Who needs years of monastic devotion when you have noise-canceling headphones and a really good album? Perhaps freedom from the will is just one guitar solo away.
Wonderful essay! I love the connection to phenomenology, which I believe is probably the modern western philosophy which comes closest to mysticism as I understand it.
We also have such great access now to the essentially phenomenological secret teachings of ancient traditions, and ability to syncretize and synthesize, that there is really no need to believe anything in advance apart from the idea that one’s own experience so far is a small slice of what’s accessible. Particularly the Hermetic and Tibetan Buddhist traditions provide direct paths to engagement with first symbols of broader experience and then the experience itself.
I suppose the basic mystical idea is that if I can hold a more inclusive or expansive model of experience in my mind, then more of the real stuff will be able to make it past my salience filters.
dang, i feel like everyone needs a little mysticism in their life to re-align . its like a refreshment for your soul . but how long should we stay here ? idk - until we get the point ? or until the lights shut off? what about the people that just "get-it" and they don't practice mysticism, but they are aligned and contributing to the world, as you see it, in the best way possible? then, in this case, isnt mysticism just one of the best remedies for the symptoms for a sick society producing shallow and unresponsible people ? so we should look at some other societies that are doing well right? like maybe Japan? the majority practice Shintoism and Buddhism there ... anyway, this is a cool new way to explore new religions, listen to music, and read well . ty
It’s the mysticism episode with significant edits to make it read better. Just wanting to make philosophical writing as accessible as possible. Thanks for reading, my friend.
Greatt!!! My favourite creator on my favourite platform! And just about in time with Zizek's essay on mysticism. The two will make a great combined reading
Loved the part about mystics never calling themselves mystics. Maybe it’s because they weren’t trying to become anything. Quite hard to seek for identity when your purpose is to shed it. You can’t label an experience that defies language and boundary. To name it would be to contain it.
Mystics and their ways of thinking always leave me in awe. There’s something so humbling about reading a mystical text. The way it reminds you of the oneness beneath all form, how it dissolves separation, how it reorients you toward something deeper. That kind of experiential knowing can really change a person fundamentally.
Who needs years of monastic devotion when you have noise-canceling headphones and a really good album? Perhaps freedom from the will is just one guitar solo away.
Unironically this
Wonderful essay! I love the connection to phenomenology, which I believe is probably the modern western philosophy which comes closest to mysticism as I understand it.
We also have such great access now to the essentially phenomenological secret teachings of ancient traditions, and ability to syncretize and synthesize, that there is really no need to believe anything in advance apart from the idea that one’s own experience so far is a small slice of what’s accessible. Particularly the Hermetic and Tibetan Buddhist traditions provide direct paths to engagement with first symbols of broader experience and then the experience itself.
I suppose the basic mystical idea is that if I can hold a more inclusive or expansive model of experience in my mind, then more of the real stuff will be able to make it past my salience filters.
This is a brilliant article. In many respects it chimes with my recent article on panpsychism - please read it if you have the time!
dang, i feel like everyone needs a little mysticism in their life to re-align . its like a refreshment for your soul . but how long should we stay here ? idk - until we get the point ? or until the lights shut off? what about the people that just "get-it" and they don't practice mysticism, but they are aligned and contributing to the world, as you see it, in the best way possible? then, in this case, isnt mysticism just one of the best remedies for the symptoms for a sick society producing shallow and unresponsible people ? so we should look at some other societies that are doing well right? like maybe Japan? the majority practice Shintoism and Buddhism there ... anyway, this is a cool new way to explore new religions, listen to music, and read well . ty
Heyy! Is is the transcript to the mysticism ep or a new text?
It’s the mysticism episode with significant edits to make it read better. Just wanting to make philosophical writing as accessible as possible. Thanks for reading, my friend.
Greatt!!! My favourite creator on my favourite platform! And just about in time with Zizek's essay on mysticism. The two will make a great combined reading
i like ur show but i’m genuinely just commenting to complain about the better help sponsorship. do better dude
Loved the part about mystics never calling themselves mystics. Maybe it’s because they weren’t trying to become anything. Quite hard to seek for identity when your purpose is to shed it. You can’t label an experience that defies language and boundary. To name it would be to contain it.
Mystics and their ways of thinking always leave me in awe. There’s something so humbling about reading a mystical text. The way it reminds you of the oneness beneath all form, how it dissolves separation, how it reorients you toward something deeper. That kind of experiential knowing can really change a person fundamentally.
Mysticism is nothing more or less than wanting a cheat code on the universe, usually paired with an arcane aesthetic.
Hiii! I have been listening to your podcast for YEARS! So happy to follow you here :)
Not for Everyone.
But maybe for you and your philo loving patrons?
Hello,
I hope this finds you in a rare pocket of stillness.
We hold deep respect for what you've built here—and for how.
We’ve just opened the door to something we’ve been quietly handcrafting for years.
Not for mass markets. Not for scale. But for memory and reflection.
Not designed to perform. Designed to endure.
It’s called The Silent Treasury.
A sanctuary where truth, judgment, and consciousness are kept like firewood—dry, sacred, and meant for long winters.
Where trust, vision, patience, and stewardship are treated as capital—more rare, perhaps, than liquidity itself.
The 3 inaugural pieces speak to quiet truths we've long engaged with:
1. Why many modern investment ecosystems (PE, VC, Hedge, ALT, spac, rollups) fracture before they root
2. Why Judgment, ‘Signal’, and Trust Migrate Toward Niche Information Sanctuaries
3. The Hidden Costs of Clarity Culture — for long term, irreversible decisions
These are not short, nor designed for virality.
They are multi-sensory, slow experiences—built to last.
If this speaks to something you've always felt but rarely seen expressed,
perhaps these works belong in your world.
One sample publication link is enclosed, should you choose to start experiencing...
https://open.substack.com/pub/helloin/p/from-brightness-to-blindness-the?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=5i8pez
https://helloin.substack.com/p/built-to-be-left?r=5i8pez
Warmly,
The Silent Treasury