Huston Smith - Are Enlightenment & Transcendence Altered States?

Is the enlightenment generated by meditation an altered state of consciousness, as much as can be induced by psychoactive chemicals like alcohol? Or is there something special about enlightenment that can illuminate the deep nature of consciousness and can even reach to ultimate levels of existence? Mystics make these grand claims. Is there any reality here?
Free access to Closer to Truth's library of 5,000 videos: bit.ly/376lkKN
Watch more interviews on states of consciousness: bit.ly/3rOLxrU
Huston Cummings Smith is a religious studies scholar in the United States and a current Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Religion at Syracuse University.
Register for free at CTT.com for subscriber-only exclusives: bit.ly/2GXmFsP
Closer to Truth presents the world’s greatest thinkers exploring humanity’s deepest questions. Discover fundamental issues of existence. Engage new and diverse ways of thinking. Appreciate intense debates. Share your own opinions. Seek your own answers.

[@RogerioLupoArteCientifica]

"Enlightenment is not an altered state of consciousness. Rather it's the unaltered state of consciousness. In this sense, the whole humanity lives in an altered state, the state of separation". ~ Adyashanti

[@Eric123456355]

The man was the most respected religious expert in America. Students learn from his books at universities. He wasn’t only scholar but also personally practiced many different religions: hinduism, zen , islamic Sufism etc. He was always Christian but with open mind. He was very famous but already quite forgotten.

[@robertrowland3750]

At 97 this fine fellow is a bit slow but still sharp.

[@jamesgardner9583]

A true spiritual man... Such a blessing 🙌 to me.... Brother James 🙏

[@somethingyousaid5059]

Happy VD everyone.

[@___Truth___]

Isnt vd on Monday?

[@somethingyousaid5059]

For some VD is everyday.

[@phillipgreene2564]

Happy to see Professor Smith is still as inspiring as ever...I'm going to have to review the Bill Moyer's Interviews. Thank You.

[@donkeytico13]

Very interesting man. My favorite interview.

[@hershchat]

Agree. One of the wisest of men.

[@bernardofitzpatrick5403]

What. A lovely man. Great that he is into Vedanta.

[@dakrontu]

What Huston Smith says about states of consciousness are assertions based on wishful thinking. He says that in dreamless sleep we experience bliss and that gives us the strength to go on with the next day. Hmm. There are rare people who don't sleep. Where do they get their bliss from? Let us not forget that sleep is a consequence of life on a rotating planet. It was an adaptation to that. And inevitably evolution piled in plenty of other stuff to piggyback on it. Dreams for example appear to be useful in maintenance of the brain's connections. It is not yet understood how we come to be conscious, perhaps it never will be, but making assumptions, however prevalent throughout the history of religions, is not the same as understanding what is going on. Humans made assumptions about lots of things before the scientific age, many of them now laughably wrong but still clung to. It is ok to admit that there are things we got wrong and must let go of; and that there are things we simply do not know and cannot currently see any possible means to know. To engage in wishful thinking based on one's own personal preferences may lead to some peace of mind but is delusion.

[@skobywankenobi]

There's a difference between being sceptical and being dead. But I agree with your sentiment. However I see it somewhat differently. Ultimately God, consciousness or whatever doesn't really matter. The point is to use mythology like a form of active personal psychology, so you can assume a more active role in your ongoing generation. God, mind, spirit or whatever you want to call it can't be anything mystical, it's imminent and within us. Thinking distorts it. It exists when you achieve moments of stillness or zen, like shower thoughts or flashes of inspiration that disappear as soon as we try to look at them. In this state the mind can be used or not used. Things are there or they're not. There is no resistance just existence and awareness. It's only natural such a state openness would have a profound impact on an individual, and some may choose to express it mystically or religiously for want of a better vocabulary.

[@REDPUMPERNICKEL]

Yes. In the absence of a satisfactory theory people turn to thoughts of magic which is not the best solution for doing so tends to blunt the curiosity that might otherwise have found an answer which is closer to the truth.

