Mystics and Muons

This is a reading of "I Met God at a Festival" published on the Mystics and Muons Substack, wherein I reflect on my peak experiences at ARKADIA, a festival put on by Fit For Service. These experiences involved profound connections with others who served as manifestations of the ineffable divine, a force of which we all are a part. These experiences were more profound and transformative than those I experienced within religion, in fact serving to heal many of the wounds I picked up from religion. My experiences at ARKADIA led me to understand how to heal in community, to trust your partner and self, to connect with other men, to heal wounds from an absent father, to let go of judgment, and the find a sacred union with a partner. I hope you enjoy. Links https://mysticsandmuons.substack.com/p/i-met-god-at-a-festival 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 02:08 Healing in Community 05:22 Learning to Trust 17:50 Connecting as Men 25:09 Healing the Father Wound 29:02 Judging Not 36:45 Sacred Union

Phil McLemore shares his journey from Catholicism to Mormonism to a deeper spiritual practice through an awakening mediated by meditation and yoga. He discusses his experiences with Catholicism and the doubts that led him to explore other religions. He explains how he found Mormonism and how it initially provided him with a sense of purpose and transformation. Eventually after a severe accident and ineffective priesthood blessings, he turned to meditation for relief from chronic pain. Through meditation, he had a spiritual awakening and a deeper understanding of the true nature of God. He also discusses the limitations of Mormonism and the lack of emphasis on inner spirituality within the church. The conversation explores the idea that there is an infinite, formless, and changeless reality that constitutes the essence of our being. The purpose of life is to discover and awaken to this reality, which requires direct experience and knowledge beyond the mind. The integration of this formless reality into the world of form is seen as essential for the full realization of the purpose of life. The conversation explores the balance between personal exploration and guidance in spiritual journeys, the potential benefits and drawbacks of psychedelics, and the integration of mystical experiences into daily life. Gabe and Phil discuss the importance of character development and Christ-like living as the ultimate goal of spiritual awakening. They also touch on the misinterpretation of mystical experiences and the need for discerning integration. The conversation concludes with a focus on the integration of the kingdom of God within oneself and among others. Phil's Written Works: Becoming the Beloved Hindering the Saints - Taking Away the Key of Knowledge The Yoga of Christ Phil's Facebook Group: Inner Path 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 01:42 Phil's Background in Catholicism 06:04 Religion's Burden on Children 07:44 Phil's Introduction to Buddhism 08:58 Phil's Life in Mormonism as a CES Employee and Military Chaplain 11:39 Phil's Work in Apologetics 15:52 Phil's Injury, Chronic Pain, and Ineffective Priesthood Blessings 17:55 Being Rescued from Chronic Pain by Meditation and Yoga 21:28 Spiritual Experiences in Mormonism versus Mystical Experiences in Meditation 23:48 Mormonism's Conceptualization of God versus Direct Experience 25:30 Did Joseph Smith have Mystical Experiences? 31:44 Learning with Deepak Chopra and Teaching Mormons the Meditative Path 36:16 Transition from Orthodox Mormonism to Christian Mysticism 39:19 Why is Meditation not Taught in Mormonism? 44:34 Have the Modern Day Apostles and Prophets had Mystical Experiences? 47:00 What is Awakening? 55:30 What do Mystical Experiences Feel Like? 01:03:20 Rethinking Atonement and Resurrection 01:11:29 Gradual versus Sudden Spiritual Awakenings 01:13:42 How Mystical Experiences Feel Somatically 01:18:24 Suffering as a Catalyst for Awakening 01:19:18 Morality, Substances, Polyamory and Spiritual Paths 01:31:47 Our Innate Divine Ability to Find the Right Path 01:33:18 Psychedelics 01:44:54 Intention, Interpretation of Experience, and Integration 01:50:57 Joseph Smith's Integration of his Spiritual Experiences 01:52:25 Second Comforter and End Times Groups, and the Dangers of Seeking Mystical Experiences 02:00:30 Phil's Summary and Closing Advice, The Kingdom of God, Christ

