Why Reaching for Transcendence is Like Chasing Your Own Tail

And What to Do Instead

You ever catch yourself in the delusion of trying to transcend?

Hey, don't look away; you know what I'm talking about. This hunger to rise above, break through, and merge with the infinite—sounds romantic, doesn't it?

I'll tell you what it really is: a spiritual snipe hunt. Stop chasing your tail and listen.

The Spiritual Hamster Wheel

First, let's put the cards on the table.

Transcendence sounds like something you'd want to put on a résumé, except you're forgetting one thing. You're the one who rigged this game.

You're both the hamster and the wheel. Going round and round and the scenery? Same damn cage. Remember the classic Zen story about the man overboard in the ocean? He sees a log and clings to it. After a while, he gets tired and decides to let go, only to realize he's always been standing in shallow water. That's you, baby.

In your quest for transcendence, you're knee-deep in the waters you're desperately trying to navigate.

You're not sailing; you're flailing.

Your Golden Ticket to Nowhere

Why are you even in this pursuit?

What's so bad about here and now that you're so hell-bent on leaping into some cosmic goo?

Face it, you're not looking for enlightenment; you're running away from un-enlightenment. Albert Einstein once said something like: