Unslaved Podcast -- Alex Tsakiris, host of Skeptiko, on the fraud of Materialism
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Alex,
I think you should write a book about your own view of the various possible conspiracies, and how they connect with spirituality. This came up on that interview, but actually clarifying your thoughts enough to write a book would coalesce some of your thoughts. I think a lot of people (myself included at times) see the conspiracy/political items on Skeptiko as a distraction from the main subject - the real nature of consciousness - and you should spell out the big picture as you see it.
David
I think you should write a book about your own view of the various possible conspiracies, and how they connect with spirituality. This came up on that interview, but actually clarifying your thoughts enough to write a book would coalesce some of your thoughts. I think a lot of people (myself included at times) see the conspiracy/political items on Skeptiko as a distraction from the main subject - the real nature of consciousness - and you should spell out the big picture as you see it.
David
I'm glad you denounced Aleistar Crowley in the interview.
I agree with your assessment that "By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?"
The old canard that "Yes, Crowley was a sociopath, but had a few good insights" does not fly. It's true that Crowley ran across a few unique insights, but en toto his philosophy is poison.
Crowley is always presented backwards by his promoters "Yes, he had a few flaws, but his philosophy offers brilliant revelations!"
Funny thing is, Tsarion employs the same tactic as Crowley: ...florid, voluminous word-salad that sounds great in the moment, but contradicts itself five minutes later without apology.
https://unslaved.com/?s=crowley
I agree with your assessment that "By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?"
The old canard that "Yes, Crowley was a sociopath, but had a few good insights" does not fly. It's true that Crowley ran across a few unique insights, but en toto his philosophy is poison.
Crowley is always presented backwards by his promoters "Yes, he had a few flaws, but his philosophy offers brilliant revelations!"
Funny thing is, Tsarion employs the same tactic as Crowley: ...florid, voluminous word-salad that sounds great in the moment, but contradicts itself five minutes later without apology.
https://unslaved.com/?s=crowley
I began studying the tarot a couple of years' ago -- using the Rider Waite deck. My teacher suggested I also look at other decks after I had a firm grasp of the RW. I had heard on some podcast that the Thoth deck (Crowley's) was "powerful stuff" -- but when I found the deck at the store, I literally recoiled. The deck itself felt energetically dark, sinister, and not the type of energy I wanted to bring through in any attempt at divination or self-understanding. I guess I am not capable of separating the sociopath behind this deck from whatever "powerful" information he may have imparted.
I have found some of Tsarion's videos interesting but far too long and far too "word-salady" for my taste. Sometimes it feels like he says a whole lot of nothing. In this interview/conversation with Alex, only Alex was able to speak clearly and get his ideas/opinions across. Maybe the plus hour was better?
Then second hour was pretty much the same as the first.
Tsarion has mellowed in his old age. In years past Tsarion would have flipped-out over the few minor technical disagreements with Alex, but in this interview he was very courteous and accommodating, even when Alex got a bit "agitated"
in that way we like. Tsarion has much improved in that regard.
Tsarion has mellowed in his old age. In years past Tsarion would have flipped-out over the few minor technical disagreements with Alex, but in this interview he was very courteous and accommodating, even when Alex got a bit "agitated"
in that way we like. Tsarion has much improved in that regard.
I wanted to chime in on this interview b/c it's how I got here to the forum and exploring Alex's work.
I'm very much interested in the connection between spirituality and conspiracy so this was the best part of the interview for me and even though I've been following Tsarion and now he and David and I know this is precisely one of their main themes I had not heard them speak directly to it 'in a nutshell' so to speak. I'd love to hear them come back and be interviewed by Alex b/c I thought the rapport was ideal for continuing deeper.
This 'polarizing' aspect of politics and religion is so key I think and it's crucial to understanding the trajectory of spirituality today, and this ties right back to human nature and organic processes. When David said that science and religion now sound the same I could completely relate. That's exactly what's turned me away from science and religion all my life--they are 'dogma haunted'--and that is so clear to me it's like written in all caps and neon.
