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He is a bit oversmart. That's scary. It's like someone growing up way before time. It's threatening. Scary shit. You are very scary dude. Some serious sociopath issues going on. Delusional. Maniacal. He needs serious help. He tried committing suicide once by ingesting 100 pills. He got serious problems. Others aren't responsible for his state of misery. It's a bad dynamic. There is some sadomasochistic nihilistic factor going on as well. And there is some lovelessness and denial as well. He doesn't want to know that he has problems because that might go against his ego lol.

Life doesn't care if you suffer. You are a soldier genetically programmed to advance. You also have software that prevents you from committing suicide. This is not kindergarten, this is war, and in case of war it is best to relax and enjoy the battle. It is a great show, intricate, full of brilliant intelligence, delving into it is of great beauty, but no one escapes its hardness.

I'm too lazy to read this whole thread. But if you do ketamine you see how your consciousness can disassociate from your body and merge with materials around you. I have experienced this and have read many trip reports stating the same. So I suspect we don't die and just return to the source or void or the collective consciousness. Suicide doesn't work either. You can kill this body but you cannot kill your true self. We are eternal. That is my hunch anyway.

Notice how in the whole wide world people aren't running around crying how they're gonna die someday. They're only concerned about surviving. There are no chaotic outbursts from people having existential crisis's running around saying, jesus i'm gonna die someday. Notice how things are orderly chaotic. The sun shines every morning, night falls. Spring, summer, autumn, winter every year. Ever since you've been born every year same thing - except for contents. As in human bullshit, accidents, murder, wars, etc. Then natural disasters, hurricane, tsunamis, earthquakes etc, predictable chaos. I could write a book, just add in some stories, that's the only difference. That's what a DREAM is. That's what it is when there's nothing here, no people, no earth, no death, nobody doing anything. No mind no thoughts, no nothing. A friggin' void. No earth, no stars, no moon, no sun. No constellation, no planets, no clouds, no sky, no aliens, no people, no nothing. Tell people, they are God, they freak out. Tell people they don't exist, they freak out. Everybody wants to save you from hell, but ask for some rent money they tell you to fuck off. Everybody scared of something. Everything You name it. Somebody scared of it. All kinds of phobias. All kinds and of diseases. Everybody addicted to something. Taking drugs, alcohol, smoking, if not, work, sex, something. Gotta cling. Cling for dear life. Holding on for dear life. Hoarders hoarding some shit they don't even need. Gotta find something to do. Can't sit still. Hyper. Even if they cool with no worries, same shit. They so scared they just caved in and letting things ride. Wherever life takes them they say, Scared as shit. They're the most scared, so scared they chillin', cause any more scared they'd burst. At least the anxious getting it out somehow. Every other person wanna kill themselves at sometime or another. For 10 years they wanna kill themselves, but they even scared of that. We hate people but we on social media everyday, talking how much we hate people. Cant stand people but they on there everyday. We hate the world but cheer on the babies for coming here and mourn the dead. We hate life but scared to die. Don't make no sense. We hanging on, hanging on for dear life. For what, just to die anyway. We kill so we can live longer just to die anyway. We eat garbage, killing ourselves slowly but say suicide is wrong. Slow death, eating pure poison and rotting our insides but we're scared to die. That's it. So that should tell you something. Nobody is going to flinch. Nobody cares. That's not a part of the story. We're supposed to be living not dying. Why is everything like this. Because there's no one here, nothing here, Noone but the almighty Source. Source of everything. Nothing but It. Doing it all. Being it all. Experiencing it all. Loving it all. THE END.

Is there an ulterior motive in meditation, Hinduism, Buddhism, and psychedelics? (I am a rookie and working through my issues Lol! I am still clinging to self and trying to decide if I should be a good citizen or "walk my path.") Is it fair to say the dirty little secret of these practices is there is no free-will and there is no self and these practices lead to "god realization" and solipsism? If so, is it true none of these practices can advertise the "dirty little secret" up front because the "common man" is repulsed by these ideas of no free-will and no self? So we are all lured in to believe meditation makes you calm and psychedelics are fun at parties. But eventually mom or grandma meditates so much and gets a fleeting glimpse of the "silent watcher." Or a naïve person takes psychedelics and has an unexpected "ego death." It's like part of the life cycle is getting your heart broken or being betrayed by someone you trust. We all have to check these boxes. We must learn our heart is fragile and learn its worth and value by seeing it crushed. So in the same sense, society must first set us up for a midlife crisis or turn us into sheeple so we can eventually wake up and break from the herd. What would happen if a culture or society had newborns who were already awake? Could this utopia exist? Or is the joy and fulfillment in the awakening? We need rites of passage? And life itself is a rite of passage? It feels like a conspiracy but I know it is an unintended conspiracy. Unless I created all these intricate details and I am the dreamer. Or does god use these practices to wake himself up? Did I leave all these breadcrumbs for myself? It gives me a big cheesy smile and I feel fulfilled and satisfied to have this tiny awakening. But the doubt creeps in that I am deluding myself and lots of close friends and family would all think I've gone full woo. I am worried I am a failure or unsuccessful by family standards or society standards and I am inventing all this "magical thinking" to make myself feel better. And if I am on my path of awakening (which I guess I can't not be), I even dreamt up this forum and the fact I have to post to strangers when really it is me responding to myself. Lol! I can't think the thoughts and instead need you to reply to me. I can't simply "awaken" but need you to give me advice. And just as a dark and ugly tangent I will say that I do get the feeling that facing suicide during a psychedelic trip is also a "dirty little secret" of psychedelics and possibly also the practices I mentioned above. Leo is the first and only person I have ever heard warn about suicide in these contexts and I am very impressed by his warnings and honesty. But then again... I dreamt Leo up? Thanks. Be well. Be safe.

I've never really hit rock bottom that hard but this song's title is literally the number for a suicide prevention hotline, and his speech brought me to tears the first time i've heard it:

Here might be a relevant song. Here is another popular song by citizen soldier. His songs are all about suicide.

You don't hate yourself, hatred=destruction, annihilation, since you are here asking questions you don't hate yourself. So the first step you need to learn is to be honest. Everything that someone hates they wish it didn't exist. Hatred breeds violence, the highest act of self hatred is suicide, and genocide. Since you haven't done any of those things you don't hate yourself. You hate your situation, your environment. If things could go the way you want them too and you could feel like you are in control then you would love yourself. So your hatred is just a result of selfishness. To learn to love yourself you need to become a FAN of yourself. You need to find a passion, pursue it, and master it. This will create deep respect and admiration for yourself which will create Self-Love. Anyone that lacks passion in life, will lack Love for themselves. The other important aspect is framing. How you frame a situation can empower it or depower it. You need to learn to frame your memories in a positive manner that speaks with reverence and respect about you. Negative self-talk is the birth of self-hatred, the more you engage in it the worst you will feel. This means you need to be a friend to yourself if you want to experience a good life.

Close your eyes and listen to this song - It is the best thing I've experienced in 6 months during struggling with my issues. I love ambience music. My mind isn't a great state right now but sometimes some music breaks through.

Here a video of some people actually trying to talk or find Structural solutions for it. The Thing is , when there are a problem in the Gardenm, for example when Flowers are not bloosoming, we will blame the flowers first? or maybe we will check the soil, the enviromental changes, is raining? There are a toxic element in the soil? Not to say the Incels dont have a part on it. But the truth is, is they exist and there are loneliness, suicide etc.. is not just a choice

I imagine that at some point I will just feel that my mission here is done or that my body does not longer allow me to pursue my mission so I should just move on. I think if we would know culturally that we are indeed Consciousness/Gods it would be normal to just come to realization in old age that it's time to move on. Imagine it. That it would be normal to decide that you know, I think I'm done, it was such a beatiful life, let's go further. You would inform your loved ones, and everyone would be rejoiced that you are going to transition to the next phase, you and your friends and family would make great last party and so on. Yeah. But realistically I would just travel to the country that supports euthanasia which I believe will be plenty when I get old. Or just stop eating and leave in meditation. Whatever. It's not that difficult to commit suicide.

I may be wrong here, but I can’t imagine my great grandma working out in her state anymore. I think this has to be a lifelong activity before you get too old. I think there may be a point of no return where let’s say you can’t even hold your own body weight standing (when your 90 or so) working out and being able to come off a walker idk I don’t see it happening too often. I think it’s more common once your on a walker you tend to have it for life. like assisted suicide? Interesting. I think the ‘peaceful way’ would have to be important. I don’t think old people can will themselves to die even if they ‘want’ to but at what point would that be appropriate for you? Maybe you only know when you get there. When you get too far down the road even travel or sitting on a plane/bus/car becomes difficult (unless you do it at home somehow and don’t mess it up which might be painful). But I can even imagine there will be a lot of ‘home technology’/health tracking which would alert people or prevent you from doing this kind of stuff at home

In my experience, suicidal thoughts happens when you are in a painful situation that you feel hopeless about changing. It is a form of escape that gets typically acted on on impulse when you happen to be in a seriously bad state. That is why it is important that you don't have any means of suicide in your vicinity, like a loaded gun. That is also why health professionals ask for how you intend to commit suicide when you tell them you are suicidal, so they can gauge how much danger you are in. You write that you are responding well to therapy which makes me believe that this is very much workable, this situation. It'll just take time. Please do not harm yourself in any way.

I sent you one from New York times. I send you another from CNN. "The framework of the proposal was agreed to by negotiators in Paris at the end of last month. CNN previously reported that it would call for a first phase of civilian hostage releases to take place over a six-week pause, with three Palestinian prisoners held by Israel released for each civilian hostage returned from Gaza. That ratio would be expected to go up for Israel Defense Forces soldiers and a longer pause is possible beyond the six weeks for the later phases." Hamas has replied to Gaza hostage proposal | CNN Politics Why did Israel not agree to this? Numbers and material damage says otherwise. Number of hostages Hamas has taken is far lower than the number of Palestinian kids in Israeli prisons through the decades. These are verifiable things you know. Also I do not see Palestine taking any territory from Israel in recent decades. Name me some Palestinian settlements at the expense of Israel land? Most of civilian deaths and war crimes committed against Germany were done by USSR after the Nazis killed close to 27 million Soviets and 17 million civilians. They showed tons of restraint which I still find respectable. A lot of the bombings that the Allies did were to support USSR since they did not want to open a second front until 1944. Nakba - Wikipedia The Nakba (Arabic: النكبة an-Nakbah, lit. 'The Catastrophe') is the violent displacement and dispossession of Palestinians, along with the destruction of their society, culture, identity, political rights, and national aspirations. Sounds like devilry to me. Go and try to steal someone's home and see how they respond to that. In the USA, Israel biggest ally you will get shotguned in the face and the person that did it will not be legally charged since you are transpassing in their property. I would also argue a 12 year old kid spending the night in Israeli prisons outside in the cold is not much better than a Hamas tunnel. Lets not pretend Israel does not jail 20x more than Hamas kidnaps. I saw a report of a 84 year old woman detained in Israel jails. Is she also terrorist? Suicide bombing is indeed horrible, I cannot argue with that. I am not an expert on that topic but I read that the Israeli negotiator said something like "If I was in Palestine place I would not agree to it myself". I will try to find the sources after. Yet Israel does not want a Palestinian state even though the world including the west is saying it is the only solution. Personally I would say 1947 border would be the most fair split but I dont think it will happen. 1968 border it is then. BiBi does not accept that. Also you did not tell me any response regarding religion fueling Israel expansion. As a secular Isareli would like to hear your view on that. 🇮🇱 Israeli minister: The Bible says West Bank is ours - UpFront (youtube.com) This is the source of talk I despise the most from Israel. Using religious nonsense to justify devilry. Same people do not even allow DNA tests to check ancestry. Talk about "advanced society".

