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@Anna1 Yes, so consciousness is capable of being conscious of itself, at varying levels of focused or unfocused attention. Thus infinity. Why is the mind responsible for attention (or lack thereof)? What is the illusion that makes attention seem guided or directed towards or from anything, a thought/concept? @Ibn Sina Is attention present everywhere consciousness flows? It seems like consciousness is present everywhere attention flows. I am having a lot of breakthroughs tonight that are finally giving me direct experiences of concepts that I have learned, and thought I knew as fact over the last couple of years. Feels good to have these aha moments.

@Anna1 What do you mean by "When this focus widens and contraction disperses, then one is just resting as awareness?" I keep trying to distill my thoughts and they keep leading down a path similar to this: The states of awareness or lack of awareness are both different displays within consciousness, but they are ultimately the same thing (even though an individual that is not-aware, is not aware of itself, and the conscious individual is). Different movies on the same screen.

I like that... Neat to have a similar thought process as you on this one.

Perhaps the VR idea would be possible as a guided meditation enhancement of some sort. There is some value in experiencing reality through closed and open eyes, and understanding how the virtual layer works its way into that concept would potentially just be a little confusing/misleading. However, what you just described is best achieved by psychedelics, because your hard wired, God-given senses become the VR device. This provides very powerful insights. Fractal VR could be awesome while tripping, possibly aiding in providing insights under that condition with a voice-over audio or something. I think the combination of tech and drugs will eventually lead to an "ineducable" enlightenment one day.

Through the process of self actualization, you will realize that there is no "old" or "new" you. There just simply is, and it is always great, and always perfect. Instead of beating yourself up about progress you feel like you lost, you will instantly regain all of that progress back and more by simply realizing you do not need to do anything at all to overcome your idea of ego. There was never a start or a stop, this is also just an idea. You have yet to discover your true nature, and any personification of ego and its influence you feel like it has had over your life is nothing other than a farce. Some significant self inquiry and daily meditation will eventually reveal this for you. Focus on what is right here in front of you right now, and this will all make more sense with time. Don't beat yourself up, this is a journey that takes years. The truth is always waiting there for you to discover it, when you're ready.

For me, CBD seemed to influence what I didn't feel instead of what I felt. I didn't feel a lot of things as strongly (anxiety etc.) when I took it, but this could also be due to placebo or coincidence. Someone with more significant mood stabilization issues may notice more pronounced results. I like to think it helped with inflammation and muscle soreness topically as well, but again, very subtle effects. THC is an entirely different beast.

You gave very specific scenarios, but I will try to answer more generally. Spontaneous thoughts and emotions constantly occur, and the only "control" you have over them is by identifying them and the effect they are having on you, and then objectively making decisions. Furthermore, events will happen outside of your control, prompting strong cocktails of thoughts and emotions. Meditation is one of the best practices you can develop to strengthen this skill. It is a "practice" because you learn to identify these phenomenon as they occur, and dis-identify with them before you get mentally invested or make a rash decision that can further affect your mood or situation. "Keeping it cool" is identifying a situation and the emotions and thoughts that the situation provokes, and objectively making a decision that is as uninfluenced by the negative stimulus as well as you possibly can.

Your ideas of strategy and logic are created by and/or supported by the ego. It's not that they make the ego superior, the constructs just simply cannot exist in the same way in the absence of ego. Perhaps you are looking at them from an egoic point of view; "how can strategy and logic better serve me?" for example.

My takeaway from today's trip. I laughed today with 2 of my best friends more than I have in months combined prior to today. It was like our way of creatively acknowledging how we share each of our individual experiences, or a playful way to reaffirm our mutual understanding of reality. Interesting stuff.

I am alone. I am God. I am infinite. I am consciousness. There is no You. There is no He, She, or Them. There is nothing but consciousness. Everything is imagined. Consciousness, God, and infinity are imagined. Therefore there is nothing. This is everything. Seem about right?

@Leo GuraMuch more conscious of it than when I was first contemplating your video about the "dream machine." Still remember that one, and it suddenly makes so much more sense now.

Your career goals will probably change 5 more times by the time you graduate and get to college, if you are genuinely exploring all of the options that are available to you. If you are just trying to be a doctor because Mommy and Daddy expect that of you, and you think that society won't respect you if you don't become one, you will probably succeed if you're able. However, you might hate your work and find yourself buried in six figures worth of debt, no free time, and very high stress levels with no way to pursue another career, but at least you have respect... Right? I have some eastern Asian and Indian colleagues who were under this kind of pressure growing up. Bottom line: Do what YOU want to do because you think it will be fulfilling and provide you with a lifestyle that you want. End of story.

