Mystics and Muons Mystics and Muons

I'm joined this episode with the creators behind EntheoMagus, Cody Noconi, Brandon Crockett, and Alex Criddle. EntheoMagus is a short documentary exploring the indications that entheogens, or psychedelics, were used in early Mormonism, particularly in the group experiences in Kirtland, OH. We discuss Cody, Brandon, and Alex's backgrounds, where they stand with regard to Mormonism, and their motivation behind this project.

We also discuss the basics behind psychedelics and what is known as the mystical experience, a state of consciousness that is accessible both through endogenous (without substances) as well as exogenous (with substances) means.

I ask them the spiritual implications behind psychedelics producing this experience, as well as the implications for Mormonism, if this is true. Many view the idea that psychedelics were used to be discounting the spirituality behind Mormonism, or to be cheapening spiritual experiences, but we discuss how that isn't the case.

EntheoMagus is a short film on the road to the goal of a more involved production. It will be shown in Salt Lake City, UTon 4/27/24, 4/28/24, and 4/29/24 and in Portland, OR on 5/11/24. Get your tickets below.



Links

EntheoMagus Website

Alex Criddle's Website



Here for the esoteric origins of Mormonism? Check out

Episode 2 or read it in on the Substack for the integrative narrative of Mormon origins:



Here for the science and spirituality? Check out:

Interview with Donald Hoffman

Interview with Bernardo Kastrup

Discussion with Bernardo Kastrup on Entropy



Please rate, share, and get in touch at mysticsandmuons@gmail.com!



Chapters

00:00 Introduction

00:57 Brandon Crockett

07:01 Alex Criddle

11:44 Cody Noconi

16:28 The Mystical Experience

22:09 Interpreting Spiritual or Mystical Experiences

25:14 Our Mind as a Filter

27:06 Cross Cultural Mystical Experiences

29:23 Taking a Holistic Approach to Understanding Mystical Experiences with Science and Spirituality

35:30 Implications for Mormonism if Entheogens/Psychedelics were used

38:07 Psychedelics and Spirituality, The Good Friday Experiment

42:53 Clark Heinrich's Mystical Experience with Amanita Muscaria

46:41 The Problems with Dismissing Psychedelics as Hallucinations or Shortcuts

49:51 Gabe's Endogenous Mystical Experience

51:53 Can We Trust Mystical/Psychedelic Experiences?

55:19 Consensus Reality and Interpreting Psychedelic Experiences

01:02:22 Recontextualizing and Finding Meaning in Mormonism

01:04:57 Accessing Revelation and Mystical Experiences

01:07:00 The Problem with Prophets and the Shamanic Initiation Crisis

01:10:00 The Importance of Recognizing your Perspective and Bias

01:11:09 How Objective are Psychedelic Experiences?

01:13:28 Rupert Spira and Dreams as a Model for the Intersubjective Nature of Reality

01:19:09 Does it Matter if Joseph Smith used Psychedelics/Entheogens?

01:21:59 Folk Magic, the Occult, and Substances to Alter Consciousness

01:26:11 Is there Evidence of Entheogens in Early Mormonism?

01:30:06 EntheoMagus

Michael Levin joins me to discuss the intersection of computation, biology, and philosophy. We explore different perspectives on reality, the concept of selfhood, and the behavior of cancer cells. We discuss what implications understanding cancer can have on uniting humanity.
Mike discusses the importance of recognizing and valuing different forms of intelligence and the challenges of predicting the goals of collective systems. He explains the concept of collective intelligence and the challenges of uniting humans as well as the ethics of forced collectivism.
We then discuss AI, consciousness, and ethics, highlighting the need for principled frameworks to navigate these complex issues. I discuss concept of portals of consciousness from the perspective of idealism, and the issue of whether consciousness is substrate independent.

Here for the esoteric origins of Mormonism? Check out
Episode 2 or read it in on the Substack for the integrative narrative of Mormon origins:
Here for the science and spirituality? Check out:
Interview with Donald Hoffman
Interview with Bernardo Kastrup
Discussion with Bernardo Kastrup on Entropy

Please rate, share, and get in touch at mysticsandmuons@gmail.com!

Chapters
00:00 Utilizing Multiple Perspectives in Science
02:41 Exploring Perspectives on Reality and Consciousness
04:37 Challenging Assumptions in Science
09:56 AI and Consciousness
18:00 Ethics Informed by Understanding Selfhood
22:44 Cancer as a Distortion of Cells' Selfhood
25:52 Balancing Interests Within Collective Intelligences
33:51 Collective Intelligences and the Implications for Relationships
38:14 AI, Consciousness, and Ethics
52:48 Idealism and Substrate Independent Consciousness

This conversation discusses Mike's time at FAIR as an apologist, and then his faith crisis and departure from Mormonism, as well as his own personal spiritual journey. Mike's interest lies in researching other branches of Mormonism, including fundamentalist groups, and Gnostic groups.