Gabe and Stephen discuss Plato as an influence for Joseph Smith and Mormonism. Stephen describes his journey tracing the roots of Mormonism, and how that led him to research Plato and Christian Platonism. They also discuss defining hermeticism, as well as the possibility that Plato and Joseph Smith were drawing from the same perfect form of spiritual philosophy and adapting it in their own way, rather than Plato necessarily influencing Joseph Smith. Finally, they discuss whether this parallel between Platonism and Mormonism is faith affirming or faith challenging. Links Stephen's Presentation - Joseph Smith and the Ancient Religion: Or Where Was Zerahemla https://alexandria.ucsb.edu/downloads/v118rd789 Stephen's Dissertation - The Fulness of the Gospel: Christian Platonism and the Origins of 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 Stephen's Background 05:08 Gabe's Exposure to Philosophy at BYU and his Ensuing Faith Crisis 06:14 Tracing Mormonism's Roots 09:02 The Refiner's Fire by John Brooke 14:03 The Challenges of Defining Hermeticism 17:02 The Problem with Presentism 21:03 The Unifying Potential of the Mystical Experience in Understanding History 25:12 Have We Cut Ourselves off from Gnosis Today? 28:19 Plato 31:44 Defining Neoplatonism 34:50 Theurgy 36:08 Love-Hate Relationship Between Plato and Christianity 39:17 Platonic Influence on Joseph Smith 44:35 The Divide Between God and Man, Christ as Savior vs Christ as Way-Shower 52:16 Quaker Beliefs on Christ as a Mystic 54:30 Did Plato Influence Joseph Smith, or Did They Both Access the Same Space? 56:47 Mystical Experiences 01:07:25 Paradoxes and Plato's Cave 01:09:50 Plato and Joseph Smith - Faith Affirming or Deconstructing? 01:13:05 If Christ Showed up Today, Would he be more Platonist, Buddhist, or Christian? 01:21:44 Stephen's Spiritual Experiences 01:23:48 Is Mormonism a Religion, or is it "All Truth"? 01:32:40 Following your Intuition

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

Bernardo Kastrup, with PhDs in both philosophy and computer engineering, joins me in a wide-ranging discussion on reality. We discuss the concept of truth, how we use models to understand reality, and the illusion that we've figured it all, or even can. We explore dreams and dissociative identity disorder as models for a deeper understanding of reality through the lens of idealism. We discuss the religious nature with which some espouse atheism, how ethics emerge from idealism, and the problem of evil. Links Check out Bernardo's work with Essentia Foundation, dedicated to furthering scientific exploration of consciousness and reality past the clutches of materialism. BernardoKastrup.com Gabe's essay "Entropy is in the Eye of of the Beholder" - Essentia Foundation or Substack (Unabridged)

We're taught that man was created in God's image. The more I heal as a father, the more I realize that wounded fathers and mothers created God in their own image. This is a reading of the most recent post on the Mormons, Mystics, and Muons Substack. Links: Mormons, Mystics, and Muons Substack

This episode is a presentation given at the Mormonism and Western Esotericism's Facebook group fall conference. The focus is on integrating the different approaches to explaining Mormonism, including freemasonry, magic, entheogens, neoplatonism, an orthodox interpretation, and the pious fraud narrative. By moving away from a black and white approach, where one narrative is the predominant explanation, and instead integrating all of these perspectives, one gets a much more coherent narrative of Mormonism's origins. For a much more deeper dive on an integration of these narratives, see episode 2: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3geZJmA7faDgyvnV09hit7?si=53e5beed765a48c6 Full conference: https://youtu.be/wRgP80ez1t0?si=9_A07SKjoA87Ho88

Donald Hoffman discusses his work as a cognitive neuroscientist, exploring how consciousness is fundamental instead of matter, and how evolutionary theory itself indicates that we don't perceive reality objectively, but instead have constructed space and time as an interface into a deeper fundamental reality. He discusses his journey integrating science and spirituality, as well as pushback he's gotten from others within the science community because his work calls into question the fundamental tenets their theories have been built upon. Check the TED talk and Lex Fridman links below for shallow and deep dives into his work. TED Talk - https://youtu.be/oYp5XuGYqqY?si=1ciPZmeFLNp-Nuj4 Lex Fridman interview - https://youtu.be/reYdQYZ9Rj4?si=CWs1yyk59Je3B40K