I'm not sure if it was the purpose of this topic, but I have definitely noticed a distinct difference in Leo's tone, adlib, way he approaches topics, topics he addresses, etc. when comparing past and present videos. He comes off much more "preachy" to me now, when he felt like more of a teacher as he was originally gaining his following. Just my POV at a glance...

Most that are living off stocks are doing so through dividends and buying the market (ie investing, not trading). Not very many people are successful trading (or "day trading"). By not many, I mean somewhere in the range of 80-90% or more. I can't remember where I originally saw this, but you can find the data online. A high majority of the time you are better off just buying something like a DOW or SPY ETF and sitting on it. You can also write options to generate income, or use options to buy companies you are confident in. That way, if you lose out on exercising your contract, you at least own a company you want to invest in long term. I don't remember the terms for these specific strategies. Just my 2 cents. I would consider an agressive 5-10 year investment plan while you study technical and fundamental analysis of stocks, build a portfolio slowly, and generate enough assets to start living off of the dividends and profit. This will definitely require six figures. Look into Roth IRA contributions. Take a look at your 401K and start playing with it CAREFULLY, once you feel like you have a good feel for the market. Many people paper trade for years before they touch their real money, and rightfully so. See how you do here: https://www.investopedia.com/simulator/ It gives you delayed stock data so you can see how you would have done on the real market.

Will you make significantly more money in the future? IE, will you have the ability to increase your quality of life beyond the level you're at now? You can't retroactively increase your quality of life. So if you're making 35K a year now and you're just getting by with a little left over, and you might be making 80K and living with a little more wiggle room later, it might not make sense to start investing now. If you would be making 80K and your assets let you live a 120K lifestyle, that difference might not be as stark as if you lived a little more comfortably at lower incomes. You'll still have a nice house, car, be able to travel, etc. at either level. However, if you are having to eat cheap or unhealthy, pass up on experiences now, ration gas, live with inconveniences, etc. You may just be better off saving your money for something big, or enjoying yourself for a little while longer now. Invest early, but not too early. Lets say you do and you start putting away every penny until you either increase your salary significantly, or retire early. You might be doing this for 5-20 years. Is it worth living a minimalist lifestyle, passing up on social events, travel, food, gifts, technology, etc. for that amount of time to live a marginally better life later? The answer could be yes, but it depends on the individual and their circumstances and goals. If you strain yourself now just to retire 10 years early, are you going to be happy you compromised your 20's while you are young, vibrant, healthy, and in your prime to buy yourself a little more free time in your 50's? Are you going to want to go to concerts or festivals then? Backpack in foreign countries? Just think it over. EDIT: Yes, building a savings first is probably top priority. It would suck to live minimally, invest $2,000 over the course of a year or two, and then have to liquidate everything because you need to replace your engine or something. Gives you peace of mind while working and everything else too. It just gives you options.

Hey guys, just thought I'd share an idea and see if anyone experiences similar, or what your thoughts are. Basically, I like the summer so much more than the winter. I'm just happier and find myself in a better mood. I love being outside, and being cold just really takes away from the experience for me. Eating outside, going to the beach, swimming at the pool, barbequing, wearing less clothes (open toed shoes) etc. I also just generally prefer warm weather and sunshine to cooler weather. My ideal temperature range is somewhere around 62-78 F, but I'd much rather have 90-100 degree weather over 15-25 degree. I'm in a place where I experience both of these extremes, but my 5 year plan involves moving somewhere warmer and sunnier year round. I even dislike late fall and prefer spring for the anticipation of both winter and summer respectively. I'm well aware of seasonal affective disorder, but I don't really feel like I experience an extreme enough swing to classify (nor would I necessarily like to put the label on it). I try to take a vitamin D supplement routinely, so I'm not sure that that is as much of a factor as I'd like it to be. I'm a lighter weight individual, so maybe my body type lends itself to warmer weather vs cold. I know everyone has their preferences, but this is very distinct for me. I even based my applications to professional schools off of this (didn't apply anywhere north of where I grew up). Any idea why this might be other than what I've already thought through? Do you experience similar, or maybe you're the opposite?

@Truth Addict Yeah, you choose to be happy etc. etc. etc. It's not really a matter of success or failure at anything, just general mood and perceived well being for me.

@Truth Addict Hmm, that's an interesting thought. Could kind of go in line with one of @Leo Guras last episodes about the different phases in life. Maybe we go through microphases with the seasons. I would be interested to see if a more moderate/constant climate affected me negatively for different reasons.

