Hmmm I watched Graham Hancok's Ted talk, and only recently I have quoted him--where he talks about how if we do not have freedom of our own consciousness then we are truly fucked. I also like how he questions the mental illness myth, and how he speaks out against the insane ecocide. However, I did not gell with his implication that if you are 'bad' you go to hell after death. That to me is too reminiscent of Christianity, and that toxic myth has caused SO much destruction with its fear of hell trip. Now, understand that I am not questioning his experience of 'hell' or his hellish experience, or more modernly, bummer. I also have had fair share of that on trips, and also in dreams. But to go from there to contribute to the afterlife hell motif is not fruitful in my opinion.
I am more attracted to Goddess mythology, and I think it is very important to at least understand this mythos because doing so you find just how the patriarchy in is many guises has tried to suppress it----This suppression exposes a deep fear of Goddess mythology!
In the Goddess mythos then there is no punishing hell, and it is more a regenerative Womb. So the theme is that we all of us are born into this world of nature via mum's womb, and when we die we die into her womb from which we regenerate as new awarenesses. And THIS cycle is sacred, THIS is eternal, not some 'immortality' promised both by patriarchal religious beliefs and also secular belief eg 'transhumanism'. So what the patriarchal belief systems do is de-grade nature and our bodies and natures. The religious traditions claim nature is fallen, or illusion, and we are full of sin, and suffering karma etc, and they all place the 'sacred' in the future IF you do what they say and con-form. So I distrust all of that.
I think we should always be asking questions. For example Hancock may seem this well-learned guy etc etc, but if you dont feel right about his explanation--it dont fit right with you--then ask questions, and it is questioning which is the living flowing process--get me?
You talk about 'meditation' and this may be good for you. I dont personally like just sitting eyes closed and 'going inward'. I am an eyesopen kinda dude lol.
My idea of meditation is being aware of your questioning as you explore life. Being aware of how you feel about things. I am distrustful of the Eastern concept of 'going beyond thought'. I see that as cutting off a valuable part of our natural questioning ability.
it is interesting you reminding me how the Mayans didn't have telescopes! Just remind me though --they didn't on-up Galileo though about Earth moving round sun...?
Today I was wondering what it would be like to take psychedelics and look through a telescope and/or microscope. How do you think you would feel?
The latter experiment COULD seriously freak you out LOL