Is Spirituality Worthwhile?

[Focus Shift]

Here is my latest video. I made it with the intention of introducing spirituality to rationalists/atheists. I would love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to share it with a friend if you like

Edited October 4, 2019 by Focus Shift

[Angelo John Gage]

Nice work

[Inliytened1]

Great stuff.  Too bad rationalists will probably hand wave it off as usual.   

[Focus Shift]

@Inliytened1 Glad you can appreciate it. I figured Leo's forum would be a good place to share this kind of content. You never know, Leo himself was an atheist for a long time before his awakening. His series on quantum mechanics really shows how science came full circle into mysticism. 

[Forestluv]

@Focus Shift I think this is a great video to reach out to open-minded rationalists. This would be upper-orange on the SD scale. I like how you integrated QM, meditation, NDEs, psychedelics etc. Of these, I think QM would carry the most weight with rationalists. QM is science that expands beyond the scientific paradigm. In a way, QM is science transcending science. Most materialists like science and use science to support their materialism. When a rationalist/materialist asks me for evidence of immaterial, I point them to QM - it is not some "woo woo" pseudoscience. QM is hardcore science and has among the highest predictability power in all fields of science. Then we ask the materialist/rationalist "Do you value the highest level of scientific evidence or not?". This is helpful at a transitional stage. . . My only suggestion comes at 50sec. You start off stating the irrationality of traditional religion and a higher level of reasoning/science. . .  and then state "However those that have had a psychedelic or mystical experience. . . ". I wouldn't have led off with psychedelics - a lot of rationalists/materialists may get turned off and think that psychedelic experiences are just woo woo hallucinations that aren't real. This could turn some people off. I would first hook them with QM with something like "However science has revealed new insights into both material and immaterial. . ." . 

Overall t's a great vid. and you have a great voice for this type of thing. 

[Inliytened1]

@Focus Shift yeah you never know

 

[Focus Shift]

@Serotoninluv Those are good suggestions, however I do know of atheists who are open to psychedelics, such as Sam Harris. Thank you so much for your feedback I really appreciate it. Glad you like my voice I'm going to see how long I can upload at least 1 video a week so stay tuned. 

[Forestluv]

15 minutes ago, Focus Shift said:

@Serotoninluv Those are good suggestions, however I do know of atheists who are open to psychedelics, such as Sam Harris. Thank you so much for your feedback I really appreciate it. Glad you like my voice I'm going to see how long I can upload at least 1 video a week so stay tuned. 

Yes, the consciousness with psychedelics is evolving. During your psychedelic part, I like how you framed it rationally/scientifically. For example, the scientific studies at Johns Hopkins. It frames psychedelics as "cutting edge". In the future, you may want to add scientific studies showing that psychedelics can stimulate neurite-genesis and synaptic plasticity - allowing new insights and neural pathway rewiring.  Psychedelics are becoming a cutting edge area of neuorscience. . . Last summer I did some lab research to see if a psychedelic could alleviate neurodegeneration in flies. I was concerned how my colleagues would perceive the psychedelic part, so I downplayed it, I called the psychedelic a "psychoplastogen" and presented it as just a compound. During the Q and A, a biochemist asked me why I didn't highlight the potential of psychedelics. He said that is where the action and interest is. Then the conversation turned into recent work of psychedelic therapy. I was really surprised this group of scientists were this aware. . . The times are a changing. . . 

I look forward to your future videos. You have a talent in this area and are making a great contribution.  

[Nahm]

@Focus Shift Great work ??

[Focus Shift]

@Serotoninluv What psychedelic did you use for research?