Somewhere, deep inside, we all believe that there is more to the world than what we see—and more to ourselves than who we are. The times may change, but these beliefs have always been there.
In the past, people turned to religion… Or to the spiritual-but-not-religious movement… But what if you can’t connect with either one?
What do you do when you believe in something more—but you can’t believe in any of the options you’ve been given?
Follow your own path? Try not to think about it? Either way, it’s hard to find a place where we belong.
We feel stuck… Like something is missing… But that’s better than the status quo. Because for all of our apparent options, we really don’t have much to choose from…
Organized religion? Eastern? Eclectic? New Age? Indigenous?
Beneath the surface it’s all the same—archaic worldviews, pretentious gurus, endless platitudes, and a breathtaking air of entitlement. Worse, no matter which tradition we choose, we’re confined…
Told what to believe; how to act; who to be… and then surrounded by people who listened.
If that’s what it means to be spiritual?
Fuck spiritual. Be you.
Imagine if you were encouraged to express who you really are. Not to fit in, but to stand out. Not to be more “spiritual and evolved”—all passive and polite and purged of all ferocity—but to become who you actually aspire to be.
What if you had the tools and the freedom to explore? To journey inward—and outward, and beyond. To rekindle a sense of wonder and possibility. To seek new options—and unasked questions—to discover and decide for yourself?
Imagine having a community that saw you. That accepted you. That valued contribution over compliance—innovation over institution. That didn’t shame you for being too much and not enough. And stayed with you, even when your dreams and destinations were your own.
How much further could you go? How much more could you create? Who could you be to the people you love?
This is what spirituality could have been… An open road to wherever we choose to go.
So how did we end up here?
When I began my journey more than 20 years ago, I didn’t set out to become a spiritual person. I was just a geek and a gamer and a metal musician. But at 17 years old I started having profound spiritual experiences after suffering a concussion in an icy parking lot.
Not warm and fuzzy experiences, like feeling peaceful and safe and happy. Crazy experiences, like the ones written about by ancient mystics and shamans…
Lucid dreams, out-of-body experiences, strange vision states, formless awareness, nonduality—states that Eastern religions refer to as “enlightenment.”
I never bought into the traditional philosophies. (I just couldn’t quit asking questions.) But the experiences never stopped…
Over the years I developed a savant-like ability to perceive states of consciousness as a stream of shifting geometric patterns. Freed from the conflicting beliefs of the spiritual traditions, I could see that the sacred experiences of every faith came together like separate movements in a single symphony.
I could see which practices worked, which didn’t, and why… How to get from one experience to another… I could even create new experiences, like composing original melodies from individual notes.
Now, I help people get control of their minds. To move their consciousness with the expression and grace of an artist. To step outside tradition. And to make spirituality into something you do; not something you believe.
You can do it too.
You don’t need to fit the stereotype—or feel chosen or gifted—or crack your head open on the pavement. You don’t need the New Age platitudes. Or the entitled attitudes.
Spirituality isn’t about dogma and drama and grandiose bullshit.
It’s about freedom of choice—and freedom of motion.
Freedom to Explore, and Express and Engage. To make your own decisions—to choose your destinations—and to move freely as the spirit moves you.
It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for enlightenment, or inner peace, or exotic visions, or just more productivity at work—what you do is up to you. The point is having the options.
You can be “spiritual” if you want. Or not… The world is big enough for both.
But don’t just follow along. Don’t fall in line.
Be the pioneer. Be the outlaw.
Be you.
Because life’s too short to fit in where you don’t belong.
…which brings us back to the idea of community.
Community is an integral part of spirituality and religion. But finding a community has always meant joining a group of people who share the same values and beliefs. People who think alike; act alike…
It’s not exactly a model of growth and innovation—and we’ve all seen where it leads.
My dream is to connect the people who don’t think alike. Those of us who feel disconnected; who feel confined; who feel alone and misunderstood. To create a new kind of community of people who aren’t following the same path. Who won’t accept the status quo.
An unlikely tribe of rebels, misfits and independent thinkers.
I want to bring together the most creative and insightful people in the world. People of all traditions—people with no tradition at all. And unite them through a common framework—an open foundation—and a vision of something greater.
The only way that spirituality is going to move forward into uncharted territory—to explore new horizons—is to grow beyond the confines of tradition. That’s what has held spirituality back for centuries.
Everyone just struggles to recreate the past… shoring up the limits of long dead pioneers.
Or we wander alone… with no one to connect with; no way to engage.
It’s time for that to change.
There are more people walking their own path now than ever before. And aside from that meaning that there are more people who are lost and lonely and dissatisfied than ever before—there’s never been greater opportunity to create something new and amazing.
And that’s where you come in…
You can follow your own path. You should follow your own path. And I’m happy to gear you up for your adventure, wherever the wild may take you.
But I hope you’ll also consider being a part of something bigger. To go beyond what any of us can do alone. And build something that everyone thought couldn’t exist.
For the past decade I’ve dedicated my life to an idea that would tear down the barriers between traditions. Transcending East and West; old and new; sacred and profane. And provide a framework for a new generation of seekers to explore spirituality on our terms—adding to it, improving on it—so it has the most meaning in our lives.
Now, I’m asking you to take the next step with me.
Welcome to Open Source Spirituality.
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