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For anyone interested, I decided to completely restructure the talk, leave out stuff that I assume might be too advanced for the audience & this is what it looks like now (roughly): Summary of My Presentation: "Psychedelics as a Spiritual Practice" For the past 9 years, I have dedicated my life to exploring the intersection of psychedelics and spirituality—and this talk is the culmination of my research, experience, and insights. In this presentation, I explore a fundamental question: Can psychedelics be a spiritual practice? If so, how? 🔹 What is Spirituality? There is no universally agreed definition, but we can approach it from different angles: 1️⃣ Spirituality as Deconditioning – Freeing oneself from conditioning and beliefs. 2️⃣ Spirituality as Mystical Union – Awakening to unity with existence. 3️⃣ Spirituality as Embodiment – Living wisdom, compassion, and virtue. 4️⃣ Spirituality as the Pursuit of Truth – Direct experience of reality. 🔹 What is a Spiritual Practice? A structured, intentional engagement with activities aimed at spiritual growth. Examples are endless, but can psychedelics be one of them? How Psychedelics Assist Spirituality in Three Key Ways 1️⃣ Psychedelics as Insight Catalysts 🔥 Psychedelics allow for a direct experience of expanded consciousness. They facilitate deep insights into self, reality, love, and existence. Scientific research shows that psychedelics reduce ego rigidity, open cognitive flexibility, and enable perspective shifts. Common realizations: ✅ "I am not my thoughts." ✅ "I am loved / whole / enough." ✅ "Everything is connected." ✅ "Life is a gift." 2️⃣ Psychedelics as a Gateway to Mystical Experience Psychedelics have the potential to induce profound mystical experiences: 🔹 Unity 🔹 Timelessness 🔹 Noetic insights 🔹 Infinite love Research suggests 50-80% of participants in the right set and setting experience peak mystical states. A glimpse of the Absolute. Not permanent enlightenment, but a transformative experience. 3️⃣ Psychedelics as Character Cultivators Beyond peak experiences, psychedelics can shape long-term traits and deepen personal growth: 1️⃣ Courage & Responsibility – Facing fear, commitment to truth. 2️⃣ Surrender & Letting Go – Trust, relaxation, acceptance. 3️⃣ Humility & Open-Mindedness – Psychedelics shatter certainty and teach the power of not knowing. 4️⃣ Compassion & Connection – Increasing empathy, love, and interconnectedness. Pitfalls of Psychedelics as a Spiritual Practice ⚠️ 1. Self-Deception & Certainty → The risk of false beliefs and spiritual ego inflation. ⚠️ 2. Spiritual Emergency → Deep, overwhelming realizations can lead to existential crises. ⚠️ 3. Ego Inflation & Bypassing → Seeking peak states instead of doing real, grounded inner work. 📌 Integration is Key. Psychedelics are powerful, but the real work happens in daily life—in how we embody wisdom, love, and presence. Final Reflection: The Deepest Spiritual Realization? 💡 “What if spirituality is not about gaining insights, reaching mystical states, or transformation? 💡 What if the deepest realization is that there is nothing to seek, nowhere to go, and nothing to attain?” For me, the answer became detached appreciation—loving and honoring every moment, every experience, every appearance—unconditionally. Psychedelics are not a means to an end. They are an end in themselves.

If there is a way for Christianity to exist in a more conscious state, it would require a complete transformation. At that point, would it even still be Christianity? It would have to actively work on undoing the harm it has caused. But the reality is that the people doing the real work of putting an end to its abuse are the ones who leave Christianity behind. Why do you think this is?

I've been working with psychedelics for a few months now and I still haven't healed from it. However I have gained a lot of awareness into my emotional issues, and they are very complex, so it makes sense that they would be difficult to resolve. Luckily I have been learning about psychology and emotional healing for years before this so I have a lot of knowledge and insights that can help me figure out what to do. The main thing is that I have a lot of difficulty surrendering. I have had many moments of intense crying and emotional purging on psychedelics, but it never heals me. What I realized recently is that without full surrender, the emotional release does not become somatic. It's easy to think you are purging because you are crying and reacting, but that doesn't mean it's deep enough to create lasting healing. Trauma is stored in the body, and only by total and complete surrender can a somatic processing and release happen. Your emotions need to take over you, they need to happen TO you, the purging isn't something you force or create yourself. I have a lot of fear and resistance in me from childhood and that makes me uncomfortable with full surrender. I have been working on figuring out how to resolve that and I have been making good progress. So I've had the same experience as you so far of no results, but I feel like I am making good progress and will get there eventually. I know what you mean about needing a sense of community. I have tried tripping around other people, because my emotional pain is so deep and severe that it's very intimidating for me to go into alone, and forcing myself into them isn't conducive to healing. I feel better having other people around me when I trip and go into my emotions, however I have social anxiety and I'm not comfortable fully letting go and reacting however I want to around people, so that creates a problem. I found that what I really get out of having other people there is a sense of safety, so if I can do something to create that for myself when I'm alone, then I would feel comfortable enough to surrender without needing other people, and that has been working well for me so far. I think psychedelics can definitely provide deep and genuine healing, but you also need to know how to work with them properly, and people may have barriers that prevent them from being able to do that (like my issues with surrendering). I think if you have a good knowledge of psychology and emotional work, if you know how to gain a lot of understanding and awareness of your own psychology, and then you pair that with psychedelics which allow you to easily get deep into your subconscious mind and release core emotions, that could really help most people. I get what you're saying about changing habits and needing connection, I think that's a good point that people can also incorporate into their healing practice if they feel like that's something they need. However I think for any person, psychedelics or any other technique that allows you to do deep work on the subconscious mind is what would create the deepest level of healing and transformation.

