PsiPog.net

After reading The Celestine Prophecy, I liked how the author mapped out a progression of realizations (aka "insights"). So I'm going to map out some realizations I've made in my life, starting when I was a teenager.

1. The world is mechanical and predictable. Humans have pretty much everything figured out, and we can do whatever we want. I personally don't know everything, but humans as a whole have figured everything out. If I need to know something, then all I have to do is look it up. Formulas exist for everything. (Science is God)

2. People are idiots. It's clear that everything is figured out - yet they still hold on to foolish ideas. I've already made the realization that science knows everything, yet people still haven't figured it out. Is it really that hard to understand? We know everything. It's obvious they have weak minds and need crutches to function in reality, because they aren't willing to realize the truth. (I am right, you are wrong [therefore stupid])

3. Holy crap - saying people are idiots was a huge understatement. Most people are idiots, but there exists a smaller group of people who are just completely lost. I mean... WAY off the deep end. One person claimed to move shit with his mind. How delusional do you have to be to believe that? These people have serious psychological issues. (There exists people outside the realm of normal stupidity)

4. These people are so dense. Don't they know about science? Don't they know there are procedures for proving things wrong? What's it called... the Scientific Method? If you believe in something crazy, then test it until you realize that you're a delusional fuckwit. Wow. And they won't shut up. I'm feeling bored today, why not engage in an argument for fun. Let's see how stupid they really are. (Life is mostly boring, so let's have some fun)

5. AHAHAHAHAHA. They want me to try an exercise! How retarded is this! Why even bother, I know it's all delusion. Eh, what have I got to lose. This will shut them up. (I am right, and I'm willing to prove it)

6. Ah, now I understand. I got results, but it was self-induced. Sure, they're moronic, but only because they don't know about placebo effects, and self-delusion. I'll be a good guy and teach them the truth. (I'm still right, you've proven nothing)

7. A lot of people said I was doing it correctly, and if I keep trying, I can get better proof. What the fuck? This can't be real. But I do feel something. (Is it even possible that I'm wrong?)

8. These people aren't so bad afterall. I really don't know what to think about them. (Could I be wrong?!)

9. WHOA! (Shit, I'm wrong)

10. Now I have to re-think things. Fuck. Now I have to re-think everything. Well... maybe not everything. Science has a lot of things figured out, they just haven't figured this out yet. I mean... ok, somehow weird shit can happen. Not entirely sure how that works, but that doesn't screw everything up. (We can still use science to explain these weird things)

11. How can this be possible? How can these weird experiences happen? Why doesn't it fit into modern science? How could it be that science hasn't figured this out yet? What is the history of science that led us up to this point? There must be a reason why we are blind to this phenomenon. (Why didn't we know?)

12. Shit, this is a big problem. When I try to talk to people about this, they look at me like I'm crazy. I'm not crazy! Shit. Now I'm the crazy guy that I used to make fun of. Maybe they're right, maybe I am crazy? But I'm not - we are doing things very intelligently. Just listen to me, it really isn't that crazy if you think about it. But of course, they won't listen to me. I was in their shoes - I didn't listen. (In the past, I was in a box)

13. Now I'm hearing even MORE crazy stuff. I suspect a lot of it is bullshit, but how can I tell? I have to be open-minded, because in the past I was close-minded, and look where it got me. But at the same time, there must be a way to think intelligently about this stuff. (There must be a way to seperate truth from delusional crap, without being close-minded)

14. This is hard. How can I find truth? How can I be sure I'm not deluding myself? How can I be fair, intelligent, open-minded, and not gulliable? (I need to find truth without deluding myself)

15. Science has done a lot, so there must be a lot of good to it. Just a few things here and there that need to be patched up. All I have to do is maintain my doubt, and not rely completely on science like I did in the past, to make sure I explore everything fairly. (Enter Healthy Skepticism)

16. Things are going smoothly. I have things figured out fairly well. (I now know the real truth)

17. I wish I could go back in time, and talk to my old self. Talk some sense into him and explain to him how he was wrong. Maybe I can't do that, but I can help people who currently think how I used to think. This is sort of like helping out my old self. (I can help)

