On Spiritual Narcissism, Transcending Rationality, and the Next Phase of Human Evolution

I’ve recently recorded three podcast conversations that I’m excited to share.

These three conversations distill much of the 2019 iteration of my constantly-updating Understanding of All That Is.

May they be useful, illuminating, nourishing, inspiring, healing, and/or liberating for you.

May they unlock new and beautiful passageways within your lifeworld.

1. On Psychedelic Narcissism and the Shadow of Spirituality

My ride-or-die Soul Brother Jon “Undercover Carl Jung” Brooks and I recorded this conversation in London in May of this year right before attending the Rebel Wisdom Summit.

Jon and I always have some of the best conversations of my life, and this was no exception. We touched on psychedelic narcissism, the shadow of spirituality, spiritual practices we love, and much more.

“There is this segment of the spiritual or psychedelic or new age community that seems to be participating in these things more from a place of ego and trying to wear the costume and have this spiritual chic clothing and have all the markers of spirituality. It’s like spirituality and psychedelia are a fashion trend for some people, and it’s all about what’s on your spiritual resumé, how many ayahuasca ceremonies have you had, etc. There’s this misguidedness around what spirituality actually means. And some people don’t even realize the extent to which they’re using spirituality as a persona and another game of appearances and status and virtue signaling rather than being deeply invested in the inner journey, which is largely a thing that no one sees.”

— Jordan Bates, On Spiritual Narcissism and the Shadow

This episode is also available on Spotify and other podcast streaming services.

I recommend absorbing more of Jon’s work on Comfort Pit and HighExistence.

2. On Transcending Rationality and Embracing the Mystery

My luminous Soul Brother Mike Slavin and I took a stab at illuminating the limitations of rationality and rationalist ideology in this wavy conversation in Costa Rica in June earlier this year, right before our fourth Apotheosis Retreat.

Humanity is presently being summoned to transcend obsolete and unsustainable modes of being, and one aspect of this level-up is dethroning rationality, becoming trans-rational, and rediscovering deeper, wiser, intuitive levels of human intelligence that re-enchant / reconnect self and Nature. We explored these ideas in what was undoubtedly another one of the best conversations of my life.

“In the last couple years there’s seemed to be a… decided shift [in my mind] in the direction of dethroning rationality as… the primary tool that I use to parse reality, and putting it in its proper place… And through deep listening and deep internal experiences and even mystical experiences, arriving at a sense of a felt at-home-ness in reality and in the present moment, in which you’re trusting and surrendering to the flow of reality…”

— Jordan Bates, On Transcending Rationality and Embracing the Mystery

This episode is also available on Spotify and other podcast streaming services.

I recommend checking out more of Mike’s work on HighExistence.

3. On the Power of Attention and the Next Phase of Human Evolution

At Envision Festival in Costa Rica in March of this year, I spontaneously hopped on Superhero Academy’s Freedom Culture Podcast.

I sat down and talked for half an hour with Jara Dekker about this pivotal moment in history, the next phase of human evolution, the meaning of ‘freedom culture,’ why your attention is your most valuable resource, and more.

“As Daniel Schmachtenberger often says, ‘We’re gaining the power of gods, but without the love and wisdom and care of gods, we’ll self-destruct.'”

— Jordan Bates, On the Power of Attention and the Next Phase of Human Evolution

That’s all for now, folks.

If you enjoy listening to me make “small mouth noises” to signify the various contours, textures, and dimensions of my lifeworld, you may appreciate subscribing to my YouTube channel.

If you’d like to go further down the rabbit hole of destroying and rebuilding your mind, check out the Refine The Mind Library.

A final bonus: A few months ago I also had the honor of co-interviewing the illustrious Akira the Don, DJ of the Intellectual Dark Web and radically honest Wizard-Philosopher; that shit was fire.

Peace, Love, Freedom, Joy, Power, Wisdom,
Jordan