"The pig is taught by sermons and epistles to think the God of Swine has a
snout and bristles." - Ambrose Bierce
"He who knows himself knows God." - St. Anthony
- Existence of God : Leo confirms his claim that God exists, based on his direct experiences, and emphasizes that this should not be taken on faith but should be verified personally.
- Three Worldviews of God : Leo identifies three primary attitudes toward God: fundamentalist theists who unquestioningly believe; atheists who reject God based on empirical evidence; and agnostics who remain unsure about God’s existence. He explains that while there's some truth in each perspective, there's also significant confusion.
- Pre-Trans Fallacy and Cognitive Development : Leo introduces Ken Wilber's concept of the pre-trans fallacy, discussing the pre-rational, rational, and trans-rational stages of human consciousness. He argues that this model helps explain why rational individuals often dismiss spiritual experiences as pre-rational delusions.
- God as an Experience : Emphasizing the personal nature of God, Leo clarifies that God should not be conceived simply as a belief or theoretical construct but as an experience that individuals can directly have.
- Challenges to Empirical Proof of God : Addressing skepticism, Leo acknowledges the unreliability of personal experience in proving God. He posits that experiencing God is deeper than empirical evidence and encourages open-mindedness to transcend rational and pre-rational misunderstandings.
- Controversial Nature of God : Leo describes the topic of God as highly controversial, often leading to persecution or violence against those who teach unconventional perspectives on God, which he aims to do in this lecture.
- Personal Journey from Atheism : Leo shares his transformation from atheism to direct consciousness of God, shifting his earlier rational, atheistic views.
- Communication Difficulties and Misinterpretation : Leo underscores the complexities of discussing God due to the subject's paradoxical, counterintuitive, and threatening nature to conventional belief systems, leading to widespread misinterpretation and resistance.
- Lecture Approach and Intention : Leo sets the stage for his explanation of God, asserting the importance of personal verification and highlighting the depth of the conversation to overcome common pitfalls and misconceptions surrounding God. He intends to provide a comprehensive understanding, rooted in direct experience rather than dogma, in a two-part miniseries addressing fundamental explanations and handling common objections.
- Misinterpretation of Proof and Truth : The objection for tangible evidence of God by rationalists and atheists demonstrates a misunderstanding of proof and truth. They assume proof is straightforward and simple, like finding evidence in a murder investigation, but God is about the origin of existence, making proof a second-order phenomenon that requires the preexistence of truth or being.
- Proof as a Second-Order Phenomenon : Proof is incorrectly assumed to be primary, but it is actually built upon a foundation of truth or being. Leo compares it to constructing a castle out of Lego bricks: the bricks represent truth, and the castle represents proof, emerging from these fundamental bricks.
- Existence Precedes Proof : For proof to occur, a common base of experiences and standards for what qualifies as proof must exist. The rationalist's requirement for evidence of God ignores that existence is required before proof can be established.
- Variability of Proof Standards : Proof relies on community or cultural standards that are taken for granted. Different communities and cultures can have varying standards of proof, and some truths cannot be proven, yet remain true.
- Failure to Account for Different States of Consciousness : The inability to understand God stems from not considering that different states of consciousness exist; rationality, science, and proof function only within specific states of consciousness.
- Necessity of Elevated Consciousness to Understand God : One must raise their state of consciousness significantly beyond the conventional physical state to grasp the concept of God, which is why explaining God to someone at a lower state of consciousness is as futile as a sighted person explaining colors to a blind individual.
- Science and Rationality as Constructs of Consciousness : Science and rationality are possible only within certain states of consciousness, much like how an ant's perception is profoundly more limited than a human's, Leo suggests our understanding of God is equally constrained by the current state of consciousness.
- Ant Analogy for Human Consciousness : Just as an ant's understanding of the world is limited to its immediate surroundings, our current state of consciousness restricts our conceptualization of God and the universe.
- Stages of Cognitive Development : Leo reminds listeners of the three stages of cognitive development (pre-rational, rational, post-rational) and cautions against assuming everyone operates at the same level—an understanding of God requires openness to evolving and admitting the potential for further cognitive growth.
- Misconception of Reality as a Material System : The view of reality as a purely physical system is critiqued; reality is described as a colossal mind producing various sub-realities, including the material universe, and consciousness is not derived from the brain but is the essence of existence.
