctive attainment and not allowing it to lead to arrogance or a loss of freedom. Enlightenment as a Means, Not an End: The metaphor of the Ox, serving as a tool for enlightenment, is discarded once its purpose is served. Enlightenment is about realizing Buddha nature, not clinging to the device that led there. Purpose of Life According to Zen: The ultimate answer to the purpose of life is found in the playful, unconditioned enjoyment of existence. This represents a shift to unconditional happiness, detached from circumstances. Liberation and the Notion of 'No Self': True liberation involves the realization of 'no self,' leading to unconditional positivity in life. It signifies a life where happiness is not contingent upon external factors. Surrender and Liberation: Surrendering everything including your life, leads to a state where nothing can negatively affect you. In this state, you've faced the worst, voluntarily ending all attachments, and every moment afterward is experienced as a bonus—a form of liberation and play. Counterintuitive Happiness: Leo Gura speaks about the counterintuitive move of choosing happiness under all conditions, abandoning the insistence on conditional happiness which causes suffering. True happiness persists regardless of external events, even in the face of global or personal catastrophes. Judgments and Original Nature: Surrendering judgments of good and bad reveals our 'original face' or Buddha nature. Letting go of such dualistic distinctions paradoxically transforms everything into goodness—a state of non-judgment where all of reality is perceived positively. Advanced Stages of Human Development: Attaining a state where no conditions can make one unhappy represents an advanced level of human consciousness, comparable to the dedication required to become a brain surgeon. This stage requires thousands of hours of work, beyond casual spiritual experiences. Transformation Through Radical Surrender: True transformation and the ability to experience everything as inherently good requires the complete surrender of one's life (metaphorically and literally) and deeply held personal desires, leading to the highest levels of spiritual development. Emptiness as the Path to Everythingness: In the advanced stages of spiritual awakening, all concepts including the self, the ox (enlightenment), and all dualistic efforts, pass away. Here, true emptiness is realized—it's not experienced as nihilism but as the beginning of an infinite, formless, and unchanging existence. Image 8 Realizing the Non-occurrence of the Universe: At the peak of spiritual insight, one realizes that nothing in the universe has ever transpired; it's all an illusion or 'pure emptiness'. This radical level of non-duality surpasses ordinary awakening and is described as a complete absence of all conceived reality. True Emptiness and Revelation of Buddha Nature: The culmination of practice and discipline is reached where there is no longer an 'awakened', 'awakening', or 'Dharma'. Here, pure Buddha nature is revealed—standing beyond attributes, judgments, or dualistic distinctions, embodying the perfect 'just so' world of Satori. Realization of Life and Death's Illusion: Enlightenment brings the understanding that life and death are not real, and the universe's origin and purpose is acknowledged as non-existent; the familiar world disappears into emptiness. Emptiness and the Completion of Self's Extinguishing: Advanced enlightenment leads to a profound emptiness where even the rigorous practices that led to awakening become irrelevant. Any inkling of self or attachment to practices like Mu or Zazen vanishes, leaving one in a state of polished emptiness. Radical Disidentification from Birth: At this stage of spirituality, one no longer believes they were ever born, which is a radical departure from conventional self-perception, signifying an absolute disconnection from the narrative of individual existence. Push to Attain the State of Emptiness: The master instructs practitioners to strive fervently to experience this ultimate state of being at least once, representing a complete immersion in non-duality and self-annihilation. The Ninth Picture – Returning to the Source: Reflecting on 'returning to the source', Leo admits his limited understanding but conveys the stage's message about the superfluous nature of striving since enlightenment exists in the present moment without effort. Image 9 Challenges of Embodiment After Deep Mystical Experiences: Leo acknowledges the difficulty in integrating profound spiritual glimpses from psychedelic experiences into daily life, noting the difference between having deep insights and living them out consistently. Non-Linear Spiritual Journey: Leo warns against interpreting spiritual stages linearly, emphasizing personal variations and possible deviations due to different practices or inherent spiritual gifts. Final Thoughts on Picture Nine: Returning to the source signifies an absolute identity with the universe and the self, a state where dualistic concerns dissolve, answering all metaphysical inquiries—the embodiment of Zen where the universe as it is represents heaven. Humility of Enlightened Individuals: The tenth stage culminates in re-entering ordinary life with profound humility, completely ordinary to the extent that enlightenment becomes undetectable to others. This humility cannot be feigned and serves as a true indication of mastery. Image 10 Virtue of Blending into Ordinary Life After Enlightenment: Post-enlightenment life involves integrating back into mundane existence while retaining the insight gained. True masters wear their realization without show, living simply and sharing their light in an unassuming manner. Misconceptions of Enlightenment: Newcomers to spiritual paths often harbor fantasies of specialness post-enlightenment but fail to recognize that true enlightenment entails the complete loss of self and manifests as unmistakable humility. Evaluating Spiritual Teachers: Leo Gura assesses the authenticity of spiritual teachers by observing the depth of their humility, which he considers an honest signal of enlightenment that can't be faked. Zen Master on Post-Enlightenment Life: The Zen master's teachings suggest that genuine spiritual masters don't flaunt their enlightenment; instead, they live humbly among ordinary people, shedding any signs of elitism or higher status. Jesus as a Role Model of Humility: Jesus is highlighted for his radical humility, living among the common people without showing superiority, serving as a powerful example of the Zen teachings. Warnings against Elitism Post-Enlightenment: Spiritual leaders who indulge in luxury and exclusivity may not fully embody the true essence of enlightenment, as true masters are expected to live simple and modest lives. Awakening Others: Those who've reached the highest state of awakening have a role to play in helping others realize their Buddha-nature, not through preaching but by simply being present and joyful among them. The Commitment Necessary for Spiritual Growth: Understanding the full implications and commitments of the spiritual path can be overwhelming, and were it not for the enticing beginnings, many might abandon the pursuit altogether. Point of No Return on the Path: Having learned too much, individuals on the spiritual path reach a point where they can't go back to a state of ignorance. The knowledge they've acquired about existence and suffering compels them to pursue enlightenment. Following the Heart on the Spiritual Journey: Despite uncertainties and potential losses, the spiritual seeker is encouraged to trust the heart and the path it urges them to take, even in the face of deep fears and difficulties. Enduring the Sufferings of the Spiritual Path: Enlightenment comes after navigating through increasing levels of suffering, reinforcing the need for perseverance and trust that suffering will eventually cease. The Role of Wisdom and Guidance: Leo recommends revisiting wisdom from spiritual masters and texts to stay on track and avoid forming rigid ideologies, thus ensuring one remains true to the path of enlightenment. Enlightening Others as a Continuation of Growth: After attaining enlightenment, the journey continues through the enlightenment of others. This process is framed as an extension and fulfillment of one's spiritual work. Flipendo

