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Coincidentiaoppositorum
deep psychedelic


Registered: 10/27/14
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mckenna on Emerson?
#22217546 - 09/10/15 04:14 PM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
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Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803 – April 27, 1882) was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was seen as a champion of individualism and a prescient critic of the countervailing pressures of society, and he disseminated his thoughts through dozens of published essays and more than 1,500 public lectures across the United States.-Wikipedia
I have mckenna's books and I have most of his recorded lectures
Why does mckenna barely ever mention Emerson? I mean I have heard the name come up very briefly from time to time, but I can't recall mckenna ever talking in depth about him...and these guys sound a lot alike philosophically...
I've never looked into emerson, but because his Wikipedia reminds me so much of terence mckenna I'm very interested.
I've never really looked into Transcendentalism either, it never seemed appealing for what ever reason.
I'm going to do some brief research on the topic, and maybe there's some reason why mckenna would not feel compelled to talk about these people, but their philosophy sounds a lot alike, specially in regards to "self-reliance" (concept derived from Emerson's essay of the same name) from what I know about it, which isn't much at this point.
-E. Borodin
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MarkostheGnostic
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Registered: 12/09/99
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Recently, I reconnected with a philosophy professor after 40+ years. He was very influential (Professor Arthur Lothstein, Long Island University). He turned me onto Walt Whitman back in the day, and recently he suggested that I read Emerson, so I purchased Essays: 1st and 2nd Series, The Spiritual Emerson, and The Conduct of Life. I'm still reading, but here is the last one if you're interested: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/39827/39827-h/39827-h.html
I don't know why you would expect Terrence McKenna to have referenced Emerson, because of Emerson's Transcendentalism? Because that movement was not connected to a yet undiscovered Psychedelic Transcendentalism.
-------------------- γνῶθι σαὐτόν - Gnothi Seauton - Know Thyself
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Coincidentiaoppositorum
deep psychedelic


Registered: 10/27/14
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Quote:
MarkostheGnostic said: Recently, I reconnected with a philosophy professor after 40+ years. He was very influential (Professor Arthur Lothstein, Long Island University). He turned me onto Walt Whitman back in the day, and recently he suggested that I read Emerson, so I purchased Essays: 1st and 2nd Series, The Spiritual Emerson, and The Conduct of Life. I'm still reading, but here is the last one if you're interested: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/39827/39827-h/39827-h.html
I don't know why you would expect Terrence McKenna to have referenced Emerson, because of Emerson's Transcendentalism? Because that movement was not connected to a yet undiscovered Psychedelic Transcendentalism.
Thank you for the link, it is much appreciated.
I relate mckenna to emerson more in the area of "self-reliance"
Self-Reliance" is an essay written by American transcendentalist philosopher and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson. It contains the most thorough statement of one of Emerson's recurrent themes, the need for each individual to avoid conformity and false consistency, and follow his or her own instincts and ideas.-Wikipedia
Emerson and mckenna have many similar features in their philosophies, it's a wonder that mckenna did not talk about emersonian transendentalism or Emerson himself a lot more...
When I say trancendentalism I'm referring to "Transcendentalism was a philosophical movement that was developing by the late 1820s and '30s in the Eastern region of the United States as a protest against the general state of intellectualism and spirituality."-Wikipedia
And below is how I think transendentalism relates to mckenna and his philosophy,
"Among the transcendentalists' core beliefs was the inherent goodness of both people and nature. They believe that society and its institutions—particularly organized religion and political parties—ultimately corrupt the purity of the individual. They have faith that people are at their best when truly "self-reliant" and independent. "Self-reliant" differs from the traditional usage of the word, however, and refers mainly to a fierce intellectual independence that believed itself capable of generating completely original insights with as little deference paid to past masters as possible.-Wikipedia
And with all these similarities in core principals I'm amazed mckenna didn't bring up Emerson and transendentalism more often, it seems like something he would have lived to incorporate into his raps...I don't know, I don't know that much about Emerson yet, this is just how it appeared on the surface to me, regardless Emerson is pretty interesting stuff, so I'm glad it at least initially made me think of mckenna, because now I discovered a whole new person and philosophy to research.
-E. Borodin
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Middleman

