Does Analytic Idealism hold joy?
Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2022 2:09 pm
Hi all,
I’d love to hear about your ‘felt experience’ with Idealism as a philosophy. I’ve begun to think it’s lacking ‘something’ emotionally (joy, fun, beauty).
As a short background, I'm a relatively recent arrival to Idealism (and philosophy generally), though I guess my story is common. I consumed Rupert Spira's work and non-dual spirituality for a decade, eventually leading me to BK’s work. Intellectually, I firmly believe consciousness is the ontological primitive. Emotionally, I feel consciousness is the root of all being. In short, I am a believer.
I came to study Idealism in April, following the invasion of Ukraine. That cataclysmic event really threw me off-balance, emotionally and intellectually. Suddenly, spiritual understanding seemed insufficient for peace of mind. The world no longer made sense. I questioned whether spiritual practice was enough. I needed to explore these matters intellectually, so here I am!
Finding Analytic Idealism was tremendously stimulating and captivating. I ‘gobbled it up’. In three months, I’ve read countless essays, several books and watched numerous YouTube videos. Perhaps I’ve bitten off more than I can chew in a short period, but just over the past few days, I’ve started to feel the work is missing ‘something’ in the felt / emotional sense, whether one labels that ‘joy’, ‘fun’, ‘beauty’ or ‘love’, to be truly transformational ‘as it is, in itself’ (to coin a Kastrup-ism). Can Analytic Idealism be transformational, stand alone?
Undoubtedly, there’s acknowledgement within the work that, as we are all rooted in the same being, as one, it holds transformational power for our lives. Somehow though, within this philosophical framework, as far as my limited understanding of it goes, the words feel - ‘hollow’.
Don’t get me wrong, I admire BK’s work immensely. He’s obviously very dedicated, smart and a precise communicator. This is not a personal judgement on BK. However, I guess, I am doubting the potential for Analytic Idealism to become ‘the’ mainstream paradigm. Disclaimer - I’ve read a few posts on this forum indicating BK is no longer active here, otherwise I wouldn't post a critique like this here (particularly as a newcomer).
I suspect I may be too emotionally and intellectually immature to face discovering the inherent confusion and ambiguity underlying the ‘will’ / ‘mind at large’. Perhaps, Jung is the driver of the emotional ambiguity I've derived from studying AI.
Anyhow, to the point - I’d appreciate hearing about others' experiences with this philosophy, from an emotional perspective.
Questions I have include:
I’d greatly appreciate hearing others' ‘felt experience’ with Analytic Idealism or Idealism generally.
Thanks,
Martin Hall
I’d love to hear about your ‘felt experience’ with Idealism as a philosophy. I’ve begun to think it’s lacking ‘something’ emotionally (joy, fun, beauty).
As a short background, I'm a relatively recent arrival to Idealism (and philosophy generally), though I guess my story is common. I consumed Rupert Spira's work and non-dual spirituality for a decade, eventually leading me to BK’s work. Intellectually, I firmly believe consciousness is the ontological primitive. Emotionally, I feel consciousness is the root of all being. In short, I am a believer.
I came to study Idealism in April, following the invasion of Ukraine. That cataclysmic event really threw me off-balance, emotionally and intellectually. Suddenly, spiritual understanding seemed insufficient for peace of mind. The world no longer made sense. I questioned whether spiritual practice was enough. I needed to explore these matters intellectually, so here I am!
Finding Analytic Idealism was tremendously stimulating and captivating. I ‘gobbled it up’. In three months, I’ve read countless essays, several books and watched numerous YouTube videos. Perhaps I’ve bitten off more than I can chew in a short period, but just over the past few days, I’ve started to feel the work is missing ‘something’ in the felt / emotional sense, whether one labels that ‘joy’, ‘fun’, ‘beauty’ or ‘love’, to be truly transformational ‘as it is, in itself’ (to coin a Kastrup-ism). Can Analytic Idealism be transformational, stand alone?
Undoubtedly, there’s acknowledgement within the work that, as we are all rooted in the same being, as one, it holds transformational power for our lives. Somehow though, within this philosophical framework, as far as my limited understanding of it goes, the words feel - ‘hollow’.
Don’t get me wrong, I admire BK’s work immensely. He’s obviously very dedicated, smart and a precise communicator. This is not a personal judgement on BK. However, I guess, I am doubting the potential for Analytic Idealism to become ‘the’ mainstream paradigm. Disclaimer - I’ve read a few posts on this forum indicating BK is no longer active here, otherwise I wouldn't post a critique like this here (particularly as a newcomer).
I suspect I may be too emotionally and intellectually immature to face discovering the inherent confusion and ambiguity underlying the ‘will’ / ‘mind at large’. Perhaps, Jung is the driver of the emotional ambiguity I've derived from studying AI.
Anyhow, to the point - I’d appreciate hearing about others' experiences with this philosophy, from an emotional perspective.
Questions I have include:
- Am I misunderstanding what the role of any philosophy is supposed to be?
- Is it spirituality’s job to take care of the ‘felt’ side of things?
- Have you found emotional well-being by immersing yourself in this philosophy?
- Has this philosophy changed the way you treat others, all living beings and the environment?
- Are other forms of Idealism more oriented towards the emotional realms of experience?
- Is it just me that can’t see much joy, fun or love in Analytic Idealism?
- Do I have unrealistic expectations of this work?
I’d greatly appreciate hearing others' ‘felt experience’ with Analytic Idealism or Idealism generally.
Thanks,
Martin Hall