Dear reader,

In following the philosophy of this website and its values, I wanted to share some insights into my own experimentation of playing around with concepts that might help with learning how to thrive our lives better.

Since it is my dream to create an (online) “community” around these themes, I would, therefore, very much enjoy it to see it developing organically in the future. True community is not something that can be created online though since it kinda lacks the physical presence. What would be interesting to note here is in how much virtual reality could be a spiritual enhancing technological device to facilitate qualities like compassion, intercultural exchange and, therefore, the potential for empathy as a way to resolve conflicts. Meanwhile, therefore, this website is the only thing I can work on anywhere up until the point a physical or some sort of educational centre can be build up. Self-reliance is philosophically speaking a good pursuit since it makes one less dependent of the comforts during the good times of empires and prepared to face the bad times as well which is a relevant theme today for not just the lower chained classed in societies. Especially, considering recent developments of energy dependencies on corrupt regimes, but also in the long run of climate changes the carbon lock-in and the Carbocene. Making us as Anthropos irrelevant in the scheme of these greater supra system developments, and a great awakening call for again self-reliance and specifically self-sufficiency in the face of bad or less luxueus times ahead.

The third cornerstone of this website is based around ‘thriving’ before going beyond. For some a far fetched ideal, for others a real life experience, and I think for most a topic to at least relate to at a subconscious level. For some such moments of self-actualisation occur more often then for others and I would argue that using the classical Maslow model one goes through these phases of consciousness throughout the day and night.

When studying human history I think we can take a few conclusions; 1. one is that the human genome and psyche is incredibly versatile, adaptable and complex (considering the immense trauma that has occurred when studying the rise and fall of civilisations) and 2. that this inherent adaptability to survive in even the worst conditions imaginable is also the reason why we face the system archetype of the tragedy of the commons and the extinction of basically the rest of the biosphere in modern world. So our inherent strength to adapt and survive, is also our own Achilles heel in learning how to thrive.

Therefore, the real question to ask oneself first, I think, is how to distinguish between merely surviving or honestly thriving ones lifetime. Thriving does not necessarily imply that resources have to be abundant, rather someone who thrives enjoys plentiful in that which is available for executing ones path of mastery. A rich man can still succumb to feeling poor when his mind is not at rest and his soul is as rich as his greed or other aspects of falseness allows one to be.

The institutionalization and celebration of greed in our neoliberal model of consumer fetishism is making most people live their lives from a place of emptiness and constant restlessness for ‘more’. A theme I think we can all relate to at some level in which commodities and goods have become goals in and of itself. In a time where man has sacrificed values over goals, what we define to be the meaning of ‘thriving’ changes as well.

Thriving also does not mean one has to go through ascetic practices, just to feel the rapture of being alive. I would argue though that most often then not, in order for one to feel self-actualized in realizing its human potential, little is really needed in terms of goods and commodities. There are many exemplary individuals who are resourceful and inventive enough to feel self-realized and thriving in the midst of misery, despair and poverty without having to sell their soul to the greater machinery and complexes of mechanical man.

So having this background knowledge that, yes indeed, the human genome is apparently excellent in making better and smaller tools, increasing its mobility and ‘conquering’ its environment to suit our wishes. Which is great, since it means we as a collective hit that threshold development of being self-confident and filled enough to gaze at the stars and start to wonder about space and our role in the universe. It doesn’t matter to have that interstellar ability if people forget to take care of their feet as well, which is the most grounded sense of common knowledge and wealth, to have a firm sense of being present in the body and be functional, which metaphorically and functionally dials down back to having functional feet as well.

So to conclude, it does not make much sense to me to learn how to steward a remote planet, if we haven’t showed how to steward Earth properly to begin with.

Therefore, it all starts in the individual life for me. Knowing that we have this incredible neocortex to manipulate our environment and accomplish crafty schemes for our futures, makes it easier to see that with this great strength and power, comes the responsibility to own it as well. Rather then going of in a frenzy in which our minds create the greater machinery in which many of today our now its slaves, we should come to our senses and see the great lie that is beneath this so-called modern power of the intellect. Hereby not denying its boons of technological tools we now need to build a sustainable world, but inherently the philosophical lack of depth and understanding in the ramifications in potentially creating dystopian world scenarios inherently due to imbalances in those who use the technologies.

Most, if not all, people can relate to the urge, wanting to control their futures, while at the same time, there is this hidden muse that tells you in all humility, that life is simply to complex to fathom and not worthy for us to control. We lost the art to live so to speak, to live in harmony with nature, to come to our common sense, to be humble enough to let go of the controlling personality into a process which puts its trust into something that transcends that intellect. That ‘something’ goes by many names, but lets just call it intuition. lets assume that this source of intelligence, no matter how you wanna call it, is in our best interest, and if not, it is not a valid source.

Therefore, in regaining a sense of innocence and peace, there has to be this subtle thing of trusting the process in and of itself. By becoming aware of how the personality is always trying to control the future, and, in so doing, throwing mud in our faces, hiding a greater sense of being, knowing and inner peace that otherwise could have helped us in navigating the complexities of modern society better.

The idea, therefore, is that our intuition, just like our rational personality is just as interested in our well-being and that by laying trust into something we cannot understand (yet) isn’t per definition anti-intellectual. Scientology is just as much a faith as any other one, and I think we can’t escape the fact that one way or another we gotta put our trust into something. Not by saying that we should not validate the things we put our trust in, and abandon the intellect all together. The intellect is intended as our faithful servant and when it becomes the master, I think our future in finding the right relationship with this planet will look indeed very grim.

Or will there be a plot-twist with an ‘Deux ex machina’ to add a little extra drama to the human experience.

What do you think?

Share your thoughts in the comments below,

Cheers,

Kees