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Richard’s Correspondence On The Actual Freedom Mailing List With Correspondent No. 114
RESPONDENT: I would like to start this email off by first thanking you for pushing forward in your quest for true freedom. RICHARD: The identity who had been inhabiting the flesh and blood body typing these words (the identity who delivered the goods humankind has yearned for over millennia) has been extinct for more than thirteen years now. RESPONDENT: I am doing the same in my own life, and have been on the spiritual path for a little while now. In coming across the actualfreedom website I have come across one idea here that is starting to overturn my spiritual desire. That being the knowledge that at my death I meet my own oblivion. A hard concept to come to terms with and move forward with given that I have previously approached my life with the idea that I was trying for immortality here. RICHARD: Hmm ... a clash of ideas, eh? Here is a clue: being anesthetised is oblivion; being in a deep sleep is oblivion; being in a profound faint is oblivion; being knocked out, or in any other way rendered unconscious/ insensible, is oblivion. RESPONDENT: In moving forward I am having troubles sustaining a vitalized interest in experiencing life as it actually is. RICHARD: It is essential to grasp the fact that this moment is your only moment of being alive: the past, although it did happen, is not actual now; the future, though it will happen, is not actual now; only now is actual. RESPONDENT: In my spiritual path I have found that I have isolated myself from most people, and do have troubles relating what I think I know with the general population as I don’t believe the general public really wants to know what I know. I know that I still get in the way but am having more and longer periods of sustained happiness, its just the zest for life that I’m missing and in need of experiencing before moving forward and actually experiencing the world as it is. RICHARD: ‘Tis a strange variety of happiness (sustained or otherwise) which precludes any zest for life ... so much so that perhaps a good dictionary may be in order to more adequately convey what you are feeling during those periods. RESPONDENT: I find myself now waiting for that turning over in the brain stem you spoke of on the actualfreedom website, while at the same time considering just ending it. RICHARD: Either way will ensure oblivion ... the advantage of the former way is that the flesh and blood body, which you would be killing with the latter way, will remain alive to live out its days in peace and harmony. RESPONDENT: These are very obviously two opposites of life, and although I don’t really have a specific question here I would like to hear from a like minded individual on what one has to do to herald this changing in ones brain stem. RICHARD: The only method so far which has delivered the goods is to ask yourself, each moment again until it becomes a wordless approach to life/a non-verbal attitude towards being here, how you are experiencing this moment of being alive (the only moment you are ever alive).
RESPONDENT: This email is to no one in particular, however I do want to write to the readers here a truism I have found in life. That being that Richard is not the first nor the last ... RICHARD: As I have never said that I am [quote] ‘the last’ [endquote] that is as good an example as any how an out-and-out lie from a closet spiritualist can take on not only an aura of being truthful but can even become a truth if mindlessly repeated often enough. RESPONDENT: ... [Richard is not the first] to understand actualism ... RICHARD: As actualism – the direct experience that matter is not merely passive – is experiential and not philosophical your truism is looking decidedly shakier the more you go on. RESPONDENT: ... [Richard is not the first to understand actualism], that being the knowledge that one has only this moment ... RICHARD: Whereas, where there is the direct experience that matter is not merely passive, time has no duration ... this moment is eternal. RESPONDENT: ... [Richard is not the first to understand actualism, that being the knowledge that one has only this moment] and that at death, the ceasing of brain function and heart pumping that indeed the individual who’s brain and heart I just referred to ceases to function that indeed that being will cease to be. RICHARD: Presuming that by [quote] ‘that being’ [endquote] you are referring to the identity within the body ceasing to be, at bodily death, then that understanding, that knowledge, is a feature of materialism ... whereas, where there is the direct experience that matter is not merely passive, that being has already ceased to be (as in experiential and not philosophical) whilst the flesh and blood body is still alive. RESPONDENT: It is as it always has been and always will be, our individual experiences of the eternal have no impact on the eternal. We are here but for a moment ... RICHARD: As that moment is, in actuality, eternal then there is all the time in the universe, so to
