Consciousness and Magic

[Tyger]

This is interesting -

An Experiment with Meditators Shows That Human Mind Can Interfere with Quantum Objects
LINK: An Experiment with Meditators Shows That Human Mind Can Interfere with Quantum Objects - Learning Mind

Text: "A lot of researchers have recently started to conduct a variety of experiments to understand whether or not the human consciousness has any effect on the physical world. A lot of experiments have already drawn conclusive results aiming towards the subtle effect that human mind has on the surrounding material world. One such experiment is the double slit experiment in which meditators and non-meditators were given specific instructions that could alter the predicted results.

The double slit optical system has a certain ratio of interference that is related to its single and double slit spectral power. The hypothesis, keeping in mind previous research in this field, was that if observers directed their attention towards the optical system, there would be a significant decrease in this ratio, and if their attention was away from the system, the results would be similar to the predicted ones.

The experiment was conducted by changing different variables one at a time. For some set of experiments non-meditators were used. In another set of experiments meditators from a temple were used. In one of the sets of experiments, apart from giving instructions to focus towards or away from the optical systems, two different types of music also played in the background. When the participants were asked to focus their attention away from the system, soft continuous tone played in the background. When they were asked to focus their attention towards the optical system, then music with the same pitch as that of the perturbations in the wavefunction played in the background.

The results for each set of experiments were surprising. With meditators focusing their attention towards the optical system, the decrease in the interference ratio was far more significant than the decrease caused by non-meditators; hereby proving that people with a larger capacity to focus caused the greatest changes in the predicted results as compared to those who had lower capacity to focus. The music also interfered with the predicted results in the similar manner: the music of the same pitch as the perturbations of the wavefunction caused a larger decrease in the interference ratio.

With the results of such experiments stacking up, it has now become hard for physicists to actually deny the fact that our consciousness plays a role in shaping the reality around us, however subtle it may be. Using the power of our minds, we can make our surroundings be similar to the state of our consciousness."

 

[Tyger]

From the link posted above, the point of greatest significance imo for the purposes of this thread is: "people with a larger capacity to focus caused the greatest changes in the predicted results as compared to those who had lower capacity to focus."

This is relevant to the idea of manifestation. The idea of manifestation is correlated to the power to focus.

 

[smcder]

This ties in with Needleman's ideas on attention ... I'll try to post more on this.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[smcder]

I'll get back to Needleman ... In the meantime, on the subject of healing, I came across a Rabbit Tobacco plant, I know a bit about herbs and plant magic but had never heard of this one:

Rabbit Tobacco Seeds from Alchemy Works - Seeds for Magick Herbs and Pagan Gardens

In the Aster family, medicinally used for asthma (smoked) chewed for sore throats, diaphoretic, can be taken as a tea.

"The Sioux described it as a plant able to walk the borderline between the dead and the living, which is shown in the way the plant's flowers persist after the plant is dead but also in that the dried herb will suddenly, after months or years, release a lot of scent--as if it has just returned from the world of the dead. Various uses amongst the tribes illustrate this magic herb's borderland capabilities (living/dead, awake/asleep, sane/insane)."

 

[Tyger]

TEDxSantaCruz: Nancy Abrams and Joel Primack - Changing The World Through A Shared Cosmology

TEXT: "Uploaded on Jul 8, 2011
Nancy Ellen Abrams is a lawyer (J.D., U. of Michigan) with a B.A. from the University of Chicago in the history and philosophy of science. She specializes in the role of science in a new politics and is an award-winning writer and lecturer at UCSC.

Joel R. Primack is Distinguished Professor of Physics at UCSC. He received his A.B. in Physics from Princeton and Ph.D. in Physics from Stanford. He is one of the creators of the theory of Cold Dark Matter, the accepted theory of the formation and evolution of galaxies and the nature of the dark matter that makes up most of the mass in the universe. Nancy and Joel co-authored "The New Universe and the Human Future: How a Shared Cosmology Could Transform the World and The View from the Center of the Universe: Discovering Our Extraordinary Place in the Universe." "

As mentioned, Primack and Abrams are the authors of
The View From the Center of the Universe: Discovering Our Extraordinary Place in the Cosmos Paperback – August 7, 2007 by Joel R. Primack (Author), Nancy Ellen Abrams

and

The New Universe and the Human Future: How a Shared Cosmology Could Transform the World (The Terry Lectures Series) Paperback – June 5, 2012 by Nancy Ellen Abrams Joel R. Primack

 

[smcder]

I've been wondering why this thread has never taken off ... perhaps someone has put a hex on it ...

