Exploring the Sacred: Philosophy, Poetry, and Timelessness | 24min snip from The Tim Ferriss Show

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#657: Professor John Vervaeke — How to Build a Life of Wisdom, Flow, and Contemplation

The Tim Ferriss Show

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CHAPTER

Exploring the Sacred: Philosophy, Poetry, and Timelessness

This chapter offers a deep dive into the relationship between God, the mind, and the body through the lens of Spinoza, emphasizing the harmony required between intelligibility and causality. It challenges traditional perspectives on the divine, discussing concepts like 'no-thingness' and the role of timelessness in experiencing the sacred, while also highlighting the transformative power of Sufism and poetry. Through personal reflections and philosophical discussions, the speakers illustrate how various practices can evoke a sense of connectedness to the universe beyond conventional religious frameworks.

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John Vervaeke (@vervaeke_john) is a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto. He currently teaches courses on thinking and reasoning with an emphasis on cognitive development, intelligence, rationality, mindfulness, and the psychology of wisdom.

Vervaeke is the director of UToronto’s Consciousness and Wisdom Studies Laboratory and its Cognitive Science program, where he teaches Introduction to Cognitive Science and The Cognitive Science of Consciousness, emphasizing the 4E model, which contends that cognition and consciousness are embodied, embedded, enacted, and extended beyond the brain.

Vervaeke has taught courses on Buddhism and Cognitive Science in the Buddhism, Psychology, and Mental Health program for 15 years. He is the author and presenter of the YouTube series “Awakening from the Meaning Crisis” and his brand new series, ‘After Socrates.’

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[05:31] The four ways of knowing (4P).

[10:15] Affordances.

[13:04] Semantic memory.

[13:37] Flow.

[27:03] Did John find Tai Chi, or did Tai Chi find him?

[29:46] Leaving Christianity.

[34:42] Wisdom vs. knowledge.

[36:54] Self-deception.

[41:53] When is logic the illogical choice for solving a problem?

[46:05] The powers and perils of intuition.

[55:05] Spotting patterns that need breaking.

[59:18] Meditation vs. contemplation.