The Mystical Man

Albert Einstein left Germany. Hans Zimmer left Germany. Eckhart Tolle left Germany. Almost no one who stays in Germany achieves greatness. Money does play a role. For example, Harry Potter originated in the UK, but without Warner Bros. it wouldn't be the billion dollar franchise that it is today.

No, but that's hypothetical. The reality is that the rest of humanity doesn't do the same, and they will never look at you the same way again. And that's the reality that you have to live in for the rest of your life because of that past event.

If I cut your body, it will take time for the wound to heal, and if the cut is deep enough, it might leave a scar for the rest of your life. The same thing goes for your psyche. If you have sex with a pig in front of a live global audience (like Michael Callow in Black Mirror) that event might haunt you until you die. Physiological, psychological, and emotional imprints are very real. That's why it's important to pay attention to your impact.

That's precisely what causes so much suffering: certain events leave deep imprints, and you can't stop reexperiencing those events in the present.

When we say that the past isn't real, we mean that it doesn't have an absolute existential reality. However, in the relative world, your past is what's creating the present moment, not the absolute present moment, but the relative circumstances of your life. If someone got sexually abused as a kid, then that past will be a source of suffering, and that kind of suffering probably won't be resolved with the realization of the absolute now.

This is like a modern vlog, but it must be over 23 years old. The quality is surprisingly good:

Has anyone read this book?

It's well-written so far. It's not boring.

McKenna on Synchronicity: "Magical attunement with what wants to be." - McKenna

I recommend "The Surrender Experiment" by Michael Singer. Michael tried to get away from society to meditate, but life kept bringing him people and opportunities. Eventually, he learned to trust life, and then he ended up building a billion dollar company. I like that book because it dismantles false ideas that people have about what surrender is and what it looks like. For example, when life hands you an idea for a heptalogy, are you surrendered enough to write that book series for seventeen years?

Social intelligence is very important. Great spiritual teachers are great not because they're enlightened. You admire them because they have amazing social skills. Look at how Sadhguru and Adyashanti deal with people. That kind of social skill doesn't come from enlightenment.

Yes, there is a time and place for stepping back from your responsibilities, because they can distract you from attending to your true nature. Fortunately, modern society offers retreats. You can also do solo retreats. But I like the idea of returning to society to contribute. I don't like the idea of disappearing forever. Dr. Hawkins called that a spiritual error, because human suffering is very real on its own level.

Modern society is an amazing achievement: many survival issues are taken care of, life is relatively easy; awakening should be easier, too. These days there is no need to go into a cave. Your modern home can be your cave. And the social aspect is good, too, because you need people to push your buttons. Adyashanti said that it's a good thing if you don't have the luxury of avoiding the social aspect of life, because people will enlighten the darkest recesses of your unconscious.

World's Most Horrifying Amusement Park Accidents When I was a kid I used to love going to Movie Park and Phantasialand... Do you enjoy going to amusement parks?

I wouldn't recommend it. Psychedelics could worsen your depression and anxiety. Consider getting a good therapist.

I don't think we have the right to execute anyone, regardless of what they've done. Just keep them away from society. Execution costs more: https://www.criminaljusticedegreehub.com/how-much-does-it-cost-to-execute-a-death-row-inmate/

This is where the real work begins: other people push your buttons, and that allows you to see your hang-ups. I recommend "The Surrender Experiment" by Michael Singer. Also watch this video: https://youtu.be/_yJkE31U4Qc “I don’t think what we want is to be completely undisturbed by anything in life. I don’t think that’s actually what a human being wants in their deepest resources of their being.” - Adyashanti

That's amazing. Thanks for sharing.

If I was an art director, I'd be more interested in seeing what a talented human mind comes up with rather than what a machine comes up with. AI would frustrate an art director.

The three articles, the four cases, and the subjunctive mood make German difficult.

It's the most difficult thing a human being can do. It's brutal.

One spiritual teacher had her awakening while she was getting raped. When I first read that, I thought it weird, but now it makes sense, because she had to give up all resistance to what is.

A certain degree of negativity is normal on this journey, but excessive negativity is an indication that you're stuck in a perspective from which you want to free yourself. Consider getting a good (!) therapist. If you cannot find a good therapist, find a spiritual teacher that you trust and respect. Express your negative ideas to him. If the teacher is clear and wise, he'll cut off your head (metaphorically), and you'll be free.

Hogwarts Legacy? Can't wait.

George Lucas talks about the importance of story, emotion, and vision: What's happening here is nothing new. Whenever a new technology comes out, people glorify the technology itself, and they forget about the importance of story, emotion, and vision. AI will not create beautiful works of art by itself in the same way that 3D isn't necessarily art by itself. Toy Story worked because of the director's vision (John Lasseter). Lasseter also gave an interesting talk on this subject: "The technology was used in the right way, telling the right story." The explosion of the Death Star might be outdated, but that scene will never lose its emotional impact. If you had to create that scene today, you wouldn't use the technology that ILM used back then. You'd use CG, but if you don't understand where that scene derives its emotional power from, then CG will not help you one iota. Same thing with AI generated images. You can generate as many images as you want, but if you don't have a compelling vision, these images are meaningless.