MuadDib

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 To Test For Self-Bias https://www.actualized.org/insights/how-to-test-for-self-bias Significance of self-bias: Self-bias is a pervasive issue that affects how individuals justify their actions and beliefs. Leo notes people often projected their self-bias onto him and emphasizes the importance of understanding and identifying one's own self-bias. He highlights that self-bias can obscure the fairness or validity of one's logic, particularly when it aligns with personal survival or interest. Method for testing self-bias: Leo recommends a method to test for self-bias by switching perspectives, especially when evaluating historical injustices like slavery. Considering scenarios from the viewpoint of those oppressed can reveal the self-serving nature of justifications used by the oppressors. Cultural myopia and self-bias: The phenomenon of self-bias is not limited to individual perspectives but can also manifest on a cultural or national level. Leo uses examples such as American outrage over suspected Russian election interference and American interventions abroad to demonstrate how self-bias can cause blindness to one's own actions and double standards. Business and self-bias: Self-bias affects not only social and political views but also business practices, such as attitudes towards monopolies. Leo points out that those in positions of power might favor monopolistic practices for personal gain, but may view them as wrong when they're on the other side of the equation, illustrating the self-serving nature of such biases. Wealth disparity and self-serving ideology: Rich individuals, encapsulated in their affluent circles, often develop explanations that characterize minimum wage workers as lazy and undeserving. This bias blinds them to the reality that many low-wage workers are hardworking, and due to systemic inequality, they face obstacles to upward mobility. When wealthy people imagine themselves in a minimum-wage worker's shoes, negotiating under unfair conditions where companies provide minimal salary increases, it highlights the unjust system and their own biased perspectives. Fairness in real estate negotiation: Assessing fairness in negotiations, such as house buying, can reveal self-bias when each party employs tactics to their advantage. Buyers may exaggerate flaws to decrease the price, while sellers overemphasize improvements to increase it. By shifting positions and evaluating if the deal would still be satisfactory from the other's standpoint, one can recognize if their arguments and concerns are genuinely fair or rooted in self-bias. Empathy for animals through thought experiments: The lack of outrage over animal slaughter versus the hypothetical human equivalent exposes a profound self-bias. Excuses demeaning animal life are revealed as self-serving when one imagines their children in place of the animals, thus uncovering the deep-seated bias and the radical nature of true fairness and justice, challenging societal norms. Male self-bias on gender dynamics: Many young men in various men's rights communities hold biased views about women, claiming oppression and unequal treatment. This bias neglects the systemic injustices faced by women globally, and the skewed sexual dynamics where men often project their frustration without considering the different risks and social pressures women experience. Recognizing these biased views is vital for understanding gender fairness and avoiding double standards. Gender disparity and sexual agendas: Inequality persists against women in many parts of the world, including in legal and social practices. Sexuality is asymmetrical between men and women, with women facing greater risks like pregnancy and societal judgment that can significantly impact their lives. Women's sexual strategy is often more complex and cautious due to potential consequences, and their value is unfairly judged based on perceived promiscuity, contrasting with male experiences. Physical attractiveness and dating challenges: Women are heavily judged on physical attractiveness, which greatly impacts their ability to find a high-quality partner, as opposed to men who face less pressure to enhance their appearance. This unfair focus on women's looks affects their dating prospects and societal expectations for relationships. Toxic masculinity and societal issues: Ideologies that promote extreme masculinity contribute to societal problems, including mass shootings and wars. These ideologies, held by a segment of men, incorrectly blame femininity for cultural problems and ignore the real consequences of aggressive and domineering male behavior. When personal stakes are involved, such as having a daughter, the perception of these ideologies can drastically shift, revealing the inherent self-bias. Morality and self-bias understanding: A professor demonstrated the concept of fairness to his young nephew by stealing his french fries in return for the nephew's earlier theft. This act helped the child understand the importance of considering others' feelings and detriments of selfish behavior, highlighting that moral lessons are not always inherently understood and often require personal experiences to be truly grasped. Suffering's role in empathy and love: Suffering is necessary for developing deep love and empathy, as it allows individuals to truly understand and connect with the suffering of others. The idea that love cannot exist without suffering is presented, suggesting that invulnerability to harm would prevent a person from developing true empathy and compassion. Personal proximity to events alters perception: The proximity of an event, such as a mass shooting, impacts an individual's empathy and understanding, making abstract concepts more personal and compelling one to reevaluate their stance on issues like gun rights when they are personally affected. Conscious suffering as a catalyst for growth: Embracing suffering consciously instead of avoiding it can lead to spiritual purification and the development of strength, compassion, and empathy, qualities that are crucial for societal change and leadership. The necessity of conscious leadership: A conscious leader is seen as someone who has endured struggle and suffering, enabling them to lead with empathy and compassion rather than cruelty and narcissism, as in the case of self-serving leaders who lack understanding of the average person's life due to a privileged upbringing. Ascendio

Understanding The Exquisite Balance Of Life https://youtu.be/DJF3uBI0sT0 "A just balance and scales belong to the Lord; All the weights of the bag are His concern." - Proverbs 16:11 "Throughout the Infinite, the forces are in a perfect balance, and hence the energy of a single thought may determine the motion of a universe."- Nikola Tesla Elevated Perspective on Balance: Leo discusses the concept of balance from an existential and spiritual angle, describing it as an exquisite and sublime aspect of reality. This understanding evolves as one becomes more spiritually mature and conscious. Balance as Infinite Intelligence: The balancing acts of nature and the universe are seen as dynamic and a reflection of consciousness itself. This exhibits the genius and intelligence inherent in all of existence. Definitions of Exquisite and Sublime Balance: "Exquisite" is defined as marked by flawless craftsmanship, deep sensitivity, or subtle understanding, whereas "sublime" suggests being lofty, grand, or awe-inspiring due to transcendent excellence or beauty. Image 1 Image 2 Scientists' Understanding of Balance: While scientists acknowledge the fine-tuned balance in nature and the universe, such as the fine-tuning problem in physics, they often perceive it as accidental rather than an expression of profound intelligence. Wisdom as Proper Balance: Wisdom involves knowing how to balance life and systems with the same intelligence that maintains the balance in nature. It's about mirroring the universe's balance and making choices that either maintain or destabilize this sublime balance. Balance, Foolishness, and Extremes: Foolishness is the lack of balance and vision to see the universal equilibrium. Extremes in desires like wealth, power, and pleasure are examples of the imbalance that fools fall into, leading to self-destruction. Beauty in Balance and Asymmetry: There is beauty in balance, such as the precision of a hummingbird or the flow of nutrients in the body. Balance also encompasses asymmetry, not just symmetry, which adds to the complexity of achieving balance in the universe. Coherence of Diverse Parts: The remarkable coherence of diverse and asymmetrical components in the universe, like different species on Earth, suggests they are balanced by an intelligence, which Leo identifies as God or infinite intelligence. Cycling of Life and The Balance of Ecosystems: Leo discusses the delicate balance between plants and animals within ecosystems—plants supply nutrients to animals, and animals decompose to nourish plants, creating a perpetual cycle. This intricate balance extends across trillions of iterations on Earth, maintaining the systemic function of our planet's biosphere. Solar System Balance: The balance in our solar system is exemplified by its stable planetary orbits that have persisted for billions of years, despite the complex gravitational interactions between the sun, planets, and numerous moons of larger planets like Jupiter and Saturn. The persistence of these orbits amidst such complexity is highlighted as a marvel of balance. Physiological Balance within Organisms: Our own bodies are described as sites of trillions of balancing chemical reactions that enable functions such as deciphering speech. This ongoing internal balance is often overlooked, revealing a profound intelligence behind seemingly mundane processes. Scale of Balance in the Universe: Leo expands the concept of balance to a universal scale, citing the staggering number of stars in the Milky Way and galaxies in the observable universe. This demonstrates that balance is not only local but a cosmic principle that encompasses astronomical scales and asymmetries. Asymmetrical Balance: The asymmetry inherent in nature, from organs within the human body to the variety of life forms, challenges our understanding of balance. Leo points out that balancing asymmetrical systems is a feat beyond simple intelligence, suggesting it requires a level of understanding that he equates with infinite intelligence. Conscious Appreciation of Balance: Viewers are encouraged to elevate their consciousness to recognize and appreciate the sublime balance and intelligence present in nature, such as a hummingbird feeding from a flower, as well as in complex human dynamics like conflict and governance. Role of Infinite Intelligence: The absolute perfection of balance within the universe is attributed to what Leo calls infinite intelligence. He challenges viewers to develop the perception necessary to see this balance, which is often obscured by self-absorption and a lack of awareness. Practical Applications of Balance: Leo suggests actively observing and appreciating balance in all life aspects, surrounding oneself with balanced individuals, and striving to become more balanced in personal and collective life. Moreover, he advises practicing self-awareness to recognize when one is out of balance before making significant decisions or communications. Balance as a Dynamic Process: Leo clarifies that balance doesn't mean splitting everything equally, conforming to societal norms, or remaining neutral in significant moral issues. Instead, balance is presented as a dynamic, ever-changing state that requires discernment and ethical judgment, such as resisting totalitarian ideologies like Nazism. Holism, Health, and Balance: The concepts of holism, health, and balance are tightly interconnected, with health being a state where all system parts are in balance, and imbalances are equated with disease and dysfunction. Evil as Imbalance: Leo conceptualizes evil as any part of the infinite universe attempting to dominate or monopolize it, creating friction with other parts. This imbalance often requires correction, as demonstrated by the geopolitical destabilization that led to World War II, which was ultimately a vast global rebalancing event. Dynamic Nature of Balance: Balance is not static, but dynamic and always changing; this is evident in the constantly shifting orbits of planets and the eventual breakdown of these orbits due to events like the sun becoming a red giant or turning into a black hole. Similarly, the human body represents a dynamic balancing act that can be disrupted over time, leading to death. God as the Balancer: The intelligence that maintains harmony among the universe's asymmetrical, finite parts is described as God. The challenge of creating beauty and coherence from these disparate elements is said to be God's essential purpose. Identification of Personal Imbalance: People are encouraged to recognize imbalances in various aspects of their life, including psyche, business, society, and personal relationships, noting that such imbalances can lead to suffering and dissatisfaction. Wisdom and Intelligence: True wisdom and intelligence involve a keen awareness of imbalance and a non-algorithmic, intuitive understanding of how to restore balance across the vast complexity of life and the universe. Incorporating Imbalance into Meta Balance: The apparent imperfections and imbalances in the human realm, such as wars and diseases, are part of a larger, infinite meta balance that is perfect from an absolute perspective. Human judgments of imbalance are based on limited time scales and do not take into account an infinitely long time horizon. Individual Responsibility in Universal Balance: Leo emphasizes that individuals are fundamentally intertwined with the universe's balancing process, be it through action or inaction. People's responses to events, like the Holocaust, are part of how God instills balance across the universe. Consequences of Shirking Responsibility: The decision to ignore one's responsibility in balancing the universe is presented as leading to personal and collective suffering. Acting selfishly or retreating from responsibility can result in negative outcomes, both directly and indirectly, due to others taking corresponding actions to restore balance. Perfection of the Universe Despite Apparent Imbalances: Even when individuals fail to contribute to the universe's balance, it is asserted that the universe will retain its perfect balance, though not necessarily in a manner aligned with personal human desires or expectations. Inevitability of Universal Balance: The universe's absolute perfection ensures that even in extreme scenarios, such as prolonged corrupt regimes or extraterrestrial interventions, balance will inevitably be restored because the universe is governed by the highest intelligence. Relativity and Absoluteness: Leo distinguishes between relative, conditional notions of perfection (lowercase 'p') and the awakening to absolute Perfection (uppercase 'P') that encompasses all scenarios, asserting that truly understanding balance involves recognizing this ultimate, unchanging state. Implications of Inaction and Responsibility: While every action contributes to the universe's perfect balance, Leo counters arguments for apathy by highlighting that goodness and love, which are synonymous with selflessness, have no reasons—they are inherently valuable and necessary for true self-fulfillment. Potential Misuse of Balancing Concepts: Leo warns against justifying harmful actions with the pretext of restoring balance, as seen in historical tragedies like the Holocaust and 9/11, stressing the need for a mature understanding of the distinction between relative and absolute (meta) balance. Role of Selflessness in Balancing Actions: Selfless action is presented as the key to aligning with the intelligence that balances the universe. Leo describes acting to restore balance as an undertaking of joy and love, without need or compulsion, reflecting God's selflessness in harmonizing the universe for the benefit of all. Dangers of Egoic Misinterpretation: The risk associated with egoistic interpretations of balance is outlined through examples such as Hitler and Bin Laden, who believed their actions were restoring balance from a distorted relative perspective, highlighting the critical distinction between absolute balance and dangerous rationalizations at a human level. Consequences of Selfishness: Leo defines selfishness as an inherently self-defeating trait and therefore self-punishing, while selflessness brings one closer to God-like love and is its own reward, emphasizing that happiness lies in aligning with selflessness rather than pursuing selfish interests. Self-Balancing Nature of the Universe: The universe is described as a perfectly self-balancing system, with God as a metaphor for this continuous equilibrium. No matter the chaos, the universe achieves balance in the long run, illustrating the innate intelligence of its design. Role of Selflessness: Leo identifies selflessness, not material gain or pleasure, as the true assistance from God. This principle aligns with the idea that harmful imbalances, like cancer, eventually correct themselves by negating their existence, demonstrating the intelligence of a self-regulating system. Appreciation of Balance: Practical steps to apprehend balance include studying ecosystems, body homeostasis, markets, governance, and art, as well as observing balanced individuals and conflicts such as wars from a higher perspective. Pursuit of Individual and Societal Balance: Balancing oneself is one of the highest individual pursuits, while achieving societal balance is mankind's collective challenge. Health in either sphere influences the other, creating a bidirectional flow where individual and social wellness are interconnected. Biases, Truth, and Love as Foundations of Balance: Reducing personal biases and committing to truth and love paves the way for understanding and maintaining balance. Experience and learning from failures are crucial in finding and preempting imbalances. Developing Aesthetic Sensitivity: Recognizing beauty, harmony, and fairness contributes to achieving balance, as understanding aesthetics is an integral part of nurturing balance. Wisdom as a Pathway to Balance: Engaging with philosophy, meditation, and the study of historical imbalances informs the understanding of balance and helps to avoid repeated errors. Independent Thinking and Intuition: Independent thought prevents collective imbalances, and intuition is a tool for connecting with universal intelligence—both crucial for personal equilibrium. Addressing Basic Needs: Handling one's fundamental survival needs is essential before focusing on higher levels of consciousness, balance, beauty, and creativity. Meditation for Mind and Emotion Stability: Meditation serves as a method to calm the mind and emotions, preventing the self-destruction associated with imbalance. Perception of Balance and Imbalance by the Ego: The biased human ego often confuses what is truly balanced with what serves its own interests, exemplified by entities like Fox News claiming balance in reporting. Role of Awakenings in Accessing Infinite Intelligence: Experiencing awakenings and higher states of consciousness is vital to tap into the infinite intelligence that underlies the concept of universal balance. Understanding Absolute Balance: Even with human conflicts and socio-political turmoil, these events must be seen as part of the broader, absolute balance that characterizes the universe. Selfishness vs. Balance: Selfishness inherently generates imbalance as it dismisses the overall fairness and system's needs in favor of personal gain. Leo notes that genuine concern for balance implies a level of selflessness and an unbiased mindset. Systems Thinking vs. Systems Exploiting: Leo distinguishes between systems thinking and systems exploitation, using Trump as an example of the latter. Exploitation involves manipulating the system for personal advantage, whereas systems thinking aims to balance it for the greater good. Leadership and Impartiality: High-quality leadership requires setting aside personal agendas to consider actions that benefit the system as a whole, including all conscious entities, not just humans. This kind of leadership is termed as being more 'Godlike or selfless. Actions Creating Imbalance: Selfish and biased actions can create imbalance as they prioritize individual advantage at the expense of others. Leo provides various examples of ugliness and imbalance such as diet, social media's negative impact on youth, and addiction. Capitalism and Imbalance: Leo critiques late-stage capitalism, highlighting its role in creating imbalances such as income inequality, environmental destruction, and health issues related to pollution and industry. Imbalance in Politics and Society: American politics, gender issues, and various movements (e.g. incels, transgender ideologies) are discussed as examples of societal imbalances, emphasizing the need for a more nuanced and balanced approach. Mental Disorders and Pollution: The rise in mental disorders and autoimmune diseases is tied to cultural imbalances and environmental pollution, stressing the interconnectedness of issues and the importance of balance in our culture and environment. Zen Monasteries as a Model of Balance: Leo contrasts societal imbalances with the orderliness and simplicity of Zen monasteries, which embody the aesthetic of harmony and balance. Ego's Misconception of Balance: Leo warns against the ego's distortion of what is fair and balanced, using the example of Fox News' claim of fairness and the importance of discerning true balance from ego-driven bias. Current World State as Absolute Balance: In a thought experiment, Leo suggests the provocative idea that even amidst global turmoil, the current state of the world, from political upheavals to wars, is an expression of absolute balance in the grand scheme of the universe. Sublime Understanding of Balance: Recognizing balance, even in tumultuous events like political unrest or wars, signifies a profound understanding of what Leo calls 'Sublime balance'. Carefulness is advised in attempts to rebalance complex systems due to the potential for adverse outcomes. Wisdom in Non-Intervention: Systems thinking reveals the counter-intuitive nature of complex systems—wise individuals may choose non-intervention as a form of subtle, nuanced management, in contrast to rash and crude adjustments made by the less informed. Practical Applications of Balance: Daily life practices such as managing finances, allocating time for work and leisure, and reconciling theory with practice, all require a dynamic balance. Personal growth involves striking a balance between being alone and socializing, selfishness and selflessness, and practicality and idealism, among others. Balance in Creativity and Governance: Quality critiques, thoughtful art creation, and effective governance are all dependent on maintaining balance through unbiased design and decision-making. Connection Between Balance and Peace: Balance facilitates peace as wars and conflicts are manifestations of societal imbalances. A good governance system adeptly balances various competing interests. Image 3 Everything Balances to Zero: From a universal perspective, all elements balance out to neutrality. This holistic viewpoint underscores that nature ultimately maintains equilibrium. Image 4 Consumption of Self-Help and Theory: Leo advises a careful balance between absorbing self-improvement theory and putting it into practice to avoid being trapped in a cycle of mental rumination without meaningful action. Crucio