@Karmadhi from top to down: I didn't see anywhere that hamas agreed to release them before the ground operation. It doesnt make sense, it would erase their efforts overnight. Please find me a link that proves that. Israel didnt cause "far more" I disagree with that. Also the context is important if not the most important thing. The Allied also did a tremendous damage to Germany. Nobody just kicked anyone out of the blue, in 1947 a totally civil war in its character has started and from then yes, its a whole Jungle. But Jews were almost only in deffence first until almost lost. Also, displacement and building in your territory although problematic is still not even close to suicide bombing and being hostage in hamas tunnels. 2nd intifada started right after a decade long of signed agreements between Israelis and Palestinians supposed to give them a lot of hope. The Palestinians physical area in the West Bank is much larger than central Israel due also to greater surface area due to the mountainy landscape by the way an another parameter I though about recently.

welp, no advice here just me saying that i hate myself too. since i got out of the military ive been a suicidal mess. i hate the civilian world. my last hope was going back into that world as a mercenary but when my father cried when he got the news i simply couldent do it. so i just go through the motions now. im probably gonna end up taking another attempt real soon. 40 pills would usually kill a man but for some sick joke im still here. i hate myself and i hate my life. ive given up on any avenue for passion or purpose. my last one being the mercenary thing. by the time my dad dies im gonna be too old for the FFL theres no other mercenary force i would wanna fight for. so i just go through the motions. imaging and visualizing my suicide makes me happy now. again not advice, just me saying it can always get worse. and to let u know ur not alone. good luck

ive given up. nothing wrong with it, just gotta deal with the fact youve given up. keep pushing do what you gotta do. maybe something can change. saying no nothing will change is stupid cuz you dont know that. if you give up just expect a downward spiral and dont fool yourself and blame life or anybody. I was a Marine that was the best of my life. i missed it i was going to go mercenary just to get back into that kind of life but because of the pain it would cause my parents i didnt do it. caused me deeper distress and misery. ive tried and tried to make things worse chase dreams, fail fail fail. at one point i said fuck it. ill just roll through the motions maybe something happens, something doesnt, maybe i lose it one day and end up pulling the trigger WHO KNOWS. the last avenue of hope is that maybe something in the future will change. if you give up as i have that possibility still stands you just arent gonna be looking for it anymore. thats like the last thread (for me at least mind you military is all i know i hate the civi world) to prevent suicide but thats all it takes if you are really open to the possibility one day something may change. its a life that doesnt have to be a sorry, life its a sorry life if you let it be a sorry life. try not to get hooked on drugs, coke, H, bars. im not speaking from the choir ive done enough blow to kill a whale and im still here sadly its just gonna complicate things further. take life slow and take it with a grain of salt if your that miserable, as i am. keeps the days more predictable. if its not clear at this point its just PURE survival. it doesnt feel fulfilling but hey its life. i was told life sucks, suck it up, so i do, idk, anyways. hope maybe this helps u out a little coming from someone whos in the shit too and not somebody who has never experienced trying to take thier own life from failures and complete hate for their own life. people who live a good life will never understand our struggle we gotta stick together. maybe advice like "oh your problems are imaginary" will help you out, it doesnt help me out not one bit. even the one time i realized i was everything and nobody else exists but me. there is no HUMAN there is no other people there is no anything. that insight is gone, its meaningless now i cant even tell if it was real or just a dream anymore. i advise you dont give up on self help at least take care of yourself and your body. this will create a little bit of comfort in you, cooking can create comfort in you if you learn to enjoy it. try new things but dont romanticize about them thats gonna bite you in the ass. good luck

Imo, you need to weigh up the potential risk vs. potential rewards of taking them. I hear some troubling stories about people who've taken them. However, personally they completely changed my life for the better. Imo, it was just lucky that i have the brain chemistry that reacted well to that particular drug. I only took them as a last resort, when i was close to suicide. I held off on taking them for years.

I'll shoot a list at you with the raw data. More details can be discussed later on. I have done the LP course three times to 60% and I have been procrastinating on it on and off since 2017. I'll finish it soon ( haha) (In no particular order of importance) I love problem solving. I love thinking about solutions for situations in multiple novel and possibly original ways. I'm basically an idea generator on command. I'm vastly resourceful . I love speaking and communicating ideas. I love teaching and explaining. I love improv comedy. Sense of humor is a core part of my personality. It's literally impossible for me to be talking or thinking without funny perspectives or observations popping into my mind. Im passionate about studying and contemplating personal development ( embodying is a while different can of worms) , psychology ( understanding self esteem, beliefs, epistemology, self image, confidence, emotions, trauma, limiting beliefs and the raw instincts , biases and genetic expression of what it is like to be incarnated as a human being. I'm very patient with people, extremely humble ( no brag ). I've always been curious about philosophy and metaphysics. I'm also extremely radically openminded. I have consumed vast amounts of personal development content . I may have watched almost all of Leo's vids around 3 times if not more over last years, tons of attraction , game cold approach and social dynamics content. I love the potential of social drills and personal social experiments to trigger yourself or someone to release trauma and build confidence. Cold approach for the personal development gains is amazing as well. I'm in love with how they fuck with you on stage in RSD seminars to trigger you. Beautifully effective. I have done psychedelics a few times and I'm looking forward to doing more, mostly for trauma release purposes rather than metaphysical insight. I love singing and I definitely have an itch for music. A beautiful voice ( or chorus ) is one of the few thing that bring me to tears. I often fantasize about singing out loud in public. Music hypes me the fuck up way too much. I love putting emotion into speaking, funny voices, acting and expressing myself spontaneously. Since very young I have allways been interested in theater but never really got into it. I have a bazillion ideas for skits , short videos and cartoons but when I sit down in front of the pc by myself to start making it happen I feel I'm wasting my time terribly. It could be a hobby perhaps. I enjoy video editing but it also makes me feel im wasting my time . I love dancing and moving my body. It's also one of my favorite ways of socializing besides improv comedy. I love giving advice and listening to peoples problems. I have fantasized quite often about sitting on a bench in a busy street with a sign saying " tell me your problems" . I would mind doing this for free. I'm pretty introverted and have been extremely cripplingly shy in the past. I was raised pretty poor. I was raised in caravans and a shack. My mom has been an alcoholic my entire life and my dad is a functional alcoholic. I've played videogames for 16 hours per day until 17 years old. I've overcome my shyness by rewiring my beliefs and direct experience socializing. I was motivated because I had a crush on a girl from highschool. Overcoming shyness and building confidence is probably one of the most meaningful impacts I could have on people and the world if I had to choose. The thing is that due to life circumstances, perhaps health issues ( heavy metal toxicity, possible allergies ) and getting way too deep into spirituality from a young age , my ambition is and has been pretty minimal for now. I've gone through such a crippling Dark Night of the Soul at 21 it felt like my soul had been brutally raped and it had left scars on me till this very day. I also have access to a bliss state on command if I'm doing nothing and I focus on the present moment which further demotivating for material success. I'm pretty damn happy doing nothing but I battle lack of motivation . I like to think of myself as very creative, mostly mentally and not in the meaning of bringing things into existence. I'm also extremely frugal. I want to say the low ambition is genetic as well but I'm nowhere close to maxing out my genetic Ambition and I'm slowly working on that. I want to say I'm responsible and have vastly above average morals I thought about becoming a dating coach for men in the past. I love the personal transformation aspect but as of right now I don't see relationships as something very important. Getting laid is critically important for men and I've felt that exact pain before and it's very dear to my heart. When I think about Reckful's suicide and almost losing one of my best friend ti the same cause ( heartbreak, loneliness and dysfunctional beliefs ) it brings me to tears. I wouldn't mind being a life coach but I feel it's not exactly ideally IT yet. It's too serious for me to be motivated and excited in the long run. It's missing the room for sense of humor and playfulness. Also sitting in front of a screen is a waste of time Imo because Ideally I prefer to work with people face to face in front o a small crowd I believe, while involving the crowd, I think. The vision i've got right now is some sort of teacher for self esteem, confidence, playfulness , expression and personal development. Almost like an acting teacher focused on personal development. I'm notoriously inexpressive and monotone though as a fellow polish slav. And more specifically something like an Improv comedy teacher that works mostly with small group of 20 people, and sometimes one on one. But my twist would be focused on personal development, healing trauma, building confidence, social skills, expression , spontaneity and sense of humor. If it's not a game like this I couldn't keep it up for long. Lemme know what ya got

@trenton i used to wanna be a boxer, when that crumbled i was depressed and suicidal cuz i couldent accept things for how they are if i cant control them. im still depressed as fuck not much hope anymore everyday is a blessing at this point but some strange reason i fell in love with being depressed. AVOID THIS try new things, meet people, just randomly go out and do stuff. if you stick with depression for too long or too deep and your depression turns into a crutch, suicide gets drilled in your head, then its VERY DANGEROUS! this isnt really advice just my input i guess im nobody to be giving advice read this at ur own risk

Nazism, the ideology associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, played a significant role in shaping history during the 1930s and 1940s. While there were many individuals involved, here are five key figures associated with Nazism: Adolf Hitler (1889-1945): As the leader of the Nazi Party and Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, Hitler was the central figure of Nazism. He orchestrated the Holocaust and led Germany into World War II, pursuing aggressive territorial expansion. Heinrich Himmler (1900-1945): Himmler was one of Hitler's closest associates and the chief architect of the SS (Schutzstaffel), a paramilitary organization that played a crucial role in implementing the Holocaust. He held various powerful positions within the Nazi regime, including Reichsführer-SS and Chief of German Police. Joseph Goebbels (1897-1945): Goebbels was the Minister of Propaganda in Hitler's government and played a key role in shaping the narrative of Nazi ideology. He was known for his skill in manipulating public opinion and his fervent commitment to promoting anti-Semitic propaganda. Hermann Göring (1893-1946): Göring was a leading member of the Nazi Party and one of Hitler's closest confidants. He served as Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe (German air force) and held various other important positions within the Nazi regime. After Hitler's death, Göring was briefly named Hitler's successor, but he was captured by the Allies and later sentenced to death at the Nuremberg Trials (though he escaped execution by committing suicide). Reinhard Heydrich (1904-1942): Heydrich was a high-ranking SS officer and a key architect of the Holocaust. He played a crucial role in planning and coordinating the "Final Solution," the systematic extermination of six million Jews. Heydrich chaired the Wannsee Conference in 1942, where plans for the mass genocide were formalized. These individuals, among others, were responsible for implementing and perpetuating the Nazi ideology, resulting in widespread atrocities and a devastating impact on the course of history.