Theme: Exploration of the paradox of psychedelics as a spiritual practice—both as tools for deep transformation and as reminders that there is nothing to attain. How we`re gonna cover that - 3 steps 0- Foundations: Define spirituality & spiritual practice (thats a hard one) 1- The progressive Path/Model of spirituality & how psychedelics can assist that practice This is seen in most religious and mystical traditions: Buddhism (The Noble Eightfold Path, progressing toward Nirvana) Christianity (Sanctification, spiritual purification over a lifetime) Hinduism (The Four Yogas—Bhakti, Karma, Jnana, Raja—methods of progressive realization) Sufism (Tariqa, a path of stages leading to divine union) Psychological Models: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Ken Wilber’s Integral Theory (spiritual growth as stages) Scientific Validation: Cognitive and developmental psychology support the idea that human consciousness develops in stages (Piaget, Kohlberg, Kegan). Studies on meditation and neuroplasticity also show that spiritual practice rewires the brain over time, reinforcing a progressive development model. Psychedelics as a tool for spiritual development. Facilitating the ascension of this journey. They can do that in many ways, i just wanna mention 4 here: 1- Cultivation of traits / "virtues" (Courage, trust, surrender, patience, love and so on) 2- Facilitating Insight & Remembering (Deep existential realizations)- perspective about reality, existence, life, god, your Self - “Who am I?” Facilitation of genuine Inquiry into Truth. 3- Practice of Dying Death-rebirth process → acceleration of spiritual growth. Cycle of purification and how psychedelics intensify and accelerate this process. The practice of Death & Dying Psychedelics as conscious suffering Psychedelics & Near Death experiences similarities research Chris Bache // Grof Maps as Science Data backup // COEX Systems 4-An “experience” of the Absolute The reach for the Absolute: The reality of deepening experiences → Moving further into infinity, higher states, deeper truths. The notion that we must move beyond ourselves and surrender more and more deeply to experience the ultimate. Example: 5-MeO-DMT, near-death experiences, deep meditative absorption into the beyond. Briefly mentioning - Dangers, Pitfalls, Challenges & Integration & Nuances. 2 - The Absolute Perspective of Spiritual Practice & Psychedelics as a practice of detached appreciation Many non-dual traditions challenge the idea of progress: Zen Buddhism: "You are already enlightened, just recognize it." Advaita Vedanta: "Tat Tvam Asi" (You are That), realization happens in an instant. Dzogchen (Tibetan Buddhism): The natural state is already pure awareness. Christian Mysticism (Meister Eckhart, St. John of the Cross): Union with God is already present, not something to be achieved. Psychedelic States: Many report a direct “timeless” realization of ultimate truth—paralleling these traditions. Scientific Validation: Research on mystical experiences (Griffiths et al., 2006; Pahnke, 1969) shows that peak psychedelic states can induce a spontaneous recognition of unity, transcendence of self, and loss of time-based progression. Studies on meditation (Samadhi, Flow States) reveal that non-dual awareness is associated with deactivation of the Default Mode Network (DMN)—the same effect psychedelics produce. “Seeking is suffering. To seek nothing is bliss.” The paradox: If the Absolute is everything, then it is also this moment, right here. We move beyond progress, chasing, seeking All states are valid. All appearances are truth. No hierarchy of experience. (Too radical??) The highest realization is that there is nothing to attain. The paradox of progress: from this perspective, there is no spiritual path at all—it’s all already perfect. The Absolute is not just beyond—it is also immanent, present in everything This is where detached appreciation comes in → Infinite love for all states. -Spirituality is not about preferring one state over another but recognizing the one who sees. Relate it to psychedelic practice: The practice becomes seeing the seer Detached appreciation → we do not attach to psychedelic states or peak experiences but love them unconditionally. - That becomes the practice! And then the psychedelic experience does not become a means to an end, but is an end in and of itself. Just as true meditation shall be. - Detachment as integration: Do not judge any state. Do not attach to any state. Do not prefer any state over any other. 3- The Paradox & Integration Integrating the Two – Where Do They Meet? Many traditions blend both (e.g., Christianity: "Be still and know" vs. "Strive for holiness") . -Acknowledge similarities but also disagreements, come back to not-knowing. Psychedelics show both models. Enjoy the journey. Enjoy the tension, the paradox, the suffering, the seraching - all of it. Love it. Appreciate it! The key is integration, avoiding the traps of bypassing or dogmatic progression. Psychedelics redirect us to that: appreciation of simple things (Grof findings) The realization that both perspectives are true at the same time. Holding both perspectives at once: psychedelics can be a path of progress, but progress itself is an illusion. -Is there data or research on Paradox as an inherent feature of reality? The challenge of integration: How do we live in this paradox? We can honor both the progressive path and the non-seeking path without contradiction. Recognizing language's limitations—truth is beyond words and frameworks. Traps and pitfalls (spiritual bypassing, attachment to peak experiences, superiority complex, psychedelic escapism). The importance of the foundation of spiritual work The humility of not knowing—embracing mystery and paradox. The most holistic, mature spiritual practice acknowledges we don’t know. Bringing wisdom into daily life → Grounding insights in love, service, and presence. Psychedelic Integration = Life itself Taking action: “let the beauty we love be what we do” - Rumi I know that´s a lot. Any help simplifying, clarifying or cutting out things is welcome <3

Are you lost about your masculine role in the world? Watch this interview, read his book and contemplate. The 4 Archetypes: King: The King represents order, creativity, and generativity and embodies a sense of internal monarchy. A mature King fosters stability and inspires others. In its shadow form, it manifests as the Tyrant or the Weakling. Warrior: The Warrior embodies discipline, courage, and decisiveness, acting with purpose and integrity. The Warrior pushes forward aggressively. Its shadows are the Sadist and the Masochist. Magician: The Magician symbolizes knowledge, insight, and transformation, channeling wisdom for the benefit of others. The Magician learns a great deal about everything. However, the Magician can devolve into the Manipulator or the Detached Observer in its shadow form. Lover: The Lover reflects passion, connection, and appreciation for beauty, celebrating life. The Lover seeks sensation and connectedness with all things in life but may become the Addicted Lover or the Impotent Lover in shadow form.