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

Understanding Double Standards & Hypocrisy https://youtu.be/bgduYKZKV18 The Paradox of Hypocrisy: Anyone who complains about hypocrisy is a hypocrite since everyone has been guilty of hypocrisy at least once in their life. Heads I win, tails you lose. Understanding Double Standards & Hypocrisy: Double standards and hypocrisy become more prevalent the less conscious or developed one's ego is. Lower levels of consciousness result in more selfish and hypocritical behavior, with a significant correlation between double standards and ego development stages. Criticism of Religious Fundamentalists: Leo criticizes religious fundamentalists for their significant hypocrisy, considering them the biggest hypocrites despite their claims of morality. The Essence of Morality: Leo suggests morality is often weaponized for survival, not for the sake of truth. True morality would involve eliminating all biases and double standards, which is a difficult task. Image 1 Examples of Double Standards: Leo provides examples including society's differing views on alcohol and psychedelics, with alcohol being socially accepted despite its harm. He also points out the hypocrisy of spiritual teachers dismissing the potential of psychedelics while their own methods fail to guarantee enlightenment. Double Standards in Science: He calls attention to the scientific community's double standards, such as criticizing religion for inaccuracies while ignoring its own errors. Science assumes its methodologies are true without proof, justifying its existence on practicality, much like religion does when pressured. Scientific Appeals to Authority: Leo observes that while science criticizes religion for appeals to authority, much of science itself relies on the authority of experts and established figures, constituting a similar appeal to authority. Circular Reasoning in Science: Highlights that science criticizes religious circular reasoning, yet foundational scientific principles rely on a form of circular reasoning, where definitions and concepts interdependently validate each other. Circular Reasoning in Science: Science, while critical of religion's circular reasoning, employs the same by defining fundamental properties such as energy, matter, and time in a circular manner. These properties are interdefined without grounding, forming an endless loop of definitions. Big Bang Double Standard: Scientists ridicule the idea of God as an unexplainable cause yet accept that the universe came from nothing in the Big Bang. This creates a double standard where the origin of the universe is somehow acceptable without a cause, but the concept of a divine origin is not. Scientists' Subjective Behavior: Despite advocating for objective and rational behavior, scientists exhibit subjective attitudes in their personal lives which conflict with their professional ideals, like valuing their own lives above others and having emotional reactions to issues like suffering and pleasure. Positivism's Inherent Contradiction: Positivism in science purports that only empirical truths are valid yet the principle of positivism itself is not an empirical truth. This demonstrates a double standard where scientists' metaphysical beliefs are accepted but others’ are dismissed. Emotions of Rationalists: Rationalists emphasize facts over feelings but often show emotional reactions to views they deem irrational, revealing a discrepancy between their claimed rationality and their actual behavior influenced by emotions. Selective Doubt of Skeptics: Skeptics advocate that everything should be doubted except for their own skepticism. This exception forms a double standard that hinders true skeptical inquiry, leading to shallow and false skepticism. Terrorism Label Double Standards: The term 'terrorist' is applied selectively based on race and religion, with certain groups not being labeled as terrorists for comparable acts. Additionally, national military actions are rarely categorized as terrorism even when they result in civilian casualties. Resource Allocation and Terrorism: There's an inconsistency in public reaction and resource allocation when comparing responses to terrorism and other issues like health care, exposing a double standard in the societal priorities and values. Nationalism and Terrorism: American military actions that can be construed as acts of terrorism are not labeled as such, highlighting a double standard in the perception and labeling of violent acts based on national identity. Post-Modernism's Performative Contradiction: Post-modernism claims that all value systems are relative but often imposes this relativism onto others, contradicting its own principles and creating a double standard. Right-wing Media Double Standards: Right-wing media, including outlets like Fox News and personalities such as Jordan Peterson, are criticized for having numerous double standards, particularly when contrasting their treatment of the left versus issues and behaviors in their own political camp. Sexual Indiscretion Criticism: Society is quick to criticize politicians for sexual indiscretions but often overlooks or justifies personal misbehaviors in the same vein. Relativism of Terrorism and Freedom Fighting: The label of 'terrorism' is relative, with one group's terrorist potentially being another's freedom fighter, and mainstream American society fails to recognize its own actions as terrorism. Double Standards in Right-wing Criticisms: The right-wing media and political figures like Jordan Peterson display double standards by emphasizing the threats of Marxism and communism while supporting or failing to acknowledge the dangers posed by right-wing extremism. Juxtaposition of Marxist Threat and Right-wing Coup: Peterson's warnings about the supposed dangers of Marxism and communism are contrasted with the actual threat from a right-wing coup attempt in the United States, suggesting a significant discrepancy in the evaluation of political threats. Leo Gura's critique of Jordan Peterson: Criticizes Peterson for having a significant double standard in his assessment of threats posed by the political left and right, accusing him of neglecting to adequately address the gravity of actions by the right that threaten democratic institutions. Double standards in news media: Highlights how Fox News exhibited clear double standards in its coverage of former presidents, particularly criticizing Obama for trivial matters while underemphasizing or ignoring serious controversies surrounding Trump. Conservative ideology and double standards: Discusses the inconsistency in how some conservatives apply the concept of states' rights, advocating for it selectively based on the issue at hand—for instance, in the case of abortion or drug legalization. Conservative views on welfare: Points out the hypocrisy of conservatives who deride welfare recipients as 'welfare queens' yet willingly accept government aid like unemployment benefits or business subsidies when it benefits them. Double standards in protests: Observes the double standard among conservatives regarding protests, where they criticize certain forms of peaceful protests like kneeling during the national anthem, yet support their own rights to assemble and protest. Double standards in scripture and nationalism: Critiques religious fundamentalists for taking their holy scriptures on faith while dismissing others, and nationalists for their biased view of aggression by their own country compared to other nations. Double standards in constitutional interpretations: Calls out the selective interpretation and application of constitutional laws, suggesting that conservatives cherry-pick parts of the constitution that align with their ideology while disregarding others. Punishment Bias and American Nationalism: Leo addresses the hypocrisy in the criminal justice system where individuals call for harsh punishments for criminals but seek leniency for themselves. He also critiques American nationalism, emphasizing the irony of Americans telling immigrants to "go home" while ignoring the presence of Native Americans. Progressive Double Standards on Police Funding: Leo criticizes progressives for their inconsistency regarding the police. They want to defund the police but were outraged by the insufficient police response during the January 6th Capitol event, showing a contradiction in their stance. Bipartisan Criticism of the FBI: He notes the double standard in both progressives and conservatives wanting to defund the FBI for different reasons, not considering the crucial role it plays in combating serious crimes, suggesting that this stance is dangerously naïve. Communism's Inherent Hierarchy: Discusses the hypocrisy within communist systems like the Soviet Union and modern-day China, where despite the ideology's egalitarian claims, a hierarchical structure still exists with bribes and corruption. Nuclear Power Double Standards: Leo highlights the unfairness in which only certain nations are allowed nuclear capabilities, questioning why countries like Iran are denied the means to defend themselves. Capitalism vs. Communism Death Toll: He questions why deaths attributed to communism are tallied while those due to capitalism are not, also noting that the material improvements under communism are often ignored whereas the successes of capitalism are celebrated. Geopolitical Double Standards and Alternative Media Bias: Leo critiques the double standard in accepting US missile silos in Europe aimed at Russia, but not the reverse. He also discusses the bias in alternative media, which can be more extreme and less accountable than mainstream outlets. Corruption Double Standards in Politics: He observes that people criticize corruption in the opposing political party while ignoring it within their own, whether in conservative or progressive circles. Double Standards in Negotiations and Business: Leo discusses how people negotiate prices in their favor whether buying or selling, and critiques corporations for dismissing unions as unfair despite the disproportionate power they have over employees. Double Standards in Gender and Race: Leo comments on the contradiction between perceptions of male and female circumcision, and addresses the racial double standards that favor whites over blacks, as exemplified by a black couple's house valuation increasing when they presented as white. Cultural Superiority and Etiquette: He criticizes the idea that every culture considers itself the best and discusses arbitrary cultural norms and etiquette, such as table manners, as a form of double standards. Double Standards in Dating and Sexuality: Leo points out double standards in dating, like men complaining about women's sexuality while failing to recognize their own or their friends' faults, and the toxic expectations of men in the in-cell and pickup communities. Pickup Culture Hypocrisy: Leo criticizes the pickup community for justifying their actions of sleeping with multiple women by painting women as disloyal, which is a self-serving belief that contradicts the often observed loyalty women show in relationships. Scientific Double Standards on Existence: Science demands proof of God but accepts the external world and other conscious beings without proof. It is critiqued for rejecting the paranormal without evidence while accepting logic itself without direct proof. Dangers of Science Overlooked: The double standard in science's critique of religion's dangers versus its disregard for the risks of scientific advancements, such as nuclear weapons, genetic engineering, pollution, and leaded gasoline, is highlighted. Cult Label Misapplication: Leo notes the double standard in the label 'cult' being applied to non-mainstream ideologies or worldviews, while mainstream areas like science, academia, and materialism are not considered cults despite similar behavior patterns. Celebrity Death vs. Ordinary Death: The heightened public mourning of celebrity deaths as compared to the lack of concern for the deaths of ordinary people is an example of societal double standards based on emotional attachment rather than objective value. Upper-Class Expectations and Influence: Rich and upper-class individuals often have double standards regarding special treatment, influence over government through lobbying, and justification of their status quo, without acknowledging the inequities that support their privileged position. Alternative Medicine and New Age Double Standards: Leo discusses the tendency in alternative healing fields, like Reiki or Shaktipat, to credit their healing methods when the patient improves, but blame the patient's lack of openness or faith when no improvement occurs. Science's Responses to Errors and Psychedelics: While religion's errors are regarded as proof of its falsehood, errors in science are seen as honesty and willingness to correct. Psychedelics' insights are dismissed as hallucinations, yet the scientific process relies on similar neurotransmitter activities, highlighting inconsistency. Tribalism and Intentions: Leo points out how humans attribute good intentions to their own tribe while seeing other tribes as having bad intentions, not recognizing that everyone believes their intentions are good despite differences in consciousness or ego corruption. Capitalism Criticism without Alternative Consideration: Leo observes that while many criticize the evils of capitalism, they do not consider their own dependency on it for survival, nor do they fully evaluate the promises unfulfilled by socialism or communism. Double Standards in Capitalism and Communism: People criticize capitalism's exploitative aspects but continue to participate in it because they depend on it for survival. In contrast, Leo points out the failure of communism to function without hidden capitalist practices, such as North Korea's black markets, which are essential for providing basic needs, despite the official government stance. Accusations Targeting Spiritual Teachers for Charging: Leo addresses the double standard of people expecting spiritual teachers to offer their services for free, while simultaneously accepting the need to charge for goods and services in their own jobs or businesses. Double Standards with Big Oil Companies: There is a critique of the double standard of condemning the polluting activities of oil companies while still utilizing their products for everyday tasks like travel and work. Sex and Violence in Children's Media: Leo discusses the contradictory societal stance where displaying sex in children's media is seen as highly inappropriate, yet violence and murder are accepted and even considered entertaining. Parental Hypocrisy with Children's Mistakes: Parents often chastise their children for behaviors they previously engaged in themselves, such as sneaking out or experimenting with substances, demonstrating a double standard. Double Standards in Accusations of Theft: If a store clerk undercharges a customer by mistake, many people consider it acceptable not to correct the error, which is a double standard, considering it essentially benefits from theft. Double Standards in the Treatment of Animals versus Humans: Leo notes the stark contrast in societal acceptance of treating animals harshly for food or labor versus the condemnation of similar treatments applied to humans. Scientific Studies and Replication Failure: Highlights the double standard in which many scientific studies fail replication, yet we demand scientific studies as proof before accepting new claims. Application of Spiritual Logic: Criticizes the inconsistent application of spiritual logic, such as expecting aid from a higher power in one circumstance but not another, or selective application of absolute and relative truths. Double Standards in Debates and Arguments: Leo points out that double standards often appear in debates, with reductionism and cherry-picking used to support one's narrative while criticizing the opposition for similar tactics. Reductionism in Criticism: Using a reductionist approach to belittle the achievements of others, such as reducing Kobe Bryant to someone who just throws balls or Albert Einstein to a person who scribbled on paper, while ignoring the broader impact and value of their work. Selective Criticism between Social Groups: Individuals often point out the flaws of the opposing social or political groups (outgroup) while overlooking similar flaws within their own group (ingroup), demonstrating a double standard in the assessment of hypocrisy and mistakes. Straw Manning in Debate: The tactic of straw manning involves contrasting the weakest argument of an opposing view with the strongest argument of one's own view, which is intellectually dishonest and a common form of double standard. Hypocrisy in Work Performance: People tend to criticize others for being late or underperforming at work but often make excuses or fail to hold themselves to the same standard when they commit the same mistakes. Criticism of Others' Mistakes Over Self-Mistakes: A double standard is expressed when people harshly judge others for their errors or ignorance but are more forgiving of their own mistakes and lack of knowledge, despite having been similarly ignorant in the past. Ultimate Double Standard of Selfishness: The most significant double standard lies in demonizing others for selfish behavior while justifying one's own selfish actions, which skews morality and ideology in favor of personal survival at the expense of truth. Personal Responsibility for Double Standards: While societal double standards exist, the most important task is to notice and rectify one's own double standards, rather than focusing on criticizing wider cultural hypocrisies. Misapplying the Concept of Double Standards: Leo warns against using the understanding of double standards to complain about societal issues, such as demanding equal representation for opposing views in education without considering the legitimacy of each side. Understanding Asymmetry and Context: It's crucial to consider the context and acknowledge when different things require different treatment, rather than simplifying complex issues into a false narrative of double standards. Importance of the Topic: The reason double standards are critical to address is that God, love, and truth are fundamentally about the absence of bias, and eliminating hypocrisy and double standards is essential for realizing the highest insights. Bias as an Obstacle to Realizing God: Leo stresses that biases and double standards severely corrupt the mind, preventing an individual from realizing God because God represents the total absence of bias. Purifying Mind of Biases: The key purpose of the episode, as explained by Leo, is not societal critique but rather to urge viewers to purify their own minds from biases to access deep wisdom and the highest insights. The Metaphysical Problem of Bias: Leo warns that the problem of bias affects the metaphysical understanding of reality, hindering the majority of humankind, including scientists and progressives, from understanding God. Selfishness and God: Leo makes a connection between selfishness as a form of bias and the selfless nature of God. To access God, one must become selfless, which means giving up all biases—a challenge few are willing to meet. Cherry-Picking Biblical Teachings for Convenience: Leo criticizes those who selectively interpret the Bible for personal benefit, including Jordan Peterson who, he argues, focuses on certain passages while ignoring key teachings about wealth and heaven. Financial Double Standards: Leo confronts the contradiction between pursuing wealth and spiritual enlightenment, sharing his own experience of sacrificing potential earnings for consciousness development and criticizing Jordan Peterson for not doing the same. The Rich Man and Heaven: Discussing the biblical statement about the rich man's difficulty entering heaven, Leo underscores that while wealth doesn't inherently block enlightenment, the preoccupation with money often precludes deep spiritual work. The Mind's Desire for Unfairness: Leo suggests that while people claim to value fairness, they actually prefer situations skewed in their favor and are biased against scenarios that are not. Intellectual Integrity as a Rarity: Leo emphasizes the rarity and value of unbiased individuals and encourages seeking them out as they have much to teach due to their commitment to truth and self-reflection. Committing to Eliminating Double Standards: Leo advises viewers to commit to eradicating double standards to unify their fragmented mind and achieve higher spiritual truths, recognizing it's a long-term process that doesn't offer immediate rewards. Personal Admission of Hypocrisy: Leo acknowledges his own past double standards and hypocrisies in areas such as politics, philosophy, and spirituality, stressing the ongoing challenge of overcoming these biases. Homework Assignment on Intellectual Honesty: As a practical step for viewers, Leo suggests creating a list of personal hypocrisies and double standards, incorporating it into regular introspection to facilitate self-development. Deconstructing scientific biases: Leo Gura relates his journey of deconstructing science, atheism, and skepticism, describing these philosophies as built on double standards. He explains that to reach higher levels of consciousness, he had to identify and correct these biases. Recognizing personal double standards: Leo reflects on recognizing his own double standards in various areas like pickup culture, moderating forums, and judging others' selfishness. He commits to correcting these double standards to achieve greater integrity and consistency. Meta hypocrisy: He notes the paradoxical nature of criticizing others for being hypocrites while also engaging in hypocrisy oneself, emphasizing the importance of introspection in overcoming this. Evolutionary process of self-correction: Leo mentions ongoing efforts to correct hypocritical behaviors, highlighting the evolutionary process of self-development and the importance of being patient with oneself during this journey. Relationships and double standards: Leo underscores the impact of double standards on relationships, stressing the need for fairness and balance to avoid conflicts and maintain healthy connections. Intellectual honesty as cultural importance: Leo advocates fiercely for intellectual honesty, considering its absence in politics and culture as a significant detriment to genuine dialogue and progress. Advice against engaging with bad faith actors: He urges the audience to avoid engaging with individuals who have no intellectual integrity, saving time and preventing intellectual stagnation. Conducting a self-inventory of hypocrisy: Leo offers a "homework assignment" for the audience to list ways they have been hypocritical or held double standards, which he sees as a step toward recognizing biases and evolving intellectually. Value of principled living towards development: Finally, Leo speaks to the importance of becoming more principled as a key component of personal development and character integrity, pointing to future episodes to further explore these ideas. Avifors