Leo Gura Ego Death & Reality vs. Dream [Part 2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YspFR9JAq3w Introduction to Part 2: The second part of the conversation with Leo Gura continues from where part one ended, exploring the nature of consciousness, and idealism, suggesting that individuals are expressions of God but have forgotten this truth. Curt Jaimungal's role and focus: Curt, a filmmaker with a background in mathematical physics, delves into theories of everything with a focus on the nexus between consciousness and theoretical physics. He shares his intent to examine these subjects with rigor and clarity. Interview dynamics and length: The interview is noted as the longest Curt has had, characterized by reflective pauses and moments of fervor that he chose to retain in the recording for their expressiveness. Recommendation for audience engagement: Curt encourages the audience to engage in deeper conversations on related subjects through the podcast's Discord and subreddit and thanks patrons and sponsors for their support. Sponsors' support for exploration: The support from sponsors like Algo, Brilliant, and Project Transcend is acknowledged, as it enables the podcast to delve into topics such as consciousness and various theories in theoretical physics. Curt's acknowledgments and reflections: He offers thanks to those who introduced him to Leo's content and reviewers who provided analysis of the previous interview, committing to better internalize and communicate Leo's teachings. Discussion approach and self-critique: Curt recognizes his own tendencies during the interviews, such as being overly contentious and neglecting to fully appreciate and convey Leo's points, pledging to improve future discussions by embracing Leo's terminology and ideas more openly. Balancing objections with openness: Curt admits his challenge in balancing skepticism with genuine truth-seeking, aiming to alter his approach by similarly considering what is right about Leo's perspective, not just potential flaws. Comments moderation policy: Curt explains his policy of engagement with audience comments, differentiating between critiques directed at himself versus ad hominem comments toward Leo, aiming to foster constructive discourse. Uniform oneness and fractal reality: The infinite field of consciousness must construct differences to manifest varied experiences, much like the Big Bang transitioning from oneness to a diverse universe. God's desire for exploration: Like a mathematician fascinated by the infinite intricacies of numbers, God explores its own finite aspects, desiring granularity over abstract infinity. Human vs. God imagination: Humans imagine within physical and societal constraints, but from the God perspective, there are no limits to manifesting entire universes or new experiences. Psychosis and societal norms: Those with unbounded imaginations, like individuals experiencing psychosis, often find difficulty adhering to the consensus reality and can face institutionalization or exclusion. Survival and maintaining humanness: The limited scope of human imagination is tethered to the necessity of maintaining a coherent human experience and aligns with societal survival mechanisms. The responsibility to explore: Despite the limitless imagination from the divine viewpoint, humans face the responsibility of staying grounded in consensus reality to function and survive. Imagining new realities: God's boundless imagination can envision anything, including new universes or continents, transcending the limitations of human conceptualization. Constrained human imagination: Humans are limited in what they can imagine, as losing grasp on consensus reality can lead to dysfunction and being labeled as psychotic or schizophrenic. Survival's grip on imagination: The attachment to survival constrains our ability to experience reality beyond the physical; fear of death roots us in this dream life, preventing exploration of infinite possibilities across universes. Disclaimer for at-risk individuals: Leo issues a warning that those with mental instability or contemplating suicide should be cautious with these concepts and anchor themselves in reality to handle survival basics. Life's value amidst non-duality: While reality is a dream and life may seem insignificant from an absolute point of view, Leo urges valuing life as a precious gift, maintaining good health, and not succumbing to harm based on philosophical explorations. Relative vs. absolute perspectives on life and death: Actions like suicide are neither fundamentally wrong nor right, fitting within infinite reality; the decision is relative, with Leo finding reasons such as terminal illness sometimes justifiable, but generally advocating for appreciating life's beauty. Interplay between evidence and definitions of God: Echoing Tyler Goldstein's sentiment, Leo suggests that a lack of evidence for God should inspire a transformation of the definition of God, emphasizing truth-seeking over god-seeking and staying open to surprises on the spiritual journey. Unknown specifics within infinity: Leo distinguishes between general omniscience, realizing the concept of infinity, and specific omniscience, which details exact knowledge of events or entities; he admits many individual aspects of existence remain mysterious even when aware of infinity. Illusions of objective reality: The consensus concept of objective reality is questioned as layers of shared imagination create illusionary objectivity, highlighting the challenge in distinguishing between vivid dreams and waking life cohesion. Differentiating degrees and kinds: Curt explores the question of when differences in degree between entities or phenomena translate into differences of a fundamentally different kind, a notion not fully appreciated in debates like pro-life vs. pro-choice or the analogy between dream states and waking life. Imagination and distinction: Leo addresses the question of difference and imagination, explaining that differences are relative and subject to how they're delineated by the mind, which can alter some boundaries, like the definition of when life begins, while others, like physical separations, are more fixed by universal laws or physics. Cohesion and consistency in reality: He elaborates on why reality feels solid and persistent, contrasting this with the fluidity of dreams. Cohesion and consistency are crucial for constructing a reality indistinguishable from a dream without glitches, which requires a consistent dreaming process. Hallucination and material reality: Psychedelics are discussed as tools that reveal the malleable nature of material reality, challenging materialist perspectives and forcing a reevaluation of the solidity of reality constructs, such as the brain or atoms. Literality of labels: Leo argues that labels like "real" and "unreal" are variable and that reality is an interplay of imagination where even constructs like Santa Claus can be real in the context of consciousness, highlighting the need for a worldview adjustment when we redefine terms. Academic attachment to model of reality: He critiques the academic and scientific tendency to rigidly anchor reality in concepts like materialism, which filter out experiences that don't fit within their paradigm, warning that this approach limits our understanding of an infinite reality. Dissolving physical limitations: Leo explains that through the expansion of consciousness and the use of psychedelics, even seemingly solid physical boundaries can begin to dissolve, similar to experiences in dreams, illustrating the influence of imagination on perception. Permanence of differences: By using the example of one's wife vs. Santa Claus, Leo contends that differences we perceive as permanent are actually variable, subject to change under different conditions, and that materialists err in assuming the fundamental permanence of such distinctions. Literal interpretation of scientific rigor: Scientists often believe in the rigorousness of their fields, like mathematics and logic, but Leo argues that the perceived concreteness is an illusion; even quantum mechanics involves metaphorical explanations. Limitation of the scientific mindset: A rigorous approach to reality creates a self-fulfilling prophecy, where a scientist's expectation of strictness and precision shapes their perception, leading to a reality that reflects these biases, similar to a conspiracy theorist creating a paranoid worldview. Construct awareness: Leo emphasizes a developmental stage called "construct awareness," where individuals realize how their minds construct their perceived reality. Most scientists have not reached this stage, hindering their ability to transcend materialism and fully understand the infinite nature of reality. Ego's defense mechanisms: The mind-scientific or otherwise-constructs a limited reality and defends this model by denying or discrediting experiences that contradict it, creating a hermetically sealed worldview. Problems with logicism and paradoxes: Leo discusses historical attempts, such as Gottlob Frege's, to base all of mathematics on logic, which were undermined by paradoxes like Russell's Paradox. Such endeavors reveal the impossibility of fully capturing infinite truths within finite logical systems. Inadequacy of logical proofs: Proofs depend on the prior existence of truth. Leo criticizes the common assumption that every truth must be provable, suggesting instead the recognition of truths beyond provability and the limitations of reason. Limits of consistency and provability: Gödel's incompleteness theorem, which trades off between consistency and provability, underlines limitations. When discussing logic, Leo points out that accepting contradictions opens up infinite possibilities, which is more reflective of reality's true nature. Contradictions in logic as a pathway to infinity: Leo explains that contradictions allow for the recognition of infinite possibilities beyond what a finite logical system can accommodate, consistent with the infinite nature of reality. Limits of scientific models: Leo argues that scientific methods are useful within restrictions but fail to grasp the full complexity of reality, particularly in the realms of quantum mechanics where classical concepts don't apply. Ontological presuppositions in science: There is a dissonance where scientists claim to avoid ontological assumptions while implicitly operating within them, restricting the scope and limiting the understanding of relational reality versus objectivity. Scientism versus pure investigation: Leo differentiates between science entangled with ontological assumptions and the pure process of investigation free from metaphysical biases, suggesting that the former can hinder the discovery of deeper truths. Ontological assumptions in science: Scientists often unconsciously adopt a certain ontology and may be defensive and unaware of it, which can limit the scope and application of science. Materialist exploratory limitations: The process of debunking supernatural explanations (e.g., fairies, angels) through materialism and logic does not guarantee that this approach can be extended to the entire universe, as reality is infinite and science assumes a finite reality. Infinite versus finite methodologies: Since reality is infinite, using science-a finite method-to grasp all of reality is fundamentally flawed. Science is useful for understanding parts of reality but fails to address questions like "Why is there something rather than nothing?" Identifying limits of scientific inquiry: It's challenging to predetermine which questions science can or cannot answer. This meta-scientific question reveals the testing limits of scientific methods, as fully exploring and applying science to the universe is near-impossible. Science's sneaky ontology: Science often denies inconsistencies within itself and covertly brings in ontological assumptions about separate, discrete objects that it cannot prove-e.g., one's body being distinct from another's. Construct-aware science: Science should become construct-aware, recognizing how it constructs nature in the process of scientific inquiry. Transforming science's foundational philosophy and epistemology can enable groundbreaking research. Confusing models with reality: Science may claim not to make ontological claims and only provides models for predictions. However, Leo asserts science does make ontological claims by denying areas where it is inconsistent, failing to grasp its own construction of reality. Merging East and West knowledge: The integration of Western and Eastern perspectives is key, as Western philosophy and mysticism contain ideas typically associated with Eastern thought, challenging the East versus West dichotomy in understanding reality. Leo's synthesis of Eastern and Western philosophies: Despite the perception that Eastern philosophy is more aligned with his ideas, Leo asserts that his teachings are not novel but are rooted in the wisdom of Western philosophers, Christian mystics, and Sufi and Jewish mystics, advocating for a unified view of wisdom across cultures. The importance of progress: Leo embraces the Western concept of evolution and progress but redefines its purpose as an evolution towards higher consciousness and love. He emphasizes that progress is intrinsic to human and societal development. Compatibility of Leo's ideas with Western values: While acknowledging the material benefits of Western civilization, Leo sees a need to reintegrate the spiritual elements back into Western society to create a balance between material and spiritual development. Reconciling notions of progress with spirituality: Leo explains that understanding evolution from a spiritual perspective gives deeper meaning to Western scientific advancements, suggesting an evolutionary purpose and a target for humanity. Perpetuation of evolution and scientific advancement: Leo expects that future societies will not abandon material advancements like science, politics, and capitalism but will evolve to include mystical understanding. Progress in cognitive and moral development: Highlighting the importance of models from developmental psychology, Leo points to evidence of societal progress in increasing construct awareness and meta-thinking, as well as in fortifying pluralism, reduced discrimination, and an expanding sense of global ethics. Eastern and Western conceptions of reality: Leo finds the Eastern notion of a protean, cyclic reality fashionable, but believes the Western concept of a linear, distinct reality with moral absolutes also holds value, implying the necessity to merge both perspectives for a comprehensive worldview. Retaining Western advancements: Leo asserts that advancements from the Western tradition need not be lost; instead, they should be woven with spiritual understanding, alluding to a harmonious evolution of both material and spiritual dimensions within society. Absolute vs. relative insights: Distinguishing between absolute truths about the nature of existence and relative perspectives on societal matters, Leo acknowledges that his views on the latter may evolve while his understanding of absolutes like God or infinity remain unchanged. Anti-fragile nature of humanity: Leo believes mankind is exceptionally resilient due to selfishness, which paradoxically prevents self-destruction and ensures survival despite causing harm through actions like environmental damage or warfare. Self-correcting mechanism: He views humanity as inherently capable of learning from mistakes, implying that as pain from issues like climate change is felt, society will mobilize and enact change, showing an upward trend in collective conscious awareness. Learning through suffering: Suffering is seen as a key driver of human growth, with Leo suggesting that while wisdom can enable learning without suffering, most of humanity needs painful experiences to evolve. Metaphysical necessity of pain: Though suffering is not deemed metaphysically necessary for AI, Leo views it as vital for human psychological development given current evolutionary constraints. Feasibility of mind uploading: Leo dismisses the materialist pursuit of mind uploading as naive, criticizing figures like Ray Kurzweil for misunderstanding consciousness. He likens the ego, which materialists attempt to upload, to an illusory concept akin to Santa Claus. Exploring consciousness beyond computers: Leo promotes spiritual practices like meditation and psychedelics over technological advancements, suggesting they offer deeper insights into consciousness than computational means. Future consciousness exploration: He envisions a transformative future where genetic understanding of consciousness might create mystic generations capable of evolving human awareness far beyond current limitations. Experiencing versus understanding consciousness: Leo differentiates between the experience of consciousness and the empirical study of its architecture, suggesting a blend of spiritual experience and material study is necessary to truly understand consciousness. Science and metaphysics evolution: Leo and Curt discuss the evolution and integration of scientific understanding and metaphysical insights, emphasizing a balance between scientific models and direct spiritual experiences. Distinction between science and psychic realms: