Epiphany_Inspired

@Leo Gura You may or may not remember me asking for this/ questioning this sometime ago...this is still my only experience with a forum, and the status tittle thing has always kind of rubbed me the wrong way....but mostly for myself...having a tittle that I have no say in, that I may not yet be fully deserving of yet... From what you have said, I clearly see the pros and cons. The thumbs up can provide a feeling or acceptance (weather we actually need that)... I adore the idea of equality with everyone, at the same time, if you are saying that this equality would equate to having to wade through more irrelevant stuff...then, I would be less involved with the forum as a result (brain injury makes scrolling difficult)...and I may miss out on a lot of important and helpful information as a result Is there a way to find a middle ground? This idea seems a little in-integral to me, but... could everyone appear equal, yet behind the scenes, the posts are still filtered according to the existing system? How could we tone down the ego shit while still benefiting from the positive side of the current system? Leo, I hope 2018 is the best year you've experienced so far! Sending kind thoughts that you find the best possible solution to this dilemma for all involved

@Ilya Yes, it is possible... I didn't believe Leo that it would happen to me...but it did....twice now....that doesn't guarantee it would happen to you....but it's something to watch out for...my backsliding happens if I get too overwhelmed and want to shut my brain down/ escape into fiction-land...revert to T.V. numbing...It's been since June or July I've stopped again, but I had gone over a year the first time without...All I can suggest is watching for triggers...for me it's overwhelm & abuse/ violence...for you it may be something else...the stronger your positive habits are, the harder it is to slide back into the negative ones...the stronger your gratitude, mindfulness, and optimism are, the harder it is to backslide too...wishing you the best!

It's the only part of the actualization process where you get to be be lazy....it's actually easier to just be yourself...rather than dealing with all of the lines, buffoonery, and costumes that come with playing a part...lol...

@Joseph Maynor Fuck Yeah!!! I remind myself that it's all a learning experience that helps me grow...that there is likely a reason for this....proper timing etc...but fuck, yes totally!!! what's with all of these hold-ups with this awesome new life I am trying to establish? Why do these breaks keep slamming on out of nowhere every time I start making progress? I hear you, I feel you, totally! I'm definitely not as OK with it as you seem to be...obviously the universe (despite being me) is wiser than me, and I do respect that wisdom...but it's still infuriating...lol...

@John Iverson I may get rotten tomatoes thrown at me or something...but I think if this book replaced the bible this world would be a utopia...lol...

@Eudaimonia I visualize dreams, goals, and wishes with positivity and intention...I visualize horrific worst case negative things automatically/ unintentionally...sadly the second happens far, far, far more often and requires little effort to construct or maintain...the only effort is to attempt to dismantle overcome, or replace... I am a visual thinker so I don't really know how to describe the construction of my positive/ intentional visualizations...maybe it's kind of like asking a language based thinker how they form sentences...but it's a very good question...I often layer things (like working in photoshop)...so it starts with the base of the vision and then I add to it...I will add the golden light that comes from my heart to give everything vibrancy too...sometimes I draw it...sometimes it's a still image, other times it's a movie...which ever would be most impactful based on my desire...I'm wishing you awesome visualizations!

yes, distraction...I wish I was in more of a discussion mood...but all I can do is agree...and it sucks you were bullied about your love of learning, WTF? personal experiences I can offer: *trying to get the momentum through willpower alone is futile long-term *that inner-self-shaming-critic with the negative thoughts and defenses is likely stronger than you may realize...but that is not really you... Maybe we both need to watch the distractions video again...I've given up most of the entertainment stuff....but I still find ways...wishing you an amazing fun focused life!

@Siim Land Love it! ...maybe some immune boosters too? (medicinal/ adaptogenic mushrooms & herbs like reshi or astragalus), and probiotics like kefir or sauerkraut What's been working well for me these days (child in germy preschool) is just mega doses of vitamin c for many days after I feel anything trying to invade... between 1000-1,500mg a few times per day....

@ColinI have to wear rose tint for my brain injury, and now I have the blue block too...I found they gave me headaches at first...I started getting used to them but I prefer my natural vision so much that it's hard to consciously decide to wear them....but thanks for the reminder...if it really does those things, that would be worth it for me

@sgn I love those "Free-Stores", do you have them where you are? Everything is free...it's awesome....but from a business perspective it's kind of ridiculous....how do they even pay rent?

