Zigzag Idiot

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shibumi_(novel) Roughly 30 years ago this novel helped me to limp out of a very deep depression.

As you read these words. Stop. Feel your heart What does it say? Are you present?

2 1/2 minutes

@Oliver Saavedra I've typed myself as an enneatype 6 on the Enneagram. The chief feature is fear/doubt There's tons of information to be found with a google search of this subject if you're curious. I just did one and found a site that's new to me. https://www.enneagramworldwide.com/types/six-the-loyal-skeptic/

From my favorite Almaas book - Facets of Unity The Substance of One's Consciousness Looks Like Daylight What determines whether a soul has basic trust? Basic trust is the effect on the soul of a particular aspect or quality of Being that we call Living Daylight. We call it this because if one's perception is subtle enough to visually see and kinesthetically feel the substance of one's consciousness, it actually looks like daylight, and is felt as an alive consciousness. It is experienced as something boundless, in the sense that it is not bounded by one's body but rather is experienced as something that everything is made of. It is a universal sense of presence in that it pervades everything and is everywhere. The first level of experiencing it is to perceive that it is everywhere; the second level is to see that everything comes out of it; and the deepest level is to know that everything is made of it. At this deepest level, everything in the universe is seen to be originating in, bathed in, and constituted by Living Daylight. Facets of Unity, pg. 33 Vanity is the Specific Blockage Against the Channel of Living Daylight The more you get in touch with the helplessness, the more you might also get in touch with a specific physical blockage against it, which is the same thing as holding on to the delusion of vanity, of separate doership. This blockage is a specific holding at the anterior fontanel (at the front of the head) which blocks the channel of Living Daylight. When we see through this delusion and surrender our striving and our belief in it, this channel opens up. Then we can experience the beginning of real holding, the beginning of blessing as a descent of light that is love. This loving light expresses the action of Being as it melts the rigidities and fixations of the soul. When this occurs, we see that vanity is the specific blockage against the channel of Living Daylight, because in believing in yourself as a separate doer, you are taking God’s place. In other words, vanity and striving are reflections of the position that one does not need real holding. You feel that you can do it on your own and so you don’t need nourishment—whether human or divine. It also means that you believe that you do not need grace, and therefore block it. Grace is the descent of Living Daylight, specifically in regard to dissolving boundaries, so it allows us to be held by the universe and to trust in it. When you connect with this level of reality, the degree of holding in the environment ceases to be an issue. The environment that allows us to dissolve is Being itself, and when we connect with that dimension of reality, we feel held no matter what situation we are in. Facets of Unity, pg. 283

@mandyjw It's good you have a frame of reference that flexible! I may consider that approach. ?

I guess I should 'out myself' for no longer maintaining the discipline of a twice a day, 20 minute Centering Prayer meditation practice. Had about a three year run in doing it twice a day. I'm not going to make a commitment to immediately return to it. In my Inquiry, I observed some spiritual ego (pride) connected with being a twice a day meditator. A crow in peacock feathers is all I am at times. Can't decide if a crow in peacock feathers corresponds to Super Idiot or possibly more to Square Idiot. Probably both and also the lofty state/stage of the Swaggering Idiot.

@Aquarius You have a great sense of humor. I appreciate that. I enjoy your sketches, too. Do you plan on doing any more?

This is the first time I've seen/heard it. The first Shakira to be posted on this thread too. Thanks @kagaria Good Choice! @DrewNows ?‍♂️

I recognize the first piece. It was used in the 1970's movie about Gurdjieff- MEETINGS WITH REMARKABLE MEN

"We're all good little Republicans when we're 8 years old."- Ken Wilber refering to the concrete operational stage of psychological development.

I don't especially like a lot of the newer country music but I temporarily feel brave enough to share a sampling of a few of the older songs I've enjoyed. Later on I'll think of a few more that I wish I would have posted instead. Then I'll probably watch myself list a few more here and get it out of my system. Maybe not. ?‍♂️

