> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.withrealityinmind.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Life, the ultimate guru - URL: https://www.withrealityinmind.com/life-the-ultimate-guru/ - Published: 2025-08-26T13:41:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-20T20:24:32.000Z - Description: In theme with the launch of Bernardo's book, "The Daimon and the Soul of the West" - Author: Amir Giles - Tags: recording Recording details Date: 26 August 2025 Duration: 2h 19m Free preview Chapters **Time stamps** courtesy of Rita Conde 0:00:10 Book launch announcement 0:03:40 Meaning of the cover image 0:05:22 Why is the book autobiographical? 0:09:10 What is a typical and common life? 0:11:23 Childhood journey inside a mountain 0:14:37 The perennial lack in Western minds 0:15:27 An Indian talking with Jung 0:17:20 The urge to climb the magic mountain 0:19:14 Odyssey references in the chapter titles 0:20:15 What does Bernardo mean by “the West”? 0:23:00 Childhood nostalgia 0:25:40 **Time makes everything sacred** 0:26:00 Bernardo's father’s passing 0:28:23 First explorations on a computer 0:31:00 What is it like to be a bat? 0:33:32 How computers relate to consciousness 0:36:39 Moving to Europe 0:39:35 The first and second halves of life 0:44:40 **Life is the greatest teacher** 0:45:40 Rebirth as a philosopher 0:49:00 Philosophy as a necessity for continuing to live 0:51:00 Becoming an idealist 0:55:00 **True philosophy is lived philosophy** 0:57:00 The unconscious philosophical narrative 0:58:00 CERN as the cathedral of materialism 00:59:00 Bernardo the philosopher 1:00:55 A Daimonic life 1:02:35 Extreme existential suffering 1:04:39 Fulfilling nature’s will 1:06:01 **Inner voice** and Jung’s influence 1:10:00 The boy is really desperate now 1:13:10 The revelation of the Daimon 1:16:56 Doing therapy 1:20:55 Surrendering to the Daimon is the ultimate freedom 1:23:00 The nature-given capacity to bear suffering 1:29:36 **Could suicide be Daimonic?** 1:33:12 Nietzsche saw beyond what any human can see 1:34:02 **What is faith?** 1:35:00 The need to understand everything is preposterous 1:39:00 We are the heroes of nature 1:42:00 The movements of the impersonal forces within 1:45:00 Paying attention to life 1:47:00 Reaching a **compromise with the Daimon** 1:48:00 The Daimon doesn’t explain itself 1:49:44 Synchronicities and creative leaps 1:52:10 Do philosophical insights require special mental states? 2:01:56 Bernardo's early UAP experience 2:07:00 **On falling in love** 2:16:00 Final remarks What can life teach us, if we pay careful attention to it? In this session, Bernardo offer a deeply personal answer, drawn from the literal ups and downs of a childhood in Brazil, the early loss of his father, his success in business, academia and science followed by the unravelling of his health, marriage and previous identity. Inspired by this week's launch of ***The Daimon and the Soul of the West***, Bernardo illustrates how a childhood fascination with computers evolved into a live-saving exploration of consciousness, with idealism opening the door to a life rich with meaning, surrender and purpose. We discussed: - How to align with natural forces in our lives - What it means to be a Westerner - Egoic addiction vs Daimonic obsession - How time makes everything sacred - Falling in love A really common question in these meetings has been how idealism can translate into a lived reality. This session felt special to me due to Bernardo's courage, vulnerability and honesty to use his own life to provide a vivid example. Next week we are joined by [Patrick Harpur](https://www.withrealityinmind.com/special-guest-patrick-harpur/) to continue this exact exploration, so I hope to see you there! ### Your questions on asking questions At the end of yesterday's meeting, I gave a quick recap on how to ask questions, which you can see here: I hope to see you next week! Amir Speakers ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c5/20/c520bbe6-927b-460d-bf38-d4f48d5dc338/content/images/2026/09/Bernardo-Kastrup-profile.jpg) Bernardo Kastrup Analytic idealism Bernardo Kastrup is the Executive Director of Essentia Foundation and Founder/CEO at AI systems company Euclyd BV. His work has set off the modern renaissance of metaphysical idealism. He has a Ph.D. in philosophy (ontology, philosophy of mind) and another in computer engineering (reconfigurable computing, artificial intelligence). As a scientist, he has worked for the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and the Philips Research Laboratories (where the ‘Casimir Effect’ of Quantum Field Theory was discovered). He has also been creatively active in the high-tech industry for almost 30 years, having founded parallel processor company Silicon Hive (acquired by Intel in 2011) and worked as a technology strategist for the geopolitically significant company ASML. Most recently, he has founded AI company Euclyd BV. Formulated in detail in many academic papers and books, his ideas have been featured in *Scientific American*, the magazine of *The Institute of Art and Ideas*, the *Blog of the American Philosophical Association* and *Big Think*, among others. His most defining book is *Analytic Idealism in a Nutshell: A straightforward summary of the 21st-century’s only plausible metaphysics.* [Explore Bernardo’s work →](https://www.bernardokastrup.com/?ref=withrealityinmind.com)