Adventures in Awareness

An excerpt from a 5-week course with Bernardo Kastrup & Rupert Spira. We discussed: Self Enquiry as a direct way to know reality Experiential vs. philosophical approach to understanding reality & reducing suffering Why the universe dissociates How idealism increases empathy What psychedelics imply about death Language as a model & much more! To join the next course please visit our ⁠Events page⁠. If you would like to support future content, contributions are greatly appreciated at: ⁠Patreon ⁠In the UK⁠ One-off ⁠PayPal donations⁠

In both Buddhism and modern neuro-science, you may hear the notion that there is no “Self.” No central entity that is separate, makes decisions or is continuous through time. That however real the “Self” might seem, it is merely an illusion. It is one of the most misunderstood, ignored and confronting propositions to come out of philosophy or science, so I spoke with Dr Daniel Ingram who says he experiences an embedded perception of there being no "Self" on an ongoing basis, following several years of careful meditation. We chat about what it means, how it is noticed, what it feels like and why anyone should care! If this sound intriguing at all, have a listen... You'll thank your Self for it 🙂 This episode is supported by The Psychedelic Society, as part of a series of conversations on meditation, consciousness & enlightenment. For upcoming events check out https://psychedelicsociety.org.uk/events​ https://www.adventuresinawareness.com​ Listening is free, but your support is appreciated! If you would like to contribute to this initiative, donations are gratefully accepted. You can support via Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/adventuresinawareness ​or make one-off PayPal donations here:  https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/adventuresin Podcast #5: Daniel Ingram - Experiencing No-Self Part 3 Daniel is an emergency room physician, author of ‘Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha,’ founder of Dharma Overground and holds an M.D., M.S.P.H. in Epidemiology, and B.A. in English Literature all from UNC Chapel Hill.

In both Buddhism and modern neuro-science, you may hear the notion that there is no “Self.” No central entity that is separate, makes decisions or is continuous through time. That however real the “Self” might seem, it is merely an illusion. It is one of the most misunderstood, ignored and confronting propositions to come out of philosophy or science, so I spoke with Dr Daniel Ingram who says he experiences an embedded perception of there being no "Self" on an ongoing basis, following several years of careful meditation. We chat about what it means, how it is noticed, what it feels like and why anyone should care! If this sound intriguing at all, have a listen... You'll thank your Self for it 🙂 This episode is sponsored by The Psychedelic Society, as part of a series of conversations on meditation, consciousness & enlightenment. For upcoming events check out https://psychedelicsociety.org.uk/events​ https://www.adventuresinawareness.com​ Listening is free, but your support is appreciated! If you would like to contribute to this initiative, donations are gratefully accepted. You can support via Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/adventuresinawareness ​or make one-off PayPal donations here:  https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/adventuresin Podcast #5: Daniel Ingram - Experiencing No-Self Part 2   Daniel is an emergency room physician, author of ‘Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha,’ founder of Dharma Overground and holds an M.D., M.S.P.H. in Epidemiology, and B.A. in English Literature all from UNC Chapel Hill.

This episode is sponsored by The Psychedelic Society, as part of a series of conversations on meditation, consciousness & enlightenment. For upcoming events click here. Listening is free, but your support is appreciated! If you would like to contribute to this initiative, donations are gratefully accepted. You can support via Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/adventuresina...​ or make one-off PayPal donations here:  https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/adven...​ Podcast #5: Daniel Ingram - Experiencing No-Self Part 1   Daniel discusses his personal experience of realising the truth of there not being a 'Self'  Daniel is an emergency room physician, author of ‘Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha,’ founder of Dharma Overground and holds an M.D., M.S.P.H. in Epidemiology, and B.A. in English Literature all from UNC Chapel Hill.

This episode is sponsored by The Psychedelic Society, as we continue a series of conversations on meditation, consciousness & enlightenment. For upcoming events with Psychedelic Society check out https://psychedelicsociety.org.uk/events https://www.adventuresinawareness.com Listening is free, but your support is appreciated! If you would like to contribute this initiative, donations are gratefully accepted. You can support via Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/adventuresina... or make one off PayPal donations here:  https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/adven... Podcast #4: Richard Lang - Headless Way Community & Culture   Headless Way is not only a unique form of self enquiry, but a community that has successfully maintained an open, non-hierarchical and non-dogmatic culture which many spiritual communities could take inspiration from. Richard Lang discusses what makes this approach unique amongst the many ways humans have sought to discover answers to life's most fundamental questions.

