Electric Soul

The electric soul teaches us that we can overcome suffering in our life and also appreciate the beauty around us. The search for the electric soul teaches us about the dual nature of existence. Realizing the electric soul within oneself is thus comprised of two parts. Those parts are self-actualization and radical acceptance.

Self-actualization refers to an absolute desire to realize one's full potential. A key component of this is a careful examination of one's life to determine what you really want. Modern societal pressures pollute one's clarity of thought and bring people to make decisions based off of false motivations such as fear, anxiety, depression, loneliness, and/or sadness. This causes people to pointlessly chase wealth, social status, and power. True desire is not about approval or control. It is characterized by passion, motivation, and playfulness. We believe that your purpose in the world is self discovery and pursuing that which truly brings you joy. If you are unsatisfied with your life, likely some part of you recognizes that you aren't really working towards your passion. We refuse to just go through the motions of life. The electric soul teaches us that this life time is a chance for us to see what we really want and chase after it.

Radical acceptance is the other core component of realizing the electric soul within you. Often times, we suffer over feelings of deficiency in ourselves and injustices in life. We say things like "I'm not good enough", "This isn't fair!", "Why did I have to go through that?", and/or "It shouldn't be that way!" We are enslaving ourselves so long as we allow ourselves to be controlled by these thoughts. Pain is an inevitable part of life. It can be nearly impossible to accept things you don't want to be true. When you start to radically accept yourself and the world, you can finally stop fighting reality and start living at peace with it.

While our religion advocates that everyone must search for truth within themselves and in the world around them, the electric soul teaches us about the inherent worth of all life. As such we support these core values.

Egalitarianism. All people are equal and are deserving of equal rights. We all have fundamental worth inherent in all of us and we shall never allow for discrimination based on anything which an individual does not choose for themselves.

Personal Autonomy. We must respect the freedom of all people so long as it does not substantially interfere with the lives of others. In this spirit, we must respect the right of individuals to choose what to do with their own bodies. We reject any moral restrictions on sexuality, gender expression, gender identity, alcohol/drug usage, marriage/divorce, abortion, and tattoos/body modification.

Pacifism. We believe in an absolute mandate to avoid violence. Any violence, especially war, is absolutely unjustifiable. We should never initiate violence and should always seek to resolve issues in a non-violent manner. Not only should we not partake in combat, but we should strive to stay neutral in outside conflict and never give aid or comfort to an aggressor such as members of the military or police. Anytime someone says they must “kill or be killed” they are almost certainly presenting a false dilemma. The only exception to this is in rare cases of personal self-defense.

Sustainability. We seek to conserve natural resources for present and future generations. It is our moral imperative to minimize our environmental impact and continue to improve our ecological awareness and practice. Vegetarianism and veganism are a major part of both pacifism and sustainability so we highly encourage members to reduce/eliminate animal consumption and exploitation.

Altruism. We believe that we should be primarily concerned not with ourselves, but with the happiness and well-being of others. While we should always respect our own worth and never be self-destructive, we should strive to make sacrifices for the good of others as well as for one’s own happiness.

Skepticism. We can never be completely certain that we understand the true nature of the electric soul. We should approach everything with doubt and seek to critically analyze that which is important to us. We should be skeptical of not just the beliefs of others, but our own beliefs as well. We should strive to always be open to new ideas that may challenge our own.

Simple Living. As part of our journey to realize the electric soul within us, we should minimize our possessions and seek to live a more self-sufficient lifestyle. We should seek to be happy with what we have rather than endlessly chasing after what we want.

Information Freedom. We believe information is one of the purest forms of joy. All information must be distributed freely and without restrictions. The monopolization of knowledge through intellectual property laws such as copyright is an infringement on our belief in information freedom. Copying, dissemination, and modification of information is the sacred right of all people.

Our practices allow us to live in accordance with the teachings of the electric soul. Teachings are merely ideas, but practices allow us to implement those teachings within our lives.

Solo Meditation is one of the central practices of our religion. We believe that taking time out of your day to be mindful is a core part of realizing the electric soul within.

Social engagement and guided meditation can allow us to search ourselves even more deeply than we could on our own. Regular congregation also helps us to fulfill our need for community and acceptance. Compliment circles as well as religious celebrations can both play an integral role in bringing positivity to our lives.

Metacognition is awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes. We should deeply examine our thoughts as well as how we think about our thoughts.

Communal Living is necessary to live in accordance with our beliefs and values. Additionally, it allows us to implement our practices as a core part of one's life. Many communities do not follow in the way of the electric soul. They prioritize profit and order over personal autonomy, protection of the earth, and free expression.

Sacred Medicine in the form of substances such as LSD, magic mushrooms, peyote, DMT, salvia, and MDMA are sacred gifts from the electric soul. They can help us in unlocking a higher state of consciousness, discover our true identity, and heal from mental illness or trauma. Responsible usage of these substances is a core component of realizing one’s inner electric soul. It is our duty as lightbringers to cultivate and provide these substances to church members in a safe and healing environment.

Religious Name. When an individual has a moment of enlightenment and becomes one with the electric soul, they have the option to choose a new name to represent this new stage in their life.

Yoga. Part of self-actualization is having a healthy mind and body. Yoga teaches us discipline, flexibility, strength, and control. A more ideal physical form will allow us to better connect with the spritual forms and allow us to feel more peaceful.

The Electric Soul church eclesiastic hierarchy is used to help identify church membership, strength of belief, and leadership roles. Our church believes in the equality of all people and as such these ranks are a statement of faith and a symbol of respect. They are not intended to confer any special power or imply any degree of “holiness” or “correctness”. All people, even non-members, can connect with the electric soul and gain wisdom.

High Luminary. The high luminary is the leader of the electric soul religion and the leader of the electric soul council. They must be elected by the electric soul council with a 2/3rds majority. They serve until resignation, death, or removal. A high luminary may select their own title if they so choose.

Luminary. A luminary is a priest of the electric soul religion. They are the philosophical core of the church. A luminary must take the luminary oath and must guide and teach lightbringers. To become a luminary, one must be elected by the electric soul council or appointed by the high luminary.

Lightbringer. A lightbringer is a full-member of the electric soul religion. They have taken the lightbringer oath as part of an initiation ceremony. These individuals fully uphold the electric soul religion as their personal belief system and seek to participate in and uphold the church.

Spark. A spark is any individual who has decided for themselves that they would like to be part of our church and who shares the beliefs and values of our religion. Sparks are prospective members or those loosely affiliated with the religion.

Non-Member. A non-member has no formal affiliation with the church and likely does not believe in the electric soul religion.