Physical reality, like the motion of the moon, appears consistent and deterministic, whereas psychic phenomena resemble uncertain quantum states, producing only probabilistic intuitions that are not guaranteed. Denial of psychic phenomena by materialists: Psychic phenomena have been statistically validated, but materialist scientists deny them to preserve their paradigm. They require paradigm opening before accepting such evidence. Open-mindedness and extraordinary evidence: Extraordinary evidence necessitates an extraordinarily open mind. Materialists mistakenly believe closed-minded scrutiny suffices for understanding extraordinary claims, underestimating the role of mindset in acknowledging evidence. Materialistic standards conflict with non-materialistic phenomena: Materialism's rigid standards fail to accommodate non-materialistic domains like psychic phenomena, hindering recognition of existing evidence. Empirical verification of God through psychedelics: Using psychedelics like 5-MeO-DMT can empirically reveal the existence of God. Materialists reject this method as hallucinatory, but scientific integrity requires practical application of the method before dismissing its validity. Consistency of psychedelic experiences: Leo states all psychedelics lead him to a state of infinite consciousness or love, with the type of psychedelic merely altering the "flavor" of the experience. Transformation through challenges: By directly confronting deep-seated fears like insanity, one gains empathy and a deeper appreciation for sanity and reality, despite potential loss of rationality or functionality. Limitations of language in expressing truth: Leo stresses the importance of experiencing states of consciousness beyond linguistic constructs to understand reality's transformative power, as language and concepts are insufficient in capturing profound realizations. Spiritual and intuitive inquiry: Curt clarifies his pursuit is not solely about building rational models but also involves intuition and judgment, recognizing that meaningful aspects of life transcend strict rationality. Critiques based on worldview differences: Some view Leo's insights as beyond Curt's rational model-focused approach, but Curt emphasizes his broader interest in truth and awakening beyond formal models. Models versus actuality: Leo cautions that a Theory of Everything is a concept, emphasizing the distinction between concepts and the true nature of being, advising truth seekers to focus on fundamental reality. Extraordinary open-mindedness as a prerequisite for insights: The acceptance of unusual phenomena like psychic experiences depends on an open-minded approach, contrasting with the skeptical framework that predetermines outcomes based on existing beliefs. Changeability of the mind: Despite its stubbornness, the human mind can change given sufficient experience, exemplified by Leo's shift from materialism to a belief in God following a profound experience. Experience vs. belief: Direct experience always trumps belief, and individuals will change long-held beliefs when confronted with undeniable evidence, yet the mind resists experiences that could challenge its current worldviews. Materialist perspectives and avoidance: The materialist mind may avoid experiences that challenge its skepticism, such as attending 'hippie-dippy' events associated with psychedelics, due to preconceived notions of what is unscientific or a waste of time. Michael Shermer's openness: Skeptic Michael Shermer surprisingly attends Deepak Chopra's meditation retreats despite apparent ideological differences, indicating an openness to experiences beyond his usual skepticism. Beliefs shaping reality: Leo clarifies that while reality is ultimately imaginary, believing alone doesn't materialize desires like wealth. Imagination is deeper than belief, and while both a chair and Santa Claus are imaginary, Santa is a weaker form of imagination under ego control, unlike the chair which is part of a universal imagination. The ego's control and definition of reality: The ego defines reality based on what it does not control, which is typically outside the individual's influence-what the ego perceives as objective reality. Ego perception and self-bias: The ego perceives reality selfishly, corrupting the understanding of good, love, and reality itself by defining them in terms that benefit it personally. Control, omnipotence, and belief in finitude: Omnipotence implies indistinction between the controller and the controlled, but believing oneself to be a finite form, like a human body, naturally limits control. Skepticism and worldview: Genuine skepticism involves questioning even one's skeptical worldview, recognizing that it often serves as a defense mechanism rooted in fear and not a path to ultimate truth. Fear and its impact on truth-seeking: Fear is antithetical to genuine truth-seeking as it often signifies a rejection of uncomfortable or challenging aspects of reality, whereas genuine pursuit of truth accepts reality no matter the cost. Science and its assumed path to truth: Leo challenges the assumption that science necessarily leads to truth, suggesting that scientists need to be willing to accept that science, as a methodology, could be a delusion if ultimate truth demands it. Leo's perspective on truth and selfishness: Leo discusses the connection between fear and truth, indicating that fear is an avoidance of one's infinite self, which is the truth. All fears are ultimately unfounded since they are based on imagined distinctions that do not exist in a state of infinite consciousness. Fear of losing self in the pursuit of truth: Leo and Curt explore the fear associated with pursuing truth, contemplating the implications of shedding all selfishness as potentially leading to self-destructive actions. This highlights the deep existential concern that without selfishness, one might act in ways that are contrary to personal survival and well-being. Dynamics of fear in relationship to awakening: Truth is equated with infinite love, and falsely perceiving differences in experiences as good or bad breeds fear. An awakened state is characterized by the absence of fear, as one recognizes all experiences as equal manifestations of the infinite self. Balance between love and survival: The conversation touches on the nature of reality as a game, where the avoidance of infinite love equates to a necessary survival mechanism. Leo sees this reluctance to face truth as a fundamental aspect of life and a way to maintain existence. Surrender to truth as equivalent to truth-seeking: Leo defines surrendering as the act of fully accepting reality as it is, which equates to seeking truth. Ego resists this surrender due to its perceived need for control and survival. Metaphor of Satan/Lucifer for ego: The figures of Satan and Lucifer are described as symbols for the ego's illusion of separatism and control-representing the ego's attempt to dominate its own realm contrary to the boundlessness of truth. Dichotomy between philosophical denial of free will and behavior: Atheists like Sam Harris may intellectually deny free will but still behave as if they exercise control, displaying cognitive dissonance. Leo discusses that despite philosophical beliefs, everyday reactions suggest an underlying expectation of control. Cognitive dissonance between belief and behavior: Leo illustrates how the ego creates complex ideologies that obscure the connection between worldview and suffering, culminating in cognitive dissonance where actions contradict proclaimed beliefs. Difficulty of separating concepts and being: Leo explains the challenge of using language that inherently suggests separateness, distinguishing between upper case "You" representing the all-encompassing self and lower case "you" denoting individual identity within the larger universal context. Science creating distinctions: Science relies on distinguishing between what's considered scientific and non-scientific (pseudoscience), upholding a dichotomy that defines science's boundaries. Reality inclusive of non-science: However, science's denial of non-scientific elements, like Santa Claus, is a denial of aspects of reality, as all things are part of reality – even those deemed non-scientific by its standards. Science of conceptual entities: The possibility of a valid scientific exploration of conceptual entities like unicorns exists, which differs from their physical existence, focusing instead on their conceptualization within reality. Encountering worldview contradictions: When faced with ideas that contradict one's worldview, the response may be to embrace contradictions or claim that these contradictions paradoxically support one's existing beliefs. Authority in determining truth: Seeking an external authority for truth is common, but non-duality suggests that truth must come from within as all distinctions, including authority, collapse, leaving only the self as the judge of truth. Self-authority as the ultimate truth: In non-duality, since God (the infinite self) has no outside, it has no external authority; thus, whatever God (the individual) deems true becomes its reality – showcasing the infinite power of self-authority. God's capacity for self-deception: Despite God's infinite authority, it can deceive itself indefinitely, conjuring its own reality based on its imaginations, which for the finite self (lowercase 'u') may be construed as delusions. Lowercase 'u' vs. uppercase 'U': There is a distinction between truth from the finite, individual self (lowercase 'u') and the infinite self (uppercase 'U' or God) with the latter being fully authoritative in its declarations of truth. Hermetically sealed worldviews: Individuals create closed-off systems of belief, mistaking them for the ultimate reality, while non-duality reveals the capacity to construct and deconstruct such systems. Love as the essence of reality: Addressing the nature of God and truth, Leo explains that the essence of reality is infinite love, challenging the constraints of isolationist and finite perspectives. Dynamic of surrender and spiritual growth: The journey towards infinite love involves continuously surrendering finite definitions of self, progressing to a state of peace where all perspectives, even conflicting ones, can be accepted without defense. Self-criticism as an indicator of care: The act of self-criticism implies an underlying sense of care and correct orientation, suggesting a person's conscientiousness despite potential over-seriousness in personal evaluation. Guilt and developmental stages: Guilt is recognized as evolutionarily necessary at lower levels of development to confront ego-driven actions, but higher spiritual realizations require self-acceptance and the cessation of self-judgment. Complexity of guilt dynamics: The spiritual journey involves a paradox where recognizing one's flaws calls for self-love and self-forgiveness, even in the face of egregious missteps, which challenges societal norms and traditional religious precepts. True integration of Christian teachings: Leo explains that fully embracing Christian teachings means loving oneself unconditionally despite one's flaws, yet not using this as justification for harmful actions. Social acceptance vs spiritual honesty: Expressing the philosophy of self-acceptance can be socially threatening, as it seems to offer a carte blanche for sin, which society construes as dangerous for collective thriving. Concept of sin and societal constructs: Leo discusses sin as a societal construct meant to facilitate legal and social order, suggesting that a deeper understanding and release of the concept may paradoxically lead to more virtuous behavior. Karmic consequences of labeling sin: The labeling of actions as 'sinful' sets up a karmic dynamic where one sees reality through a moralistic filter, creating cycles of guilt and self-recrimination. Self-forgiveness amidst serious mistakes: Leo emphasizes the importance of maintaining love for oneself even after serious errors, viewing this acceptance as a pathway toward spiritual growth and evolution. Upholding moral standards while embracing non-duality: Leo acknowledges the difficulty of reconciling the non-dualistic acceptance of all facets of oneself with societal norms that demand moral accountability and condemnation of wrongdoing. Challenging conventional views of divine encounters: Leo redefines typical responses to divine encounters, suggesting one need not apologize or feel sorry to God, as the assumption of sin and the accompanying guilt are unnecessary in the face of divine acceptance. Seeing all as divine, including Jesus and Hitler: Leo states that all beings are divine, including historical figures like Jesus and Hitler, noting that recognizing the divinity in oneself and in all is integral to spiritual awakening. Jungian shadow integration related to God-realization: He links the process of integrating one's shadow with the realization of God, suggesting embracing all aspects of oneself, even those labeled as evil or unwanted, is essential for true love and understanding. Asymptotic process of shadow integration: The full integration of one's shadow is described as an ongoing, asymptotic process that never quite reaches completeness but continuously evolves toward greater wholeness. Spiritual realization as a choice free from compulsion: Leo stresses that the pursuit of truth, awakening, or God should be a voluntary choice motivated by intrinsic desire and not out of obligation or forced reasoning. Personal integration of honesty for spiritual advance: Honesty is underscored as vital for spiritual advancement, with Leo recalling a personal experience where acknowledging his own deceptions was a prerequisite for further development. The foundational role of honesty: Honesty serves as a foundational principle for approaching truth and facilitates a clearer perception of reality, essential for both spiritual and personal growth. Lies, karma, and self-deception: Lies mix selfish intent with truth, and perpetuating them creates suffering and distortion of reality-this karmic dynamic is intrinsic to ego-based deception and is countered by honesty. Weaponization of ideals: Leo illustrates how partial truths can be twisted to fit one's worldview, like a vaping CEO dismissing studies for self-preservation. This self-deception involves first lying to oneself, then others, often unconsciously, and becomes the foundation for a distorted perception of reality. Consequences of deep lies: Living a life built on deep lies one cannot face has profound karmic repercussions, as it forces one to avoid the truth and hold a skewed view of concepts such as science, leading to an ongoing conflict with reality. Survival conflicts with truth: The ego's survival instinct can create a conflict of interest, leading to a denial of facts that threaten one's livelihood or deep-seated beliefs, often resulting in a twisted worldview that rationalizes personal agendas. Self-deception and devilry: The most insidious form of deception is the strategic intertwining of truth with lies, carried out by the ego to justify selfishness under the guise of partial truths, a process Leo defines as "devillery." Finite versus infinite: Leo discusses the sinfulness associated with finiteness, suggesting that conflating the part for the whole leads to problems, akin to the Gnostic view that materiality is sinful. Leo advises recognizing the holographic nature of reality, where each part reflects the whole, thus bridging the apparent gap between the finite and infinite. Holism versus fragmentation: Leo posits that ultimate truth lies in holistic perception, while fragmentation and focusing on parts as complete "wholes" results in falsehood, similar to how science might propose it can understand everything. Lies tied to finiteness: Curt Jaimungal questions the connection between lies (which he associates with finite aspects) and sin, proposing that finite elements and temporality may be intimately linked to what's considered sinful. Leo confirms this, explaining the concept of holography in consciousness, where every part, even something as small as a charger cable, carries infinity within it, challenging the notion that finiteness is inherently profane. Curt's approach to interviews: Curt recognizes the need to focus on what is right about a speaker's points and rephrase them in an agreeable way, rather than just pointing out contradictions. Literal mindedness and scientific attitude: Leo observes that scientifically minded individuals can be overly literal, expecting reality to follow simple binary logic like ones and zeros in a computer, but human minds function in a much looser way. Computational models of reality: In response to computational approaches to theorizing about reality, Leo points to chaos theory's proof that you can't predict systems like weather long-term because of the butterfly effect, supporting computational irreducibility as recognized by Wolfram. Models vs. reality and their limitations: Leo cautions about getting too lost in models to the point of ignoring the actual world. He states that models are crucial, but not infinite, and cannot predict everything or reach infinity. Map vs. territory concept: Leo discusses how models (maps) can become so detailed that people might forget to experience real life (the territory), warning against becoming too absorbed in models to the detriment of engaging with the actual world. Impact of isolation and shallowness of social interactions: Leo admits a preference for deeper engagements with reality over shallow social interactions, explaining why some mystics seek isolation. However, he doesn't advocate total disengagement and values connecting with all types of people. Flip side of isolation: Curt self-reflects on his personal antisocial tendencies, valuing deeper connections with family, and the impacts of projecting onto others, recognizing the potential to push oneself toward social engagements as a spiritual practice. Pressures and temptations for the wealthy: Curt speculates on the additional spiritual challenges faced by the wealthy, noting that material abundance can make spiritual focus more difficult, contradicting the common dismissal of the rich as merely materialistic. Handling ego and spiritual growth alongside everyday life: Both Curt and Leo discuss the challenge of maintaining spiritual growth and applying it in practical aspects like business, family, and politics, without retreating into monk-like isolation. Models, precision, and the trap of detail: Leo advises Curt to balance the big picture with the attention to detail, expressing concern that exclusive focus on conceptual work may hinder personal spiritual awakening. The 'better the model, the bigger the problem' view: Leo introduces the idea that highly refined models can become a hindrance rather than an aid in understanding reality, as they may draw attention away from direct experience and interaction with the world. Effects of fame on Leo Gura's social life: Leo reminisces about a time when he was more publicly recognized, noting a decrease in such occurrences as his content delved into niche subjects. Views on personal vices and habits: Leo discusses his perspective on watching porn and eating meat, explaining that he doesn't see such activities as detrimental to his spirituality and acknowledging the healthy push towards vegetarianism. Spirituality in unconventional spaces: Leo shares experiences of discussing spirituality in places like strip clubs, indicating that profound insights about the divine can emerge even in seemingly unlikely or non-traditional settings. Jailbreaking the mind: The process of spiritual growth and ego death can be likened to jailbreaking a phone, which carries inherent risks and may lead to detrimental outcomes if not done carefully. Fear of negative consequences: Curt expresses a concern that fully surrendering to what he perceives as God's will could result in harmful actions like suicide or harming others, revealing a profound fear of trusting himself and the world. Attachment and prioritization: Curt admits his attachment to his wife and life, suggesting that his reluctance to change or surrender these attachments indicates a prioritization of survival over spiritual truth. Facing physical death and the leap of faith: Leo insists that confronting physical death is essential for experiencing God, and true awakening requires accepting the risk of death and being willing to "jump" into infinite love. Rapid-fire questions and focus on Leo: Despite intentions to discuss more personal aspects of Leo, the conversation delves deeper into his spiritual ideas with rapid-fire questions on his perspective and experiences. Challenges in promoting a Theory of Everything: Leo offers advice to individuals like Steve Scully, who propose theories of everything but struggle to gain recognition, suggesting a long-term commitment to developing and sharing their theories instead of seeking instant validation. Information sorting and fringe theories: The challenge faced by individuals like Curt in deciding which theories to explore, amidst an abundance of both serious and crackpot ideas, is outlined, emphasizing the importance of careful discernment and the evolving ability to recognize valuable theories. Personal examples of fear and ego management: Curt shares his fears around engaging deeply with spiritual topics, including the concern of self-harm or harming others, as well as the difficulty of managing his ego post-psychedelic experience. Popularizing personal theories: Leo emphasizes that success and recognition in sharing theories require persistent self-promotion and providing value rather than relying on a single influential person to "put you on." He encourages creators to continuously work hard and explore multiple avenues, such as reaching out to various influencers, starting one's own channel, or offering unique value to potential collaborators. Persistence despite rejection: Leo advises those facing rejection not to be discouraged but to persist and increase their efforts in promoting their work, suggesting that the more effort one puts in, the more likely luck will favor them. Offering value for collaboration: When seeking opportunities for collaboration or promotion, Leo highlights the importance of offering something of value in return, whether through bringing subscribers, sending gifts, or other means that can appeal to the potential collaborator's interests. Evolution from indie filmmaking to TOE: Curt reflects on his transition from indie filmmaking, abbreviated as "if TOE," to working on theories of everything ("TOE"), seeing it as symbolic of his growing open-mindedness and readiness to embrace broader understandings. Staying still while recording videos: Leo shares that sitting during recordings helps maintain a still posture and avoids distractions like looking at oneself, which ensures a focused and engaged delivery to the camera. Challenges of non-linear thinking in public speaking: Leo discusses his biggest speaking challenge-maintaining structure in his speeches due to his highly nonlinear and intuitive mind that naturally explores various threads and tangents of thought. Perception of own influence and followers: Leo reveals that the amazement of having a large following fades over time as one gets accustomed to it; he also addresses the dangers of ego inflation from fan admiration and the necessity of balanced feedback. Viewing critics as trolls: Curt considers taking serious criticism as a means of improvement, while Leo suggests that some critics are indeed trolls and that it's necessary to differentiate between constructive criticism and non-helpful negativity. Using spirituality to avoid psychological issues: Spiritual bypassing is discussed as the misuse of spirituality to evade addressing personal problems, implying that genuine spiritual growth requires confronting one's shadow and working through psychological challenges. Questioning the necessity of suffering for spiritual growth: Leo questions the belief that suffering is necessary to attain spiritual heights, warning against self-fulfilling prophecies and encouraging a recognition that spiritual awakening can happen easily for some people. Reinforcement of perception: The way you perceive the world often reinforces itself – difficulties can become self-fulfilling prophecies based on one's mindset, advising caution against negative outlooks. Advice to younger generations: Leo emphasizes the practical value of imparting wisdom to youth so they can avoid repeating historical mistakes and navigate life more effectively, recognizing the importance of learning from elders and ancestral wisdom as crucial. Increasing disregard for wisdom: Discusses the modern cultural decline in the appreciation of wisdom, exacerbated by social media and other influences, making a case for why wisdom, even within academia, is crucial and should not be hastily discarded. Idealized views of spiritual figures: Misconceptions about Jesus and Buddha are likely due to the development of myths over time, with actual historical knowledge quite scant, suggesting that if details of their lives were known, they'd seem less deified and more human. Jesus's special consciousness: While everyone embodies divinity in some sense, Leo speculates that Jesus possibly had a uniquely high baseline consciousness with paranormal abilities, illustrated through variability in human traits such as height and cognition. Thumbnail selection process: Leo actively collects various images online and from stock photo sites, keeping them for future video topics. He occasionally modifies images in Photoshop, aligning with his aesthetic orientation and graphic design experience. Video preparation method: Leo combines both premeditated outline preparation and spontaneous expression during recordings. For technical subjects, he prepares outlines but prefers improv as it yields more organic insights, albeit with the risk of missing key points. Video recording technique: Videos are shot in a single take without edits, a skill developed over time akin to live public speaking. Leo uses a teleprompter-like setup with a two-way mirror for notes, enabling a natural flow. Opinion on UFOs and altered states for contact: Personal lack of experience with UFOs but believes in their existence due to the abundance of reports across time and cultures. Claims the difficulty of capturing fast-moving objects like UFOs on camera should not dismiss their existence. Open to the idea that altered states or specific methodologies like CE5 could potentially facilitate contact with extraterrestrial entities. Spiritual perfection and imperfection: Leo points out that even entities recognized as spiritually elevated, like Jesus or the Buddha, likely had imperfections, and their historical depictions are probably idealized, with actual videos likely showing them as less divine than portrayed. Jesus's unique abilities: Speculates that Jesus had extraordinary conscious and mystical abilities due to genetic makeup, possibly healing certain individuals which contributed to his supernatural reputation. Content creation and selection process: Describes an aesthetic approach to choosing thumbnails for videos, accumulating a collection of images for future use, and personally modifying them to fit video themes. Non-edited recordings: Leo recounts his practice of recording videos without cuts similar to live public speaking, which has improved his articulation over time. Acknowledging the existence of UFOs: Leo believes in the plausibility of UFOs, acknowledging the challenge in capturing them on camera, and suggests personal experiences strongly influence an individual's belief in such phenomena. Riffing vs. outlining for content delivery: Mentions a balance between pre-contemplation and casual delivery of content, with some topics requiring detailed preparation, while others benefit from impromptu speaking for authenticity. Critique of UFO skepticism: Challenges the idea that all UFO evidence is unconvincing or hoaxed, considering the technical difficulties of photographing fast-moving objects and the substantial anecdotal evidence suggesting their reality. Occam's Razor Misapplication: Leo considers the dismissal of UFOs as a misuse of Occam's Razor. He believes that given the vast number of stars and planets, the existence of aliens is highly probable, challenging the simplistic application of this principle by skeptics. Bayesian Reasoning Flaws: Leo criticizes Bayesian reasoning for being susceptible to subjective biases. It assumes starting probabilities that cannot be known and is affected by the reference class problem, making it unreliable for making conclusions about phenomena like UFOs. Probability Assessment Challenge: Discussing the issue of assigning probabilities to unique events, Leo notes the inherent difficulty in determining the chances of occurrences like UFO sightings and points out how personal experiences can drastically alter someone's perceived probability of such events. Intuition as Consciousness Access: Leo describes intuition as an aspect of consciousness that allows for logical leaps without a formal pattern. It's an irreducibly mysterious element he ties to infinite intelligence, and while he believes intuition can be developed, he refrains from recommending specific books on the topic. Role of Arts in Awakening: Leo sees beauty as fundamental to reality and ties art to participating in the creative process of God. He views art, including music, films, and his own work, as expressions of God's creative power and encourages people to treat every aspect of life, from business to cooking, as an art form for a fulfilling existence. Art and Psychedelics: Addressing the appreciation of art under the influence of psychedelics, Leo discusses the ability to perceive beauty in all forms, and the shift in perception that allows even the mundane to appear divine. He suggests that all music, including "left-brain" music, can be experienced as profound under psychedelics. Experiencing Psychedelic-Induced Psychosis: Leo talks about his states of madness during mushroom trips, describing them as humbling and developing empathy for those with mental illnesses. He emphasizes the importance of facing fears of insanity and learning from the experience. Sanity Appreciation: He reflects on the value of sanity, which is often taken for granted until lost. Leo stresses that losing sanity briefly aids in understanding its importance and appreciating the grounding and coherence it provides. Ontology and Epistemology Coupling: In the CTMU, ontology and epistemology are understood to be inseparably coupled, a contrast to their traditional separation. Chris Langan suggests that through truths like Gödel's incompleteness theorem, reality can't fully be explained by reason alone. Language and Non-Language: Leo warns about equating everything with language or reason, as he differentiates between human language and other forms of expression, which can include experiences beyond language. He invites those engaged in logical or conceptual work, like followers of the CTMU, to attain states of consciousness where language doesn't apply, enriching their understanding beyond linguistic constructs. Psychedelics vs. Traditional Enlightenment: Addressing the comparison between psychedelic experiences and traditional forms of enlightenment, Leo clarifies that the core truths of absolute reality are uniform and can be accessed through various means, whether psychedelics or meditation. He emphasizes that while his teachings do not exclusively advocate for psychedelics, they are an accessible tool for those not adept at or committed to profound meditative practices. Relativity of Spiritual Practice: Leo agrees with the premise that attempting to bring the absolute into the relative is somewhat delusional, given the illusory nature of separation. However, he portrays this process as a personal and deliberate choice of delusion for one's own sake – a conscious game rather than a genuine effort to convert others who, from a non-dual standpoint, don't exist separately. Possibility of Perfect Embodiment: Leo is open to the idea that it could be metaphysically possible to embody the absolute perfectly, but pragmatically, he sees this as incredibly challenging due to human limitations. He actively discourages imposing expectations of perfection on oneself or spiritual teachers, recognizing that finite physical and psychological factors inevitably influence one's actions and thoughts. Expectations in Spiritual Teaching: He warns against the trap of using any imperfection in spiritual teachers as evidence to discredit their insights, illustrating the futility and potential ego-serving nature of such critiques. Leo advises a balance between striving for alignment with spiritual truths and exercising compassion towards oneself and others in the face of inevitable human imperfections. Jesus in Modern Times: If Jesus returned to the current era, modern evangelicals might reject him as a communist for advocating to care for the poor. Evolution Beyond Atheism: There's a cognitive development trajectory from fundamentalist Christians, to atheists who question beliefs, to a deeper understanding of God, embodying true Christian values. Sly Answers of Spiritual Figures: Like a Zen master, Jesus avoided affirming or denying claims of being the Son of God, embodying humility and avoiding the egoic pitfalls of explicitly claiming divinity. Teacher-Student Dynamic: Teaching inherently suggests superiority, and some spiritual practitioners may refrain from teaching to avoid these implications and the shortcomings of language in conveying truth. Leo on The Ra Material: Leo finds the core teachings about infinity in The Ra Material aligned with his views, but remains skeptical of its more esoteric claims, such as the construction of the Egyptian pyramids being a manifestation of consciousness rather than built manually. Hypothetical Issue with Leo's Theory: A scenario where a daughter imagines a $100 bill on her desk based on her mother's assertion examines layers of imagination in perception. Leo suggests all parties, including the daughter, mother, and $100 bill, are imagined within imagined layers, challenging the notion of objective reality. Objective Reality and Consensus: The concept of objective reality may relate to multiple layers of mutual imagination. Leo emphasizes reaching an understanding of the absolute, where the distinction between the absolute and notions of objectivity collapses. Leo Gura's Social Manner: Although perceived as serious online, Leo claims