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This new newsletter format has been inspired by Axios. Let us know what you think!
Smart Brevity
—Axios trademarked a style known as “Smart Brevity.”
—Smart Brevity distills essential information; each newsletter includes no more than five stories, each with a bullet list like this one
—Content is diverse and users select which themes they want, such as World News, Tech News, Finance, etc.
The Banshees of Inisherin
—[Mild Spoiler Alert]
—This Irish movie has been receiving considerable critical acclaim
—Set in 1923 against the backdrop of the Irish Civil War, the script is complex and layered, filled with irony and symbolism. For example, one character claims to want to leave a legacy through his music but cuts off all the fingers of one hand so he can no longer play the violin; his self-mutilation embodies the cliche of cutting off our hand to spite our foot
—Wielding the tools of dark comedy, it manages to be intense and light at the same time. In spite of their idiocy, the characters’ purity of heart remains evident in small acts of kindness
—The film clearly warns us against perpetuating the cycle of violence that characterizes the human experience, while showing that doing so may in fact be impossible. The most intelligent character flees the titular island.
Alan Wallace, Buddhist warrior
—YouTube AI suggestions offered me a discussion between him and Sean Carroll that took place several years ago. However, the conversation led me to Wallace’s project: the Center for Contemplative Research
—The CCR is described as “a global network of groundbreaking research observatories that provide the ideal environments for dedicated contemplatives to explore the nature and potentials of consciousness firsthand, while fully engaging with scientists to develop rigorous measures for novel research into the nature of the mind.”
—While set up to resemble retreat centers, the CCR facilities are designed to gather empirical data for use in the advancement of consciousness research.
—Few other organizations capture the Lucid Humanity moonshot so explicitly!
Reworlding Fellowship
—This week, we feature the Reworlding Fellowship, with its deployment of psychedelics for global systems changes
—The fellowship represents a partnership between Brave Earth, Viriditas/PsyVal, and Imperial College of London’s Centre for Psychedelic Research
—The program is an 8-month immersive, mostly online with a brief in-person component at Brave Earth in Costa Rica.
—The fellowship is geared towards policymakers and leaders, but the application is open to all.
Michael Levin
—Given my recent obsession with the work of Michael Levin, I was grateful but also surprised to see that he will be speaking at the TSC 2023. His work is not directly related to consciousness
—Levin’s work does interface with consciousness, albeit indirectly, via his work on bioelectricity and morphogenesis. He will be speaking in a panel on E-M and Resonance Theories
—Are you familiar with Levin’s work? If so, what would you ask him during the Q&A? Write us and let us know.
That’s a wrap for this Wednesday, January 18, 2023.
Stay lucid, human!
May all beings be safe.
May all beings be at peace.
May all beings be healthy and happy and have the causes of health and happiness.
May all beings be free from ignorance and its causes.
May all beings be free from suffering and its causes.