Death is Always Unprecedented - Humanism, Self, and Impermenance: Bayo Akomolafe

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Modern dreams of death and dying are deeply "humanistic", tethered to a vision of the self as independent and removed from "nature". If life is matter in its congealing, death must also be material, wild and unspeakably unprecedented.
Bayo Akomolafe is the Chief Curator of The Emergence Network, a speaker, author, fugitive neo-materialist com-post-activist public intellectual and Yoruba poet. But when he takes himself less seriously, he is a father to Alethea and Kyah, and the grateful life-partner to Ej as well as the sworn washer of nightly archives of dishes. Bayo was born in 1983 into a Christian home, and to Yoruba parents in western Nigeria. Losing his diplomat father to a sudden heart complication, Bayo became a reclusive teenager, seeking to get to the “heart of the matter” as a response to his painful loss. After meeting with traditional healers as part of his quest to understand trauma, mental wellbeing and healing in new ways, his deep questions and concerns for decolonized landscapes congealed into a life devoted to exploring the nuances of a “magical” world “too promiscuous to fit neatly into our fondest notions of it.” Now living between India and the United States, Bayo is a father of Alethea Aanya and Kyah Jayden Abayomi. He is married to EJ, his dear life-partner of Indian descent. In 2014, Dr. Akomolafe was invited to be the Special Envoy of the International Alliance for Localization, a project of Ancient Futures (USA). He left his lecturing position in Covenant University, Nigeria to help build this Alliance. Bayo has been Visiting Professor at Middlebury College, where he taught on his own formulated concepts of ‘transraciality’ and postactivism. He has also taught at Sonoma State University (CA, USA), Simon Fraser University (Vancouver, Canada), and Schumacher College (Totnes, England) - among other universities around the world. He currently lectures at Pacifica Graduate Institute, California and University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont. He sits on the Board of many organizations including Science and Non-Duality. The convener of the concepts of ‘postactivism’, ‘transraciality’ and ‘ontofugitivity’, Bayo is a widely celebrated international speaker, teacher, public intellectual, essayist and author of two books, These Wilds Beyond our Fences: Letters to My Daughter on Humanity’s Search for Home (North Atlantic Books) and We Will Tell our Own Story: The Lions of Africa Speak. He is also the Executive Director and Chief Curator for The Emergence Network and host of the online postactivist course, ‘We Will dance with Mountains’.
www.bayoakomolafe.net
www.emergencenetwork.org
Science and Nonduality is a community inspired by timeless wisdom, informed by cutting-edge science, and grounded in direct experience. We come together in an open-hearted exploration while celebrating our humanity.

[@ganazby]

“In life we are in death.”

[@user-si5rp9eo1v]

Beautiful. And wow, what a master of language. Thank you, thank you for being such a constant beacon of light in all your talks. A salve for the soul.

[@iayanarael2315]

it's amazing to me to hear 'what western civilization thinks' when I have never thought any of the things mentioned, and was brought up in the west : ). For me it's not what Bayo says, it's the way he says what he says, the weaving of the words, that is a gift so lovely entrancing 'lightening' and enlivening ... blessings abounding and rebounding...

[@irinagrigorian4523]

Stating that cells take great joy in dying itself is humanizing cells, giving them characteristics that are way too complex for single cells. Loved the talk, love the joy you take in delivering your thoughts and feelings to us, in sharing your views with us. And I agree: life and death are intertwined. It is sad for us to stop seeing someone we love, but it’s also life affirming in so many ways…

[@nancyrodgers735]

WOW!! What a beautiful soul you are, Bayo!! I love the selection of words you use in expressing your ponderings; I truly appreciate your Joy! You've moved my heart and have raised my spirit. 🦋 Thank YOU ❤️ I will be listening to this episode again.🤗 "...the present moment is where time and eternity meet." - c.s.lewis

[@Finbarrkeaveney66]

From Irish legend: In the Tales of the Boyhood of Fionn¹, there is an interesting debate among Fionn and his friends as to what was the finest music in the world: “Tell us that,” said Fionn turning to Oisi’n [pronounced Usheen] “The cuckoo calling from the tree that is highest in the hedge,” cried his merry son. “A good sound,” said Fionn. “And you, Oscar,” he asked, “what is to your mind the finest of music?” “The top of music is the ring of a spear on a shield,” cried the stout lad. “It is a good sound,” said Fionn. And the other champions told their delight; the belling of a stag across water, the baying of a tuneful pack heard in the distance, the song of a lark, the laugh of a gleeful girl, or the whisper of a moved one. “They are good sounds all,” said Fionn. “Tell us, chief,” one ventured, “what you think?” “The music of what happens,” said great Fionn, “that is the finest music in the world.” Thank you Bayo. I was born in Zonkwa Nigeria in 1966 but have lived in Ireland for all my life. You are some man for one man 👌

[@YOURECTHROUGH]

Beautiful, eloquent, and bold...thank you for sharing. I now have a new perspective on life & death entanglement.