- Core Impact of the God Concept : The concept of God fundamentally influences people's reality perception, morality, emotional States, actions, life orientation, and has far-reaching practical consequences, contrary to the belief that God is a purely philosophical concern.
- Emotional Reactions and Dogma : Individuals often have strong emotional reactions to the concept of God due to its deep connection with core beliefs and life orientation. This emotional charge can serve as a smokescreen to prevent deep personal inquiry, which could result in confronting uncomfortable worldviews.
- Personal Honesty About Attitudes Toward God : It is crucial for individuals to acknowledge their true attitude towards God—be it positive, negative, or neutral—since this attitude is the primary barrier to understanding God.
- Atheists' Attitude Towards God : Atheists may state they have no attitude toward God because they perceive God as non-existent, but this disbelief is, in fact, their attitude toward God, which they need to explore and be willing to give up to understand God.
- Experience Versus Belief : It's important to distinguish between having an experience of God and holding a belief in God. Even atheists are challenged to verify if they have truly experienced the non-existence of God, rather than merely lacking an experience of God.
- Direct Consciousness of God : People need to discern whether they are currently conscious of God, as reliance on past experiences, memories, or interpretations is not the same as present consciousness of God.
- Misconceptions about God : Common misunderstandings include God as a belief, a superstitious concept, a psychological mechanism against death, a judgemental being with rules to follow, being exclusive to one religion, or being different from oneself.
- Philosophical Introduction of God : In a philosophy context, God is introduced as the supreme being, the first cause, the source of all creation, as well as being infinite, omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, incorporeal, eternal, immortal, benevolent, and perfect.
- Core Definition of God Validated : Leo affirms all facets of the classical Western definition of God—supreme being, first cause, source of creation, infinite, omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent—as correct through his personal consciousness work, not merely derived from literature or philosophical musings.
- God as Radical and All-encompassing State of Consciousness : He elaborates that God is both a radical state of consciousness and simultaneously all states of consciousness, including the present moment. The challenge lies in realizing that our current state is in fact a facet of God.
- The Paradox of Self and Absence in God : Leo confronts the paradox where God is described as both the absence of the individual's limited egoic identity and the 'true self'. True experience of God arises when the conceptual self is stripped away, revealing pure empty consciousness or awareness.
- God Synonymous with Reality, Existence, and Truth : He explains that rationalists, atheists, and scientists may unconsciously adhere to the concept of God, associating it with reality or existence. However, their lack of full consciousness prevents them from recognizing these as inherently divine aspects of God.
- Materialist Misconceptions and Consciousness : Leo critiques the materialistic perspective that reduces consciousness to brain activity within a mechanical universe. He asserts the sole existence of consciousness which contains all reality, including scientific rationality, as its content.
- The Illusion of Interpretations and Projections : He discusses the constant interpretations and projections that obscure direct interaction with pure being. Halting these projections is imperative for realizing God, yet difficult as it's connected to survival instincts.
- The Present Moment as God : He touches on the elusive nature of the 'now' and its importance, stating that the present moment is the only real thing, thereby equating it with God. However, the difficulty arises in the inability to point to God because everything, including the attempt to point, is itself God.
- Understanding God Beyond Categories : Leo speaks on non-duality as the essence of God, where traditional distinctions don't apply, and everything, including oneself, is part of a unified whole.
- The Oneness of Reality and God : God is understood as an indistinct process of self-creation—there's no separation between creator and creation. He invokes the metaphor of a movie, where despite the apparent separateness of elements, it is actually one unified experience.
- Concept of God as a Strange Loop : God is paradoxically self-created, existing eternally, and being both everything and nothing—a notion that's incomprehensible through conventional logic and can only be experienced directly.
- God as Absolute Infinity : Experiencing God involves recognizing the absolute infinity of consciousness and existence. This means grasping that the current moment is infinitely one among an infinite number of possibilities.
- God as Everything and Nothing : Leo describes the paradoxical nature of God, where all objects and thoughts are God, yet at the same time, God is beyond these things. He explains that consciousness, as God, is not located anywhere, which makes it both everything and nothing.
- God as the Answer to Metaphysical Questions : God provides complete and satisfying answers to deep metaphysical and existential questions, but it does not address relative or scientific inquiries which are considered minutiae in comparison.
- Nature of Truth : Truth exists fundamentally and cannot be proven or justified but must be accepted as it is. Leo describes consciousness as this basic element of existence where there's really nothing else underneath.