The 9 Stages Of Ego Development - Part 3 https://youtu.be/pGItuEai8vo Suzanne Cook-Greuter's Research: Leo credits Suzanne Cook-Greuter for her comprehensive 90-page research paper on ego development, which forms the basis of his discussion. He emphasizes that while he integrates her research, his presentation includes his own interpretations and commentary relevant to self-actualization. Image 1 Importance of Pace in Development: Progressing through the ego development stages should not be rushed; it's important to fully experience and understand each stage before moving on to higher levels. Skipping stages can lead to frustration and the inability to sustain higher levels of development. Application of the Ego Development Model: Understanding the stages of ego development is a practical tool for evaluating the character and level of development of people in various contexts, such as business partnerships, family dynamics, and personal relationships. This insight can inform strategies for interaction and whether to maintain or cut ties with certain individuals based on their development stage. Teaching and Stage Relevancy: Leo acknowledges that most of his teachings are aimed at the final two stages of ego development, which may be too advanced for those who are currently at the conformist, expert, or achiever stages. He suggests that individuals may need to return to his teachings after they have solidified their understanding of the earlier stages. Risks of Prematurely Seeking Enlightenment: Leo warns against pursuing higher levels of spiritual awakening, like enlightenment, without having achieved personal success in basic survival and life needs. He recommends fully experiencing the achiever stage before seeking to transcend it. Stage 9: Construct Aware: This stage involves recognizing the mind’s role in constructing one's reality, questioning the ego's distortions, and the acknowledgment of linguistic filters. It leads to complex existential questions and an understanding of the limitations of rational thought. Magician Stage as Leaders and Guides: People at this stage often become mentors, consultants, or coaches who work to guide others, feeling comfortable with their knowledge limitations and embracing vulnerability. They take on roles that catalyze transformation, fully expressing themselves and recognizing the value of self-correction. Centaur Analogy for Construct Aware Stage: The construct aware stage is likened to a 'centaur' or 'vision logic', where individuals balance primal needs with higher existential and spiritual desires. Dealing with Chaos and Interconnectedness: At this stage, chaos is seen not just negatively, but as a natural part of life's rhythm. People learn to flow with it and recognize the interconnectedness of all things. Transitioning to the Unitive Stage: Those who reach the unitive stage witness life without the need for rational explanation, experiencing a sense of completeness, and perceiving mundane things as profound. Unitive Stage Realizations: Individuals at this stage feel fulfilled without needing external validation or achievements. They recognize the paradox of life's meaninglessness yet engage passionately with life, find value in all life forms, and guide others towards vertical development. Shift in Leo Gura's Teaching Style: Leo discusses his evolving approach to teaching—aiming to be more compassionate and understanding, reflecting his own progression towards the unitive stage of ego development. Tapping into Universal Intelligence at Unitive Stage: Leo suggests that at the unitive stage, direct insight and wisdom from universal intelligence become more accessible, with a focus on wisdom over IQ or specialized knowledge. Valuing Direct Experience and Empathy for Ignorance: Individuals at advanced stages of ego development place emphasis on direct experience and display deep empathy for others' ignorance, understanding its origins in limited perspective. Release of Control and Gender Integration: Individuals become less concerned with controlling life and achieve a profound sense of peace with their masculine and feminine aspects, resolving internal gender conflicts. Advanced Understanding of Human Behavior: At higher stages, a comprehensive understanding of human behavior emerges, recognizing suffering, conflict, and violence as manifestations of the unconscious ego mind. Ultimate Realizations and Cosmic Perspective: Enlightenment and awakenings become more profound, aligning with an understanding that judgement is ignorance and birth and death are imaginary concepts. These realizations contribute to a sense of tranquility and equanimity. Continued Introspection and Growth: Even after reaching the unitive stage, the journey of self-discovery continues. Leo emphasizes the ongoing nature of this work and the importance of self-reliance in personal growth. He advises against relying solely on his teachings for personal evolution, advocating for self-teaching and exploration beyond the unitive stage. Responsibility for Personal Growth: Individuals should use high-level advice as guidelines but must find their own path to growth, harmonizing advice with individual life situations. Existence of Stages Beyond Unitive: Leo hints at the possibility of stages beyond the unitive stage, which are less recognized due to their rarity but signify even more profound levels of human evolution and understanding. Assessing Resources and Teachers by Developmental Stages: Books, videos, courses, and teachers can be evaluated according to which stage of ego development they correspond to. This allows individuals to find resources and mentors that are appropriate for their current stage or slightly beyond it. Encouragement to Aim Higher: Leo advises those at the achiever stage to maintain a high vision for the future and to lay the groundwork for advanced metaphysical understanding while handling basic needs and goals. Introduction to Construct Aware Stage: This stage, inhabited by 0.5% of the U.S. population, involves realizing that reality is constructed by the mind and deeply intertwined with material reality, challenging the notion of separate objective reality. Existential Paradoxes and Inner Conflict: At the Construct Aware stage, individuals grapple with existential paradoxes and recognize the role of the mind, language, and ego in interpreting and constructing reality. Shift in Life Focus: Existential issues and the meaning of existence take precedence over material concerns, leading to pervasive uncertainty and questioning of previously held truths. Awareness of Reality as a Construction: People at this stage see their worldview as an unconscious amalgamation of cultural inputs rather than consciously chosen. They realize that all aspects of perceived reality, including political and scientific beliefs, are influenced by the subconscious. Deconstructing Meanings and Judgments: At this stage, individuals question their judgments and meanings attached to things, recognizing biases in their worldview shaped by the ego for its own survival. Understanding the Limitations of Symbolic Abstraction: The Construct Aware stage brings recognition of the limitations and biases inherent in concepts like time, purpose, and even tangible objects, when viewed through the lens of language and the human mind. Map vs. Territory: There is a deep appreciation for the difference between symbols and actual reality, recognizing that perspectives are biased, geocentric, and human-centric. Language as a Deep Technology: Individuals realize the significant role of language in shaping reality and communication, recognizing both its limitations and its potential to simplify or complexify our perceptions of the world. Navigating the Limitations of Language: The challenges of using language without being restricted by it become apparent, and individuals at the