Alan Watts

[Beefy]

I'm currently reading "The Book" and it's pretty interesting. But I've already heard two of his lectures on YouTube and in a way, he hasn't presented me with anything I would find new from his philosophical way of thinking yet.
But there are so many Alan Watts Lectures on Youtube, I feel I should probably listen to those, instead of reading his books. Because I get the feeling he covers in a few lectures, everything he writes in his books.
But this is my first book of his that I'm reading.
Barry Long and of course Krishnamurti (Who Watts gets most of his ideas from) are two people I should read next. However, some people will probably disagree
with that comment I've written about Watts and Krishnamurti. But I've read an article a few months ago comparing the two.
Thoughts?

 

[Zywreckx]

Looks like an awesome book. Awesome guy. I am sure I will be drawn to the Eastern teachings he was for the rest of my life.

Krishnamurti is good too.

I honestly tune into living teachers though as much as I value past talks.

As much as I appreciate Alan Watts I don't think he has anything himself to offer me lol but would definitely recommend all of his books and talks on YouTube.

 

[Brendan12]

I've heard his lectures on Zen and sitting Zazen.. sit everywhere as if by a lotus in your pocket.

 

[Ismene2]

I've enjoyed some of Alan Watts writing but I wouldn't take him too seriously - particularly his ideas about psychedelics. He became a chronic alcoholic and drank himself to a miserable early death - an utterly hopeless broken man. So when he tells you "hang up the phone" on psychedelics - he clearly got it completley wrong and whatever message he thought he'd got from psychedelics was obviously bullshit.

If he'd kept taking LSD maybe he'd have found something worth living for other than the next bottle of scotch. The incredible thing is that he would go round giving lectures on finding enlightenment then go back to his room and down a bottle of scotch.

 

[burn out]

I've enjoyed some of Alan Watts writing but I wouldn't take him too seriously - particularly his ideas about psychedelics. He became a chronic alcoholic and drank himself to a miserable early death - an utterly hopeless broken man. So when he tells you "hang up the phone" on psychedelics - he clearly got it completley wrong and whatever message he thought he'd got from psychedelics was obviously bullshit.

If he'd kept taking LSD maybe he'd have found something worth living for other than the next bottle of scotch. The incredible thing is that he would go round giving lectures on finding enlightenment then go back to his room and down a bottle of scotch.

That's just speculation though. Plenty of people who have stopped using psychedelics did not go on to become severe alcoholics and plenty of people who continued using psychedelics ran into trouble from that as well, like Terrence Mckenna.

I'm not promoting Watts and I would say take him with a grain of salt, but I don't think his alcoholism invalidates his "hang up the phone" advice. There are many who have gone back to the well too many times and paid the price.

 

[Ismene2]

Yeah I'm not knocking the man burn out - the fact that died so miserably makes him even more interesting to be honest. Can you imagine what it was like giving lectures to all these enthusiastic people enthralled by your "wisdom" and "enlightenment" about life then going back to your lonely room and annihilating yourself with whiskey every night? Sad anecdote in a Watts biography - his son once asked him "Don't you want to live dad?" and Alan said "Yes son, but it's not worth the effort"

But I think it does shed some light on his "hang up the phone" theory - it implies that just because you think you've got the "message" doesn't actually mean you have.

 

[G_Chem]

To me the ultimate “message” is love, for yourself, for those around you, for the entirety of the universe.. It’s a self less love that knows no bounds.

It sounds like he truly didn’t love himself (or others be default) if he wasn’t willing to “put in the effort” to not die in such a way. Sounds a bit selfish, as alcoholics often are, and selfish behavior often is remedied with more psychedelic sessions

I too felt I learned it all in my beginning years but see now this is a life long story to unfold. I had learned the outer layer of the inner workings but it took years before I got to a place of self less behavior I can now feel proud of upon reflection.

I think the quote still has meaning in the context of those who maybe need a couple month/year break from overuse but sometimes we forget the message over time and need to pick up and dial the universe again.

-GC

 

[burn out]

Yeah I'm not knocking the man burn out - the fact that died so miserably makes him even more interesting to be honest. Can you imagine what it was like giving lectures to all these enthusiastic people enthralled by your "wisdom" and "enlightenment" about life then going back to your lonely room and annihilating yourself with whiskey every night? Sad anecdote in a Watts biography - his son once asked him "Don't you want to live dad?" and Alan said "Yes son, but it's not worth the effort"

But I think it does shed some light on his "hang up the phone" theory - it implies that just because you think you've got the "message" doesn't actually mean you have.

What exactly is the message? He may have gotten "the message" or at least "a message", but been unable to implement or make it work in his life. For example, I used lots of psychedelics, got lots of messages but was never able to cure my depression, addictions, psychic trauma or health issues with them. It was actually extremely frustrating and counter productive because I would feel like I was missing out based off how wonderful life could be on psychedelics compared to how incredibly crappy it was when not on them. I probably would have faired a lot better had I just accepted my crappy life and tried to take small steps to make it better instead of seeking some grand enlightenment through psychedelics.

 

[Deleted member 521610]

i can tell you one thing alan watts was not enlightened and i highly doubt he even managed to attain the first level of stream entry cosnciouneness to enlightenment. His speeches are very good though for the average person to hear about the new perspective and go deeper into researching if this is a path they want to pursue. But his teachings are very basic and westernized and low level.

Psychedelics are not about a message they are about glimpsing through the window to a deeper level of cosnciouneness that comes along with some messages for some people that may further their character in this life but mainly there purpose is to give arise to faith in the deeper cosnciouneness beyond the ordinary asleep cosnciouneness a majority of people live in. Alan watts was wrong about hanging them up though they are not a phone. When you attain entry into the levels of enlightenment in the first place you will realize you can attain those psychedelic experiences without them if you go deeper enough with your concertation including full on DMT trips without DMT but you can penterate beyond DMT just by sober meditation insight and full enlightenment is more of a mindfuck that any drug could induce at that full final enlightenment is when somebody will finally put them down since their natural state is beyond everything and nothing.

During deep work if you are truly wanting to become enlightened you will be spending countless time meditating and furthering insights and psychedelics will be in play they are a force of nature we are meant to have them in our life they are just small part of the path to the full enlightenment. Once a year to every 6 months extremely strong trip usage to set you deeper on your path is the best way to use them. Alan watts was active during the abuse of the 1960's people just consuming insane doses of LSD mushrooms DMT and other drugs which is were his context about stopping using them came from. But he could not even stop his own addiction to alcohol. I like listening to alan watts for some chill times but in this own westernized image of buddhism there is alot of misinformation about enlightement the path and how to even meditate and contemplate to become enlightened. A psychopath could become enlightened you gain full insight without having love inside you but by the force of nature gaining such a deep level you would then want to fill that infinite space with love and compassion.

been following this guy and the first video on youtube detailing some of the experinces of awareneness i had when i use to be dedicated to the path so i know this guy is highly advanced.

 

[ovenbakedskittles]

I’ve only heard a couple of his lectures as well and it felt like he was saying everything I have been thinking about more so than other people who I have listened to. It’s weird that I haven’t listened to more of his stuff.

 

[Skorpio]

you imagine what it was like giving lectures to all these enthusiastic people enthralled by your "wisdom" and "enlightenment" about life then going back to your lonely room and annihilating yourself with whiskey every night?

Unfortunately, yes.