July 5, 2020
IE131 Charles Eisenstein: Debunking Conspiracies: Navigating Myths & Truths in an Era of Unprecedented Conspiracy
Inspired Evolution with Amrit Sandhu 🙏🏻About this episode
Our guest for this week is Charles Eisenstein, American public speaker and author. Charles' book "Sacred Economics: Money, Gift and Society in the Age of Transition Paperback" can be found HERE . About Charles Eisenstein Charles Eisenstein is an amazing public speaker and author of an essay called “The Conspiracy Myth”. His works cover a wide range of topics from human history and spirituality, to anti-consumerism and interdependence. He is also known for the books, The More Beautiful World our Hearts Know is Possible, Sacred Economics, and The Ascent of Humanity. Connect with Charles Eisenstein Website: https://charleseisenstein.org/ Tune In: What is a conspiracy myth? 26:02 The attention received by “The Conspiracy Myth” essay became the beacon towards the realization of being a right-wing conspiracy theorist. But beyond that, conspiracy myth is actually a part of the phenomenon of downgrading and dehumanizing other people. A lot of the data points that the conspiracy theorists draw from are totally valid. Conspiracy myth is a perception of a vast conspiracy that pulls all of the strings and controls all of the puppets on the theory of how the world works. There’s a larger reality that we're not fully aware of and that is hidden from us. “Myths whether or not they are literally true, they carry truth. They’re different from a fantasy or delusion. But a myth is a vehicle for truth.” Science, Religion and Biases 33:41 Rituals are the foundational myths of our civilization. There is something outside ourselves that we can prove and gain certainty and control. Religion is a vehicle of a sacred principle embodied by science. The fundamental core of Science is “I do not know so I shall ask”. That’s the sacred essence of science’s humility enacted by scientists at their best and at their worst. When science and religion is institutionalized, they lose touch with their sacred essence and serve the opposite. A lot of the abuses and dysfunction of science today is an expression of arrogance. “Science is “I do not know so I shall ask.” Leading into the conspiracy and pulling these strings 37:43 Order can emerge spontaneously out of chaos. Beauty and intelligence could be a property of the universe because the world itself is alive and conscious. We’re programmed that we have all the answers to know what’s real and what isn’t. When that is violated, we go to a phase of bewilderment. This is to open up and appreciate multiple paradoxical viewpoints. The willingness to entertain paradox is a profound path of self development. “The ability to hold paradoxes is necessary to uncover the deeper reality that resolves the paradox.” Conspiratorial Rabbit-Holes 44:55, 56:05, 01:05:50 Diving down to those conspiratorial rabbit holes is very much like an addiction and there’s some kind of elitism that is leading into events. Our society is built on the manipulation of symbols. The more you investigate any conspiracy theory, the more truer it becomes. That’s the danger when you philosophize everything. However, it’s also not an excuse to not do anything and be an aloof to everything. There’s always something to do that makes sense regardless of the actual accuracy of the theory. Conspiracy theories invite us to look beyond the spectacle. “All of these beliefs correspond to a state of being.” Making stories, intuition and conscious decisions 01:12:56 Our next stage as a species is not to be finally free of stories and belief systems. What is mostly uniquely human about human beings, is that we create stories. These stories create roles for us to occupy. In the near time, stories order things and our creativity. If you haven’t experienced a miracle in your life, that doesn’t mean you are less evolved. We need people to develop the inner strength and the muscle of faith that doesn’t receive much nourishment. “It’s not about total liberation. For me, it’s about what’s next.” Perspective on Inspired Evolution 01:34:53 Inspired Evolution is about witnessing people who are more evolved than you are. It stirs inspiration and awakens a part of the self that is ready for that evolution. It shows the possibilities of what you are about to become. Everybody you meet can offer that to you because everybody in the world has a fully realized Buddha except yourself. “The whole world is set up for your enlightenment. “ Join the Inspired Evolution Community: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InspiredEvolution/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/InspiredEvo/ YouTube: https://bit.ly/inspiredevo Website: https://inspiredevolution.com/ Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/inspiredevolution . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.