It may be due to the nature of magic as a practice, the bewildering forms, schools and theories - although it's history is clear enough and parallels that of religion and science:

It may also be that, like other discussions of the paranormal, the deeper you get into the subject the more confused you become and the stranger the things are that happen to you - beginning with synchronicities.

I thought I'd list a few resources that have been helpful to me, in case this thread ends here but also in hopes of continuing the discussion.

A Sense of The Cosmos - Jacob Needleman

A Sense of the Cosmos: Scientific Knowledge and Spiritual Truth - Jacob Needleman - Google Books

Chapter 1 is essential background and chapter 6 is on Magic. Chapter 2 is entitled:

The Science of Medicine and the Fear of Death and is relevant to the discussion of healing on this thread.

Sections of the text are also available here:

THE UNIVERSE AS A TEACHING

Mysticism: A Study in the Nature and Development of Man's Spiritual Consciousness by Evelyn a Underhill - this is the book on mysticism - rigorous and complete.

I recommend it along with Huxley's The Perennial Philosophy.

The entire text is available free here:

Mysticism: A Study in Nature and Development of Spiritual Consciousness - Christian Classics Ethereal Library

and in audio here:

LibriVox

Chapter 7 - Mysticism and Magic gives a history of magic, distinguishes it from mysticism and gives an account of the magical elements used in religious practice.

Alejandro Jodorowsky's - The Holy
Mountain (1973)

This film is grotesque, comic, blatant and subtle and ( hopefully) unlike anything you've ever seen. But it does have a lot to say about magic.

 

[Tyger]

I've been wondering why this thread has never taken off ... perhaps someone has put a hex on it ...

I haven't your's and Constance's stamina and drive to maintain the conversation on my own as you have had on the Paranormal thread. You all have long since left me in the dust over there. Never mind writing a post, I haven't the time to devote to reading the posts themselves and the links. I suspect I am missing out on a great education.

It's also a word that conjures up ready-made images that most people dismiss. It is not viewed as a legitimate area of study. Even it one does want to study it, what does one study?

Also, the presence of trolls can be very off-putting. Hectoring and derisive ridicule from the sidelines simply gums up the conversation, succeeding in silencing posters. For some reason this whole area engenders fear and anxiety for some, probably because it deals so much with the 'unknown' and 'subconscious'. It seems to be a shadowy world of power impossible to understand unless one entertains (what appears to be) disquieting (for some) possibilities.

It may be due to the nature of magic as a practice, the bewildering forms, schools and theories - although it's history is clear enough and parallels that of religion and science:

Is magic a 'practice'? I have never thought of it that way. That may be so for those who have chosen the path of 'witchcraft', or have taken the path of the religion of 'Wiccan' - all fairly recent 20th century manifestations/assemblages of very ancient ideas. I would say that magic 'as a practice' is very much counter to religion and science. Magic as a fact is something else.

It may also be that, like other discussions of the paranormal, the deeper you get into the subject the more confused you become and the stranger the things are that happen to you - beginning with synchronicities.

Perhaps because magic requires one to confront the reality of consciousness, not just the theoretical abstract play of ideas. In that sense magic is a 'practice'. Paying attention to the moon phases - observing what takes place at the waning of the moon as distinct from the waxing of the moon, for example - is requiring a level of natural and self observation many are unwilling to engage in. Taking another's word for what happens at such times enters the realms of superstition. It's one thing to use prior adept's information as guidelines, but one ever dances a merry dance between singular knowledge and superstition. Science btw has none of this. The superstition that is generated by science is not acknowledged nor openly named and dealt with. Part of the problem there is the fact that while in 'magic' anyone can be the adept, in science there really is a 'high priest' status. Only 'real scientists' can argue points of science, for example, and they must be a scientist doing active research in a particular area before that have the imprimatur to speak with authority.

My hope for the thread has always been that it does not became academic, a la the Paranormal discussion. Most people - and I am one of them, unfortunately - do not have the time wherewithal to delve deeply into reading and watching extensive videos. I can deal with an on-going conversation via postings - and value summations of ideas based on the content of articles linked to - but more is hard to do. The links are valuable to have. though.

I'm aware that we have a troll who has recently descended on this thread - after staying clear as he was correctly suppose to do. The result will be that all the pretty things will be smashed and mauled up beyond recognition. Decent discourse will be impeded.