What It Means To Go Meta https://youtu.be/Egjw71k10Rc Explaining the Meta Concept: Leo introduces the concept of going meta as a recurring theme essential for deeply understanding life, science, religion, spirituality, and personal development. He recognizes that even though the term 'meta' is popularly used, its profound implications are often not fully grasped by those who should ideally understand it, including scientists and programmers. Dictionary Definition of Meta: The Merriam-Webster dictionary's definition of meta includes notions of self-awareness, self-reference, and transcending or being situated beyond. Leo highlights these aspects as deeply ingrained in the fabric of reality, with significance not fully acknowledged by science and philosophy. Image 1 Characteristics of Going Meta: Going meta involves stepping outside, zooming out, or transcending a situation, leading to self-awareness and reflection. This requires a conscious effort to observe oneself while engaged in an activity, like recognizing the use of language during communication, and unearthing a deeper understanding of otherwise mundane actions. Breaking the Fourth Wall Example: Leo uses cinema's fourth wall concept to describe meta, where characters become aware they're part of a fictional world and directly address the audience, illustrating self-awareness that transcends the movie's frame. Meta as Higher Level Abstraction: To illustrate going one level up in abstraction, Leo imagines a video game character like Super Mario gaining self-awareness and discussing his existence with the player. This example serves to demonstrate the transformative power of going meta, likening it to the discovery of a new dimension in reality. Misconceptions and Ignorance: Leo emphasizes that most people, including professionals in scientific fields, fail to realize the power of going meta. They remain confined to single dimensions of thought, which limits their ability to solve existential problems and understand the enigma of life. Examples of Going Meta in Art and Communication: He provides examples like René Magritte's painting "The Treachery of Images" and the concept of email and physical mail metadata. By highlighting how explicit and implicit information coexist, Leo suggests that unraveling reality's subtleties is key to mastering various domains. Image 2 Implicit Reality Elements: Leo notes the importance of recognizing the implicit elements in reality, which are often overshadowed by the explicit. The ability to read those elements is essential for mastering diverse disciplines like business, philosophy, and spirituality. Significance of Meta Understanding: Leo's introduction sets up the significance of the meta concept, laying the groundwork for discussing its applications in various fields and the limitations people face in comprehending and utilizing its potential for profound insights into reality. Cultural Bias in Science: There's an assumption in science that truth should be explicit; implicit knowledge is undervalued. This paradigm is challenged by Kurt Gödel's incompleteness theorem and the inherent limitations of explicit knowledge. Video Game Meta Elements: Elements like HUDs, score points, and cheat codes represent meta aspects within video games, offering players god-like abilities and reflecting on the nature of the game itself. Significance of Cheat Codes: Cheat codes in video games symbolize the power of meta knowledge, allowing characters to transcend the pre-programmed rules of their world with seemingly magical abilities. Computer Hacking as Meta Thinking: Black hat hackers engage in meta thinking by exploiting code loopholes, revealing a continual battle between maintaining software integrity and the hacker's ability to subvert it. Self-Referential Humor: Meta humor, or humor about humor, works by acknowledging a joke's failure, transforming the original, unfunny joke into a successful meta joke about the situation. Lucid Dreaming: Lucid dreaming, recognizing you're dreaming within a dream, allows individuals to consciously manipulate their dreams, showcasing meta-awareness as a form of power. Meta Learning: Learning how to learn—meta learning—enhances the ability to acquire knowledge by reflecting on the learning process itself, forming a key component of being an effective learner. Influence of Language: Language shapes thoughts and worldviews. Paying attention to language usage can reveal deep interconnections, influencing what is considered reality. Limitations of Language: Language simultaneously empowers and limits our understanding of the world through the distinctions and biases it introduces. Multiplicity of Linguistic Frameworks: Exploring various languages, including the possibility of alien languages, can significantly expand one's perception of reality. Meta Science: Traditional science operates without questioning its own assumptions or methods. Meta science involves a deep examination of science itself, its foundations, and its validity. Complexity of Reality in Science: Reality is infinitely complex, and scientists must transcend their own frameworks and embrace meta-level thinking to understand its endless layers. Meta Approaches in Political Debates: Rather than focusing on content-level disagreements, going meta in political debates entails recognizing underlying biases and ego-driven defenses, opening the door to higher-level understanding and resolution. Recognition of Biases in Debate: Acknowledging personal biases and the influence of upbringing on one's views allows for higher-level reflection within and beyond political discussions. Power of Going Meta in Debates: Acknowledging both your own and your opponent's biases and survival agendas during an argument can collapse the entire confrontational dynamic, illustrating how going meta can resolve what seem like irresolvable issues in political debates and beyond. Meta Moves in Wars and Relationships: Encourages questioning the fundamental causes of wars and interpersonal conflicts, advocating for meta-level solutions that transcend ingrained patterns of engagement in favor of higher-dimensional approaches to peace and harmony. Meta Perspective on Religion: Experiencing a shift from viewing one's inherited religion as the singular correct perspective to recognizing it as only one among many, realizing all are subject to similar biases and recognizing their own religious upbringing as an attachment. Creating and Stopping Fights with Meta Awareness: In the midst of an argument, becoming self-aware of one’s role in perpetuating the conflict. This meta awareness can halt the escalation and open the opportunity to engage at a more constructive level. Meta Chess as a Concept: Illustrates a variation of chess where each move allows a player to alter the rules of the game, introducing a meta-level strategy that impacts the progress and outcome in unforeseen ways. Meta in Art, Movies, and Meetings: Discusses various forms of meta in creative expression and organizational structures, such as art that critiques or changes art forms, movies and TV shows that self-reference, and meetings about improving meeting structures. Meta Analysis in Research: Describes a meta-analysis as a study that synthesizes the data from multiple studies on a topic, potentially providing more powerful insights than any individual study. Worldview Exploration and Meta Worldview: Urges exploring and understanding multiple worldviews without attachment, and introduces the concept of a meta worldview — a higher perspective on all worldviews that examines their relative truths. Rewards and Challenges of Going Meta: Emphasizes the significant benefits of adopting a meta perspective but acknowledges the emotional labor and difficulty in doing so due to our tendency to become attached to specific frames of reference. Meta Debate on Valid Arguments: Points out the circularity and groundlessness that can occur in debates on what constitutes a valid argument, highlighting the importance of examining the basis of the logics used in arguments. Meta in Various Domains: Provides examples of going meta in different domains like writing, gaming, forums, humor, and television, illustrating how the concept can be applied across diverse areas of human activity. Intrinsic effectiveness of pickup principles: When pickup principles are deeply internalized, they become honest signals of attractiveness, and they can still attract a woman even when you explicitly describe them during the pickup process. Confidence and authenticity in attraction: Attraction is not about tricks or deception. Women are attracted to men who are confident, authentic, and upfront about their intentions, even to the point of owning being a "player." Story of attracting a copywriter: Leo shares an anecdote about attracting a woman who worked as a copywriter for Tony Robbins, using honesty about his knowledge of pickup techniques and building a deep connection over shared interests in personal development and self-help. The meta approach in pickup: Leo describes how being meta by openly discussing his pickup techniques as he used them on the woman made her more attracted to him, because it displayed confidence, the ability to hold his frame, and a sense of humor. Logistical challenges and principles in pickup: Leo recounts a specific instance where he could have physically escalated the interaction with the woman but didn't due to his principle of not spending money, highlighting the practical logistics involved in pickup and the potential downside of sticking rigidly to personal rules. Implicit communication as key to attraction: The main takeaway is that verbal content is less important than the implicit, honest signals such as displaying masculine authenticity, confidence, humor, and detachment from the outcome. Meta authenticity and self-disclosure: Being open about uncertainties and negative aspects of oneself can be very effective because it sub-communicates honesty and confidence. Deception and self-deception: Deception often has a meta aspect; successful deceivers not only lie to others but also deny to themselves that they're lying, creating layers of self-deception. Selfishness and its meta recognition: Accusing someone else of selfishness often reveals the accuser's own selfishness. Resolving this involves recognizing the multi-layered nature of the accusation and one's own selfishness. Meta lying and the complexity of deception: Understanding and escaping self-deception and denial requires recognizing the multiple levels at which one can deceive oneself and deny the truth. The nature of selfishness and nirvana: Leo points out that one's aversion to selfishness in others is a reflection of selfishness within oneself. True selflessness or the path to nirvana requires internal eradication of selfishness, as it is the individual's own selfishness that bothers them, not others. Neti Neti method of self-inquiry: The method involves transcending identification with physicality through meta cognition, continuously negating all material identifications (such as "I am not the body" statements) until one achieves spiritual awakening. Zen analogy of the finger pointing to the moon: This classic Zen teaching demonstrates a meta understanding; it's not the finger but the moon that is the point of focus, symbolizing the need to look beyond the obvious or literal for true comprehension. Applicability of meta concepts across disciplines: Leo underscores the wide applicability of meta concepts. From metaphysics and meta-science to metapolitics and metalogic, each field can incorporate a meta perspective, which involves examining and transcending its foundational aspects. Infinite nature of logic and reality: Explaining that logic requires a meta level of examination, Leo says logicians have found that there's an infinite number of logical systems and each requires a meta logic for grounding, mirroring reality’s groundless nature. Meta philosophy: Leo describes meta philosophy as the pursuit of understanding how to conduct philosophy rather than adhering to a single philosophical school, stressing that all academic philosophical pursuits are ultimately relative and groundless. Meta politics: Different from conventional politics that focus on tribal disputes, metapolitics emphasizes raising collective consciousness, moving beyond bias, and fostering love and spiritual growth in societies. Meta science: This encompasses a deep and critical examination of scientific foundations, questioning and deconstructing empirical methods to improve their understanding and practice. Meta business: Goes beyond conventional profit-centric business practices to consider wider societal and environmental impacts, advocating for a more conscious and eco-friendly approach. Meta relationships: Focuses on uniting the individuals in a relationship and the relationship itself as a third entity, which allows for more mutual understanding and surrender to the collective good. Meta spirituality: This involves a broad and eclectic study of various spiritual traditions, seeking to understand their essence and align their best teachings, moving beyond disagreements among different schools of thought. Other Meta Concepts: Leo notes there are even more meta concepts like meta art, meta media, meta sex, and meta work, which are ways to improve functionality and quality through critical evaluation and continuous improvement. Importance of Going Meta: He emphasizes that going meta is crucial for solving complex problems as it requires moving to a higher level of understanding, thereby transcending content differences and scrutinizing the methods, which could otherwise be corrupted or suboptimal. Adoption of Meta Perspective: Adopting a meta approach helps identify personal biases and limitations, enabling individuals to move beyond these and achieve more profound insights. It requires detachment from solidly held beliefs and ideologies, often a challenging but necessary process for growth. Limitations in Scrutinizing Established Methods: Gura asserts that whether in spirituality, science, medicine, or other fields, there is widespread reluctance to critically examine established methods due to a fear of uncovering pervasive corruption. Attachment Leading to Bias: He explains how attachment, such as identifying with one's nationality or career, results in biased behaviors and suffering, and emphasizes the importance of detachment through the 'neti method' or 'meta moves' for personal transcendence. Conflict Arising from Reality Construction Denial: Gura discusses how the active denial of constructing one's reality causes defensiveness and conflict, as people struggle to maintain their constructed reality, which inherently indicates its fragility and artificiality. Science's Limitations within its Frame: He criticizes the limitation of science as it operates within its own frame and cannot recognize or address the larger, infinite context of existence. Rationale for Reality's Infinite Meta Nature: Leo elaborates that reality's infinite meta nature implies there are always additional layers beyond what is currently perceivable, leading to an ever-expanding understanding of existence. Challenges Faced by Rational and Scientific Minds: Gura points out that highly rational and scientific individuals often fail to grasp the deeper nature of existence due to their confinement within the finite frames of their disciplines. Accessing Absolute Truth: Absolute truth can only be accessed by stepping outside of every frame of reference and avoiding attachment to any particular framework. Each frame, whether it be religion, science, mathematics, or logic, is a temporary construct that can limit one's understanding. Frames as Mental Constructs: Every framework like religion, science, or logic is seen as an imaginary construct. To awaken fully, one must transcend each frame progressively, coming to the realization that the content doesn't matter since it's all incomplete. Life as the Final Frame to Transcend: The culmination of transcending frames is the realization that one's life itself is a frame to be moved beyond. Awakening happens when you let go of the attachment to life as you know it. Mind's Resistance to 'Going Meta': The human mind has defense mechanisms that resist the process of 'going meta' due to fear of the consequences—like the loss of one's current life and identity—that may come from fully embracing this perspective. Role of Fear in Sticking to Frames: The level of fear one has determines the frame they are stuck in. Lower levels of fear might keep someone within scientific or atheistic views, while higher levels of fear could trap someone in religious dogma. Intellectual and Real-World Payoffs of Frames: Frames offer payoffs—intellectual satisfaction, money, ego boosts, etc.—that make them appealing to cling to. Letting go of these payoffs can be difficult due to personal investments like relationships or careers. Incremental Growth and Personal Readiness: Spiritual growth and the process of going meta cannot be rushed; they depend on one's readiness and willingness to let go of attachments gradually. Gura uses the analogy of a student not ready to jump from fourth-grade math to calculus to emphasize that growth takes time. Recognizing and Planning for Detachment: It's important to be self-aware of one's current attachments and lay the groundwork for future growth, even if one is not ready to detach immediately. Planning ahead is essential for significant progress. Thrill of Meta Recognition: There is a unique delight and thrill in realizing something implicit in a given situation. This meta recognition, akin to understanding an inside joke, can lead to awakening and touching the divine. Combining Intellect with Spirituality: For those who enjoy intellectual challenges and complex topics, the process of going 'meta' in spirituality can offer a similar or even greater sense of whimsy and artistry, as hinted by the delight found in the works of Douglas Hofstadter. Whimsical Nature of Logic and Spiritual Work: Spiritual work provides an expansion of the whimsical and artistic experience found in exploring logical and scientific concepts, leading to clarity, beauty, and a profound appreciation of existence. Common Ground between Science and Spirituality: Leo suggests that serious scientists are fundamentally seeking the same awe and mystery in their work that spirituality offers, aiming to connect science with soul and spirit. Meta Perspective on Communication: During the talk, Leo points out the meta nature of using language to communicate concepts, and how his words trigger thoughts in the listener, showing a meta understanding of the communication process. Self-Realization and the Universe: Leo emphasizes that listeners, as part of the universe, are not separate from his message; they are the universe speaking to itself, using the medium of a video to become conscious of itself. Infinite Mind Concept: The notion of an 'infinite mind' is introduced as a mind that can go infinitely meta, becoming self-aware and able to contemplate any finite aspect of its existence. Building Core Concepts: Leo discusses the importance of building core concepts to make sense of reality and life, as opposed to adopting belief systems; these core concepts serve as a foundation for exploring various life domains. Critique of Educational System: He criticizes the educational system for not imparting core concepts needed for a deeper understanding of reality, recognizing the role of his videos in providing this knowledge. Making Sense of Life: Leo underscores that making sense of life is possible through personal effort and exploration and that his work lays out tools and direction for this journey toward significant growth and understanding. Aparecium