[@SumNutOnU2b]

Watch this at 1.25x speed. It sounds better that way.

[@ayoubzahiri1918]

you are a G , HAHAHAHA

[@Mucholian]

Absolutely incredible. I am actually working on a paper to answer all of this. It all starts with an “Observation”. Literally everything in physics makes sense now.

[@EsotericMindsets]

You did acid? Lol

[@bryanguilford6145]

@@EsotericMindsets lol that works

[@schonanthony2695]

Such a lovely guy to listen to.

[@mr.mayhem5438]

You are Consciousness its like a flashlight if the flashlight has nothing to shine on it does nothing Consciousness has to shine on something to create awareness

[@ishikawa1338]

It’s all in our heads. What u see is what u get When ur dead ur dead.

[@mr.mayhem5438]

@@ishikawa1338 I disagree

[@dr.satishsharma9794]

"EXCELLENT"..... recognition of PURE CONSCIOUSNESS concept by such a great senior , experienced scholar, who has spent whole of life searching for TRUTH is noteworthy... his love for all religions.... his this final conclusion has reached after he interacted with countless saints of all religious Faiths , scientists , scholars , philosophers etc. , right from young age of thirties till death at age of 94 yrs. & his this knowledge is a great gift to the young generations to learn , gain knowledge , follow & put in to practice the same..... thanks 🙏.

[@holgerjrgensen2166]

All developing levels is altered states, in a natural development, and to morrow we are getting little further. We are always on the top of our Eternal Ddevelopment.

[@mintakan003]

I love Huston. But I can already see the objections raised by modern neuroscience on the claims about Turiya, as having some special metaphysical status. We already know most of the processes that goes on in our bodies (including brains) are unconscious, or semi-conscious. We've known about the "unconscious" since Freud, to modern day neuroscience. Sleep is suppose to be physiologically. restorative. The bliss is understandable. This is assuming you don't interfere with it in some ways (health, drugs, loud music, ...). There's always a "background hum" of bodily processes, cells are alive, brain still (unconsciously) processing stuff, that maintains some level of awareness. While asleep, even deep dreamless sleep, something in the body is still aware. We know this because when the alarm clock goes off, the rest of conscious gets rebooted, and we become awake in a more overtly conscious, normal waking state sense. But this is not necessarily the case in a coma. A neurologist will assess different levels of "consciousness", to see the stage in the coma. I have also known people so say the sense of the Witness, never goes away. This is true, even when they are in deep dreamless sleep. But they were surprised when they went under in general anesthesia. It was a like a gap of time was missing. It was something different. I am not opposed to the idea of a soul, or Spirit. There may be other ways to argue for this. But the way the older traditions argues for them, the evidence cited, how they interpret this, is not convincing for modern times. Of course, they knew what they knew at the time. And they did their best, to make sense of it. And it also illustrates the tendency of the human mind to reify what maybe a naturalistic process, into a kind of transcendental metaphysics.

[@lukaradojevic7195]

Yeah,your point is very well put.i have this tendendcy to think that witness or observer never goes and that you can be aweare always, even during death,and that consciousnes is more than just body,because i have had some experience of altered state of consiousness where i saw that.but,you are right during anesthesia people do report this gap in time and memory and being no aweare at all,my mother just had an operation and she said to me that she doesnt remember anything for an hour.and that put some holes in this argument that consciousness is more than body,and i have doubts much more lately when i think about it,and it can be depresing and put some fear in you,to think that nothing will go on when you die,but i dont know i guess some things you know only by experience

[@ezbody]

Survivors of abuse or people going through the abuse have huge chunks of memories/awareness missing, as do the people with various cognitive disabilities/diseases, drug users, etc. We all tend to see the world through the lens of our own experience, meanwhile the experiences of other people vary greately, that's where the impartial scientific method comes to the rescue.

