logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2023
38m 59s

The Quest for the Holy Grail (The Self)

ETERNALISED
About this episode

The Quest for the Holy Grail has fascinated the Western consciousness for a long time. It epitomises the true spirit of Western man and is, in many ways, the myth of Western civilisation. It is a perennial and timeless pattern that expresses fundamental concerns of the human condition.


The Holy Grail is a mysterious object guarded by a king in a hidden castle. It has been described as a cup, dish, or a magical stone that can provide healing powers, immortality, eternal youth, and unlimited nourishment. It represents the fulfilment of the highest spiritual potentialities in human consciousness, which endows the world with a symbolic and spiritual meaning. The quest for the Holy Grail is always more or less the same, it is the hero’s journey, at the end of which one obtains the “treasure hard to attain.” It is the search for that which makes life most meaningful.


Psychologically, the Holy Grail—like the philosophers' stone—is a symbol of the Self, the psychic totality and ultimate wholeness of the human being. The soul which represents the life principle, is that wondrous vessel which is the goal of the quest, whose final secret can never be revealed, but must ever remain hidden because its essence is a mystery.


🛒 ⁠Official merch⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate a coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

📨 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠


━━━━━━━━━━━━━


⌛ Timestamps (0:00) Introduction (2:44) Perceval and the Grail (9:35) The Continuations of the Grail Legend (10:35) The Grail and The Philosophers’ Stone (13:46) From Grail to Holy Grail (23:17) Holy Grail: The Spirit of Western Man (24:41) The Treasure Hard to Attain (26:10) The Eternally Alone (27:52) The Holy Grail as the Self (29:19) Balancing Light and Dark (33:12) Merlin: The Wise Old Man Archetype (36:53) Conclusion Thank you for your support.


━━━━━━━━━━━━━


✉️ Send me anything you like to my mailing address:


Eternalised

P.O. Box 10.011

28080 Madrid, Spain

Up next
Sep 24
The Psychology of The Restless Wanderer
The archetype of the Wanderer appears as a figure of profound loneliness, who drifts through life without a fixed home or direction, restless in the search for purpose and belonging. He has far-sickness, a deep longing for distant places and the hope of eventually finding a place ... Show More
52m 59s
Jul 28
The Fool Dances with Death
While Death may appear at times terrifying and at other times playful, those he summons almost always tremble with fear. All except one: the Fool. He joins the dance with a smile, laughing at the absurdity of it all. To him, the world is a theatre, and all men and women merely ac ... Show More
50m 49s
Jun 2025
The Psychology of Sin
“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” These profound words by St. Paul express the struggle between the desire to do good and the inability to carry it out, due to the power of sin within human nature. The misalignment between o ... Show More
50m 59s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2025
Death and the Choice to Live Wisely (Meditations 3.3)
In this episode, I reflect on Meditation 3.3 from Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations, exploring its central themes: the inevitability of death, the futility of fearing it, and the Stoic imperative to live well while we can. Marcus reminds us that even the most accomplished and revered ... Show More
17 m
May 2020
Rebellious Monks! Alan Watts: The Joker Episode 2 | Hindu Game Theory | Outlaw Monks & Joker's Rebellious Roles
Watts' seems to evoke the joker role himself by utilizing his hilarious, yet insightful sense of humor, which simplifies challenging philosophical topics and makes it fun & entertaining! Watts discusses the various roles and purposes which artists, music, comedy, art, and the ide ... Show More
57m 31s
Nov 2024
Accepting Mortality: Marcus Aurelius on the Purpose of Death (Meditations 2.12)
In this episode, I discuss Meditation 12 from Book 2 of Meditations, where Marcus Aurelius reflects on the transient nature of life, death, and the things we often fear or desire. Marcus emphasizes that everything in the Universe is impermanent, including our bodies, desires, and ... Show More
16m 43s
Feb 2025
Why Stoicism Teaches Us to Be Prepared for Death (Meditations 3.8)
In this episode, I explore Meditations 3.8 and the idea of preparing for death—not as a morbid fascination, but as a necessary step toward living justly and without fear. Marcus Aurelius describes the Stoic sage as someone unshaken by fate, someone who meets the end of life witho ... Show More
20m 18s
Sep 2024
Death and How to Live It: Death Doula, Alua Arthur
Alua Arthur joins Rainn Wilson on Soul Boom to explore the transformative power of embracing mortality. They delve into how contemplating death can bring clarity and meaning to life, the cultural taboos around discussing death, and the importance of preparing for the end of life. ... Show More
1 h
May 2025
Does Death Have to Be a Death Sentence? (Update)
Palliative physician B.J. Miller asks: Is there a better way to think about dying? And can death be beautiful? SOURCES:B.J. Miller, palliative-care physician and President at Mettle Health. RESOURCES:A Beginner’s Guide to the End: Practical Advice for Living Life and Facing Death ... Show More
42m 22s
Oct 2023
All Hallow’s Special: Sadegh Hedayat’s The Blind Owl
A Merry All Hallow’s Eve to Ye All! There will be a regular episode this Friday, but I can’t resist the opportunity to release an episode on the day of Halloween. Mynaa and I discuss a Persian novel concerning Nietzschean existential horror! Sadegh Hedayat grew up in the Iran of ... Show More
2h 2m
Oct 2024
What Really Happens When We Die - What One Man Saw on the Other Side
A violent undiagnosed aneurysm should have killed Sebastian Junger, a war reporter, a best-selling author, and an Academy Award winning documentarian. Junger came as close as anyone we know to dying, but he returned from the abyss and reveals what it was like. For years Jason and ... Show More
44m 2s
Dec 2024
Why Philosophy Is the Only True Guide Through Life (Meditations 2.17)
In this episode, I discuss Meditation 17 from Book 2 of Meditations, where Marcus Aurelius reflects on the transient and uncertain nature of life. Marcus reminds us that our lives are brief and unpredictable, with the physical and spiritual aspects of existence constantly in flux ... Show More
23m 27s
Jul 2024
A Matter of Life and Death
Dr Laurie HATES thinking about her own death. It's scary, creepy and morbid, right? Wrong. Thinking about our finite lives can makes us better, happier people.  The shadow of death makes us behave more kindly towards others, and can motivate us both to enjoy the little joys of li ... Show More
32m 37s