Twega

Hello, my dear night dwellers. As we all know, Insomnia is one tricky thing to befall a living thing. I’m sure most of us have been jealous of our dogs or cats. How easily they sleep, their minds still and tranquil. Us, however, goddamn. Some of us might not have anxiety or depression, yet still, we dwell in the night till the morning all the same. That’s precisely the point I’m about to make. Insomnia is one of the most mysterious and puzzling “illnesses” or conditions there are. There are no clear answers. Some people fix it by fixing their diet; some people have medical conditions, some mental. Some none of those. I know it’s hard to feel optimistic about this fucking condition. Trust me; it brought me to the brink of suicide. I am much better now. However, my journey is not the same as yours. My body isn’t the same as yours, nor is my mind. We are all unique, yet we insomniacs share a lot of things in common as well. It took many many hours of studying insomnia, biology, diet, neuroscience, nutrition, pharmacology, self-help techniques, psychology, a bit of literature, the human microbiome, and believe it or not, Zen Buddhism & Meditation, to finally have an understanding of how to deal with my insomnia. I’ve gotten it under control. However, I had to accept many changes I needed to make. Insomnia could be a journey to start discover yourself more deeply. Biologically, mentally, spiritually. I am not religious; I was born Muslim and became an atheist in my teens. I still consider myself an atheist to some extent. But spirituality does have an impact on your mental state. So does your biology, your nutrition, your lifestyle, etc. Now the danger arises when you dismiss these topics on hand and think you already know them. I can’t stress this enough. Your mind will trick you into thinking you understand when you don’t. It will trick you into dismissing them. It will come up with any reason possible to avoid introspection and come up with excuses to not read more and change yourself. Do not trust your mind. Do not trust your thoughts. Trust your intuition. Trust direct experience. This you can rely on. Learn things and then directly experience them and see what happens. Many of you will intuitively know that this makes sense. Obviously, it would help if you still had your mind to read and think and remember, but you get the idea. It will take maybe two years for you to filter out the good information from the bad. To see what lifestyle change works and what doesn’t. You need to keep an open mind, and you need to start to learn things proactively. Be consistent in your lifestyle changes. Not just try something for a week and say, “Fuck that it didn’t work, that’s bullshit.” That thinking right there is bullshit. Learning=change. Behavioral or psychological. If you read that stress induces insomnia, but you don’t do anything to change your stress level, then you haven’t actually learned. You just memorized a fact. You will be amazed by how many things you didn’t expect to influence sleep that does. “The greatest enemy of knowledge isn’t ignorance; It is an illusion of knowledge.” -Stephen Hawking Many people know that gut bacteria influence your mood and sleep. So they google how to increase gut bacteria. They get an article saying that probiotics increase it. They buy probiotics. Try it. Feel nothing. Then say, ok, well, it’s not my gut bacteria. When in reality, probiotics alone don’t help that much at all. This is just one out of a million examples. Insomnia isn’t your fault. It’s the worst thing to be told that it’s “just in your mind.” In a sense, it is true, but all of us have very little control of our minds and bodies. I know it’s hard to be motivated when you are sleep deprived. Somedays, when I lose sleep (rarely these days, maybe 5-6 days a month), I start to feel the same ways I felt before. Low energy, tired, want to give up on life. Just shitty overall. Suppose you sleep better the day after, or whenever, get back into the journey. We can’t control our sleep, but we do have control over many things that can start to influence both our minds and bodies. Later on, your mind and body will be your friends, not your enemies. But that won’t come quickly. Obviously, you see how big of a subject this is. I can’t explain every trap and obstacle. This is your journey to make. “Suffering is the greatest teacher.” -Guatama Buddha Don’t just view this as things to do to avoid suffering. It is that but also more. It’s about healing yourself. DO NOT BE NEGATIVELY MOTIVATED. Try to be actually excited about this. You don’t know where it will lead you, what changes might happen. You really don’t, even if you think you do. This is positive and exciting, not negative at all. Insomnia was the best thing to happen to me. I hope you will be able to say that about yours too. UNCONVENTIONAL TIPS Before you stack up on melatonin pills, try pistachios. There is evidence that just two pistachios contain enough melatonin to boost the hormone above physiological levels. Sleep hygiene is more complicated than the simple don't do anything in bed formula we constantly read about, if you do relaxing activities in bed like reading that can actually be helpful to associate bedtime with relax time. Insomnia causes depression and makes your mood abysmal. Therefore, most insomniacs you engage with in this subreddit are trapped in this mindset, so that's why this isn't a very helpful subreddit to gain optimism from, and that’s totally understandable. But just keep that in mind the next time someone slams exercising for not working or that diets have nothing to do with insomnia. Diet does absolutely matter, and diet is much more complicated than trying gluten free or keto or vegan. The raw material for neurotransmitter synthesis in your brain is derived from diet, it most certainly can impact your sleep cycles. The microbes in your gut produce 95% of the serotonin in your body (most of it won't pass the blood brain barrier, luckily your brain doesn't need much). & These microbes thrive when you eat healthy food, especially fiber. Getting your diet on check will require many years of careful rigorous experimenting, researching, not falling to delusional diets and most importantly not giving up. It takes a while for you to learn anything important, health should be your top priority no matter if you think your insomnia is genetic or not, diet will lessen the blows if anything. Getting morning sunlight does actually work for some but not others, give it a try and try to make it consistent. Coffee in the morning can actually up regulate GABA receptors, so it might actually help some sleep in some people (theoretically). Insomnia can be psychosomatic in some people, not necessarily completely but maybe a bit. If you sleep with the expectation that you'll wake up early, that will most likely happen. That's why if you're worried about an exam and sleep you'll wake up an hour before your alarm clock. How do you stop this? It's complicated, but just keep it in mind. Some people sleep way better when the accidentally fall asleep, because there is no expectation. Glycine is a non essential amino acid, some people report to increase sleep quality when supplementing with glycine.