@Breakingthewall Yeah, through simple observation, one can see how suffering and struggle lead to leaps in evolution. Yuval Noah Harari insightfully argues that our evolution is fundamentally tied to our capacity to create fiction, be it money, corporations, or other constructs. Once we envision a fiction, like our ideal self or a future goal, we must alter our behavior to transform that vision into a tangible reality. This process, however, often brings about suffering. We might wonder why nature or a higher power imposes this burden of struggle on us when striving for transformation. I believe it is to ensure that we approach our creations with care, thoughtfully considering what is truly worth pursuing and what ought to be let go. Alternatively, we could view this struggle as a test from nature to determine how deeply we desire something.

Transgender transformations are mindfucking. Like what??? 280lbs muscular wrestler turns into a woman. What!!!! The contrast is so huge. LIke? How can you have a feminine mind, yet at the same time, embody and develop your masculine traits, whilst also wanting to be a woman this whole time???

@trenton The Ouroboros, is the mind eating the mind in the very literal sense so without creating my own depiction I can't think of any better well known metaphor, the Ouroboros is the structure of thought itself. That is, the very mechanics of the mind self-consuming, self-generating, recursive. By understanding the Ouroboros in this sense, one in the very literal sense is given one of the most valuable keys to the kingdom of personal development. Many people look at the Ouroboros with degrees of understanding and find that sufficient enough, however like anything a degree asks of the rest of the degrees that remain, but because we often perceive our judgements with such finality, it is like looking at the oceans surface from the sky's great heights and believing our perception to hold the full 'degrees' of the ocean's depths. It's simply not possible and therefore I will give you a stepping stone to what I personally mean. Your consciousness likely operating as most others has three primary strata's constantly in contact with one another, sensory, cognitive and emotional all feeding from and to an energetic equilibrium. Your judgement of any one experience acts like an anchor on the degree of operation of the ouroboros regenerating and evolving your experience to the level that those three channels feed perception independently and interdependently; Perception <---> Judgement, open perception, open judgement; open both, open Understanding <---> Experience, open both, open Consciousness <---> Growth. Ouroboros, is "Conscious access to consciousness feedback loop", get it, all feedback, aka those three channels, feeds backwards into consciousness to then rebegin its projection thereby constantly altering the interface upon which you experience reality through recursive improvement. Again, degrees of understanding, let's break things down to greater literalality. Reflect back on every sound, visual, emotion, mental wandering, imagination, energy, sense, thought, inclination of consciousness you've personally experienced up to this point while reading this reply and ask yourself the following question: How much was my awareness anchoring those experiences in a way in which I was growing from them? That 'anchoring point' reflects your own unique 'Ouroboros superposition' of consciousness growth. Intelligence is neither singularly cognitive nor static; it is a self-referential engine that evolves by erasing itself and that being said when mind models reality, mistakes the model for reality, then dismantles it, each iteration encoding the failure of the last, its unique 'anchoring point' across the intersection of those dichotomies of consciousness within that triad, is going to be reflective of the ongoing broad growth of consciousnesses intelligence. This action, is a mastering of consciousnesses learning function. 'Learning' is this consciousness functionality self-embodied, as such, 'Identity', undertakes an enormous experiential shift, aligning more with its truer self for the simple fact that 'learning' is more aligned with how consciousness is meant to function rather than being the byproduct of a lack of learning occurring within consciousness from moment to moment; ergo, ideology is the opposite to true self as its antithetical to the organic operation of consciousness. @Ninja_pig's image of course is another a kind of 'ourorobos' however I'd say that the hand drawing the hand, is a lower level symbolically, though equally are far better than their negational opposites of course; uniquely, I would say that the hand drawing the hand has greater commentary on how the path of personal mastery is not without a path to mastering precision, the snake eating itself by comparison focuses more on the evolutionary function that needs to be found, optimised and mastered. 'Found' especially in the context of how modern culture acts as its own maze most have to traverse through before they grasp increasing degrees of artworks like these. Further on your own depiction @trenton, the hand is reaching through chaos toward light but in touching it, dissolves. The seeker disintegrates into the sought; ideology or evolution? Without understanding higher degrees of the ouroboros, often people resort to social identities in balancing this understanding until they reach higher degrees where social affiliation is a counterweight to personal dissonance. Disintegrating into the sought is not the annihilation that creates the dissonance but transformation, truth is not acquired, it is the dissolution of what seeks to hold it, will it become a narcissistic ideology or will a consciousness go to Greater Degrees? The mind cannot possess what is beyond it; it can only become it by ceasing to be what it was. This is the rhythm of cognition, of being itself; cycles graduating cycles rather than judgments merely resolving psychological uncertainties. The Ouroboros does not only consume; it regenerates. Each disintegration is an expansion in disguise. Thought moves in recursive cycles, but the cycle is a spiral, never returning to the same point, always integrating its own dissolution. Self-love, then, is not an attachment to any version of the self. It is the recognition that identity is provisional, that growth requires disintegration; that the love is a cycle in itself, you learn the operations of the brain, the heart, the gut, greater energy centers and consciousness further, upon each cycle a new level of learning is mastered upon how to author and regulate your own energy towards higher experiences of consciousness, our only truth, and our action a measurement of this alignment. To love the self is to allow it to die and reform, endlessly, without resistance. The highest act of intelligence is not to cling to an image but to move with the rhythm of transformation itself; that's the essence of the minimum of degrees of understanding that one must either sit back and observe the oceans surface until said revelation enlightens them or what is more likely, they dive into the oceans depths and master these greater degrees of the blue for themselves. I recommend diving in, especially in the presence of the millions of others that can do nothing else but sit back because each persons 'sitting back' is resolving each others own dissonance, break the consciousness pigmentation of social alignment with maturity and that'll be your line upon which others will be able to reach for in the ocean as a life line to know traverse the ocean the same.

