Episode 03: Self-Transcendence
Episode 3 of M3CS’s Contemplative Science Podcast saw Dr Yuria Celidwen come on to the podcast to talk about Indigenous contemplative practices.
For the full podcast, check out the episode here.
In this episode, we cover...
The key differences between Western and Indigenous contemplative practice.
Different examples of cognitive imperialism.
The pitfalls of individualist contemplative practices.
Dr Yuria Celidwen is an Indigenous contemplative expert. A native of Indigenous Nahua and Maya descent, her research lives on the intersection of Indigenous studies, cultural psychology and contemplative science.
Here are some of the key insights from the conversation...
Indigenous practices focus on the community, rather than just the self.
”There's no human flourishing, as indigenous Traditions would say, without planetary flourishing. There cannot be wellness unless there's this possibility for thriving for all communities involved.”
The Western world is often guilty of cognitive imperialism.
“Cognitive imperialism is this idea of finding a practice, and then thinking that we in the west have the capacity or the possibility of choosing how to use those practices for our advantage, or our benefit. So in the end, you are intellectualising over these practices, and then extracting them for the benefit of the new container, using these practices as utilities.”
The spread of Eastern traditions like Buddhism has had a positive effect on the Western world.
“I am glad, very much, that the greatest wisdoms of Eastern Traditions spread, because there is this possibility that now we are having this conversation even, right? That, thanks to the normalisation of these practices, there has been now a version of practices in schools, in workplaces... Sure, they need to be reoriented and carefully guided. But it's happening.”
The best place to find Dr Yuria Celidwen is here.
See you next week!