We discuss John W Bryant, who left Mormonism after converting, serving a mission. He then joined the Apostolic United Brethren, but parted ways with them after receiving visions of church leaders, from which he reports to have received the Second Anointing. His group later transformed into a more liberal, feminist group, and started a commune in Nevada. He then reported being ordained in a sexual ordinance by the wife of one of the Three Nephites to the higher light of Christ. Now, they've evolved to a more mythologically minded blend of Eastern spirituality, including yoga, meditation, and artistic creativity during their services.



We also discuss Archie Wood, who started the True Gnostic Church and wrote extensive scripture, including conceptualizing God as mankind's evolution into the future, who has returned back to communicate with us. Archie subsequently left his church, though there is an effort to preserve his works.



Finally, we discuss the Knights of the Crystal Blade, a cult formed by John Coltharp, one of the missionaries Gabe knew on his mission.



Links:

Mike's Presentation on Gnostic Mormonism



Here for the esoteric origins of Mormonism? Check out

Episode 2 or read it in on the Substack for the integrative narrative of Mormon origins:



Here for the science and spirituality? Check out:

Interview with Donald Hoffman

Interview with Bernardo Kastrup

Discussion with Bernardo Kastrup on Entropy



Please rate, share, and get in touch at mysticsandmuons@gmail.com!



Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Rebranding

06:43 Mike LeCheminant's Background

10:02 FAIR and Apologetics

13:42 Joseph Smith as a Fallen Prophet

18:04 Spirituality After Mormonism

20:53 Redefining God

25:21 Deconstruction and Myth

36:54 Mike's Exploration of other Churches

39:39 Psychedelics in Religion

44:54 John W Bryant and the Gnostic Temple of the Pearl

49:22 Channeling, Automatic Writing, and Scripture

56:38 Gnosticism

01:16:05 Mormonism's Individuation Process

01:22:16 The Motivations of Prophets

01:31:46 Knights of the Crystal Blade

01:39:43 Archie Wood and the True Gnostic Church

01:53:09 Leaving the Apologetic Community

Bernardo joins me to explore the themes of engaging with others, taking the long view, and the nature of knowledge. We discuss the balance between engaging with trolls, responding to skeptics, and collaborating with like-minded individuals. The importance of focusing on the silent audience and the long-term impact of ideas is emphasized.

We also discuss my essay, and book in progress, recontextualizing entropy as a reflection of the bandwidth constraints of consciousness and our subjective experience. We discuss the need to unlearn what we thought we knew and challenge assumptions, as well as the role of perspective in understanding reality. The conversation explores the concept of entropy and the subjective nature of measuring it, as well as the assumptions upon which the current framework of thermodynamics rest, namely an objective physical world separate from observers. The discussion touches on the work of Sabine Hossenfelder and Stephen Wolfram, including his work on computational irreducibility and the Ruliad. The idea of computational irreducibility and the limitations of our perspective in understanding the true nature of the universe are explored.

Finally, we discuss following the purpose life has for us, and the process of being broken by what we think is the path we are meant to be on. Bernardo shares his insights from his own journey, including the liberation that comes from realizing that life is not about the individual self.

My essay on entropy at Essentia’s website: https://www.essentiafoundation.org/entropy-is-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder/reading/
An unabridged version on my Substack: https://mysticsandmuons.substack.com/p/entropy-is-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder

If you're new to the podcast and interested in Mormonism's esoteric origins, check out Episode 2 or read it in on the Substack for the integrative narrative of Mormon origins:

If you're new and interested in the nature of reality, check out Episode 18 with Donald Hoffman, or Episode 21 with Bernardo Kastrup:

Please rate, share, and get in touch at mysticsandmuons@gmail.com!

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
04:06 Engaging in Dialogue vs Engaging with Trolls
17:55 Finding One's Calling and Taking the Long View
26:28 Recontextualizing Entropy
29:36 Entropy and its Prior Assumptions
33:28 Finding One's Dharma
34:52 Thomas Kuhn and Plato's Cave as a Metaphor for Scientific Revolutions
41:46 Sabine Hossenfelder's Challenge of Entropy as a Physicalist
47:25 Causality
54:45 Myth and it's Utility, Even in Science
01:05:25 Mysticism and Science, The Relationality of the Universe
01:14:22 Stephen Wolfram, Computational Irreducibility, and the Ruliad
01:29:04 Are there fundamental
01:38:24 The Rulial Space of Conscious Experience and Data Management Strategies
01:46:50 Can the Rules of Reality Change?
01:53:28 Interpreting and Integrating Mystical Experiences
02:04:49 Finding Our Role in the Ecosystem of the Universe
02:09:09 Life Breaks You Open
02:12:58 Nihilism and Meaning

Gabe and Keith discuss various topics related to personal growth, Oregon's Measure 109 legalizing psilocybin services, and the state of the world. They explore the concept of sovereignty and the importance of taking responsibility for one's own life. They also discuss the symbolism of events and the power of perspective. The conversation emphasizes the interconnectedness of individuals and the role of love and integration in creating a better world. The conversation explores love, and the concept of good and evil. It also discusses the shift out of dualistic thinking.