Construct Aware stage become more adept at circumventing the pitfalls language may introduce. Realizing the Impact of Language on Knowledge: Concepts and knowledge acquisition are seen as arbitrary and crucially dependent on language, leading to a more careful and conscious approach to understanding and knowing. Awareness of Duality: The understanding that all concepts rely on opposites - such as good vs. evil, or human vs. non-human - becomes evident, heightening sensitivity to the dual nature of language and conceptualization. Taking Responsibility for Mental Constructs: Individuals at this stage become accountable for their own creation of concepts and categories, marking a shift from unconsciously adopting cultural definitions to consciously forming their mental landscape. Exploring Beyond Human Mind Limitations: There's a realization that one can transcend the human mind and question fundamental constructs like human identity, opening up new territories beyond what was previously dismissed as pseudoscience or 'airy-fairy' ideas. Breakdown of the Objective Material World Belief: The belief in a permanent, objective material world begins to dissolve, blurring the distinctions between mind, body, self, and the external reality. Deconstructing Notion of a Permanent Self: The self is recognized as a dynamic collection of beliefs and concepts, constantly evolving rather than being a fixed entity, bustling with every new experience and interaction. Continuous Self-Change: Awareness grows that personal identity is in constant flux; every experience subtly shifts one's sense of self, challenging the notion of a static, unchanging personal identity. Cross-Paradigmatic Integration: There's an ability to appreciate and integrate diverse worldviews and religious beliefs without judgment, leading to an intellectually unified perspective of existence. Global Historical Perspective: Moving into a higher altitude of consciousness, construct-aware individuals gain a global view of meaning-making and take responsibility for the subjective meanings they assign to their experiences and the world. Shift from Inherent to Projected Meaning: Realization dawns that meaning is not inherent in external events or situations but is instead a projection of one's mind, leading to more deliberate and conscious meaning-making. Understanding of Map-Making and Self-STORY Deconstruction: Individuals become cognizant of their need to create mental maps and narratives with a permanent self at the center and learn to deconstruct and challenge such identifications. Awareness of Self-Deception: Even though the ego still leads to self-deception, a heightened awareness enables individuals to catch, correct, and learn from their distortions rather than being totally consumed by them. Understanding the Constructive Nature of Personal Identity: Acknowledgment arises that self-identity is maintained by continuous thoughts about oneself, skewing reality to ensure survival of this constructed self. Non-Physical Conception of Birth and Death: A profound realization surfaces that birth and death are not purely physical processes but mental activities linked to the ongoing construction of personal identity through thought. Deconstruction of Self: Individuals at this stage start to see the possibility of deconstructing the self, leading to self-annihilation. There is fear and uncertainty about what lies beyond this, but an understanding that 'self' is a subjective construct that must ultimately dissolve. Meta Cognitive Stage: The stage involves deeply questioning one's own thought processes, which can be seen as a final attempt by the ego to create comprehensive maps and models of reality, despite the impossibility of fully capturing the infinite nature of reality. Addiction to Models and Theories: There is an acknowledgment of the fascination with creating complex models and meta-models, which, while intellectually stimulating and practically useful, ultimately oversimplify reality and are not the territory itself. Conflict Between Helping People and Pursuing Truth: There's a realization that the utility of models in helping others does not equate to the discovery of absolute truth, highlighting the ego's subtle manipulation of reality for higher purposes. The Struggle of Advanced Development: Recognizing the absurdity of using models to fully grasp reality, individuals become aware of the difficulties in going beyond the human mind due to a lack of role models and examples to follow. Redefining Knowing: At this stage, there's a shift towards examining alternative ways of knowing beyond rationality, language, and science, questioning the quantifiable constraints placed by human constructs like science. Awareness of Ego's Influence: Individuals become acutely aware of the ego's distortions on perception, filtering reality through biased lenses and essentially questioning the possibility of objective experience. Dilemmas of Ego Transcendence: The more one attempts to transcend the ego and quiet the mind, the stronger the ego can become, illustrating the paradoxical nature of detaching from reality. Awareness of Thought's Limitations: There is a growing suspicion of thought and recognition that all cognitive processes are dualistic and constructed, fundamentally separate from the non-dual reality. Challenges of Experiencing Reality Without Filters: The realization of the importance of experiencing reality without linguistic filters emerges, but the practical challenge of achieving this denotes the difficulty in transcending ingrained cognitive mechanisms. Interconnectedness of Dualities: The recognition that dualities like good and evil or life and death are inseparable parts of the same whole undermines the simple-minded approach of lower stages seeking to increase good and eliminate bad. Judgment as a Source of Unhappiness: An increased awareness of how the habitual judgment of experiences creates suffering and unhappiness leads to the contemplation of non-judgmental awareness. Awareness of Judgment: Realizing the habitual nature of judging can be frustrating, as it leads to suffering; despite this awareness, it takes years to fully let go of this habit. Compassion and Human Complexity Understanding: Individuals develop a deeper compassion for themselves and others and attain a nuanced perception of human nature and interactions. Navigating Meaning and Meaninglessness: Caught between the extremes of considering life either completely meaningless or unquestioningly meaningful, individuals work to balance and integrate these perspectives. Emotional and Rational Pattern Recognition: There is recognition of how emotions and rational thoughts manipulate one’s perception, and the challenge becomes to integrate and mindfully manage both. Conscious Observation of Ego: A heightened self-awareness allows individuals to observe their ego in action, such as during disagreements or impulsive behaviors, leading to opportunities for growth. Integration of Multiple Modalities: The integration of feelings, intuition, rational thinking, and transpersonal experiences enhances one's flexibility in responding to various life situations. Seeking Mystical Experiences: Individuals develop a craving for mystical states and temporary freedom from ego control, often facilitated by meditation, psychedelics, or other practices. Leadership Roles in Construct Aware Stage: People tend to assume roles as catalysts or transformers within organizations or society, often working independently or creating novel structures to contribute meaningfully. Openness and Humility: Embracing uncertainty, these individuals show comfort with not knowing and exhibit humility regarding the limits of knowledge without the need for defense or pretense. Expression of Authenticity: Language and communication become more complex, vivid, and authentic, with attempts to let go of conscious structuring and embracing spontaneous expression. Trans-Rational Insight: Access to knowledge from non-rational sources such as intuition, bodily states, and dreams increases, playing a more significant role than logic. Self-Deception as