@Meaningness How would you determine if one is deluding oneself? Ive become interested in something that most rationalists would consider complete nonsense, have seen enough results to keep me interested, but can't help but feel I'm delusional. would love to hear your perspective
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Replying to @hmmmcurious
Hmm, I doubt there is any general method. (If there were, it would be easy... and it isn't!) I could advise applying common sense... but that is probably too vague to be useful. Or "talk about it to many different sorts of people to get opinions" maybe?
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Replying to @Meaningness
Thank you
One of the problems with talking to different people in this case, is that few who disagree have actually studied it, and most would dismiss it based on not having an obvious mechanism of action.1 reply 0 retweets 2 likes -
Replying to @hmmmcurious @Meaningness
One shape of safety net: - Think about what it involves for you to pursue your interest in [unusual idea]. - What sort of resources (time, money, effort, social regard, etc) might you invest in this investigation? 1/
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- Do you have enough slack to make this bet, and to "lose" the bet comfortably if [unusual idea] turned out to be unfruitful or definitively false? - Are there ways of investigating [unusual idea] that are less "costly" or "risky" while still giving useful info? 2/
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Ex. low-risk unusual bet: Someone decides to leave small food offerings for the Fair Folk that might live in the garden, to see if it changes their luck.
Cost: Low (<$1 + 5 min/day)
Risks: Mild (may attract possums, or raised eyebrows and gentle ribbing from friends)
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Ex. high-risk unusual bet: "I AM THE REINCARNATED PROPHET OF ZIG'THOMAD! I have Received a Vision that I must Go to the Place of the One and Drink from the Fountain to Fulfill the Prophecy! CONTRIBUTE to my kickstarter here:" [cont'd
]
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Ex. high-risk unusual bet (cont'd): Cost: High in $$$$ (plane tix, hallucinogens), time (months or years), etc. Risks: High potential damage to social connections, (cults, reputation/trust), mental health (mania, psychosis), physical health (tropical maladies), etc. 5/
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If you think of risks, see if there are any ways to investigate [unusual idea] that avoid or mitigate these risks. That will be useful for your wellbeing, and can also make it easier to show concerned friends that you're tracking the pragmatic as well as the [unusual]. 6/
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I hope the examples are coming across in the way I'm intending, grounded caring + humor. I used to work at an ayahuasca center, until I got fired for being too rational. I've had some... extremely unusual experiences, and I've made some more and less risky bets myself. 7/
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(I am laughing uncontrollably in this desert cemetery) Sensible suggestions, txpic.twitter.com/0IcxbAfmwM
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