[@lynnequity7296]

"what absence has become presence?" Thank you, Bayo. I love this channel.

[@lmansur1000]

I can connect with the thought of slowing down...the need for it actually because it has felt that the speed and expansion was taking us to our own annihilation. I also understand a lot of what Bayo is saying relates to me to Buddhist teachings as well as other philosophies and teachings.

[@lmansur1000]

Love you guys. Sweet and lovely vibe and my heart opens everytime I see you facilitating a meaningful and spiritual and transforming program. Keep up the good work! Namaste. 🙏💕

[@Francis-sb5tx]

Bayo is very wise 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@erikwong9456]

Great work

[@JonasAnandaKristiansson]

Love this talk and your sincerity. 30:50 However, our Being is not a "becoming". "It"/The Self is always the same, Pure Consciousness. The expressions and temporary manifestations of this Consciousness, who we really are, are indeed changing and "becoming" though.

[@belonyomeus6645]

Very interesting. Thank you

[@jaovao]

It would be respectful to put his name on the title! Thx 🙏🏾

[@goldbluetears]

what a mind altering journey. As I contemplate the words concieved I realized something. Is not death and dying the central theme of christianity? do we not worship the bleeding corpse hanging lifeless from the cross?

[@sisternum9022]

We do.

[@sisternum9022]

Mewow

[@gregorypope3899]

Somehow this man has used words to escape their own limitations..If that makes sense..

[@nancyrodgers735]

Poetically put..makes sense to me Gregory Pope. Thank YOU 🦋

[@3iiis]

Hey if u read this u should do dmt lsd and ayahuasca its life changing we're all the same consciousness creating reality through the mind🧠👁🕉

[@purpleglitter9596]

You say that like we can just go easily buy it at the store. Most of us don't have access to these psychedelics.

[@3iiis]

@@purpleglitter9596 ask ur local weed guy I'm sure u know some one who knows some one that knows some one who can

[@purpleglitter9596]

@@3iiis I goto a dispenser. Maybe they have connections. I'm too scared to try that stuff at this point in my life anyway. Maybe when I retire.

[@3iiis]

@@purpleglitter9596 there's nothing scary about it just go into it with an open mind and forget everything you've ever heard about psychedelics. Its an amazing experience research the lsd experiments they did in the 50s

[@purpleglitter9596]

@@3iiis I've watched a lot of videos and some of the experiences sound amazing and some of them sound terrifying especially the jesters and other nefarious entities. I don't want to loss touch with reality. As much as I love THC it did mess my head and memory up a little. It made normal regular sober life boring and hard to enjoy cuz you can't be high all the time. I'm not using any now but when I do I get so wrapped up in it that going back sober always puts me in a bad empty place where I cant enjoy simple things anymore and I hate feeling that way. I would imagine psychedelics are like that too but stronger. It take me months to get to feeling okay and happy again when I go back to sober. Usually when I have THC I get to where I use it daily. I finally got to where I only used it once a day but still daily was too much. Idk if I could ever get to where I just use it once or twice a week. I don't want to be like that with psychedelics which are even more of ani ntense dive. Trust me I want to try it cuz i want to talk to God but I don't trust my self to not get lost in it. I wish I could do it in like a science experience in a safe place.

[@ellisgarvin]

Bayo is a talented poet. His words feel good --- but are they true? Honestly, I can't tell. This stuff is right up my alley; I've been studying and investigating these topics my whole life, but I can't tell what Bayo is really saying. Maybe because he's choosing to use the most ornate vocabulary possible to convey his message? Is he seducing us with a visceral, limbic spell, or is he enlightening us with truth? He's definitely doing the former, but the latter is unclear. I think he needs to do one at a time. When he wants to wine and dine us, let the poetry flow. When he wants to teach us new truths about complex topics, turn off the music and speak clearly and succinctly. Otherwise, at least for me, whatever truth he was trying to share will remain trapped in the amber of his honeyed words [yes, I can do it too. ;) ]