Infinite Love Awakening https://www.actualized.org/insights/infinite-love-awakening Continued exploration of consciousness: Leo describes his journey through multiple awakenings, with the latest one being a profound shift that he terms a "white hole of pure consciousness," a state where he ceases to identify as human and perceives existence without any constraints, fully immersed in a realization of infinite love. Understanding of love and creation: He delves into the mechanics of the divine, experiencing a clear understanding that everything in the universe is created from and for the purpose of infinite love. This level of love is so intense that it becomes annihilating and could be perceived as terrifying due to its totality and overwhelming nature. Realization of life's purpose: Leo comes to the conclusion that the highest purpose of life is the expression and experience of infinite love. He emphasizes that God's intent is to share this love by creating a multitude of forms and beings, despite the inherent fear and confusion this profound love may cause in lesser beings. The paradox of finite understanding: He highlights the struggle of lesser beings who are unable to fully grasp infinite love due to their finite nature. This limitation leads to a life filled with suffering, confusion, and the chase for temporal pleasures. He asserts that all negative experiences and actions stem from a misunderstanding or fear of love. Life as perceived from a higher state of consciousness: Leo suggests that, from the perspective of this higher state of consciousness, there is nothing to lose or fear in life. Everything, including what is traditionally considered evil, is actually derived from infinite love and has no negative implications when understood correctly. Role of fear in human actions: Leo points out that fear in life is essentially the fear of love, and that every human action is a quest for love or a response to the lack of it. He exemplifies this through interpersonal relationships and aggressive behaviors, stating that these ultimately reflect the human longing for love in its many forms. Universal motivation for love: Leo reiterates the idea that every being's actions are motivated by love, whether through desire or fear. He challenges the listener to recognize love as the underlying reason for all occurrences, both positive and negative, no matter how convoluted or counterintuitive it may seem. Path of life and awakening: Leo's vision features a giant ball of infinite love from which strands representing individual lives emerge. Humans are born with a desire for love but lack proper guidance to find it, leading them to stray further from the source (Godhead). Ultimately, all return to this source, whether through death or awakening, with no distinction between the two. Perception of humanity's insignificance: Leo gains a perspective whereby humanity, along with all its knowledge, is depicted as infinitesimally small compared to infinite consciousness. Mankind's existential weight is likened to a particle of dust within a vast hurricane, emphasizing the sheer scale of the broader conscious universe. Death as a victory: From his awakened state, Leo contends that death should not be feared but embraced as the ultimate union with infinite love. He describes it as winning the cosmic lottery, where the individual transitions to a state of ultimate positivity, far greater than any human experience. Love as the reason for everything: Leo challenges viewers to reexamine all events and actions through the lens of love, proposing that love is the driving force behind every occurrence, even those perceived as negative or harmful. This view requires a significant shift in perspective and understanding of causation. Conscious awareness mitigating fear: By recognizing the infinite love underpinning existence, one becomes immune to fear and suffering, as fear is rendered nonsensical from a higher standpoint. This realization is described as liberating and transformative, dissolving the dread associated with life's adversities. Integration of consciousness and love: Leo expresses that only by being God can one grasp that everything is love. For lesser beings, the journey of life is an arc that ultimately returns to infinite love-a realization that arrives typically at life's end but could be recognized earlier. Consciousness beyond traditional teachings: He asserts that his consciousness has advanced beyond established spiritual teachings like Zen, Advaita, Yoga, and Buddhism. He emphasizes that fully awakening entails recognizing infinite love in all aspects of life and existence. A call to prioritize infinite consciousness: Leo urges the audience to forget other concepts like no self, nothingness, the void, and self-enquiry, and instead to relentlessly pursue infinite love and consciousness without predefined methods, highlighting the difficulty of this path. Confidence in evolved teachings: He discusses the evolution of his teachings and claims superiority in understanding compared to other spiritual masters. Despite feeling overwhelmed by the responsibility to teach, he is determined to share his insights. Teaching from motivation not method: Leo advises focusing on the ultimate motivation and intention in the spiritual journey rather than being caught up in specific methodologies. He believes this approach will lead to success over time. Critical understanding of actual truth: He underscores the importance of cultivating a profound desire for actual truth and understanding, as opposed to clinging to non-dual states or enlightenment experiences without comprehension. He argues that deep understanding is key to awakening. Understanding as a path to genuine awakening: Emphasizing that one is not truly awake until they can account for every occurrence in reality, Leo calls for understanding the universal causation of love as the fundamental reason behind all events and actions. Future of teachings: Leo looks forward to deepening his teachings, focusing on essential truths, and avoiding wasting time on less important details. He hints at the future content that connects concepts more directly and promises to reveal more profound insights. Amortentia

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

Sense Organs Are Imaginary https://www.actualized.org/insights/sense-organs-are-imaginary Nonexistence of sense organs: Leo contends that our sense organs, such as eyes, do not truly create our conscious experience. He compares our experience with a video game character like Super Mario, whose eyes are part of the game world but do not generate it. Similarly, despite our physical senses being observable in the mirror or through touch, they are not the originators of our perceived world but rather components of an illusion. Misinterpretation of perception: The concept that our brain and eyes produce colors and interpret reality is a scientific story we've been told, one that is imaginative rather than factual. Leo emphasizes the difference between raw sensations and the metaphysically loaded notion of perception, which is intertwined with a sense of self that the ego has created. Direct experience versus invented stories: Leo points out that stories of how perception works have been invented by us over a lifetime, including our understanding of how the brain and eyes function. These narratives are deeply held but imaginary and must be questioned to approach a deeper understanding of reality, which is an infinite and eternal being devoid of biological or sensory constraints. Illusion of biological processes: The idea that optical and neural processes underlie perception is rejected by Leo as he asserts that no such mechanisms are present in direct experience. Rather than depending on sense organs, Leo suggests that reality consists of what simply is, without an underlying biological process-our eyes only 'exist' when we observe them, implying that the causality we commonly accept is fundamentally flawed. Challenging the survival-oriented self: By creating a sense of self that interprets sensory data to survive, we distort reality. Leo urges a radical reinterpretation of raw sense experiences and the abandonment of the self in order to perceive the true nature of existence-absolute being and infinite consciousness that transcends personal or biological identity. Questioning ingrained stories: We must critically examine the preconceived narratives of our existence, like the Big Bang or evolution, which have shaped our understanding but remain outside our direct experience. These are imaginative constructs not witnessed in the immediate present. Direct experience versus scientific context: The narrative that describes human existence-birth, evolution, and consciousness through a nervous system-is to be fully questioned and eradicated, as it is based on imagination rather than what is verifiably present right now. Inadequacy of explanatory models: Explanatory models are fundamentally limited and cannot fully capture the essence of reality; they're useful up to a point but fail to convey deeper truths about existence and consciousness. Seeking direct consciousness: True understanding of reality comes from directly experiencing the present moment without the intermediary of explanatory models. This requires sitting still, deepening one's present-moment awareness, and stripping away subconscious interpretations. Subconscious mind and interpretations: The subconscious mind continuously interprets the present moment, which impedes our understanding of pure reality. To break through, one must become conscious of these deep-seated interpretations and consider their absurdity. Breaking through to mystical experiences: Serious and rigorous questioning of one's ingrained belief systems-especially regarding personal biological existence-is necessary to achieve mystical experiences and transcend typical human consciousness. Confronting the survival mechanism: Removing the conceptual interpretations that support the survival mechanism is arduous and rarely pursued because it fundamentally challenges the mind's survival strategies. This deep work is the key to deconstructing the self-imposed perception of reality. Engorgio

DPT: The Other God Molecule https://www.actualized.org/insights/dpt-the-other-god-molecule Discovery of DPT: Leo shares his discovery of DPT (di propyl tryptamine), a potent psychedelic that led to deep awakenings, surpassing those from five Meo DMT. Despite initial hesitation due to negative trip reports, small doses revealed its potential, and larger doses facilitated profound breakthroughs. DPT and 5-MeO comparison: Leo details how DPT lasts longer and is slower to peak compared to 5-MeO DMT, offering a smoother and more methodical experience suitable for contemplation. He appreciates DPT's unique vibratory body sensation and the capacity to direct his thought stream during full non-duality. Contemplative potential and non-duality experiences: Leo emphasizes DPT's suitability for deep contemplation, recounting a profound trip where he penetrated the Godhead, realizing the nature of consciousness as pure, unlimited imagination, encompassing all physical and abstract forms within a "pure particle of unlimited, creative imagination." Imagination as fundamental reality: He explores the idea that everything, including the sense of a physical world, is imagined by infinite consciousness. This realization allows him to understand the nature of God and consciousness more deeply, recognizing the boundary between imagination and reality as non-existent. Healing through imagination: During his DPT experience, Leo discovers the substance's healing properties, tapping into the power of imagination to envision transformative healing, reflecting the limitless potential of consciousness when liberated from human constraints. Concept of Imagination as Reality: The notion that imagination can become reality is highlighted, and while we are commonly limited by distinguishing between reality and imagination, in a heightened state of consciousness these boundaries dissolve. The potential of imagination is such that anything one could conceive might manifest as reality if one were conscious enough. Limitations of Human Form: The human form imposes limitations on our imagination's power to transform reality; however, Leo postulates that if one were godlike enough, perhaps all physical boundaries could be transcended, allowing for miraculous changes such as altering one's body in impossible ways from a human perspective. DPT's Unique Quality for Healing and Enlightenment: Leo notes that DPT provides a type of experience conducive to both healing and the pursuit of enlightenment, more so than the rapid onset and departure of 5-MeO experiences. He attributes the positive nature of his experiences with DPT to his extensive background with psychedelics and spiritual work, which prepared him for such profound journeys. Warnings for Newcomers to Psychedelics: Leo advises that DPT is not suitable for new users or those not steeped in non-dualistic practices and contemplation. Without proper preparation and a pure mind, the psychedelic experience can become terrifying and negative, leading to 'bad trips.' Awakening Beyond Dreams and Awakenings in Conscious State: A vivid and transformative dream following DPT use resulted in an awakening so deep it surpassed all his previous awakenings during conscious psychedelic experiences. He encountered a former role model, leading to a profound sense of annihilation and unity with the other, erasing all boundaries between self and others. Ineffable Nature of Deep Non-Duality: The experience of total enlightenment encountered in a dream state is described as so all-encompassing that it defies communication and comprehension within human understanding. Leo expresses the solitary nature of such an awakening, as it is beyond sharing or even personal reflection due to its formless and annihilated nature. Dissolution of Self and Other: Reiterating the complete collapse of self and other, Leo emphasizes the depth of this realization, where not even a sense of having been born can come to mind. In this state, the distinction between identities, desires, and even physical bodies is utterly obliterated, culminating in a total oneness that transcends all typical expressions of identity or separation. Non-dual experience in dreams: Leo experienced an unprecedented dream awakening deeper than any prior psychedelic peak, questioning if DPT influenced this profound non-duality during sleep and recognizing the uniqueness of this experience compared to ones following 5-MeO use. DPT's legal status: DPT remains unscheduled in many places but is controlled in certain countries and US states. Leo emphasizes the importance of local law awareness and the ambiguous legal standing of research chemicals, stressing caution and responsibility. Value of theoretical foundation in psychedelic use: Leo stresses the necessity of a deep theoretical understanding of spirituality and non-duality before engaging with psychedelics, suggesting responsible use enhances one's journey towards greater depths of experience. Legality and accessibility of international psychedelic experiences: There are legal pathways to using psychedelics, including retreats and clinics globally, and Leo advocates for undertaking these pathways despite cost and inconvenience, due to their transformative potential. Misconceptions surrounding psychedelics and enlightenment: Leo refutes claims that psychedelics cannot lead to true awakenings, arguing they can facilitate profound insights and states of non-duality. He distinguishes between temporary enlightenment during peak experiences and the long-term embodiment of these states, asserting the value of the latter while recognizing its challenges. Individual variability in psychedelic experiences: Personal brain chemistry and spirituality can heavily influence one's experiences with psychedelics like DPT. Leo's positive experiences may not be universal, and he advises others to approach with care and a readiness for profound self-reflection. Diffindo