 

[Randall]

I've been wondering why this thread has never taken off ... perhaps someone has put a hex on it ...

Just Follow This Expert Instructional Video

​

 

[Randall]

Non Beleiver? Watch Into The Lotus Den

​

 

[Randall]

But Don't Watch This - It May Challenge Your Beliefs !

​

 

[smcder]

I haven't your's and Constance's stamina and drive to maintain the conversation on my own as you have had on the Paranormal thread. You all have long since left me in the dust over there. Never mind writing a post, I haven't the time to devote to reading the posts themselves and the links. I suspect I am missing out on a great education.

It's also a word that conjures up ready-made images that most people dismiss. It is not viewed as a legitimate area of study. Even it one does want to study it, what does one study?

Also, the presence of trolls can be very off-putting. Hectoring and derisive ridicule from the sidelines simply gums up the conversation, succeeding in silencing posters. For some reason this whole area engenders fear and anxiety for some, probably because it deals so much with the 'unknown' and 'subconscious'. It seems to be a shadowy world of power impossible to understand unless one entertains (what appears to be) disquieting (for some) possibilities.



Is magic a 'practice'? I have never thought of it that way. That may be so for those who have chosen the path of 'witchcraft', or have taken the path of the religion of 'Wiccan' - all fairly recent 20th century manifestations/assemblages of very ancient ideas. I would say that magic 'as a practice' is very much counter to religion and science. Magic as a fact is something else.



Perhaps because magic requires one to confront the reality of consciousness, not just the theoretical abstract play of ideas. In that sense magic is a 'practice'. Paying attention to the moon phases - observing what takes place at the waning of the moon as distinct from the waxing of the moon, for example - is requiring a level of natural and self observation many are unwilling to engage in. Taking another's word for what happens at such times enters the realms of superstition. It's one thing to use prior adept's information as guidelines, but one ever dances a merry dance between singular knowledge and superstition. Science btw has none of this. The superstition that is generated by science is not acknowledged nor openly named and dealt with. Part of the problem there is the fact that while in 'magic' anyone can be the adept, in science there really is a 'high priest' status. Only 'real scientists' can argue points of science, for example, and they must be a scientist doing active research in a particular area before that have the imprimatur to speak with authority.

My hope for the thread has always been that it does not became academic, a la the Paranormal discussion. Most people - and I am one of them, unfortunately - do not have the time wherewithal to delve deeply into reading and watching extensive links. I can deal with an on-going conversation via postings - and value summations of ideas based on the content of articles linked to - but more is hard to do. The links are valuable to have. though.

I'm aware that we have a troll who has recently descended on this thread - after staying clear as he was correctly suppose to do. The result will be that all the pretty things will be smashed and mauled up beyond recognition. Decent discourse will be impeded.

Great post, Tyger ... I believe that we can have decent discourse here.

Can you expand on this any?

"Is magic a 'practice'? I have never thought of it that way. That may be so for those who have chosen the path of 'witchcraft', or have taken the path of the religion of 'Wiccan' - all fairly recent 20th century manifestations/assemblages of very ancient ideas. I would say that magic 'as a practice' is very much counter to religion and science. Magic as a fact is something else."

I guess it hinges on the definition of practice ... what I meant was that it's hard to talk about something practical like magic, the actual practice, the "how do you do it" of magic - like trying to learn boxing from a book. A good coach can watch a pupil or spar with him/her and know what has to be corrected, etc. On the other hand you can learn a great deal from a book if you have a natural kinesthetic sense or have some basic knowledge - some people can look at a picture or watch an actual boxing match and learn a tremendous amount - their muscles actual activate in the patterns they are watching (or rehearsing in mental training) but then some people can play piano by ear.

Specifically what you meant here:

"I would say that magic 'as a practice' is very much counter to religion and science. Magic as a fact is something else."

The mystic branches of all religions say the same thing about psi, paranormal, magic powers and events that may happen on the mystic path: siddhis in Hinduism for example - which is: ignore them and continue the practice. Not necessarily that all of them are harmful, but they are less than the final aim of mystic practice.

 

[smcder]

@Tyger wrote:

"For some reason this whole area engenders fear and anxiety for some, probably because it deals so much with the 'unknown' and 'subconscious'. It seems to be a shadowy world of power impossible to understand unless one entertains (what appears to be) disquieting (for some) possibilities."

