The Resilient Mind

Breaking the Illusion: Awakening Beyond the Mind - Alan Watts

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May 21, 2025
In a captivating discussion, Alan Watts, a British-American philosopher celebrated for making Eastern wisdom accessible, delves into consciousness and personal identity, likening our experiences to a candle's flame. He explores the illusions of individuality, portraying us as interconnected energy patterns. With poetic insights, he offers a transformative view on awakening beyond the self, emphasizing authenticity and the vital role of technology in shaping our perceptions of reality and nature. Prepare to rethink your existence!
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INSIGHT

Selective Attention Shapes Reality

  • Human consciousness focuses on figures and movement, giving them perceived higher reality than the background.
  • This selective attention serves as a danger-scanning radar but limits awareness of the harmonious whole.
INSIGHT

Identity as Dynamic Pattern

  • Individuals are patterns of activity, not fixed substances, like a moving knot on a rope.
  • Identity is the persistence of a pattern despite continuous change in constituents.
INSIGHT

Space and Bodies are One

  • The universe is a continuum where bodies and space coexist inseparably like front and back.
  • Space is an essential function of things, so separation is an illusion; all is connected.
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