What is a Good Life? What is a Good Life? #21 - Beyond The Illusion of Self with Katrijn van Oudheusden
Jun 6, 2023
Katrijn van Oudheusden, author of "Selfless Leadership" and a guide on self-discovery, joins the conversation to unravel the illusion of the separate self. She intertwines insights from neuroscience, physics, and Buddhism, challenging listeners to reconsider individual identity. Katrijn shares her transformative journey, emphasizing interconnectedness as a pathway to freedom. The dialogue explores how acknowledging our shared existence can reshape perceptions of choice and control, leading to a more fulfilling and meaningful life.
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Separate Self Is A Learned Illusion
- The sense of a separate person inside the body is an illusion learned from about 18 months old.
- Katrijn says neuroscience, physics and Eastern traditions converge on there being no separate self.
Investigate The Experiencer Directly
- Ask yourself right now "what is experiencing this?" and move into the felt sense rather than answering with thought.
- Investigate whether you can find limits to that awareness to see the experiencer directly.
Perception Is An Evolved Interface
- Perception is an evolved interface that presents icons (like "pen") rather than objective external things.
- Modern cognitive science and theories of consciousness suggest reality is patterns of vibration experienced through this interface.
