Now and then you run into the popular and vague idea that you should spiritually free yourself on the way to enlightenment in one way or another.
This idea can be traced back to oriental philosophies such as Buddhism, but the grip on the imagination of Western people
probably has more to do with the sixties and psychedelic means.
The meaning of life can not be found by thinking seriously about it, but by getting high, opening your mind and losing your ego.
This is all related to a bunch of ideas from Buddhism, mysticism, the counter-culture of the sixties, New Age texts and self-help stories.
However, a recurring theme is that the key to losing the ego, losing the grip we have on our own self
is to make way for a kind of surrender to a more comprehensive reality. The idea is not to see the meaning of life in terms of what can “I” achieve, or how can “I” be happy.
We have to drop this egocentric attitude, free our mind and experience how unimportant the EGO is.
This is an assumption not everybody will agree with, but you could discern two possible starting points.
The first possibility is that it is an expression of a fundamental truth, the truth that the EGO or Self does not really exist.
Thus, by learning to detach ourselves from our self-esteem, we come to a better relationship with real reality.
The other possibility is that the EGO or Self actually exists, but remarkably enough the path the EGO has to follow
to find the meaning of life leads to finding itself less and less important.
Thus, is each of us a drop in the ocean and is the meaning of life oneness with the ocean, with the whole universe?
Or is the meaning of life to discover, that our Ego in fact is rather a stumbling block than a help to reach deeper insight?
These may sound like interesting views, but to get them true, they first have to get past Descartes (1596 - 1650).
"I realized that this truth," I THINK SO I EXIST” was so sure and so clear that no doubt, no matter how extreme, could be put forward by skeptics to wreck her."
Those were the words of Descartes in his “Discourse de la Methode”
If Descartes is right , then not only the existence of the Ego or Self is certain, but it is even more certain than anything else.
So, detaching us from our Ego, because it would be just some kind of illusion, is evidently wrong.
The Self is not an illusion, but the most certain feature of reality, according to Descartes.
But was Descartes right and is all this before mentioned EGO ideas nonsense?
Thank you for your attention again…. ^_^
The discussion
[13:15] herman Bergson: I see.....
[13:15] herman Bergson: You all wait for the next lecture where the answer will be given :-)
[13:16] Ciska Riverstone: heheh
[13:16] Ciska Riverstone: thanx
[13:16] CB Axel: Sorry. I stopped thinking for a moment and ceased to exist.
[13:16] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ahha
[13:16] Ciska Riverstone: hehehe cb
[13:16] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): naaa you were here all time
[13:16] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[13:16] herman Bergson: Never tried that one CB....
[13:16] CB Axel: Not thinking is hard to do.
[13:17] herman Bergson: That was what Descartes thought too :-))
[13:17] herman Bergson: actually it was quite a funny conclusion he got to
[13:17] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ok
[13:17] herman Bergson: but in his days it was serious philosophy
[13:18] herman Bergson: NO fun at all...even a bit dangerous
[13:18] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): I guess so
[13:18] CB Axel: They could both be right. In meditation one tries to quiet the mind. Not think. If that can be achieved maybe we would not exist. We would be one with the cosmos. °͜°
[13:19] herman Bergson: Seems you all seem to stick to your Egos?
[13:19] herman Bergson: NO longing for unifying with the universe or so?
[13:19] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): or be part of the borg hive
[13:19] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): lol
[13:20] herman Bergson: ah yes CB...meditation.....we'll get to that later indeed
[13:20] herman Bergson: Resistance is futile, Bejiita :-)
[13:21] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): YOU WILL BE ASSIMILATED HERMAN (Throws one of these new fidget spinny thingies at Herman)
[13:21] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): hehehe
[13:21] CB Axel: I live in the US. There's only room for the one Big Ego currently visiting Europe.
[13:21] herman Bergson: Must be something to live in the US these days
[13:22] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): being an ego is not a nice thing indeed (ego = selfish)
[13:22] herman Bergson: I guess our visitor is not the meditating type :-)
[13:22] Ciska Riverstone: well .. lets put it like that... psychology and neuroscience both head these days in the direction that there is no such thing as an "I"
[13:23] herman Bergson: And that Ciska isnt a new insight :-)
[13:23] Ciska Riverstone: no it is not
[13:23] herman Bergson: I'll introduce you next lecture to the ideas of David Hume
[13:23] Ciska Riverstone: they basically hint in the direction of the buddhist thinking ;)
[13:23] Ciska Riverstone: and the question is whats underneath it all
[13:23] herman Bergson: Oh...and what may that be?
[13:24] Ciska Riverstone: I forgot a bit of it but recently did a course
[13:24] Ciska Riverstone: on Buddhism and modern psychology
[13:24] Ciska Riverstone: i'll reread it
[13:24] Ciska Riverstone: and tell u next time
[13:24] herman Bergson: yes..buddhist ideas are a recurring issue...
[13:25] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[13:25] herman Bergson: I'll check out buddhism myself too for the enxt lecture(s)
[13:25] herman Bergson: What makes Buddhism so appealing...have to brush up my memory too Ciska :-)
[13:26] Ciska Riverstone: (just a sec I give u the link to the course only have to find it - am a bit disorgainzed today - forgot towel day)
[13:26] herman Bergson: And you all have ! HOMEWORK....^_^
[13:26] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[13:26] Ciska Riverstone: https://www.coursera.org/learn/science-of-meditation
[13:26] herman Bergson: Dont worry Ciska ..I am completely disorganized these days...:-)
[13:26] Ciska Riverstone: there it is
[13:26] Ciska Riverstone: heheh
[13:27] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[13:27] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ok
[13:27] herman Bergson: Was the reason I had to cancel last Tuesday....:-)
[13:27] Ciska Riverstone: u had a disorganized tuesday?
[13:27] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): chaos theory?
[13:27] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[13:27] Ciska Riverstone: hehehe
[13:28] herman Bergson: No no.....had to take my wife to the hospital for some surgery.....
[13:28] Ciska Riverstone: o
[13:28] CB Axel: Oh no!
[13:28] herman Bergson: And she is still there till Saturday...
[13:28] Ciska Riverstone: is she ok?
[13:28] Ciska Riverstone: sorry to hear that.
[13:28] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): aaaw ok
[13:28] herman Bergson: Yes all is fine....only I am disorganized :-)
[13:28] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ok
[13:29] Ciska Riverstone: yes understandable
[13:29] CB Axel: She is the organized one?
[13:29] herman Bergson: My head is not really on my shoulders so to speak :-)
[13:29] herman Bergson: lol...CB....how did you know
[13:29] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): hehe
[13:29] CB Axel: lol
[13:30] herman Bergson: AT least we have a cliffhanger now for the next lecture :-))
[13:30] Ciska Riverstone: heheh
[13:31] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[13:31] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): nice
[13:31] herman Bergson: SO thank you for your attention again and we'll meet at the next lecture for the answer :-)))
[13:31] herman Bergson: Class dismissed....
[13:31] Ciska Riverstone: thank you herman
[13:31] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): cu next time then
[13:32] bergfrau Apfelbaum: thank you herman and class:-)
[13:32] Ciska Riverstone: take care bejiita
[13:32] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): you too
[13:32] herman Bergson: Have fun Bejiita:-)
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