I have done more critical thinking and inner reflection work in the past 2 months than over the rest of my life combined. I have suffered greatly in my life. I am deeply dissatisfied with my lifestyle. And that is due to very incorrect assumptions I've held for a very long time. 2025 is my year of transformation. Possibly the biggest transformation in my entire life. I have managed to change my inner dialogue a lot, and I have adopted the necessary habits to achieve my life goals. But that isn't enough. Within me, I often encounter resistance, and conflict. I often find myself whether I should sacrifice my feelings and happiness for practical purposes, or if I am being a fool for making decisions that are impractical to my goals. After a lot of introspection, I managed to deconstruct many flaws in my way of thinking. These fallacies are common to many people. And so, I have made the decision to write a philosophical manifesto. Title: The Selfish Manifesto These are the topics I will cover in the document: The lie of Common Truth - how society lies to you into believing others have the truth, and the problem with institutions defining truth, and the fallacy of appeal to popularity The lie of Oppression - how society instills in you a mindset that you are oppressed, and that you need to navigate the world through the lens of an oppressed individual who needs to either join a woke ideology, or to serve your masters The lie of Ideology - how society promotes distractions, fake solutions, fake cooperations, and fake ideas to pretend there is an ideology out there that will serve the "greater good" (Feminism, Wokeness, LGBTQ rights, Socialism, Capitalism, Marxism, and even low hanging fruit ideologies like Right Wing, Christianity, etc( The lie of Selfishness - how society demonizes the concept of selfishness, when in reality it rewards the most selfish individuals and smashes the least selfish ones The lie of Morality - how society twists notions of morality according to its corrupt needs, and how you shouldn't fall for conformist moral systems How to take the Truth - how to discover the truth for yourself without relying on reading books written by others (yes I know it sounds self refusting but this point is anything but that), and stop seeking truth and validation from experts, and mainstream opinion How to take your freedom - how to accept that you have freedom, how to apply freedom into your own life, how to make tough decisions in order to maximize your freedom How to take your happiness - how to learn to be happy on your own, without relying on ANYONE to serve you, laugh with you, love you How to love yourself - how to accept your looks, your personality, essentially how to become such a narcissist that you give love to yourself This is going to be the most anti-ideological, anti-conformist, antiwoke document ever written. And it is going to be very antithetical both to common spiritual teachings and to practical, stage orange self help concepts. I will invite the reader to stop bending over backwards trying to receive validation and rewards from society. I will refute the notion that "the Ego is the biggest Devil" and all of that terrible advice that spiritual teachers like Leo like to promote. The idea of hating your ego and trying to kill it, eliminate it, "transcend it", is preposterous. If you live your life trying to diminish your ego, that is a path to guaranteed suffering. I will present a healthy, timeless perspective on Selfish Egoism. The document will be short. Between 50 to 100 A5 pages long. No bullshit. No stalling. No philosophical mumbo-jumbo. No counter-arguments, not bending over backwards to justify every little point I make. I'm very excited about this project. After so much introspection, I believe I have some interesting universal truths to write here. And this is no exaggeration. These aren't some weird ideology I am promoting. These principles should serve any individual, in any era, in any context. These are the most encompassing principles anyone could hope for. And they will serve me (and whoever reads this) to guide a powerful, authentic life. The primary audience for this document, however, will be young men. I don't expect some woke feminist Hollywood celebrity reading this with any amount of charitability or good faith. I am very aware this document will be perceived by many people as some toxic manosphere blackpill rant, or even as some cringe right wing Ayn Rand philosophy. This document will be very triggering for people who are married to their woke religion. I'm very excited for this project. I predict I will have the document ready in 4-6 months. Maybe less. I will publish it here for free as PDF.

