Ep259: Questioning Enlightenment

Ep259: Questioning Enlightenment - Dr Justin Sledge 2

Рет қаралды 5,346

Күн бұрын

In this episode I am once again joined by Dr James Justin Sledge, a professor of philosophy and religion specialising in the Western Esoteric tradition and founder of the popular Esoterica KZfaq channel.
Dr Sledge begins by explaining his position on enlightenment, why he’s not interested in becoming enlightened but still finds the concept interesting, and whether or not enlightenment claims are linked to traits of narcissistic personality disorder.
Dr Sledge also reveals his own ethical orientation, considers various theories of morality, the role of tradition vs subjective experience, and what he calls the ”meaning famine”.
Dr Sledge also takes aim at postmodernism and deconstructionism, retrieves the overlooked philosophers of antiquity and the Renaissance, and offers recommended reading lists for the autodidact interested in the esoteric.
…
www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep...
Also available on KZfaq, iTunes, & Spotify - search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
…
Topics include:
00:00 - Intro
01:01 - Don’t want to be enlightened
02:20 - Belief, practice, and tradition
04:17 - Magick and the quest for power
06:42 - Judaism without belief in God
09:34 - Origins of moral authority
12:43 - Is belief in God necessary?
14:44 - Natural law and utilitarianism
16:07 - Dr Sledge’s personal ethics
16:40 - Virtue ethics
19:05 - The danger of existential questions
21:59 - Intellectual and spiritual hazing
22:31 - The meaning famine
25:35 - Dr Sledge on deconstruction and post-modernism
31:43 - Cancelling the canon
33:51 - Classics reading list for the autodidact
38:43 - Why get enlightened?
40:34 - Too lazy?
41:27 - Is enlightenment worth it?
44:48 - Enlightened narcissists
45:56 - Criticism of Dr Sledge
46:56 - Danger of unthinking fealty
50:05 - Questioning tradition and existential crisis
53:09 - Pros and cons of mystical experiences
57:27 - The mystic’s mistake
58:24 - Hyperfixation on baseline consciousness
59:42 - Hallucinations of the recently deceased
01:02:13 - Upsetting both sides
01:04:19 - Truth and other epistemologies
01:10:02 - Overlooked philosophers
01:12:05 - Telling the whole story of philosophy
01:13:25 - Dishonesty of academic philosophy
01:14:06 - Spiritual Renaissance philosophy and depriving
01:15:49 - The loss of awe and beauty
01:18:59 - Chasing awe with psychedelics, astronomy, and community
01:23:39 - Tactical religion and joining communities of value
01:27:19 - Huge influx of new converts to Judaism
01:28:43 - Recommended reading for Western Esotericism and overlooked philosophy
01:34:59 - Dr Sledge’s go-to book
…
Previous episode with Dr Justin Sledge:
- www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep...
To find out more about Dr Justin Sledge, visit:
- www.justinsledge.com/
- / @theesotericachannel
…
For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- www.guruviking.com
Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Пікірлер: 130

@simonsays525 13 күн бұрын

If I may, reach out to Ajahn Nyanamoli Thero for an interview. He's teaching very powerful Dhamma and his voice will likely ruffle some feathers and call into question much of the words and beliefs of other spiritual teachers. I think it would be both educational as well as entertaining content.

@rhyothemisprinceps1617 13 күн бұрын

17:59 argh! one of the things I hate most about life is that as a consumer I am not given choices that fit my ethical standards. If students buy cheap clothes it is not because they are 'okay with slavery' - it is because they most likely can't afford to pay for Certified B Corp clothing. They may not even know about worker conditions in the clothing industry - and that's not their fault, either. Personally I buy my clothes 2nd hand because I tend to be clumsy and ruin everything I wear within a few hours. We also often aren't able to find truly green or cruelty-free products. I have a ton of allergies to both plant and animal foods and am dependent on dairy for key nutrients. I don't like my dairy choices at the grocery store, but that's what I have available to me. I don't think not letting myself starve to death means I'm a bad person.

