Sensemaking a SpiritDAO community-created weekly column about applying our philosophy and practice to everyday life.

This weeks contributors: Ron Rivers

Yesterday, ex-military officer David Grusch announced that the U.S. government harbored secret knowledge of extraterrestrial spacecraft. "These are retrieving non-human origin technical vehicles, call it spacecraft if you will, non-human exotic origin vehicles that have either landed or crashed," Grusch declared on NewsNation. While we cannot yet verify these claims and should question the timing given the current crisis, it is intriguing to consider the implications if Grusch's revelations are true. If we assume these crafts are authentic, then we should consider the core values we embody to navigate our eventual first encounters with extraterrestrial beings. Relation, Awareness, and Courage are three core values that, if embraced fully, would most ideally frame our experience of contact.

The core value of Relation rests on the idea that we, along with these presumed extraterrestrial beings, are all interconnected within a relational universe governed by a single truth – moments of totality bound to perpetual change. We would be distinct from them and, simultaneously, deeply connected through our embodiment as fractions of the larger whole. Likely from a perspective, we would struggle to comprehend in our immediate present. Perhaps closer than we think. Therefore it would be wise to approach these beings with respect, realizing that they are different expressions of the same cosmic totality we embody. By embracing the other as a part of our temporal experience, we acknowledge that each being, human or extraterrestrial, is a unique and invaluable fraction of the universe's infinite complexity.

Awareness, the second core value, calls for conscious recognition and engagement with the totality of our experience, particularly in such extraordinary circumstances. Breathing in the reality of the encounter, we must remain firmly grounded in the now, fully attentive to the unfolding events. Such heightened awareness, arising from our comprehension of the relational universe, will enable us to act wisely, minimizing potential mistakes that could be made in the face of the unknown.

Finally, we come to Courage, the third core value. Courage here is not a reckless bravery or arrogant show of strength but an embrace of fearlessness in the face of immense uncertainty. If extraterrestrial beings are among us, we can likely conclude that they do not desire our destruction. Otherwise, we wouldn't be here to speculate about their existence. You draw courage from the fact that you would not present to bear witness to first contact if the extraterrestrial wanted you dead. So in any alternative scenario to death, we can assume the beings want us alive or, at the very least, are not proactively seeking to eliminate us. This fact should encourage us, reminding us that our primary goal during first contact is not survival but meaningful interaction. 

Therefore, the principles of Relation, Awareness, and Courage are not merely for a hypothetical encounter with extraterrestrial beings. Instead, they form the bedrock of our human experience in this shared reality. They call us to acknowledge and respect our shared humanity, to be acutely aware of our moments within the totality, and to face the unknown with courage. As we traverse the ever-changing landscape of existence, these values will serve as a compass, guiding us toward a more enlightened state of being, irrespective of who or what we may encounter.

Weekly Happenings

🎦 On boarding process continues to evolve, with our Proof of Curiosity and Mission / Structure on-boarding videos now complete and under community evaluation.

⚙ We have migrated off of Clarity - all events, bounties, tasks, projects, are being managed through DAOLens (members only).

💰 All past/present book revenues have been transferred to the DAO Vault. 100% of all future revenues from book sales (all formats) will support the community wallet. To date R. Rivers has profited $0.00 from the book. This move was made to ensure deeper align with our mission and purpose. Upon formation, the DAO will need to errata the published texts.

👋 We've been having some great discussions is our weekly Contemplative Practice and Town Halls. Join our discord to stay up to date on our latest gatherings.

Thank you for reading!
Please share this email. We are spreading the message one curious person at a time.

Connect with SpiritDAO

🐦 Twitter
🤝 Discord
💬 Telegram
▶️ YouTube
🌐 Website
📜 Docs

As we continue to grow, we want to make sure that our values and efforts align with our community needs. Join us every Friday at 4:00pm EST for our weekly Town Hall.