Potential Shortcomings
Western Philosophy often alludes to a shift in perception but fails to prescribe concrete practices to trigger it. This leaves readers with a problem but no solution. This is my personal critique of the field and its lack of prescription.
Such writers' genius falls short in solutions provided despite the impressive identification of problems; this makes outcomes stated seem inaccessible. I have observed high IQ gigabrains' ideas tend to cause confusion, being essentially untestable. This is not their fault; I’m sure their philosophy worked for them, and attempted to transliterate it for a larger audience.
The fact remains, the reader may be left where they started, but with new vocabulary. While useful, in this work I have noticed vocabularies are only valuable if they encapsulate operational methodologies to achieve outcomes. Vocabs in fact become an enormous stumbling block.
The Correct Frame?
To overcome oneself, it's crucial to see your perpetual incompleteness or flawed design. The brain's structure mirrors this idea, like haphazard ice cream scoops. Books explore this topic and reveal the emphasis on "energetic economy" of the brain's connections. It is true when facing environments of ever increasing complexity, that technologies need to be developed to maintain cognitive flexibility. In the past we’ve had to rely on the emergence of special types purely by historical necessity or even happenstance. A bold claim; but could such emergences be fostered, or even incubated?
To slit throats and feck babies in whamen in a primitive environment, arguably this may not matter much; it works and that's enough. However, as complexity increases, it often reveals the bizarre and hilarious outcomes of a creature that doesn't comprehend itself.
It probably true that certain ecological niches and circumstances lead to different group-cultural emphasis in the brain structure, but nevertheless, the same mechanics remain: the animal is being lived by its biology, there isn’t a semblance of measurable general self-direction.
It seems a strange paradox indeed to suggest that the only real choice the animal has for true seed-direction is to acknowledge there is no self-direction. But such contradictions do not exist in nature, only in our brains.
One subset of likeable autists on Twitter claim that gAyI or general crapnology is THE solution to our problems, but this is false. The real issue is our tendency to use technology to advance our limited and primitive natures, which usually results in dangerous outcomes.
Many can relate to the truth of our civilizational & personal comedy. Some believe we waz once superior before & so we should just breed accordingly. While I agree it's part of the solution, our wiring problem is significant, making me doubt our supposed pre-superiority. I myself remain unconvinced that this is the case. I’m always open to being proven wrong however and welcome all counter-points. Nevertheless, from the perspective I’ve talking from, I see little evidence in the “fossil record” that this is the case.
There is an Important distinction to make. We tend to view technology as inherently mean-spirited. There is some kind of Stirner type “spook” or an Aristotelean essence of destruction or meanness that lies within it. I believe this is merely a projection of our inability to control our own natures, particularly in connection with technology. This doesn’t need to be the case. We witness this daily, as game-changing technology is used for petty primitive aims, trout lips or baboon-ass implant
It's also ridiculous to think that controllers have control over themselves; they're as much victims of human nature as anyone. Despite their wealth or circumstances, we're all essentially the same, maybe a few exceptions. In my experience, the wealthy are mostly lucky & have pedestrian personalities, with much success due to timing. As Alan Miller noted, life can be forgiving, even stupidly so, so life's biggest failures can end up being great success stories
Some ancients developed methods to balance opposing forces & control them, using maps of cultural language & symbols. These approaches were disguised as esoteric religious practices. They physiological "bridges". I like to now refer to these physiological dual control systems as biophysical portals.
Religious garb is a problem also – many will try to burn me at the stake for this. Nevertheless, the garb is a problem. Philosophy is a problem. It results in same imbalance & covers up the same issue. It intensifies bizarre behaviors. Humanoids as self-fulfilling prophecies. To fully engage in this process we should try to access our non-rational selves, beyond limited linguistic autobiographical self. Some may disagree, but the importance of the "non-rational intelligence" cannot be ignored. This is not commie gobbledygook; it has tangible effects.
