Philosophy of the Mind lesson 1: The Abyss.
“Do you fear... death? Do you fear that dark abyss? All your deeds laid bare, all your sins punished?” - Davy Jones
Well do you? If the answer is yes, this is the right lesson for you to begin with. Many people fear death, which is strange since we don’t even know that much about death really. About the process that starts as soon as the gate to the abyss opens up to devour your soul and leave your body behind as an empty shell in a state of decay. Can you imagine the feeling of staring down at your body from a large distance, knowing it is withering away? You think death is scary? There are things in this reality beyond your perception that are far worse than death. If you don’t believe me, ask a suicidal person. They are obviously embracing it, considering it as a way to escape. Perhaps if you understand what they are running for, you would also be able to understand why some choose the Abyss as a pathway. Many men have crossed the river that separates Earth from the underworld before, we even have a name for it; Katabasis. A descent to a dark pit where lost souls have found enough empty space to project all their dreams upon.
“As the universe so the soul”- Trismegistus.
Dreams are filled with inspiration. A solution to every problem you could ever simulate. To simulate is to experience, to dream is to test reality. In ancient Greece a temple was dedicated to the Abyss, The Necromanteion, meaning "Oracle of the Dead". Just like the oracle of Delphi offering valuable wisdom to those who come there looking for a solution to a problem, or an answer to a simple question. Although you can imagine a journey to the afterlife is not a simple one, so it is mostly done by people who are very desperate to find a solution. Due to legal reasons the school of ancient mysteries will not offer you a key to death, but rather a key to get back to life. That key is potential energy. Most of the cases of near death experiences are thanks to a sudden injection of energy with the help of a defibrillator. A sudden pulse of energy, the mind doors burst open and the soul realizes:”i am alive”. Of course this all depends on the way you approach it. There are many ways to approach death, and i don’t suggest arriving empty handed. The journey is tough, especially the way back. There are multiple ways to save potential energy inside the body. We have probably all experienced some of it before, when we touch an iron object and instantly get shocked. That’s your body saving up potential energy. We will get deeper into that with the philosophy of the body. As for now, rest assured. I will offer you a safe way to pass the realm of hades. To start with a small piece of inspiring spiritual philosophy first we will explain the butterfly dream.
“Once, Zhuang Zhou dreamed he was a butterfly, a butterfly flitting and fluttering about, happy with himself and doing as he pleased. He didn't know that he was Zhuang Zhou. Suddenly he woke up and there he was, solid and unmistakable Zhuang Zhou. But he didn't know if he was Zhuang Zhou who had dreamt he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming that he was Zhuang Zhou. Between Zhuang Zhou and the butterfly there must be some distinction! This is called the Transformation of Things.” —?Zhuangzi, chapter 2 (Watson translation)
Our dreams can be very powerful. It forms the basis of many psychological disorders, which have a huge impact on your everyday life. Patients with ptsd have recurring dreams of past events that were so shocking that they instantly lose control over themselves. This is a dangerous thing and i suggest you approach this lesson with great respect and caution. I bet you have never heard of Cotard's delusion, also known as walking corpse syndrome. A disorder in which the patient actually beliefs he or she is dead or stopped existing. The closer you come to a realistic dream of you dying, the bigger the chance you will not be able to distinct reality from fiction any longer. Normally these rare syndromes don’t happen on purpose. And when they do, the person is either a fool, or a hero setting his first step on a brand new heroes journey. I leave that up for you to decide. To prepare yourself for this journey, you will need to wait a while. Three parts of the philosophy are needed to enter and this is the first one. The other ones will be posted in the philosophy of the body and the philosophy of the environment soon. For now, i hope this is an interesting introduction.
Welcome to the school of ancient mysteries.