I agree - it is taboo ... so taboo, that like pornography, it's every where.

I'm writing "morning pages" - a basic technique for writers and artists of every kind - clearing the mind, it's a kind of meditation - you simply write three pages long hand every day - it's best if you never pick the pen up from the paper - it's completely unreadable and eventually pulls up all kinds of things from the subconscious - but it also clears you out mentally and my more traditional meditation practice (following the breath, for example) benefits greatly - I get centered much more quickly, I also have more energy and focus at all times of the day. So, although this is not particularly "magic" it does work powerfully with the subconscious and what comes up isn't always positive. In magic you're warned of unintended consequences, but this warning should be applied to every action we take, no good deed, even - goes unpunished.

Even to read or think about magic can have effects and one should be grounded and understand these ideas in context (or perhaps be a complete non-believer, although they can be the most vulnerable to outrageous ideas ... and what's a complete non-believer doing reading a book of magic, anyway??)

Two other resources:

Lieber Null by Peter J. Carroll - Carroll helped define "chaos magick" which is basically the recognition that in ritual magic, the ritual is important - what ritual, what theory you use - is less important, but that it makes sense to you and you believe in it ... this work is available on line but I'll let folks search it out for themselves.

The Kybalion -

The Kybalion by Three Initiates - Free Ebook

and in audiobook format free here:

ThoughtAudio.com - The Kybalion written by Three Initiates, free audio book download

It carries its own warnings and caveats more than Carroll's work ... and, if you Google "how do I do magic" you get all sorts of stuff anyway, so the genie is out of the bottle.

There is an element of self obscuration here, like learning boxing from a book - the talented can do it ... and as to putting knowledge in the hands of the wrong person, that's what wrong people do after all - someone who is drawn to magic for the wrong reasons will have found it long before now, there are far more direct routes and they are probably already into lots of other things for the wrong reasons. At least, that's what I tell myself - and I don't know how we can talk about magic without having read something about it.

Finally, Alan Moore and Grant Morrison - the comic book/graphic novelists are also associated with sigil magic (Austin Osman Spare) - one of the more accessible (and volatile) forms of magic.

 

[Tyger]

Great post, Tyger ... I believe that we can have decent discourse here.

As long as one does not feed the trolls.

Can you expand on this any?

"Is magic a 'practice'? I have never thought of it that way. That may be so for those who have chosen the path of 'witchcraft', or have taken the path of the religion of 'Wiccan' - all fairly recent 20th century manifestations/assemblages of very ancient ideas. I would say that magic 'as a practice' is very much counter to religion and science. Magic as a fact is something else."

I don't know what you want me to expand on.

I guess it hinges on the definition of practice ... what I meant was that it's hard to talk about something practical like magic, the actual practice, the "how do you do it" of magic - like trying to learn boxing from a book. A good coach can watch a pupil or spar with him/her and know what has to be corrected, etc. On the other hand you can learn a great deal from a book if you have a natural kinesthetic sense or have some basic knowledge - some people can look at a picture or watch an actual boxing match and learn a tremendous amount - their muscles actual activate in the patterns they are watching (or rehearsing in mental training) but then some people can play piano by ear.

Actually, people do sorcery all the time. They ensorcel matter all the time. People are manifesting all the time. An adept has discovered the 'laws' behind such and is doing so consciously.

Specifically what you meant here:

"I would say that magic 'as a practice' is very much counter to religion and science. Magic as a fact is something else."

It is counter to religion in the sense that it is neither faith-based nor belief-based, but based on experience. Though saying that, magic does exist within an epistemology, or 'belief-system'. You can't have successful manifestation without it - though every human being engages in the actions of sorcery without knowing that is what they do as they live, breath, feel, think and act. It requires a most subtle shift in thinking. So subtle that the 'door' to this way is missed - and so it self-protects itself.

It is also counter to science - in a sense - because it's instrument of perception is the human being - though it shares many similarities with science, because our modern science emerged out of 'magic', alchemy. The true adept (or magician) is a keen observer of the natural world - but that observation takes into account both the mineral/physical world and the subtle world of spiritual forces.

The mystic branches of all religions say the same thing about psi, paranormal, magic powers and events that may happen on the mystic path: siddhis in Hinduism for example - which is: ignore them and continue the practice. Not necessarily that all of them are harmful, but they are less than the final aim of mystic practice.