[@JP-mp5st]

The human central nervous system is the most sophisticated structure we know of. All measurement devices of that system were created by and are merely extensions of that system and the data derived is interpreted by that same system. Just because it’s modern doesn’t always mean it’s better. Modern humans are epically disconnected from the tools the natural world has provided for them in the first place. From my experience there’s a lot to be said for stepping away from the noise, following your breath and having a look see

[@shadowworldsun]

If memory is generated/stored by and in the physical body, it should be no surprise that under anesthesia there is no “recording” being made and therefore nothing retrievable later. This could be compared to hitting pause when you make a video and creating the appearance of an instant leap from one point in time to another. Of course, we all know that life went on in between the two video segments. It simply was not recorded - or remembered, as it were, by this particular memory tool. When we consider the total lack of memory during anesthesia as evidence that there is no consciousness or awareness outside of the waking/dreaming states, I think there is an unwarranted equating of consciousness with memory-generating/recountable experience. I think that even with what little we have learned about memory, we have observed enough examples of people that cannot form memories as you or I do to know that consciousness consists of far more than a recording of experiences. There are people alive today that can do a thing and, if you ask them immediately afterward if they did it, they will say no. I doubt many of us would say that they lack consciousness. Even the materialist has to concede the possibility, however remote, that there is some sort of conscious experience happening that is simply not remembered - perhaps even moment to moment. And, for anyone open to the possibility that consciousness is something beside or beyond the physical workings of the brain, I don’t know that the lack of remembering one’s surgery suggests in any way that all of consciousness experience is brought to a complete stop until the brain resumes its normal operation. Memory - thought in general, for that matter - is critical for a mind to make sense of its surrounding environment. For one living thing to work out its relationships to other beings and objects, it’s important to be able to map out space and time. For any element of consciousness existing beyond the confines of this physical reality however, no memory of this place is required there, and no memory of that place is required here. I don’t make any of these points to convince anyone of some greater “truth,” but to remind us not to so easily rule out possibilities. We can’t even agree on definitions for consciousness at this point, and the diversity of opinions on the topic run from “Everything is conscious/made of consciousness” to “Consciousness doesn’t exist at all.” So I feel like it might be worth considering there’s more to the story than “Body turned off = Conscious existence ceases.”

[@dr.satishsharma1362]

Excellent.... thanks 🙏.

[@evanjameson5437]

Our consciousness/spirit is just a part of another dimension that resides in us while we are physical and when we physically die, our mind/soul will simply move travel into the dimension it came from. Our future spiritual experience will be deeper and further growth into the many dimensions of God or the Supreme Being/Power. It will be an exciting, never ending journey.

[@robertrowland3750]

...sounds wonderful. I sure hope so.

[@leonoradompor8706]

My words are so simple !

[@S3RAVA3LM]

Why are you spamming ?

[@HeathSawyerisHeheboy]

Wisdom, is so different to intellect. A lifetime of thought right there. Such a well structured and explained development of causation. He speaks from outside his ego which I love. I can't agree with his analogy in full but will hold onto it all until needed.

[@hershchat]

Pray, what is it you disagree with?

[@HeathSawyerisHeheboy]

@@hershchat Simply that he made statements as if they were true. His opinions portrayed one option amongst many possibilities. I found his argument poetic but nonetheless lacking evidence.

[@hershchat]

@@HeathSawyerisHeheboy thanks for explaining. It makes sense. I find your statement about difference between wisdom and intellect to be very insightful. I believe that consciousness is not about problem solving, speciously measured as “IQ”, and therefore is not a computational problem. Consciousness is a self referential faculty. Roger Penrose compares it quantum coherence. It might or might not be of quantum origin (quantum coherence might be an outcome of the self-referential faculty of the universe). Your point that all this is without proof too is meaningful. I just want to say that we don’t have proofs for the most fundamental laws and hypotheses. While the Hall effect “proves” the negative charge of an electron, it assumes the orthogonality of electric and magnetic fields *under all circumstances*. This remains unproven. Gravity is “self evident”, but the universality of gravity is an assumption. And, if we think of the attraction of mass-bearing bodies as an interaction with a curved spec-time, then gravity becomes superfluous. Mass itself warps space-time, and the resultant curvature affects the motion and behaviours of affected particles. I am not arguing against the scientific method. If you and I had to believe something from a random someone, just their assertions, however persuasive, can’t be sufficient. Ultimately, I think the brave answer has to be that these are meaning systems. Meaning systems don’t rely on the scientific method, but on intuition and testimony. That is it. If you’re uncomfortable with intuition and testimony, then religion and spirituality might not fully satisfy you.