Grant Palmer wrote in 2013, and stated on Mormon Stories, that he had a general authority who had lost his testimony. After both Palmer and the general authority had passed, John Dehlin revealed in 2020 that the general authority was F. Enzio Busche, an emeritus member of the first quorum of the 70. However, one Redditor had tracked down and spoke with Enzio Busche years earlier. That encounter not only challenged Palmer's narrative, but also revealed that, rather than having lost his testimony of Mormonism, Enzio Busche instead held esoteric or New Age beliefs, including that Joseph Smith and Jesus Christ were "ascended masters." This episodes covers the relevant posts related to this story. Links Screenshot of John Dehlin's post explaining his motivation - https://i.redd.it/0f58oop23o751.jpg Grant Palmer's account of his meetings with Busche - https://journeyofloyaldissent.wordpress.com/2013/04/06/6/ Reddit comment by one who found Busche years before the disclosure - https://www.reddit.com/r/mormon/comments/7ihkil/i_have_been_asked_why_i_wrote_a_letter_to_an/ Additional Reddit comment by the same individual after the disclosure - https://www.reddit.com/r/mormon/comments/hgef3i/f_enzio_busche/ 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 Grant Palmer and Dehlin's Reveal 02:27 F. Enzio Busche's Spiritual Beliefs 05:03 Grant Palmer's Report of Meetings with Busche 10:08 Reddit Posts about Busche's Beliefs 13:23 Joseph Smith and Jesus Christ as Ascended Masters 18:45 Busche Challenging Palmer's Account 23:10 Reddit Post about Busche's Belief from a Second Hand Account of a Former Missionary Under Busche 25:56 What do the Authorities Believe? 31:00 Recontextualizing Spiritual Experiences 37:05 Conclusion

Gabe is interviewed by Valentina from the Stories of Awakening podcast on his journey from Mormonism, through agnosticism, to integrating science and spirituality. He discusses his childhood, the influence of Mormonism's emphasis on morality, and the shifts that began during his divorce and dive into psychology. He also describes the unexpected mystical experiences he experienced in what matches the eastern concept of a kundalini awakening. Check out Episode 6 for a comparison of Gabe's experience with a scientific journal article on people's self reported spontaneous spiritual awakenings or kundalini awakenings:https://open.spotify.com/episode/5H7eRqqE3D5iapoJTTqunz?si=-K95df7pQNyRQuTqd-Ykhw 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://open.spotify.com/episode/3geZJmA7faDgyvnV09hit7?si=Kh4OfwetT62GIZKCClhgGQ https://open.substack.com/pub/mormonsmysticsandmuons/p/mormonism-psychedelics-quantum-physics Please rate, share, and get in touch at mormonsmysticsandmuons@gmail.com! Check out Valentina's podcast: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5tVlxcXEMWAuK6m0SGG3Rt Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stories-of-awakening/id1668076703 Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@valentinamarulli9526 Chapters 00:00 Introduction 03:14 Hesitancy Sharing Mystical Experiences 10:15 The Importance of Sharing Experiences 11:48 Start of Interview 14:04 The Influence of Mormonism 15:22 Mormonism's Rules on Morality 17:30 Family Life 19:42 Childhood Trauma 23:08 Rules and Self Regulation 25:51 Childhood Shame 28:33 Intellectualizing vs Spirituality 31:05 Mormon Mission 33:23 College, Dental School, Marriage 35:13 Leaving Mormonism 39:15 Losing your Moral and Spiritual Framework 46:22 Intuition During Agnosticism 51:01 Exploring Psychology 58:35 Kundalini Awakening Experiences 01:01:18 Involuntary Contractions/Kriyas 01:03:03 Sensation of Kundalini Energy in the Spine 01:06:04 Less Need of Sleep 01:10:52 Bliss States 01:14:23 Downloads 01:16:09 Carl Jung on Kundalini 01:18:25 Visual Experiences 01:22:25 Difficulty Interpreting and Integrating Experiences 01:24:34 Lucid Dreaming and Life as a Dream 01:29:16 Derealization and Solipsism 01:30:09 Synchronicity with "Waking Life" Movie 01:36:36 What Dreams Teach us about Living Life 01:40:20 Somatic Sensation of Trauma Release/Nervous System Rewiring 01:44:14 Synchronicities 01:46:35 Psychic and Precognitive Experiences 01:50:35 Channeling or Witness Perspective 01:55:05 Continued Expanded States of Awareness after Kundalini Awakening 02:01:13 Conclusion ​​