18. People are idiots. It's clear that psionics is real, and I clearly outline everything people need to know. I have discovered the truth (well, most of it), but people are just unwilling to hear it. I admit I was wrong in the past, but I've fixed that, and now I'm right. (I'm right, and you are wrong. You can be smart and accept my help, or be stupid and ignore what I have to say)

19. Some people agree that psionics is real, but disagree with how psionics works! How can this be? I have the truth, and my path to this truth has been very structured and logical. (Realizing psionics is real does not guarantee realization of truth)

20. How can I be sure that I know the truth? Wasn't realizing that psionics is real true? Isn't psionics real? Which is it - psionics is real, and I have truth - or psionics is delusion, and I had truth before all of this? (Could I be wrong... again?!)

21. Duh. Psionics is real. But I don't have truth. Shit. (I'm wrong about truth)

22. There is a pattern. That's twice I've been wrong. At first I thought I was right, believing in science. Then I realized I was wrong, so corrected myself. I assumed since I corrected myself, I must be right. But now I've realized I'm still wrong... just less wrong than before. Will I ever be right? Will I repeat this same pattern again? (There is a pattern to discovering truth)

23. The problem is that I think I have things figured out, when I really don't. I need to remember that I don't have the truth, and I must constantly search for it. (I don't know anything)

24. People are idiots. They think they have truth, but they don't. No one has truth. Haven't they figured that out yet? (There is no truth, and if you think there is, you're stupid)

25. Wait. Why do I do that? Why do I think people who disagree with me are stupid? Why do I have that thought? I've been wrong in the past, yet I still continue to have that thought. Do I still think I have truth? Do I still think I'm right, and everyone else is wrong? What is going on in my head? (Why do I act the way I act?)

26. There is no why. People ARE idiots, it's just plain true! (People are idiots)

27. NO! Something is going on here. How come I can reason with myself that this is wrong, but I still feel that people are idiots? (...)

28. When I ask myself that question, I can create a lot of answers. And they logically make sense. But I still feel people are idiots after I accept one particular answer. Something is wrong. (Logic can fail)

29. If I feel something is true, it will override and direct my logical mind to produce reasons that make logical sense. But those logical reasons aren't true - they are creations of my logical brain, BASED on my emotional beliefs. (Emotions dictate logic)

30. How can I be sure of anything I believe to be true? How can I trust logic now that I know that my emotions can distort logic? (Emotions are important)

31. I must inspect my emotions. I must watch myself. I must listen to others when they tell me something they've noticed about me. Emotions can distort so many things. (I must inspect myself, emotionally, honestly)

32. I think people are idiots because I like to feel better than them. If I refuse to accept that people are idiots, then I feel devalued. I feel devalued because if I'm not better than them, then I feel normal. Being normal is unacceptable. (Conflict must be described in terms of how it makes me feel)

33. What if I changed my beliefs? What if I believed that no one is normal, and everyone is different and special in their own way? (Can I change my emotions?)

34. Do I still feel that people are idiots? Yes, but not as much. (Changing a belief will change my emotions)

35. Now what do I feel when I tell myself that people aren't idiots? Instead of feeling devalued, I feel offended. (I must repeat this process)

36. What belief dictates I should feel offended? I believe that if they don't agree with me, then they are telling me my realizations aren't useful. My realizations are useful to me, and therefore, they have no right to tell me they haven't been useful. What if I believed that disagreement is useful because it helps us grow and learn more? (Keep changing beliefs)

37. Do I still feel that people are idiots? No, not really. Hey, I feel good, actually! (This process works)

38. What else can I improve about myself to make me feel better? (Growth is fun and rewarding)

39. Wow, I've changed things about myself I never thought I would. (This really does work, and it really does make me feel better)

40. I've grown and learned a lot about myself. I see people struggling with things that I've overcome myself, and I might be able to help them. (I can help)

41. We use a lot of tricks to hide from our emotional self. I've tricked myself many times, and I see people trick themselves quite a lot. We misuse our logical facilities to serve this emotional train wreck inside ourselves, and we confuse our beliefs and opinions with absolute truth. (We all need help)

42. This is important. Let's get to work.

~Sean