“What do we mean by seriousness? To be serious, to be earnest, surely implies the capacity to find out what is true. Can I find out what is true if my mind is tethered to any particular point of view? If it is bound by knowledge, by belief, if it is caught in the conditioning influences that are constantly impinging upon it, can the mind discover anything new? Does not seriousness imply the total application of one’s mind to any problem of life? Can a mind which is only partially attentive, which is contradictory within itself, however much it may attempt to be serious, ever respond adequately to the challenge of life? Is a mind that is torn by innumerable desires, each pulling in a different direction, capable of discovering what is true, however much it may try? And is it not, therefore, very important to have self-knowledge, to be serious in the process of understanding the self, with all its contradictions?”

As long as the ego dominates the individual, he cannot have the oceanic or transcendental experiences that make life meaningful. Since the ego recognizes only direct causes, it cannot admit the existence of forces beyond its comprehension. Thus, not until the ego bows down to a higher power (as in prayer, for instance) can an individual have a truly religious experience. Not until the ego surrenders to the body in sex can a person have an orgiastic experience. And only when the ego abdicates before the majesty of nature will a person have a mystical experience. In each case, the dissolution of the ego returns the individual to the state of unity and continuum in which "moving" experiences are possible.

"Valorize imperfections; disequilibrium, troubles, oversights, gaps, excess and defects of consciousness, derailments, desires, passion and irony. Fight against a plan of logic, of technical perfection, of formal rigor, of functions and structure. Around rocks of equilibrium will be waves and air, elements that will erode and reclaim."