@daviddenyer1679 9 күн бұрын

My understanding is that you produce virtue towards ethics, not consume it I suppose both truly

@amnisnona2648 8 күн бұрын

i can relate to the clothes situation EVERYTHING i get i get at thift stores😂

@baizhanghuaihai2298 10 күн бұрын

I’m curious about Dr. Sledge’s views on thinkers like Schopenhauer, Wessel-Zapffe, or Rorty. I’ve noticed a trend lately amongst some philosophers: to regard human desperation for meaning(-making) as a sound reason to adopt traditional teleological schemas of various kinds; a kind of implicit acknowledgement that our little minds simply cannot do without such frameworks and that it’s reasonable to adopt them even if we are not motivated by earnest conviction in the metaphysics and soteriology of such traditions, lest we fall into villainous nihilism. But I think the most reasonable place to be a skeptic…is actually in a foxhole. The nihilism of the 80s and 90s had little wisdom in it, it was sophomoric smart-assery. The nihilism of today is wiser, it recognizes the direness of the moment, and meets it with a mixture of despair and curiosity, rather than running away into the safety of old fairy tales to look for courage. We must learn to be with our monsters completely, because they are completely with us regardless.

@vvvvaaaacccc 12 күн бұрын

I feel bereft of a cohesive community of value with which I share certain symbols of shared meaning. I long for such a thing.

@jethrobradley7850 10 күн бұрын

Create one of your own

@aninvisibleneophyte 13 күн бұрын

Thanks for doing this conversation guys.

@AvanaVana 13 күн бұрын

So bummed I missed this! Justin is the best!

@naftalibendavid 13 күн бұрын

The chat is quite the Rorschach. Thanks for posting this conversation!

@bretrohde7300 11 күн бұрын

Wonderful discussion. I dig both of you guys, what a treat!

@DianeFereig 13 күн бұрын

Nice to see two of my favourites in dialogue. 😊

@johnstewart7025 11 күн бұрын

Free will: Why punish criminals who have no control over their behavior? Deterence. If a someone prone to criminal behavior learns that he may be punished, he will modify his behavior to avoid punishment.

@wiwidity 11 күн бұрын

we need more western type intellect soberness, especially in case when western and eastern cultures mix, especially in vajrayana circles which did shown as a nest for all kinds of narcissism (abuse).

@pauladee6937 13 күн бұрын

Thank you Justin for saying hurt people hurt people and we dont need to suffer

@vincentzacks9584 12 күн бұрын

I agree with him on Peterson and Tate.

@vincentzacks9584 12 күн бұрын

Buddha used the word dukkha which means mental anguish or unsatisfactoriness, not suffering.

@SamPhappalapa 9 күн бұрын

As a GenXer I like Leigh Brasington's translation as "bummer"

@AbhijitWankhade3 Күн бұрын

Dukkha is like the Japanese Koan as per Ajhan Jayasaro. As you progress on the path, you understand more meanings of Dukkha. An Arhant understands it completely. I feel anything that you can't own is Dukkha. Non-self, things, personal views are all Dukkha. The only thing you can own is Nibbana.

@noahschlager4925 6 минут бұрын

I love the idea of post-theism, hadn’t heard that term before but I think it describes how I’ve evolved over the years- I’m not a theist but I dislike the the hostility and broad stroke erasure of all things religion and spirituality that atheistic culture has surrounded itself by. I gain a lot from religious praxis and whether or not there is any material truth to the experiences in my spiritual traditions doesn’t seem to be all that important to the value they bring to my life and impact on others. I’m also at the point I find an intuitive discomfort of anyone who claims universal enlightenment, nibbana, or salvation.

@mattpiper5278 13 күн бұрын

It’s not that you’re not interested in enlightenment, it is that you’re not interested in what you think enlightenment to be.

@Lipinki.luzyckie 13 күн бұрын

What do YOU think enlightenment is then?

@fourtwentythree 13 күн бұрын

It’s the same thing to him 😅

@5piles 13 күн бұрын

@@Lipinki.luzyckie i mean the amount of scholarship with precise matching definitions at this point is in the 1000s of essays/books. maybe youre doing something wrong.

@daviddenyer1679 9 күн бұрын

What a great line, king of the ruins

@thoughtform21 13 күн бұрын

Dr. Sledge, if you see this, can you point out to me where Plato spoke of the WORLD of the Forms, or if you can't, might it be that this is more something Frege wrote about Plato?