[@HeathSawyerisHeheboy]

@@hershchat You are right, it doesn't satisfy me, and there lies the difference between surrendering to faith and struggling through the dark night of the soul in an intellectual battle and search for truth. We all want the same thing which is a union between our consciousness and the divine or unknown but our paths are different. It is not in my nature to have faith, but science mustn't be said to be my religion either, it is simply within the toolkit I use in a search for truth in the universe. Wisdom is simply being open to worldly observation and knowing that truth is not always explained by logic. There is an envy at times for those that can surrender, but my burden is also who I am.

[@HansLiu23]

Amazing man.

[@jamesgardner9583]

"Absolutely BLESS"

[@gr33nDestiny]

This is why I’m so grumpy when I wake up lol

[@grdsinclairgrd]

If we look at the universe ( as our physical reality) we can learn about molecules, galaxies, or quantum waves. But trying to understand our predisposition to know to discover what really means to be human, to find the purpose to our existence seems to be more complicated. There is no simple answer to those questions. We can find all the mappings in the brain, and probably create artificial intelligence capable of thinking about soul and spirits, and think about free will ( to create conscious beings). But there is something that still be a mystery that is this incredible precision in the universe to create life, to be something rather than nothing. The universe is awesome 🤩.

[@mediocrates3416]

Talk to Stuart Hameroff about the hard problem; not about original qualia but about aliasing.

[@Dion_Mustard]

he's amazing.

[@mediocrates3416]

@@Dion_Mustard No; he's an anesthesiologist: people are amazing. No offense; it's just that i see a barrier to popular *thought* in this notion of "on the shoulders of giants". I'm pretty sure it's "on the shoulders of people right about our hieght". Further; Hameroff's notion of fundamental qualia as "feels good" seems superficial; i'm inclined to go with tension (deviations from homeostasis, perhaps even to the point of failure) and context.

[@sillymesilly]

Where is the full discussion

[@tomsmith2361]

I have his book, " The illustrated Worlds Religions" A Guide to our Wisdom Traditions. Fascinating read. Thank you for all your great videos 🙂

[@ferdinandkraft857]

@Al Garnier Neither in fanatical atheism.

[@anujagarwal7992]

@@ferdinandkraft857 athiesm is merely the default position,how is it fanatical to withhold belief before Evidence is given?

[@lucbriedecooper]

@@anujagarwal7992if you follow that principle to the end, you can never have independent evidence that your senses are correct. But you need to operate in the world so we all make that basic assumption based on no verifiable evidence. Does that mean you should randomly decide you believe in abstract concepts like a God and confidently say what happens after death with no evidence? No, bro I feel you on that but you need more than "I won't believe anything until evidence is given" to navigate life

[@anujagarwal7992]

@@lucbriedecooper except the very axiomatic,I don't think we need to believe anything else without evidence to navigate life,can you elaborate a bit on what you believe would be the Problem with this approach?

[@chrisc1257]

How many of you here have escaped from "Plato's Cave" and are so sure of it you can give a relevant concise opinion or factual statement about anything concerning consciousness?

[@vee985]

Consciousness is the pixie dust that gives rise to our world.

[@Robinson8491]

I cannot even come up with a definition

[@Robinson8491]

I did read an article from 2012 by Natalie Wolchover where there were (neuroscientific) arguments that your red might be my yellow. However in my view it is the case we react emotionally and judgementally the same to aesthetical things, so my conclusion would then be either that this thesis is false, or our judgements and emotions about beauty and aesthetics are seperate and independent from our actual qualia like what it is to see red or yellow. Which would be my relevant concise opinion or factual statement about consciousness

[@chrisc1257]

@@Robinson8491 Neuroscientific huh? Are there grants for that too?