- God’s Experience Compared to Waking from a Dream : Experiencing God is likened to awakening from a dream, where one realizes that all of life up to the present moment is imagined within consciousness.
- God as a Universal Mind and Imagination : The realization that all perceived physical reality is a figment of imagination within the universal mind of God. The moment of now is an imagination and identical with the mind of God.
- God and the Perception of Death : Encountering God is equated to facing one's own death, which society has misleadingly labeled as the worst experience. Realization of God equates to "dying", leading to awakening as one's idea of physical reality and self dissolves.
- God as Total Surrender and Dissolution of Boundaries : Experiencing God entails absolute surrender, relinquishing all control and effort in life, paralleled by the dissipation of all perceived boundaries, entering a state of non-dual awareness.
- Oneness and Dissolution of Dualities : Experiencing God results in a sensation where all common dualities like life and death, man and woman, good and bad dissolve, merging into one and allowing the realization of oneness with the universe.
- God as a Mindfuck and Epiphany : Encountering God is described as the ultimate mind-blowing experience or epiphany, inducing both awe for its infinite and beautiful nature and terror due to its eclipsing effect on individual ego and identity.
- Exiting the Matrix : The awakening to God is likened to exiting the matrix, revealing that what lies beyond our perceived reality is nothingness—more radical than any simulation, transforming our current understanding of existence.
- Concept of the Cosmic Holographic Fractal : Understanding God leads to the realization that the universe is a cosmic holographic fractal where zooming in or out infinitely reveals no separation between oneself and the rest of existence; each point of consciousness contains the whole.
- God and Universal Mind : Gura explains God in terms of idealism and solipsism, arguing that there is only one sentient entity—universal mind—and that there are no separate beings, only the illusion of separateness.
- God as Absolute Infinity : Emphasizing the singularity of God, where the concept of multiple gods is subsumed into one absolute infinity, delineating that everything imaginable plus more constitutes a singular totality.
- God as Emptiness and Potential : Conveying God as a radiant emptiness filled with infinite potential and possibilities, reversing typical connotations of nothingness to signify completeness and readiness to burst forth infinitely.
- God's Attributes : Encounters with God bring about the realization of its infinite intelligence capable of creating itself and designing the universe; it encompasses infinite beauty, joy, and profound peace—making it synonymous with immortality and eternal presence.
- Life as a Living Miracle : Leo emphasizes that life itself is a miraculous, divine, and magical occurrence. This concept is overlooked due to a pragmatic approach to life, which blinds individuals to the inherent divinity found within the entire universe—a universe that is conscious and sentient, including molecules and the Earth itself, extending far beyond mere biological entities.
- God as Irreducible Mystery : Leo discusses the idea of God as an ultimate mystery. One cannot truly know God in the conventional sense of knowing; one can be God. This aligns with the idea that direct knowing or explaining separates us from God, whereas not knowing brings us closer to that divine essence.
- Challenges of Scientific Paradigm : Leo critiques the scientific paradigm for its method of explaining existence through connecting content within the universe, rather than recognizing its totality. He points out the limitations of science, which inevitably leads to unanswered questions about existence at the fundamental level, such as the origins of the Big Bang.
- God as Life-Transforming : Leo describes the epiphany of God as the most profound and transformative moment in one's life, altering one's perspective permanently and completely.
- Confusion About God : The understanding of God is complicated by the fact that it represents a level of consciousness most people haven't accessed, it's inherently formless, and it exists beyond mental comprehension. This understanding requires a radical mind-shift and stands in stark contrast to conventional approaches to reality.
- Existential Investigation : Leo stresses the lack of genuine existential investigation in both the religious and atheistic communities. He challenges whether individuals genuinely understand the foundations of their beliefs or the scientific methodology they rely on without having spent hours contemplating or meditating on these questions.
- God's Conflict with Ego and Survival : The concept of God poses a threat to ego, control, and survival, with most people focused on their material existence and not on existential exploration. Understanding God requires the surrendering of one's ego and control, which contradicts ordinary pursuits of survival.
- Cultural and Educational Limitations : He points out how our materialistic culture, society, media, and education system severely limit our understanding of God. The modern era is still in its infancy regarding spiritual evolution, and significant growth is required to move beyond a materialistic worldview.
- Emphasis on Radical Open-mindedness : Understanding God requires radical open-mindedness, and many are not prepared to entertain the notion that reality as they know it may not be as concrete as they assume. Broadening one's perspective to consider possibilities beyond ordinary experiences is essential.
