Raptorsin7

@Preety_India That's so cool you're getting into lucid dreaming. I have wanted to do this for a while now, because I want to live out my favorite tv shows and movies. I want super powers and to fight villians etc. I'm going to keep following this to see how far you progress. Do you think it's possible to do a lucid dream like the lord of the rings movies, and fight orcs and stuff while being as conscious and present as I am in this moment?

So over the past few weeks my meditation practice has grown a lot. I was meditating and doing yoga for multiple hours per day, culminating in a day when I did like 6 hours of meditation and 2 hours of yoga. Now I feel a strong sensation in my third eye region that is basically there all day, and I find meditation sessions go much smoother and feel more effortless then before. However, I'm afraid of taking the next step. The reason I'm on a self improvement journey is because I want to be happy and live an amazing life. But I don't know if i want or am ready for awakening. I'm actually kinda scared to meditate because I don't know what i'm going to see and I don't know what effect awakening will have on me. I'm definitely feeling a little bit of an existential dread right now and i'm not sure how to proceed. Have anyone faced something similar on their spiritual journey? How did you deal with it?

@Leo Gura What does it mean to argue from a post-rational perspective?

@CreamCat Tj's the man. Did you know he used to post here

November 25th: First Meal: double double coffee + Banana Pecan Muffin- Take out Second Meal: Double double burger + Fries- White spot Third Meal: Caramel and Hot Fudge Sunday- Mcdonald's Fourth Meal: two pieces of pizza- Take out

@Buba Find out why they aren't listening. Talk to them, figure out what is going on with them. If they are not listening there is either a problem with what's being asked of them, or there is a problem with the person asking, or there is a problem with the kid. Happy children are likely to be behave. My first thing would be to see if my kid was happy, and there was no underlying pathology going on.

@Buba That is a very difficult situation. If you love your niece then i would recommend visiting as often as possible and try and be a positive role model to her. Also, try and show your sister evidence of what will happen if she continues to raise her child like that. I wish i could be of more help, but I don't have much experience with situations like this. I would suggest visiting a reddit forum about child abuse and anti-social behavior in children to get a better perspective on your situation.

@Buba Your sister sounds like she is abusing the child. You need to have a conversation with your sister and air our everything. Your sister is probably raising her daughter a lot like you were raised. Is your sister mentally disturbed from what happened to you two as a child? It is likely your sister, or her husband (idk you did not mention him) are physically and vocally abusing your niece so she's developing her own psychological issues. I would recommend talking to your sister, and maybe find someone else in your family who is responsible to discuss this with.

@Nahm Ok, I will give it a shot

@JustThinkingAloud Ahh very interesting. I kind of want it all with a relationship, all the non-physical intangibles and a deep physical attraction to my girlfriend/partner. But i don't know if i'm setting my standards too high. I value physical looks quite a bit, I think it's important to find your SO very attractive. But i also recognize it's just a belief, and i could probablly get over it, but it's something i want. What do you think? Am i setting myself up for disappointment?

@Nahm No i have not. I lived at home up until a few years ago, so my parents always cooked normal western food. I moved out for university 3 years ago, and i've been living off take out ever since.

@JustThinkingAloud How important is physical attraction to your relationship?

@Nahm It's not really fast food. It's restaurant food, but still a burger and fries type deal. I don't feel ill after. But i know eventually I need to stop or I will get type 2 diabetes.

November 24th: First Meal: Large double double coffee + Banana Pecan Muffin- Take out Second Meal: Double double burger + fries - White spot Third Meal: Kale + Banana + Peanut Butter + Almond Milk Smoothie Fourth Meal: Small Pizza- Take out

@modmyth Was never a big fan of poutine, but to each their own i guess haha. Triple O's always let me down. I used to go there all the time in university, but restaurant white spot is sooo much better imo.

@Nahm To let the thought go. But it also feels best to me to eat a double double burger from white spot as opposed to eating a salad. So maybe i don't trust my good feeling.

@Nahm So my instincts are part of my overall thought story? Is my entire life just a thought story then, every decision, every thing that's occurring? When i meditate there are thoughts, and there is recognition of thought. I can tell the difference between being distracted, and bring attention back to the present moment sensations. I can feel my the pressure and sensations of my head. I know them, and they are not thoughts. So i don't understand your distinction. Feeling is not thought. Instinct falls into the feeling mode, not thought mode. Unless you just want to call everything a thought. What are you getting at?

@Average Investor Thanks man

@Nahm Yes there is a difference. Thoughts are associated with the voice in the mind, or just random stories that flow through the mind. The instinct or intuition is not a thought. It can come after the thought or it can not be associated with a thought at all. For example, if i'm walking down the street and I see a shady person my instinct tells me they are shady. The thought story about this person being shady, potentially dangerous will come from the initial instinct.

It's an intuition thing I guess. Something either sounds right or sounds wrong. So if you said 2+2=6, my instinct says that's wrong. -I mean sure if we break it down nothing really makes sense. Everything just is how it is, and everything we know or think we know is just happening right here and now. Who really knows anything other than what they hear from others, or what they experience (or what they think they experience). There is no source of feeling. Everything is just happening. I mean usually i can make a story in hindsight and say I felt like doing this or that. But i've looked for the I that's doing it, and all i got is the thought pattern that comes and goes, and a general sense of body and presence mainly emanating from behind my eyes. But i don't quite understand what you're pointing too.

@Nahm It either makes sense to me or it doesn't. I'm assuming you think i'm asking too many questions...

@Nahm When we recognize a thought that isn't helping us and doesn't feel good, is it enough to recognize it and then say in our minds let it go? Is a simple acknowledgment of the thought plus the intention of letting go enough to deal with negative thinking patterns? Or is it better to replace the negative thought with a more positive thought? For example, if in the present moment I say to myself I am not happy. Should i just let go of the original thought or should i say to myself I am happy.

@Average Investor Yea it is, but I have all my expenses paid, and I'm making a lot progress with enlightenment with my meditation and yoga practice. By the time I graduate i'm on track for some major spiritual insights, so worst case I won't just end up with a degree i'm not using. My parents would be happier if i finish school, and I like my lifestyle currently so i'm happy to continue it.

@Average Investor I have no intention of practicing law. When i graduate I'm planning on just pursuing business and entrepreneurship full time. I'm hoping to start something while I'm in law school so when i graduate I won't be starting from scratch.

@Average Investor Yea I will definitely take business related classes in my upper years. I was thinking it would be more practical to achieve some sort of financial independence before pursuing your life purpose. But i don't know I could be wrong, maybe it's better to just go all in on life purpose from the start. I'm going to start researching different industries to see where there is money to be made. Do any of you guys post on any forums that are more business/entrepreneurship oriented?