Hmm, maybe I qualify to call it that. I'm trying to lay down some roots somewhere and then taker on some other responsibilities so I can avoid being stuck in that situation. We have to make compromises in life though I guess. Sounds like husband's job is the only one there that isn't semi-flexible.

I did read your original post. Why did you say (and I originally quoted): Those are two very different things, but I digress. I am just going to give you some final encouragement and tell you that time should allow you to work most of this out if you are still young. I can only imagine how I would feel if I was 12-14 trying to regularly visit this site and simply grow up and go through puberty at the same time. Teenagers are not rational robots. Life is meant to be explored and learned to some extent before filling your head with other theory and ideas. I also don't really think some sort of special masturbation is going to solve all of your hormonal/sex related problems, but I could be wrong. Maybe start by exploring your relationships with women (with your Mom, sister, teachers, friends, etc.). If you just look as women as potential sexual objects, this could lead to further problems for you down the road. Although these sound like two different issues... Your sense of purpose will develop over time.

If it is truly the time between fulfilling and productive activities that you find boring, then your problem would be solved by working towards being content and embracing the present moment. It really is beautiful and satisfying in and of itself with the right mindset and realizations. Beyond that, you seem very fixated on sex and porn (since it is the only thing you've mentioned for your daydreaming, and your first comment about a video from a female was on her appearance). I would spend time contemplating this and taking steps to correct the obsession if necessary. One could be using "boredom" as an excuse to watch porn and masturbate. And if you are lacking fulfilling activities and relationships (which it sounds like you might), there is a whole journey you can take in that direction. Finding hobbies, building relationships, being social, working towards something meaningful. Simply proclaiming "I'm bored!" and doing nothing about it sounds like the easiest way for more of the same. You have to want to change your situation.

Instead of looking at this as a problem, look at it as a potential positive. It's easier to remain complacent, but now those bottom levels of Maslow's Pyramid shouldn't be much of an issue for most people. You have air, water, food, shelter, clothing, sleep, etc. You also most likely have the second level covered too: security, employment, resources, health, property, etc. Now focus on your friendships, relationships, self image, self esteem, etc. This should give you a modern way to find motivation and purpose that isn't "I'm not going to be able to feed my family if I don't work 20 hours of overtime this week." There's no reason to get caught up adopting a different perspective from an environment that largely no longer applies to us.

You're thinking about this way too much. It doesn't deserve this much thought and attention (although now it might because you've decided it does). Build healthy relationships, find someone you trust, and you will be able to have sex (barring some legitimate physical issue).

I think life is just easier now in modern 1st world societies. There is no urgency to obtain or keep food, shelter, water, and basic medical care. The Average person can do the bare minimum and exist in just about any way they want, as long as they pay their dues to society. For many people, this means working whatever menial job they get for 40+ hours a week. They can largely ignore their own health, make a weekly trip to the grocery store, and they'll probably approach the average life expectancy. Does this means they're fulfilled? Absolutely not. There's room to procrastinate. There's room to be lazy. There's room to do the bare minimum. There's room to remain complacent. There's really just no real dire consequence to any of the above. Of course you're generalizing millions or billions of people, depending on who you're talking about here. We should keep in mind that there are even more people in the world who have it just as hard, if not harder than the average "baby boomer." Marginalized groups, minorities, etc. are enduring this battle for rights and survival every day. I think you could be projecting or labeling here a bit, but I do think there is a societal shift that makes survival much easier than the World War era of rationing, etc.

I also highly recommend "Why we sleep" by Matthew Walker. If you don't know why you should be doing something or your habits are bad, you won't really want to change them. Researching and understanding how sleep affects your goals and wellbeing will help you start priotitizing it in your life. Do you weightlift, run, or do anything physical? Sleep deprivation absolutely ruins your body's ability to recharge and repair itself. Find yourself iritable or exhausted throughout the day? Getting sick more often than you should? Motor skills not as sharp as they could be? Etc. The effects of sleep deprivation are sneaky. It's like that effect where you've been drinking for 6 hours and you feel like you're sober enough to drive after stopping for an hour or two. You feel relatively much more sober, but you've been so deeply immersed in that state for such a longer period of time, that you no longer have an accurate representation of what it means to be truly sober. This is just as true for sleep deprivation. Also consider incorporating naps into you're routine. I'm very busy and like to keep my schedule flexible, so napping will allow me to stay out later or get up earlier and not suffer the full effects of cutting a few hours off my sleep. Understand how sleep debt works. When you stay up an hour longer, you not only lost an hour of sleep, but you gained another hour of activity exhausting your body and mind. That debt has to be repaid one way or another.