Firstly I understand that this post might seem a bit egotistical or even full of myself or braggartly. It’s not meant to be. In fact, I am feeling totally lost in life right now, where I am actually feeling what is the purpose of my existence and what is my reason to wake up. What I am looking for is some guidance and advice for my “existential crisis”. I have also tried to format and give all required info in the best possible way to give you the most clarity to see the whole picture. Who am I? I’m now 32 yo, South Asian Male, which means OF COURSE I finished Comp Sci engineering, then I fell in love with Bodybuilding & Aesthetics at the age of 18. I was always a skinny shy ecto nerd (who also had venustraphobia for the longest amount of time in life) so the idea of muscle and a good physique at the age of 18 sounded amazing, which is where my journey into self development began. Great physique, amazing looks, envy and respect from men, and also attracted to women? (The last one doesn’t work btw, you have to work on your social skills for your looks to matter, but more on that later in this post). Mental Health Background Issues I have self diagnosed : Low Self Esteem/Self Worth Lack of Sense of my own Value Do not understand how to love myself/Suffer from Lack of Self Love I didn’t even know about Mental Health until the age of 28-29 or so. I didn’t even know I had Low Self Esteem and Low Self worth issues my entire life. The Low SE came from the way my mother raised me, my first girlfriend (narcisstic, abusive) and my culture and society in general. I also have a lack of sense of Internal Value. I don’t understand it when people say “everyone has value”. I have been raised in a culture where you are more worthy and have more value than others if you have a better job, more marks, better car/wealth, better body, more girls etc etc. The value thing has made me, AFAIK, always WORK towards feeling valuable in life. Like if I didn’t get any more marks than others, or if I got the same I was/am equally not valuable or definitely not any more valuable than others. This puts me in a perpetual state of unhappiness, and an infinite chase for it. Which leads to TREMENDOUS success, as I will elaborate below, but also a deep dark void of unhappiness since clearly my happiness is being pursued and does not ensue. Enter Mushrooms. I lived the unhappiest of lives until 28-29. After which I got into studying about Psychedlics and how they help with healing, trauma and the like. My first powerful mushroom trip in 2019 or so was the one where I realized that I don’t actually love myself. It broke me. But it also made me vow to myself to love myself more than anyone else ever had, since most all love I have received in my life has been conditional, even from my mother (or at least the child in me perceived it that way). I love my parents and they love me, but it is what it is and this piece imho is very important to realize about my background and mental health and its consequential suffering. For 8-12 months or so after my mushroom trip I did EVERYTHING in life that I needed to be doing to feel like I love myself. Meaning even if I had to leave at the end of a 16 hour shift on less sleep to go to the grocery store to get a salad to fuel myself healthily, I did it. And this was repeated a multitude of times endlessly. I feel like somewhere along the line since then, this has stopped. I don’t really know why or how. And I am trying to re understand it and pursue it again right now. Accomplishing EVERYTHING in 3 years, with picture proof. 1. I went in full steam ahead into my bodybuilding pursuit and made a body transformation that most IFBB pros would be envious of. Dream body, done. https://imgur.com/a/Hc9OomI 2. I then pursued Pick Up & Game to get over my lifelong crippling fear of beautiful women. Multiple coaches, bootcamps, and over a 1000+ girls approached, and feeling like I have accomplished everything I needed to, to be happy with my life in and around women. Women, done. https://imgur.com/a/xD7RvMR 3. I then pursued the game of money, which I kind of hoped would have kept me interested in it forever, but as soon as I crushed a couple of 10k months (which is nothing compared to my business mastermind peers, but MIND BOGGLING compared to my starting salary of $1500 per month for 180 hour work weeks.). I proved to myself I can make money and I also have NO expensive tastes whatsoever. I made 70k ish in the last 1.5 years and I have spent like 60k on it on myself and reinvestments, coaches, masterminds etc. I have spent less than 10k on myself and splurges (got a 3090TI and a PS5 and they both just collect dust lol. I am at least happy the 18yo within me is happy just looking at them on my desk.) I know there is a lot more to the world then muscle, women and money but these are the BASIC 3 needs for every young man right now, and I have gone beyond what 99% of people in the world can or would ever require to accomplish. There is no point in getting even more. I mean to what end, and why? (Btw for the nature of this discussion let’s just assume I have won the lottery and I will never need to worry about money again, even for a rainy day fund, let’s keep it out of “work more for more money for what if’s”, since that’s not a DRIVING reason to wake up in the morning and get out of bed) https://imgur.com/a/BgVEZeC This image here is also something I have found interesting. Which of these is the point of life? And why? https://imgur.com/a/6FepT2o 1. Self Interest and Pursuit of Pleasure/Hedonism But how many burgers on yachts with multiple girls blowing you can you possibly have? This will obviously never end, and it feels good in the moment, but empty immediately afterwards. No sense of peace and contentment. 2. Selflessness So this is ACTUALLY something I enjoy. I have been documenting my entire life transformation and journey on my Youtube channel ( https://youtube.com/c/IntellectualMuscle ) I basically made my Youtube channel what 18yo me would have wanted. “A big brother with tough love you didn’t even know you needed.” I help young (& old actually) men that feel lost in life and want to get to these accomplishments and states in life, in the EASIEST fastest safest possible manner. It took me FOREVER and multiple 10,000s of $ to get there. I make it ridiculously simple and easy for my boys to get there. The question with selflessness. Is how selfless? And why? Like I spend so much time and so much of my earnings on my Youtube and IG (~1500 USD per month) and I barely get any traction from it, like 200-300 views tops. So do people even care to learn? Also. What if I just stopped what I do? Or hypothetically I had never even born or die off? Sure some people would be sad that they thought my content and help was amazing. But in 3 months I will be forgotten, and someone else would and is already making the same kind of content to help other guys in need. ALSO at our base and core we are SELFISH beings as humans. So it just doesn’t permanently sit with me to be completely selfless and live for others. Like why? Most of my life most people have just taken from me and never given me anything in return. So why would I wish to be selfless to the world that has taken so much from me and never cared for me? So this isn’t like a clear driving mission or purpose for me to wake up and do it either. I mean I do like it, but not to the extent like this is the sole life purpose. I feel like I have sacrificed myself more than enough for the sake of others and don’t feel like I am receiving ROI on it in equal measures. 3. Self Actualization I understand that this is being the best version of myself. And I have done that already in many different fields as shown above. ALL the ones that mattered to me. Muscle, Women, Money. Now can I get MORE. Of course. But also again. Why? I already have more than what is required to live quite the comfortable life. So WHY be the MOST muscular, or have ALL the skills to get all the girls, or have all the skills to get ALL the money in the world?? Where I feel others don’t suffer the same Existentialism Quite simple I feel, because they CREATE their own reason for existence Viz. Children. Most people have kids and no matter what you feel like or not, you WILL do everything in life even if you don’t want to do it for your kids. This includes making money, being healthy, more toys etc. OR most people do not get out of the chase of the rat race and grind trying to make ends meet, so there is always their reason “to make rent for next month.” MY Ideas on Future Goals for Myself Please read this part AFTER you have written or decided on what you think might be some food for thought for me, since I don’t want to taint your ideas and opinions with my own future ones. My understanding atm is I now want and NEED to pursue some form of Spirituality and Inner Peace and Calm. I am ALWAYS chasing happiness and a reason to love myself, via external validation and accomplishments (since that’s how I have been raised), I need to figure out where and how to generate/find this in and within myself now to begin with. I don’t know which mediation teacher or method to pursue. I have LOVED Alan Watts’ stuff and I will find it once again and hopefully get some guidance there. I have LOVED HealthygamerGG’s stuff and hopefully will get some more clarity via listening to his work. I am currently re-reading for the 3rd time Vikto Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning and also Learn to Love yourself by Kamal Ravikant. Any other books/podcasts/reading or any suggestions with how to decide what to pursue in life would be very appreciated, thank you! Thanks again for reading all the way till here if you did, I appreciate your time and if you have any words of wisdom, those as well!