Listened to Matt Kahn's latest video today and got some laughs out of it, as usual. Insights too. I used to play in my imagination that I had two hours left to live. Not only that, but I was facing a death through slow torture. There was more than one time that I felt a powerful 'something' in me or maybe in my perception that shifted-died-woke up- was horrified, afraid, something,,,, it made me more grateful to be alive in this present moment. It also made me just a little less violent, perhaps. I quit doing this when I realized it was a bad practice. It could actually manifest in reality. Don't care to be doing that, thank you very much. Seems like this was around the time when the book- The Secret -came out. Everyone reading these words is going to die at some point. Your body will wear out and draw its last breath probably sooner than you think. That's not very cheery, is it? Pondering on the inevitability of physical death without any violence mixed with it, is probably a good thing to do, though. The Work speaks about creating second body. An Astral body. One of Ocke de Boers metaphors about this is- Feelings are the blood of the Kesdjan (Astral) body). If you observe yourself long enough to see that you are liar and a coward or maybe lazy in some facet of life and it just totally bums you out. Congratulations, you're under way in purification of the emotional center. After a period of time your feelings will tell you what's going on with people around you without your own projections distorting the situation as much as before. With me, psychological projections still occur fairly often.They can be so subtle. I'm getting better, though,,, I also want to practice forgiveness more. When necessary or appropriate my conscience lets me know. Eating crow while it's still warm- as the saying goes. ? I used to feel guilty for having thoughts that weren't even my own. I learned that just because a random thought or association is made and floats through my awareness. It is not necessarily mine. I just need to say toward such thoughts- This is not me or is not endorsed by me. Then just let it go. There's a lot of trash floating around the psychic realm. Observe your schadenfreude if any shows up and just give it a good look over. It doesn't mean you're a bad person. It's just a shadow in one's awawreness that keeps one in a form of spiritual sleep. (Kenosis - Letting go.) Maurice Nicoll taught that all negativity leads eventually to violence unless the octave is reversed. The way he unpacks the parables of The New Testament in a deeply meaningful way. It would be hard to argue with him. He's dead anyway or his physical body is. It expired about seventy years ago. To Interpret the parables of The New Testament metaphorically they begin give understanding. Literally interpreting them makes for confusion. The first initiation in this Work, called esoteric Christianity, is realizing You are not it (the body). The second initiation is the expression of the individuality-data of the causal body. This is when one has individuated or dealt with the superego and childhood conditioning which resvolves issues and relations and with our childhood caretakers. Usually one's parents. I listened to Leo's last video on making distinctions early this morning and enjoyed it. Think I'll listen-to/watch it again this evening. Sunday mornings is when Dr. Rosen sends out his mini column. When Less is More by Dr. Jim Rosen ©2020 Dr. Jim Rosen The less you try to push happiness into your life, the more happiness you actually feel. Life is filled with these paradoxes, with these concepts that seem contradictory yet speak the truth. Today we consider a few of them: The more you focus your attention on enjoying today, the more certain you feel about your ability to handle the future. The more insecurity you are able to tolerate in the world out there, the more secure you feel within yourself. Each time you realize that you can only be who you are, you grow and who you are seems to expand. When you allow yourself to be the unique individual that you are instead of trying to conform or fit in, you discover that other people like you and accept you the way you are. When you blame other people for your problems, the problems only get worse. When you accept responsibility for your problems, you want to correct them and you are able to do so.

Thanks, You too, @Marc Schinkel

@Verdesbird I appreciate other perspectives but the video you posted doesn't belong on this particular thread.

http://www.consciousdynamicsllc.com/home/levels_of_consciousness.html Just wanted to share this particular web page that gives an overview of Spiral Dynamics combined with how the enneatypes look at each of the levels. I've found it really useful as a reference tool for learning both of these typologies.

@DrewNows ??‍♂️

Not particularly related to the above video. Had a trip yesterday and was hooked by catching glimpses of some shadow elements. Not a 'bad' trip. Just had to sit with uncomfortable, disturbing elements observed about my psyche. It's difficult to just simply let go,,,,, let go of self criticism. Letting go and not obcessing is as difficult as it is necessary as it is beneficial. This equation seems to have a different intensity for everyone. Practicing forgiveness eventually produces energy. Good energy. Not easy. Not rewarded by 'the world' (the Culture) From one angle, our true nature is to be a benevolent holon. I crack jokes when I'm under stress.

Thus song triggers a personal memory of a chain of synchronous events which reminds me to find humor in the ordinary things of life. Curtesy flush for others solely for occustical reasons is a sign emotional intelligence.combined with instinctual intellegence.

Didn't want to edit again. Related to the above is also the notion of self similarity over scales. As above so below,,,,,