Plus the opposite of wealth  â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â¡ï¸ Enlightening Bolts Gems of The Weird and Wonderful From Around The Web â½ï¸ Ted Lasso: I might be late to the party here but this Apple TV+ show perfectly threads the needle between heartwarming and hilarious. In a world where most comedy errs towards the cynical, it's a deeply refreshing series riddled with life lessons and examples of kindness in action. [Watch it here.]()â ð Immersive Sound Through Oda: This is a project I've had my eyes on for a while because it takes our world of "all the music any time we want" and turns it on its head by offering exclusive live performances available only on their handcrafted sound system. As described on their website: "Oda invites you to experience wonder and connection through sound. Each season youâll hear continuous soundscapes broadcast live that transport you to distant cities and remote landscapes around the globe." [Learn more here.](â ð Could Multiple Personality Disorder Explain Life, the Universe and Everything? This article explores how psychological dissociation could hold an important key for answering the hard problem of consciousness. Dive into the piece to understand the differences between physicalism, panpsychism, and idealism and why we all might be the dissociated "alters" of a universal consciousness. [Read it here.](=)â Did someone forward you this email? Get this newsletter every week when you [sign up here.](â ð Image of The Week [Tree Art] â What you see here is a Wisteria. Despite its tree-like appearance, it's actually a plant made up of flowering vines. Due to its age, the entire structure is held up on steel beams, allowing visitors to walk beneath its enchanting canopy and bask in its wondrous blossoms. ð¬ Let's Take A Breath This is where I typically offer some words of wisdom but today I want to point the focus back towards you and invite you to turn inwards to the wisdom within. Let's take some breaths together using the box breathing technique. This will allow you to lower stress and calm your mind. Take 5-10 deep breaths and you'll come away from this email feeling just a bit more relaxed and peaceful. â
ð§ââï¸The Ultimate Act of Faith Neuroscience research consultant and mindfulness teacher Shinzen Young dives into what binds us in this beautiful passage on the interplay of expansion and contraction: âThe same cosmic forces that mold galaxies, stars, and atoms also mold each moment of self and world. The inner self and the outer scene are born in the cleft between expansion and contraction. By giving yourself to those forces, you become those forces, and through that, you experience a kind of immortalityâyou live in the breath and pulse of every animal, in the polarization of electrons and protons, in the interplay of the thermal expansion and self-gravity that molds stars, in the interplay of dark matter that holds galaxies together and dark energy that stretches space apart. Donât be afraid to let expansion and contraction tear you apart, scattering you in many directions while ripping away the solid ground beneath you. Behind that seeming disorder is an ordering principle so primordial that it can never be disordered: father-God effortlessly expands while mother-God effortlessly contracts. The ultimate act of faith is to give yourself back to those forces, give yourself back to the Source of the world, and through that, become the kind of person who can optimally contribute to the Mending of the world.â ð¤ Learn This Word Illth: Coined by John Ruskin, illth is the reverse of wealth in the sense of ill being the opposite of well. It's meant to shine light on how financial systems can damage the wellbeing of individuals, communities, and environments even if they look prosperous on paper. â³ From The Archives A hand-picked classic HighExistence article. â[The Alchemy of Nihilism: Transmuting Meaning from the Void](=)â The ancient alchemists of old pursued a vision of turning coal into gold. The transmutation of physical matter from one manifestation to another, through a proto-typical chemistry-like approach. Though we still eagerly await the arrival of coal-originated gold, the theory and practice of transmutation has another promising, and much more tangible application â nihilism. Nihilism, the overwhelming sense of subjective/objective existential meaninglessness in life is plaguing modern societies today. As the rise of the scientific worldview took hold, and the death of God came to pass as Frederich Nietzsche would say, we found ourselves with a galaxy-sized void to fill. Though science has much to offer us, it has faltered to engineer a suitable overarching structure of meaning and fulfillment that can carry the collective burden of societyâs dreams. Though what many fail to realize is that Nihilism, as it is known now, is not the end-point, is it not the final destination of a society doomed to emptiness. Nihilism is but a stepping stone on the path, a marker on the trail of meaning guiding us forward, letting us know that if we continue on our path, beauty is just up ahead. â[Continue Reading](=)â ð¬ Endnote We hope you enjoyed this issue of Down The Rabbit Hole. Feel free to reply and tell us what you think. Want to help us spread the word? We love sharing these gems of wisdom and wonder with you each week. If you love receiving them and want to help us spread the word, here is one quick way you can do that: Forward this email to one friend. That's it. It will take 5 seconds and will help us spread the good vibes and reach more people. We appreciate you. With Wonder, Mike Slavin & The HighExistence Team P.S. Did a friend forward you this email? Read previous issues and sign-up to receive future issues here: [(â â â â â â â[Unsubscribe]( | [Update your profile]( | 40 E. Main St. #1137, Newark, DE 19711 [Built with ConvertKit](=)