Yes, phenomenon is not to be sought for phenomenon sake. The cautions are there repeated again and again - for good reasons. Having a capacity awake is an important threshold moment. We are destined to be so endowed with the higher siddhis in the future in the natural course of events. More and more humanity will find the spiritual world opening up to subtle perceptions in day-waking consciousness. A refined mental body - as well as emotions - is essential to that awakening happening in a healthy way. I am of the opinion that our natural aversion to 'magic' is deeply ingrained because of an instinctive understanding that one is not yet 'ready' in a way that will assure an 'ascent' rather than a 'descent.

 

[Tyger]

@Tyger wrote:

"For some reason this whole area engenders fear and anxiety for some, probably because it deals so much with the 'unknown' and 'subconscious'. It seems to be a shadowy world of power impossible to understand unless one entertains (what appears to be) disquieting (for some) possibilities."

I agree - it is taboo ... so taboo, that like pornography, it's every where.

I think magic is a word that when used has many connotations. We say it was a magical scene. We say the moonlight was shining magically on the ocean waves. We say someone has a magical quality. We say an event was 'pure magic'. We say there was 'magic in the air' the moment when we met someone special. The sense conveyed is of something out-of-the-ordinary, beyond the norm, beyond human ken - touching something otherly, from another realm perhaps.

Then there is drawing room magic a la Vegas. The apparent, the seeming, the trickster on the physical/mental - this , too has relevance.

Then there is the magical realm of Faerie of legend - a place beyond time, before time - Time is the key. What is Time? Why are we in Time? What happens when we are out-of-Time? When we are 'out-of-Time' is there a 'where' or 'here'?

There is so much we really don't know. The 'certainty' of materialist science is keeping the fear of the unknown at bay. The tape-loop it created is self-fulfilling. Magic is sought in manufactured illusions.

There is an element of self obscuration here, like learning boxing from a book - the talented can do it ... and as to putting knowledge in the hands of the wrong person, that's what wrong people do after all - someone who is drawn to magic for the wrong reasons will have found it long before now, there are far more direct routes and they are probably already into lots of other things for the wrong reasons. At least, that's what I tell myself - and I don't know how we can talk about magic without having read something about it.

What you are referring to is the teacher. The teacher can come in many ways. The teacher can come in a book, yes. But to him who has learned to observe, the answers come. Books can be a misdirection. But guidance is always there one-way-or-another. We have not been left on our own totally. The trail of breadcrumbs is there. Knowledge does not come one way. But....I ramble.....

 

[Tyger]

Just came across a great quote that I think pertains to many who do not discern reality from unreality: "Haters will see you walk on water and say it's because you can't swim."

As much as I value a skeptical turn of mind, cynicism can be self-defeating.

 

[Randall]

Since this thread is associated with "Consciousness and Magic",
for the benefit of those who are new here, I'll repost this video that exposes
some of the typical BS that the purveyors of such nonsense like to spread around.​

​

 

[smcder]

As long as one does not feed the trolls.



I don't know what you want me to expand on.



Actually, people do sorcery all the time. They ensorcel matter all the time. People are manifesting all the time. An adept has discovered the 'laws' behind such and is doing so consciously.



It is counter to religion in the sense that it is neither faith-based nor belief-based, but based on experience. Though saying that, magic does exist within an epistemology, or 'belief-system'. You can't have successful manifestation without it - though every human being engages in the actions of sorcery without knowing that is what they do as they live, breath, feel, think and act. It requires a most subtle shift in thinking. So subtle that the 'door' to this way is missed - and so it self-protects itself.

It is also counter to science - in a sense - because it's instrument of perception is the human being - though it shares many similarities with science, because our modern science emerged out of 'magic', alchemy. The true adept (or magician) is a keen observer of the natural world - but that observation takes into account both the mineral/physical world and the subtle world of spiritual forces.



Yes, phenomenon is not to be sought for phenomenon sake. The cautions are there repeated again and again - for good reasons. Having a capacity awake is an important threshold moment. We are destined to be so endowed with the higher siddhis in the future in the natural course of events. More and more humanity will find the spiritual world opening up to subtle perceptions in day-waking consciousness. A refined mental body - as well as emotions - is essential to that awakening happening in a healthy way. I am of the opinion that our natural aversion to 'magic' is deeply ingrained because of an instinctive understanding that one is not yet 'ready' in a way that will assure an 'ascent' rather than a 'descent.

"ensorcel"

I like that word ...

Great expansion !