All forms of value that cannot be measured monetarily, yet remain priceless in impact and meaning. Value isn’t just about money, production, or external success. Some of the most impactful forces in life—insight, creativity, human connection, and transformation—can’t be measured, bought, or sold. This thread is for mapping out that dimension of value: the kind that shapes lives, shifts perspectives, and moves the world in ways beyond the material. Some examples: • Language and Communication • The Scientific Method • Acts of Kindness & Mentorship • Personal Struggles Leading to Innovation • Parenting The paradox is that widespread value ultimately benefits individuals, but personal value—when deeply integrated—can become the catalyst for something much greater than an individual. The things that truly shape society don’t always start with a transaction. What’s something in your life that held immense value but had no price tag?

In my yt feed there have been lot of videos of transformation happening in-collective, structures breaking, systems breaking etc in 2025-2027 time frame by many astrologers, channellers, nde etc This videos are popping up from start of this year. Is there really any global shift happening, is there a shift in consciousness or energy? Or are this all bunch of weird new age hippy dream?

I received coaching certification in the addiction and transformation space with an emphasis on psychedelic prep and integration. Send me a DM if you want to talk shop.

This journal marks not an end, but a profound transition. My philosophical journey, a quest that once consumed me, has reached a point of completion. The questions that fueled my intellectual exploration have found answers that satisfy, and my mind is now at peace. However, this intellectual contentment has revealed a new challenge: the world I once knew to be wonderous has become small for me. I have outgrown it, and it no longer offers the stimulation or meaning I seek. My drive, once philosophical inquiry, has shifted. I am no longer driven by logic, but by a yearning for something more… something otherworldly (or perhaps inner-worldly). This is why I speak of rebirth. I seek a re-enchantment of the world, a return to the sense of wonder and awe that characterizes a child's experience of reality. I believe this can be found by entering the world of what I call 'literal magic' – the realm of psychic influence or dynamism. I anticipate that this exploration will provide the powerful stimulation my mind and spirit now crave. This journal will document this journey of transformation, this quest for a new kind of understanding, a new way of being. It will be a space to record my reflections, experiences, and insights as I navigate this new territory and seek to define what 'magic' truly is.

The worry today is that people are so disconnected from reality, and hallucination of reality is so prevalent, that they might recontextualize a contact with reality with a further delusion. The germans after world war 1 are a good example. They suffered the consequences of their war, and instead of taking accountability, Hitler exploited it to frame the german people as victims, and the jewish people as the perpetrators. That's the scary thing about human beings, that sometimes reality will not wake them up but simply lead to more delusions. And a large portion of the US population basically will stand behind Trump no matter what happens. You can already see the attitudes of them changing, where they will now accept inflation and economic hardship in favor of american isolationism, when they would previously not accept any hardship. When people are radicalized, they might simply be willing to make the sacrifices to maintain their delusions. This is not unique to Jihadis, it has happened throughout history. Just look at the Russians and what their population is willing to endure for their loyalty towards Putin and the russian nation. Never would we have thought that people would be willing to die in a world war 2 type scenario as cannon fodder to gain a few inches of land for their leaders imperial ambitions. We thought people would no longer be willing to engage in such sacrifices as a result of peace and progress. But this is simply not the case, we were wrong. The hope is that there are not yet enough people to allow for such a transformation of the political system. But in nazi germany, it didn't even require a majority to achieve that. Delusion and ignorance is exceptionally dangerous. And yes I don't like spending any time on this topic either, it's absolutely assinine that I have to think about this in the first place, and waste my time and energy on this. The problem with this is that if you get hung up on the culture, and react against it, you will be defined by the culture as well, which will just increase foolishness. Like all the atheists who fight against religious people. They are better than the Christians, but they have defined themselves through opposition to such a degree that they are equally stuck in the primitive culture of today as the Christians are. It's like, just to be able to engage with these topic requires you to engage in primitivity that will then lead to you wasting your time on primitivity rather than on your higher ideals. But at this point it feels like it would be irresponsible not to contribute. If every reasonable person removes themselves from politics because of how degenerate it has become, then politics will only get worse, and that can end in disaster. So that is the question, do I just focus on my life purpose and pretend the world does not exist? I truly wish I could, but it does not seem like this can be afforded anymore. This is partly because I don't even see a solution in sight. Social media is just getting worse and worse, people are becoming more ignorant, more biased, more self-serving. Popular media is just filled with vile, disrespectful individuals who basically are just arrogant and hateful. And these people are the role models for the youth, amplified on steroids by never before seen technology.

