INTEGRAL WORLD MAILING LIST http://www.integralworld.net Newsletter Nr. 648 Amsterdam, March 17th, 2017 PERENNIALISM AND THE MYTH OF NARCISSUS - Falling in Love with Mind - GARY STOGSDILL My previous essay identified substantial problems with perennialism: the blatant anthropocentrism and individualism of enlightenment, the lack of any agreement among those who are supposedly enlightened as to what enlightenment actually is, disturbingly unethical behavior on the part of a majority of well-known recent gurus, and indications that extensive meditation may correlate with psychological decline and that some techniques of meditation may harmfully alter brain chemistry and function. These problems led to the conclusion that perennialism is very likely a self-centered dead end with potential dangers along the way. This current essay will explore the important question of why such serious problems would be encountered in perennialism. Is there perhaps a common thread linking most or all of these problems, a thread that would help us to understand not only a possible fundamental error in perennialism but also the captivating allure of perennialism that has kept the idea alive for so long? Read more: http://www.integralworld.net/stogsdill2.html