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Analects

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Analects

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Spiritual Architecture

stuff On those things greater than ourselves

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Glossolalia has a unique pattern of neural activity, distinct from psychopathologies and even other trance-like states. So, the feeling underneath is special, but the actual speaking itself seems learned. It makes you wonder where that feeling comes from.

Speaking in tongues

Article

‘Speaking in Tongues’, or glossolalia, is one of those fascinating things that first got me interested in the brain. At church, as a kid, you’d see people close their eyes, raise their hands in the air, and start murmuring in languages unknown, filled with some force they couldn’t explain. But a phenomenon so widespread, found in many religions and many cultures, across time and place, should surely be found in the brain activity of other activities? The answer is, maybe not, and maybe what the brain does tell is leaves us with a more interesting question.
Glossolalia has a unique pattern of neural activity, distinct from psychopathologies and even other trance-like states. So, the feeling underneath is special, but the actual speaking itself seems learned. It makes you wonder where that feeling comes from.
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gratification on-culture on-leadership on-politics-and-power on-the-nature-of-things spiritual-architecture

article

Meditation generally involves either acknowledging or excluding thoughts, but can be problematic. Movement-based meditations (e.g. yoga, running) are better for people who can’t sit with themselves. More generally, many everyday activities meet the broad criteria.

Meditating for fun and for profit

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Meditation has well and truly captured the imagination of wellbeing enthusiasts across almost every sphere they occupy. If you spend more than 30 seconds exploring any influencer’s guide to life, you will discover that meditation is at least part of their answer. Which is a shame, because sometimes, meditation is a bit fucked.
Meditation generally involves either acknowledging or excluding thoughts, but can be problematic. Movement-based meditations (e.g. yoga, running) are better for people who can’t sit with themselves. More generally, many everyday activities meet the broad criteria.
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betterment gratification on-(un)happiness on-being-fruitful somatic-architecture spiritual-architecture wealth-architecture

article

Your phone probably isn’t eavesdropping for ads. Your brain’s job is to highlight unexpected hits while ignoring the misses. Eerie coincidences are probably just you not noticing all the times something weird could have happened but didn’t.

Eerie coincidences aren't that eerie

Article

Is your phone listening to you? I think a fairly consensus suspicion is that it is—that social media apps are picking up your conversations to sell you ads. We suspect this because it’s surprising how often an ad will appear that reflects your recent conversations. You speak about something random—something you’d never normally talk about—and lo and behold within a couple of days you’re shown an ad for said random thing. Now, our phones may well be listening. I’m no phone expert. But I’m rarely sure this kind of suspicious coincidence is more than exactly that—coincidence. Let me tell you why.
Your phone probably isn’t eavesdropping for ads. Your brain’s job is to highlight unexpected hits while ignoring the misses. Eerie coincidences are probably just you not noticing all the times something weird could have happened but didn’t.
Read this article

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betterment on-being-fruitful on-thinking-and-reasoning somatic-architecture spiritual-architecture

article

Mushrooms change the balance between inside-out forces (the all-consuming neural networks that support the ‘self’) and outside-in forces (the environment and world around us). This model seems most useful in explaining the mushroom experience.

On managing magic mushroom experiences

Article

Like finance bros and cocaine, brain scientists and psychedelics have always gone together. It’s a hot topic of conversation at my department, and in this psychedelic renaissance it’s a hot enough topic that I’m regularly asked about it by non-brain sciencey people too. So I thought I’d jot down some notes. This one is about mushrooms. I’ll talk a little more generally about what they seem to be doing to us, and why those things might be interesting to people.
Mushrooms change the balance between inside-out forces (the all-consuming neural networks that support the ‘self’) and outside-in forces (the environment and world around us). This model seems most useful in explaining the mushroom experience.
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betterment connection gratification on-(un)happiness on-aesthetics on-being-fruitful on-the-nature-of-things on-thinking-and-reasoning somatic-architecture spiritual-architecture wealth-architecture

article

Rituals are often dismissed, but they’re just procedures with a purpose. We all engage in ritualistic behavior—many habits and routines meet this criteria. Redefining them through the uncomfortable lens of ritual prompts us to question our own practices and beliefs.

The value of ritual

Article

The word ritual is a dirty one. They are dark, they are secret, they are rites to pagan gods. Or perhaps, it’s a silly word. Rituals are things done by woo-woo crystal people, pretending to do magic. In both cases, the word is used to delegitimise the spiritual practices of people at odds with our cultural value set. We know this because rituals in culturally normative religions and institutions are called ‘traditions’. But viewing our actions through the lens of ritual, rather than calling them habits or practices or routines, invites us to question them. And we could all probably do a little more of that.
Rituals are often dismissed, but they’re just procedures with a purpose. We all engage in ritualistic behavior—many habits and routines meet this criteria. Redefining them through the uncomfortable lens of ritual prompts us to question our own practices and beliefs.
Read this article

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betterment on-(un)happiness on-being-fruitful on-thinking-and-reasoning somatic-architecture spiritual-architecture wealth-architecture
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