seeking_brilliance

((Reading music, or you can listen to it before reading to settle the mind)) Relating Differently to Beliefs Chapter two: 16-21 2:16-17 Trading unwanted beliefs for more positive ones can of course help navigate society and self confidence, but it does not go the distance of getting to our true authentic self. To do that, we must investigate what beliefs actually are. 2:18 (Interesting car analogy) 2:19 (I did spend many years blindly following beliefs, though like the author I have also always been a bit inquisitive and self analyzing. Regardless, I remained a victim of beliefs and the ripples they create in reality. ) 2:20 The author truly wants us to let go and open up. To drop beliefs and expectations. (I know firsthand how hard it is to drop expectations. Though everything seems to go better when I do.) 2:21 According to the author, giving up 'knowing things' can truly be life altering and feel much more authentic. The irony is that at some point I also need to give up knowing what the author said.

@Husseinisdoingfine are you naked yet?

@Nahm yep that's what I meant by 'waking' up and 'becoming conscious'. Never realized how ironic those terms are that we apply towards infants developing personality. When me mean the exact opposite. Creates veils and shadowy cloaks. But clothing is meant to come off.

((Reading music, or you can listen to it before reading to settle the mind)) 2:1-6 Susan drew better when she was forced to see the object as is, instead of her assumptions and biases. Her instructor wisely guided her to draw from not-knowing. 2:7-8 Not-knowing is not only necessary for creativity, but for contemplation as well. 2:9-10 As a kid, the author contemplated time and imagining the now. The realization he had is still only one I can intuit, but I kind of get it. When its always now, there can be no separation such as 'before' and 'after'. Things appear to happen in sequence, but all at now. Before is an imaginative thought that shapes what I will imagine for after. But all is in now. 2:11 The author applied his contemplative nature to get better at things, just as martial arts. I myself do the same to get better at my business trade, and how to reduce stress/suffering in the workplace. Zen Influence Chapter Two: 12-14 2:12-14 The author took up Zen and learned that it was a more formalized practice of his natural contemplation/investigation. He learned to let go of mind and knowing for the real big insights. 2:15 Beliefs are powerful and shape reality, but we mostly just trade one set of beliefs for another. Its like shuffling cards, and maybe you'll get a better hand. The author wants us to shed beliefs completely and perhaps there will be no hand at all.

@wwhy I think this is very interesting. I wonder when this starts to go away, probably with the more beliefs and assumptions that arise as the baby 'wakes up' and 'becomes conscious'. Wow those terms are so silly.

@nahtanoj hey ho! Mount dora here... (north of Orlando).

Well... If you don't want to use psychedelics or marijuana, then you can learn to channel your creativity. Do a search on Google, but here's a start : https://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/how-to-channel-creativity-at-any-time/

((Reading music, or you can listen to it before reading to settle the mind)) 1:30 A distinction is made between being and self. Being is a natural existence, and self is like a cloak we put on through beliefs and 'knowledge' 1:31 To remove this cloak, we must not take on more threads with spiritual chanting or more knowledge; but do the opposite and literally take the thing off. 1:32-35 We have what we need to get a glimpse of being. There can be resistance, much of which is cultural drama. The pull to find ourselves does lead to spiritual work, but still may not lead to the self-state of not-knowing/being. 1:36-39 From time to time we might have a flash of a more authentic self, but this passes. We fall right back into the matrix of beliefs and assumptions, perhaps because its just easier (which is ironic because it takes a lot more energy and processing power to be someone…) 1:40-41 Clearly the matrix of beliefs is veiling something purer and simpler.