I have just begun reading the SD book (50 pages in) and honestly, I do not like it at all. I do not think it very well written. I find Ken Wilber who is infamous for his glib, monotonous, and pompous writing style to be MUCH MUCH (10x) interesting and engaging than whoever wrote the SP book. It's full of analogies that seem unrelated or unnecessary to the topic. They gave an example of breast implants as being a stage orange phenomenon. I can see how that might be the case.. but also didn't Chinese women tie their female children's feet because small feet are sexually attractive in that culture? They've been doing that for ages and I think the health outcomes are worse than silicon injections.. The only reason is that the technology came from stage orange scientific materialism cultures. If that technology had existed before, it would be done at stage blue also. The book is full of such examples that I find hard to accept.. so for those who read the book, is it worth continuing? I found Leo's videos to be MUCH more engaging and interesting. I'm aware the videos are only like an SD101 intro. Which is why I bought the book so I can dig deeper. But is the book worth it? Have you learned more from it than just reading up SP online or from Ken Wilber work (which I am already familiar with) TLDR: Spiral Dynamics Book boring the fuck out of me (because of writing style). Is it worth continuing?

I have always been the type of guy who valued sexual freedom. I never held monogamy as the pinnacle of love. If anything, I think I have a bias towards monogamy. I have such a prejudice against monogamous relationships that I view monogamy as anti-spiritual structures of human relationships of a bygone era. (Please don't hate me, I know this is a personal subject. I'm just expressing how I feel ) I do get jealous sometimes if a girl I'm dating fucks another guy; of course, I do; I'm only human. But I deal with it by being RADICALLY HONEST with her and tell her how I'm feeling, and afterward, all the jealousy dissipates. I have found Open Relationships to be much more rewarding emotionally. & the love I feel for my partner in an open relationship is more unconditional than in monogamous relationships. I know this is a topic much discussed, especially in the PUA community. I agree that monogamous relationships are not "natural" and should not be the Modus operandi of relationships. The fact that it is what causes much dysfunction and incompatibility in the dating sphere. Do you have any thoughts, tips, or experiences in open relationships? Am I alone in thinking it is much deeper than monogamous relationships? Do you agree or disagree with me?

