Drawing the Line
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A student reflects on how formal practice and structured exercises open up a less ego-bound way of being, and shares a memory of a story about Richard Feynman on psychedelics.
Drawing the Line
A student reflects on how formal practice and structured exercises open up a less ego-bound way of being, and shares a memory of a story about Richard Feynman on psychedelics.
These days I'm noticing that going and sitting in a formal setting like a meditation center for thirty minutes is an exercise that can more reliably open that up. Or taking on the exercise of viewing another person as part of me can open it up. Having these experiences actually makes me a little sad for the times when I'm not in that space, when I have a thick ego. In relationship, for instance, when I can tell my partner and I have really strong individuation. I also think maybe there's a healthy balance; you do have to feed and clothe yourself to some extent. I was also remembering something from earlier in the conversation. I'd heard a podcast where someone who had been with Richard Feynman on one of his psychedelic adventures recalled that Feynman was tripping hard on psychedelic mushrooms and said, "You have to draw the line somewhere."
You have to what?