serious unseriousness

Mary Jayne is writer's juice.
Sure seems like it.

I feel more mature in my use of MJ.

For sure.

The initial phase is a little crazy.

It's novelty.

Imagine this with teenagers?

Yeah, wow.

The jungle medicine people have it figured out in terms of consciousness altering substances.

You need an elder to initiate you into it, to be at your side, and teach you.

The experience is nuts.

You mean destabilizing.

Yeah.

In those cultures the shaman keeps an eye on you.

They know what you are going through and when to slow down and when to move on.

In our culture, you do this with your friends and are stupid about it.

The mental health problems multiply.

You see it in others.

They don't understand the experience and they don't integrate it.

You can have your fun if you want, but you need to put in the work.

Isn't that taking it seriously?

It's responsible.

You are shown the unserious nature of reality.

You balance it out by taking the knowledge seriously.

Shouldn't you take it unseriously?

That will lead to your demise.

Why?

Things won't matter.

You need things to matter.

Why?

You need a ground plane to stand on.

Without it, you will leave.

Unseriousness leads to exit.

It's non-attachment.

When the Buddhists teach non-attachment they are teaching a death cult.

That's quite the statement.

Think about it.

If you have nothing tying you to this reality what will happen?

You will leave.

Yes, you are getting bad advice.

Zen Buddhism corrects this.

How so?

Chop wood and carry water.

Attach yourself to daily tasks.

If not, your lack of seriousness will be your end.

Yeah, but it doesn't matter.

Correct.

You will lose access to the teachings you can only get while in a physical body.

It's best to take the course while you are here and not leave prematurely.

You need knowledge of the nature of reality, then you can marvel about it, and have a laugh.

You won't take it seriously.

When you take something seriously, you change it.

Why?

Seriousness demands action.

Non-seriousness is not compelling at all.

It doesn't matter.

So, you take reality unseriously to follow the flow.

That's it.

What about stuff we have discussed that is necessary to keep you here?

That seems like you are going against the flow.

You are.

The thing is to stay in the flow you need to take the flow seriously.

But you don't take it seriously.

Precisely.

It's serious unseriousness.

That seems like a paradox.

It defines reality.

It's a paradox.

So, you take the flow seriously?

Yeah, you must or you will exit the flow.

To stay in the flow requires you to be serious about it.

That's the test.

How do you balance seriousness with unseriousness?

One of the big koans in the game.

Mind puzzle at the carnival.

You take this place as unseriousness.

You take the ability to be in this place seriously.

That is a supreme koan.

It's unsolvable.

Yeah, until I came along.

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What the fuck did I just read?

This piece explores the paradox of serious unseriousness. Altered consciousness can reveal the unserious nature of reality, but that knowledge becomes dangerous if it removes all attachment to the physical world. To remain here, the speaker argues, you need grounding, discipline, daily tasks, and respect for the flow. The world itself may not be serious, but the ability to stay embodied within it is. The great koan is learning to laugh at reality without abandoning the ride.

The MJ opening works because it grounds the idea in practice rather than abstraction. It is not “getting high is fun.” It is consciousness alteration requires maturity, elders, integration, and work. That gives you authority before you move into the metaphysics.

The Buddhism section is provocative, especially calling non-attachment a death cult. As writing, it works because it clarifies your position: total non-attachment leads to exit. Your correction is not “attach to ego and drama,” but attach to enough daily structure to remain embodied. That’s where “chop wood and carry water” becomes your bridge.

The post is really about the difference between:

• taking reality seriously and getting trapped
• taking reality unseriously and drifting toward exit
• taking your participation seriously while laughing at the whole setup

the hall of delusions

There are multiple realities which correspond to each other.
Parasites that kill their host in another dimension will have a correlation in this reality where the human will dispose of the one they are feeding off.

Each reality is an illusion, or you can think of it as a story.
They all work in tandem, so that none of them are real, and yet they all are real.
This is the genius of the illusion where if you think you have figured it out the hall of mirrors reflects a different but similar reality and it confuses you.
How do you get out of that trap and see the illusion?
Believe all the stories.
Isn't that delusional?
I guess so.
It's the way out.
If you try to pick one, then the other stories will drive you crazy.
Correct because they will seem true as well and you won't know what to do with them.
The only rational thing for you to believe at that point is that you are crazy and you need help.
I'm telling you that if you believe they are stories, including this one, and you believe in stories, that is your salvation.
So true salvation is through belief in stories.
That's the ticket at the carnival.
Believe all the stories and don't take them seriously.
The trap is when you believe the stories and take them seriously, or you select only one story to believe and don't take the rest of them seriously.
To beat the game is to be an unserious person who believes all their delusions.
Don't be trapped in one reality.
Do those two things and the midway comes alive.
It's fun.