((Reading music, or you can listen to it before reading to settle the mind)) Knowing and Not-knowing Chapter One: 16-39 1:16 The famous geniuses of human history had one thing in common: they achieved the state of not-knowing. (This is the eureka state?) 1:17 Likely for survival, we are raised to compare knowing with not-knowing, whereas knowing is something good and not-knowing is bad or undesirable. 1:18 Even the term "think outside the box" implies thinking or knowing harder, not stepping outside the box in not-knowing 1:19 We all have insights, but without knowing how to tap into the insightful realm of not-knowing, we are subject to receiving insights at random if and when we get them. 1:20-22 we are culturally indoctrinated to believe that knowledge is power and not-knowing is weak. (like the famous NBC meme "The more you know" ) 1:23-24 We use the word "unique" to describe our individual personalities, when in truth there is nothing unique, just a cog in the cultural matrix. Roles have been developed over millenia, and we fall into them. In our biased reality, we cannot see that there's actually nothing unique about any of these roles--what's normal to us also feels unique, and everyone else is just different. 1:25-26 Believing is easier than not-knowing. But our beliefs quell our need for serious inquiry. 1:27-29 Many geniuses and artists enter this state of not-knowing before creation, any may be unaware, or have a method of achieving this that is not considered any kind of spiritual practice. (I'm supposing this book intends to teach me to reach this on demand, or to become my nature.)

Hahaha no I'm a huge hypocrites.

After a series of false awakenings, what is that 'knowing' that we are truly awake? Compared to when we 'knew' we were awake several times before? Interpret how you wish, but I am referring to waking up to a new dawn.

@Red-White-Light well regardless, in a false awakening I can still fly, and when I truly wake up for the day I no longer fly...

From Wikipedia : Axiom of Maria is a precept in alchemy: "One becomes two, two becomes three, and out of the third comes the one as the fourth."[1] It is attributed to 3rd century alchemist Maria Prophetissa, also called Mary the Jewess[2], sister of Moses, or the Copt.[3] A more detailed quote was provided by the seventh-century alchemistic author called Christianos, who cited that what Maria uttered was "One becomes two, two becomes three, and by means of the third and fourth achieves unity; thus two are but one"[4]. Marie-Louise von Franz also gave an alternative version, which states: "Out of the One comes Two, out of Two comes Three, and from the Third comes the One as the Fourth."[5] The axiom served as a recurring theme associated with alchemy for over seventeen centuries.[6]

I realise the vibrations can be scary. Next time they arise, blast out of body and go explore. You're welcome

@ivankiss you've never had false awakenings? I really am talking about nightly-dream false awakenings where you think you woke up for the day to find out you really haven't yet?

That sounds painful actually. One orgasm per second should suffice.

@ivankiss Knowing is nowing... I like that ??

@Nahm I will not make such claims but will let your words wash over in contemplation. Thank you I definitely do not believe in days, but only because I realize that the rising and falling and rising again of the sun truly amounts to nothing, or one unending day so to speak where it gets dark for a while. Perhaps 'changes' is still a fundamental belief.

@Mu_ thank you so much. It definitely felt alot more profound last night like I was literally looking into a mirror. Or beyond that analogy. Looking forward to more time facing myself ??

@Unseeking Seeker @Mu_ last night I was a little high... Staring into the darkness of my closed eyes. Then I had a realization... I was not looking into a void of darkness as I've believed all my life... I was looking at myself. Like if I were ever to put a true face on myself, it's there. Have you ever noticed if the room is dark enough, there's no difference between your eyes open or closed? In other words, I've 'wasted' so much time peering into darkness waiting to see something , when in truth I'm already there.

@Mu_ much love....I will reflect on this. ?? You got my double meaning, scoring you seven points. But really I was talking about dreamland false awakenings and then we awake for the day. Sometimes I can have like ten very short false awakenings in a row. Each time I fully feel awake, but another knowing creeps in and I do a reality check. When I fully awaken for the day, I don't need a reality check, I just know. (lie?) But the experience can be so profound that I end up pinching myself a few times that day in awe and curiosity.

Sounds like you are getting ready for body exit. Try perceiving the room next time it happens. If you can perceive the room with your eyes closed go ahead and float up and out, or imagine you are pulling yourself up by a rope

Marijuana does put imagination into overdrive, even more so if you've also been doing other psychedelics. And in my theory it also sends your conscious mind into the same brain waves as when we are dreaming, but very subtly. Your head is just the right size, I promise ?. Or maybe it's ready to pop and you can become headless ?

@FlowerNote it would help to know if you have had diet or lifestyle changes in last few weeks, or have been smoking tons of pot?