matcha

Having followed Leo's videos for many years and having gone deep with spirituality and also hopping off the spirituality train multiple times, I wanted to take the opportunity to reflect on why I've previously had so much trouble with taking spiritual work seriously in hopes that I can help Leo understand why so many viewers aren't serious, and maybe help others with not falling into the same traps as me. The main issue: Not integrating and checking Leo's teachings. The main way I'd engage with Leo's videos would be that I'd watch the videos, try my best to understand the ideas through trying to follow the logic Leo presents in the video (but in my own way), then try to consider different implications. This is after all the way one goes about "learning" most things in life (i.e. in my academic career this technique has served me extremely well). I have to imagine that this is already more serious than many viewers, but it's missing the most key ingredient which is a lack of direct experience to 'check' Leo's teachings for myself which then also allows one to holistically integrate said experience (as opposed to trying to integrate some kind of 'teaching' on face value which often ended up with me just misunderstanding the teaching). I know Leo does say in many videos and on the forum to not accept his teachings as dogma and to validate the teachings for oneself, but I have to say, this disclaimer is really all for naught given the rhetorical style of Leo's videos. Leo's videos can be viewed as some kind of lecture/persuasive essay where Leo will walk you through an insight (it's premise, meaning, significance, maybe even an exercise, etc.) and explain some logic and reasoning behind it while addressing natural counter arguments. This is all good for a semi-intellectual discussion about an insight, but in my opinion and experience, this is antithetical to inspiring viewers to do serious spiritual work. The videos are presented as if spiritual work is some kind of 'intellectualizing activity' where one considers premises, logic, and counterarguments to try to build up to some intellectual conclusion to the point where even if there is a disclaimer to not turn spirituality into some kind of intellectual game, any sensible viewer would think otherwise. However, I do understand that there does need to be some amount of appealing to viewers' intellectual minds as most people wouldn't accept any teaching unless there was some kind of intellectual basis. Likewise, I can't say I know how to fix said "teachings", after all, teaching this kind of stuff is incredibly tricky and nuanced already (where Leo truly does do a phenomenal job). I will say though, I would appreciate if Leo could integrate this disclaimer about "not accepting his teachings as dogma" and "not turning insights into just an intellectual game" into the content of his teachings, rather than as a side note, such that a listener would have the right idea even if they never heard the disclaimer. I don't think this is pandering to a lower audience, after all even very serious and earnest people will have misunderstandings when such a key point is relegated to a one-off statement here and there, where understandably, it would be cumbersome and repetitive to reiterate this disclaimer any more than once. One possibility would be to do less of the "intellectual explaining" (relying on your audience to not be so naive that they need intensive intellectual coaxing), and more getting to the 'core' of the insight and how one might be able to integrate the understanding in grounded ways. Would love to hear feedback though on this entire perspective.

You know ngl I was a little off on this concept but that video on sexual transmutation is pretty interesting, and I'll give it a try. Do you or anyone else have any tips/advice/traps to avoid or reflections on trying this?

I read this article about nobel prize winners who performed a robust "bells test" to validate quantum entanglement, but also goes through the history of Quantum theorists like Einstein to Bell to now the nobel prize winning experimental physicists. My question is more about personal development where if I read the article from a personal development perspective of "how could I imagine myself doing something similar" I become quite concerned. Like Bell's ideas were not recognized for many years, and he ended up dying before seeing the experimental results that showed "he was correct". One the early scientists name Clauser supposedly had to dumpster dive to get materials for his experiment and even then could only get something of a preliminary result. Like is this what it means/what it may take to be a "great scientist" or are these people not great scientists at all and I shouldn't see them as positive example? There's a similar thread by @musicandmath111 on "What makes a good scientist?" where hopefully this thread can be grounded in say real life scientists and what can be learned from their life stories -- or is this just a faulty line of thought completely

This thread is pretty heated, so I'd like to propose a moment of reflection without blame. Seemingly these matters are very near and dear to the hearts of the people here and it can become very hurtful when these strong feelings are stepped on by others. As a reminder, everyone here does respect the opinions/statements of others which is why there are such lengths to disagree. I'm sorry that I can't propose a solution to these matters which are quite beyond me, but I hope I can learn from the people here.

Thanks for all the responses! I honestly feel a lot different just knowing there's a community of people here trying to support others. I'm starting to explore love and consciousness as many of you have recommended, and I'm getting some positive feedback already (ex. some the work I'm doing seems more meaningful, I feel a little more in-tune with a sense of purpose, I've been able to lay off the youtube and not particularly miss it, I feel more sure of myself and the future). I'm definitely curious about what @JonasVE12 and @JoeVolcano are saying about letting go (paraphrasing) in a deep/spiritual way which I've never particular gotten the hang of. I hope to be a positive part of this community and return the kindness everyone has shown me!

I've been reflecting on my life following Leo's video on "How To Fall In Love With Life", and I feel like there's an aspect about personal development that I'm struggling with that I'd like to get some feedback on. Just to give some basic information about me, I'm doing reasonably well in my life I'd say (just graduated from college with good grades in a high demand field and have a few accolades to my name too), yet I'm still extremely disillusioned with life and have trouble with a youtube addiction. I really appreciate the advice given by Leo to "want" to the degree of being willing to make sacrifices/work hard/go out & execute, but to some extent I feel as if acting this way has actually lead to a lot of my disillusionment in my particular situation. To be clear I think Leo's advice on having that kind of willpower (paraphrasing) is imperative especially for general audiences, but at the same time Leo did say to evaluate everything that makes you disillusioned with life and to take action about it (which is what I'm hoping to do). I can think of countless situations where I really pushed for what I wanted, worked hard, made sacrifices, even had some level of success, only for me to feel empty and disillusioned about how I really didn't feel better about life. I still value every single time that I did it because I am much better off for it, but still, I haven't really gotten the 'ball rolling' in any particular way. I feel like I'm at point where that advice, as well as it has served me in building a foundation for myself, has hit a point of diminishing returns. I feel like here's where Leo's advice on just following a 'principle of right action' and just figuring out for myself how I should live might serve me well/better even if it means forgoing advice of others. I just can't really see a future for myself trying to will myself through life, though I can definitely see a future for myself where I'm working hard still, just not exercising as much willpower. Again, not looking to say Leo is wrong (cuz maybe I just misunderstood him or maybe I'm just in a different kind of situation as a majority of others), just wondering if anyone else feels/has felt this way or if anyone has feedback.