5 ms·

Revisited: Alan Watts, “This Is It”

43 points by benbreen 10y ago

supersan 10y ago
I'm curious to know more about the experience you had when you couldn't move your body and the thoughts leading up to the epiphany. Was it the usual denial, anger, bargaining stuff or something different?
drzaiusapelord 10y ago
> my borders fell away to where there was no longer anything—my skin, other surfaces, the distance between them—separating me from everything else. In the world of meditation, this sounds like a jhana state and is the kind of thing anyone determined can experience with enough practice. Decent jhana discussion at /r/meditation https://www.reddit.com/r/Meditation/comments/4e0dqt/why_are_the_experiences_of_jhana_so_unknown_to/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Meditation/comments/4e0dqt/why_are_... https://www.reddit.com/r/Meditation/comments/31z2by/did_i_experience_the_first_jhana/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Meditation/comments/31z2by/did_i_ex...
aphextron 10y ago
Watts was a forward thinker of the first degree. Many of his talks are available on YouTube, and I'd highly recommend them to anyone. He was very scientifically minded and grounded in reality, unlike a lot of other "spiritual leaders". Specifically, this one on the future of technology: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnk73u9YAHw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnk73u9YAHw Keep in mind he was giving these talks in the late 60's. He was light years ahead of his time.
- dingbat 10y ago
  i think Watts considered himself more of a "spiritual entertainer", he would have laughed at the idea of being a "spiritual leader", being a rather cheeky rascal in the best meaning of the term. his audiobook lectures are great, id recommend buying them as a way to support his legacy.
goo 10y ago
I always laugh at myself a bit when I make purchases toward the goal of improving my consciousness and embracing my spirit. I see in myself the American consumer idea that if I buy the book, I will gain the knowledge. Enlightenment! Now 50% off at Amazon.com! Usually I don't regret the purchase, though...
sn9 10y ago
This author's experience is extremely similar to the subject of the latter half of the first episode of NPR's Invisibilia podcast. Anyone interested is highly recommended to give it a listen.
rurban 10y ago
Spike Jonze's "Her" is basically a Watts movie, and this uninformed hippie philosophy gets annoying at the end. Check http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4848864 http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4848864
voidz 10y ago
"who is it who knows there is no ego?" The one thing I disagree with, is when people, particularly from his era until the 90s, say that you should get rid of the ego. It's impossible, for the reason quoted, even though he makes a different point with that quote than I do here. Instead of trying to getting rid of the ego, I feel whe should get to know and come to terms with the ego, and put it in its proper place: it's a part of a body/mind/spirit complex, not the alpha and omega of it. When one regards the ego as a fallible and searching-for-self-manifestation element, like a mirror of itself that wants and wants the best thing achievable, and is understood as imperfect and something that must be integrated, it can be tempered and accepted. When the ego is regarded as something that should be 'let go', self-rejection, self-trivialization and even self-loathing are what follows. I know what I'd choose.

43 points by benbreen 10y ago

I'm curious to know more about the experience you had when you couldn't move your body and the thoughts leading up to the epiphany. Was it the usual denial, anger, bargaining stuff or something different?

drzaiusapelord 10y ago

> my borders fell away to where there was no longer anything—my skin, other surfaces, the distance between them—separating me from everything else. In the world of meditation, this sounds like a jhana state and is the kind of thing anyone determined can experience with enough practice. Decent jhana discussion at /r/meditation https://www.reddit.com/r/Meditation/comments/4e0dqt/why_are_the_experiences_of_jhana_so_unknown_to/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Meditation/comments/4e0dqt/why_are_... https://www.reddit.com/r/Meditation/comments/31z2by/did_i_experience_the_first_jhana/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Meditation/comments/31z2by/did_i_ex...

aphextron 10y ago

Watts was a forward thinker of the first degree. Many of his talks are available on YouTube, and I'd highly recommend them to anyone. He was very scientifically minded and grounded in reality, unlike a lot of other "spiritual leaders". Specifically, this one on the future of technology: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnk73u9YAHw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnk73u9YAHw Keep in mind he was giving these talks in the late 60's. He was light years ahead of his time.

dingbat 10y ago
i think Watts considered himself more of a "spiritual entertainer", he would have laughed at the idea of being a "spiritual leader", being a rather cheeky rascal in the best meaning of the term. his audiobook lectures are great, id recommend buying them as a way to support his legacy.

goo 10y ago

I always laugh at myself a bit when I make purchases toward the goal of improving my consciousness and embracing my spirit. I see in myself the American consumer idea that if I buy the book, I will gain the knowledge. Enlightenment! Now 50% off at Amazon.com! Usually I don't regret the purchase, though...

sn9 10y ago

This author's experience is extremely similar to the subject of the latter half of the first episode of NPR's Invisibilia podcast. Anyone interested is highly recommended to give it a listen.

rurban 10y ago

Spike Jonze's "Her" is basically a Watts movie, and this uninformed hippie philosophy gets annoying at the end. Check http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4848864 http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4848864

voidz 10y ago

"who is it who knows there is no ego?" The one thing I disagree with, is when people, particularly from his era until the 90s, say that you should get rid of the ego. It's impossible, for the reason quoted, even though he makes a different point with that quote than I do here. Instead of trying to getting rid of the ego, I feel whe should get to know and come to terms with the ego, and put it in its proper place: it's a part of a body/mind/spirit complex, not the alpha and omega of it. When one regards the ego as a fallible and searching-for-self-manifestation element, like a mirror of itself that wants and wants the best thing achievable, and is understood as imperfect and something that must be integrated, it can be tempered and accepted. When the ego is regarded as something that should be 'let go', self-rejection, self-trivialization and even self-loathing are what follows. I know what I'd choose.