Alan Watts

[Lavazza]

I've been listening to a lot of Alan Watts lectures while I work lately. I've noticed that a lot of his core ideas about consciousness and spirituality are very in tune with Law of One philosophy, specifically that we're all one (although Watts never explicitly says this).

Any other Watts fans here?

For those unfamiliar... here are some links.

* http://www.alanwattspodcast.com/
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Watts
* http://deoxy.org/watts.htm

[ayadew]

I'm listening to the latest podcast, and it's quite interesting. It's a pity the older ones costs money for I do by principle not pay for spiritual teachings in any form, even if it's for server costs. I may miss some good stuff this way, but really, most teachings with monetary interests are... off.

I will subscribe to this podcast though and listen to those that are published every week. Thank you for sharing

[Lavazza]

If you can, check out "Who am I" #1 & #2. Great stuff!

[Ali Quadir]

I can't even find the free ones, and some of the prices are ridiculous. Maybe the 2$ ones are reasonable. But a few products sets me back 600$ and whats in it, the content of a book right? I can get those for 20$ or less.

I don't have major objections against paying for spiritual services. But I also don't have any objections against shopping among competitors and picking a good deal for my money. If they charge money I'm going to put on my critical consumer hat.

It'd have to be pretty darn good to be worth 600$...

What is the guy about anyway? All I could find was methods of payment Though if he got your attention there must be something to it.

[Lavazza]

Here's a link on the site that will let you download the last four podcasts for free. Also I suspect if you tune in to the feed via iTunes you may be able to get more of them.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/alanwatts

He's a prominent philosopher who died in the 70's. He specialized in bridging the gap between western and eastern cultures primarily. Not so much in telling the West that they needed to be more like the East, but an embracing of both. One of his more famous books is called 'The way of Zen'. The reason I like him so much is because his ideas come across (to me at least) as simple, elegant, and fundamental truths about the world we live in, consciousness, and other related matters. On top of this he is a wonderful speaker who was quick to insert humor in to his lectures. It would have been a real joy for me to have met him, of course I wasn't born until after he had died. Alas...

[Ali Quadir]

I've listened to some of the audio you've pointed out. And I have to admit the guy is good.

[ayadew]

Man and Nature 1 was very good...
"you are what the universe is doing at your place right now"

[Ali Quadir]

Man and Nature 1 was very good...
"you are what the universe is doing at your place right now"

Amen to that...

I was working out a few weeks ago. And I was in a contemplative mood. I had listened to David Wilcock rant about spontaneous generation of life. I had seen the articles about space dust structuring itself in the shape of spiralling dna strands. And David had said something about how the DNA strand is not much bigger in diameter than the biggest object they had confirmed would display particle wave duality...

Honestly, mostly I just try to stand in front of a mirror grunting and kissing my own biceps. And having great fun too. But sometimes a thought sneaks through. It's always embarrassing so I try not to show it.

And then an insight hit me: life is this omnipresent force that whenever it gets the overhand on entropy creates self organizing structures in reality. It's just a constant push. Anything we could create of life would simply be the circumstances required to do it. Just like the physical body only creates the circumstances required for life to express itself. And the life force will start pushing and create a kind of chain reaction of more and similar life towards complexity. This is why life sustains itself. Without the constant push existing life would lose coherence and vanish in the mishmash by entropy.

And so you are literally what the universe is doing at your place now, or your space/time/probability vector. If you like the fancy words.

If there is such a thing as sponaneous generation then it would seem life itself carries the blueprint. But this is not confirmed in my eyes yet, it's certainly a tantalizing idea.

[Lavazza]

I'm glad you guys dig the Watts material too A lot of his lectures have really hit home with me recently. This strays off topic a bit, but I found equal resonance with a few interviews featuring Amit Goswami, a nuclear physicist who applies Quantum theory to consciousness and god.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amit_Goswami

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s42mrdhKw...r_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V6SaBflp...r_embedded

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/s42mrdhKwRA&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/s42mrdhKwRA&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2V6SaBflpiM&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2V6SaBflpiM&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

He's also featured in documentaries, and even made one himself entitled 'The Quantum Activist', http://quantumactivist.com/

[ayadew]

Ali: It's an extremely meaningful thought for me, and just thinking about it worded like that fascinates me. You ARE the whole product of the universe right now, right here, a fantastic result of all things combined, a perfect creation. Really, wow.

I hope your biceps gives you some love back!

[Ali Quadir]

Ali: It's an extremely meaningful thought for me, and just thinking about it worded like that fascinates me. You ARE the whole product of the universe right now, right here, a fantastic result of all things combined, a perfect creation. Really, wow.

And the concept seems to agree so well with intelligent infinity.

It really is an amazing universe we live in.

I hope your biceps gives you some love back!

Well, they can be a bit of a b**** the morning after...

[ayadew]

"if you can't trust yourself, can you trust the mistrust of yourself?"

[Lavazza]

"if you can't trust yourself, can you trust the mistrust of yourself?"

Yup, I'm a fan for life.

[ayadew]

"The mystery of life is not a problem to be solved. It's a reality to be experienced."

[Lavazza]

"... for with our instruments and through our eyes, the universe is looking at itself. And just as, when you try to turn around and look at your own head... it runs away."

[ayadew]

"... for with our instruments and through our eyes, the universe is looking at itself. And just as, when you try to turn around and look at your own head... it runs away."

I guess that summarizes a chemical experience

[Lavazza]

"...but in this theory god is not another person, there are no victims of god. He's never anything but his own victim. You are responsible, and if you want to stay in the state of illusion, stay in it... But you can always wake up."

from The Relevance of Oriental Philosophy #4 (podcast)

[ayadew]

Alan Watts - Who am I

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=...828E7737AA

[Lavazza]

This weeks' podcast is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G... 'The Mythology of Hinduism, #5'

http://feeds.feedburner.com/alanwatts

[AnthroHeart]

I've been interested in learning about the work of Gregg Braden as well. So much to listen to, it's hard to decide who to listen to next.