speak, for it to be stunningly aware, as an apperceptive human being, of its own infinitude And this is truly wonderful. RESPONDENT: ... [We are here but for a moment], and if one looks around oneself and witnesses the absurdity of what we as a society have become ... RICHARD: There is no [quote] ‘become’ [endquote] about it ... given the human condition societies have always been the way they are. RESPONDENT: ... then hopefully it will fall on one to make a change. RICHARD: Quite frankly, you can be as hopeful as all get-out yet unless you get off your backside and actually start doing something about the situation you find yourself in no substantial change is ever likely to occur. RESPONDENT: The absurdity I am speaking of here is that which leads one to believe that he/she is so important, or more so than anyone one else. RICHARD: As you began by asserting that [quote] ‘Richard is not the first nor the last’ [endquote] then the impression conveyed is that, although you have couched that in general terms, if only Richard was to look around himself and witnesses the absurdity of what humans as a society have become then hopefully it will fall upon him to make a change inasmuch he will no longer believe that he is so important or more so than anyone one else. Am I comprehending correctly? RESPONDENT: We are but an experience, there really is no point but to enjoy oneself, it is that simple. RICHARD: If I may ask? Have you never experienced a deep black depression, an overwhelmingly hateful rage, a paralysing baleful dread, an overpowering destructive aggression, an obsessively jealous love, a fatiguing compulsive compassion (and so on and so forth)? RESPONDENT: No biggy man, kick back and relax, and don’t sweat it ... RICHARD: So your solution (and please correct me if I am in error) to all the ills of humankind is that they are not at all important/ impressive so take it easy, stop worrying, and enjoy being alternatively fearful and aggressive and nurturing and desirous (and all the multiple offshoots thereof)? And the reason why I ask is because, only eleven days ago, you wrote that you are having troubles sustaining
a vitalised interest, that you have isolated yourself from most people, that you are missing the zest for life, and that you are
considering just ending it
RESPONDENT: This email is to no one in particular, however I do want to write to the readers here a truism I have found in life. That being that Richard is not the first nor the last ... RICHARD: As I have never said that I am [quote] ‘the last’ [endquote] that is as good an example as any how an out-and-out lie from a closet spiritualist can take on not only an aura of being truthful but can even become a truth if mindlessly repeated often enough. RESPONDENT: I agree, it was just that since I have been receiving this email correspondence from Topica this has been the general inquiry ... RICHARD: It has not been an inquiry (general or otherwise) ... it has been a beat-up from the get-go. RESPONDENT: ... so I thought to make mention of it. RICHARD: Whilst I appreciate you seeking to affirm, albeit in your own peculiar way, that I am not the last your affirmation is marred by just what it is you are affirming (more on this below). * RESPONDENT: ... [Richard is not the first] to understand actualism ... RICHARD: As actualism – the direct experience that matter is not merely passive – is experiential and not philosophical your truism is looking decidedly shakier the more you go on. RESPONDENT: My truism is as true as it gets actually. RICHARD: It is nothing of the sort ... to equate the direct experience that matter is not merely passive with an understanding, with the knowledge, that one has only this moment and that at death one will cease to be is about as false as it gets. Viz.:
RESPONDENT: Before I ever heard of you or ran into your words, I had met people and had friends who understood and lived the moment as it is. RICHARD: As you have now amended what you originally wrote (so as to include an experiential aspect) then what you are saying now looks something like this:
RESPONDENT: Just because they never tried to get others to understand them doesn’t mean they didn’t understand actuality. RICHARD: As you have further amended what you originally wrote (replacing the word actualism with the word actuality) then what you are saying now looks something like this:
* RESPONDENT: ... [Richard is not the first to understand actualism], that being the knowledge that one has only this moment ... RICHARD: Whereas, where there is the direct experience that matter is not merely passive, time has no duration ... this moment is eternal. RESPONDENT: Are you or are you not going to die Richard, as this blood and body ... RICHARD: Yes. RESPONDENT: ... [Are you or are you not going to die Richard, as this blood and body], the very one you use to type at your computer, or go sailing... RICHARD: If, as you assert, I am not the first to understand actualism then why do you say [quote] ‘use’ [endquote]? RESPONDENT: ... hence you are experiencing time, and the passage of such. RICHARD: If, as you assert, I am not the first to understand actualism then why do you say [quote] ‘time, and the passage of such’ [endquote]? * RESPONDENT: ... [Richard is not the first to understand actualism, that being the knowledge that one has only this moment] and that at death, the ceasing of brain function and heart pumping that indeed the individual who’s brain and heart I just referred to ceases to function that indeed that being will cease to be. RICHARD: Presuming that by [quote] ‘that being’ [endquote] you are referring to the identity within the body ceasing to be, at bodily death, then that understanding, that