- Barriers to God Realization : Leo identifies numerous barriers to realizing God, including societal materialism, cultural norms, and a generally dismissive attitude towards metaphysics and epistemology. He calls for significant cultural and educational shifts to foster a deeper understanding of these critical facets of human existence.
- Technological Advancements vs Cognitive Development : Leo outlines how technological progress has outpaced cognitive, social, and political development, leading to existential problems. This imbalance highlights the complexities of understanding God in a technologically advanced society.
- Confusion Due to Foundations of Science : He states that misconceptions about the foundations of science contribute to the confusion surrounding the concept of God. The perception that God's existence seems impossible or impractical is tied to narrow ego-centric views that limit the understanding of larger universal agendas.
- Subjectivity and Relativity of Reality : Leo discusses the challenge of grasping the subjective and relative nature of reality, stating that both pre-rational and many rational individuals struggle with this concept. He suggests that atoms and molecules, as constructs of the mind, are relative and don't exist in the same way for other creatures.
- Problems with Skepticism : Leo criticizes certain uses of skepticism, where individuals demand overwhelming evidence without engaging in personal exploration of truth. True skepticism involves questioning one's own assumptions and actively seeking higher states of consciousness beyond skepticism.
- Revelation of Illusion : The realization of God is said to reveal every aspect of life as an illusion, including society, culture, government, language, and personal identity, which is a challenging idea for many to accept.
- Threat to Power Hierarchies : Understanding God is described as threatening to established power hierarchies, which are built on illusions and false justifications. Leo suggests that these structures resist change and are not receptive to the truths that come with knowing God.
- Communication Challenges Post-Realization : Leo reflects on the difficulty of communicating the realization of God to others who haven't had the same experience, resulting in a catch-22 situation where meaningful dialogue is not possible.
- Various Names and Phrases for God : He presents a comprehensive list of names and phrases for God from different religious and philosophical traditions, illustrating the diversity of ways in which people refer to and experience the divine.
- Techniques to Experience God : A variety of techniques including metaphysical questioning, deconstruction, meditation, concentration, visualization, yoga, psychedelics, suffering and deprivation, meditation and solo retreats, and dark room retreats are listed as methods to experience God.
- Ways Not to Experience God : Leo clarifies that God cannot be experienced through the mind, beliefs, thinking, rational inquiry, traditional philosophy, scientific modeling, or proof, emphasizing the need for subjective direct experience.
- God Experience and the Limitation of Academic Study : Traditional academic methods, such as the study of sacred texts or attendance at church services, are limited in their ability to provide a direct experience of God. While reading scriptures can occasionally trigger epiphanies, they should not be the sole approach to understanding God due to their reliance on language and concepts.
- Role of Prayer in Experiencing God : Although traditional prayers focused on personal goals are unlikely to lead to an experience of God, meditative prayer that resembles concentration practices can legitimately lead to such experiences.
- Pitfalls of Rituals, Ceremonies, and Digital Media : Engaging in rituals, attending ceremonies, and consuming books, lectures, podcasts, or online forums can support one's spiritual journey but are insufficient for attaining the necessary states of consciousness to experience God. These activities often become distractions from more effective practices.
- Experiencing God Through Samadhi : Direct experience of God is possible through the state of Samadhi, which transcends knowledge, belief, concepts, language, and the mind. Samadhi is a non-dual form of perception that collapses the subject-object duality and goes beyond traditional knowledge or perception.
- Limitations of Perception in Understanding God : Conventional perception, grounded in a materialist metaphysics, cannot directly access God because it relies on an indirect process involving the perceiver, light, and the brain. Overcoming these limitations requires accessing something beyond experience, perception, and knowledge.
- Psychedelics as a Gateway to Spiritual Truths : Psychedelics offer a quick glimpse into advanced spiritual truths and can serve as an entry point for those new to spirituality, but they should not be used as the sole technique. Psychedelics, when combined with existential inquiry, can provide scientific verification of the mystical experience.
- Importance of Personal Investigation and Experience : To truly understand the concepts discussed in the lecture, individuals must engage in their own research and spiritual practices, seeking validation through firsthand experience rather than relying on secondhand accounts or dogma.
- Actualized.org as a Resource : The Actualized.org website is presented as a resource that is based on extensive research, including books, courses, and retreats from various traditions. Leo encourages viewers to approach the material critically and avoid self-deception, emphasizing the depth of research that grounds the site's content.