INTEGRAL WORLD MAILING LIST 
http://www.integralworld.net

Newsletter Nr. 811
Amsterdam, November 27th, 2019

‘WHY THE TREE WILL CONTINUE TO BE’ - Further Musings on the Idealism of Bernardo Kastrup - FRANK VISSER

In my previous essay "Why Idealism is Bonkers" I gave my reasoned impressions of the philosophy of Bernardo Kastrup, even if headed by a rather flippant title. But then again, Kastrup had used the same strong language in his book title Why Materialism is Baloney. I argued that his claim to have a "more parsimonious and empirically rigorous" position than materialistic science is able to offer did not come across as convincing—at least not to me.

In that essay I primarily relied on secondary sources, so after writing it I pursued this matter further and found an online video by Kastrup in which he explains and clarifies his philosophy. Urban language aside, in the current essay I will engage a couple of his arguments which he has presented in favor of his brand of idealism. For he wants to make sure, this is no longer the standard idealism known from Bishop Berkeley, but a modernized version that can live up to the philosophical standards of today.

Read more:
http://www.integralworld.net/visser154.html


THE SKEPTICAL YOGI - Part Six: Overcoming Death, A Blue Sapphire, and Muslim Wonder Worker - DAVID LANE

On the believable to unbelievable scale (from 1 to 10 that Sri Yukestwar could ward off death and extend a man's life for six extra months) this hovers at a 9 plus. We don't want to go too far, since very shortly we will transcend that scale when we read about Babaji, the supposed “deathless” avatar.

There is something both cruel and reprehensible in this story that does not reflect well on either Yogananda or Sri Yukestwar. The story revolves around an agnostic doctor who we are told doesn't have long to live—or, at least, that's what we are led to believe by Sri Yukestwar who essentially calls him a dead man walking. But Yogananda pleads with his guru to help Dr. Roy to live longer, primarily because his son, Santosh, wants his father to change his non-religious and materialist views.

Read more:
http://www.integralworld.net/lane177.html