
The talk explores the concept of the Bardo and its interplay with oracle practices, particularly in the casino environment. It posits gambling as a shamanic tool, emphasizing oracular interpretation of risk, loss, and decision-making through money management and statistical precision. The discussion spans various games—blackjack, roulette, craps, and slot machines—each linked to prognostication and training in higher states of awareness. The speaker introduces structured training programs, emphasizing correct comportment and behavior in a liminal, hyper-symbolic space called Bardo Town, which parallels both cyberspace and metaphysical realms.
The speaker delves into the idea that the Bardo—a transitional state after death—is mirrored in the casino's liminal environment, where the navigation of chance and risk functions as an oracle system. The concept of "money to burn" is highlighted, drawing from historical rituals where offerings are burned to enter subtle states. This is linked to spiritual gambling, where wagers are not about accumulating wealth but rather about generating symbolic information.
The talk covers specific games as oracular tools. Blackjack is seen as requiring mechanical precision; participants must avoid injecting emotion or intuition, as oracle readings demand careful statistical integrity. Slot machines, by contrast, are framed as an ideal beginner's oracle, providing randomized numbers that can later be incorporated into magic squares for esoteric interpretation.
The importance of comportment is emphasized—how one carries oneself in the casino and interacts with its symbols matters as much as the gameplay. The casino, termed "Bardo Town," is a place of heightened reality, where elements of the afterlife trial process mirror real-world experiences. The training programs—some priced significantly—aim to induct participants into this oracular tradition, eventually guiding them from passive experience to active participation, leading expeditions into these immersive spaces.
Lastly, there is an acknowledgement that this training must be accessible to the community, with alternative models such as work exchanges, localized training, and progressive learning phases being suggested.
_A surreal cyber-mystic casino bathed in neon and ambient glowing fog, where spirit-like figures drift between blackjack tables inscribed with esoteric symbols. Massive slot machines resemble ancient oracles, glowing with numbers that form shifting Kabbalistic squares. A mysterious shrouded figure in the center, holding burning incense over chips that dissolve into spectral wisps. The background reveals deeper layers of "Bardo Town"—a vast cityscape filled with floating symbols, shamanic gates, and cosmic staircases leading to unknown realms. Cinematic wide-angle shot. Hyperrealistic details with a dreamlike, liminal quality._