the_end_of_me

@Nahm from reading the link you posted: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. If a thought does arise (and it is probable that thoughts will arise on their own), ask yourself to whom this thought is occurring. This returns your attention to the feeling of being "me." The method and goal of self-enquiry is to abide in the source of the mind and to be aware of what one really is by withdrawing attention and interest from what one is not. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- for some reason this confused me at first, but I guess essentially the practice is to learn that the "me" is not my thoughts right?

I'm sure you'll call me an NPC but that video WAS very annoying. And I don't blame them for not wanting some random guy videoing them, because people like their privacy. That being said, I don't think it is a typical "NPC" response, because for all the people in that video that got offended, there a plenty of ones that wouldn't mind or would just laugh or do something goofy.

@SoonHei Please read these articles, they will explain a lot about the serpent in the garden part 1: http://www.spiritofthescripture.com/id3393-genesis-chapter-3-the-allegory-of-the-serpent-ego.html#more-3393 part 2: http://www.spiritofthescripture.com/id3402-transforming-the-serpent-ego.html

a Bitch.

@Cortex this can happen sometimes for a second or two after waking up from a dream. Kind of a neat example of what is your identity.

define future

well, imagine a goldfish, which is said to have a memory span of anywhere from 3 seconds to a couple of months (the jury seems to still be out). Even if it were able to form some kind of rudimentary ego in that time, it's easy to think they don't have much sense of self.

@Victor Mgazi thank you. I will work on overcoming those obstacles. Back to my original question: what are actions? where do they come from? Is an action and a thought the same? Are they separate? Can one actually stop onseself from taking actions, or is it all related to the whole "there is no free will" topic.

***(sorry- posting on my other account because its the one my computer is signed into)*** This is true, except for that I actually do realize it, but can't seem to get a grip on the shifts. If getting a grip is even possible. ****(sorry- posting on my other account because its the one my computer is signed into)***** No, I can't find it. It seems like me, aka, starsofclay, the persona, yet it completely goes against "my" wishes. It feels like shit to blame myself, but the purpose it serves is to at least try and improve, for other's sakes. The blame comes from.... Good question. Obviously my egoic fears, but I'm not 100% sure they are incorrect. @B_Naz @robdl @Jack River @WelcometoReality @non_nothing @Victor Mgazi ****(sorry- posting on my other account because its the one my computer is signed into)***** Thank you all for your replies. I completely understand where you are coming from, but let me elaborate a bit. I own and operate my own business in the service industry. It is a daily minute-to-minute struggle to do good and right by all of my customers. I have anxiety, which only perpetuates my issue and corrupts how I think and process situations. Now, I'm not stupid enough to think that I can make everyone happy. That's not the issue. The issue is I literally watch myself make mistake after mistake, some not so important, others very important. For example, after 3 years, I still freeze up and almost hyperventilate with anxiety when handling complaints. Most of these complaints are with my employees, not usually with myself, but I still freeze up. A lot of these times I even forget to apologize, even though I really am sorry. I could go on and on, but hopefully you get the idea. Now, I'm not saying my business is failing or anything- in fact we are very successful. But the things that I KNOW we need to improve on, I don't take action. I have a a long list of things I want to add to our handbook, but have yet to get it all typed up. We get lots of good reviews and some mediocre to bad reviews online. Of course I am thankful for the good ones, but the bad ones really bother me because a lot of times its something that I know we could have improved on a long time ago which could possibly have prevented the bad review from happening. And of course I want and need my business to continue being successful, not only for my personal benefit and wellness, but for all of the people that I employ and rely on it. That all being said, once again, I literally watch myself make mistake after mistake, only to regret them immediately or some time after. And there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. I feel like its kind of a cop-out to say that there's no such thing as failures or mistakes, because nothings real anyway, and failures are all in the mind. Failures affect people. People that are essentially me. Whether other people exist or not, here they are! And they can be hurt. And I'm tired of hurting people due to my inability to overcome anxiety and my own egoic tendencies.

I'm curious about memory too. Not sure what to say about it though... not sure if it takes place inside the body or not.

@SoonHei sounds good to me Though I wouldn't know.

Please please read "Lucid Dreaming: Gateway to the Inner self" by Robert Waggoner, if you haven't already. Its on google book store and also probably Kindle. Amazing book for lucid dreamers that already know how to get lucid. As for your question, I don't have much experience with changing scenes, but I have experimented with it. I don't know your method of wind blowing in the face.... my method is spinning around and supposedly a new scene will emerge when you stop spinning (of course you have to have the intent of landing in a new scene) This method has yet to work for me... Another method that I tried - this one I made up on the spot in the middle of a dream- I fell face forward into the ground, and then melted through the ground. Was in a whole new scene once I got through. You should try that one, because it's literally forcing you to create a new scene, as long as you aren't on the second story of a building.

@SoonHei it might be less confusing if you say "other dimensions" rather than "other realities", at least in some "people's" case.

@MarkusSweden I'm interested to hear thoughts on this, because I had a similar question, but the opposite. With nootropics, which are supposed to do great things for memory, concentration, creativity, etc, they sound great but you have to take them for a while to even know if they do anything, and there's different kinds and its really hard to even know where to start. But then I was thinking that was it even worth the trouble? I feel like raising consciousness would do all these things and more, without the extra help. I don't buy into the whole "brains don't exist" idea, except for that nothing truly exists so that's why they don't exist. But within the illusion they are definitely there and observable, unless there's some mass conspiracy by doctors to fool us (not likely).

@Trangoody I think its a great idea... makes me want to live on an island Don't worry about its effectiveness, unless it just doesn't work for you. It's similar to the letting thoughts run down the stream meditation, but with the wind I can imagine its easier to visualize as you said.