Cancer is very hard to cure with a vacine because there are multiple pathways for cancer to develop (carcinogenic compounds) and there are multiple pathways in which cancer cells can be destroyed (programmed cell death, inhibition of IGF-1, etc etc etc) common cold is also not one virus, how can a vaccine target multiple viruses which cause the common cold (although many types of viruses can cause a common cold rhinoviruses are the most common culprit) No offense, I honestly don't mean to be rude.. But you clearly lack basic knowledge on biochemistry / virology. I'm not saying obey authority blindly but at least try to seriously be knowledgable about these before claiming things for which you know almost nothing.

@Natasha @Preety_India The reason they were able to find a vaccine for COVID19 quickly is that they already had a head start by working on the Sars-COV-2. & Of course when the entire world is on the brink of economic collapse, you better expect governments/businesses to pour everything at their disposal to fix it. If anything, this only proves that we can accomplish so much if we wanted to. Feeling ill after a vaccine is pretty common and a predictable side-effect, this actually proves that the vaccine is targeting an immune response. Your immune response is what makes you feel ill.

https://qz.com/1454785/a-millionaire-couple-is-threatening-to-create-a-magic-mushroom-monopoly/ "Compass Pathways are trying to build a psychedelic monopoly. They are leading the effort to turn magic mushrooms into a pharmaceutical product and we need to quash this attempt at all costs. Prior to founding Compass, George Goldsmith and Ekaterina Malievskaia, a married couple, did not have experience in psilocybin research or working in the pharmaceutical industry. They’ve made headway thanks to tens of millions in dollars from investors including Silicon Valley libertarian Peter Thiel and former Wall Street-executive-turned-cryptocurrency-investor Mike Novogratz. They're not trying to gain PR and raise funds, they're trying to monopolise their interest. They are in this purely for profit and if successful we will continue down the dystopia future of late stage capitalism and further suffering and turmoil in the name of profit. We have a chance, as a society to turn a massive corner here and change our direction, I hope we can make the right decisions along the way. Look into Compass, ALL of the psilocybin researchers that assisted them in the early days are now critics of their intent and professionalism. These critics charge that Compass Pathways has relied on conventional pharmaceutical-industry tactics that could help them dominate the field, including blocking potential rivals’ ability to purchase drugs, filing an application for a manufacturing patent, and requiring contracts that give Compass power over academics’ research and are restrictive even by pharmaceutical-industry standards. The corporadelic fuckers need to keep their noses out of it. It's not for them, it was never for them and they have NO PLACE in bringing psychedelics to the general public."

@Skenderberg You do realize most monks and sages have a bias toward psychedelics and don't take psychedelics, right? Becoming a sage does not mean you do or don't do things that a certain group does or doesn't. So should Leo not do psychedelics because Buddhist monks on the mountains don't? Your reasoning is foolish. Yes, big pharma is corrupt. Still, don't forget that the people who develop pharmaceuticals aren't CEO's, they are medicinal chemist/pharmacologist who have to spend years studying and mastering the science, they don't get rich the CEO does. Pharma still develops amazing drugs. Do you know who fuck people even more? The millions of frauds who sell you "natural" pills and supplements telling you they cure everything under the sun when in fact they do not DO ANYTHING. Like this doctor fraudster who is against big pharma and constantly posts about how bad big pharma is Do opioids kill? Yes. Are they addictive? Yes. Y'know what else they do? Block pain, very, very fucking effectively. As @Loving Radiance said, you are throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

@Leo Gura How many people do you know that grow weed? A minority I presume. It is the same with food. How many people actually grow their own food? A few dedicated people with knowledge and experience will grow but the majority of people will buy food from companies. The same might happen with psychedelics. It is not all bad though. I suspect that some of these companies will produce psilocybin extracts that also include other phytochemicals like MAOI's from the mushroom and novel compounds from the mycelium of the mushrooms and create a blend that will produce a very desirable "high". Similar to the "full-spectrum" cannabis products we see now.