to be relaxed and playful in social settings, not always discussing profound topics like God. Social interactions and relatability: In casual social interactions, Leo discusses everyday topics like cat videos instead of deep metaphysical concepts to relate to people on a familiar level, which he finds enjoyable and necessary. Recommendations on psychedelic use to family: Leo has indeed recommended strong psychedelics to his family but does not push them to partake; he respects their individual choices and recognizes his mother's resistance due to traditional views. First-person reality experience: Leo's first-person experience of reality remains visually consistent but has undergone a profound recontextualization; every aspect is now seen as absolute truth, God, and imagination, rather than just a human perception. Perceiving objections as ego defense: When engaging with others, Leo acknowledges valid disagreements and differences in perspective; however, he also recognizes when people's objections stem from ego defenses, though not all objections are seen this way. Navigating arrogance and ego: Leo admits to sometimes feeling arrogant or looking down on others with lower consciousness or wisdom levels; managing this involves cultivating compassion for others' ignorance and recognizing one's own spiritual ego. Approach to justice and punishment: Leo doesn't rule out the death penalty in extreme cases where rehabilitation fails and immediate threat prevention is necessary, but he supports efforts towards rehabilitation consistent with certain Scandinavian models. Distinction between disapproval and condescension: Leo advocates for making survival-based societal decisions, such as imprisonment, without becoming morally superior; he distinguishes between disapproving of someone's actions and condescendingly looking down upon them. Recognizing and overcoming condescension: While truthful judgments about lower levels of consciousness can occur, it's a matter of balance and evolving beyond tendencies to look down on others by empathizing with their circumstances and recognizing the truth in their actions. Admitting personal shortcomings: Leo openly admits to his own shortcomings, recognizing instances where he has unjustly looked down on others and hopes to grow beyond such behavior. Rehabilitation and human error: Leo favors investing in rehabilitation over harsh punishment, understanding human behavior can often be attributed to circumstances beyond one's control, advocating for humane approaches within the justice system. Improvement of mental models: When confronted by others' seemingly poor decisions, rather than assuming superiority, consider updating personal mental models to more empathetically understand their actions. Philosophy of universal goodness: Deepening understanding may lead to the realization that all actions are inherently good, progressing toward the view that everything is absolutely good. Personal standards and self-judgment: Differences in self-regulation are highlighted, with Leo permitting himself occasional "sins" without self-rebuke, trusting in natural outgrowing of such behaviors, while the interviewer maintains tighter self-restraint. Leo's upbringing advantages: A balanced family dysfunction in childhood fostered Leo's independent thinking and work ethic, with his parents not imposing any strict worldviews, aiding in his open-minded development. Cultural perspective from emigration: Moving from Russia to the USA as a child allowed Leo to experience cultural relativism firsthand, understanding American cultural norms as somewhat arbitrary compared to different background. Educational opportunities and challenges: Acknowledges a fortunate upbringing with quality education in Southern California, despite financial challenges, which taught him fiscal responsibility. Attachments to Actualized.org: Leo recognizes his work with Actualized.org as his significant attachment and contemplates the potential need to disengage for further spiritual advancement versus the possibility of expanding his teaching. Treating life purpose as a game: Leo suggests finding fulfillment through engaging in a personal 'art form' that aligns with spiritual development, blending creative endeavors with the pursuit of spirituality. Practicality and spiritual work: Leo admits being practical and grounded in material life benefitted his spiritual work, and it's uncertain whether to pursue a more public teaching role or personal retreat for spiritual advancement. Judging others: Leo still judges others at times, acknowledging it as a work in progress, striving to overcome this behavior as his understanding evolves. He emphasizes that truly comprehensive understanding inherently encompasses empathetic perspectives of universally "good" actions. Leo's perspective on playing life seriously: Leo compares engaging in life to playing a serious game like Dark Souls, advocating for approaching every aspect with intense focus and curiosity. Early involvement in Bioshock Infinite: His initial role in Bioshock Infinite during pre-production was minimal; he contributed to early concept discussions, including proposing the idea of a female companion in the game, inspired by Half-Life 2. Breaking into game design: Leo entered game design through modding, creating a popular mod for Oblivion which he then used as a portfolio to get hired at Irrational Games. Job interview challenges: Sharing his experience with job interviews, particularly one with Todd Howard from Bethesda, Leo reflects on his early lack of interview skills and excitement that hindered his performance. Project development dynamics: Discussing game design processes, Leo describes pre-production stages where a team collaboratively discusses game mechanics, critiques past projects, and ideates future directions around a conference table. Leo's self-acknowledged "vice": Arrogance is identified as Leo's vice, stemming from his quick dismissal of what he perceives as "bullshit" and occasionally looking down on others, citing a developed skill for quickly detecting falsehoods in various domains. Public recognition over time: Leo notes that public recognition has decreased since his content has become more niche and YouTube traffic has grown more competitive; he recalls past experiences of being recognized in public. Personal consumption habits: Leo addresses vices like porn, which he does not view negatively in relation to his spiritual practice, and eating meat, despite a desire to shift toward vegetarianism or veganism for health and ethical reasons. Influence of consumption habits on spirituality: He argues that habits like masturbation do not detract from his consciousness or spiritual practice, and highlights the importance of personal responsibility and genetics in potential addictions. Leo's dietary choices: Due to energy requirements and the physical sensation of cold, Leo's attempts at a vegetarian diet have been unsuccessful. He remains open to alternatives like lab-grown meat but feels technology is not yet advanced enough to adopt fully. Perspectives on the porn industry: Leo has conflicting views on porn; he acknowledges issues in the industry and suggests avoiding it as it might skew perceptions of people as interchangeable. However, he mentions a trend towards user-generated content that reflects genuine relationships, which he views more positively. Preferences for high-quality adult content: Leo considers himself a connoisseur of porn, preferring premium, artistically shot adult content that enhances aesthetic appreciation over typical low-quality material. Finding spirituality in unexpected places: He recounts discussing spirituality and enlightenment with strippers at a Vegas strip club, illustrating his belief that divine understanding can exist in unconventional settings. Leveraging unusual topics to connect with others: Leo finds discussing psychic phenomena and hallucinations to be effective conversation starters, especially with women who are generally open to these topics. Leo's daily routine variability: Health issues cause inconsistency in Leo's routine, leading to days filled with varying activities-including work, relaxation, or coping with poor health-depending on his physical state. Balancing hard work with self-compassion: While Leo has a natural drive to work, he has learned the importance of self-care and compassion, especially regarding health-related limitations. Attachment to work and spiritual depth: Leo acknowledges that his conceptual work and recording videos can hinder deeper spiritual practices, as they involve analytical thinking which needs to be put aside for profound personal development. Embracing intuition alongside rigor: He attributes much of his insight to an intuitive understanding that helps him quickly discern the essence of ideas without getting lost in details, suggesting a balance between holistic intuition and focused study. Leo's perspective on intellectual rigor: Leo debates the merits of intellectual rigor, cautioning that getting lost in the minutiae may prevent one from seeing the bigger picture and reaching the highest level of understanding. Trade-off between details and the big picture: Leo expresses a preference for the big picture rather than getting bogged down in technical details, arguing that you can miss fundamental truths by focusing too much on specificity. Allocating energy between theories and truth: Leo advises Curt to develop a method for managing time and mental resources, warning that an obsession with theories and models can hinder the path to awakening. Curt's dilemma between rigorous study and awakening: Curt expresses concern that his meticulous nature and focus on developing a Theory of Everything could impede personal spiritual growth, potentially perpetuating the intellectual journey without reaching absolute truth. Existential decision on channel focus: Curt considers removing his name from his channel's title to underscore its goal-oriented nature and his role in contributing to the quest for a Theory of Everything, reflecting on whether he'll be the one to achieve it or pass the baton to another. Awakening's impact on Curt's work: Leo conveys that achieving awakening would significantly empower Curt's work, providing a unique perspective valuable to the scientific community, and marking not an end but a renaissance for his personal endeavors. Negative feedback and personal transformation: Leo shares experiences of negative feedback from personal development, highlighting the resistance to change by family, friends, and the community. He stresses the significance of pursuing authenticity over maintaining a "happy" facade. Curt's serious demeanor in interviews: Curt explains his seriousness during podcasts as an effort to remain engaged and authentic, avoiding superficiality and inviting genuine, in-depth conversation. Seriousness in online content: Leo advises Curt to focus on authenticity in his videos rather than modifying content due to seeming overly serious, as it's important for genuine engagement. Spiritual figures claiming godliness: Leo addresses the question by saying that many spiritual figures do indeed identify with God, but often use subtler language to avoid misinterpretation and the perception of arrogance. The danger of proclaiming divinity: Claiming to be God can be life-threatening, and throughout history, individuals like Mansur Al-Halaj have been executed for such proclamations. The suppression of these truths is linked to survival, as they can undermine societal structures and beliefs. Difficulty in articulating profound insights: Leo notes that some of his deepest insights are challenging to communicate due to the limitations of language, and he encourages listeners to see the convergence in spiritual teachings toward the concept of oneness. Information manipulation strategies: Leo warns about individuals or groups who deliberately spread misleading information to confuse people and push selfish agendas, exemplified by Steve Bannon's strategy of "flooding the zone with bullshit." Leo's message of love: When addressing humanity, Leo would convey that reality is fundamentally love, questioning why existence would be anything but infinitely loving. Advice for growing influence: Leo suggests maintaining energy and passion, not allowing critical feedback to affect self-perception, avoiding burnout, and combining intellectual pursuit with spirituality for a significant impact. Blurring lines between concepts and being: In constructing a Theory of Everything, Leo cautions against confusing concepts with actuality, emphasizing the need to base theories on primary and absolute truths. Navigating strangeness and awe in reality: Leo reflects on life's beautiful strangeness and the need for a constant sense of wonder, recognizing reality's intrinsic mystery. Final word to Curt's audience: Leo advises TOE enthusiasts to discern between being and concept, emphasizing the primary nature of direct experience and actuality over secondary conceptual understanding. Experiencing the Alien Nature of Reality: Leo expresses wonder at ordinary objects like dinner forks, encouraging a perspective where everything is seen as alien-that is, seen for the first time without assuming familiarity or taking it for granted. Gratitude Towards Existence: Leo experiences intense gratitude for life, appreciating everyday experiences and even the chance to have the conversation he's having, acknowledging the feeling as undeservedly lucky. Appropriateness of the Term 'God': When directly confronting the concept of God, Leo argues that the most fitting response is one of profound awe, exclaiming "Oh my God" or "Oh my fucking God" to express the grandeur and profundity of the experience. Personal Invitation from Leo Gura: In a friendly offer, Leo invites the host to hang out with him for deeper conversation and connection, moving beyond the confines of an interview setting. Matthew Phillips and the Transcend App: Matthew Phillips shares the inspiration for creating Transcend, a platform designed to facilitate deep, meaningful communication, spurred by personal loss and the desire to preserve the essence of loved ones. Holistic Purpose of Transcend: The app aims to enable users to share important life stories and advice with a focus on intimacy and authenticity, without being driven by superficial engagement metrics commonly seen on other social platforms. We Transcend Initiative: Transcend introduces a program to donate app subscriptions to individuals facing end-of-life situations or terminal illnesses, allowing them to preserve their legacies and stories for loved ones. Helping to Preserve Memories for the Elderly: The app is typically used by caregivers who assist those with Alzheimer's or dementia, acting as a memory care tool to safeguard their narratives for future generations. Legacy as Elevation of the Human Condition: Concluding the section, Matthew Phillips articulates his belief in the power of legacy to improve the human experience, viewing it as a critical yet overlooked element of life. Mission of Transcend app: Transcend aims to empower everyone to capture and pass on their life story, with the belief that everyone's story matters and has the potential to make progress easier for future generations. Fulfilling a sacred obligation: The creator of Transcend feels that the app allows him to honor predecessors while also fulfilling a duty to future generations by preserving knowledge and wisdom. Early access to Transcend: The app is near its beta release, with invitations extended to users who sign up at projecttranscend.com, aiming to facilitate meaningful family connections and legacy preservation. Utilizing Transcend with family members: Curt Jaimungal expresses interest in using the app to capture and preserve interactions with his parents, highlighting its personal significance. Leo Gura as a content contributor: Transcend considers Leo Gura an ideal candidate to create engaging prompts for the app, providing value to users and enriching experiences. Creating meaningful conversation with prompt cards: Transcend plans to include "starter packs" with themed prompts meant to enhance conversations by raising thought-provoking questions, much like physical relationship cards currently used by some couples. Intrinsic reward system within Transcend: Instead of relying on likes or hearts, Transcend focuses on intrinsic rewards such as the satisfaction of creating permanent and meaningful content. Transcend differentiating from social media: The app avoids typical social media engagement metrics, promoting authenticity and purposefulness by facilitating content creation motivated by meaning rather than external validation. Ego management post-psychedelic experience: Leo is asked for suggestions on how to maintain the perspective of ego dissolution experienced during psychedelic use on a day-to-day basis without recurring use. Navigating spiritual growth amidst relationships: Leo is asked for advice on balancing profound spiritual experiences with maintaining connections to loved ones who may not be on the same spiritual journey. Dealing with the paradox of ego death: The paradox arises after an ego death experience, where one gains new wisdom but must manage the ego's return; Curt reflects on how to handle this dichotomy. Ferula