The last statement about an instinctive understanding that one is not ready is very interesting - I'd not heard that before. But I don't think everyone has this natural aversion or at least they don't listen to it ...

I agree with the idea of self protection - the literal way that many people think is another protection - when we talk about power over nature we mean something very different from people who lived in other times and under demanding conditions.

Alchemy and it's relationship to modern science is also interesting ... my understanding is that Alchemy was always about transmutation of the soul - the metallurgical processes were external symbols of this and "charcoal burners" were those who took these processes as literal efforts to make gold from baser metals.

 

[smcder]

Attention is another aspect you mention that has come up for me a lot recently ...

sustained attention is at the heart of every meditative and mystical practice. And it's difficult!

Some of the best instruction on meditation I've received is to focus on the breath just a few seconds at a time in the beginning - because that's all you'll be able to do - and to take a break after a few efforts - so our natural capacity to pay attention to one thing is very low (just as we can only consciously process a few bits of information at a time) but the potential to develop that capacity of attention appears to be unlimited.

The other thing about attention is that the specific link to breath (and a few other objects - body awareness, loving- kindness (Metta)) is special - as that time lengthens focusing on it, many new things happen - I think this is like your idea of the teacher being implicit in attention - in that the whole of the Dharma seems to be contained in the breath and unfurls itself as you stay with simply breathing in and breathing out.

 

[Tyger]

Attention is another aspect you mention that has come up for me a lot recently ...

sustained attention is at the heart of every meditative and mystical practice. And it's difficult!

Where we place our attention is key. Where we place (or focus) our attention, we 'animate'. Like a ray of sunlight focussed through a magnifying glass that stirs the ember and ignites to flame.

The intensity of our focus, our attention, is key, as well. When speaking of manifestation it is so often a case of: 'Oh I tried that, it doesn't work.' Well, in fact it does work - and powerfully. Every instant of our lives we are drawing to ourselves what we focus on. A lifetime - or at least decades - of thinking one is this or that - or the world is this or that - cannot be undone in a day's worth, or a week's worth, of 'attention'. The single most evident quality of those who can manifest consciously is their powerful will forces, coupled with a singularity of purpose/intent, sustained over time. A sanguine frivolity does not work where sangfroid is needed.

It's also not merely a marshaling of mental focus, but of emotional command, as well. All aspects go to sustain the attention. Paradoxically, none of this is in any way strained. Riding bareback is a good example - astride a powerful horse, naked and alive to every nuance - with the ability to command at the merest touch. So like the well-trained mind and emotions. With such command, the door opens - beyond which stands the teacher. Only then can the teacher dispense the higher work. All the preparatory work is now done outside the 'precincts of the temple'. In yonder days the first three initiations took place within the protections and guidance of an actual temple. No longer. We must traverse the conditions of the first three initiations 'on our own' in a manner of speaking. Further work beyond that requires particular guidance - and as the old adage says: 'When the student is ready, the teacher appears.'

EDIT: Be aware that the distinctions between the Left and Right Hand Paths are pertinent here. There are reasons that there are references to White and Black Magic, to a White and Black Brotherhood. The latter is not to be taken literally, but it does refer to a something that does exist in a manner of speaking. Literalism is a problem in this regard and why 'the less said the better' - because inevitably the words will be misunderstood.

If you understand the above you understand why 'phenomena' is a 'blind'. It is on the order of a test. The goal is far loftier - far more significant than a a handful of 'parlor tricks' to entertain the bored or boorish.

 

[Tyger]

If you are in a dialectic.

This is the kind of stuff one sees in mediations. Very time consuming - usually employed when there has been a real breakdown in sane communication - emotions are running high - and a conclusion/resolution is required by the situation.

I'm not sure what to make of a kinder, gentler Daniel Dennett but these seem good rules:

How to Criticize with Kindness: Philosopher Daniel Dennett on the Four Steps to Arguing Intelligently | Brain Pickings

How to compose a successful critical commentary:

1. You should attempt to re-express your target’s position so clearly, vividly, and fairly that your target says, “Thanks, I wish I’d thought of putting it that way.

2. You should list any points of agreement (especially if they are not matters of general or widespread agreement).

3. You should mention anything you have learned from your target.

4. Only then are you permitted to say so much as a word of rebuttal or criticism.

Can spot this one from a mile away......beware of being 'managed'...... or attempting to manage. IMHO.

EDIT: Non-sequiter - on consideration - I can't figure out why you have quoted this here.