In 2016 Max Freakout invited me to join him to discuss contemporary approaches to psychedelics and to critique them in light of our understanding of the Egodeath Theory and the concepts of loose cognition, eternalism, self-control cybernetics, and metaphor.

Transcendent Knowledge Podcast, Ep. 28

In this episode, Max and Cyber explain the core, phase 1 part of the ego death theory. Topics covered include: Mental modelling The egoic and transcendent mental worldmodels States of consciousness, ordinary and altered Stages of psychospiritual development Tight and loose cognitive association binding, dissociation Mental representations and their referents Metaperception, explicit representationalism Conceptions of…

Transcendent Knowledge Podcast Ep. 27

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkmpbFAAJXI   The Mystic Episode: In this episode, Max Freakout addresses various issues that came up after the last podcast with Cyberdisciple and Jimmy. Topics covered include: The meaning of the word ‘mystic’ Precise definition of mystical transformation Setting the bar for attaining mystichood How special are mystics? Idealisation of mystics The relevance of mystics…

Transcendent Knowledge Podcast, Ep. 26

Transcendent Knowledge Podcast, Ep. 26 From description: This episode is a trialogue between Max Freakout, Cyberdisciple and Jimmy. Topics discussed include: The distinction between determinism and eternalism The role of eternalism in the egodeath theory Ramesh Balsekar’s deterministic thinking Mystics and shamans as a special class of tripper The difference between mystic trippers vs ordinary…

Transcendent Knowledge Podcast Ep. 25

Transcendent Knowledge Podcast Ep. 25: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCqCGpOwDYA In this episode, Max Freakout introduces Troy for a conversation about the ego death theory. Topics covered include: Troy’s history with the ego death theory The difficulty of explaining the theory to other people Common mischaracterisations of the theory Ideas for packaging the theory to promote easier understanding Summarising…

Transcendent Knowledge Podcast, Epp. 23-24

Ep. 23: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbhV4Kvfavk In this episode, Cyberdisciple introduces the theme of ‘prohibition-culture’ and how it relates to pop-psychedelia and James Kent-style scepticism. Topics covered include: Characterisation of drug prohibition as an ego-preserving strategy Safety-oriented culture Microdosing as a non-coercive ego-preserving strategy, to avoid intense experience Prohibition and international politics History of prohibition Anti-drugs propaganda Changing…

Dose Nation ‘Final 10’, Ep. 8, 9, 10

I don’t have any notes to post about Dose Nation’s ‘Final 10’, Ep. 8. Max and I discussed it in Transcendent Knowledge Podcast, Ep. 22. I don’t have any notes because after listening to the previous seven episodes, I decided that James Kent is one of the last people I want to hear discuss the…

Notes on Dose Nation Final 10, Ep. 6

As part of wrapping up the project of analyzing Dose Nation’s ‘Final 10’ podcast series, I post here my notes written while listening to Episode 6. These notes served as the basis for my part in the discussion with Max about this episode in Transcendent Knowledge Podcast Ep. 20. Episode covers healing, medicine, ayahuasca ceremonies.…

Notes on Dose Nation ‘Final 10’ Ep. 5

As part of wrapping up the project of analyzing Dose Nation’s ‘Final 10’ podcast series, I post here my notes written while listening to Episode 5. These notes served as the basis for my part in the discussion with Max about this episode in Transcendent Knowledge Podcast Ep. 19. Kent says that when he was…

Notes on Dose Nation ‘Final 10’ Ep. 4

As part of wrapping up the project of analyzing Dose Nation’s ‘Final 10’ podcast series, I post here my notes written while listening to Episode 4. These notes served as the basis for my part in the discussion with Max about this episode in Transcendent Knowledge Podcast Ep. 19. Blue Oyster Cult, Veteran of the…

Notes on Dose Nation ‘Final 10’ Ep. 3

As part of wrapping up the project of analyzing Dose Nation’s ‘Final 10’ podcast series, I post here my notes written while listening to Episode 3. These notes served as the basis for my part in the discussion with Max about this episode in Transcendent Knowledge Podcast Ep. 18. Tomorrow Never Knows Against Kent, this…

Notes on Dose Nation ‘Final 10’, Ep. 2

As part of wrapping up the project of analyzing Dose Nation’s ‘Final 10’ podcast series, I post here my notes written while listening to Episode 2. These notes served as the basis for my part in the discussion with Max about this episode in Transcendent Knowledge Podcast Ep. 17. Kent is leaving psychedelic “community” and…

Notes on Dose Nation ‘Final 10’, Ep. 1

As part of wrapping up the project of analyzing Dose Nation’s ‘Final 10’ podcast series, I post here my notes written while listening to Episode 1. These notes served as the basis for my part in the discussion with Max about this episode in Transcendent Knowledge Podcast Ep. 17. For Dose Nation, Kent envisioned earning…

Transcendent Knowledge Podcast, Ep. 22: James Kent’s ‘Final 10’ at Dose Nation, pt. 6

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on6EFVLF-58   In this episode Max Freakout and Cyberdisciple conclude their discussion about psychedelic journalist James Kent, in particular the recent ‘Final 10’ DoseNation podcast series. Topics covered include: Western tradition of psychedelic drug use Mushrooms and religion Mushrooms as religious sacrament Minimal, moderate and maximal theories of psychedelic religion John Allegro and the cult…

Transcendent Knowledge Podcast, ep. 21: James Kent’s ‘Final 10’ at Dose Nation, pt. 5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN07w2bjEMg   In this episode Max Freakout and Cyberdisciple continue their discussion about psychedelic journalist James Kent, in particular the recent ‘Final 10’ DoseNation podcast series. Topics covered include: Incompatibility between modern culture and psychedelic tripping Insincerity of prohibitionism The rhetoric of psychedelic legitimisation Psychedelic saviour syndrome Benefits of psychedelic tripping Egoic and transcendent senses…