Well...I'm going to have to do a little rant here...but then I will blast out of that into some optimism for ya, ok? I went to 2 animation schools and worked in animation/ at studios...working in this field (often 12-16 hours days) on other people's projects isn't always "the dream"....I also worked at 2 studios that went bankrupt, so unless you are in L.A. or something, it may not be the most stable either.... Pros: amazing creative super fun co-workers, an actual trade that is art (like tattooing), decent pay, constant growth and learning, etc... I prefer the idea of working independently on my own projects now

I've had similar success with the emotions and the same difficulty with the thoughts...the only thing I really know of is more mindfulness development....with the emotions, it's very helpful as there are body sensations etc...if only there was something like that with thoughts...hmmm...well there is labelling...I don't know...

I could make a hundred and one for sure...permanent toddler? or...pathetic-perpetually-unhappy-puppy-pretending to be happy? ....how about...Hot air inflated or deflated dragon (inflation is based on mood/ other's around...lol...) ...a book of lies...a wolf in sheep's clothing...a wine glass in 100 layers of bubble wrap lost in a tornado....a ball of slime wrapped in silk, draped in velvet, then dipped in chocolate, inside an armoured box, none of which exists...lol....

I think I asked a similar question on the forum quite a while ago... I will name a few that I like: Starhawk, Jean Houston, Pema Chodron, etc (they are still alive, but there are some super rad dead-lady-mystics too...in the thread where I asked something similar ages ago, someone mentioned a really cool ancient dead lady but I've forgotten her name now...I think, in the old thread, I was asking if the sage process is different for women or something )

I feel like the reason you had to keep bumping this might be because most forum folk are on board the train out of ego-land, not the train in the other direction...I don't really know this technique...I guess what you might want to strengthen is your self-love/ acceptance and focus on your true authenticity (who "you" really are behind the masks etc). From my perspective, finding your connection to nature and the infinite oneness would be more valuable than focusing on your individuality...but they both have merit I suppose...you can discover your individual limiting beliefs, values, paradigms, etc...I don't know... i'm not much help I'm afraid...but I did attempt to answer

I had a little difficulty with this as well...but it was different... I found it confusing that this was explained in such a black and white manner. I believe that there is more of a "spectrum" of materialist perspectives....not really just those that "are", or "are not" in this materialist paradigm...the video was awesome...but it came across a bit like: there are only these two states... and they are like open-minded, or not open-minded clubs. For example: I began to have "first person perspective shattering experiences" early on (from about age 14), and am really open minded to ghosts etc (personal experiences with most of the things mentioned)...that said, as a result of my many neurosis, and the cultural conditioning mentioned, there is some % of me still in the materialist way of "being"...anyway, the end scared me a little...lol...I will try to "keep up"...but I am extra neurotic so it's a bit unfair...but maybe this is a tortoise & hare thing...not that it's a race...just maybe that being a tortoise is ok too...they just find a different way...lol...

Please consider doing whatever it takes to keep stress from harming you.... I've just come out of the hospital with a terrible stress ulcer. How is this possible with mindfulness, meditation, gratitude, breathing, etc? Well, when the external stresses are extreme and unavoidable, especially when they pile up...I can still respond with negative thought spirals etc...and in these more extreme instances all mindfulness/ ability to calmly breathe, etc seems to go out the window.... ...and, there are worse illnesses that can result from these dangerous stress reactions...I wish I had a magic cure to suggest...but all I can think of is to attempt to better manage our thoughts...better connect to our own healing life-force...and further enliven our optimism...if you have additional ideas, great!

Hey Psychology and Metaphysical folks: My dream recall is completely supressed due to trauma...long-term... is it advisable to attempt sleep hypnosis etc to remember my dreams?...or let the nightmares run their course not consciously remembered? I went years not remembering dreams when I was in a traumatic situation 2 years ago and earlier (not normal, I am typically a mega dreamer/ lucid/astral/etc). When I escaped, the dreams came back! ....but then the shit crept back in, despite my best efforts...the dreams went away again too...and have been away for over a year again... I've tried sleep hypnosis to help me remember them....it's just terrible nightmares where I wake up in terror....so, psychology students and metaphysical experts...is the lack of recall there to protect me?...so that I am not always sleep deprived and waking in terror? is it a good thing? or, if I force myself to recall them for a while...would this initiate a faster healing allowing my awesome dreams to return sooner? Maybe I should have posted this in serious emotional problems...but I'd also really like some metaphysical answers too...so I hope it can stay here

For me spacing out is the opposite...I come back with little or no recollection of what my monkey mind was up to....for me, it seems a bit like leaving a toddler unattended...who know what chaos has been brewing...and I probably just missed my turn off while driving or something...lol...