In effect this is the process of integrating all the parts of you that are “badly wired” and to exert greater levels of control over them, so they do not control you. This is the essence of this work.
Iain McGilchrist has explored this concept in his book from the perspective of hemispheres, which I recommend. Zen, my preferred method, engages with non-rational self, leads to transformation, transcendence and brain change. Its goal is organic transformation, not proving theories about the mind or world. This is not the only way. Nor is this the only thing - although from a point of experience, it is the ultimate point of conscious knowingness, and unknowingness. In terms of acting in the world, and agreement needs to be consciously contracted between these intractable elements of ourselves.
Balanced against one another, with the instant ability to lean against each. The mechanism of action is the body, and the point of access, the biophysical portals, are the means.
This creates measurable changes, personal measurable changes in freedom to act. Not emphasizing words keeps your propensity to imagine yourself something you’re not in check. The is an important feature for reasons discussed above. Language in this way, is a great hindrance.
In this way, the autobiographical self, over which most people have zero control, tends to contract useable energy within overly tread patterns of familiarity - which tend to be no longer useful, perhaps even self-defeating.
While it's nice to impress friends, a new edgy group, maybe a woman with new words, new ways of speaking and talking & auto-biographical self-construction, it has little bearing in the real world & the brain functions the way a normies does. One great danger of spiritual & philosophical paths: self-delusion
To bring about such changes, one needs to work hard and refrain from the worst abuses of self-imagination. The journey can be lonely, painful, and embarrassing. It requires accepting that you're not as special as you once thought and most of what you think is just imagination. If you’re the type who is sick of this condition, of endlessly blabbering and reading – you’ve come to the right place. We made all the mistakes you could make. For that reason this podcast, to foster a type of young man with potential, and help them NOT spin their tires
Only those who are self-experimenters, marginal people doing marginal work. Wildcard types. Everything must neb left at the door of self-sacrifice. In my opinion, if you want to really understand “making a sacrifice of myself to myself” “buddha nature” “self-overcoming of nihilism, the means for most of us lie within physiological portals.
Part 1 of a 10 part mindful enquiry series is dropping tonight on substack. It is not a strictly meditative exercise, more so a mindfully active enquiry. There will be one released each week, and they are to be used almost as if they’re a kind of koan or mantra. They should be repeated multiple times per day.
The purpose is to induce momentary awareness - the vitalism of dedicating yourself to the present moment, and to throw off the energetic shackles of excessive rumination of present and past - which experimentally, don’t really exist. This is one such place that potential energy is locked up. Excessive rumination is resultant of the energetic contraction we refer to as self - in the commonly understood way. It is conducted in the method of some Tibetan styles of meditation, repurposed.
For those who are persistently frightened, this may not be for you. Just remember, when someone says that yoursel
f isn’t really there, or whatever other “spiritual cliches” that gets used, this isn’t that it is something that wasn’t there before is now there - it is that something that was always there is now being seen.
Bio-individual Podcast tonight - was busy this weekend so a little late. Apologies!
Bio-Physical Portals & Physical Integration
I agree that primitive man was not more advanced, despite usually having harmony with nature.
Some examples:
There were tribes in the Amazon that partook in psychedelics and had the grand vision of the universe. Despite that, they had battles of young men where people would die. A missionary took a tape recorder and recorded each side elders' issues with the other side and why they fight. The missionary translated the messages to the other side and they made peace.
Funny how they couldn't think of communicating with each other to overcome their fears of each other!
The piraha people in the Amazon have a very simple language of repeating things. There's no implied context used. This happens because they're in a noisy environment that requires clarity in the moment to survive.
For example, we would say that tigers are dangerous. We must be careful in this area. See them hiding behind bushes?
They would say: tigers are dangerous we must be careful because there are tigers see the tigers hiding behind the bushes?
They also cannot count past one, two, some, and many. Similar reason, their environment doesn't need counting for planning as food is plentiful.