Dan502

Ta-doh!

When a movie is played on an old film reel and projector, it looks like characters and objects are moving and being created and getting blown up and stuff within the film and your mind buys this (well, enough to be entertained by it). But the film reel and the images on it don't actually change at all and nothing is created. It's an illusion created by the mind not being able to completely distinguish one frame from the next (as well as other things). ... ... Ta-da?

If a person is experiencing depression, it can be useful for them to tell others about it. The most efficient way of doing this is to have a word for it. If the person realises that they're identifying too strongly with the depression, using it as an excuse, or using the word even though they don't feel that way any more, then I agree that it might be useful to reduce usage of the word. In recent years, my usage of the words "should" and "just" has reduced.

Mada, thank you for sharing this. Do you have any thoughts on whether this conception of yourself as an escapist could be useful to you in some way?

Wait, I've just realised the truth of who I am... I'm forum software.

I've found Teal's perspectives on emotions to be fresh and thought-provoking.

Fast food, environmental apathy, economic protectionism, nationalism, racism, bragging, lying, neglecting his body. He don't look too second tier to me.

I really think Leo's experience of psychedelics and the breadth of his self-help knowledge would make him an interesting and worthwhile person for Joe Rogan to meet and talk to. I think Joe's audience would be interested in Leo for these reasons and I suspect that Leo would relish the opportunity, both for his own development and the benefit of any viewers. I don't know if Leo is famous or successful enough to appear on the podcast at this current point in time although don't quote me on that, he may be. Leo is actually very good at talking clearly and engagingly in front of a camera (in case you hadn't noticed ). He has also taken part in interviews before, which can be found on YouTube. It has felt like the wind might be changing for Leo lately in some way. I don't know exactly what the means yet. I wonder if one possibility is that we'll see him mixing with others more in some capacity. If Leo were to appear on a few more podcasts in the short to medium term, it might help to gear him up to appear on something like Rogan in the future, by helping to demonstrate public demand to hear more from Leo as a prominent figure and expert on Self Actualization work. Leo must do what he feels is right, of course

My humble impression is that Leo has had "enlightened as fuck" experiences, probably deeper than anyone I'll meet in my lifetime. However perhaps on Leo's average day with no DMT etc. he might not consider himself "enlightened" yet. Or he might be, I don't know. He seems very wise and accomplished and makes great content and I'm sure if he's not already "enlightened", he will be someday. Please forgive me for making any unnecessary or untrue distinctions here in this post.

When you desire something and you're working towards it, it's useful to have a compelling vision that you really believe might be achievable because you're going to encounter unforeseen obstacles and without the appeal of the vision, you've got no reason to persevere. Unless you enjoy the climb, which is also possible. This does not mean you delude yourself into believing you can't fail or that you go around telling people how great you are before you've actually achieved anything. I expect being overly confident and deluded can sometimes be helpful, particularly if you're hard-working but I'm not a fan of that kind of approach. It doesn't seem very true.

In terms of his style, I see him being overbearing, bombarding the other person and sapping his energy. As I think Mezanti and Harikrishnan's comments suggest, he seems more focussed on winning than connecting. "No... no, no, you misunderstand me" etc.

Thank you. It's nice to hear that you've found work that you enjoy and that you have a compelling vision.

I would ask how things went from "normal" to "super shit"; like, what factors were involved in that change? Also, I'm sending you bro hugs man, depression is horrible. I personally haven't ever put in enough work to accomplish something big like financial independence. Over the last few years, my income has gone down and so have my stress levels. My happiness has gone up. I never threw myself into SA in a heavy way, I just watch the vids, reflect, journal, make small changes here and there.

The difficulty in talking about free will lies not in disproving it, which is astonishingly simple, but in the fact that it is a concept believed in so religiously by most people that they are reluctant to question it properly.

To JP's credit, his ability to call out green when it blindly wanders too far, like with Bill C16 and the whole Cathy Newman interview, is useful. JP's unlikely to win a prize for helping the economy or the environment. But if we put a foot wrong in doing so, we can count on him to squawk about it.

Hey Ponder, what kind of work do you do?

Leo makes the best video on nothingness ever

I agree that "feeling stuck" or bored, or even overly satisfied is probably a common enough hurdle in personal growth. I myself, sometimes wonder whether to push ahead with something if I don't feel quite right about it, or to wait. And of course, EVERYONE will give advice on this, sometimes, if not ALMOST ALWAYS with an undue amount of conviction! Eventually one learns how to negotiate with oneself and think strategically, taking into account the hesitation and enquiring into what it might mean. Such work makes for fantastic pseudo-procrastination because it sometimes pays off, i.e. a new, more helpful perspective can be found with the right kind of focus (by the way, this kind of patient self-reflection can appear almost as genius by those who rarely take the time to do it - they simply cannot figure out how you made the jump through perspectival hyperspace, the answer being that you've spent your whole life working on your internal navicomputer). Where was I? Oh yes, I think Leo has probably already covered this topic throughout his videos in some shape or form but due to the multitude of ways in which people can feel stuck and, human as we are, the fact that each time will feel like a new time, I would agree that it could be worth a video. I actually don't have a good feel for the extent to which the topic has already been covered. That would need reviewing first.

Hi Ivonne What I'm hearing is that you have some doubt about what you really want to do next. My thoughts on that are: 1. What are the reasons that you're having these doubts? Lack of interest? Tiredness? Lack of finances? 2. What's the alternative? And I mean that seriously. The alternative might be counter-intuitive. Maybe you just want to relax for a while or do something that sounds silly or irrational. 3. Do you care what anyone else thinks? Family, a partner, your friends, society? Well, that's it from me. I'm afraid I often tend to respond to questions by asking a load more questions. Not everybody appreciates that kind of approach but who knows, maybe it'll help.

I tested this yesterday. I walked up to an animal and asked if it was enlightened and it didn't say yes. Come to think of it, it didn't say no either. Keep in mind that if you yourself are not enlightened, then you don't actually know what you mean when you ask the question What we're actually doing here when we ask these questions isn't what we think we're doing. And we're not what we think we are. Nothing is what we think it is. Or should that be "Nothing isn't what we think it is"? I like the answer from the person who said not to confuse the lowest stage (which isn't animals but never mind) with the highest stage (perhaps there isn't actually a stage but nevermind). I'm going to try a follow-on question: "Is what I think I am, and what I think animals are, a subcomponent of enlightenment, in other words, a finitude within the infinite?" That is certainly my experience Hahaha

Cepzeu I wonder if it would be worth taking a look at everything that happened in the hours, days, weeks, months and years leading up to that moment, particularly in terms of any psychological progress that might have preceded it. I make this suggestion as a humble fool, who knows nothing about how a person on the spiritual path should best integrate or respond to such an experience, if indeed, there is any response to be recommended.