Rieki Master Valentina Marulli joins us today to describe the beginnings of Reiki, and its similarities with the concept of the priesthood within mormonism. We discuss Mikao Usui's mystical experience after fasting and meditating for 21 days, how Reiki compares with the priesthood, and which one has clinical evidence supporting its effectiveness. Please leave a review, share with a friend, and get in touch at mormonsmysticsandmuons@gmail.com with feedback or topics you'd like to see us cover. Links: Stories of Awakening Podcast - https://anchor.fm/valentina-marulli Valentina's Website - https://soul-vale.com Valentina's Instagram - https://instagram.com/soulvale?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= Reiki Study - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5871310/

This is the reading of a written piece making a case for increasing entropy as an artifact of the way conscious agents apply serial lossy downsampling of an infinitely complex reality, rather than as a trait inherent in the universe. Essentially, entropy is a measure about the information we have about a system, which is always subject to the bandwidth constraints of consciousness. These bandwidth constraints result in continual downsampling or compression of reality from moment to moment, resulting in a compounding loss of information. This results in the perception of increasing entropy as experienced by the observer. This perception is largely consistent between observers, since we as observers are part of the system being observed, and therefore experience a certain measure of consensus reality. I then argue that entropy actually decreases for the observer with injections of information about the system, which appears as increasing the bandwidth which is dictating the downsampling or compression of reality. This occurs through evolution, as well as through the arc of one's life from newborn to adult, but can also occur by increasing one's state of awareness through practices like meditation. I argue that within idealism, there is no such thing as a closed system. Link: Substack Link - https://mormonsmysticsandmuons.substack.com/p/entropy-is-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder Essentia Article - https://www.essentiafoundation.org/entropy-is-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder/ Please leave a review, share with a friend, and get in touch at mormonsmysticsandmuons@gmail.com with feedback or topics you'd like to see us cover. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:31 Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics 04:18 Objections to the Second Law 05:17 Sabine Hossenfelder's Perspective on the Second Law 08:21 Stephen Wolfram's Cellular Automata 10:24 Stephen Wolfram's Ruliad 11:39 Stephen Wolfram's Perspective on the Second Law 15:25 Stephen Wolfram's Perspective on Quantum Physics and Consciousness 16:30 Donald Hoffman's Interface Theory of Perception 18:30 Donald Hoffman's Model of Conscious Agents 20:23 Donald Hoffman's Markovian Dynamics and Entropy 22:28 Intersubjectivity 24:07 Bernardo Kastrup's Analytical Idealism as a Model for Intersubjectivity 27:00 QBism as a Model for Intersubjectivity 28:26 Overcoming Entropy 32:28 Conclusion

During this episode we listen to a portion of a lecture by Terence McKenna and provide commentary. We discuss the impact of the Judeo-Christian belief that man is fallen. McKenna discusses how this contrasts with esoteric teachings that we are co-creators of reality with the divine. He also discusses how bizarre of a case John Dee was, though it will be quite familiar for Mormons. John Dee was an educated individual in the late 1500's who claimed an angel appeared to him, giving him a “shew stone” in which messages appeared. A man named Edward Kelley then shows up on the scene and uses the shew-stone to receive messages in reversed Latin, which were transcribed by John Dee. Ultimately the angels command John Dee to share his wife with Edward Kelley. We also discuss the impact psychedelics may have had on esotericism, but highlight McKenna's point that they needn't be involved in explaining all mystical experiences that contributed to esotericism. The full McKenna lecture is available at https://youtu.be/6pvAhssEmVo?si=WjeI7MTAklD-5Z2S Links: Becoming Michelangelo: Apprenticing to the Master and Discovering the Artist through His Drawings - https://www.amazon.com/dp/1956763473 Silence: A Novel - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BSNZ7BFK The House of Wisdom: How the Arabs Transformed Western Civilization - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004M8RUF4 Please leave a review, share with a friend, and get in touch at mormonsmysticsandmuons@gmail.com with feedback or topics you'd like to see us cover. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Recap of Sunstone Sessions 02:02 Exploring the Connection Between Mormonism and Freemasonry 08:08 Terence McKenna and the Mystical Origins of Mormonism 12:30 Magic, Hermeticism, and Christianity 13:41 The Christian View of Fallen Man 16:35 False Dichotomy of Good and Evil 20:34 Christ as an Archetype Instead of a Savior 23:31 Freud's Superego, Ego, Id 28:46 The Hermetic View of Humanity as Co-Partners in Creation 32:55 Dangers of Anthropocentrism 37:52 Morals Outside of Religion 46:59 The Historicity of Hermes Trismegistus 52:01 Hermetic Philosophy 56:36 Gods in Embryo 01:01:04 Enoch and Moses's Vision, and Mystical Experiences 01:03:02 Religion versus Spirituality 00:51 LSD and the Mind of the Universe 03:44 The Absence of Sin in Hermeticism 06:37 Similarities with the Book of Abraham and the Second Comforter 10:04 Reevaluating Damnation and Sin within Idealism 13:39 Psychedelics and other Methods for Mystical Experiences 19:39 Reconciling Spiritual Experiences after Mormonism 24:23 Western Europe's Shift towards Religion 36:39 Giordano Bruno 38:46 John Dee 41:10 John Dee's Shew-Stone and Edward Kelly 46:00 Similarities Between John Dee and Joseph Smith 55:44 Integrating Truths and the Evolution of Religion 01:01:27 The Challenge of Reconciling Religion Without Dichotomies 01:03:11 The Battle Between Religion and Spirituality 01:08:51 LSD and the Mind of the Universe 01:11:44 The Absence of Sin in Hermeticism 01:14:37 Similarities with the Book of Abraham and the Second Comforter 01:18:04 Reevaluating Damnation and Sin within Idealism 01:21:39 Psychedelics and other Methods for Mystical Experiences 01:27:39 Reconciling Spiritual Experiences after Mormonism 01:32:23 Western Europe's Shift towards Religion 01:44:39 Giordano Bruno 01:46:46 John Dee 01:49:10 John Dee's Shew-Stone and Edward Kelly 01:54:00 Similarities Between John Dee and Joseph Smith 02:03:44 Integrating Truths and the Evolution of Religion 02:09:27 The Challenge of Reconciling Religion Without Dichotomies 02:11:11 The Battle Between Religion and Spirituality

