My fourth conversation with the philosopher Alexander Bard, on his new book project on mysticism, bliss, the importance of phenomenology, the philosophy of time, transcendence, and transformation.

Related episodes:

https://youtu.be/Y8cuqy6y0fo Alexander Bard part 1: sex, Zoroastrianism, embodied philosophy

https://youtu.be/eASbv9WA-TQ Alexander Bard part 2: tantric sex, sex and spirituality, men's work

https://youtu.be/3eAwktR3S3s Alexander Bard part 3: anthropology and AI

Bard on Sweeney, discussing the book project on mysticism

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFU0ot5daog

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtaDAqbAE3A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxlQyzDwTfo

00:00:00 Intro: making philosophy.

00:03:33 Why mysticism? Transcendence and transformation. The philosophy of time.

00:14:53 The right order: phenomenology -> epistemology -> ontology of mysticism. Pathos-mythos-logos and subconscious/conscious. Only present exists. The past subsists and the future absists. The past is determinate, the future is indeterminate, the present is transdeterminate.

00:26:08 Animal philosophy.

00:28:51 Phenomenology of mysticism. Dancing myself unconscious. Varayana Buddhism. The two subjectless extreme states: pure experience and the infinite now. You can't do science of consciousness.

00:37:47 The historical and sociological context: pillar saints and boy pharaohs, sutra/tantra. The infinite now and orgasm.

00:49:41 Pure experience and the other-world dualism. The psychoanalytical view: neurosis and psychosis. Mamilla and embodiment.

01:01:24 Mysticism is minimalism. The job of philosophy to kill axioms. Mysticism is practiced philosophy. Mysticism kills fantasies about how the world works. The importance of integration.

01:09:42 The problem with western existentialism is that it assumes the subject is constant.

01:10:17 Why go mystic? Why you? Why now? How? The birth of a child: instant bliss. Go deeper?

01:14:22 The first thing the mystic says: there is no purpose to this. The phenomenology-epistemology loop has been ignored by philosophers.

I, scientist blog: https://balazskegl.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/balazskegl

Artwork: DALL-E

Music: Bea Palya https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBDp3qcFZdU1yoWIRpMSaZw

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The Abject

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