Learning Opportunity: Recognizing personal self-deception turns into a chance for growth and helps understand the ego traps others may fall into. Balance Between Animalistic and Spiritual Desires: The Centaur metaphor indicates a balance between primal needs and higher desires, integrating existential and spiritual concerns with basic survival needs. Perception of Chaos: There is an understanding of the rhythmic chaos in life, which individuals learn to navigate like surfing waves, embracing life's unpredictability. Cumulative Interconnectedness and Profound Experiences: Recognition of interconnectedness across all subjects deepens, leading to profound insights and setting up for the transition to the unitive stage. Witnessing the Present Moment and Absolute Truth: The unitive stage allows individuals to apprehend absolute truth through direct consciousness, a transformative experience beyond rational explanation. Openness to All Experiences: At this advanced stage, individuals are receptive to the full spectrum of life’s experiences, valuing each without judgment, and finding value in every moment of being. Transformation of Reality Perception: Reality becomes imbued with magic and wonder, as even the most mundane objects are seen as miraculous, shifting the perspective from ordinary to mystical. Profound Appreciation of the Mundane: A fork, once seen as an ordinary object, can evoke tears due to its perceived miraculous existence. Those at lower ego stages might not appreciate the intrinsic value and complexity of such simple things, missing the cosmic perspective that one gains at higher stages. Cosmic Perspective as Organizing Principle: At higher stages of ego development, individuals view themselves and others as part of humanity's evolutionary journey. They effortlessly shift among different perspectives and states of awareness. Comfort with Mystical Experiences: Mystical and unitive experiences become familiar and comfortable, rather than alien or scary. The peaks of awareness from earlier stages now serve as a stable foundation for ongoing mystical experiences. Presence and Groundedness in the Present: With a shift to higher stages, living fully in the present becomes the norm, and individuals experience a unity with nature and the universe, feeling embedded rather than separate from their surroundings. Deep Security in Identity: The unitive stage offers deep fulfillment and a sense of self-completion that doesn't rely on external factors like fame, money, or relationships, based on realizing one's identity as infinite and complete. Simultaneous Perception of Concrete and Eternal: Unitive individuals can perceive both the temporality and eternal symbolism of entities, seeing all stages of ego development as interconnected and necessary to the whole. Acceptance of Lower Stages: This stage brings a profound acceptance of those at lower levels of consciousness, fostering deep peace and relinquishing the need to control or judge others, allowing for grace and humility. Simplicity Beyond Complexity: After developing complex models of understanding, those at the unitive stage often transcend and simplify their worldviews, fostering a zen-like mentality and approach to life. Contemplation of Life Purpose: Despite recognizing the ultimate insignificance of personal achievements in the vast universe, individuals at this stage still engage passionately with life, embracing a controlled, conscious approach to their endeavors. Shift in Perspective on Life's 'Game': Life is seen as a controlled folly—a conscious game that one engages in while recognizing its ultimate emptiness, which paradoxically frees one from the despair of attachment. Critiques of 'Impractical' Higher Stages: Those at lower stages often criticize the unitive stage as impractical, failing to see the value in existential or non-materialistic perspectives that prioritize spirit over survival. Holistic Approach to Teaching and Life: People at the unitive stage foster global justice and creativity, acting as catalysts in society, and valuing all life forms equally, transcending biases like age, gender, and species. Evolution of Leo's Teaching Style: Leo acknowledges his previous authoritative teaching style and shares his intention to teach in a more accepting, compassionate, and holistic manner as he moves further into the unitive stage. Bliss in Being: Individuals at the unitive stage find profound joy and contentment in simply existing and being aware, experiencing a non-attachment to outcomes and consistent insights into reality's interconnectedness. Mind as the Only Existence: Everything is Mind (with a capital M); there never existed a material world. Mind is synonymous with consciousness and is infinite. All perceived reality, including the table, chair, and fire hydrant, is consciousness. Direct Consciousness of God: The unitive stage brings a direct experience of God, absent in lower stages where God is considered separate and other. This stage allows for the realization that the universe and the individual are both manifestations of God. Self as Creator: Individuals realize that they are the creators of their reality, which is profound and life-altering. Lower stages may view this as absurd or narcissistic, but it's not about superiority; it's about awakening to one's true nature as God. Taking Responsibility for Being God: Recognizing oneself as God entails taking full responsibility for one's life. Those who aren't aware they are God create their suffering—understanding oneself as God fosters a responsibility to lead a more divine existence. Consciousness of God Not a Belief: This realization is not based on beliefs, ideologies, or speculation. It's an actual direct consciousness that transcends mere faith or philosophy. Mundane Becomes Supernatural: At the unitive stage, the mundane is viewed as supernatural. There's an appreciation of the fundamental mystery and intelligence of all creation, realizing that nothing can be known in absolute terms, only experienced or embodied. Distinction and Construction: At this stage, distinctions, such as between a taco and a kangaroo, are understood to be mental constructs that have no ultimate difference. These distinctions are seen as important for human growth but not reflective of an ultimate separation. Tolerance, Compassion, and Affiliation: Individuals feel a deep affiliation with all forms of life, tolerating and embracing the essence of others, respecting their intrinsic nature without the need for change. Wisdom vs. Specialized Knowledge: There's a recognition that wisdom and high IQ or specialized technical knowledge are not the same. The unitive stage values wisdom and consciousness over IQ scores or technical expertise. Channeling Universal Intelligence: People in the unitive stage can channel insights and wisdom directly from a universal source. This telepathic communication with the universal intelligence is seen as a deep personal connection with the infinite. Interconnectedness With All Beings: Belief in the interconnectedness of all life forms is a cornerstone of the unitive stage, leading to the notion that there's no essential distinction between oneself and any other being. Embracing Diversity of Existence: There's an appreciation for the myriad ways of being, realizing that all are valid and beautiful. This includes an understanding of the necessity of ignorance until one is ready to grow and change. Conflict as a Lack of Perspective: The unitive stage holds that all conflict arises from a lack of perspective and understanding. Compassion stems from recognizing one's former ignorance and appreciating others' developmental stages. Insights and Profundity: At this stage, an individual can express profound wisdom with ease, often surprising even themselves. This profundity is seen as an attribute of the universe rather than the individual, as they are aligned with universal intelligence. Realizing Personal Growth Achievement: Looking back on personal development, an individual can reflect on their past ignorance and appreciate the multi-decade journey, understanding the value in overcoming