@rihhard1072 13 күн бұрын

Hey Steve! You should consider getting Ian McGilchrist on, if you can 🙏

@lb8012 13 күн бұрын

Idk I think maybe you’re pretty enlightened to approach enlightenment this way. 🤔Is enlightenment really something that you choose or is it something that manifests at a certain point of growth and maturity? Like when a plant in its life cycle gets to a certain point it bears a bud which blooms into a flower and then ripens into a fruit, then re-seeds itself. Could the life-cycle of a Being attaining enlightenment be a similar growth journey as the Being takes up a form and then relieves itself of it at the end of the cycle.

@AyahuascaMagic 4 күн бұрын

Super interesting

@02sweden 12 күн бұрын

About 1.22 he is right.

@itsdangoldfield 10 күн бұрын

when asked how to tell if someone's enlightened, Ziji Rinpoche said "someone who is enlightened is of benefit".

@rubypayne4965 13 күн бұрын

University class on Agrippa or something for a platform? Interested to hear about that.

@zardoz7900 9 күн бұрын

I wonder what he thinks about people who have had NDE experiences and heard conversations or items that were physically far away from them?

@1loveharpo 13 күн бұрын

Purpose is prison. Let the world wax philosophical about what your purpose was.

@chrislowe8746 13 күн бұрын

Large if veracious

@BlissBlessHappiness 13 күн бұрын

My answer humbly equals that of a far greater being - when he was asked whether he believes in God: “I don't need to believe, I know” (C.G. Jung 1959)

@pauladee6937 13 күн бұрын

More Wars are caused and justified that their God is right and the Only one, to take, sieze power and control and if people cant see that, theyll never see enlightenment.

@levprotter1231 12 күн бұрын

I think plenty can be inferred from experience, mostly about the workings of our brain.

@gratefulkm 6 күн бұрын

I would have thought it basic to even the most simple of thinkers To become enlightened one must be permanently and forever have been in the dark So its clear to me that the issue is that the books are no longer able to determine who it is exactly that is stuck eternally in the dark

@levprotter1231 12 күн бұрын

Big fan of natural law. Straying from it is generally catastrophic in surprisingly awful ways.

@davidmickles5012 13 күн бұрын

Tbh, the concept of "enlightenment" is just another fantasy. Anything that appears in the mind conceptuality is a fantasy. As a concept, "enlightenment" is really a metaphor or metaphorical substitute for death. If you compare the two concepts side by side they are pretty much identical. What we are really pursuing is not some object called "enlightenment" - which is really just a more likeable concept than what we usually hold to. What we are really pursuing is the nonconceptual experience of presence. ❤🙏

@fourtwentythree 13 күн бұрын

wut 😅 I’m pursuing ‘getting that bag, sis’ 👜👍 it’s likely different for everyone

@johnpienta4200 12 күн бұрын

Lots of traditions have a lot of different experiences that they describe as enlightenment. As far as I'm aware none of them literally, or metaphorically are talking about death.

@davidmickles5012 12 күн бұрын

@@johnpienta4200 Transcendence of the self (ego) and all the "failings, sufferings and weaknesses" that make us human (alive) can be from a psychological perspective viewed as an equivalent metaphor for death. In a way, we are simply replacing our view of death with something more pleasant or rewarding, namely "enlightenment" (nirvana, consciousness, heaven, God etc..). This would happen on a psychological level, not on a philosophical or doctrinal level. In our commonly idealized views of both the states of death and that enlightenment, the self no longer exists, there is no suffering, there is no conceptuality, there are no forms, there is no need to eat or breathe, there is no preference or aversion, there is no form, and only emptiness or "void" and silent "peace." This impulse to reach for "enlightenment" I would say is (or could be) subconsciously a way for the human mind to cope with its ability to sense its own demise or end. We portray enlightenment in the most grandiose descriptors as a way to overcome our impending sense of doom - in the same way we subconsciously construct mythologies, religion and a belief in Gods and an afterlife. Of coarse it's not a conscious impulse (we are not **aware** that we are doing it, and so no one would typically argue or consciously present it as per your comment suggests.

@johnpienta4200 12 күн бұрын

@@davidmickles5012 I think I may have misunderstood what you were pointing to, or perhaps oversimplified it. What I had thought, and thus responded to, was a notion that this is some form of ideological terror management theory. That is not to say that it's not a component of any or all of these traditions, but just that it's not ALL there is to these traditions. From what you've stated, as well as rereading your original comment, it seems clear you weren't necessarily implying this. But I think this is an important, possibly the most important part about pursuing any kind of path purported to provide such an enlightenment - what is that state supposed to look like. He makes a good point that if before you're going to chop wood and carry water, and then after, the same, why do it? Perhaps his life has been good enough to not need to ask such a question, perhaps he is ignoring the notion that after enlightenment one still chops wood and carries water but does so with no internal resistance to their experience etc.