Dude i heard that Steve Vai (famous, very skilled and pretty authentic guitar player) was on the virge of suicide when performing at some event. The guy has basically everything most people in this field want and it looks like with a high reproducibility that the success, fame, money etc is not what makes them happy. Same with these millionares. There is still an area that needs to be explored and is not taught in human society in masses that is linked with spirituality. It is no surprise to me anymore as emotional turmoil happens very frequently, but even with the amount of success people have, that termoil does not change if you don't keep yourself clean enough in areas you don't even bother to look.

@Breakingthewall Well to start, i have had a few years where i was living in a city but pretty much in disciplined solitude, focusing most of my time on cultivating mindfulness, meditating, doing shadow work, breathwork and every other practice you can think of haha. I am also very big on the idea of solo retreats, no better place to come face to face with yourself than solo retreats. Now my life is less strict although much deeper ever since ive experienced a few awakenings, as well as on psychedelics and in a sober state, the silent lucidity which comes with meditation and mindfulness practice is immense. I dont believe in shortcuts as well as i dont dismiss trying out all things at least a few times, i appreciate the path for what it is, a path, cultivating it slowly and letting the ball roll will get you anywhere you can just imagine if you are sincere and humble enough to admit your wrongs and stay open minded and open hearted. I have experimented with psychedelics about a dozen times but Ayahuasca was very transformational for me, and it came after years on this path, the awakenings that i had there and the skills that ive earned with the courage to walk into the darkest parts of myself with an unconditional love gave me a few tools to keep working on my stuff and to understand things deeper, psychedelics are like the seed but to grow it to a tree you have to put immense work and patient practice, holding the paradoxes gently and trusting the principles you come to learn and trust along the way. ive had my own periods of existential meltdown, and all on this path will experinece, when you come to this point remember one thing, the only way out is through, embrace with courage and let it metamorphesise inside of you, resistance and putting stuff off wont solve anything. Some notable teachers that ive had the honor to listen to include Leo, bentinho massaro, joey lott, and lester levenson which i built a lot on his work. But for now im still just a young guy and the future is wide and long so lets see where it all takes us, one thing for sure though is that even suicide wont solve anything, you will still be tumbling across reincranations and consciousness, the only viable response is to embrace and go head first with trust and faith