Total Omniscience Awakening https://www.actualized.org/insights/total-omniscience-awakening Significant revelations: Leo expresses that recent profound awakenings have challenged the foundation of Actualized.org, leading him to reconsider his prior teachings as ultimately nonsensical given his new realizations. Existence through imagination: He describes his realization that everything, including the universe and personal experiences like birth and death, is imagined into existence. This omnipresent imagination is unlimited and manifests all aspects of perceived reality. Infinite consciousness unteachable: Leo shares a belief that the omniscience he has reached is not attainable through meditation, self-inquiry, or other spiritual practices, and therefore cannot be taught or explained through conventional means. Detachment from spiritual structures: He repudiates traditional spiritual teachings and explains that he envisions all religious figures and spiritual authorities as his own creation, thus rejecting their external power. Autonomy as a source of truth: Leo contends that recognizing oneself as the sole creator and authority on truth is a daunting task for many, but it is a necessary step to fully grasp one's divine nature and power. Pathology of projected authority: He discusses how individuals project their own divine power onto external authority figures, leading to a disconnection from their own omnipotence and a distortion of self-perception. Self-imposed authority: People assign their inherent authority to external figures, like religious leaders or scientists, without realizing they are the ultimate judges of their own reality. Mechanism of belief via imagination: Leo describes how individuals can believe in something by imagining it and then further imagining it as real, causing a belief to manifest and feel authentic. Intention to revolutionize teachings: He intends to completely reformulate his teachings, acknowledging they might contradict previous notions and could be perceived as insanity but are aligned with his truth. Radical self-love and the denial of evil: Leo discusses a level of self-love so profound that it dismisses moral judgments, allowing all actions to come from a place of love, and questions the traditional concept of evil. Self-acceptance and societal norms: He reflects on how societal moral standards lead to denial and rejection of one's desires, claiming that total self-acceptance is the path to inner peace. Immortality and the illusion of time: Leo shares the realization that life is an eternal present moment, with the past and future being imaginative constructs. Oneness with all existence: He expresses an inability to distinguish between himself and objects around him, like a brick wall, noting everything is imagined equally. Imagining physicality: Leo argues that even our physical bodies and bones are products of imagination, likening the perception of dense physical objects to a deeper level of imaginative experience. Relativity of scale in reality: He describes reality as having no true scale, where the size of objects is relative and can be perceived differently based on our focus, challenging the concept of fixed size in the universe. Infinite scalability of reality: Reality can be infinitely zoomed in or out, revealing that all objects are the same size at different scales; this understanding leads to the profound realization that everything is infinitely divisible and everything is one. Experiencing life as God: By adopting a cosmic perspective and stripping away perceived scales, one can glimpse the experience of being God who sees everything as equal and interconnected parts of the cosmos. Unifying qualities in infinite consciousness: In the state of infinite consciousness, distinctions between love, being, will, power, intelligence, creativity, and knowledge disappear as they unify into total oneness. Metaphor of reality as an infinite ball of yarn: Reality is likened to an infinitely growing, complex ball of yarn that encompasses all dimensions, including time and space, suggesting the impossibility of fully explaining or understanding reality through any single viewpoint. Limitations of human perspective: Ordinary life and understanding, including scientific and spiritual teachings, are merely one limited slice of the infinitely dimensional reality, leading to an incomplete picture of existence. The challenge of conveying infinite consciousness: Explaining the nature of infinite consciousness is difficult because it involves experiencing all perspectives simultaneously, a radical departure from the norm that cannot be fully communicated. Future of Leo's teachings: Leo forecasts a radical shift in his consciousness and an evolution of his teachings, which may become more unique and potentially contradict earlier content as he integrates his new understanding of reality. Teaching as an act of self-expression: Leo expresses uncertainty about the future of his teachings, suggesting they may not adhere to conventional formats and that he will prioritize self-understanding over producing content. Acceptance of radical truth and its implications: Leo acknowledges the difficulties in accepting the radical truth of being God and the potential controversial nature of his teachings in a world accustomed to illusion. Cave Inimicum

My Political Awakening https://www.actualized.org/insights/my-political-awakening Principle of life's inherent goodness: Leo discusses a profound principle that whatever happens in life-no matter how tragic or challenging-is good. This perspective is difficult to accept by the ego, as it requires a holistic view of reality where every incident is part of a larger intelligent sequence leading towards an absolute good. Non-linear nature of growth and progress: Leo emphasizes that life doesn't progress in a straight line, but rather through a dialectic process of ups and downs. He illustrates with personal examples how setbacks may seem destructive but can ultimately contribute to the greater good by reshaping one's path or contributing to collective evolution. Political engagement and awakening: Discussing his own political awakening, Leo recounts his initial political naivety and evolution of his understanding, prompted by successive presidencies and particularly by Trump's election. He reflects on the need for a deeper, informed engagement with politics, beyond mere voting, exploring new information sources and recognizing the complex dynamism of societal growth. Impact of Trump's presidency and cultural shifts: Leo sees Trump's presidency as a disruptive but necessary phenomenon that exposes systemic flaws within the American political system and sparks an awakening to its corruption and limitations. This period is viewed as a catalyst for broader societal development and increased political sophistication within the populace. Importance of self-awareness in political activism: Throughout the discussion, Leo highlights the importance of personal spiritual development and self-awareness when engaging in political activism. He alludes to the potential of finding a life purpose within the realm of societal improvement but cautions against foregoing personal development in pursuit of external change. Political and societal evolution: The current political system and many modern politicians lack the consciousness and visionary qualities necessary to guide society effectively. Thriving societies require leaders to think beyond short-term gains and into the long-term future, addressing systemic issues for transformational change. This means avoiding the trap of narrow partisan ideology, whether from the right or the left. Trump's presidency as a catalyst: Despite initial perceptions of negativity, Trump's presidency is seen as a necessary event to bring systemic flaws to light. This presidency highlights the weaknesses of both the Republican and Democratic parties and serves to teach society through the exposure of the extreme materialistic values and corruption within the political system. Overcoming societal addictions: Societal progression often involves confronting and overcoming collective toxic behaviors and addictions, such as rampant capitalism, in a manner similar to personal growth. This necessitates a deep acknowledgment of the dysfunctionality within these behaviors, leading to a conscious decision to change and evolve. America's complacency and systemic correction: America's historical success has led to complacency and an aversion to critically examining the capitalist system that has dominated for the past century. Leo suggests that the country has reached a peak of prosperity and is now facing necessary downturns, inviting systemic introspection and reform. Purifying effect of Trump's term: Despite the real harm inflicted during Trump's presidency, it is believed that in the long run, his term will act as a catalyst for purification-leading to a resurgence in progressivism and liberalism, driven by the collective awakening to political corruption and outdated systems. Reflection on America's political system: The American political system is currently seen as deeply corrupt, with parallels drawn to the normalization of slavery in the past. There's a call for substantial changes such as the banning of all lobbying and corporate PAC money, stricter laws on campaign financing, and constitutional changes to strengthen democratic institutions. Understanding conservatism and systemic issues: Conservatism is critiqued for preserving the status quo and resisting systemic evolution. Leo does not align strictly with traditional party ideologies but calls for understanding and addressing the deeper structural issues within politics from a non-partisan and systemic perspective. Intertwining of church and state: The mingling of church and state leads to each using the other to justify selfish acts and limit diversity, countering the essential democratic principles of freedom and separation emphasized in the US Constitution. The separation of church and state is a sophisticated democratic concept not yet fully understood or implemented in society, even though it is crucial to preserve the integrity of governance and protect genuine spirituality. Counterintuitive growth through political engagement: Political engagement, previously seen as a distraction, can contribute to growth and development, challenging individuals to expand beyond personal spiritual work to develop a sophisticated understanding of politics and governance. This broader engagement is necessary for creating a more intelligent and conscious society capable of evolving beyond current political limitations and improving collective governance based on systemic thinking. Cultural shifts as catalysts for societal evolution: Societal evolution and progress arise from culture shifts that challenge established norms and encourage systemic thinking, evidenced by changing attitudes towards LGBTQ+ rights. These shifts, though resisted historically, demonstrate humanity's capacity to transcend outdated beliefs and practices. Leo predicts that future societies will view current practices, such as billionaire-funded political campaigns, as egregious and anti-democratic due to their incompatibility with truly democratic ideals. Developmental stages and democratic capacity: Democracy's effectiveness is contingent on the populace's developmental stage, as observed in various regions of the Middle East, where it struggles due to insufficient societal development. Analogously, America's crude form of democracy requires further maturation, moving from allowing few to vote to broader inclusivity and accessibility, demonstrating democracy's evolution and the need for ongoing societal development. Evolution of voting rights and democracy's maturity: The expansion of voting rights over time reflects the maturation of democracy, from restrictive voting rights to more inclusive elections and improved access. However, even contemporary American democracy shows weaknesses and deficiencies, underscored by Leo's political awakening, triggered by Trump's presidency, which highlighted the significance of active civic engagement and informed political participation as catalysts for societal advancement. Societal change and dogmatic resistance: Society's evolution is slow, often taking generations before old dogmas give way to new norms. Historical perspective shows that the growth of humanity and society is a continuous process of shedding selfishness. Leo notes that progress is often resisted, citing the near-obsolete monarchy system as an example of how society becomes too conscious to accept certain forms of blatant selfishness. Philosopher Georg Hegel's contribution: Hegel's philosophy on the evolution of society and culture as part of infinity evolving is mentioned, indicating his enlightened understanding of the absolute and infinity. Hegel's concepts, though underappreciated today, provide insight into the dialectical and non-dualistic process of societal progress. Personal perspective and collective evolution: Leo acknowledges that it's challenging for individuals facing discrimination or hardship to see the 'greater good' in their struggles. However, they emphasize that from a broader perspective, all experiences, including suffering, contribute to collective spiritual growth and the larger evolution of consciousness. Principle of life's inherent goodness: Leo reiterates that everything in life, regardless of personal perception, serves a greater good. The ability to see this depends on deep awakening, which involves transcending the ego. This awakening leads to realizing the infinite intelligence and goodness in the universe's design, fundamentally altering one's relationship with life. Facing one's greatest fear, death: Psychedelics are likened to induced near-death experiences that provide opportunities for significant spiritual realization and growth. This confrontation with death allows individuals to overcome their deepest fears, recognize the non-existence of death, and thus live more peacefully. Holistic perspective and everyday morality: Leo encourages the adoption of a holistic view of reality, recognizing the interconnectedness of all events and their contribution to the ultimate good. This perspective shifts understanding from a limited personal viewpoint to an appreciation of the universe's intricate and intelligent design. Tolerance through recognition of universal goodness: Embracing a perspective that perceives all aspects of life as fundamentally good can deepen one's spiritual consciousness, improve personal happiness, honesty, and reduce manipulative behaviors. It also involves acknowledging one's egoic reactions as natural but ultimately unfounded resistances to this perspective. Sophisticated approach to politics: To contribute meaningfully to society and work towards conditions such as universal health care, it's essential to educate oneself about the complexities of government and politics. This includes understanding the influences of authoritarianism, democracy, and economic systems beyond superficial media portrayals, and reckoning with the long-term evolution of humanity and the cosmos. Engaged citizenship and political awakening: An informed and involved citizenry is vital for bringing about change, such as civil rights advancements and the abolition of political corruption. Organizations like Wolf-PAC work towards significant reforms like removing money from politics. Active political participation should not replace personal spiritual work but complement it, integrating enlightenment with social improvement efforts. Harmonizing inner awakening with societal engagement: While inner spiritual awakening should remain the primary focus, one's life purpose and efforts to enhance society should also receive attention. Conscious engagement without compromising personal development creates a balanced approach to enacting change and finding fulfillment in contributing to the greater good of the world. Dissendium

Skepticism & Nonduality https://www.actualized.org/insights/skepticism-and-nonduality Skepticism in identity: Skeptics often pride themselves on their identity, seeking hard facts and avoiding superstitions. However, they may not realize that true skepticism involves questioning all aspects of reality, including the foundations of science and rationality, not just what is considered woo-woo or supernatural. Conflating spirituality with religion: Skeptics tend to dismiss spirituality along with religion due to their association with delusion and nonsense. This conflation leads to a misunderstanding of spirituality and non-duality, which are about deep inquiry rather than belief systems. Actualizing skepticism: True spirituality is the fruition of skepticism taken to its logical end, resulting in radical and comprehensive questioning. It implies doubting not only overt beliefs but the subtleties of our worldviews and assumed rationality. Relativity of reason: Reason is shown to be relative and culturally dependent, with the notion of rationality varying across time and cultures. Skeptics often overlook this and assume rationality is an objective yardstick for truth, which is a mistaken belief that self-identified skeptics rarely question. Systematic deconstruction: Leo emphasizes the importance of deconstructing all beliefs, questioning our reliance on physical reality, the workings of our brains, and even skepticism itself. This process is not just psychological but extends to the very nature of reality, challenging physical existence and the certainty of our perceptions. Consequences of radical skepticism: Total skepticism challenges the very nature of reality, suggesting that through such deep questioning, one could even dismantle physical reality itself. This level of skepticism is not just a curious intellectual exercise, but a life-threatening pursuit, as it can make one question the existence of everything, including the self. Transition to spirituality: When skepticism is pushed to its absolute limits, it paradoxically becomes a spiritual endeavor. By questioning the line between reality and fantasy to the utmost degree, the skeptic might experience a collapse of physical reality, leading to a profound encounter with the absolute truth or the divine, which is revealed to be the infinite. The ego's deception: The mind or ego adopts skepticism as a guise to prevent true inquiry. This self-deception is evident when skeptics hold onto the identity as a defense mechanism against enlightenment. The ego co-opts skepticism to ensure survival based on constructs, not the ultimate truth. Skepticism's historical roots and misunderstanding: Skepticism as a philosophy dates back to ancient Greece, specifically to Pyrrho of Elis. Although skepticism is intended to doubt everything, Western philosophy and society have often failed to embrace its full radical potential, holding on to constructive biases instead. Western philosophy's deviation from radical skepticism: Western philosophy, following the era of Pyrrho and Sextus Empiricus, shifted away from complete skepticism to constructing new philosophical systems, thus deviating from the pursuit of absolute truth. Constructive bias in science and society: Science's inherent bias towards constructing explanations and society's focus on survival over truth-seeking promote a constructive rather than deconstructive approach, influencing the investigation of reality and often overshadowing the pursuit of ultimate truth. Self-interest as a barrier to enlightenment: Many avoid the extremities of skepticism and the deconstructive path to enlightenment due to a fundamental selfishness and fear of losing one's life as it is known, despite having access to all the necessary information and teachings. The undoubtable nature of enlightenment: Enlightenment transcends thought, perception, and experience; it can't be doubted because it's the absence of all knowledge rather than an addition to it, and represents absolute truth after the destruction of all beliefs and constructs. The ego's role in skepticism: The ego, likened to the devil, uses skepticism selectively to distort reality and avoid truly questioning existence. It cherry-picks evidence to suit survival rather than truth and uses skepticism as a self-deception mechanism to prevent the realization of fundamental truths. Leap of faith in absolute skepticism: True skepticism requires a leap of faith, a willingness to question and potentially dismantle everything one knows and loves, ultimately leading to profound realizations about the nature of existence and the reasons behind all of existence. Confringo