@davidmickles5012 12 күн бұрын

@@johnpienta4200 Yes.. The "no internal resistance" I think is certainly key. Reality is reality, and no amount of thinking about, or trying to define or "reimagine" it will change that. And if "reality is reality" then its truth is already here, right now within "non enlightenment." But getting back to my original point, it's simply this.. We can say that we are seeking "enlightenment" all day long, but that is just a thought. And worse yet, it's a thought that is like a carrot at the end of a stick whereby we keep chasing it and chasing it, only to get further and further away from this already present and complete reality that we are in the midst of. That's why I mentioned that what we truly seek (what our most relaxed and natural impulse is) is to be completely present - not to reach toward a fantastical experience of "super transcendence." Super transcendence is right here right now as the pure presence of chopping wood and carrying water.

@annahinrichsen5726 12 күн бұрын

re: enlightenment as narcissism - Yes. You have to build it before you tear it down.

@indef93 Күн бұрын

Part of the "path". Of course narcissism must come up to be illuminated. 🎉

@mistressofstones 13 күн бұрын

I agree that a lot of people are attracted to magic for gross reasons, checking Etsy for service magicians is revealing that many people approach magic for the most base of reasons. And thats true anciently too. But the people I find interesting in the field arent that way inclined, some are quite religiously pious.

@daviswiggin4425 13 күн бұрын

I like Dr. Sledge but I disagree with him re: tearing down vs building up. If you can destroy something with mere cleverness, particularly ideas, those things were never of lasting value anyway.

@Lipinki.luzyckie 13 күн бұрын

But you could deconstruct any idea in the world, none of them are immune to that, you know

@daviswiggin4425 13 күн бұрын

@@Lipinki.luzyckie if that were true you could deconstruct the idea of deconstruction and it would be meaningless so clearly that's not true- and if you CAN deconstruct deconstruction then that renders it meaningless in the first place.

@esotericoffering 12 күн бұрын

When someone says "I don't believe in God ." What they really mean is: " My mind created an idea of what God is, and another thought disagreed with that." And in the same boat goes the opposite with belief in God. The limitation is inherent in thought itself. Mr. Sledge could ask himself "what is aware of thought?" 😉

@indef93 Күн бұрын

Too true. 🎉

@marcuszerbini5555 12 күн бұрын

This interview highlights the great weakness of the Western tradition of philosophy. There is an intrinsic conceit that it can all be intellectually understood... just read, read, read. Conceptualisation piled upon conceptualisation without ever exploring the foundation of experience which is non conceptual.

@indef93 Күн бұрын

Yes. Skepticism is attachment to doubt. True curiosity is holding paradox and seeing beyond concepts. Tradition will always be necessary as long as doubt remains a natural part of the human experience.

@LoveJungle420 13 күн бұрын

To be honest I was actually kind of surprised of his take on the magical tradition. If you look at the magic of the Golden Dawn, Aleister Crowley, Hermericism, etc the goal is not simple cunning man magic or getting isht, as I like to say. The goal is non-dual Awakening. The goal is to become magic itself, and in order to become magic, you have to overcome the ego. Manifestation is a side effect of becoming Magic. It's just similar to Tantra and that they're using multiple methods and external forces to hasten that awakening. This view in my opinion is the result of being a scholar of the esoteric but not also a practitioner. And then he says Buddha got wrong the idea that life is suffering, but the Buddha never said life is suffering. He said the first Noble Truth is dukkha, which does not actually translate to suffering. It's more like a discontent with the present moment. Dukkha can mean anything from a paper cuts to not getting a job promotion, to going through a divorce, to getting your leg chopped off. Primarily it is speaking about the mental states of discomfort that arise from not accepting the present moment . Any observation of a baby or an old person will make this abundantly clear. Anytime you are hot or tired or hungry or annoyed; your foot hurts, you feel fat, you have an itch, you don't want to go to work today, etc. That is dukkha. It is death of the present moment by a thousand paper cuts. It is the aggregate of all forms of psychological discontent. None of this would stop me from watching his channel, but I was surprised he held these views. Great interview!

