I was thinking back the other day to the year 2008. It was a time of great change for me and so many unsettling developments had got me questioning myI was thinking back the other day to the year 2008. It was a time of great change for me and so many unsettling developments had got me questioning my sense of direction. During this time, I suppose I was trying to find stability even while everything that had supported my sense of stability, even my sense of identity, was being challenged. Made redundant from a good job and then running an unprofitable small business, I had called off an engagement, been forced to sell my house, and—on top of all that—needed to deal with the death of my mother. Additionally, I had searched but found no better job prospects in the UK for a long while. I wanted my mind taken off the nagging worries and some sort of change of perspective was needed.
Enter Alan Watts and ‘Out of your mind’. Of course Watts’ talks were never likely to solve any of these practical crises. They were unlikely to bring direct solutions. One thing these long, rambling, good natured talks did do for me though, was to make me question where my sense of security should lie. In that sense the talks were invaluable. Simply reassessing my sense of security and identity was a way to stabilize my inner world and to therefore gain more traction on the outer world. Not that I agreed with everything he said, or saw him as any kind of believable guru, far from it! It was *how* he said things, and how he was able to make people re-evaluate things that was his greatest strength as a speaker and writer.
In terms of finding a reliable guide through such troubled waters Alan Watts might seem an unlikely candidate, but in my view, it was precisely because of his own self-acknowledged imperfections, coupled with his naturalness, his knowledgeable ways, his warmth and humor and immense curiosity, that he proved extremely well qualified to enable me (and obviously many others) to re-think their situation and get some inner peace again.
So who is (was) Alan Watts?
At first glance, he may just strike you as an unconventional, off-beat philosopher. A pacifist, he avoided the draft in WWII, becoming a clergyman in the USA. He had ongoing marriage and fidelity issues and drink problems. He even seemed to feel like suicide was always a welcome option if the game of life got to be a drag.
While some of the elements of his life might lead some people to be prejudiced and dismissive of him. I would say that while this man had some very normal, natural, human imperfections, he was no smug pretender of holiness. Life and nature is not perfect. It is messy and contradictory and so are we, if we are honest.
Watts was a very sincere guide, particularly to a whole generation of Americans seeking more than a predictable, materialistic lifestyle in the 60′s and 70′s.
He pointed out some typical sources of the world view of people which is rooted in their inherited philosophy and religion.
Watts was an excellent and thoughtful speaker, a very helpful elucidator of Eastern philosophies. He was a seeker of whatever is valuable and essential in the human experience. He certainly valued the traditional aesthetics and culture of the Far East and found value in the way of life recommended by the ancient sages. This influence he brought into a world which then sorely needed, and now still needs to hear his reassuring and refreshing message.
‘Out of your mind’ is a set of talks which will prompt you to reconsider your place in the scheme of things. I can highly recommend the talks....more
The recommendation here, based on extensive research, is to increase your self-awareness and enjoyment of life by cultivating a combination of positivThe recommendation here, based on extensive research, is to increase your self-awareness and enjoyment of life by cultivating a combination of positive recollection and re-framing of your past (past- positive), a healthy enjoyment of the present (present hedonism) and a wise investment of future-oriented time perspective.
Counterproductive time perspectives (like past negative and present fatalism) left unattended will probably continue to shape your life negatively. The simple remedy offered here is to consider cultivating and consistently developing those time-perspectives which offer positive rewards for past, present and future, while discarding, re-framing and transforming the rest.
'Present holism' is mentioned which transcends and unites all these time perspectives but no great advice is offered on its cultivation. I think this book does a good job of simply making us self-aware....more
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