PsiloPutty

Ha, they built this house of cards, and it's all sitting on a shaky platform. Pull the wrong card out and the whole cobbled structure comes tumbling down. They recognize the drug schedule as one of those potentially key cards, so they'd rather not touch it. Despite thinking to the contrary, our whole culture is precariously balanced and dependent on nothing changing. Entropy's a bitch, though, and there's a price to pay for getting too big for one's own britches.

I'm getting a LOT better at noticing when I judge people, and I think that's one of the 1st steps in not judging, but it takes time and probably a lot of self forgiveness and love.

It's threatening to some people to learn that someone close to them is focused on personal growth, because it turns the mirror onto themselves and they see how little they do to improve themselves. That creates self-anger in them, and they then do what most all of us do: we project that emotion at people around us, especially the one we perceive as the cause of our current suffering. "YOU THINK YOU'RE BETTER THAN ME NOW!" "YOU HAVE BECOME ARROGANT!" are some things you might hear in that situation. It doesn't mean you ARE arrogant. I mean, maybe you are, but just hearing it from someone close to you doesn't make it so.

Revenge is never the answer, because you're only hurting yourself by trying to hurt someone else. When someone lies to me, I'm disappointed, but I'm not angry after thinking it through. I've lied to myself and others since I was able to talk, and I undoubtedly did it before then, crying to get mommy and daddy to hold me when I wasn't really upset, etc. It's not to be condoned or encouraged, but I can't hate in someone else something that I did and still do myself. Forgiveness and love is the aim here, and forgiveness doesn't always mean that you still maintain the friendship. Depending on the lie and the frequency of them, it may be best for you both to go your own ways.

I haven't been doing it terribly long, but the more I do Vipassana, the more I see its basic applicability to every aspect of waking, conscious life. Recognizing the impermanence of everything good, bad and in between is a uniquely insightful gift. Good video. I already did my morning meditation, but I want to do another one now!

Thanks, man. I've enjoyed your posts. I'm taking this nugget away with me, if that's OK: "Every act is either an act of love or a desperate call for it, think about that when someone is a dick."

Sounds like you're saying and thinking, "Fuck it....I've been doing things wrong for so long that it's too late to make a new choice." You've already outlined for yourself what you need to do in order to change your behavior and thinking.....you just need to implement it for a long enough time that you can start to see the benefits. After that, it will become a less effortful habit. For the time being, you have to dig deep and fuel yourself on the dedication of doing something good for yourself. You already know what to do.

@Leo Gura Did not know that, but will check it out. Thanks, brother.

You guys are killing me with the imagery! I have never done mescaline, but one of my friends just lost his dad last year. His dad said that mescaline was the most educational psychedelic experience he had ever had. I would buy a cactus and raise it at home if it were easy, but I've read that it's not a simple plant to rear indoors. If I'm wrong, let me know. It's been awhile since I've entertained the idea.

@electroBeam Always? You've never been helped by a YouTube video? I sure have.

@Echoes Never heard of it, but will check it out. Thank you!

It occurred to me that doing periodic videos of oneself would likely be an excellent way to become more confident in social situations. Whether or not the videos are watched by anyone other than themselves, it safely puts a person in the spotlight as it adds a little more perceived pressure to the activity than just talking to oneself in front of the mirror or whatever. What's your take on using this activity as a self-help modality for people who currently consider themselves shy or introverted?

@Ether LOL, yeah I know. When I first started meditating, it was like that the whole time, but only once in a while anymore.

Dern, I meant to put this in the self-actualization section.

What about farts and growling stomachs in the room? I have a 7-day retreat in May (my first ever), and that was one of the things I was wondering about. My stomach is kinda noisy sometimes in the mornings! Also, did anyone freak out during the week? "Screw this!!!!" and get up and walk out?

Yyyyyyep, I did that yesterday. I was upset in the morning, and my 40 min meditation was: "OK, brain....we are quieting down now." "Let's leave that issue behind now....." "Just breathe...focus on this inhale." "SHUT THE FUCK UP, BRAAAAIN!!!" I'm exaggerating, but the first 30 minutes were loud.

I tell ya, they really do help me get into a meditative state faster than without them, but if I shouldn't be using them every time I meditate, I'd like to know. Only about 10 weeks into my daily meditation and I want to set up a solid and consistent practice. I have a 7-day retreat coming up in May, and I know they don't use anything like that, so I'm wondering if I should just quit the beats and go "au natural."

@All_Around_Me Yeah, the mind-body balance is a beautiful and mysterious dance.

@Epiphany_Inspired I'm laughing because I actually do that sometimes, wear my headphones with the power off, just for the silence while meditating.

That was a lot of passionate and profound musing....it makes me wonder why he's never done DMT. Seems like that would provide a more solid position from which to speak about this stuff. The way he presents it is that there's a substance that could take him to the realest reality, a place of constant permanence, but he won't do it? Pondering and talking about something is fine, but if he's that open to it, why not do it?

The world's best and most perfect pharmacy isn't down the street, it's right upstairs. . Off to take a warm shower to release endorphins and serotonin. Hey, it's therapy!

@starsofclay I've meditated after cannabis a couple times, but it was too dreamy and loose for me. I often experience synchronicities, especially after psilocybin trips, and these images that I'm getting might be offshoots of synchronicity. I do not know.

I've had this sort of thing happen off and on my whole life, but it's been amped up many fold since I started meditating in December. As I meditate, along with the random thoughtlets that float by, often the face of someone I haven't seen in a long time materializes in my mind. "Seeing......seeing" and then let it go, but it's gotten to where I can be almost sure that I'll see that person within a very short time of the meditation - within the week, let's say. These are folks that I see at my office only 2x a year or so, and never with predictable regularity. I hadn't seen Pete in 7 months (I looked it up after he left), but his face came to mind during my meditation and he walked into my office that very day. What surprised me the most was my lack of surprise at seeing him standing there. I just smiled and said, "I knew I was going to see you today." The same exact scenario has played out with two other people over the past week; one of them left my office just now. It's not worrisome or frightening to me, but with the frequency increasing, I feel like I should throw it out there and ask whether any of you folks have this happen.

@All_Around_Me Sounds profound. A panic that lasts for months......must've been a damn big realization!

Kind of happy that I'm not the only one. I don't want to get goal-oriented with my meditation, but is there an established technique to explore this?