knowledge, is a feature of materialism ... whereas, where there is the direct experience that matter is not merely passive, that being has already ceased to be (as in experiential and not philosophical) whilst the flesh and blood body is still alive. RESPONDENT: So let me get this straight then, you are eternity then in that blood and body? Going around in that blood and body ... RICHARD: If, as you assert, I am not the first to understand actualism then why do you say [quote] ‘in’ [endquote]? RESPONDENT: ... [Going around in that blood and body], holding email correspondence to let the rest of us know our misunderstanding, and to show us how to understand. Am I correct in this understanding? RICHARD: If, as you assert, I am not the first to understand actualism then why ask me whether you are correct ... why not ask those people and friends you referred to further above? * RESPONDENT: It is as it always has been and always will be, our individual experiences of the eternal have no impact on the eternal. We are here but for a moment ... RICHARD: As that moment is, in actuality, eternal then there is all the time in the universe, so to speak, for it to be stunningly aware, as an apperceptive human being, of its own infinitude. And this is truly wonderful. RESPONDENT: I have experienced the moment you are referring to here Richard ... RICHARD: In which case why did you speak of the passage of time (further above)? RESPONDENT: ... [I have experienced the moment you are referring to here Richard], and it is a truly wonderful thing. RICHARD: In what way is that moment truly wonderful? RESPONDENT: The moment I was referring to was to living out each day of one’s life, from moment to moment. RICHARD: What is the difference, then, between [quote] ‘the eternal’ [endquote] and [quote] ‘moment to moment’ [endquote]?
RESPONDENT: I just finished reading the letter No. 53 sent which was originally from Irene his [Richard’s] ex, very revealing stuff. RICHARD: Aye, it is indeed very revealing stuff ... you would have read this, for instance:
That was written in October 1998 ... yet this is how she described it in November 1996:
As the central event of that era – her virtual freedom – is so grossly misrepresented a scant two years later as to be indistinguishable from an out-and-out lie just what credence should the remainder of that text be given? RESPONDENT: I myself had already seen through the crap propagated here ... RICHARD: You do realise, do you not, that unless you provide an instance, written by me, of what you characterise as [quote] ‘crap’ [endquote] your throwaway comment en passant will forever remain yet another example of empty rhetoric? RESPONDENT: ... [I myself had already seen through the crap propagated here], in doing so I want to relate to the readers that we are all right. RICHARD: There are 32 ‘major’ wars (armed conflicts with more than 1,000 casualties) currently occurring around the globe – wherein people are killing and wounding and maiming/ being killed and wounded and maimed – and 18 ‘minor’ wars (armed conflicts with less than 1,000 casualties) as you read this ... and 19 wars have only recently been either concluded or suspended. Given that in the last century an estimated 160,000,000 sane people were killed by their sane fellow human
beings, during wars alone In monetary terms, world-wide military spending for the year 2003 was $997.2 billion. Furthermore, all the murders and rapes and tortures and domestic violence and child abuse and sadness and loneliness and grief and depression and suicides (in the last century an estimated 40,000,000 people killed themselves) will continue on unabated unless radical change occurs: someone, somewhere is being murdered and someone, somewhere is murdering as these words are being written; someone, somewhere is being tortured and someone, somewhere is torturing as these words scroll past you; someone, somewhere is being raped and someone, somewhere is raping right now; someone, somewhere is being beaten up and someone, somewhere is doing the beating, in yet another case of domestic violence, at this very instant; somewhere some child is being brutalised, frightened out of their wits in yet another case of child abuse, at this very moment ... and such suffering, as sadness, loneliness, grief, depression, and so on, is going on in uncountable numbers of utterly miserable lives all around the world. Yet you want to relate to your readers that [quote] ‘we are all right’ [endquote].
RETURN TO THE ACTUAL FREEDOM MAILING LIST INDEX RETURN TO RICHARD’S CORRESPONDENCE INDEX The Third Alternative (Peace On Earth In This Life Time As This Flesh And Blood Body) Here is an actual freedom from the Human Condition, surpassing Spiritual Enlightenment and any other Altered State Of Consciousness, and challenging all philosophy, psychiatry, metaphysics (including quantum physics with its mystic cosmogony), anthropology, sociology ... and any religion along with its paranormal theology. Discarding all of the beliefs that have held humankind in thralldom for aeons, the way has now been discovered that cuts through the ‘Tried and True’ and enables anyone to be, for the first time, a fully free and autonomous individual living in utter peace and tranquillity, beholden to no-one.
Richard's Text ©The Actual Freedom Trust:
1997-. All Rights Reserved.
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