@NOTintoxicated THIS. I was pondering about the same issue. If reality is infinitely infinite, then does that mean that there are forms that are actually permanent?

This is perhaps the most common attempted rebuke of Idealism. Dr. Samuel Johnson attempted to debunk George Berkeley, one of the most famous Idealist philosophers, by going to a stone, kicking it, and proclaiming “I refute it thus”. A logical fallacy called Appeal to the stone is named after this incident. Idealism actually states that YES it feels real, it is real! But it is all mind. The rock is mind, the pain is mind. All is mind. Idealism does not state that measurements cannot be made. Your mind (ego-mind) is a small branch that exists in the MIND AT LARGE which we call the external world, so to speak. Who are the ones making these measurements? Scientists? Scientists are conscious beings and conscious beings experience nothing outside of mind. An MRI scan is an instrument used within the mind. Ask yourself, have you experienced an MRI scan outside your consciousness? It is an instrument INSIDE the mind. That does not mean it isn't true. It also doesn't mean that instruments prove the existence of an external world outside consciousness. It is like using a microscope. Yes you are using instruments, but you see it with your own eyes. The instrument is just an extension of your eye, can you see what I am saying? See it, with your Mind's Eye. Excerpt from Bernardo Kastrup's book Why Materialism Is Baloney; the logical case for idealism "Materialism requires the following four statements about reality to be true: Your conscious perceptions exist; The conscious perception of other living entities, different from yours, also exist. There are things that exist independently of, and outside, conscious perception; Things that exist independently of, and outside, conscious perception generate conscious perception. " Statement 1 is the one thing you can always 100% KNOW. It is reasonable to assume that statement 2 is TRUE because other conscious beings act like you. Solipsism IMO requires more explanation to explain why conscious beings exist and act the way they do. However, it an inference and you cannot know 100%. It is unlikely that other beings are like robots that just look conscious when they are not, so statement 2 is PROBABLY LIKELY TRUE. "Statement 4 is even worse. It postulates that things you can never know are actually responsible for the only thing you can be absolutely sure to exist: your own consciousness." I recommend reading the book, it will elucidate your confusion.

@Preety_India , Yes of course! I didn't know you struggled with sleep. I have nothing but the utmost compassion. I've spent YEARS reading on sleep in the scientific literature and I've tried many unconventional methods to optimize sleep, I'd be more than happy to send you some or all of them if you wish. Sweet dreams

@LfcCharlie4 I think you guys are taking this way too seriously. I've read 15 books in the last 3 months (As someone with ADHD you cannot believe how much mental grit this requires of me), finished LPC, working on projects, etc. I only asked if the book was worth reading because I actually want TO READ MORE, and not get stuck reading one boring book that I am already familiar with the concepts in it. Not because I'm complaining about reading in general and only want easy books. I finished all Ken Wilbers books and they are more dense and difficult than Spiral Dynamics. I also read maybe 30% of the books in Leo's Book List. I get where you are coming from. & I totally agree that this generation is facing serious issues thanks to the advent of social media and THE POISONOUS DIET and nutritionally deficient most people are eating. However, I think your concern would be better directed elsewhere because this isn't where it is needed. I certainly wouldn't fall under the category of looking for "Instant Gratification". I appreciate your comments regardless, and certainly, there is always room to improve.

NON-INSOMNIACS who wish to optimize their sleep: Andrew Huberman is a neuroscientist in Stanford University who has a podcast on using science-based tools for health. He has 3 series on sleep:

@Hello from Russia Yeah I get you. Most book information-dense books are so badly written that I can really see how future authors who combine style and prowess will really be able to shine. Ken Wilber is such an example IMO, and even Leo. I find his talking style to be very engaging, even when speaking on dense topics.