Art project Filming a person meditating seated and silently with extreme close-ups and pristine HD quality. Make it into a short film that is trying to capture the extreme levels of stillness and calm that are possible in deep, seated, silent meditation. Multiple cameras are set up in multiple places, every shot is preset and ready to film all at once, no other people in the room, no movement of equipment, no camera zooms. The film is edited in a quiet and etheric cinematic style. Styles that come to mind is morning routine scene in American Psycho, and shampoo and cosmetics commericals. These are merely analogous, I have a vision of the style, and it's something entirely of its own if executed properly. The film can serve as an inspiration for what is possible during meditation, and if executed properly, could popularize not just meditation as a practice but the kinds of deep meditation that are associated with deep transformation. Research project Filming a person meditating seated and silently with extreme close-ups and pristine HD quality, but with focus on capturing any subtle movements or phenomena that the meditator would report as movements of energy. Physical measurement instruments like body temperature cameras and perhaps microscope technology can also be used. The aim is to provide insight into subtle energy phenomena often experienced during meditation, e.g. feelings of pressure and tension building up and releasing in the face, neck, forehead, etc. It would involve correlating footage and timestamps with the meditator giving retrospective accounts of the experiences. The findings can uncover potential subtle physical mechanisms of these phenomena or support the hypothesis that these are non-physical phenomena (not capturable by physical measurement). If anyone is interested in trying any of this out (especially the art project), I'm open to give advice so that it meets the vision I have mind. I think if especially the art project is given a serious attempt (which I might do some time, I have a friend who is a photographer) and perhaps some financial investment, you could create something unique, beautiful and powerful.

@Breakingthewall i experienced that without psychedelics sometime ago, multiple panic attacks, lots of crying, depression, couldnt move out of my bed for months. it is called apeirophobia in some non spiritual cyrcles. the realization initiated a full blown year long transformation akin to a kundalini awakening. Eternity torned my psyche like a thin piece of paper. As you open up the horror subsides and you can finally chill. it is not that i understand eternity, it is just that i am friends with it now. i dont understand how it works at all. Its like stretching the finite towards the infinite and in this process all contractions explode.

https://www.ubiquityuniversity.org/ "We offer transformational higher education for people ready to make a positive contribution towards solving current global challenges. We believe that the fundamental nature of these challenges requires the development of our inner qualities and competencies in tandem with academic study. From healing past traumas to working with consciousness to co-create the future and the radical collaboration needed to make impact at scale; all are grounded in a lived experience of interconnectedness. The quality of the space from which we create solutions will define the breadth, depth and effectiveness of their impact. Go deep to go far, as we like to say." "At Ubiquity we offer a broad selection of graduate degree programs that focus on the inner transformation needed to make a positive difference in the world today. We have our own in-house Wisdom Studies degrees, drawing on the depths of the wisdom traditions to inform our action for the future. We also offer a number of degrees with partners in the field of transformational learning. The partner provides most of the course content and we provide core coursework and the thesis or dissertation writing support. We believe that taking the time to research a topic properly and produce a well-grounded piece of work through a Master’s thesis or PhD dissertation is what our world needs right now – providing the depth and trust amidst all the surface snippets and stories out there that no-one knows how to evaluate. That is why at Ubiquity we insist that your writing includes your reflections on your own inner journey – unlike materialist universities where you’re not even allowed to start a sentence with “I”, Ubiquity University Publishing completes the cycle and supports our graduates to get your work out into the world."

@Basman I realize that society isn't just changing in one direction - it's actually changing in all directions at once, which creates this kind of multidimensional shift that affects everything while also being affected by everything. The degree thing is definitely part of it, but it's also about how we're all collectively experiencing this transformation in how we understand the relationship between education and success. I've found that when you really look closely at how society is changing, you start to see that everything is connected in these really profound ways that most people miss. Like, degrees losing value isn't just about the job market - it's about how we're all reimagining what value even means in today's world. Just my thoughts based on what I've been observing. Would love to hear more about how you see these connections playing out!

We are here to have experiences. We are already all there is. The ego is an expression of the All. The one true Source. This is why it manifested itself as a human being so it can experience what it's like to be human. Why are we trying to accomplish ego death when, to me, it seems like an impossible task as it is merely a mental construction. Why are we trying to become a "nobody" when that is not the reason for our existence. We as humans are limited but we stem from the unlimited so we can have the experience of what it's like to be limited. This is not our true nature. Most of us recognizes this and as long as we know this to be true and keep that running in the background can't we just allow for the Universe to flow through us and allow it to manifest through us as it pleases instead of trying to become unlimited - we are already inherently unlimited by nature and are just playing roles. Isn't Source seeing it's reflection through us and all we need to do is remove all the faulty and conditioned layers we have constructed for ourselves and work towards seeing ourselves as Source sees itself in order to live a more fulfilling life. That's transformation, not death. Trying to kill the ego is like trying to kill God as God is the Ego because God is everything, Can someone make this make sense to me because I'm not understanding why we are even trying to accomplish this. Why not just aim for it's transformation and transform it into something beautiful.

Ralston is launching a new book. Would be a great conversation focused not just about enlightenment but transformation, self-actualization, skills development, life, curiosity, AI, robots.

"Many people can grasp difficult concepts mentally while still unconsciously avoiding their emotional impact. True existential courage involves the ability to maintain presence with uncomfortable truths without activating psychological defense mechanisms. Yes, this distinction strikes at something profound. It's the difference between what we might call "map knowledge" versus actually walking the territory. Someone can intellectually understand concepts like impermanence, death, uncertainty, or their own psychological patterns, but still unconsciously flee from the lived experience of these truths. This reminds me of how some highly intellectual people can eloquently discuss psychological concepts or spiritual teachings while still being largely unconscious of their own defensive patterns in real time. They've developed sophisticated mental models but haven't developed the capacity to stay present with the raw reality these models describe. What makes this particularly challenging is that intellectual understanding can actually become a defense mechanism itself. The mind can create elegant philosophical frameworks that give the illusion of having faced these truths while actually serving as a buffer against really feeling them. It's like building a beautiful glass display case around something dangerous - you can see it clearly, but you're still protected from direct contact. The truly developed person, as you suggest, has bridged this gap. They can not only understand difficult truths intellectually but can remain present with the full emotional and existential weight of them without needing to dissociate, rationalize, or otherwise defend against the experience. This capacity seems to be what allows for genuine transformation rather than mere accumulation of knowledge."

