This episode is a guided tour of the Foundational Epistemic Standards of Mystrikism — the core methodological commitments Mystriks treat as non-negotiable if we want to call something “knowledge” at all.

We break down R.O.V.R.R.T.E.L.F — reliability, objectivity, verification, reproducibility, relevance, transparency, empiricism, logical coherence, and falsifiability — not as abstract philosophy homework, but as practical tools for reducing error and self-deception. These are rational commitments: chosen rules of inquiry that keep our beliefs provisional, accountable, and corrigible.

Along the way we use everyday analogies (recipes, detectives, open-kitchen trust, internet rumours) and classic cautionary tales (like cold fusion and unfalsifiable “dragon in the garage” claims) to show why each standard exists and what goes wrong when we ignore it.

The deeper Mystrikal point is that these standards aren’t just technical. They’re ethical. They support honesty, humility, and justice in how we treat claims — no special pleading, no dark corners, no “trust me bro.” And weirdly, they also protect awe: the universe that survives this level of scrutiny is more wondrous than any comfortable fantasy. Reality is enough. The unknown stays “sacred” precisely because it’s unknown — not because we rush to invent answers.

The Union of Mystriks has been rethinking belonging — and the conclusion is surprisingly simple: Mystrikism works better as a mindset than a membership.

This episode walks through the shift away from formal enrolments and toward an “open source” alternative to religion: no initiation, no obligation, no conversion performance. If you want to identify as a Mystrik, you can. If you don’t, you can still use the tools, borrow the principles, and walk alongside for a while — or forever. Engagement is customisable, voluntary, and pressure-free.

We explore Mystrikism as a practical, naturalistic life philosophy: reason + compassion + curiosity + justice, grounded in evidence, and still rich in “spirituality” through awe (stars, storms, forests, music, the whole goosebump catalogue) — without any supernatural claims to defend.

Then we get concrete: everyday kindness that isn’t performative, learning from mistakes without shame, intentional “awe pauses,” and using science to steer moral action by outcomes. It’s head and heart working together, without pretending they’re enemies.

Finally, a necessary caveat: openness doesn’t mean moral mush. Mystrikism stays voluntary and non-coercive, but it doesn’t shrug at cruelty. When someone persistently causes harm or pushes deliberate deception, justice comes first — and that’s where Principled Disgust lives: firm, evidence-based moral opposition without dehumanising hatred.

This is the messy beginnings of Mystrikism and the first sparks of what later became the Union of Mystriks.

I grew up with religion as background noise: Bible stories in school, weddings and funerals, and the occasional childhood bargain-prayer (“help me now and I’ll be good forever”… yeah, nah). Then, almost by accident, books cracked my head open — I read The Lord of the Rings to impress a girl, the girl disappeared, but the curiosity stuck.

From there, it zig-zags: teenage atheism as rebellion, a later plunge into serious New Age “woo” (including some painfully cringe moments), then the hard swing into militant anti-theism, then finally a calmer landing in secular humanism… which still didn’t quite feel like a complete framework for living. Because atheism and agnosticism are about one question — gods and knowability — but they don’t automatically hand you meaning, ethics, identity, or that natural, goosebump-y sense of awe people often call “spirituality.”

So I tried to build something: a syncretic, naturalistic worldview grounded in the self-correcting methods of science and the power of compassion. Truth as provisional (best current approximation, always updateable). Ethics that care about reducing suffering across life and ecosystems. Awe that’s fully naturalised, no supernatural add-ons.

And then the Union idea clicked: sceptics and non-believers are often scattered, while superstitious ideologies tend to be cohesive and organised. The Union of Mystriks is the attempt to change that dynamic — shared principles, shared growth, shared momentum — aiming for a rational, ethical, awe-filled future that stays anchored in reality.

https://www.mystrikism.org

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https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/mystrikast/id1848253540

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