life's toughest moments. Empathy for Others' Ignorance: Realizing one's own ignorance fosters deep empathy for others who are stuck in their ignorance, though it doesn't necessitate tolerating harmful or delusional behaviors and ideologies. Moderation and Quality Control: In maintaining a valuable community, there is a distinction between accepting individuals and allowing destructive behaviors to proliferate, necessitating moderation to preserve quality and integrity. Spontaneity and Simplicity in Wisdom: In unity stages, individuals experience straightforward simplicity, which becomes a vital aspect of their wisdom and the transcendence of the ego. Mental Space Expansion: The mind becomes jail-broken, free of mental fetters, defense mechanisms, and manipulations. This vast mental freedom allows for exploring reality from an unhindered perspective. Mindful Present-Moment Awareness: A non-evaluative approach to the present moment allows for experiencing reality without the need for manipulation, interpretation, or control from the ego. Integration of Masculine and Feminine Sides: Unity stage brings about an internal peace by integrating previously unacknowledged aspects of self, leading to personal harmony and bridging gender conflicts. Conflict Realization: At this level, individuals understand that most conflict is self-created and arises from unconscious selfishness. Bridging Contrasts and Dualities: The unitive person reconciles different contrasts and dualities, merging concrete/practical, theoretical/philosophical, and more, thereby fostering holistic understanding. Cosmocentric Perspective: Adopting a cosmocentric view, individuals see themselves as integral participants in cosmic evolution, where holistic identification transcends the merely global perspective. Dissolution of Evil and Enemies: Recognizing that "evil" is a projection of ego biases, people at this stage shed such notions, understanding that supposed enemies and evil are manifestations of self-bias. Imaginary Nature of Reality: The realization that all aspects of reality, material and physical alike, are imaginary—life becomes viewed impersonally and not taken seriously or personally. Tapping into True Happiness: Accessing states of equanimity, tranquility, and absolute love leads to an understanding of true happiness and satisfaction. Enlightenment at the Unitive Stage: At this stage, enlightenment and awakenings occur more frequently and are realized without entanglement in ego-driven interpretations. Aloneness and Oneness Realization: Understanding emerges that self and others are identical; oneness includes all multiplicities of existence, transcending and adding inclusivity to the concept of solitude. Compassion for Human Behavior: With the deconstruction of the ego, individuals deeply understand the roots of human conflict, suffering, and behavior, stemming from unchecked selfishness and ego. Profound Silence and Inexpressibility: Reaching a point where the profundity of the universe is recognized as beyond the scope of language or even rational explanation. Self-Sufficiency in Problem-Solving: Leo emphasizes the importance of viewers finding their own solutions to problems rather than seeking specific guidance. The growth process requires individuals to figure things out independently. Role of High-Level Advice: Leo's role is to provide high-level pointers and advice, aiming to open minds and prevent significant missteps in life. Implementation of this advice into the nitty-gritty of day-to-day existence is the viewer's responsibility. Creativity in Application: The advice given by Leo is intentionally general and abstract, so viewers must creatively adapt it to fit their unique personalities, strengths, desires, and life circumstances. Existential Questions Beyond the Unitive Stage: Leo acknowledges the existence of stages beyond the unitive stage. These stages are highly transhuman and mystical, explored through advanced techniques like psychedelics and meditation. Challenges of Scientific Modeling of Advanced Stages: Scientific models like Suzanne Cook-Greuter's have limited data on the most advanced stages of human development due to their rarity. Understanding these stages requires studying exceptionally developed humans. Aspirations for Future Understanding: Leo admits his current understanding of stages beyond the unitive stage is limited but anticipates gaining more insight over the next two decades, acknowledging that humanity is still grappling with these concepts. Ongoing Journey and Self-Work: The understanding of human evolution is dynamic, and Leo encourages viewers to continuously work on themselves using models like the nine stages as a roadmap. Actualized.org as a Resource: Leo mentions his website, Actualized.org, which provides numerous tools like a blog, a book list, a life purpose course, and a forum designed to support individuals moving into post-conventional stages of development. Preparation of Content Referring to the Nine-Stage Model: Leo plans to create content that breaks down each stage of development and provides actionable steps and insights into potential traps, further than what was covered in the introduction. Focus of Actualized.org: The primary objective of Leo's teachings is to move individuals into post-conventional stages and beyond—to become construct aware, then unitive, and possibly beyond that in the future. Connection to Infinite Intelligence: Leo's teachings aim to open individuals to deeper existential questions and the development of a high-bandwidth connection with infinite intelligence, promoting a transition beyond merely mental understanding. Psychedelics as Learning Tools: Psychedelics are highlighted as a potent tool for nonlinear, organic, infinitely intelligent learning that transcends conventional teaching methods. Ultimate Self-Teaching: Leo's ultimate goal is to guide viewers to a point where they can teach themselves through direct connection with the universe, lessening their need for external guidance including his own teachings. Aparecium

The 9 Stages Of Ego Development - Part 2 https://youtu.be/G8fIhLDV3L4 Overview of "The 9 Stages Of Ego Development - Part 2": Leo continues his series on ego development with part two, focusing on post-conventional stages with a promise of a third installment to delve deeper into the later stages, highlighting that these offer substantial transformative value. Image 1 Nature of Scientific Models: Leo reminds his audience that scientific models, including ego development, have limitations and should not be overextended to non-applicable domains such as animal behavior or film characters. Capabilities of Earlier Stages: Leo clarifies that each higher stage retains the capabilities of earlier stages, akin to academic grade progression. He emphasizes that no stage is inherently good or bad; they are constructive parts of human development. Understanding of Stages: Leo points out that higher stages can understand lower ones due to broader perspectives, but lower stages struggle to grasp higher ones due to a lack of foundational development. Defense mechanisms might cause individuals at lower stages to deny the existence of higher stages. Stages During Stress: Individuals may regress to earlier stages when threatened or under stress. Awakenings Across Stages: Leo discusses how mystical experiences and awakenings can occur at any stage, but warns that interpretations can be limited and distorted by the individual's current level of cognitive development. Post-Conventional Deconstruction: Starting with the pluralist stage, the post-conventional phase marks the beginning of deconstructing and questioning previously constructed realities. The mind becomes open to reassessing all beliefs, including those in culture, politics, and even the previously unquestioned areas like science and absolute truths. Post-Conventional Stage & Relativity: The post-conventional stage involves a cognitive leap where relativity becomes acknowledged and appreciated, contrasting earlier stages that take things as absolute. Individuals begin to see that meanings are not