Actual Freedom ~ Frequently Asked Questions

Does responsibility and seriousness come with being carefree?

Do you live a moral life? If so, why? Would you lie, cheat and steal? Which morals are your own and which are seen to exist already? ... If there is no good or evil, right or wrong, why would you want to get rid of human sorrow?? That in itself is a value inferring that those things exist, are to be avoided, and should be eliminated.

And does your freedom entail the total and complete erasure of the human consciousness that moves the common herd or just only the moral conditioning – the sense of right and wrong, good and evil?

Does actualism reject the useful application of empirical wisdom such as ethics and psychology? And I mean empirical (proven results through the scientific method). I mean some very complex ethical issues in my Mental Health work require me to be able to reason Consequentially (i.e. Utilitarian, Situational Ethics), utilize ethical principles (Social Work Values, deontological principles), and have a virtue ethic (having pro-social habits – now actualism (and being in the moment with one’s senses/emotions/thought – which is a part of actualism but not exclusive to actualism) comes in here as it removes the ego/soul which of course has the pro-social benefit of altruism. Does actualism deny all this?

Richard, as you have used LeDoux, perhaps this [General Sensate Focusing Technique] can be of service. (snip link). 1) The GSFT was a pointer that peace could be found out side of spirituality – thus a precursor to be being open to AF. 2) I have broke some habits with it: a) obsessive TV watching. b) smoking. c) overeating. c) and others of a more personal nature. 3) I have improved my emotional climate: a) I have reduced the intensity and frequency of ‘being angry’. b) I have reduced the intensity and frequency of anxiety. Perhaps his detailed instruction of how to sensately focus could be of use for a beginning actualist.