In the infinite words of Albert Einstein, “Reality is merely an illusion, although a very persistent one”.

Steve’s philosophy reminds me of a dog chasing its tail. In it he recommends using it as a method for personal attainment. If nothing is real and all in the mind, why waste your time?

Yet that is what Steve does when he advocates using it to obtain wealth and happinness, both highly egoic pursuits that are abandoned after realization. He does that quite a bit in his pages. On one hand he will say that money is not a prerequisite for happiness. then on another page he will describe in detail how he uses his mind to “manifest it”.

Steve’s “feeling of total oneness with everything… not just a feeling, but a deep sense of knowing” is belied by HIS happiness with his newly found sense of wealth. Isn’t that something of a dualistic perspective?

He also says “Perhaps the most crucial change of the subjective mindset was that I developed much better conscious control over my thoughts. That became critical because if reality is created by thought, then I can’t allow myself the luxury of a negative thought, lest I create more of what I don’t want… The ability to control your thoughts is very beneficial for psychic development.”

If thoughts are known to be entirely subjective why attempt to control them? Is not ego in itself is identification of one’s thoughts with reality?

Steve also describes in detail what he describes as he power of intention and manifestation, notions that would have been abandoned in Seve’s supposedly enlightened mind. Intention by definition is a mental desire in the form of a plan. It requires futurity, the notion of a future versus now. Enlightened indviduals live in the moment. The notion of personal volition completely evaporates. You are no longer in control because there is no conventional sense of “you” remaining to exercise the illusion of control.

Steve may have had an epiphany in 2005 but since then his egoic mind has returned to fill in the details.

If you want to know what the enlightened mind is like search the name Adyashanti on Youtube. Listen to the video about “The Nature of Thought”.

As far as Steve’s version goes, that is a sad and misguided imitation.

Your quotation on beating and burning does not mention the fact that the perception of pain is a highly subjective state. An extreme example are those who have undergone amputation while under nothing more than hypnosis.

As far as pure objectivity goes, this would seem to be a meaningless argument used only in this case as a point of contention. Notions of objectivity only come into play when more than one is involved and often when that happens consensus proves nothing. If we agree a banana is yellow it is only from the perspective of a prior comparison. The only objective definition for yellow would be to mention its wavelength. but when does yellow finally become orange?

And isn’t your particular notion of objectivity nothing more than the product of your thoughts? Without them would your argument exist?

Greater men than you or I have been arguing over this since the egoic mind took form. It’s a nonstarter.

But let us consider the real argument, that is whether Steve’s argument against an objective reality holds water. It is in that area that I agree with you. Steve’s argument is unconvincing. You may have said this but i’ll rephrase. Steve’s argument in itself is an attempt to create an objective claim (one we should all agree on) about the non-existence of objectivity is it not?

Catch-22!

To your main pretense…

Your comment “The accuracy of your perceptions can be improved, with time and effort. ” lacks any basis in any credible account of human perception simply because the accuracy of perception is unverifiable. Switch the word accuracy to precision and you’re in business. Yes, our ability to develop concentration is unlimited.

But this too is small potatoes.

You think ego has power? Show me an ego that doesn’t. isn’t that what egos do best?

Somewhere in the text must have been the phrase that I Googled for “the perception of perception”. Do you know what that truly is?

Steve’s comments about consciousness and awareness are old school and commonly accepted. Thought and perception ride on them. That is easily verifiable by anyone. If you are a compulsive thinker and/or look for truth in thought you may not believe it. If so that would go hand in hand with your personal identification with this notion of objectivity since belief is nothing more than identification with a thought (by definition more ego reinforcement) is it not?

But do you know what the perception of perception is? If Steve’s reports are true he does. I will tell you. It is THE DIRECT EXPERIENCE (not merely the thought) that the essence of you is inside of a body that is not you, driving it around. A mere tool. In that perception of reality pain is merely a notification, there is nothing to defend and no position to defend from. When does that perception become blocked? Upon the arrival of the ego.

Wouldn’t you agree that coming from an angle such as yours makes you predictable? Is that a good thing for a martial artist?

Your comments about the benefits of egocentricity seem highly stereotypical. With them you are creating a box are you not? If that comment get’s your blood up as much as Steve’s article seems to then I rest my case.

Actually, I think a more useful model describes that objective order is enforced, so to speak, by different entities, at different times and for various and sundry reasons. (This is not a redefinition of terms, it is a recognition of the existence of context.)

For example, the manager of a bar has the power to issue a “two drink minimum” as an objective truth. There is no appeal, but you don’t like it then you are free to leave.

Other realms of law are not so easy to depart. For example, the strength of the gravitational pull on the surface of the Earth. Sure, you can transcend, evade or escape it–possessing motive, means and opportunity–but that does not constitute the power to repeal it. This is no insignificant detail.

(It is an important topic in martial arts, for reasons I have not written about here, yet, and have not seen covered elsewhere.)

In times like this, I think it can be helpful to remind people that they are NOT in fact a vessel of universal consciousness, as they understand it, because they do not understand it at all. And that being the case, they should not be spreading baseless rumors on the Internet or elsewhere.