In collaboration with The Psychedelic Society, Amir Giles is hosting a series of conversations on Psychedelics, Meditation & Enlightenment. For upcoming events find us at https://psychedelicsociety.org.uk/events https://www.adventuresinawareness.com Listening is free, but your support is appreciated! If you would like to contribute this initiative, donations are gratefully accepted. You can support via Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/adventuresinawareness or make one off PayPal donations here:  https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/adventuresin Podcast #3: Dr James Cooke    Oxford trained Neuro-scientist, James Cooke shares his early life awakening experiences, his healing and embodiment journey through psychedelics, and his recently published theory on how consciousness and life are two co-emergent properties of the universe and what that means for living an enlightened life.    00:52 - Necker Cube 3:00 - Religious crisis to awakening to the present moment 8:20 - Tibetan Dzogchen   10:00 - Unintegrated enlightenment, and choosing academia over the monastery 14:00 - Experimental psychology at Oxford and choosing science over philosophy 17:00 -  Science, nonduality and democratisation of psychedelics 19:00 - The collapse of all thought into the present moment 20:00 -  Psychedelic experiences as genuine mystical experience   22:00 - James Cook’s understanding of Enlightenment                      Consciousness as a co-emergent property with life - and to exist is to strive 29:00 -  Different from idealism   30:00 -  Enlightenment as being close to death, enlightenment not the goal 35.30 -  Balancing enlightenment with life 41:40 -  Many centres of experience 49:23 -  Nondual states including being and striving 56:55 - The value of science as a gateway and grounding to the mystical 1:07:40 - Views on metaphysical idealism   1:16:30 - Islands don’t exist 1:21:00 - Distinction with pan-psychism 1:23:00 - Organisms made out of many organisms  1:30:00 - All life is conscious   1:34:00 - Psychedelics, mysticism, embodiment and healing 1:40:00 - The power of redemptive love and psychedelics as party of healthy human culture 1:49:50 - The distraction of visuals in psychedelics, and the healing power of different substances  

In collaboration with The Psychedelic Society, Amir Giles is hosting a series of conversations on Psychedelics, Meditation & Enlightenment. For upcoming events find us here. Listening is free, but your support is appreciated! If you would like to contribute this initiative, donations are gratefully accepted. You can support via Patreon or make one off PayPal donations here. Podcast #2: Stephen Reid   Stephen Reid discusses his personal journey and mystical insights through the intersection between quantum field theory, complexity science, meditation and psychedelics.   Stephen is  a cultural change maker, co-operative technologist and founder of the Psychedelic Society. He completed a Masters in Complexity Science at the University of Bristol as well as a Masters in Physics specialising quantum field theory at the University Oxford University.    He was also the youngest ever board member of Greenpeace UK, and selected as the Green Party parliamentary candidate for Totnes. As well as quantum field theory and Complexity Science, Stephen has training in software development, meditation, plant medicine, and political activism. Discussion points include: 0:40 Mystical Experiences and Quantum Field Theory at Oxford University 4:00 David Bohm - Physics may be infinite 7.30 Physics, metaphysics and mystical experience - the limits of understanding 9:30 Complexity sciences - self organisation & emergence as a bridge to psychedelics 8:30 Science as a platform and context for useful psychedelic experiences 14:00 From Bohm to Krishnamurti - from physics to meditation 15:30 Tao Te Ching as a resonance with complexity sciences 16:20 Zig Zag zen and vipassana 20:00 The value of skepticism around psychedelic trips 22:30 Meditation on Tao te Ching, Seeing that Frees, Reger Rey 24:30 The value of meditation as a support for psychedelic trips, a buffer against bad trips 26:50 The motivations to meditate and to take psychedelics: there is only enlightened action                        Balancing insight & compassion https://stephenreid.net

In collaboration with The Psychedelic Society, Amir Giles is hosting a series of conversations on Psychedelics, Meditation & Enlightenment. For upcoming events with Psychedelic Society click here. Listening is free, but your support is appreciated! https://www.patreon.com/adventuresinawareness Podcast #1: Dr Daniel Ingram Daniel Ingram discusses to what extent psychedelics can either help or hinder in persistent shifts in consciousness and spiritual type awakenings, and is it possible to access the kind of perceptual shifts common on psychedelics in other contexts, and in day to day life?  Daniel is an emergency room physician, author of ‘Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha,’ founder of Dharma Overground and holds an M.D., M.S.P.H. in Epidemiology, and B.A. in English Literature all from UNC Chapel Hill. TOPICS 1:13    Background to Daniel Ingram’s experience 4:31   On the lack of formal research on psychedelics and spiritual awakening 7:13    Formal approaches and maps leading to awakening 8:38  What do psychedelics do; gateways, mystical experiences, damaging and very occasionally permanent transformative awakenings. 13:33 Distinction between spiritual experience and permanent awakening. DMT, psilocyn, salvia, ketamine. 14:50  Psychedelic experiences don’t last long enough for new brain structures to form MAPS AND STAGES OF AWAKENING 17.03  Maps and stages of awakening; Arising and passing away, Dark night, Equanimity, Formal awakening 21:45 The unitive experiences of equanimity 21:30 Psychedelics vs meditation retreats 22:20 Research comparing psychedelics and meditation 22:46 Formal awakening and stream entry vrs temporary experiences PSYCHEDELICS AS PART OF THE PATH 27:30 Psychedelics as part of the path; the parameters of the debate    As a gateway and a motivator    Difficult to integrate & sometimes damaging     As a clarifier 33:30 Micro-dosing; potential for habituation 35:13 Opportunity costs and risks of meditation 39:26 Awakening in indigenous, shamanic and magical traditions 44:30 To trip or not? You have to do your research, know your options. 47:13  Fire Kasina & non substance psychedelic experiences 50:43 The risk, speed and cleanliness; meditation vrs psychedelics   53:30 Handling the weird - psychedelics as the meditation retreat audition 54:43  Is the hero's journey required for the end of suffering? FUTURE RESEARCH AND DIRECTIONS 59:00 Other voices to follow 1:01:13 Taking your wider life into consideration; responsible spirituality 1:05:03 Prospects for future research: Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium - categorizing the experiences that people have, clearer diagnostics and practise recommendations. Daniel Ingram’s website   Erowid Manual of Psychedelic Support