There is so much to dig into here, but two interesting articles that I think relate quite well that might be of interest to some here are:
from 2011: The Emergence of Conspirituality in the Journal of Contemporary Religion by Charlotte Ward & Prof. David Voas and: Superior pattern processing is the essence of the evolved human brain by Mark P Mattson in Frontiers in Neuroscience 22 August 2014
As David went on, I again could so relate. The deconstruction is essential just to be able to witness 'the conspiracy in your own mind." Loads to unpack there I think!
As for Crowley, my impression was that Michael and David simply want to demystify him as he has become our modern-day Dracula or something. I see him as an intelligent showman, certainly twisted, but I think some of that must of been an act for attention. Maybe I'm being naïve, certainly wouldn't be the first time! Which reminds of Michael's work I find very compelling and actually helped me in very practical ways, and this is his stuff on Psychic Vampirism.
What did y'all think of that comment of needing to understand and dismantle 'the conspiracy happening in your own mind'? And science being 'dogma haunted' ; I like that phrase as well.
Oh and I nearly forgot the cincher for me in this interview! When Alex talks about he and his wife: I have to know before I feel; She has to feel before she knows. This is so exactly the case with Hubby and I. I find this fascinating b/c it seems quite fundamental to masculine/feminine information processing. I was hooked right then and vowed to hear more of Alex!
cheers
I'm very much interested in the connection between spirituality and conspiracy so this was the best part of the interview for me and even though I've been following Tsarion and now he and David and I know this is precisely one of their main themes I had not heard them speak directly to it 'in a nutshell' so to speak. I'd love to hear them come back and be interviewed by Alex b/c I thought the rapport was ideal for continuing deeper.
This 'polarizing' aspect of politics and religion is so key I think and it's crucial to understanding the trajectory of spirituality today, and this ties right back to human nature and organic processes. When David said that science and religion now sound the same I could completely relate. That's exactly what's turned me away from science and religion all my life--they are 'dogma haunted'--and that is so clear to me it's like written in all caps and neon.
There is so much to dig into here, but two interesting articles that I think relate quite well that might be of interest to some here are:
from 2011: The Emergence of Conspirituality in the Journal of Contemporary Religion by Charlotte Ward & Prof. David Voas and: Superior pattern processing is the essence of the evolved human brain by Mark P Mattson in Frontiers in Neuroscience 22 August 2014
As David went on, I again could so relate. The deconstruction is essential just to be able to witness 'the conspiracy in your own mind." Loads to unpack there I think!
As for Crowley, my impression was that Michael and David simply want to demystify him as he has become our modern-day Dracula or something. I see him as an intelligent showman, certainly twisted, but I think some of that must of been an act for attention. Maybe I'm being naïve, certainly wouldn't be the first time! Which reminds of Michael's work I find very compelling and actually helped me in very practical ways, and this is his stuff on Psychic Vampirism.
What did y'all think of that comment of needing to understand and dismantle 'the conspiracy happening in your own mind'? And science being 'dogma haunted' ; I like that phrase as well.
Oh and I nearly forgot the cincher for me in this interview! When Alex talks about he and his wife: I have to know before I feel; She has to feel before she knows. This is so exactly the case with Hubby and I. I find this fascinating b/c it seems quite fundamental to masculine/feminine information processing. I was hooked right then and vowed to hear more of Alex!
cheers
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great. welcome.
already scheduled
love this... great stuff Michael!
Interesting... queued for reading.
cool idea, but not sure I totally get it... what do you think.
lot of interesting stuff to unpack re Crowley. on one level it's a story is easily understood... one we've heard before -- rich kid, born of privilege, longs for attention from his troubled and religiously fanatical father. he rebels in every way possible... winds broke and pathetic with with a trail of horrific, shattered relationships. then, late in life. finds love thru the birth of his child. sounds like an MTV bio pic... magic is a sideshow
already scheduled
love this... great stuff Michael!
Interesting... queued for reading.
cool idea, but not sure I totally get it... what do you think.
lot of interesting stuff to unpack re Crowley. on one level it's a story is easily understood... one we've heard before -- rich kid, born of privilege, longs for attention from his troubled and religiously fanatical father. he rebels in every way possible... winds broke and pathetic with with a trail of horrific, shattered relationships. then, late in life. finds love thru the birth of his child. sounds like an MTV bio pic... magic is a sideshow
Although I'd certainly agree regarding modern science, I think the traditional sciences (and parts of modern science) are well worth exploring.