@johnpienta4200 12 күн бұрын

Love this. Agreed with the first paragraph wholly, it seems to be a tradition around being the transformation. Also agree re the second paragraph... This drives me up the wall, nobody ever said life is suffering. The translation is: in life there is dukkha. Not life is made of dukkha etc. My favorite take on the translation of Dukkha is Ken McLeod's. Dukkha is best translated as "struggle". In life there is struggle (between what is happening, and what we think could/should be happening), and there is a way out of it and so on... Honestly I think if enlightenment is phrased as a loss of confusion between what is actually happening now, and what one thinks/wishes could or should be happening, at all times and done reflexively/effortlessly I wonder if that would move the needle for him.

@fourtwentythree 13 күн бұрын

4:23 Nah brother, I’m still gonna search for the magic tricks to find a bury treasure, and to get women to love me but to each his own

@dennisdolan7250 13 күн бұрын

Of course ,we all know family and friends who surprise us by their lower levels of consciousness/ awareness and resulting disastrous actions. So the question is not are there levels of consciousness . The question is who gets to say no one is higher than my level and how would you tell?🤷‍♂️

@5piles 13 күн бұрын

the same way everyone from mathematicians to wine connoisseurs can accurately discriminate who is better and who is lower. unfortunately ppl the vast mass of practitioners are delusional and are not participating in anything real eg. ppl who think theyve accomplished jhana but still experience lust.

@pauladee6937 13 күн бұрын

Myths are not just A Concept

@GizzyDillespee 12 күн бұрын

4:02 Have cake. 5:52 Eat it, too.

@jethrobradley7850 10 күн бұрын

Yes. "I don't believe in angels but I am very scared of them"

@keliblack6665 12 күн бұрын

Chop Wood, Carry Water. Word. Would love to see a Native American Elder in this Space in this Conversation. 🙏

@BlissBlessHappiness 13 күн бұрын

I am also from a Jewish family, just for the record: he is being disingenuous, to say the least, in extension of the crusades and partially about the inquisition; the Christians were systematically persecuted by Muslims for a long time, prior to the crusades, in the middle east and till this day in fact (see the dwindling numbers of Christians in the region today), which was the main cause which initiated the call to action. And the actual inquisition and its causes are a complex affair to be fair (having less to with the church than many believe and more to do with political realities).

@dennisdolan7250 13 күн бұрын

Muslims took over 66% of Christian territory before the First crusade was called by Urban. Anyone think any President would allow Isis et al to take over 2/3rds of US territory before responding?🤷‍♂️

@dis4980 13 күн бұрын

They will never admit any wrongdoing.

@m0ckingB1rd42 11 күн бұрын

The Toledo edict of the Catholic Church (1449) was the first time race as a biological concept was codified into law. The Toledo Edict concerned “limpia sangre” or “blood purity” and stated that Jews could not be considered fully Christian even if they converted because they had a “quality of the blood” that made them inferior. The Notsees later expanded on this idea…..

@BlissBlessHappiness 10 күн бұрын

@@m0ckingB1rd42 And? The era was ugly, no doubt, but it is not what most people imagine. And it was mostly a political affair in reaction to years of Islamic dominion and performed mostly, and especially many of the nasty bids, by the local aristocracy rather than the Roman church. It was a counterreaction to years of subjugation. Studying it you will find many nuances, but no doubt we are a sick species, in general.

@indef93 Күн бұрын

Danger, danger. 😊😂❤

@nezumifluff 10 күн бұрын

Sceptic of witty people? Heresy!!

@fourtwentythree 13 күн бұрын

6:15 this video is not for me, 😅but I’m glad others take enjoyment from this content Thank you for sharing it. 🙏

@keliblack6665 12 күн бұрын

Right off....5:59...I'm feeling on the outskirts, again. Lol. Some of us, are not seeking any existential 'Magic.' However, it finds Us. I'll keep listening, but my experiences are not generally desires in regard to spiritual happenings. I dunno. Lol I'll keep Listening. Love the conversations always. ❤

@LoveJungle420 13 күн бұрын

The problem is not deconstruction or post modernism. That is a natural step in the evolution of thinking. The problem is a lack of mental health and EQ. If you think there's no point to life and you start to feel depressed, a mentally healthy person will confront those painful feelings and thoughts and digest them ie accept them ie accept the present moment and then reframe or unburden the pain. And it's not the deconstruction that's causing the pain, it's the unexamined false sense of self. It hurts because there's some truth to it and we've spent our whole lives building up walls against it; identity, status, progeny, wealth, faith, good looks, culture, prowess, etc. People always want to blame a lack of introspection and psychological individuation on an external source. It's classic projection.