[@Robinson8491]

@@chrisc1257 It was a byproduct out of another neurobiological research concerning eyesight in animals, Mr Grumpyface. With a virus they added a third cone of colour to animals that originally only have two, and they were able to distinguish three colours. It was actually pretty interesting and amazing. You should go read it

[@Bill..N]

I disagree with nearly ALL of this fine gentlemans opinions, but throughly enjoyed hearing them..

[@marqpsmythe228]

Oblivion is the Absolute Bliss. Seeking it, it is not to be found anywhere.

[@paulweston2267]

One day, people will understand that the dream state and the death state are one and the same. One can extrapolate the implications.

[@robertgower2636]

What a delightful conversation, but no matter how many years someone follows the words and teachings of this Shaman or other "holy" person, saying something is this way or that does not make it so. The thought of an afterlife or other dimensions of existence beyond that of the body is appealing, but I for one cannot put much merit in a belief system that bases its very existence on pure conjecture or wishful thinking. With that being said, I am one who can envision a time where humankind develops the means to obtain levels of living that far surpasses our present state of being.

[@francesco5581]

i don't think is just a matter of conjunctures or wishful thinking, too much time of our lives are devoted to that thoughts to be liquidated like that . I think it's about experiences, feelings, logical thinking, a sense of morality, viewing things differently. The doubt will still be there, but for both options . One can be just inclined more toward one of the two

[@TheUltimateSeeds]

A transcendent context of reality truly does exist, and enlightenment is simply a hazy glimpse of that reality.

[@kevanhubbard9673]

The Spirit would seem to be the fundamental animating force in this view and a collective One,Plotinus's the One,not much real room for individually but I can live with that as I didn't have my individuality before I was born.

[@hershchat]

It is also the sense, methinks, in which the “father and the son are one”.

[@sillymesilly]

It is not a collective, it is one without the second

[@Earstolisten]

Going back to sleep now.

[@skobywankenobi]

It's not an altered state. It's the base state from which everything else is altered.

[@iamhere7629]

Everything comes just from the law in the universe from a couse and effects.Not spirits.

[@grdsinclairgrd]

My respect to you. Your comment seems to be a religious one. I do not try to be offend you or anything of that kind. But I think that we have to continue to investígate our human condition and keep our minds open to any possibility. Probably our mistake is to keep trying to get knowledge of any metaphysical category in the same way we get our knowledge of our physical universe or reality. The most interesting thing of Closer to Truth is the continuation of these kind of questions.

[@hershchat]

One of the wisest men around today.

[@jamesruscheinski8602]

Can mind be some physical particles of brain that consciously experience quantum wave phenomenon?

[@mediocrates3416]

Yes, altered states: physiologically altered; measurably altered.

[@RogerioLupoArteCientifica]

what if that were the normal state of humanity? Then what we would call "altered" would be the egoic state. Maybe enlightenment is the purest state of consciousness, without all the turmoil caused by the distorted concepts and all delusions of the ego.

[@mediocrates3416]

@@RogerioLupoArteCientifica My experience lasted a week and, it felt like it was supposed to last a week. There's a story in hebrew tradition: three Rabbis go to heaven; two get kicked out and when the third gets back they ask, "why didn't you get kicked out?" The story implies an experience of limited duration, consistent with my own. I don't think it can be our normal state. If you think about it, gnosis must be a temporary state as knowing is particular and one always proceeds into the unknown.

[@x2mars]

I definitely don’t consider my dreams as absolute bliss

[@Dion_Mustard]

dreams and altered states are two VERY different things.

[@tcl5853]

Dreams and “ dreamless sleep” are very different. He isn’t talking about conscious dreams, but the state below or above that -- is an unconscious state where he believes bliss is encountered.

[@robin-vt1qj]

@@Dion_Mustard there are actually

[@garychartrand7378]

Great understanding of the spirit and souls.