Related, from Claude: # Existential Courage: The Capacity to Face Reality ## Core Concepts The capacity to face existential realities isn't primarily about intellectual understanding, but about the ability to remain emotionally present with difficult truths without resorting to psychological defenses. This involves several key ideas: ### Negative Capability Coined by poet John Keats in 1817, this describes the capacity to remain in uncertainty and doubt without anxiously grasping for immediate answers or resolution. It's the ability to sit with mystery and ambiguity rather than forcing premature conclusions. This quality is particularly relevant to existential courage, as it describes the exact capacity needed to face life's fundamental uncertainties without retreating into false certainties or comforting illusions. ### Being With A term that emerged from contemplative traditions, particularly Buddhism and later adopted in Western psychology, referring to the capacity to experience reality directly without immediately trying to change, fix, or escape from it. This differs from intellectual understanding in that it's about direct experiential contact rather than conceptual knowledge. The practice of "being with" requires a fundamental courage to face whatever arises in consciousness without immediately activating defense mechanisms. ### The Gap Between Understanding and Experience The distinction between these capacities and mere intellectual understanding is crucial. Many people can grasp difficult concepts mentally while still unconsciously avoiding their emotional impact. True existential courage involves the ability to maintain presence with uncomfortable truths without activating psychological defense mechanisms. This suggests that the development of consciousness isn't primarily about acquiring new knowledge, but about developing the capacity to remain present with what we already know at a deeper level. ## Reading List ### On Negative Capability - **"The Letters of John Keats"** - Particularly his December 1817 letter to his brothers where he first introduces the concept - Provides the original context and thinking behind this influential idea - **"Negative Capability: The Intuitive Approach in Keats" by Walter Jackson Bate** - Comprehensive exploration of the concept and its implications - Examines how this capacity relates to broader human development - **"The Wisdom of Insecurity" by Alan Watts** - While not explicitly about negative capability, it explores similar themes - Examines the relationship between uncertainty and psychological freedom ### On Being With - **"Start Where You Are" by Pema Chödrön** - Excellent exploration of staying present with difficulty - Practical guidance for developing this capacity - **"Radical Acceptance" by Tara Brach** - Deep dive into the practice of being with experience - Explores the relationship between acceptance and transformation - **"The Courage to Be" by Paul Tillich** - Philosophical exploration of existential courage - Examines the relationship between anxiety and authentic existence ### On Existential Psychology - **"The Denial of Death" by Ernest Becker** - Examines how humans psychologically defend against existential awareness - Explores the roots of human avoidance behaviors - **"Existential Psychotherapy" by Irvin Yalom** - Comprehensive look at how humans face (or avoid) existential realities - Practical applications of existential understanding in psychological work - **"Faith, Hope and Carnage" by Nick Cave and Seán O'Hagan** - Recent work exploring these themes through personal experience - Contemporary perspective on facing existential realities ### On Defense Mechanisms - **"The Mechanism of Defence" by Anna Freud** - Foundational work on psychological defenses - Essential understanding of how we avoid difficult truths - **"Neurosis and Human Growth" by Karen Horney** - Explores how people develop elaborate systems to avoid facing reality - Examines the relationship between authenticity and psychological development ## Key Insights The core insight running through all these works is that genuine psychological and spiritual development requires developing the capacity to remain present with uncertainty and difficulty rather than seeking premature resolution or escape. This isn't about achieving any particular state or gaining new knowledge, but rather about removing the barriers that prevent us from facing reality as it is. This suggests that the development of existential courage might be more about unlearning our habitual avoidance patterns than about acquiring new capabilities. The capacity to face reality might be innate, but becomes covered over by psychological defenses developed in response to existential anxiety. The relationship between courage and integrity appears to be fundamental: without the courage to face our inner experience directly, we cannot develop genuine integrity, as we'll always be prone to various forms of self-deception and avoidance. This suggests that the development of existential courage might be a prerequisite for genuine psychological and spiritual development. Note: Citations should be verified as this list was compiled without access to a current database.

For the specialists in Astrology out there: The U.S. is deep in its Pluto return aftermath, navigating a transformation that only happens once every 248 years. Historically, empires don’t fare well after their Pluto return. And America is reaching its empire expiration date. Let’s unpack this. Let’s talk Pluto. Pluto = Death, rebirth, power, collapse, reckoning. The U.S. Pluto return (2022–2025) marks the first time since 1776 that Pluto has returned to the degree it occupied at America’s birth. This is the empire moment.

I just want to say that after 6 years of learning from & trying to embody your insights, I'm noticing an exponential growth curve. Over the last year, I've started to become conscious of more and more of the things you speak about, mostly without substances. Not at the same depth, but I'm really seeing my entire lifestyle and whole being transform to an almost unrecognizable degree. Thanks to the grace of many guides I've discovered through you - and through friends, I made because of you - my being is flooded with liberating wisdom and exquisite joy. Even though my path has become very different from yours, I honor you and your gifts. Your teachings will affect many more lives through your students and their unique life purpose. There is one thing I would like to mention to you as a fellow friend and seeker: There are guides out there that are incredibly awake, much more awake than 99% of the spiritual gurus that are commonly known. They usually have very little followers or no online presence at all. Most of these I only met through 'fluke luck' or grace because they were recommended by a friend. These guides, especially when worked with directly, can create tremendous transformation because they can transmit their being and reflect back any blind spots that are keeping us stuck in self-deception. All this to say, permanent awakening to pure divinity & absolute infinity is possible. You are possible. Excerpt from the book 'the incredible reality of you' by LUCIALORN