@LoveJungle420 13 күн бұрын

To go into a little more detail he brings up the idea that men are more affected by deconstruction and postmodernism then women. But which gender is worse off psychologically? Which gender has more trouble expressing their feelings? Expressing vulnerability? Which gender is more prone to suicide? Which gender has less of a support system intact when they feel this existential pain? It affects men more intensive than women, because men are worse off psychologically. If anything the unequal affect on men and women is an indication that it's NOT deconstruction that's causing the problem or at least not the main culprit.

@S0laz 6 күн бұрын

@@LoveJungle420 Do you know what dehumanization, depersonalization is?. Do you know what happens to the people in cluster B?. Deconstruction is as far as it has been taken a process that turns the human being into a mere market object. Very convenient for the transhumanist agenda, but really harmful to what the human dimension means. If you can't trust the reality of your body then, where does reality begin and ends? or plz, tell me what or who are you, can you?. Precisely the mind is the trap.

@pauladee6937 13 күн бұрын

Fraternity=Hasinh

@rhyothemisprinceps1617 9 күн бұрын

59:42 There are cases of people having these 'hallucinations' before they are informed of their loved one's sudden, unexpected death. There are also cases of people experiencing unexplained pain when their loved ones have an accident or medical crisis, e.g., Tim Ventura had severe pain in his hand and later learned that at the same time this occurred his mother had burned her hand. (I may have gotten some of the details wrong on Ventura's story). Kind of hard to explain under the materialist paradigm.

@amnisnona2648 8 күн бұрын

I need more duc tape for my 1951 Shakespeare's CW

@jethrobradley7850 10 күн бұрын

"I'm very sceptical of arguments from experience" says Dr Sledge, arguing from his own experience.

@indef93 Күн бұрын

😂😂😂🎉🎉🎉

@amnisnona2648 8 күн бұрын

57:00 has anyone else here deduced the meaning of life but forgot it once they sober up? Very inconvenient just like Justin says about speaking with god 😂😂😂

@pauladee6937 13 күн бұрын

Justin said Tradition isn't Religion!!!! Well many Traditions use Magic and It's NOT a thing to lift oneself up. It's a CONNECTION TO HIGher Realms, Beings, Self. The Magi in The Bible,, Magick was taught against by Monotheism

@swdragonmntn7848 9 күн бұрын

Jewish spirituality?

@nicholasdasilva9 13 күн бұрын

Esoteric Buddhism has no problem asking for power and benefits from angels, gods, and demons.

@vvvvaaaacccc 12 күн бұрын

I feel disappointed that Justin didn't define "enlightenment", and proceeded to cite a lot of examples that arguably showed the worst side, rather than the best side. he admits that "enlightenment", whatever that means, is possible, but then doesn't talk about what that might have done for those people. instead, he spent a lot of time talking about people claiming enlightenment and going on crusades - okay, let's assume those people are making empty claims and put them aside for now. I would also have been interested to challenge him on how personal enlightenment might be approached as possibly benefitting others, rather than as a project without much to show for itself.

@thomasj7506 6 сағат бұрын

Dr. Sledge's perspective appears to misrepresent and criticize the concept of enlightenment. For instance, he equates the modern New Age movement, characterized by emotional fulfillment, manifestation of desires, and a fascination with magic, to enlightenment. However, this is only a small, albeit vocal, segment of the broader esoteric community. Moreover, New Age practices are not pursued in the quest for enlightenment but rather as a means of seeking power through esotericism. Essentially, he is comparing two fundamentally different pursuits. Dr. Sledge seems to project his own interpretations of esotericism, shaped by his Jewish cultural background, onto the general population. His argument is reminiscent of a conservative stance on drug use, which is often based on the belief that people use drugs to escape their problems and the fear of addiction. In reality, many individuals use drugs responsibly and lead productive, addiction-free lives. In summary, Dr. Sledge's view of the search for enlightenment is clouded by fear and misunderstanding. In any case, I still love the good doctor although we differ. I prefer a balance of knowlege and gnosis. Clearly, he's firmly in the knowledge tribe and such people do serve a purpose in enlightening us, ironically.