No, don't let my review turn you off. I'm not even halfway through. I just read a couple of pages and it does get better. Skip the intro if you are already familiar with SD because that seems to be the most boring part, and also skip the analogies. I'll continue to read it and give a full review later.

@IAmReallyImportant Don't take @Leo Gura words personally LOL. Honestly, I've responded in almost exactly the same way when a couple of my friends complained about finding certain books boring or the narrators (audiobook) isn't good. I was like: "ABSORB THE KNOWLEDGE WHO GIVES A SHIT YOU BITCHES" In this case, I seem to be the one bitching, lol. & That is that. I will continue to read the book, thanks Mama Leo

I drove my car in the middle of the night to go buy psychedelics from a guy my friend knew, and he took all my 2000$ and ran off. This sucks. I am trying to look at this in the big picture. And find the love in this situation, but it isn't easy. I'm so pissed, I feel like a sucker. If anyone has tips and experience in dealing with similar situations, please share them. This reminded me of one time when @Leo Gura said that someone broke into his car and stole all his equipment and jacket. He said he exercised love instead of hating on him. This is what I'm trying to do. In my case, it sucks even more because some of the money stolen was actually my friends' money. So now I feel equally terrible for losing mine and her money. I'm just really agitated and sad, guys Please don't ask for details. I'm not here to explain or justify what happened; I'm only looking to move forward and discuss solutions.

It's not just psyches but drugs in general. The country I live in has extremely backward drug laws and a high (pun intended) drug-using populace, a recipe for disaster, so the black-market is where all the supply happens. Damn, seems like your situation was even worse than mine. I'm glad you're okay, and I find comfort in knowing you went through something similar. Thanks for sharing.

@Blackbeat I believe it was in his Self-Love video.

In the discussion, Sam Vaknin says that public intellectuals are, in a way, anxiolytics. Their deep knowledge calms people who are overwhelmed by information. Public intellectuals structure and contextualize information, and communicate it to the public. This reminds me of why I like Leo's video because they do have an anxiolytic affect on me.

The book is Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, written by David Epstein. It does not directly contradict LP, but it challenges the 10000-hour rule. It challenges many of the books Leo recommends, like So Good They Can't Ignore You and the concept of deliberate practice. As well as Talent Is Overrated. I watched and read so many videos about mastery. My dabbling in different fields definitely made me feel insecure because those books always send a clear message: focus on one thing, practice, don't dable, repeat for 10 years. This book gave me a new perspective on mastery. It is much more complicated, and HOW you learn is more important than WHEN you learn. The book argues that professionals in different fields are more likely to dabble when they are young, and this gives them more flexibility and durability in how they use their minds, To be honest, this book has been a godsend. I recommend Leo and anyone interested to read the book and share their thoughts. The book is a game-changer, especially if one's life purpose is more abstract and intellectual. Where it is not as easy to apply the 10,000 hours of deliberate practice rule as it is for Sports, for example.

This STUDY suggests that some nootropics will impair neuroplasticity, especially in adolescents. from the paper “Thus, modafinil could induce changes in plasticity or behavioral rigidity, and potentially damage WM, logical thinking, and decision making. It has been reported that prolonged wakefulness induces experience-dependent synaptic plasticity in mouse hypocretin/orexin neurons.” @Michael569 thoughts?

Leo's VIDEO (23:44) made me feel extremely negative and pessimistic. I'm around that age, faced with the same situation he described. When he said, "you screwed up." it felt dark. I know I'm probably just being a neurotic pussy. But I just wanted to share what I felt.

LOL, he is most definitely NOT on the left. Watch this video of him with a leftist debate. He is clearly moderate/right-wing (quintessential stage orange). Watch this video where apolitical podcasters describe how he tries to shift the blame from Trump to the media when one of his guests says trump is responsible for the consequences of his actions.