It's Called "Woo" Because It's Fun

To make this concrete, here are the failure-modes of a few popular psychospiritual modalities that I love: • IFS: you go looking for problematic parts, so the mind starts creating & reifying ones that explain your problems • Somatic experiencing: you look for trauma in the body, mind starts generating or regenerating uncomfortable tensions/pains/se... See more

These historical patterns show us it is entirely human to turn to the supernatural, conspiracy, spiritualism and the occult in our effort to make sense of how new technology and media might change us, both individually and collectively. It is one big cope, to regain a sense of control in a time of uncertainty and difficulty.

There’s something weird I increasingly encounter on the contemplative path. Which is: if you don’t accidentally fry your brain with meditation, at a certain point, the mind starts to guide you somewhere . The contemplative path reveals itself. And it seems like everyone’s path eventually goes to a similar place, although the trips are different. My... See more