[@LuvLifeVlogZ]

Dude is like 😬

[@techstuff3409]

Huston we hava problem

[@thomasridley8675]

He was doing fine until he made it human centric with the soul. As he said, we may never understand the brain/mind foundations. But we are not the only logically thinking creatures on this rock. There is nothing I can see that makes us that special.

[@JP-mp5st]

Except for our ability to knowingly and purposefully annihilate all the other logically thinking creatures on this rock. Good or bad, that’s pretty special.

[@thomasridley8675]

@@JP-mp5st I don't think that is the special they are looking for. But still, absolutely correct.

[@leonoradompor8706]

I have simple explanation !

[@aresmars2003]

I like the distinctions - body, mind, soul and spirit, but partial to the idea of "heart" as a 4th awareness of life where heart can be our doorway to spirit, and that doorway is through relationships with others, including humans, animals, and all of creation. I put body and soul as two opposite modes of knowing - body senses connect us to outer world, and soul is a sense that connects us to an inner world. Dreams can tell you about soul, but also can any intuition for what is right for us. I put mind and heart as two contrary ways of thinking. Or heart is a form of mind that only exists in relationship, while mind can exist outside relations with others. A mind strives for autonomy, while a heart strives for meaningful connection.

[@leonoradompor8706]

I am infinitely Simple !

[@bernardofitzpatrick5403]

@@fvhaudsilhvdfs hahaha😂

[@leonoradompor8706]

Spirit and Soul is One and United !

[@cvsree]

True Self is God but, we are always under the influence of Ego.

[@chrisc1257]

... Or superego. Digestion and decay.

[@garychartrand7378]

A very succinct expression of Ultimate reality. Good job 👍

[@sillymesilly]

God is man made Self is not

[@garychartrand7378]

@@sillymesilly not sure what you mean.

[@heckle9]

@@sillymesilly I understand what you mean

[@paulrharmer]

Ahh the 'Enlightenment' word. So much misconception of what this is. Enlightenment is like everyday life, but about 2 inches off the ground. In other words non-attachment to things, a lightness to everything because you realise everything is nothing and nothing is everything. You come to the realisation that what you were looking for was here all along. Meditation doesn't 'generate' enlightenment. It's already there in each one of us since consciousness began but we overlook it and get lost in the everyday mind of superficial things, thoughts and events. We're like the chicken and the chalk line. Meditation is about letting go, it's about falling back through the layers of self. You're not going anywhere or generating anything, that's the ego! Let go of everything, let go of who you think you are, let go of what your basic assumptions of reality are, your memories, personality, beliefs, passions, political leanings, pride, feelings, emotions... everything. Let it go. Now just watch. Watch everything. Like the witness. Keep watching what's going on. Thoughts arise and go, same with feelings and emotions, they come and go. You are not any of this, how can you be? How can you be anything you are aware of? Now keep watching. Eventually, this practice will take you there. See, you don't really exist but you are here. Awareness is here. Knowing is here. That's it. That's all.

[@bluelotus542]

Being spiritual, the soul has spiritual ego, intelligence, mind and senses, and the material ego, intelligence, mind and senses fit on these like the glove fits on the hand. .

[@mediocrates3416]

A soul is a living body; this is kind of a 'by definition' type thing. Spirit is the solution to the hard problem and "Holy Spirit" is that principle applied to the body of Truth (hypothetically). What in Science can be these things?

[@lukaradojevic7195]

Quantum foam or field from which by quantum fluctuations during big bang every physical force(electromagnetism,gravity,strong and weak force),atoms and particles and space time itself come,can be seen as Spirit or God.than those atoms and forces formes chemicals and elements who became basis for cells and biology. you can see individual atoms and forces which forms biology and chemistry as soul,which carry dna and genes through bilological organisms and evolve species through natural selection.but everything in matterial universe we see is from that empty space or vacum,which actualy is full of energy and virtual particles,and very well may be consciouss and itself evolve.if biological organisms evolve,and fundamentaly biology come from that "empty"space,why than wouldnt that space itself evolve?