@keliblack6665 12 күн бұрын

Your Tone....is devoid of Energy.

@keliblack6665 12 күн бұрын

He is justifying Magical experience now....1:00 ish... ❤

@fourtwentythree 13 күн бұрын

5:26 this seems like a boring way to live to me, not living as if you’re the main character 🤔 who is the main character if not us?

@pauladee6937 13 күн бұрын

After Justin said he doesnt Believe, practice Magic think i lost any respect, "The Jewish Tradition" is based on the Facts of Sacred Geometry. So to deny the facts on the Numerolygy and Astrology of that tradion dumbfounds me?

@PeterStuckings 13 күн бұрын

Remarkably banal and inane. Please please talk to someone who actually understands and has attained ‘enlightenment.’ It exists and they exist. Then people can learn something useful 🤦‍♂️

@sharlynpage2026 2 күн бұрын

He seems to want to echo the sentiment of the current under- educated mainstream in his denigration of Western culture. -And this from the secure seat of an old and respected religion, which he rather uses than loves! Not one who would qualify as a prophet of Israel! At least not until he attains enlightenment.

@personalaccount7534 9 күн бұрын

Well it’s easy to reject something that you don’t understand. Enlightenment does not give you powers to change celestial bodies… duh. He sees it as leveled up mage out of a video game. The enlightened being is in many ways less than. Incredibly ordinary. You surrender literally everything to God. And in that stillness and purity they return their consciousness to God. You aren’t going to get rich from it so yeah, i guess it’s not appealing to the non seeker or those looking for a power up

@keliblack6665 12 күн бұрын

18:40...."most of us aren't good people"....I still can't get on board with that pessimistic....realism? Ideology. I don't believe it. ❤

@sharlynpage2026 3 күн бұрын

I agree. Buying shirts from sweat shops is not tantamount to promoting slavery. What would happen to these workers if no one bought the goods? Cheap shirts are not a condemnation. After living 3/4 of a century, it has been my experience that most people not only want to be "good" but also want to get along with others.

@liradorfeu 13 күн бұрын

Dr Justin speaks eloquently but his reasoning is often flawed and contradictory... He finds validity in a material reality derived from a belief in a God but can't find valid reasons for there being reality in God. Dislikes utilitarianism but finds tradition to be a great practical and ethical tool. Belongs to a religious tradition that prescribes God as the ultimate existential panacea but looks for existential consolation in comic books. Dedicates most of his time to studying esotericism but never once felt curious to try any of it. I could go on but I'm not here to point fingers at him, it's just weird to me. It just seems like he doesn't really have anything to offer in any meaningful way..

@mistressofstones 13 күн бұрын

It's really odd isn't it that some people are so obsessed with esoterics but not remotely interested in using any of the knowledge in their antiquarian books worth thousands of dollars. I'm very grateful for his content but that's kind of bizarre.

@matthewdigiordano1476 12 күн бұрын

Every human being is built on contradictions and paradoxes. He might not have anything to offer u personally, and that's ok (not everything is for everyone), but he clearly has much to offer, otherwise his channel would have such a large following and he wouldn't get invite for interviews like this. What a human offers to the world is much larger than a small selection of their perspectives, it's also about the projects they engage in and how they interact with others in the world. I can't speak for the latter, but the former clearly shows he has a lot to offer.

@sidhantsharma9961 11 күн бұрын

@@matthewdigiordano1476 Hitler had a large following too. Not everybody with a large following has something meaningful to offer. He conceptualizes everything and has not experienced what he talks about. Here's one example, "You chop wood before enligentenment and you do the same after", however there is a shift in the after. The shift is in the internal world. Externally one might work at the same job, but internally, there's a radical shift. And you can't conceptualize that shift as it can only be experienced.

@amaryllisequistra 12 күн бұрын

31:00. I’m curious about what Justin thinks is so terrible about Jordan Petersen. Is it that Justin disagrees with pragmatic philosophy? As an aside, when i read comments under Jordan’s videos, there are a lot of young men thanking him for helping to get their lives back on track; for suggesting how to live a purpose filled life. I’m struggling to see how Jordan can be categories as a ”terrible guru”, but perhaps Justin knows something that i don’t… I’m totally on board with what Justin is saying about the anti-intellectualism of cancel culture and the burgeoning totalitarianism that it foreshadows.