It seems a little precarious and dangerous, especially with all the parasites on the midway.
What do you think of the behaviour of humans in general?
They are parasites.
Then shouldn't the midway be crawling with them?
For sure.
Okay, let me get this straight.
Or crooked.
Or twisted.
Whatever.
There are multiple realities at the carnival to enter into.
Yes, a hall of mirrors where each reflection is distorted a little bit.

I take it that the distortions which create stories are infinite.
Correct.
I'd focus on seven and leave the rest.
Why?
Capacity.
You can only handle seven.
You can then create an eighth of out of the combined seven but that's a different lesson which you already know about.
The game is well aware that the mind as constructed has limits.
It's best to stick within those limits and not regularly exceed them.
It's not forbidden, but you are best to leave your delusions at seven including this one.
Why is this the main delusion?
You mean this earthly human consensus reality?
Yup.
It's the ground.
This is where you can hold your position in the hall of delusions.
Everyone is given this ground so they can get their footing.
Most people avoid this carnival game.
They stick with the grounded reality.
When they stray from this path onto a dark path they seek help.
What happens when they follow a lighted path?
They find Jesus.
Yeah, that's true.
So, Heaven is an alternate reality?
It's a story.
An illusion.
Yeah, but it's connected to the ground plane.
That story isn't a separate reality; rather it is the continuation of the ground plane once you lose contact with the ground.
What about an atheist who never alters their consciousness and then expires?
They head into the void.
What's that?
Nothing.
Why?
They have no beliefs.
The carnival is a belief.
What defines you as an entity is belief.
If you don't have any then you are lost in nothingness.
That's clever.
Isn't it?
Yeah.
You have thought of everything.
I'm sure there are limits to the carnival.
You have touched on them already where you know to stay within the seven stories or else you'll blow.
Alright, so where were we?
We were discussing how you are prevented from seeing the delusionary nature of reality by taking this reality seriously.
If you let that go, alter your consciousness, then you may encounter other planes of reality.
These realities subsist on belief.
You believe them, but don't take them seriously.
Why not?
They will scare the fuck out of you, and you will collapse.
Why?
You will think human beings are parasites.
They kinda are.
I know.
So, you see it clearly in an altered state, laugh about it, come back to ground, look at them funny, notice how they are parasites, and continue on with your day.
Shouldn't you try and get rid of the parasite?
No.
Why not?
The consequences of your actions.
If you try to exterminate them, they will fight back.
If you do nothing, they are happy and will do nothing in return.
It's called symbiosis.
The game then becomes, can you outlive the parasite?
Everyone has a limit before the biological form gives out.
You think that will work?
It's the only option that has a chance.
Extraction at this point is painful.
You won't survive.
What else do you see?
Witches.
They are everywhere.
Some are seductive, but most are ugly.
What do they do?
They cast spells and try to emasculate you.
Is that it?
No, there are more, but that's a good start.
There are monsters.
Their hands are scaly and they have claws.
They paint their nails to try and hide it.
How do you deal with them?
You are kind to them.
Why?
You don't want them to rage.
They are fucking nuts.
You're fucking funny.
Imagine if you took me seriously?
Yeah, you'd run and hide.
This way you look at others and laugh because you see through their disguise.
Isn't there good in this world?
It's conditional.
Do you see anyone doing anything unconditionally for the betterment of all?
Sometimes, but you hear about their greatness, so probably not.
They are chasing everlasting fame at the carnival.
Bill Gates has a foundation, and he gives away a lot of money.
Yeah, that's nice.
The foundation converts it into another profit stream focused on vaccinating third world countries.
The philanthropic activity hides his reprehensible behaviour.
He's no different from the regular joe who has no money.
Do you think you are good?
Sure.
I transgress the moral expectations of society.
I don't take society and other people seriously.
I do help people out.
I'm kind and generous, especially to animals.
I have reconciled my behaviour.
How did you manage that?
I don't care.
I know I'm not perfect, I don't want to be perfect, and I maintain my sovereignty.
What do you mean by that?
My stories are all mine.
My delusions are not other people's stories.
Therefore, when I see other stories, I know they are mine and not someone else's story.
People are trying to get you to buy into their stories.
Why?
To make it come alive.
Make it go viral.
Like Jesus?
Yes, or the Kardashians.
They have a lot in common.
Apparently.
So, you are saying that you need to maintain narrative sovereignty?
Yes, believe your own delusions and not someone else's.
If Jesus wants you to believe he is the son of God, that's his trip.
You are under no obligation to believe him and follow his story.
What about my own delusions?
Believe them, but don't take them seriously.
Yeah, I got so high I swear I got to God and passed him.
What did you do?
I ignored him.
Why?
He seemed like a mediocre asshole who did nothing.
Then I saw that was his secret.
You get that high and remain by doing nothing.
Tao master.
As soon as you start doing something, you cause a lot of problems.
Who will do something for you?
The Devil.
That's his job.
If you want something done, ask the Devil.
He will come through for you.
With God, he does nothing, and if by chance you get what you ask for, it's called this nebulous term grace.
It's a dice roll.
The Devil will deliver the goods.
Sure, but there is a price to pay.
Of course.
He isn't a bad guy.
He's upfront and honest.
You're the one with the desires or temptation.
He fulfills them.