Glenn Ostlund of Infants on Thrones joins us for a wide-ranging discussion. We cover psychology, attachment theory, complex trauma, neuroscience, and how understanding our brain helps us heal. Glenn has a long history in podcasting and overlaps with many of the topics we feature on Mormons, Mystics, and Muons. He also shares our perspective of claiming the positive truths in Mormonism while growing from the flaws. Links Therapist Uncensored Podcast - The Amygdala Unpacked with Dr. Joseph LeDoux (174): https://therapistuncensored.com/episodes/amygdala-joseph-e-ledoux-174/ Discussing how protein synthesis is not only part of memory consolidation or formation, but is also involved in memory retrieval and then being put back away, or memory reconsolidation. Discussion of the experiment with the rats starts at 20:00. Therapist Uncensored Podcast - The Neurobiology of Threat Impacts Your Relationships, Ann and Sue Update You on the Latest (173): https://therapistuncensored.com/episodes/neurobiology-impacts-relationships-173/ Therapist Uncensored Podcast - The Life-Changing Science of Memory Reconsolidation with Guests Bruce Ecker & Tori Olds: https://therapistuncensored.com/episodes/tu112-the-life-changing-science-of-memory-reconsolidation-with-guests-bruce-ecker-tori-olds/ Big Think - Is the universe controlled by gigantic structures?: https://bigthink.com/hard-science/large-scale-structures/ Tripping Through Time: How Psychedelic Drugs Reopen the Brain’s Learning Window: https://scitechdaily.com/tripping-through-time-how-psychedelic-drugs-reopen-the-brains-learning-window/ This article references the study showing the time windows of neuroplasticity that psychedelics reopen, and talk about how those are sort of super-learning periods, with growth dependent on what happens during those windows. Attachment Disturbances in Adults by Daniel Brown and David Elliott: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016APOD0G I can't recommend this enough. It is a thick book at 700 some pages, and written for clinicians. My favorite part of the book was transcripts they included of a patient who the therapist was able to reintegrate all her dissociative alter egos into one cohesive ego, which became a model for my view of the "purpose of life," essentially that cosmic parts work I talked about. Mindset - The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0345472322 Infants on Thrones: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Z6HKLDRPEeW7QM9n5WjLS Glenn Ostlund: https://dowofhealing.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 to Mormons, Mystics, and Muons Podcast 04:37 Introduction to Infants on Thrones Podcast 04:52 Infants on Thrones Podcast 07:01 Attachment Theory 17:28 Childhood Experiences 25:01 Finding Order in the Chaos of your Past 27:34 Coherence Therapy and Memory Consolidation 35:41 The Malleability of the Brain and Growth Mindset 41:33 Therapy and Medications 46:13 Psychedelics and Windows of Neuroplasticity 48:33 Mirror Neurons 56:28 Idealism and the Nature of Reality 01:03:15 The Consciousness of Neurons 01:06:59 Rupert Spira and Awareness 01:08:09 Are we Living in "Horton Hears a Who"? 01:10:46 The Creation of the Earth 01:13:45 Schrodinger Equation Applies to Space 01:15:44 Are Humans just the Neurons of AI? 01:17:23 Channeling and Automatic Writing 01:29:47 Brain Science 01:40:02 Mormonism 01:41:38 Finding Meaning in Polarity 01:47:50 Humans as the Neurons of the Planet 01:52:05 Recognizing and Changing Unconscious Programming 01:54:02 Finding Meaning Through the Oneness of Idealism 01:59:28 The Maturation of Solar Systems 02:02:00 Mormonism and the End Times 02:04:41 Channeling

On this episode we talk about Yuval Noah Harari's popular book Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. This book has become somewhat of a guide for many seeking meaning in an agnostic or atheist framework. We discuss its focus on the myths that unite us as well as society's trend towards unity. We also discuss its shortcomings, which include a lack of discussion of materialism and idealism, philosophy, consciousness, psychedelics, mystical experiences, and quantum physics. Can you accurately tell such a comprehensive history while leaving out these topics? After all, each of these topics have profound implications on reality, the stage on which humankind is playing out. Links: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Herari - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ICN066A 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 02:58 The Meaning Crisis after Leaving Mormonism 05:37 The Importance of Myth 15:33 Defining Knowledge and Understanding Frameworks 17:26 Monism 19:38 Different Ways of Describing Reality 21:20 Subjects Sapiens Fails to Address 24:36 History as an Interpretation 28:14 Utility of Different Frameworks 33:55 Anthropocentrism 35:56 Mystical Experiences 38:58 Oneness 42:25 Homo Sapiens as a Collective Consciousness 44:01 Interdependence 47:58 Objective, Subjective, and Intersubjective Realities 53:57 DNA, Culture, and Language 58:22 Progress Towards Unity 59:46 AI as a Force for Unity 01:02:47 Recognizing Interconnectedness 01:04:45 Foundations for Morality Beyond Religion 01:08:07 Morality and Idealism 01:10:54 Nature of Reality 01:13:31 Science's Blind Spot 01:15:32 Happiness and the Hedonic Treadmill 01:23:14 Happiness and Non-attachment 01:26:04 DNA vs Culture 01:27:59 The Challenge of Defining Consciousness 01:29:38 Psychedelics 01:30:10 Closing Thoughts