@keliblack6665 12 күн бұрын

Okay. No. ❤

@RayG817 12 күн бұрын

I am not "enlightened" and I'm not sure I believe in that concept. That said, when he talks about enlightenment he just sounds arrogant and stupid. He is much too smug to be taken seriously. He doesn't trust "witty" people and I don't trust smug people.

@rhyothemisprinceps1617 9 күн бұрын

Maybe God is always talking to Dr Sledge, but he can't hear him/her/it unless the 'noise' of the world is blocked by LSD. ~ I like Dr Sledge, he's extremely knowledgeable, interesting and seems like a mensch. I just disagree / have some questions on a few points.

@keliblack6665 12 күн бұрын

Your Tone is the resonance of tones that don't Hear my experience. Sorry. It's very dominant.

@infinitestare 12 күн бұрын

It's obvious from how Justin talks about Peterson as a horribler idol, or a clever man in a world without meaning, or lumps him is with Andrew Tate of all people, that Justin doesn't know the 1st thing about Peterson, hsn't heard the first word of what he has to say, but still insists on giving his opinion about him. That's what you need real education for Justin.

@hewhomustnotbenamed9276 12 күн бұрын

Jordan Peterson, whatever his past insights, has become a right-wing grifter who parrots Daily Wire propaganda.

@infinitestare 12 күн бұрын

@@hewhomustnotbenamed9276 How is Daily Wire automatically propaganda? And how is he a grifter? They;re right-of-center libertatians if anything, have you known anything in your life?

@thomasj7506 6 сағат бұрын

Agreed. He actually was starting to find true enlightenment. A lot of his Jungian takes were not just surface level. I began to wonder if he was a closeted Mason at one point. Then, like most right wingers who have been hurt directly by the left, he became a reactionary instead of a truth seeker. I get it though - people of one political side constantly attacking your ability to speak, attacking your children, attacking your income, etc... I can see why crushing the left could easily become your impetus for existence. However, his recent overwhelming affiliation DW ruined it for me. Haven't watched him since because I don't need the DW using someone I trust to penetrative my psychological defenses. @@hewhomustnotbenamed9276

@thomasj7506 6 сағат бұрын

@@infinitestareBecause they are, just like Pool, and all the other right wing grifters out there. I realized that The Daily Wire was a propaganda outlet in 2017 when Ben Shapiro expressed exaggerated enthusiasm for Trump's missile strike on Syria. Shapiro often debates only those who are inexperienced or less informed, avoiding more challenging opponents. Michael Knowles frequently imposes his Catholic beliefs in a manner that feels intrusive. Matt Walsh capitalizes on the backlash against the LGBTQ community to introduce authoritarian ideas, such as installing cameras in classrooms or requiring internet IDs. Andrew Klavan's actions often feel deceitful, and backstabby as seen with Candace (another hack). Brett Cooper's livestream setup seems artificially designed to appeal to repressed right-wing men's fantasies. Sorry but they are running an entire psychological warfare operation that exemplifies how they were able to capture Paterson. Capitalizing on the psychological security hole created by the extreme disaffection people feel against the establishment right now to inject their ideas. Kind of like a SQL injection or memory leak attack. I mean this with love, guard your mind from all pundits, mainstream and alternative alike. Especially when they confirm your bias- that's when you're most emotionally exposed and ripe for manipulation. Despite these issues, I still admire Jordan Peterson and believe he will rediscover his path soon.

@PhanganPOV 12 күн бұрын

I don’t like this person

@jankokalamus 13 күн бұрын

Congratulations, It's a Jew!

@user-kz5cw2gj3w 13 күн бұрын

Its a myth, just a concept, never proven and cannot be proven and all the yogis and such know it so they play with it like its a game and it is.

@user-fg3fv9hl3b 13 күн бұрын

Sure, they're totally devoting their life to it because it's a game lol!

@antoniosantiago22 13 күн бұрын

Like people haven't devoted themselves to bullshit before, how bout catholic priest, nazi generals, wing chung practitioners, big foot hunters...bullshit upon bullshit, just cause a lot follow doesn't make it real

@keliblack6665 12 күн бұрын

GHETTOIZING???