Links

www.KeithGilmore.com



New to the podcast? Make sure you watch Episode 2 or read it in on the Substack for the integrative narrative of Mormon origins:

https://youtu.be/5YBeMrR1seM

https://open.substack.com/pub/mormonsmysticsandmuons/p/mormonism-psychedelics-quantum-physics



Please rate, share, and get in touch at mormonsmysticsandmuons@gmail.com!



Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

03:56 Keith's Role as President of the Portland Psychedelic Society

07:14 Oregon's Measure 109 - Psilocybin Services

14:55 Significance of Expected MDMA and Psilocybin Legalization Within Therapy

22:45 Paradoxes, Polarities, and Finding Balance

28:24 The Sovereignty of Perspective

36:46 Finding Meaning

45:24 Different Substitutes for Meaning

51:39 Seeing Each Other as Brothers and Sisters, Healing the World by Healing Yourself

58:10 Idealism and Ethics

01:04:21 Danger of Dogma

01:06:47 Being Good Through Integration

01:12:30 Defining Evil

01:20:49 The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and Duality

01:23:09 Baby's Splitting of Mother = Humanity's Splitting of God

01:25:41 Shifting from Dualistic Thinking

01:27:09 Conclusion

Gabe and River discuss topics related to idealism, consciousness, and the nature of reality. They explore River's paper on idealism and its connection to Stephen Wolfram's work, as well as Gabe's experiences with Kundalini awakening and his exploration of entropy. They discuss different perspectives on the Ruliad and consciousness, the nature of time and the past, and the value of embracing paradox and limitations. The role of chaos and order in consciousness is examined, along with the connection between information and relationships. The discussion also touches on the cyclical nature of materialism and the incompleteness of models. The relationship between quantum mechanics and consciousness is discussed, as well as the role of AI in the collective consciousness. The future of consciousness are also examined, along with the dream as a model of consciousness. The conversation explores the grand purpose of life and the practical implications of finding meaning and purpose.



River's Work:

Twitter/X - https://twitter.com/RiverKanies - @RiverKanies

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/river-kanies-95706389/



Podcast:

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6jwZYOYh6r0vFNvSzE2jO4

Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-am-stupid/id1664884643



CyberMonk App:

iOS - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/cybermonk/id6471553744

web - https://app.cybermonk.art/

android - [coming soon]



New to the podcast? Make sure you watch Episode 2 or read it in on the Substack for the integrative narrative of Mormon origins:

https://youtu.be/5YBeMrR1seM

https://open.substack.com/pub/mormonsmysticsandmuons/p/mormonism-psychedelics-quantum-physics



Please rate, share, and get in touch at mormonsmysticsandmuons@gmail.com!



00:00 Introduction

03:30 River's Paper on Idealism and Wolfram's Work

07:38 Gabe's Kundalini Awakening

11:14 Entropy as an Artifact of Observers' Computational Bounds

22:15 Reality: Exploring the Computational Space of all Conscious Experiences

26:21 Computational Bounds and the Ruliad

31:24 Observers Exist within the Ruliad as Perspectives

33:19 Time as the Iteration through Permutations of Conscious Experience

37:07 Photogrammetry as a Model of Models of Reality

39:55 Seeing and Hearing in 2D, but Upsampling to 3D

41:44 Embracing Paradox and the Value of Limitations

43:54 Identifying not as the Query in the Infinite Database, but the Coder

49:43 The Intersubjective Nature of Reality

57:27 Ordering Chaos Through Dimensions

01:00:36 Limits of Reductionism due to the Balance of Order and Chaos

01:04:30 The Computational View vs. Reductionism

01:06:52 Using Recursion to Colonize the Ruliad

01:09:57 Quantum Physics as the Divine Spark

01:13:16 Information and Models Must be Ordered Hierarchically

01:23:14 The Trajectory of Consciousness

01:25:48 The Role of AI in Consciousness

01:31:05 Dreams Illustrate the Substrate Independence of Consciousness

01:35:40 Assembly Theory

01:37:55 The Learning Process of Reality

01:41:54 Dreams as a Roadmap for the Future of Consciousness

01:47:43 The Meaning of Existence

01:51:28 The Death of Meaning, and Meaning on the Other Side of Nihilism

01:52:45 Setting Collective Meaning

01:57:37 Finding Meaning in Suffering

02:02:03 AI as a Catalyst for Change

02:07:51 The Only Free Will we have is what Perspective to Adopt

02:12:32 Perspective is the Difference between Armageddon and the Millennium

02:14:56 Polarities are Necessary

02:15:51 Seeking to Catalyze Change for Others, Rather than Seeking to Change Them

02:18:25 Embody Change Rather than Evangelize

02:19:59 CyberMonk App

02:21:22 Reality as a Conversation Between its Parts