fixed but are based on one's perspective, leading to heightened self-reflection and a critical examination of previously unquestioned beliefs. Escalating Degrees of Relativistic Thinking: As one progresses through the post-conventional stages, the degree of relativistic thinking intensifies, becoming more pronounced and radical in later stages. Recognizing the relative nature of meaning becomes a central theme in understanding reality. Emergence of Post-Rational Thought: Despite conventional stages relying heavily on logic, post-conventional development marks a transition to post-rational thought, distinguishing it from pre-rational beliefs. This allows for the questioning of not just content but the structure of thinking, leading to an awareness of the illusions and self-deception inherent in different beliefs and perspectives. Questioning of Language and Materialist Assumptions: Language and its role in shaping thought begin to be questioned during the post-conventional stage. Materialist assumptions start to be doubted, albeit not completely, prompting a search for knowledge and understanding beyond materialism and traditional science. Flexible Conceptual Boundaries: The once rigid boundaries of concepts like science and religion become more porous and flexible. Individuals realize that these concepts may evolve and share similarities, challenging the conventional dichotomy between science and pseudoscience or religion. Comparative Analysis of Belief Systems: Post-conventional thinkers can step outside their own belief systems to objectively analyze and compare different systems. There's an increased drive to uncover hidden assumptions about one's own beliefs and society at large, a trait largely absent in conventional stages. Appreciation of Hidden Assumptions: This stage brings an increased interest in existential, metaphysical, psychological, and epistemic issues, with a focus on uncovering hidden assumptions within one's own framework and society. Such deep reflection generally does not resonate with conventional-minded individuals, or "normies," who prioritize material success over introspection. Pluralist Stage Realization and Relativity: The pluralist comes to the realization that reality is observer-dependent, embracing instead the exploration of multiple perspectives that were previously dismissed or unrecognized. This includes an appreciation for cultural exploration and a recognition of the influence of the observer on the observed, similar to principles found in quantum mechanics. Post-Conventional Struggle with Absolutism and Judgment: At the post-conventional stage, the struggle lies in reconciling the relativistic view with the need for judgment. The absolute certainty of earlier stages and conventional authorities like religious texts and scientific dogma are questioned, opening up an exploration into alternative ways of knowing and understanding the world. Pluralist Stage and Practical Decision-Making: In the pluralist stage, individuals grapple with making concrete decisions amidst an overwhelming array of perspectives. The criteria for sorting views into practical and functional ones are not yet clear, leading to confusion and difficulty in managing daily life. Subjectivity and Personal Biases: The realization that observations are inherently filtered through subjective lenses humbles the mind and raises awareness of personal biases. This understanding becomes particularly relevant when evaluating areas such as politics, religion, and science. Questioning Conventional Science: A post-conventional scientist recognizes that science is influenced by the observer's biases and metaphysical assumptions. This realization sparks debate on the methodologies of science and the subjectivity that influences scientific discovery and interpretation. Recontextualizing Previous Knowledge: As perspectives expand, earlier scientific models, like Newton's mechanics, are not disproved but instead built upon and recontextualized in a more comprehensive framework, as exemplified by Einstein's theories. Cultural Conditioning and Global Perspective: The pluralist stage involves recognizing the extent of cultural conditioning and the limited control one has over personal beliefs and values, primarily due to the increased exposure to global diversity through travel and media. Travel and Worldview Expansion: Encountering diverse cultures through travel can lead to an existential and moral crisis as it forces pluralists to compare their ways of life with those in different parts of the world, revealing the vastness of human experience. Relativity and Validity of Worldviews: Pluralists treat all worldviews as seemingly equally valid, which can be both beneficial and detrimental. This approach presents challenges in discerning the value and applicability of various perspectives, especially when confronting extreme views like Nazism in comparison to more enlightened worldviews. Adjudicating between Worldviews: Pluralists struggle with how to fairly adjudicate between the diversity of worldviews due to the loss of criteria for judgment in a relativistic view, leading to the question of whether there is such a thing as absolute truth or not. Self-Deception and Cultural Bias: An awareness of self-deception as a defense mechanism used by the mind to construct reality sets in. This leads to the understanding that the greatest threat to post-conventional stages is not external enemies but the internal biases and unexamined assumptions programmed during upbringing. Existential Crisis from Realization of Mind's Deceptions: The realization of the extent to which one's mind can deceive itself and the impact of cultural programming lead to an existential crisis and an ongoing process of understanding that previously held 'absolute truths' are not constants but are based on cultural indoctrination. Realization of Self-Deception and Cultural Programming: At post-conventional stages, individuals recognize the depth of self-deception and cultural programming. They understand that their previous views on issues like police brutality are overly simplistic and appreciate the complexity involving systems, cultural views, morality, and politics. Epistemological Inquiry: Pluralists start grappling with epistemological questions about the nature of knowledge, questioning the truthfulness of science, logic, religion, and spirituality. They understand the importance of differentiating beliefs from reality itself. Appreciation for Knowledge Foundations: The post-conventional stage involves deep contemplation on how we acquire and validate knowledge. The singular importance of these foundational questions becomes apparent at this stage of cognitive development. Awakening to Social Brainwashing: Individuals come to accept their susceptibility to societal and cultural brainwashing, acknowledging that even educational material can be a form of indoctrination and self-deception. Recognition of Environmental and Societal Influence: There is a heightened awareness of how an individual's worldview is shaped by historic, geographic, economic, cultural, and linguistic factors, leading to questions about one's own belief systems, including previously unquestioned aspects like capitalism. Language and Thought Construction: Pluralists realize language's role in structuring thought, allowing them to understand their cognition as heavily influenced by linguistic abilities and the limitations of their native tongue. Scrutiny of Social Constructs: Post-conventional thinkers start questioning fundamental societal structures, recognizing constructs like capitalism as artificial and subject to manipulation. Concern with Content Versus Structure of Thought: Recognizing the similarity in mental structures of seemingly opposite ideologies, such as capitalism and communism, is a critical insight at this stage, revealing one's own inability to transcend ideological constraints previously unconsciously accepted. Shift from Material to Inner Fulfillment: There's a fundamental transition from the pursuit of material achievements to an exploration of inner experiences. Interests