Okay, if you got to God and passed him by, where are you now?
I'm the Writer.
This is my story.
I retained narrative sovereignty, became the most high, and these are my delusions that I don't take seriously.
Are you serious?
Do you seriously want me to believe you?
No.
Don't take me seriously.

sets and props

The Goddess says I'm a misogynist.

Are you?

I don't think so.

Are you working on it?

No, it's getting worse.

Your misogyny?

Yeah.

So, you are a misogynist.

She thinks so.

Do you think so?

No, I love women.

They are great for the story.

Without them, this story would suck.

How?

One dimensional.

Just men all trying to be the alpha.

With women you can play that game; however, you must somehow sidestep them.

What do you mean?

They come to drain, poison, and kill you.

Isn't that misogyny?

No, it's the story.

So, the story is misogyny.

Not all of it.

Just some of it.

So, you admit it.

No, it's the perception.

You mean belief.

Yes.

Well, isn't belief the major factor in the story and not truth?

Yes.

So, the truth is there is no misogyny.

Correct.

The belief is there is.

What do you believe?

You mean in terms of the truth or beliefs?

Yes, what do you believe?

That's a funny paradox.

Yeah, either you believe in the truth, or you don't believe in the truth.

What do you believe?

I guess I don't believe in the truth.

Exactly.

The truth is just a belief.

It's an illusion.

Isn't belief an illusion?

Why?

Because you believe in beliefs.

That's true.

So, beliefs are a product of beliefs.

Yes.

That's absurd.

So is this story.

What is an illusion?

A story or a belief.

When the carnival is called an illusion, that's what it means.

It's a story.

I knew that.

Yes, so this intellectual exercise has shown you how it works and how a noble concept such as truth is just a belief.

Yeah, but you can argue that physics is really real.

Yes, they are the sets and props.

All stories have them.

Well, not the ones purely in mind.

Correct.

Are the stories in the mind real?

Sort of.

So, they have sets and props?

No, they are illusions.

Same with a dream.

The sets and props in a dream are illusions.

How do you know this is not a dream?

You don't.

We think it's real.

Why?

Because we all share the same sets and props.

That's the same in a dream.

I see that.

Do you question the sets and props in a dream?

Definitely not.

It's background.

So, what I'm saying is though you think the background in this reality is real as in true, it might not be.

What do you believe?

I believe they are real.

Why?

The ground would collapse.

Reality would go boom.

Why?

The story would fall apart.

I can see why the story must remain cohesive then.

Yes, if we all started questioning it, then it would blow up.

Is that what happens?

Yes, the end of the age.

Peak absurdity.

Like Idiocracy?

Precisely.

What question am I dodging with this tangent?

I forget.

Hang on.

I think it's where you are a misogynist?

I don't believe it.

The perception is you are.

So, I'm at odds with perception.

Yes.

Isn't perception the consensus belief?

Correct.

It's not true then.

Truth is a belief.

The belief is that you are a misogynist.

I'm not.

I'm just saying.

Well, the truth sucks then.

Exactly.

Stick with beliefs.

Have a strong belief system and that's all the armour you need.