How I Started My First Business https://www.actualized.org/insights/how-i-started-my-first-business Early passion and opportunity: At 15, Leo was already keen on entrepreneurship and video games, particularly Pokemon during its initial craze. He capitalized on the intersection of emerging internet culture, eBay's marketplace, and the rarity of a special Pokemon to create his first business venture. Creating an online business: Leo learned HTML to build a crude but functional Pokemon fan website, which was an early expression of his entrepreneurial spirit. He combined this with his discovery of eBay as a platform to reach collectors and gamers alike. Exploiting a gap in the game: Intrigued by the rarity of the 151st Pokemon, Mew, which couldn't be caught through regular gameplay, Leo found a way to capture it using a Game Shark device. Sensing the market's desire for this elusive Pokemon, he devised a service to catch Mew for others, monetizing his unique knowledge. Launching an eBay service: Leo set up an eBay auction where customers would pay him to use their Gameboy cartridges to catch Mew using his Game Shark. This required him to learn and apply HTML in a practical context, coding the auction page and presenting his service to potential buyers. Creative value and competitive edge: His idea was not just profitable but demonstrated the importance of a unique selling proposition. Leo's success was due to his creative thinking, combining personal interests, technical skills, and the opportunities presented by new technology. Experiencing business ruthlessness: Leo's original idea soon faced fierce competition. Rival sellers copied his HTML code, undercut his prices, and resorted to unscrupulous tactics to ruin his reputation on eBay, ultimately driving him out of the market. Price war and business downfall: The aggressive price undercutting by competitors drove the service's price down, making the effort to catch Mew for others less economically viable. Coupled with negative feedback manipulation, this price war and smear campaign resulted in the end of his Pokemon venture, highlighting the cutthroat nature of business. Anticipating and handling competition: Leo emphasizes the need to be vigilant and strategic as success can attract copycats, sabotage, and undercutting of prices. Entrepreneurs must be prepared for the cutthroat nature of business and find ways to protect and evolve their business ideas. Import/export business pivot: After his initial eBay auction venture, Leo observed and took advantage of a gap between local import stores' lack of online presence and the demand on eBay for rare Japanese Pokemon games. This pivot capitalized on the Pokemon fad and allowed him to make significant profits by reselling the games online. Transience of high-profit margins: Leo observed that the high-profit margins from selling imported games were not sustainable. Increasing competition or changing market interests can quickly erode profitability. He noted the importance of being aware of market trends and adapting accordingly. Fertile ground for entrepreneurship: He encourages looking for business opportunities at the intersection of emerging technologies or platforms, as these present new grounds for creative and lucrative ventures. Endless emergence of opportunities: Business landscapes are in perpetual flux; old opportunities pass, and new ones arise. To succeed continually, entrepreneurs need to stay attuned to these shifts and be ready to innovate rather than becoming complacent. Universal business principles: Success in business relies on understanding and applying fundamental principles like creativity, innovation, competition, and customer service. These can be learned through practical experience in the ever-changing market landscape. Finding your 'Pokemon opportunity': Leo points out that opportunities akin to his early internet ventures are more common than one might assume, especially with fast-paced technological advancements. Entrepreneurs should actively hunt for these moments. Combining passion and opportunity: The most successful businesses are built around personal passions. When entrepreneurs are passionate about their field, they can work harder, generate better ideas, and create more valuable contributions to the market. New horizons in evolving industries: Looking ahead to future trends, such as the legalization and therapeutic use of psychedelics, can offer new areas for entrepreneurship. Forward-thinking combined with appropriate training positions one at the forefront of emerging markets. Risk assessment and strategic planning: Calculated risk-taking is essential in business, and entrepreneurs need to analyze potential opportunities and make conservative bets on the ones most likely to flourish in the near term. Rapid implementation in market timing: Speed is critical when new opportunities present themselves. Entrepreneurs need to act quickly and efficiently to take advantage of these windows and gain a competitive edge. Gold rush mentality in business: Entrepreneurs should embrace the mindset of rushing to a new 'vein of gold.' Much like the California Gold Rush, seizing the initiative often determines who reaps the most significant rewards. Continuous emergence of opportunities: Leo highlights that just because one misses a particular business opportunity or "gold rush," it doesn't mean there are no more chances. He emphasizes that new opportunities are continuously arising, and it's crucial to stay vigilant and ready to seize them when they appear. Personal reflections on missed opportunities: He reflects on his earlier belief that major opportunities were scarce, noting that his perspective has changed. Leo recognizes that while he may have missed certain historical opportunities, such as the early days of Microsoft or the internet, there are always fresh ones emerging, like the advent of the smartphone market. Advantages of being an early adopter: Drawing on the example of the first iPhone game developer who became a millionaire, Leo underscores the significant advantage of being an early adopter in a new market and the potential for success despite starting with low capital. Creativity as a competitive advantage: For entrepreneurs starting with minimal capital, creativity becomes a significant competitive advantage. Leo advises focusing on innovation and niche markets that are too small for large companies yet still lucrative, as this allows for personal connections with customers and can cater to specific needs. Integration of work and life purpose: Leo conveys the importance of aligning business pursuits with one's life purpose for deeper fulfillment and ultimately greater business success. He advocates for selecting opportunities that you're genuinely passionate about and urges entrepreneurs to use the life purpose course to find their unique domain of mastery. Cultivating lasting passion and receiving love: The ultimate joy in business, according to Leo, comes from working on a project fuelled by love, culminating in positive feedback from customers who appreciate the heart and soul put into the product or service. This cycle of giving and receiving love is what motivates continuous improvement and mastery in one's niche. Specialization and Flexibility: In business, you must specialize in a narrow environment to thrive, developing a deep understanding and mastery of that domain. At the same time, flexibility and forward-thinking are essential to adapt to anticipated innovations in the ever-changing social, cultural, and technological landscapes. Business as Evolution: The arena of business is constantly evolving, and entrepreneurs must embrace this dynamic nature, seeing opportunities for creativity and growth. This perspective positions entrepreneurship not just as a means of survival, but as an active participation in the ongoing process of life and evolution. The Sheep and the Entrepreneur: There's a distinction between those content with a nine-to-five job, likened to sheep feeding from the matrix, and entrepreneurs who navigate complexity and innovation independently. Entrepreneurship is more stimulating, creative, and ultimately connects one to the vibrancy of life. Human as Creative Agents: Humans have the capacity to be creators and inventors, contributing to the evolution of existence. Recognizing one's work as part of the broader process of creation brings a meaningful connection to life and influences how one approaches their role in work and business. Infinite Intelligence and Creativity: Although humans only access a fraction of infinite intelligence, this small part is powerful enough to innovate, invent, and contribute to mankind's advancements. Realizing oneself as an integral thread in the fabric of creation enables a contribution to the overall beauty and evolution of the universe. Conscious Participation in Creation: By becoming conscious of their creative role, individuals can optimize their contributions to the broader process of creation, contrasting with the disconnected, mechanized work that fails to recognize this larger purpose. This shift in awareness can dramatically change one's approach to work and life, aligning with the process by which the universe was created. Crucio

All Understanding Is Metaphoric - Part 2 https://www.actualized.org/insights/all-understanding-is-metaphoric-part-2 Variability of Mystical Experiences Across Religions: Mystical experiences are subjective and vary according to individuals' religious backgrounds. Critics often dismiss these experiences due to their differing natures, but this criticism misunderstands the essential role of language and symbols in shaping our understanding of reality. Regardless of whether the explanatory framework is religious or scientific, the mind relies on symbolic language to make sense of experiences. The Importance of Mental Models for Survival: Humans construct mental models to interpret reality and predict consequences, which is crucial for survival. This process occurs irrespective of cultural or scientific beliefs. The models we form help us to navigate and function effectively in various life domains, from social interactions to evaluating potential risks. Metaphorical Nature of Understanding: All human understanding involves symbolic representations that are metaphorical, not literal. People often mistake their interpretations of reality as factually literal, failing to recognize that understanding is essentially an interconnected web of symbols, none of which actually hold the true essence of what they signify. Network of Symbols in Creating Meaning: Symbols do not possess intrinsic meaning; they only gain significance through their interrelation with other symbols in a vast network. This structure is similar to the interconnected entries of a Wikipedia section or a dictionary, where each element points to another, creating a web of meaning. The Circular Nature of Definitions and Explanations: Explanations are not independent; they only hold explanatory power within the context of a larger network of interconnected concepts and definitions. This network is especially evident in scientific endeavors where terms such as 'gravity', 'force', and 'mass' are defined through their relationships with other concepts, leading to a complex system resembling a dictionary that defines words using other words. Abstraction and Approximation in Human Understanding: The elaboration of concepts, whether in science or spirituality, relies on various degrees of abstraction and the use of analogies. True understanding is never entirely achievable due to the infinite complexity of reality; therefore, humans are satisfied with approximate models that are practically useful and meet their individual thresholds for explanation. Psychedelic Experiences and the Search for Symbols: During psychedelic experiences, the mind searches for symbols and metaphors that resonate with existing understanding. These symbols, which can be highly individual and culturally influenced, allow the mind to comprehend profound states of consciousness and insights otherwise inaccessible. Communicating Insights Across Diverse Languages and Paradigms: The nature of truth is absolute and formless, and thus its understanding can be communicated through various cultural lenses. This results in diverse interpretations of mystical experiences, each tempered by individual and social constructs necessary for survival within different cultural contexts. Interpreting Mystical Experiences in a Context of Survival: Individuals interpret their mystical experiences in ways that align with their sociocultural background and personal needs, often to maintain preexisting social structures and relationships. This can hinder the progression to higher levels of understanding, such as moving from traditional religious interpretations to a more nuanced, integral perspective. Educational Foundations for Psychedelic Insights: A solid grounding in metaphysics can facilitate a deeper understanding and retention of insights gained during psychedelic experiences. Education and prior knowledge help contextualize the symbols encountered during such experiences, making them more impactful and transformative. Pursuit of deeper understanding: Many are content with simple explanations like the force of gravity, but the metaphysically inclined seek deeper meanings and continue to ask why things are the way they are, pursuing the ultimate source or awakening. Metaphor and stories in understanding: Our comprehension of reality, including scientific concepts, is expressed through stories and metaphors, not literal truths. These assumptions and the mental images we create inform our view of existential narratives, such as the Big Bang or evolution. Impact of cultural paradigms on interpretation: When individuals from different cultures interpret knowledge, whether scientific or mystical, they do so through the lens of their own cultural paradigms and symbolic networks, affecting the perceived truth and meaning of their experiences. Limitations of preferred paradigms: People often favor the explanatory systems they are raised with, even though these paradigms are arbitrary and figurative. Accepting only one system as superior is flawed; diverse paradigms offer varied insights and have different strengths. Technological progress vs. holistic wellbeing: Scientific advances don't inherently solve deeper human issues related to happiness and consciousness. Technological solutions might exacerbate problems if they neglect the importance of human wellbeing and contribute to crises like opioid overdoses or existential emptiness. Relevance of diverse explanatory paradigms: Explaining reality efficiently requires embracing various paradigms, as each has unique potentials to describe different aspects of existence. Academic or scientific perspectives might not cover spiritual satisfaction or emotional mastery, which are central to human experience. Necessity of integral understanding: Advancing human civilization requires more than technological progress; it entails fostering human happiness and consciousness. The wellbeing and stability of the entire human race depend on addressing fundamental issues of happiness and connection that cannot be solved by science alone. Symbolic networks and meaning: Interpretations of religious or psychedelic experiences rely on one's own network of symbols. The universe conveys truths through symbols compatible with individual understanding, which can be deeply personal and vary from one person to another. Symbolic grasping in psychedelics: During a psychedelic trip, individuals encounter experiences that challenge their existing models of reality. The mind, striving to make sense of these novel sensations, searches for familiar symbols or images that can help interpret the experience. Communication through cultural symbolism: The universe communicates insights using symbolic language individuals understand, whether it's through cultural, religious, or personal metaphors. An individual's understanding of these deep experiences will be framed by the symbolic language they're familiar with. Personal relevance of metaphors: Profound metaphysical insights are often communicated through personal metaphors during mystical experiences or psychedelics. These images are relevant and understandable only within the context of one's accumulated experiences and existing symbolic framework. Formless truth and cultural paradigms: The absolute truth is formless and can manifest in any form within human understanding, often aligning with an individual's cultural background. This results in diverse interpretations of mystical experiences that resonate with personal and societal contexts, rather than a singular, ultimate form. Practical application of abstract truths: There is a need to translate formless, abstract truths into practical concepts that can be applied in everyday life. This translation is influenced by personal cultural context and survival needs, leading to a variety of religious and mystical teachings and practices. Survival demands and truth interpretation: The way individuals interpret mystical experiences is frequently influenced by their need for social and physical survival, leading to interpretations that support their current lifestyle and societal roles rather than disrupting them. Cultural Interpretation of Mystical Experiences: People who have mystical experiences often interpret them to fit the belief systems and life circumstances they are accustomed to, which helps maintain their social and physical survival but may prevent them from reaching higher levels of understanding. Challenges of Spiritual Development: It is a mistake to become chauvinistic about one's own mystical experience, thinking it validates one's tradition as the only truth, as well as to dismiss all mystical experiences as mere brain chemistry, disregarding their significance. Pursuit of Non-Dual Understanding: Striving for non-dual understanding involves recognizing the formless and infinite nature of the Absolute and moving beyond language, symbols, and images to reach a state of constant awakening or Sahaja Samadhi. Flexibility Across Symbolic Paradigms: Successful understanding requires the ability to navigate different symbolic paradigms without becoming overly attached to any one system, understanding that each one has its strengths and weaknesses. Integration of Diverse Perspectives: The integration of various cultural teachings and perspectives can lead to a richer understanding of spirituality, science, and psychology, which can only be achieved by adopting an integral approach that is open to different views and able to circumvent potential traps that single paradigms may present. Preparation for Psychedelic Insights: To gain meaningful insights from psychedelic experiences, individuals should have a solid metaphysical foundation. Without it, they might not understand the symbols presented during the experience and fail to retain any profound wisdom or knowledge. Personal Verification of Understanding: Rather than simply accepting explanations, individuals are encouraged to personally verify and explore how understanding works by, for example, documenting their own psychedelic experiences and reflecting upon the nature of symbols and understanding in their own lives. Geminio