in money, sex, or possessions often decline as internal self-reflection becomes more compelling. Exploration of Subjectivity: Individuals at the pluralist stage reckon with the subjective nature of their worldview, finding this realization both liberating and disorienting as they attempt to navigate their existence without stable reference points. Temptation of Regression: Despite feeling unmoored, the temptation to retreat to familiar conventional systems for a sense of security is a significant challenge for individuals in the post-conventional stages. They strive to avoid regressing and maintain their commitment to exploring new paradigms. Discovery of Truth's Complexity: One's journey to unravel deeper truths becomes arduous, filled with paradoxes, emotional labor, and confusion. Accepting that much of what constitutes knowledge in science and other fields has been assimilated through belief marks the post-conventional transition. The trap of needing anchors: To truly be courageous in the pluralist stage, one must release the desire for stability and embrace a period, possibly spanning years or decades, of uncertainty while exploring different perspectives. This process is confusing and emotionally taxing but also liberating as it broadens the range of possibilities beyond the limitations of conventional thinking. Watching oneself and questioning actions: In the pluralist stage, one becomes an observer of their own behavior, questioning why they follow certain norms or perform specific actions. This self-observation can lead to the realization that some actions were performed simply because they were imitating others, and not due to a reasoned personal decision. Abandonment of purely rational analysis: Pluralists move away from relying solely on rational analysis and incorporate a more holistic, organismic approach that values feelings, intuitions, and context. This reflects a significant shift from traditional methods that prioritize logic and provable facts. Realizing the limitations of rationality: The post-conventional stage understands that rationality has inherent limitations and begins to appreciate intuition as a more powerful tool. The pluralist gains wisdom and insight from consciousness itself, rather than linear logical thinking or the need for formal proof. Logic as a tool for self-deception: As pluralists progress, they recognize how the mind can use logic to deceive the self and preserve the ego. They see logic becoming self-aware and psychological, accounting for how the mind can manipulate reasoning for its own benefit. Emphasis on exploration over goals: For pluralists, the journey and exploration of various perspectives become more valuable than achieving specific goals. There is an increasing distrust of conventional wisdom and strict rationality as pluralists prefer to experience life and relationships over working solely towards material achievements. The value of scrutinizing assumptions: Pluralists enjoy the novel mental freedom that comes with scrutinizing assumptions and seeing values as relative. They face the challenge of making judgments and decisions amidst this newfound understanding of relativity. Problems as interplay between polarities: Pluralists see problems not as singular issues that can be eliminated but as an interplay of polarities that must be understood and harmonized. Rather than eliminating opposing perspectives, there's a need for understanding and integration. Paradox and contradiction as features of reality: Pluralists embrace and relish in paradox and contradiction as fundamental aspects of reality rather than as flaws. They move towards a more holistic understanding, where not everything needs logical proof to be accepted. Creative use of imagination and diverse perspectives: With the exploration of diverse perspectives, pluralists' creativity and imagination skyrocket. They start connecting subtle clues rather than dissecting problems into parts, valuing insight, and breakthroughs achieved through non-traditional means like meditation and self-reflection. Misunderstanding of Non-linear Thinking: Many people ridicule non-linear, spiritual, or holistic approaches like meditation, yoga, chakras, and intuition because they are accustomed to a linear, analytical way of understanding reality. They fail to recognize these as legitimate ways to interface with reality. Shift from Doing to Being: In the pluralist stage, there's a transition from constant activity to focusing on being and feeling. This can seem 'hippie' or 'new age' to conventional thinkers who value tangible, materialistic accomplishments over abstract experiences. Consciousness Becomes More Abstract: As individuals progress through stages, their capacity for abstract thinking increases. This leads to recognizing spirituality and ephemeral experiences as valid and real, even though they may not be tangibly measurable. Mind-Body Connection: Pluralists develop an awareness that emotions are not just mental but are also physically manifested throughout the body. They recognize that many ailments could stem from psychological factors like repressed emotions. Importance of Feeling and Emotions: The realization that emotions are present in the body and not just the mind leads pluralists to practices that integrate body awareness, such as yoga and mindfulness, which are sometimes dismissed by conventional thinkers. Exploration of the Self: Pluralists turn inward, valuing self-exploration and self-expression over adhering to socially approved roles. They seek their own unique gifts and answers to personal questions, distancing themselves from conventional routines. Moving Beyond Conventional Stereotypes: While 'hippie' qualities like openness and expressiveness characterize the pluralist stage, it doesn't necessitate a complete adoption of hippie lifestyle choices. Pluralists can maintain conventional responsibilities while holding their expanded worldviews. Beyond Judging and Embracing Relativity: Pluralists transcend conventional judgments and the demonization of negative social elements. They understand the validity of all perspectives, including those of societal outcasts, and adopt a more nuanced moral outlook. Integration of Sub-identities: Pluralists face the challenge of integrating various sub-identities, such as masculine, feminine, rational, and intuitive, into a cohesive whole without denying any aspects. Fear of Regression and Isolation: The fear of being pulled back into lower developmental stages is prominent among pluralists. They also risk feeling socially isolated and having relationship conflicts, especially with partners who do not share or understand their post-conventional mindset. Pitfalls of the Pluralist Stage: Leo highlights misconceptions at the pluralist stage where all hierarchies are often seen as oppressive, and all opinions as equally valid, which isn't practical for survival. He also points out the issues with extreme relativism leading to indecision, and how too much focus on diversity and equality can be counterproductive, a problem he feels is overstated by conservative critics. Pluralist Self-Judgment and Toleration: Pluralists may judge others who don't share their egalitarian views, showing a contradiction in their non-judgmental ideals. Although they tolerate diverse ideas and cultures, they might not always recognize their higher development stage leading to perceived arrogance or naivety. Contradicting Ideas and Pluralists' Role in Society: Those in the pluralist stage can entertain contradictory ideas and their attitude often reflects a non-commital stance of "it all depends," leading to indecisiveness. They are more introspective, focusing on internal growth rather than material achievements, often resulting in a fringe existence in society. Introduction to the Autonomous Strategist Stage: Leo introduces the strategist stage, accounting for approximately 5% of the U.S. adult population, characterized by systemic understanding, appreciation of all developmental stages, and a global inclusive worldview; which contrasts sharply with the judgmental nature of