[@mediocrates3416]

@@lukaradojevic7195 I appreciate you can see things that way but; i don't see how that relates to what those who went before us were trying to say. I'm inclined to refrain from picking candidates that are not suggested by the structure and terminology that present. Anything that experiences time can be said to evolve. The shape of spacetime evolves, to be sure. ... .

[@lukaradojevic7195]

@@mediocrates3416 i think that i have misundrestood your comment,because i thought that you are trying to connect religious or spiritual way of looking at world ,as this gentlman in the video, with science,so i provided scientific worldview which can be in some way simmilar to religious,because i think that some ancient philosophies such as(advayita vedanta,budhism,taoism,kashmir shaivism) have came to some fundamental truths of our universe, and science is now going in that direction and proving that there is much more than we can see in our 3D space time.if you know basic of quantum mechanics,string and m theory and holographic principle,you will see that current understanding of science have much in common with some of the ancient philosophies,and that our space time matterial world is not fundamental but somehow emergant from deeper realm and dimension of reallity

[@mediocrates3416]

@@lukaradojevic7195 You did not misunderstand, Luka; i am indeed making that effort. I'm just trying to make the point that a soul is defined as a living body, a body with spirit; as opposed to a dead one. This identifies spirit as animating principle and soul as body+spirit. It seems to me that meditative experience without ego follows the qualitative aspect to its root, as it should. I do see a role for ego in human culture and my meditative experience did not follow the qualitative aspect to its root; rather, mine was a ... narrated experience, perhaps as it should have been. I think that trying to maintain context includes the responsibilities ascribable to that context, as it should be. ... ? maybe? Your speculations are not immediately contrary to anything i've said, i thnk.

[@maxwellsimoes238]

He abuse mistic ideia he not know still not explains what is saying bobastic bizzare guys.

[@josha3891]

Reading through the comments here, and I see we are graced by a lot of brilliant people.. This man has passed on and I don't think he should have been interviewed at his cognitive state here. Having said that, Mr Krauss could learn a few things - - not being a crass, smug a-hole comes to mind.

[@infinitemeproductions714]

Blessings to you all. When we transcend, we rise above the fray of man-made limitations and allow ourselves to experience the boundless nature of universal love and knowledge. Just as gravity acts upon our physical bodies to hold us back from reaching the heavens, entering a state of transcendence allows us to overcome the gravitational forces of duality and judgements conceived in the mind, such that we may lift our spirits upwards and reconnect with the greater divine consciousness. The path of transcendence originates from the seed of self awareness, a recognition that there is a light beyond our own, that there are greater forces at work. Awakening happens to those who continue to foster their awareness by acknowledging their spiritual existence and by not shunning truths revealed before them through self-denial or secular distractions. Mindfulness is the discipline practiced in order to hone the manner in which we interact with the world, the living and breathing teachings of life. Once self mastery has become sufficiently elevated to allow ourselves to enter into a state of egolessness, do the doors of transcendence truly open, thus achieving the weightlessness of a truly ascendant spiritual being. Wishing everyone a transformative journey . . . kzbin.info/www/bejne/fHbGgXx7bdaYatU

[@leonoradompor8706]

Mind and Brain is One!

[@SulienSulis]

I like this a lot, I am very influenced by Neo-Platonism, Mahayana Buddhism and Vedanta. Although, I would say my religion is syncretic in nature, Buddhist but Neo-Platonic heart. Huston Smith also was initiated in multiple different traditions, although I disagree with him with the validity of the Abrahamic religions like most of the Traditionalist school.

[@keesvp]

Closer to truth infinity is real. There's no end to this drivel.