My Critique Of Zizek's Critique Of Buddhism https://www.actualized.org/insights/my-critique-of-zizeks-critique-of-buddhism Embarking on a New Critique: Leo is venturing into a new area by critiquing the views of Slavoj Žižek on Buddhism, highlighting his complex but sophisticated understanding, despite some perceived confusions. Introducing Slavoj Žižek: Leo describes Žižek as a well-known European philosopher with intriguing yet neurotic qualities and a background that includes Marxism, Hegelianism, Lacanian psychoanalysis, and specializations in political, ethical, and theological philosophy. Purpose of the Critique: Leo's critique is not intended to defend Buddhism per se, but to delve deeper into the underlying understanding of reality, consciousness, and the human mind, clarifying misconceptions and sparking meaningful dialogue. Addressing Žižek's Misconceptions: Leo is set to systematically refute Žižek's ten critiques of Buddhism, aiming to clarify the nuances of suffering and truth within Buddhist philosophy and practice. Žižek's Take on Suffering in Buddhism: Žižek argues against the Buddhist goal of eliminating suffering by suggesting people sometimes knowingly embrace suffering, such as in romantic love, implying that this desire for suffering challenges Buddhist doctrine. The Nature of Suffering and Enlightenment: Leo proposes that Buddhism and the pursuit of awakening are not just about escaping suffering, which he deems a negative motivation, but rather about realizing truth-a positive, divine motivation that goes beyond the limitations of human egotistical pursuits. Suffering's Necessity and Transcendence: Suffering is actually necessary for staying alive and subsequently for awakening. Leo argues it's not about escaping but transcending suffering, meaning one can suffer consciously and appreciate it which deepens understanding of reality. Role of Suffering in Compassion: Suffering helps to build compassion and love. Leo believes this aspect is overlooked by critics and asserts that suffering isn't purely negative as it provides an essential contrast that accentuates the experience of love. God's Incarnation and Experience of Suffering: Leo suggests that God incarnates as humans to fully experience reality, including suffering. This process of limitation and forgetting divine unity is essential to appreciate immortality and nirvana. Awakening Not Solely for Escaping Suffering: He posits that awakening shouldn't be motivated solely by the desire to escape suffering, especially if one leads a comfortable life. Instead, it should be driven by a deep curiosity for truth and understanding one's place in nature. Joyful Pursuit of Awakening Over Painful Path: Leo recommends pursuing awakening joyfully rather than through suffering. He contrasts his relatively comfortable life with those who awaken through great pain, suggesting the latter can have torturous paths that might lead to suicide rather than awakening. Insights Gained from Awakening as Sufficient Reward: Although Leo has not escaped all suffering, he finds the realizations and insights from his spiritual journey gratifying, to the extent that suffering becomes less relevant, and these insights can provide solace during challenging times. Bodhisattva Dilemma in Buddhism: Leo clarifies that the Bodhisattva vow entails a self-sacrifice for the dedication to humanity's awakening, and this role involves real trade-offs between personal enlightenment and social engagement. Trade-offs Between Hermit and Teacher Paths: Leo differentiates the solitary hermit path from the socially engaged teacher path, explaining the latter involves sacrifices and responsibilities, as exemplified by his own commitment to teaching and sharing insights with humanity. Bodhisattva's role and sacrifice: Leo discusses the Bodhisattva as someone who dedicates vast amounts of time and resources to spreading wisdom, citing Sadhguru as an example who devotes his life to teaching and humanitarian work, impacting millions despite a previous plan for Maha Samadhi. Trade-offs of the Bodhisattva path: Leo notes the choice between solitary deepening of one's own practice and dedicating time to elevate collective consciousness, suggesting the latter can limit personal spiritual exploration due to organizational responsibilities and politics. Organizational challenges for spiritual teachers: Discusses the political and organizational issues spiritual leaders like Osho faced, contradictory desires for personal enlightenment and managing a community which can lead to problems if the leader is negligent. Bodhisattva's inclination and managing awakening: Leo reflects on his own Bodhisattva-like inclination towards teaching, admitting it has influenced his path and affected the depth of his awakening, a common challenge for teachers who aren't fully awakened and get caught in power dynamics. Ethical issues in awakened communities: Leo acknowledges Žižek's concern about historical instances where Buddhist philosophy was misconstrued to justify violence, such as in WWII, highlighting the dilemma of applying spiritual detachment in ethical contexts. Misuse of spiritual detachment: Explores the problematic justifications for harmful actions through a misguided understanding of Buddhist detachment, as shown in the rationalization of Japanese imperialism and the Nazis' detachment while committing atrocities. Balancing teaching with the pursuit of deeper awakening: Leo shares the personal struggle of balancing the responsibilities of teaching with the ongoing pursuit of deeper spiritual awakening, recognizing it as part of his unique life path. Justification of Evil through Detachment: Leo criticizes the potential misuse of Buddhist detachment, detailing how it can lead to cold indifference or even rationalize harmful actions, like the Nazis' twisted logic during the Holocaust or a lack of empathy in personal relationships. Understanding 'Devilry': Leo introduces the concept of 'devilry' to explain how individuals, including those practicing Buddhism, can co-opt truth for selfish ends and exhibit harmful behavior despite spiritual experiences, as true awakening does not render one immune to moral failings or negative traits like racism or xenophobia. Awakening Experiences and Ethical Behavior: Leo emphasizes that even with awakening experiences, individuals can still harbor 'shadow' aspects, leading to ethical problems within spiritual communities such as sexual misconduct or financial exploitation; he references the materialism seen with Osho as an example. Multiple Lines of Development: Leo elaborates on the idea that awakening in the spiritual domain does not equate to advancement in other areas like politics or interpersonal relations, suggesting people can be spiritually advanced but still support destructive political ideologies if their development in that domain is insufficient. Buddhism's Disengagement with Politics: Leo critiques the traditional separation of Buddhist practice from political engagement, arguing that such disengagement can lead to spiritually advanced individuals holding damaging political views, and encourages the evolution of Buddhism to address contemporary issues like ecology and democracy. Detachment and the Capacity for Evil: Leo concedes that detachment can indeed make it easier to commit harmful acts if misused, but simultaneously points out there are legitimate scenarios for defensive violence, warning against the dangers of absolute detachment and discerning the fine line between legitimate defense and the misuse of spiritual teachings for devilry. Gap Between Awakening and Moral Actualization: Acknowledging Žižek's concern, Leo agrees that enlightenment does not prevent one from being 'bad' and distinguishes between the existential insights from awakening and the development and actualization of moral and ethical behavior in different domains of life including politics, marriage, and business leadership. Skill Development Post-Awakening: Enlightenment doesn't innately grant proficiency in worldly skills like business, politics, or marriage. These require specific skill sets, which must be learned and cannot be instantly mastered by virtue of awakening alone. Nature of Evil as Love: Leo challenges Žižek's notion of evil by presenting a radical view that all actions, even those perceived as evil, are expressions of love, including torture and genocide. This controversial stance is rooted in a deep understanding that love underlies all phenomena, which Leo acknowledges may be difficult for the ego to comprehend. Holocaust as Freedom of Choice: The Holocaust and similar atrocities, according to Leo, reflect God's love by demonstrating the freedom afforded to humans. He believes God's gift of choice allows for the spectrum of human behaviors, including those considered most heinous, to play out without divine punishment. Misinterpretation of Radical Truths: Leo acknowledges that his views on love and freedom could wrongly be used by individuals to justify nefarious actions. He stresses that the truth he speaks of is difficult to integrate into societal norms, and it may lead to being misconstrued or serving as rationalizations for "devils." Absolute Freedom and the Problem of Devilry: Addressing the criticism that his philosophy might enable malevolent actions, Leo asserts that love entails absolute freedom, including the capacity for self-delusion, and that societal constraints, not divine punishment, discourage destructive behaviors. Self-Deception Within Philosophical Systems: Leo critiques the potential for getting lost in complex ideological constructs, including his own teachings and those of Žižek, like Marxism or psychoanalysis. He points out the risk of becoming mired in one's own delusions, whether as a teacher, student, or philosopher. Limitations of Philosophical Analysis: Leo posits that solving ethical dilemmas or "devilry" cannot be achieved through philosophical discourse alone. He suggests that non-dualistic or mystical paths, such as Buddhism, offer a better direction for transcending the underlying issues of evil and deception. Chemically Induced vs. Authentic Satori: Leo discusses the distinction between peak experiences from chemical substances and the permanent insight gained through dedicated spiritual practice. He agrees with Žižek's assertion that the validity of Satori should not be dismissed due to its method of induction, while also acknowledging the value of long-term, stable spiritual growth. Meditative Practices and Psychedelics: Leo emphasizes that psychedelics and traditional practices like meditation should be combined for optimal spiritual development. Psychedelics provide profound experiences that enhance meditation, which in turn allows for integration and rewiring of the psyche. Misconceptions about Chemicals and Enlightenment: Leo refutes the materialist view that enlightenment via chemicals is invalid, explaining that what people perceive as chemicals are hallucinations within God's Universal Mind. Therefore, chemically induced Satori doesn't undermine its existential truth. Zen Poetry and Vulgar Subjects: Leo agrees with Žižek that all subjects, including those considered vulgar, are equally spiritual when one is awake. Zen poetry traditionally avoids vulgar subjects not because they lack divinity, but to resonate with audiences and attract them to spirituality. Equivalence of Buddhist and Judeo-Christian Ethics: Leo explains that what appears as Buddhist detachment and Judeo-Christian engagement in the material world is a false dichotomy. Awakening deeply immerses individuals in the material world, which becomes God's body, creating a paradox of being both detached and compassionately involved. Nature of Love and Awakening: Leo highlights that true awakening reveals both the emptiness of self (nihilistic aspect) and the realization of being everything and infinitely good (the love aspect). Despite the existence of negative experiences, they deepen our understanding of love, emphasizing that everything is an expression of absolute love. Compassion Despite Illusory Suffering: Compassion in awakening arises from the realization that others are expressions of oneself and God. Empathy persists even for illusory suffering because beings are unaware of their divine nature, and the inability to communicate the full magnitude of love is the root of compassion. Crucio