pluralism. Strategists' Comprehensive Understanding: Strategists perceive complex long-term patterns and consider personal and societal development through an evolutionary lens, embracing interconnected systems and responsibilities. Autonomy and Self-Actualization in Strategists: Strategists create meaning autonomously, propose new ideas, and take responsibility for their interpretations, striving for meaningful self-actualization and leading by example. Responsibility and Compassion of a Strategist: A strategist owns their interpretations and meanings of reality, taking utmost responsibility, which underscores their maturity and rare capabilities to lead and aid humanity's evolution. The Evolutionary Mission of Strategists: Strategists view themselves as agents of transformation with a purposeful vision for society's progression. They focus on upholding universal principles despite the inherent challenge of reforming the 'human chimp' to align with high ideals. Realism of Strategists: Strategists address patterns, systems, and habits with a practical outlook, understanding the evolutionary steps necessary for change, distinguishing them from the often unrealistic pluralist stage. Personal Development in Strategists: Recognizing their own imperfections, strategists continually work on improving themselves as a prerequisite for leading others towards ambitious societal visions, undergoing extensive internal work. Strategist Embodiment vs. Pluralist Idealism: Strategists move from the idealism and theoretical concepts of pluralists to a grounded, realistic approach to personal and societal transformation, ensuring they first embody their teachings before implementing them. Self-Awareness and Growth: Leo discusses the importance of becoming aware of one's own biases and shortcomings, realizing that addressing and changing these aspects is a challenging process. He acknowledges that while superficial concerns may plague the conventional mind, the strategist is preoccupied with deeper existential questions and a desire to contribute to humanity's betterment. The Dual Awareness of a Strategist: Leo explains that strategists are keenly aware of their personal limitations and the extensive needs of humanity. They recognize the progress they've made through inner work and self-actualization while staying committed to guiding others on a similar path. The complexity of maturation and the high value of helping others evolve are underscored. The Holistic Approach of a Strategist in Business: Strategists consider not just financial profits but also the well-being of employees, aesthetic environments, and ecological impacts. Leo shares his personal guiding principles behind Actualized.org, prioritizing development and understanding over maximizing profits. Strategist's Attachment to Transformation: Leo admits to an initial aggressive approach to transformation at the beginning of Actualized.org, and his gradual learning to allow people their own space and time for growth. He emphasizes a more detached approach now, understanding not everyone is ready for transformation. Systems Thinking and Evolutionary Development: Leo talks about how strategists understand and apply systems thinking, recognizing circular causality and the cyclical nature of systems. They believe in the importance of fostering personal growth while being mindful of the readiness and developmental stage of each individual. Individual Responsibility and Hierarchy: Leo clarifies that strategists see each individual as responsible for finding and actualizing their unique style. He also distinguishes between healthy, necessary hierarchies and oppressive ones, challenging the idea that all hierarchies are inherently bad. Life as a Journey of Never-ending Growth: For strategists, life is about continuous growth and self-actualization. They take on the responsibility for self-regulation and see the pursuit of deep life purposes as essential for a meaningful existence. Challenges and Superiority for Strategists: Leo acknowledges that strategists can give off a sense of superiority due to their deep understanding of human nature, which creates the risk of self-inflation and arrogance. Despite this awareness, he admits to a personal struggle with arrogance but also uses over-the-top arrogance for self-entertainment. Integration of Emotions and Continuous Improvement: In contrast to previous stages, strategists accept complex personalities with both positive and negative traits, integrating negative emotions healthily. They acknowledge that perfection is unattainable, but continuous improvement and self-actualization remain the focus. Identification as a Transformer: Strategists must be cautious not to let the concept of being a self-actualizer become a new egoic identity, which could hinder authentic development. Impatience with Others' Growth: It's common for strategists to feel impatient with the slower developmental progress of others, reflecting an area of personal growth for the strategist themselves. Non-Possessive Love and Increased Compassion: The strategist stage is characterized by an understanding and practice of non-possessive love, alongside a growth in benevolence and compassion for oneself and others. Nuanced Emotional Awareness: Strategists develop a nuanced understanding of their emotions, learning to distinguish and decode the messages within their emotional spectrum rather than reacting impulsively. Authenticity in All Aspects: The strategist strives for authenticity in every aspect of life, including communication, relationships, business, and creative pursuits. Expanded Tools for Exploring Reality: Dreams, imagination, fantasy, and vision become significant tools for strategists to explore reality and themselves. Sustainable Solutions and Large-scale Thinking: Strategists search for sustainable solutions to large-scale issues that affect humanity, thinking generationally and aiming to address the root causes of problems. Non-Blaming in Relationships: A significant change at this stage is the cessation of blaming others in relationships, indicating a move towards personal responsibility and mature conflict resolution. Concern for Future Generations: Strategists invest in the well-being of future generations, often making personal sacrifices for the greater good. Struggle with Acceptance and Enlightenment: Despite their advanced stage, strategists still contend with accepting reality as it is and may struggle with difficult emotions. Enlightenment becomes their spiritual goal. Charismatic Leadership and Vision: Strategists often emerge as charismatic leaders with a compelling vision for an ideal future world order, inspiring others to contribute towards this vision. Forgiveness and Redefined Humor: They learn to forgive themselves and others, leading to decreased guilt and self-criticism. Their humor shifts to a non-hostile, existential reflection on the human condition. Satisfaction Tied to Self-Actualization: Strategists feel dissatisfaction if they perceive themselves as falling short of their unique human potential, which can lead to frustration or depression. Issue of Purpose Post-Career: Upon retiring or no longer being in a mentorship role, strategists may face existential issues concerning their sense of purpose and relevance. Realistic Appraisal Skill: Gaining an understanding of bias allows for clear, more accurate appraisals of situations devoid of personal biases or egoic distortions. Visionary Systemic Analysis: Strategists become capable of long-term systemic thinking, understanding the interconnectivity and long-term implications of systems. Sophisticated Psychological Language: In discussing human behavior and societal issues, strategists utilize a detailed and sophisticated psychological vocabulary. Addressing Societal Ambitions and Anxiety: The strategist faces anxiety about fulfilling one's personal potential and principles while confronting societal pressures and ambitious visions. Importance of Continuous Self-Actualization: Embracing that self-actualization is an endless journey becomes a critical recognition at the strategist stage. Bombarda