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

Why Get Rich Quick Schemes Don't Work https://www.actualized.org/insights/why-get-rich-quick-schemes-dont-work The misconception of business and wealth creation: Many people misunderstand business, believing it revolves solely around earning money, when in fact, it's about creating value disparity in the marketplace. The fallacy of universal business formulas: Genuine business success can't be systematized into simple steps for everyone to follow, as true wealth requires creating unique value and having a leverage of power over others. Business as value generation: To rise above wage slavery and achieve independence, one must become a massive value provider by introducing innovative and original offerings to the marketplace. Challenge of innovation: The vast majority lack the skills and resources to create new, valuable contributions to society, an essential element to stand out in business. Crafting a unique business approach: Creating an exceptional product or service requires deep industry knowledge, creativity, and the ability to execute and market effectively, pointing out the impossibility of a pre-defined formula for success. The essence of creation: Creation is not limited to business or individual projects; it encompasses the continual emergence of newness throughout the universe. Creativity and new ideas: True creativity and the generation of new ideas exist on the edge of chaos and order; originality in business comes from the ability to walk this fine line, moving beyond copying what others have done to adding fresh, significant value to the market. Complexity of innovation: The process of innovation is intricate and costly, requiring deep knowledge and experience in a specific field, as well as substantial investment in research, development, and testing before a new solution can be brought to market. Intelligence and problem-solving: Being truly successful in business demands a type of intelligence that is not merely high IQ; it involves the ability to creatively solve problems and improve humanity, which must be deliberately cultivated and specialized within a chosen field. Time investment for success: Success in business generally requires a significant time investment-often several years-to build a solid foundation. Get-rich-quick schemes and pyramid schemes exploit the desire for quick success but are unsustainable and often illegal. Inherent nature of business competition: Business competition precludes the possibility of a universal success formula. True innovation isn't formulaic and can't be sold because it relies on one's unique contributions. Copying other models typically leads to failure because it brings nothing new to the market. The role of branding: A strong brand, like Apple's, can enable a company to successfully diversify into new markets based on its established reputation alone, whereas startups without brand recognition must rely on novel and highly creative ideas to compete. Significance of differentiation: Success hinges on distinguishing oneself from others by being innovative and addressing unmet needs in the marketplace. Simply copying existing business models without offering anything distinct is unlikely to be successful. Innovation as key to startup success: Startups, especially in Silicon Valley, achieve success by spearheading innovation with new, clever twists on old ideas. Agility and the willingness to take calculated risks allow them to edge out bigger companies, which may have more inertia and resources but are slower to innovate. Agility of small startups: Due to their small size, startups can quickly adapt and innovate compared to large corporations, which move more slowly due to their size and established processes. This agility can lead to successful disruptions in various industries, requiring large companies to acquire these startups to stay competitive. Importance of original thought in entrepreneurship: For sustainable success, focusing energy on creativity and innovation is crucial. Entrepreneurs should guard against outsourcing their originality, thereby reducing themselves to middlemen without true value. Personal creativity is where individual value lies. Finding personal success formulas: While many seek shortcuts to riches, lasting success comes from coming up with one's own original methods through creativity, research, and ingenuity. Leo's own quick success was possible because they found a unique formula tailored to their situation and capacities. The cutting edge of business and evolution: Being at the forefront of one's field, where the line between possible and impossible is blurred, is essential for pioneering businesses. This mirrors natural evolution, where species that develop creative adaptations to new environments gain a monopolistic advantage. Adaptability above 'best-in-class': Success in the business world, like in nature, is less about being the absolute best and more about fitting well within specific environments. Adaptability and a deep understanding of societal weak points are crucial for creating relevant and impactful businesses. Navigating creativity and risk in business: Entrepreneurs must be willing to explore uncharted paths and trust their instincts, taking the initiative where others are hesitant. This exploration involves risks, akin to being the first organism to move from sea to land, but it also opens up vast new opportunities. Differentiating to avoid wage slavery: To rise above the common fate of wage slavery, individuals must engage in unique, innovative activities that set them apart from the mass majority. This may involve venturing into the untested and unknown, embracing leadership, and stepping away from the comfort and safety of the conventional path. Developing the explorer's mindset: To succeed in business, one must develop the skills and psychological attitude akin to an explorer: fearlessness, self-confidence, intuition, and the ability to mitigate risk without taking on so much that it leads to ruin. The risks of premature commitment: New entrepreneurs often prematurely quit their jobs to pursue a business idea, underestimating the dangers and challenges ahead. This can result in significant personal and financial setbacks, especially if they haven't validated the feasibility of their business concept first. Consistency of wage employment: Wage employment offers the comfort of a consistent paycheck, which many find preferable to the risks and uncertainties of entrepreneurship. This comfort can inhibit the drive needed to push through the challenges of starting and maintaining a successful independent business. Balancing entrepreneurship with employment: Aspiring entrepreneurs should not hastily abandon their day jobs. Instead, they should work on their business ventures during personal time, gradually transitioning as their enterprise proves viable, thus avoiding the excessive risk of losing their primary source of income. Life purpose over merely making money: Aligning your business with your life purpose can lead to not only financial but also personal fulfillment. This contrasts with many business courses, which focus solely on financial success rather than meaningful work. Psychological strength for entrepreneurship: Success in business requires not just functional expertise but the psychological fortitude to confront fears and doubts. The life purpose course is recommended to those interested in finding clarity, direction, and cultivating the mental toughness needed for entrepreneurship. Cave Inimicum

Inside The Mind Of Trump https://www.actualized.org/insights/inside-the-mind-of-trump Evaluation of Trump's ego: The analysis of Trump is not intended to be political but aims to understand the workings of the ego mind through Trump's example. The video highlights the importance of separating personal development discussions from politics to focus on the psychological and existential aspects of human behavior. Learning from political figures: Leo stresses that politicians like Trump provide valuable insights into the ego mind's operation. Observing such public figures can teach us about narcissism, self-centeredness, and reality manipulation, thereby offering lessons that transcend their immediate political context. Trump as a historical figure: Trump's behavior is seen as an emblematic case of extreme egocentrism, which will likely be the subject of in-depth psychological and spiritual analysis for centuries to come. His rise and fall are not just political events but also reflect deep-rooted human dynamics. Objective analysis of political behavior: Leo cautions against shallow analysis of Trump's actions and instead advocates for a deeper, multi-perspective approach. He identifies Trump's behavior as stemming from a mix of red and orange stages in the spiral dynamics model - characterized by pronounced egocentrism and unethical behavior. Value of truth to Trump: Trump's relationship with truth is characterized by a complete disregard for both existential and conventional truths. His actions suggest that he values truth only when it serves his ego, exemplifying an approach where truth can be manipulated to ensure ego survival. Ego as a delusion: The video presents the concept of the ego as a delusion that distorts one's perception of reality and self-importance. This distortion creates a bubble where one's perspectives and needs are disproportionally emphasized, fostering an adversarial relationship with truth and reality. Trump's motivations and basic needs: As an opportunistic manipulator, Trump relentlessly pursues ways to satisfy his basic needs, ignoring ethical concerns and long-term consequences. This pursuit is indicative of a lower developmental level and contrasts with individuals focused on fulfilling higher-order needs. Impact of truth manipulation: By continuously manipulating the truth, Trump demonstrates a clear example of an individual who abuses truth for selfish gains. The call to action is for viewers to recognize similar patterns within themselves, no matter how subtly they manifest, and to understand their own participation in reality distortion. Reality distortion field: Leo illustrates the idea of an ego as a gravitational distortion in the fabric of reality. Maintaining this distortion field is a fundamental human tendency, but it also leads to suffering as it obscures a clear understanding of the true nature of reality. Survival strategy and downfall: The pursuit of egocentric goals is associated with survival but is ultimately unsustainable. Trump's apparent successes do not equate to genuine fulfillment, and his continued insatiable desire for more signifies an underlying lack of satisfaction and brewing internal turmoil. Ego's insatiable nature: Despite accumulating wealth and status, Trump's ego remained unfulfilled, leading him to chase the presidency for further validation. This addiction to ego boosts mirrors the behavior of gamblers and substance abusers who chase greater highs, even as they lead to detrimental outcomes. Inherent emptiness of material success: Leo argues that what seems like a fulfillment strategy-gathering possessions and accolades to satisfy one's ego-is fundamentally flawed. Trump's pursuit of the presidency reflects this, as his internal strife and dissatisfaction remain concealed behind the facade of his external successes. Criminality tied to ego-centric perspectives: At extreme levels of ego-centeredness, legality and ethics become irrelevant, with actions assessed purely through self-serving lenses. This mindset, seen in corporate scandals and organized crime, is linked to lower consciousness stages and foreshadows a societal or personal collapse due to unsustainable practices. Corruption's societal impact: Using Russia's systemic corruption as an example, Leo details how pervasive corruption hinders business operations and national development. He likens Trump's business dealings to Russia's corrupt standards, suggesting a compatibility in their respective stage red levels of moral development. Trump's business incompetence and reliance on corrupt financing: Trump's inability to conduct legitimate business in America due to his past failures led him to find support from Russia's corrupt system. This reliance on unethical practices contrasts with the more accountable and less corrupt business environment in the United States. Trump's emulation of Russian practices: Leo suggests that, given his level of consciousness, Trump has tried to import the corrupt business model prevalent in Russia to America. His lack of self-awareness means he doesn't see the fundamental misalignment and unsustainability of this approach in a more evolved American society. Deepening the Reality Distortion Field: Trump surrounds himself with enablers who reinforce his version of reality, selectively presenting information that flatters his ego while demonizing anything that doesn't, a manifestation of his conflict with truth. Denial of Electoral Realities: Despite losing the popular vote, Trump and his base refuse to accept the implications of this loss. Such denial stems from an inability to engage in self-reflection, leading to further reinforcement of an egocentric worldview. Rationalizations by Trump Supporters: As Trump's administration faces more scrutiny and evidence of corruption surfaces, his supporters use mental gymnastics to defend him. Admitting fault would require an open-mindedness they lack, so they cling to rationalizations to maintain their ethnocentric, Trump-centered identity. Conservative Identity and Multiculturalism: Conservatives and Trump supporters embrace ethnocentrism and reject multiculturalism, which they view as a threat to their collective egoic identity. Figures like Jordan Peterson articulate justifications for resisting concepts like postmodernism and multiculturalism, resonating with those at blue/orange stages of consciousness. Evangelicals Supporting Trump: Evangelicals must support Trump regardless of his actions because he provides a bulwark against the perceived threats of progressive, multicultural stage green values that challenge their religious and patriotic identity. Conservative Resistance and Identity Politics: Conservatives are committed to defending traditional identity against evolving societal norms. They react against any action or change that implies imperfection or a need for reform within their cultural and religious beliefs, preferring the comfort of the status quo. Conservatives and identity politics: Conservatives, including Trump supporters, engage in identity politics with the goal of opposing liberals. Often, they find pleasure in actions that provoke liberal-leaning individuals because it offers emotional satisfaction and a sense of retribution for cultural changes that challenge their identity. Information isolation in conservatism: Conservatives tend to isolate themselves from various information sources, creating an echo chamber that reinforces their worldview. This bubble is maintained by engaging only with media and educational sources that support their existing beliefs, resisting exposure to differing perspectives. Stage blue and resistance to change: Many conservatives operate from a stage blue consciousness, focusing on maintaining the status quo and resisting the transition to the more liberal and open-minded stage orange. This ethnocentric stage is marked by an inability to grasp the values and perspectives of more advanced stages like green. Jordan Peterson's role in cultural resistance: Jordan Peterson is viewed as a key figure providing intellectual defense against stage green values, catering to an audience that finds stage green threatening to their more traditional, stage blue/orange values. Peterson's messaging plays into the ongoing culture wars by framing progressive ideas as detrimental. Reflecting on personal egocentrism: Leo encourages individuals to look at their own lives and recognize the ways they might mirror Trump's ego-centric behaviors. This self-reflection is crucial to understanding the deeper dynamics at play and how one might unconsciously contribute to similar patterns of distortion and manipulation. Beyond postmodernism's limits: Postmodernism's deconstruction is criticized for not going far enough, remaining superficial without challenging the deeper psychological and existential structures. True evolution requires a more profound deconstruction of reality itself. America's developmental stage: America is in a transitional phase, with its cultural center of gravity situated between the orange and green stages of development. This transition involves clashes between progressives and those wanting to maintain the status quo, echoing historical patterns of societal evolution. The limits of capitalism and growth: American society is reaching the limits of the stage orange capitalist paradigm as issues like environmental degradation and income inequality become more pronounced. The realization that unbridled capitalism can self-cannibalize signals the necessity for collective evolution beyond individualistic values. Impact of societal consciousness on individuals: The prevailing societal consciousness acts as a gravitational force, influencing individual development. Advancement to higher levels of consciousness, such as yellow, is challenging within a society dominated by lower stages and can lead to resistance and alienation for those on the leading edge. Influence of Cultural Development Stages: Different cultures pull individuals towards their center of gravity in terms of developmental stages; for example, the Middle East leans towards red/blue, while America has an orange/green inclination. Such cultural forces shape people's worldviews and how they evolve. Challenges in Advancing Consciousness: Progressing to higher consciousness levels like yellow is difficult in a culture centered around orange/green, as one is often discouraged and isolated when going against societally accepted norms. It takes independent thinking and a pioneering spirit to carve out a new path beyond the well-trodden one. Identity Politics across the Spectrum: Both conservatives and liberals engage in identity politics, defending their respective identities and the policies that support their survival. All political actions are essentially aimed at defending the collective identity of a group, with Leo admonishing the pettiness of these games and urging for a move towards integral perspectives. Egocentrism and Societal Evolution: Understanding spiral dynamics and recognizing the egocentric behaviors in others and oneself is vital for personal and societal evolution. It provides clarity on societal workings, minimizes susceptibility to manipulation, and encourages collective growth beyond selfish political games towards more unified consciousness. Avis

