The Self is an Illusion – Sam Harris

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This guy is just talking nonsense.

If he’s talking about ego dissolution that’s no where near what no-self implies. But it seems this is all he is talking about. Perhaps it’s profound for Sam because of the size of his ego, seeing past that after living it for so long would feel pretty nuts I’d imagine

"… a source of confusion and discomfort that is no longer there" – It's good to hear this to realise what a relief it is to no longer believe in a separate, central self. There is a tendency to take it for granted, because it is actually so ordinary and unspectacular.

What helped me is connecting Sam's point to the central concept of Hofstadter's "I am a Strange Loop". In it, he argues that from pure awareness the self arises by virtue of your consciousness noticing, or self-referencing, the "you" object in the universe. So consciousness is distinct entirely from the mental concept of you, and exists prior to any concept of self. This self-referencing, visualized as a fractal or mirror held up against a mirror, is what produces the mystical experience of what it is to be self-aware and sentient, unlike other creatures.

Sam Harris brilliantly dismantles free will but stops short. Why treat 'consciousness' any differently? Both are nouns that freeze verbs. The real work isn't to find the 'true nature' of consciousness—it's to see that the question itself is a linguistic trap. At Sin Magia, we apply the same scalpel to every psychological noun. Because the only mysteries worth solving are the ones that dissolve when you look closely.

So what Sam is aaying is that you could lose your sense of being self, but it has not really gone anywhere. You are still doing stuff and percieving stuff.

6:50 absolutely absurd, Sam said this as I walked past a cup on a table and was thinking “or a cup on a table..”

“The self is an illusion”, that has to be about the most absurd idea possible. If that’s the case then all our perceptions are illusions, and not real because they are all creations on some level by the brain. Well in case you don’t know I’m here to tell you some things are real. PAIN is real. It’s real enough anyway.

This little prick has an ego the size of Texas and lectures us on how there is no self?

But even when a person takes psychedelic drugs, the brain can only produce images and effects that the brain already has some prior experience of, whether from evolutionary programming or by previous experiences. It was interesting when Sam mentioned an Aztec experience and vivid colours. These are of the world and as such the brain could muddle together to create that mental experience caused by a chemical stimulant that altered the mind state. But, when we dream, the brain is also concocting various images and scenarios that make no sense, yet they do in the dream. So, the "self" is just another illusion or thought created by the brain that links the experiences together. When the brain dies, so does the thought of a "self" and all other thoughts and thoughts in the form of memories, with it. No afterlife, and the "self" wont even know that it no longer exists as there is no self to experience it. quite comforting, really. Although it does lead this brain to wonder what the point of anything is.

As well the self; Ego is an illusion. The Self; Cosmic Consciousness in which we share is not an illusion. If it were we would not be dreams in its Mind which has been named God, a word that is difficult for atheist materialists. If they see their “hard problem of consciousness” or God as hard to comprehend and the name not acceptable to them, then just think of it otherwise but realistically acknowledge that it is fundamental to all the exists, because it is.

Never quite followed him on this particular point

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Interesting, and that is a guy who kinda believes in reencarnation!

Once the consciousness that is witnessing all that is arising recognises it itself has no ontological status the observer and the observed (the dreamer & the dream) dissolves together into non dual Being (oneness). Check out Sri Ramana Maharshi for how this spontaneously happened to him at age 16.

Anything created by the mind is a transient chimera. Illusion is the wrong word for neurological imprints

Why does this guy over analyse life which is well described in anthropology .

Self is an illusion, says the opinionated islamophobic, pro torture blowhard. 😂😂😂🤮🚽💩

He's almost ready to talk to Jordan Peterson on his level.

if the self is an illusion, then it is illusion to who?

Another thing new meditators be careful seek the guidance of a genuine Master. Never let the mind go blank as there are tramp souls roaming the aether looking for a body to inhabit. Always concentrate on a point or a thought in meditation on Love, Compassion, etc. Never let the mind go blank.

Saying the Self seen as an illusion is wrong it should be written with a small ‘s’ the self. The Self capital S is not an illusion it is an illusion as the Self, capital S identified with the body then it reduced to the small self; the body. That is an illusion. It is good that atheists-materialists have their worldview broken down as atheist materialism is very programming and now with communism defeated trans humanism is up next and needs to be defeated also. We need atheist materialists to understand this as we move from a material age with the discovery of finer forces we are making inroads into heaven, which is real not a religious fantasy. As Christ said: “The Kingdom of God is within you” and it is. We need atheist bros on board as we move into Heaven with the discovery of finer forces and have the collective maturity to use them wisely. There are three macro dimensions, not the one elemental one only which atheist materialists believe is fundamental to reality and the evolution of entities to non-existent prototypes. Again the self; the ego a soul identified with a body is not real. The Self the spark of Consciousness, Spirit or God is real. This is a great discussion and it is brave of atheist materialists or agnostics have these discussions. It likely will not happen that Richard Dawkins will ever get to this point.