I left Christianity for science at university (a long time ago!) and since then, I have gradually become aware of the dogma in science! Of course, in a way that makes life interesting - so many subjects that seemed settled, now seem up in the air!
David
I left Christianity for science at university (a long time ago!) and since then, I have gradually become aware of the dogma in science! Of course, in a way that makes life interesting - so many subjects that seemed settled, now seem up in the air!
David
Agreed on 'that makes life interesting . . ."!
If by traditional sciences you are meaning as in the vein of Rudolf Steiner and Victor Shauberger, I have just started and am fascinated but still very lost. If you have any recommended reading for the lay-man types I'd love to hear it.
thanks for reply!
If by traditional sciences you are meaning as in the vein of Rudolf Steiner and Victor Shauberger, I have just started and am fascinated but still very lost. If you have any recommended reading for the lay-man types I'd love to hear it.
thanks for reply!
great. welcome.
already scheduled
love this... great stuff Michael!
Interesting... queued for reading.
cool idea, but not sure I totally get it... what do you think.
lot of interesting stuff to unpack re Crowley. on one level it's a story is easily understood... one we've heard before -- rich kid, born of privilege, longs for attention from his troubled and religiously fanatical father. he rebels in every way possible... winds broke and pathetic with with a trail of horrific, shattered relationships. then, late in life. finds love thru the birth of his child. sounds like an MTV bio pic... magic is a sideshow
already scheduled
love this... great stuff Michael!
Interesting... queued for reading.
cool idea, but not sure I totally get it... what do you think.
lot of interesting stuff to unpack re Crowley. on one level it's a story is easily understood... one we've heard before -- rich kid, born of privilege, longs for attention from his troubled and religiously fanatical father. he rebels in every way possible... winds broke and pathetic with with a trail of horrific, shattered relationships. then, late in life. finds love thru the birth of his child. sounds like an MTV bio pic... magic is a sideshow
Thanks for question, it's my pleasure to try to elaborate. The 'conspiracy in your own mind' to me is referring to psychoanalysis and 'parts work', like in IFS therapy. As an example, thinking of health, since that is what David led into next, someone is obese and having loads of health issues he knows are a result of this, at least in some level of his consciousness. But the doctor just gives him some new prescriptions to mask the symptoms each time and he convinces himself the doctor knows what he is doing and he is being a 'good patient', the doctor even said so last week b/c he lost 10 lbs and took all his meds.
I would say the cognitive dissonance in his own mind leads to a conspiracy of the parts of his consciousness, or false selves, as they say. The 'parts work' of psychoanalysis might help him become the existential observer of his self-destructive behaviors enough to see something like his 4 year old traumatized self is conspiring with his inner indulgent mother against his overly-critical inner-father who is himself conspiring with his 14 year old rebel self. As an example! Make any sense??I also think there is power in this sentiment b/c it attempts to dissolve the culture of victimhood, which I see as a huge issue that holds us back. It's become fashionable to be a victim! If you try to get victims to understand their own complicity in attaching to that status, you are shunned as a 'victim-blamer' when in actuality this is trying to empower victims. I think this is related to the conspiracy idea to, b/c the system loves victims, needs them. This is again dealing with the conspiracy in one's own mind I think.
Would love to hear anyone's thoughts.
cheers
Alex,
I think Mr. Bailey is right in saying you should outline your thoughts on PSI/UFO conspiracies and the link to spirituality... perhaps in a monologue-style Skeptiko episode. I'm often not sure exactly where you're coming from on the subject.
Peace.
Edit: And I'd find it super interesting!
I think Mr. Bailey is right in saying you should outline your thoughts on PSI/UFO conspiracies and the link to spirituality... perhaps in a monologue-style Skeptiko episode. I'm often not sure exactly where you're coming from on the subject.
Peace.
Edit: And I'd find it super interesting!
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