All Understanding Is Metaphoric https://www.actualized.org/insights/all-understanding-is-metaphoric Literalism as a cognitive trap: Literalism is a cognitive trap where individuals interpret myths and religious stories as factual events. This occurs at different stages of human development, notably within stage blue orthodoxy, where there is a lack of openness to the metaphorical and symbolic meanings of these narratives. Such literal beliefs are steadfast among Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and other religious groups, leading to defensiveness when these beliefs are challenged by empirical evidence. Defensive mechanisms of literalists: When faced with contradictions to their literal beliefs, such as scientific discoveries that refute aspects of their myths, literalists engage in mental gymnastics and denial to preserve their faith. This is exemplified by creationists who must defend every outdated and anachronistic element in the Bible, as admitting a single error can shake their entire belief system and their identity as adherents of their faith. Literalism in science: A similar pattern of literalism is observed in the scientific community (stage orange), where scientists dismiss religious myths as false but then fall into the trap of regarding their own empirical findings and mathematical models as literal truth. Influential figures like Sean Carroll and Max Tegmark can become overly invested in their theories, asserting that the universe is fundamentally mathematical, an attitude mirroring that of religious literalists. Science and the misconception of universality: The notion that mathematics is a universal language and that scientific understanding is independent of human cognition is challenged by Leo. He suggests that science and mathematics could be incomprehensible to other forms of intelligence, just as they might be to animals or an alien race. This calls into question the belief held by many scientists that their models are universally applicable and by extension, superior to religious understanding. Literalism's block to integral thinking: Literal interpretation closes off the mind to the potential exploration of metaphysical questions and broader understandings. Literalist thinking in religion and science hinders the development of more sophisticated, nuanced cognition that recognizes teachings as metaphoric and symbolic, not factual reports to be taken at face value. Carlos Castaneda's work and literal criticism: Criticisms of Carlos Castaneda's writings-assertions of plagiarism and lack of scientific validity-demonstrate a literalist mindset. This distracts from the profound wisdom contained within the texts, further emphasizing the importance of looking beyond literal imperfections to grasp the essential insights offered. Literalism in interpreting teachings and contradictions: Literalism creates difficulties when encountering contradictions within teachings, such as in religious texts. When teachings are interpreted metaphorically rather than literally, apparent contradictions become less problematic, as the focus shifts to the wisdom or insights being pointed to, rather than the literal content. Literalism restricts integration of diverse knowledge: By adopting a figurative viewpoint over a literal one, individuals can integrate diverse perspectives and teachings more effectively. Literalism leads to isolation within specific paradigms or ideologies, restricting cognitive development and the ability to embrace a more holistic and integral approach to understanding complex topics. Criticism based on literalism: Critics who condemn Carlos Castaneda's work for lack of scientific rigor miss the point-literal accuracy matters less than the wisdom gained from the teachings. Similar to misconceptions about religious texts, literal interpretation obscures the broader lessons and insights teachings aim to impart. Embracing the big picture: Focusing on the big picture allows for holistic understanding and growth. Being concerned with technical precision in teachings risks missing out on valuable insights. Acknowledging imperfection in teachings: Expecting flawlessness in teachings from any source is unrealistic. Teachings should act as guides leading to individual, experiential understanding rather than being accepted as infallible truths. Prioritizing holistic understanding over technical details: An excessive focus on details can lead to missing the essence of the lesson. Leo stresses the importance of pattern recognition and big-picture thinking over technical perfection. Intuition and abstract understanding: Profound insights often come intuitively and resist linear articulation, contrasting with the literalist expectation of concrete, systematic proof. These intuitive truths offer a different, valid form of knowing. Interpretation as an unavoidable aspect of cognition: Denying the interpretive nature of human understanding is a mistake; acknowledging it can reduce the risk of delusion. Leo argues that interpretations, rather than factual claims, shape our perceptions of reality. Dangers of failing to acknowledge interpretation: Misinterpreting scientific data or theoretical models as objective truths rather than interpretations can lead to misunderstanding and misuse, as demonstrated by figures like Sam Harris and Jordan Peterson. Recognizing that many aspects of reality, including societal constructs, are interpretations informed by context can lead to a more nuanced worldview. Gender as a social construction: Gender is a socially and culturally constructed category, and resistance to non-traditional gender concepts often stems from the discomfort people feel when such long-standing constructions are challenged, potentially leading to a sense of chaos and societal destabilization. Western intellectual tradition against deconstruction: Western tradition, from philosophers like Plato and Aristotle, has focused on building up constructs and systems that form the basis of our legal and social order, making it resistant to the idea of deconstruction which exposes these constructs as mere fictions designed for survival. Societal dependence on fictions: Leo argues that society and culture are built on collective fictions like values, norms, laws, and customs, created out of necessity for survival and cohesion, despite being ultimately based on interpretative constructs that aren't "true" in a literal sense. Concept of nations as mental constructions: Nations and borders are highlighted as mental constructs that, while useful, are not inherently real. Recognizing them as such helps to fight for their preservation without over-attachment, allowing for a healthier, more open response to change. Attachment to constructs limits scientific progress: A literal belief in scientific theories impedes the advancement of science, as attachment to current paradigms prevents openness to new ideas and reevaluation. Embracing science metaphorically allows for a continual expansion of understanding. Literalism clashing with faith and historical context: The literal interpretation of religious texts or the actions of historical figures without considering cultural and historical context offers a limited and flawed perspective. Understanding the overarching messages and wisdom, rather than focusing on specific actions or statements, is encouraged for a more integrative view. Detachment from literalism for integral thinking: Moving away from literalism and embracing a more figurative, integral approach avoids the pitfalls of over-attachment to constructs and supports a more expansive and flexible understanding of teachings, beliefs, and concepts. Crucio

May 2018 Solo Retreat - Part 3 https://www.actualized.org/insights/may-2018-solo-retreat-part-3 Premature end to spiritual retreat: After a grueling 15 days, Leo stopped his intense spiritual retreat, having aspired to complete 30 days. He faced psychological barriers and rationalizations for ending early, which led to a sense of compromised integrity as he fell short of the publicly stated goal. Struggles with deep spiritual work: Leo encountered unexpected hardships, including doubt about his methods, questioning the possibility of enlightenment, and encountering the limits of his psychological endurance. He describes the extremely challenging nature of inward-focused spiritual work. Challenging oneself versus adequate self-care: Facing intense mental resistance and diminishing returns from his practices, Leo deliberated between forcefully pushing through or acknowledging the ineffectiveness of brute force in meditation and self-inquiry once mental fatigue set in. The critical role of discipline in spiritual achievement: Leo discusses the varying degrees of natural self-discipline among people and cautions against using this as an excuse for lack of progress. He emphasizes that discipline is a key ingredient for spiritual mastery and notes the importance of acknowledging personal strengths and weaknesses. Self-selection bias in spiritual teaching: He reflects on the tendency for successful practitioners to become spiritual teachers, potentially creating a self-selection bias where many struggling or unsuccessful practitioners remain unheard. The rarity of deep awakening experiences contributes to the skewed narrative, which often obscures the difficulty of the journey. Filming one's own journey towards awakening: Leo explores his intention to document his own path to awakening, comparing it to the improbable task of filming someone's lottery win. This documentation aims to provide a realistic portrayal of the quest for enlightenment, circumventing the biases that come from only hearing from those successful after the fact. Challenge of filming the spiritual journey: Leo reflects on the difficulty of trying to document the process of winning the "spiritual lottery." He recognizes the immense control required and acknowledges both his strengths and the possibility that he may never fully become enlightened due to various human limitations. Realism in spiritual practice: He stresses the importance of being realistic about spiritual work, which is often far deeper and more challenging than commonly perceived. Engaging seriously in practices like self-inquiry will lead only a small percentage to enlightenment. Being honest about personal shortcomings is crucial for genuine progress. Complexity of sustained retreats: The difficulty of retreats increases exponentially with time, leading to profound suffering from ennui and an empty realization of life's inherent pointlessness. Leo admits to underestimating the retreat's challenge and discusses the need for a deeper respect for the discipline required in spiritual practices. Dealing with a sense of meaninglessness: Intense experiences of suffering and existential emptiness during the retreat led to a demoralizing recognition of the pointlessness of life, down to everyday activities. This realization requires a difficult reconciliation with the demands of the ordinary world post-retreat. Impact of realization on daily life: After deep spiritual practice, Leo feels demoralized by the understanding that all life activities, including relationships and basic self-care, are ultimately meaningless. This leads to an existential funk and doubts about the point of engaging in regular social or personal routines. Limits of spiritual pushing and risk of negative states: Leo discusses the dangers of pushing oneself too far in spiritual practice, risking mental breakdowns, depersonalization, or suicidal thoughts. He stresses the importance of knowing when to take a break, analyze one's approach, and avoid harmful extremes. Breakthroughs in self-inquiry and meditation: During his retreat, Leo achieved a clear understanding of effective self-inquiry, focusing on the ungraspable awareness that underlies existence. He also experienced a state of meditation where he could shut off internal dialogue, deeply impacting his perception of reality, though maintaining this state proved challenging. Simplifying Kriya Yoga practices: Leo shares his transition to a more streamlined version of Kriya Yoga based on a simpler and more effective form found in other resources. He plans to discuss this new approach further in the future. Necessity of building discipline: Reflecting on his past struggles and current comfort-induced complacency, Leo recognizes the need to build more discipline to achieve his goals in self-actualization and enlightenment. He recalls the motivation from his times as an underdog and acknowledges the challenges of finding meaningful pursuits when basic needs are met and nothing appears to fulfill or make one happy. Reassessment of daily practices: Post-retreat, Leo realized the need for more strategic discipline in daily practices rather than relying on brute force, emphasizing gradual but consistent efforts similar to weightlifting techniques. Discipline as a remedy for laziness: After recognizing creeping laziness, he began waking up earlier to build discipline, reflecting that intense retreats are not sufficient; the work needs to be carried out regularly to be effective. Personal growth from retreat insights: Despite not completing the full retreat, Leo gained significant insights that led to rethinking his approach to self-actualization and spiritual exploration, particularly related to Spiral Dynamics. Advancement through stages: He advises against rushing through spiritual stages, stressing the importance of thoroughly exploring and integrating experiences at each stage, such as Orange and Yellow, before moving on to Turquoise. Importance of integrity: Leo discusses the importance of integrity, balancing making realistic commitments with the need for bold challenges, and the consequences of failing oneself. Breaking low integrity cycle: To break a cycle of low integrity, he recommends starting with small, manageable commitments to build discipline and gradually improve integrity. Retreats vs. old life: Returning to normal life after a retreat can bring back old habits, echoing pitfalls similar to those a drug addict faces after rehabilitation. It's challenging to maintain the awakened state amidst the return to everyday responsibilities and distractions. Challenge of old habits post-retreat: After the retreat, Leo found himself quickly reverting to old habits, an issue akin to the relapse struggles of recovering drug addicts. He highlighted the difficulty of effecting lasting change when returning to an environment that reinforces previous behaviors. Complexity of environment change: Altering one's environment can temporarily aid in breaking old patterns, but sustainable change is challenging due to practical constraints like financial means, work, and social connections. Additionally, changes like canceling cable or selling possessions have limitations when tools like computers and the internet play essential roles in daily life. Toxic versus necessary elements: The struggle lies in navigating the balance between the toxic distractions and essential functions of modern conveniences, understanding that while they can waste countless hours, they also serve critical roles in emergencies and accessing valuable resources. Psychology-environment feedback loop: Leo noted that our psychology shapes our environment and vice versa, creating a loop that is hard to break. A new environment may initially offer respite, but old psychological patterns can soon recreate the previous toxic setting. Navigating homeostasis amidst radical change: Seeking radical change comes with the cost of discomfort and suffering. Slow, diligent work may appear insignificant due to its gradual nature, but it's necessary for sustainable growth without overwhelming one's mental stability. Rate of growth relative to timeframe: Personal growth's perception depends on the timeframe considered; gradual work over years may feel less impactful but is more manageable than compressing extensive growth into a short period, which could result in evasion or denial. Upcoming content and life balance: Leo plans to create content exploring deep concepts and reconciling the balance between achieving awakening and engaging in everyday life. He discusses the hollow feeling of a life devoid of purpose beyond personal spiritual work and the need to find a balance between detachment and participation in daily activities post-enlightenment. Inevitability of ignorance: Leo emphasizes the necessity of ignorance in the world, recognizing that everyone's personal growth journey is unique, and it's necessary for individuals to go through personal processes and experiences to overcome their own ignorance. Shift to a non-judgmental stance: Leo is experiencing a shift to stage yellow in spiral dynamics, where it becomes impossible to criticize or judge any intellectual point of view because all perspectives are interconnected and every viewpoint contains some grain of truth. Empathy and constructive evolution: Instead of pushing or criticizing others, Leo advocates for empathizing with their psychological and existential needs and helping them evolve constructively. The real art lies in building bridges and aiding in their growth at their own pace. Futility of debating perspectives: Engaging in debates and criticizing worldviews is seen as a complete waste of time; rather, understanding and working with the consciousness level that individuals possess is key to genuinely helping them. Upcoming content plans: Leo shares his excitement to return with new content focusing on spiral dynamics and practical guidance for growth through each stage, aiming to avoid theoretical discussions and instead provide value through practical insights. Finite Incantatem

May 2018 Solo Retreat - Part 2 https://www.actualized.org/insights/may-2018-solo-retreat-part-2 Day 10 of 30-Day Retreat: Leo shares his journey over the past 10 days, taking six deep psychedelic trips with five Meo DMT and engaging in meditation and self-inquiry. The trips increased in depth sequentially, revealing layers of consciousness and facets of existence. Transcendent Experiences: The trips brought forth profound insights, with each experience becoming deeper than the last, challenging his prior conceptions and revealing a more human-like aspect of God-an intelligence and personality that he identified with his own. Everything as Consciousness: Leo had the epiphany that all physical matter, including everyday objects like tables and pens, is comprised entirely of consciousness. This recognition transformed his perception of reality, understanding the physical world as an illusion of rigid consciousness. Challenges of Traditional Spiritual Practices: He questions traditional meditation and spiritual practices' effectiveness compared to psychedelic insights, suggesting that such experiences may offer a depth unattainable through conventional methods. The Substance of the Universe: Leo's realizations about the fabric of the universe underscore that consciousness, rather than matter, is the core substance, encompassing stars, the moon, empty space, and the brain-highlighting the non-dual nature of reality. God and Personal Existence: A significant revelation during his trips was the recognition of himself as God, embodying both formless omnipresence and personal existence simultaneously. This dual aspect brought a sense of personal involvement in designing every detail of life. Universal Intelligence: He explores the idea that intelligence is not confined to humans or brains but is an inherent, formless feature of the universe, present in every aspect and entity, a level of intelligence so vast it seems beyond human capacity to fully comprehend. Solipsism and the Feeling of Being Alone: The profound realizations about non-duality led Leo to a solipsistic perception of reality, where he felt as the only existence, a bold and somewhat unsettling insight. Introducing a New Substance: Experimentation with a new psychedelic substance brought insights that consolidated previous experiences into an intense state of non-duality, described as the absolute Godhead. Challenges with Meditation and Seeking Sahaja Samadhi: Leo discusses the difficulties in his meditation practice and his pursuit of a permanent state of non-dual awareness, noting the challenge of remaining focused on the present moment and the work still needed. Coping with Intellectual and Career Implications: Confronts the existential crisis that arises when his intellectual and professional identity begins to conflict with the profound insights gained during the retreat. Commitment and Future Plans: Despite the temptation of distractions, Leo commits to concentrating on the practice of presence and plans to reduce or eliminate psychedelic tripping, emphasizing the importance of discipline and presence in the pursuit of deeper understanding. Self-Design and Strange Loops: Leo experienced a perception that he himself designed every detail of his existence, from the molecular to the macroscopic, only to forget this design. His insight suggested that life's apparent imperfections are consciously architected by an intelligence greater than can be fathomed. Infinite Intelligence in Nature: He reflected on profound intelligence within the natural world, positing that a blade of grass contains more intelligence than the human body. Intelligence, according to Leo, is not the property of individuals but an intrinsic aspect of the universe, formless and omnipresent. Solipsism and Existential Loneliness: Leo grappled with deep solipsism, feeling like the sole architect of reality including other beings, leading to a profound sense of aloneness and existential boredom, challenging his sense of reality and testing his sanity. Potential of the Unknown Substance: Leo experimented with a powerful new psychedelic substance leading to a state of deep non-duality, culminating in the experience of the 'absolute Godhead'-a singularity where all distinction collapses. Extreme States of Consciousness: The intense experience on the new substance made it difficult to retain or translate insights, with heavy mental and physical tolls, leading to his resolution of not seeking such deep states again, as the profundity of the experience had no practical utility for his current life. Meditative Difficulties: Alongside psychedelic voyages, Leo faced intense boredom and struggled to settle his mind during meditation, which he contrasted with previous retreat experiences. Desire for Sahaja Samadhi and Discipline: Frustration arises as the goal of permanent non-dual awareness seems distant, recognizing the need for extreme discipline to continue his pursuit in the face of overwhelming mental and emotional challenges. Psychedelic Insights and Sahaja Samadhi: Leo explores profound insights through psychedelic trips but struggles to maintain their revelations; he aims for Sahaja Samadhi-a permanent non-dual state-yet acknowledges the difficulty in achieving it without continuous effort in presence and mindfulness. Discipline and Commitment: He faces the challenge of extreme discipline required for his practice and often feels a pull towards distraction, yet he demonstrates a strong commitment by limiting note-taking and reducing trips to focus on presence. Doubt and Determination: Despite moments of doubt and grappling with the potential futility of his efforts within the 30-day deadline, Leo expresses a strong desire to push through the struggle and suffering to reach his spiritual goals. Impact on Intellectual Identity: The retreat's profound experiences provoke a crisis for Leo, threatening his intellectual identity and leaving him questioning his future ability to teach, given that the insights gained might transcend traditional intellectual and conceptual frameworks. Accio

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