Registered: 07/11/99
Posts: 8,399
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I noticed McKenna was one of the few people to point out the critique of transcendentalism in Moby Dick.
http://ejas.revues.org/8467
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MarkostheGnostic
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Yes, I've read his chapter entitled Self-Reliance, which is a concept he was taught (among others) from the aunt who raised him. I've always appreciated his writings on the Over-Soul.
-------------------- γνῶθι σαὐτόν - Gnothi Seauton - Know Thyself
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Coincidentiaoppositorum
deep psychedelic


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Re: mckenna on Emerson? [Re: Middleman]
#22220276 - 09/11/15 06:04 AM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
Rev. Morton said: I noticed McKenna was one of the few people to point out the critique of transcendentalism in Moby Dick.
http://ejas.revues.org/8467 
I remember him making about about equality in the univesre, Starbucks tells captain Ahab that to seek revenge against a dumb beast is blasphemous, and captain Ahab said, "Talk not to me of blasphemy, man; I'd strike the sun if it insulted me. For could the sun do that, then could I do the other; since there is ever a sort of fair play herein"
I have to relisten to that lecture, it's been too long for me to remember what else he was saying, but I want to hear his thoughts and transendentalism...
-E. Borodin
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Coincidentiaoppositorum
deep psychedelic


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Oh, shit, I didn't even see the link you left, ok, I'm going to read that now...
-E. Borodin
Edited by Coincidentiaoppositorum (09/11/15 06:07 AM)
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Coincidentiaoppositorum
deep psychedelic


Registered: 10/27/14
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Quote:
Coincidentiaoppositorum said:
Quote:
Rev. Morton said: I noticed McKenna was one of the few people to point out the critique of transcendentalism in Moby Dick.
http://ejas.revues.org/8467 
I remember him making about about equality in the univesre, Starbucks tells captain Ahab that to seek revenge against a dumb beast is blasphemous, and captain Ahab said, "Talk not to me of blasphemy, man; I'd strike the sun if it insulted me. For could the sun do that, then could I do the other; since there is ever a sort of fair play herein"
I have to relisten to that lecture, it's been too long for me to remember what else he was saying, but I want to hear his thoughts and transendentalism...
-E. Borodin
This post (above) was responding to mckenna's comments on Moby dick, I kept saying "he" which may not have been clear.
Ok, I began reading that paper, very very interesting stuff,
I'm going to find the mckenna lecture where he brings up moby dick as well...
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Coincidentiaoppositorum
deep psychedelic


Registered: 10/27/14
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Re: mckenna on Emerson? [Re: Middleman]
#22220516 - 09/11/15 07:24 AM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
Rev. Morton said: I noticed McKenna was one of the few people to point out the critique of transcendentalism in Moby Dick.
http://ejas.revues.org/8467 
There's some really interesting stuff in that link, thank you for sharing it, I have not read it all yet, but it is most fascinating...
-E. Borodin
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Middleman

Registered: 07/11/99
Posts: 8,399
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You're welcome. Yeah there are a couple lectures where Terence reads Melville. The recent one on Psychedelic Salon is riddled with static, wish I could find a clean version.
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Coincidentiaoppositorum
deep psychedelic


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Re: mckenna on Emerson? [Re: Middleman]
#22220715 - 09/11/15 08:22 AM (8 years, 4 months ago) |
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https://archive.org/details/psychedelia_collection
I downloaded every mckenna MP3 from this site onto my kindle, this was a while ago and possibly the site has changed, but I easily downloaded nearly every mckenna lecture known from them last year, and they all sound great.
-E. Borodin
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Cowb0yNeal00



Registered: 06/05/13
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I heard him mention Emerson at least once.. i think it was this lecture..
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