[@sillymesilly]

Yep it’s perpetual. The only escape is cut the yoke of rebirth

[@fortynine3225]

Aside from the video there are these other questions about enlightenment and stuff. As i understand it there are two sorts of enlightenments. One is in the head, stuff like having through mystical experience some clues about ultimate truth questions. The other one is total enlightenment where like the deeper personality, which hides in unconsciousness, has taken over, where the consciousness is no longer in control which has been taken over by the uncounsciousness. With this state come special gifts.. People like Buddha and Christ(the walk on the water claim etc..) where in this state. Not shure if this is for real..i have to see it to believe it. In general there are a lot sorts of enlightenments like Bill Gates for instance has enlightenment in regard to computers. So the human being enlightenment, having some deeper understanding of one self, which some people have, is really not that strange... Mystical experience as i understand it has a starting point which is being more sensible..in the sense that stuff like intuition..once senses are temporarily sharpened..for a few weeks...which is a starting point to go places..sense show the way to were a special experience can be found. ...can happen to anybody. One cannot force such starting state. It is like a door one can sit next to and wait till it opens.. There are exceptions like having a special sort of chemistry with another person which make such starting state more probable.. One can meditate as much as one wants it will not get you anyway near that starting state...There is no enlightenment out of meditation other than having some enlightenment about what meditation is. Meditation has benefits enlightenment is not one of them...So if there is a meditation guru who is enlightened it has little to do with his meditation skills.. Then there is the other thing like being on LSD or something..that does not count! One simply cannot trust whatever one experiences when being on drugs.

[@sangmeshbagbande3621]

Today's valentine's why don't u talk love❤️❤️

[@bluelotus542]

The soul animates the material body, and when it leaves, the body remains inanimate.

[@bluelotus542]

There's no difference between the spirit and the soul, for the spirit soul has eternally its own individual identity.

[@robin-vt1qj]

Both just words tho

[@leonoradompor8706]

The Spirit and The Bride Revelation 22:17

[@joshuaadamstithakayoutubel2490]

Should I look that up?

[@leonoradompor8706]

I am the Holy Spirit Personified !

[@grattata4364]

Prove it

[@Dion_Mustard]

Hallucinations & altered states of consciousness are two VERY different things. Having a 'trip' is not the same as having an out of body experience whereby the person can verify things whilst outside their body, such as during Cardiac arrest when the person witnesses their own resuscitation above their body during a period of unconsciousness. - or indeed clinical death Those who describe "pure consciousness" , describe it more real than waking consciousness, NOTHING like a dream state or an illusion. Those who experience altered states - consider it the most life-changing and blissful experience imaginable. This has nothing to do with "mystics" or religion, this has everything to do with consciousness as being fundamental and not limited to brain.

[@reyromeoviray7578]

" Humans represent three major components, (Energy our Creator + Physical Body + Spirit/Wisdom/ Consciousness) = the Trinity. Humans represent the Trinity. This proves that God our Creator is always with us." Our soul is our energy. It is part of the energy in the whole universe. " Eternal life is Eternal Energy, it cannot be created nor destroyed, it only transforms." He creates, holds and transforms everything in the Universe/Cosmos. 🙏 Good morning! 💖✌️💡🌞🌟🇵🇭🌏

[@BubbleGendut]

He creates! Ok I should thank him for COVID 🦠

[@ezbody]

The major components people possess are the self-centerness, egotism and self-absorption.

[@reyromeoviray7578]

@@ezbody those possessions you mentioned are only on your third component that i mentioned (your wisdom/consciousness).

[@reyromeoviray7578]

@@BubbleGendut that is your third component (your wisdom/consciousness)

[@BubbleGendut]

@@reyromeoviray7578 BS I think you have no proof of anything. Incredible claims require Incredible Proof.

[@Goldilockkk]

causation to the down

[@mdmohtasim]

Great channel asking the most important question of life. I would suggest why not listen to islamic philosophy. These days muslims are getting very bad reputation but it is not like how people see it. So my suggestion is why not ask someone who is very very knowledgeable in islamic teachings and let us hear it. And if it is possible then i would suggest why not interview dr zakir naik and ask him the same question and understand what islams point of view is and why muslims believe it to be true.

[@leonoradompor8706]

The Holy Spirit is the Feminine Side of God!

[@___Truth___]

😕

[@sagittariusalba2851]

Of which you are quite sure? 🤔

[@anthony212459]

That guy old AF