Weekend Guide: 10.29.2021
thinking allowed
I wonder personally if there is such a thing as enlightenment, really. Or if it is one of these you know like hitch your wagon to the stars, you know, its a goal we ought to all all strive for but which is not really attainable.
There is something about the human condition itself which is fundamental. Existential reality. We are born alone. We have to deal with death and alienation. And no matter how much we practice yoga or meditation or build communities or begin to see through our foibles, we will always be in these bodies — at least while we're alive.
This week, though the power off friendship, the internet, and internet-friendship, I was introduced to Thinking Allowed1 and host Dr. Jeffrey Mishlove. I am just now coming up for air to craft this weekly dispatch.
Thinking Allowed was a popular public television series that ran from 1986 to 2002. The series centered on conversations with leading thinkers, writers, etc., in the realms of parapsychology, spirituality, philosophy, psychology, health, science, history, and culture.
Groovy. ✌️
If you choose to enter this rabbit hole with me, let me suggest a few interesting entry-points.
Colin Wilson: The High and the Low
Colin Wilson shares his personal struggle in dealing with states of panic and depression. His attempt to cope with these difficult experiences has led him to explore states of extreme lucidity and self-control.2
U. G. Krishnamurti: Mystique of Enlightenment
Those who offer enlightenment or salvation appear to often operate more as businessmen than as authentic spiritual teachers. In part one of this two-part series, U. G. Krishnamurti he denies any possibility of knowledge of enlightenment. The very attempt to achieve enlightenment is an obstacle in the path of the proclaimed goal. The search for enlightenment is a device of the mind to perpetuate itself, in denial of its mortality.3
Terence McKenna: Aliens and Archetypes
Do UFOs originate as psychic projections from our own minds? The late Terence McKenna, a leading thinker in the area of alternative realities, suggests that regardless of their origin and material existence, UFOs seem to challenge the authority of science, and that their chief function may be to offset the imbalances in our contemporary culture.'
Margo Anand: The Art of Ecstasy
Margo Anand describes the "anti-ecstatic conspiracy" in modern life. We often forget the potential of our perceptual and emotional systems to create states of bliss. She discusses Hindu "tantra" as the art of expanding consciousness through an appreciation of the senses and the body. She takes issue with the Western traditions that create a duality between carnal and spiritual knowledge -- suggesting instead that sexuality is a spiritual function. She describes various exercises that can enable couples to open to the sacred dimensions of spirituality.
Eleanor Criswell: The Mind-Body Connection
One can approach understanding the mind-body connection through many disciplines, such as dance, massage, biofeedback, martial arts, yoga, etc. Eleanor Criswell, Ed.D., psychologist and managing editor of Somatics, points out that this body of traditions suggests enormous, untapped possibilities for mind-body control. She stresses the importance of such control for managing chronic pain and dealing with addiction.
For those partial to the tangible, I would recommend picking up a copy of Thinking Allowed: Conversations on the Leading Edge of Knowledge and Discovery. It just landed on my desk, and I am excited to get going.
Thank you all. Enjoy your weekend. If you are feeling generous, send this to a friend or loved one. Open up a conversation. Make a connection. I say this with peace and love.
Back by popular demand, here are some book related links:
The most brilliant bookshops in the world (Financial Times)
Read Sylvia Plath’s first published poem, which she wrote at age 8. (LitHub)
The Outsider By Colin Wilson is a Weekend Guide certified *must read*
Mind is a Myth - also rocks.