@Shin thanks for the pep-talk...yeah, my 2 years of practice have helped me somewhat...I am much better at dealing with negative emotions...soon I'll be better with the thoughts too... I've been re-watching all of Leo's videos on stress, negative thoughts etc. The most valuable things were the reminder to focus on the hero's journey so that the obstacles are viewed in a different light, and to switch the "what if's" to positive potential scenarios. These tools have really been helping me regain my strength. That said, I seem to be in a loop-hole to Leo's method of removing the physical stressors. There seems to be one exception, and I'm in it: co-parenting! You can break-up with dysfunctional partners, you can disown your unhealthy influence friends/family, quit your job, etc...but you are stuck co-parenting with the other party (even if they are seriously fucked!)...it's just the way our laws work...and when the other party is fucked, going to court etc becomes an obligation...I also find it 100,000 times harder to detach from the outcomes when it comes to my child's best interests, or unhealthy influences on her...this is where all of my stress has occurred, and from re-watching the video's I understand exactly why all the stress went to my stomach now. Still, I'm at a bit of a loss, for how to distance myself from this stress externally. At least I can once again work on my internal reactions. ..."but Leo"...We can take all of the responsibility for our lives, but there can still be those with ill intentions, disturbed people that intentionally want to fuck with us...and occasionally we have no option but to deal with them, so, what do we do?

@Sevi @see_on_see Thanks to you both, so much!!! So, a really weird monkey-mind phenomenon has happened. Since I finally committed to experiencing the nightmares, something reminiscent of ego backlash has occurred. The second I wake up I am literally flooded with problems, to do's, judgements etc. It comes instantly, out of nowhere, and with tremendous (seeming) urgency. I can eventually get these handled, but by that point, I am very far from any potential dream memories. I try to lie there for a while and use the techniques for remembering but I have a four year old child, so it's not an easy task. When I first started the sleep hypnosis it worked all too well! Now, it doesn't assist my recall at all. I've tried 3 new styles of hypnosis and none appear to be working. I will try the bay leaves, and look for clovers...I will try the envisioned gratitude...and write down anything at all...I will be optimistic that I am stronger than these new ego tactics to repress my recall....I am grateful for your help!

@sarapr Yeah, fixing your diet is the best long-term. When mine was bad I was doing a 3 year school program that was condensed into one year. I lived mostly off dollar pizza (with spinach and artichokes etc), but still cheap gluten/ dairy crap almost daily. I barely had time to sleep let alone cook, but that's no excuse, I could have grabbed bags of apples and carrots instead. Maybe you might like to have kale chips next time instead? Anyway, I know it's a big list of herbs, but as you probably don't live near me, you could ask your local apothecary to make you something similar if you like, it works really well. Take it right after ovulation to avoid PMS symptoms.

@see_on_see Thanks so much!!! Amazing & much appreciated! I get it now...there may be some issues while I figure out the lucid part again....but I will open the box...thanks!

@Faceless I have no idea...but it's likely that balance is the key with this, like most things...and this would likely be for both the internal conflict you mentioned, and external conflict in life....for example: I totally cannot handle external conflict...I seem to do almost anything to avoid it...even at my own expense...this is something I have a lot of confusion around....to a certain degree, I likely need to have more acceptance...but probably not too much....because I see how easy it is for some to get really into it, to an extremely unhealthy degree...but I really don't know...

@Guanine I've been expected to look many others in the eyes as a part of various workshops....it was really hard/scary at first...and still kind of is....but it's also really cool.... the first time I had to do it...we literally had to sing about how much we loved these (pretty much) strangers while gazing into their eyes...seriously...can you imagine?....it's really easy to start making up stories about what they may be thinking/ feeling etc (like you've been doing in public)....but it's also much easier in a safe environment to connect through the eyes...it's actually kind of weird how little we look into each other's eyes in general...and how little we really connect as a result....of course you don't want to stare...but genuine looking at the eyes of others is like the next level to asking others meaningful personal questions...what has helped me with this is to have awareness that anything I guess, that they may be thinking or feeling, is likely just a made up story in my monkey mind...and it's far more likely that i'm being more judgemental than these others with their mysterious eyes....