Bernardo Kastrup and Michael James - Analytic Idealism and Ramana Maharshi’s Advaita
Oct 27, 2023
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Bernardo Kastrup, philosopher, and Michael James, expert on Ramana Maharshi's Advaita, discuss Analytic Idealism, quantum physics, the meaning of life, the teachings of Ramana Maharshi, ego, the nature of consciousness, and the reality of suffering.
Under analytic idealism, reality is seen as a unified field of subjectivity with illusory appearances.
Ego is a projection in a dream, and the true self experiences the dream as the dreamer.
Ego is a limited perspective that arises when identifying with a body or persona.
The shared dream of reality allows for shared experiences and interactions with others.
Deep dives
Analytic Idealism: Unraveling the Nature of Reality
Under analytic idealism, reality is seen as a unified field of subjectivity. This mental field is the background that gives existence to the illusory appearances in the world. These appearances, whether physical or mental, are not fundamentally real, but rather behavior and activities of the unified field of subjectivity. The illusory individual self, or ego, perceives these appearances and experiences a seemingly separate external world. However, from the perspective of the true self, there is no external world, as it is one with the unified field of subjectivity. The illusory individual self, though not fundamentally real, exists as an appearance, a behavior of the unified field. The true self, on the other hand, is unchanging and constant, and everything else is expressions or behaviors of this true self.
Ego as a Dream Projection
In this podcast episode, the speaker explores the concept of ego as a projection in a dream. They explain that while we are dreaming, the person we perceive ourselves to be in the dream is as much a projection of our own mind as every other person in the dream. The speaker emphasizes that during a dream, the one who is truly experiencing the dream is the dreamer, not the avatar or character we take ourselves to be. They argue that the person in the dream is experienced as an object by the dreamer and that our identification with that person creates the illusion of individuality. The speaker suggests that in this dream-like existence, we interact with others and perceive a shared world, but ultimately, all of this is an appearance in the view of the dreamer's consciousness.
The Illusory Nature of Ego
The podcast delves deeper into the illusory nature of ego, highlighting that ego is a limited perspective that arises when we identify ourselves with a particular body or persona. The speaker explains that ego is not the true essence of our being and that it borrows its existence and awareness from the pure consciousness that permeates everything. They suggest that ego arises in the view of itself, creating the illusion of a separate self and a world of objects. However, they emphasize that pure awareness, free from egoic identifications, is aware of itself without being an object of that awareness. They describe ego as a formless phantom that feeds on the identification with form and flourishes through its attachment to objects and identifications.
The Shared Dream of Reality
The podcast explores the idea of a shared dream of reality, acknowledging that while we are seemingly separate individuals within the dream, there is a shared environment in which we interact. The speaker draws parallels between dreaming and waking life, explaining that just as the dreamer in a dream assumes the reality of other dream characters, we also assume the reality of others in the waking state. They argue that the shared dream of reality allows for shared experiences and communication, enabling us to interact with others and to have mutual understandings. They emphasize the importance of compassion and empathy in this shared dream, as our identification with others leads to a more compassionate response to their experiences.
Questioning the Nature of Consciousness
The podcast delves into the nature of consciousness, questioning whether it exists independently of our perception of it. The speaker highlights the limitation of our perception in determining the existence of external objects and the difficulty in proving that perceptions are caused by separate external entities. They suggest that our experience of the world is entirely based on our perceptions and cannot reach any experience of the connection between perceptions and external objects. They bring up a counter-question about whether anything exists independent of our perception and argue that the shared experiences and language we have imply the existence of a shared world and a shared mind space. However, they also raise the consideration that the nature of reality and others' consciousness is ultimately a metaphysical question that cannot be directly answered.
Questioning the Reality of Experience
The podcast delves into the philosophical inquiry about the internal subjectivity of other people and the nature of reality. While acknowledging the existence of appearances and the differentiation between appearance and illusion, the podcast highlights the importance of acknowledging the seeming of suffering as the suffering itself. The speaker emphasizes the need to question the reality of one's own experience and goes beyond personal identification towards a path of understanding the consciousness looking out into the world from every pair of eyes as "me." This perspective brings forth a compassionate understanding that the suffering experienced by others, illusory or not, is being experienced and felt, making it important to grant it acknowledgment and compassion.
The Path of Relief and Meaning
The discussion explores different approaches to spirituality, specifically regarding the aim of stopping suffering. One perspective highlights the need to go inward, question the reality of the self, and detach from personal identification in order to transcend suffering. Another perspective emphasizes finding meaning rather than solely focusing on stopping suffering. This perspective acknowledges that suffering can be a part of the human experience and it may not be the ultimate purpose of life to be happy and free from suffering. Instead, finding and discovering meaning, even amidst suffering, can bring relief and a sense of fulfillment. Both perspectives recognize the importance of compassion for others' suffering, while also emphasizing different paths towards understanding and addressing suffering in the broader sense.
In a Zoom meeting between Bernardo Kastrup and Michael James, on 26th October 2023, they discussed Analytic Idealism and Ramana Maharshi's Advaita.
This episode can also be watched as a video here and a more compressed audio copy in Opus format (which can be listened to in the VLC media player and some other apps) can be downloaded from here.
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