#44 - The Terrifying Delight of Self-Surpassing | Michael Murphy (Esalen):

Somewhere along the California coast, between breathtaking cliffs, mineral-rich springs, and ancient forests, Michael Murphy and his friend Richard Price created The Esalen Institute in 1962. This retreat center and intentional community was a magnet for luminaries like Alan Watts, Stanislav Grof, Ida Rolf, and Joseph Campbell who all became long-term resident scholars. Today on the show, I speak to the mighty Mike Murphy about the magic of Esalen and his menagerie of friends who’ve since become legends. We talk about brokering Boris Yeltsin’s trip to the US, psychedelics vs meditation, Alan Watts’ drinking problem, and how Esalen was vaccinated against cults despite hosting a few cult leaders (ahem Timothy Leary). The through-line of our conversation is the idea of evolutionary panentheism, a philosophy of an indwelling spirit made manifest through evolution. This perspective made Esalen the seat of the Human Potential movement and guides the continuing development of the center today. There is a Sanskrit word "Lila" which refers to a terrifying kind of play: this is the game of life and we are it’s divine protagonists. “The purpose of creation, is lila,” said Michael’s inspiration, Sri Aurobindo, “Lila is a purpose-less purpose, a natural outflow, a spontaneous self-manifestation of the Divine. The concept of lila, again, emphasizes the role of delight in creation.” So… you know, Life is a Festival. LINKS: Michael Murphy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Murphy_(author) Esalen: https://www.esalen.org/ The Future of the Body: Explorations Into the Further Evolution Of Human Nature: https://www.amazon.com/Future-Body-Explorations-Further-Evolution/dp/0874777305 Collected Essays of Aldous Huxley: https://www.amazon.com/Collected-Essays-Aldous-Huxley/dp/B001MAMC1W