nistake

Well, the first thing that came to my mind: sitting on a park bench.

My dad wasn't around when I was a kid/teenager. He was working all the time, he had alchohol problems and he didn't know how to relate to me. So basically I grew up without a father figure.

This is gold

What she said. Also, check out this guy, he's got tons of practical stuff and not egotistical at all: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuyKuowJW8WqMl-sckc0tjg

Don't worry about it, go for both. They complement each other.

Mixing psychedelics and pickup is a terrible idea. Although If you're highly self-aware (in a sober way), yes, that's attractive.

It's a great idea to just be still and allow everything to arise. Whether it's monkey-mind, random sounds, itches, feelings, etc. You don't need to do anything, just watch the content of the present moment with an active awareness. After a while, your mind will settle automatically (in most cases) and you'll be able to go deeper. When my mind quiets down almost completely during my sessions, that's when I switch to self-inquiry.

@How to be wise Fair enough.

@kireet I see. Well, in my opinion, the best strategy is not beliving anything until you experience it when it comes to enlightenment. Sure, read the books, listen to the teachers, accept the teachings if they resonate with you, but constantly ask yourself: "Is this true? Can it be true? Can I trust this person/book/teacher? How could I implement this in my life?" etc.

@kireet Hate to break it to ya, but there's no quick fix for enlightenment. You're still very young, so if I were you, I'd stick to the sober practises to build a proper foundation and psychedelics when the time comes. Don't underestimate the sober practises, the Truth is not elsewhere, not in the future and not a mystical experience.

Either try and experiment with psychedelics or forget the theory consuming habit (if you have a solid understanding of what enlightenment is) and go for the direct experience. Rigorous meditation, self-inquiry, contemplation. An ideal solution would be both, of course.

I clearly remember a few times when you straight-up proclaimed that you were enlightened in various threads. Why would you pursue enlightenment then? Why would you want to live a solitary life? What's happened? I'm not trying to call you out, I'm just curious.

True Meditation: Discover the Freedom of Pure Awareness - Adyashanti The Most Important Thing: Discovering Truth at the Heart of Life - Adyashanti Not Nice - Aziz Gazipura

The transition from red to orange:

Yeah, that was like the first self-help book I've ever read and it caused some damage to my eary development. Wouldn't recommend it to anyone. But what I do recommend is "Not Nice" by Aziz Gazipura. That book explains how to be an anti-nice guy and how to get real confidence and authenticity. No manipulation, no fuckin' around.

@Don Wei Then yes, girls do fall for assholes.

Assholes as in loud, obnoxious, typical stage orange macho bro-type guys or assholes as in authentic, not people-pleasing, honest, direct, assertive, polarizing guys who have boundaries and dare to say their opinion in every situation?

It'd be hilarious if actually that was the case

The lyrics, the videoclip, everything.

My 2 cents: You probably don't live in a cave in complete solitude, so you need a certain sense of self to function in this modern world. You interact with other people, you're faced with choices every day, you work on your purpose, you work on your physical health, etc. You can be enlightened, but a healthy, well-rounded sense of self doesn't hurt. A great example is Shinzen Young. Even after his enlightenment, he sought professional help from a therapist, because he recognized that enlightenment was not the answer for every personal issue of his.

This is a really great practical introduction to "true" meditation. This is mostly for beginners, but I think seasoned meditators may also find this useful.

Okay, this is golden:

Well, this is pretty self-explanatory and yet so many people just stuff their food in a hurry all the time when it comes to eating and they wonder why they have digestion issues (of course you can have digestion issues for some other reasons too but that's beside the point). Personally, I always wondered why I had the typical afternoon crash even after a small meal. It turns out that my body needed much more energy for digestion because I didn't chew my food properly. In retrospect, this does make sense. That's why I started to pay attention to it and it looks like chewing thoroughly solved the issue! I haven't had a crash since then. The only downside is that eating my meals takes like 3x times longer. But hey, where's the rush? Here are some other benefits to it: 1. Absorb More Nutrients and Energy From Your Food 2. Maintain a Healthy Weight 3. Your Food Gets More Exposure to Your Saliva 4. Easier Digestion 5. It’s Good for Your Teeth 6. Less Excess Bacteria Lingering in Your Intestines 7. Enjoy and Taste Your Food And the last thing: you can even practise your mindfulness skills during eating since you need to pay attention to chewing properly.

@28 cm unbuffed Don't overthink this. Find a career that you're happy with and go from there. This may sound new-agey woo woo stuff, but I think if the unviverse wants you to help other people and make an impact, it'll present the opportunity sooner or later. If you don't feel like it, it's no point to force it just because "I'm a spiritual person and that's what I'm supposed to do".