Transcendent Knowledge Podcast, Ep. 20: James Kent’s ‘Final 10’ at Dose Nation, pt. 4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GhK9T5D6zo   In this episode Max Freakout and Cyberdisciple continue their discussion about psychedelic journalist James Kent, in particular the recent ‘Final 10’ DoseNation podcast series. Topics covered include: South American ayahuasca shamanism Shamans, gurus and the master-student relationship The role of the shaman in a psychedelic ceremony Mis-placed focus in the psychedelic shamanism scene…

Transcendent Knowledge Podcast, Ep. 19: James Kent’s ‘Final 10’ at Dose Nation, pt. 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oi2CgloxMVc   In this episode Max Freakout and Cyberdisciple continue their discussion about psychedelic journalist James Kent, in particular the recent ‘Final 10’ DoseNation podcast series. Topics covered include: Kent’s aversion to ‘serious’ use of psychedelics Kent’s denial of a connection between psychedelics and religion / religious experience Pop psychedelic avoidance of control loss Cybernetic…

Transcendent Knowledge Podcast, Ep. 18: James Kent’s ‘Final 10’ at Dose Nation, pt. 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TTyDVnc7z0   In this episode Max Freakout and Cyberdisciple continue their discussion about psychedelic journalist James Kent, in particular the recent ‘Final 10’ DoseNation podcast series. Topics covered include: Tim Leary’s allegorical interpretation of the Tibetan book of the dead Kent’s contradictory attitude towards psychotic bad trips Albert Hofmann’s discovery of LSD and subsequent research…

Transcendent Knowledge Podcast, Ep. 17: James Kent, ‘Final 10’ at Dose Nation, pt. 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynrZL7eBZrI   In this episode Max Freakout and Cyberdisciple talk about psychedelic journalist James Kent, in particular the recent ‘Final 10’ DoseNation podcast series. Topics covered include: Kent’s critique of popular psychedelic discourse, especially the strategy of psychedelic drug-legitimization. Kent’s dismissive attitude towards the idea of psychedelic religion. Kent’s uncritical use of ‘unpleasant = unmystical’…

Transcendent Knowledge Podcast, Ep. 16

[Archive post so that Podcast page with automatic link importing will show all episodes. Apparently I never made a separate post for this episode when first released.] In this episode, Max Freakout and Jimmy (Kafei) discuss the following topics: Different attitudes towards the historicity of Jesus Christ The Ground of Being (or Philosophical Absolute) The…

Transcendent Knowledge Podcast, Ep. 15

[Archive post to include in Podcat page with automatic link importing] In this episode Max Freakout and Cyberdisciple talk about basic techniques in mushroom cultivation, topics covered include: Creating fungus cakes with rice flour and vermiculite Acquiring Psilocybe Cubensis mushroom spores The importance of cleanliness and sterility, aseptic technique Transference and Incubation How to deal…

Episode 10, Transcendent Knowledge Podcast: Plato

Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIVL6LyX_NE This episode introduces the topic of altered state cybernetic/deterministic interpretation of Plato and Platonist philosophy. Topics covered include: – The relation between Platonism and Christianity – Plato as foundational figure behind academic philosophy – The Platonist theme of unity transcending multiplicity appearing in Judeo-Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. – The enhanced degree of rationality…

Episode 9, Transcendent Knowledge Podcast

Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTPM_CQd6RE&t=6s A follow-up episode on Terence Mckenna. Topics include: The pathway from Mckennaism towards metaphorical psychedelic eternalism Reconciling Terence Mckenna’s ideas with the ego death theory Terence’s understanding of esoteric religion Terence’s tepid defence of free will Different motives for defending free will and determinism Undesirability of the no free will position David Hilman’s…

Episode 8, Transcendent Knowledge Podcast

Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaYPWHBmS1g&feature=youtu.be Comparison between Terence Mckenna and Tim Leary Tension between metaphorical and literal interpretation of Mckenna’s ideas Mckenna’s ‘Stoned Ape’ theory of human evolution Brian Aker’s Lamarckist criticism of stoned ape theory Differing views of Mckenna’s motivations Mckenna’s criticism of scientism Mckenna’s emphasis on natural drugs and dismissal of LSD Mckenna’s feminist ideals Mckenna’s…

Episode 7, Transcendent Knowledge Podcast

Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bP3XePnphL4 Cutting edge conversation between Max Freakout and Cyber Disciple. In this episode Max and Cyb plan subjects for future podcast episodes. Topics covered include: The various modern approaches towards psychedelia Esotericism and exotericism The similarity between plant-spirit shamanism (such as Santo Daime) and esoteric Christianity Entheogenic and placebo eucharist The link between exotericism…

Episode 6: Transcendent Knowledge Podcast

Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLUQEVmMmKQ Cutting edge conversation between Max Freakout and Cyber Disciple. This episode is part two of a two-part analysis of neuroscience and its metaphysical basis. In this episode Max and Cyb talk about the philosophical issue of mind/matter substance dualism. Topics covered include: Dosage levels in Carhart-Harris’ psychedelic neuroscience study Benny Shanon’s research into…

Episode 2: Transcendent Knowledge Podcast

here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyrqfBbc8Mc&feature=youtu.be Complementing the first podcast, in this second one Max and I discuss his history with the Egodeath Theory. Covers youthful exploration of psychoactive drugs, drug-induced control loss, developing interest in philosophy and theorizing, Psychonautica podcast and interview with Michael Hoffman, posting in online forums, relationship to pop psychedelia, obstructions to mainstream academic career…