Mz Hyde

@Raptorsin7 Great! Hope you'll get what you want out of it. Keep us updated!

@Raptorsin7 I use the term 'survival issues' in a broader sense (sry I should've said that). But let's instead of that say building a healthy ego (survival is an ego game afterall). So yeah, in my POV these are all included. Solving those issues doesn't mean turning away from consciousness work and it certainly won't get you where you want to be, BUT it will unstuck you - put you in a better position to work on that. You can't let go of your ego unless it's strong and healthy enough. IMO you can't get very far without it (especially when it comes to spiritual journey). It's definitely not an easy task. I also don't really like 'just do it' advice. Because it requires tremendous discipline I think it's very important to be strategic about it. I'm trying to go with one thing at the time with gently-strict approach. I've realized that the relationship I have with myself is not very great and that it would be impossible for me to build healthy habits from that place, so I started practicing mindful self-compassion (which is a great tool and a healthy habit itself). How did you put in place meditation practice? Maybe you could use the same approach for other things if it worked well for you in the past. You could also think about all the ways you are maybe sabotaging yourself and try to work that out first. What do you want exactly? A relationship or just sex? Relationship requires a lot of emotional work. Are you able to meet your own emotional needs? If you get into relationship needy, expecting the other person to fulfill those needs for you it'll become codependent and toxic very fast. As for sex, I think you have more than enough pick-up advice here. What we hesitate about the most is the thing we should be working on the most. But no rush. Go slowely and try to enjoy the journey. ?

But do you get the concrete answer, something that you can work with? I have a feeling that by focusing on spirituality you are overlooking the basic human needs that are necessary for any further growth and development (including spirituality). As Nahm said in some thread: Maybe if you set the basics first that will open you up for this kind of feelings. It is normal to feel tension and frustration when survival issues aren't solved. Those feelings urge you to do something about it.

What are you resisting? Try asking yourself this question whenever you feel suffering. Why do you feel this way? What do you think is stopping you from this? Do you have any plan how to do this? Try to set your daily life so that every day you do at least something that will get you a bit closer to where you wanna be.

During meditation session the other day my mind got into contemplative mode and started toying with this idea. It started very subtly by thinking about what it would look like if I didn't have one of all the senses (first sight, then hearing and so on). Then I started to dwell on each sense individually and combine it with each other one by one, imagining what it would be like if all the sensations of those senses simply disappeared. After adding the third sense into the game it became pretty deep, but I kept going. Finally I tried to imagine what it would be like to totally shut off every sense (not only physical, but emotions too). I realized that not only would I not be able to communicate with others or do anything, but that I would no longer be sure what I was or whether I even existed. But I guess it wouldn't even matter to me anymore at that point. Would I still be thinking? Would I even have anything to think about if I didn't feel anything at all? Can thoughts exist without feelings? Since the self concept is just a system of thoughts, would it be affected in some way and if so how? Would the self just disappear? Would only pure consciousness remain? What are your thoughts on this?

@Moksha I'm not chasing awakening or anything else. I meditate for the sake of it. Thanks for advice!

That's a good point, thanks! I'll keep trying.. But feelings have physical component as well. @Dazgwny That's very interesting, thank you for sharing! This is so well said. @Fearless_Bum Questions that I had @sara373 already asked. @BipolarGrowth Wow.. this is deep stuff. I'll have to examine it thoroughly later. @OneHandClap Thanks for the advice, I'll try it! One more question: Do senses partaken in creating self, or is it just the matter of thoughts?

How the one does this? That's exactly what I did. Why do you think that would happen? Why do you think that nothingness exhausts thoughts?

@Etherial Cat But I'd still have vestibular and kinesthetic sensations in my body, taste in my mouth, smell, feelings as well...

Thanks for the answers. I wish you the best of luck on your journey!

Did you finish it? Why do you think that what you discovered then isn't your life purpose? Are you going to redo/finish the course or you think there's some other way?

Are you saying that from your personal experience with the course? Figuring out life purpose is self discovery process which involves shadow work and some of it is included in the course. Go at your on pace, of course. Don't take any steps you don't feel ready for. I think that some more experience in combination with the course should do the trick, it'll just take time, but I'm okay with that. I think I'll feel it in my bones when I find it.

@Thought Art Congratulations.. on both passing the exam and using failure to learn your lesson and improve!

@Raptorsin7 Maybe 'resolving unhappiness issues' and finding lp can go together? (: I'm in the process (taking Leo's course at the moment), but I think I need some more experience and knowledge in order to make the final choice. I'm not in rush, so I'll give myself time and space to explore as much as I need and I'll be narrowing it down along the way.

@Thought Art Well, developing more loving attitude towards yourself is not going to prevent you from becoming successful. On the contrary, it puts you in the much better position for doing so. You won't get far staying so negatively motivated like this.

@Thought Art I feel you. I'm pretty much the same.. Just started with this book few days ago and it's really good, definitely read it! But until you do, just remember that failing some of your perfectionist demands is not the end of the world. We are all 'fucking idiots and fools' from time to time and it's totally okay.

Whoa.. I know it sucks, but don't get overidentified with just this one failure. I don't know you, but I know you are much more than that. Beating yourself up is not gonna help you now. Try to calm down and do your best to revise most important stuff for these two upcoming exams. Don't be so hard on yourself - do the best you can at the moment and accept any outcome. After all this ends, I think you should work on that attitude you have towards yourself. There's a great book that could help - 'The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook' by Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer. Wish you the best of luck!

@Raptorsin7 Just wondering.. have you found your life purpose?

Leo constantly insists on focusing on one thing and that's why I thought I should make a choice, but now I see that it's possible to combine it all together. The way I find most meaningful in which I could help and have impact on people is definitely through some kind of psychotherapy. Personally, I feel the happiest when I can creatively express myself in some art form, but I don't really see a potential for some big contribution in that. That's why I think that maybe the best option for me would be integrative art therapy for which I was thrilled to find an education center in my city. Education lasts 4 years, so it will practically be like another university for me, but I think it would be very useful and super fun (considering my love for learning).

I'm really struggling with making this decision. Ever since I was little I've been very passionate about all kind of artsy things. By the end of my teenage years I became very good at ethno singing, drawing realistic portraits and writing (I went to various competitions in all three areas and I had pretty good results). At that time I went to a tango workshop and not only did I like it very much, but the instructor also told me that I was very talented. In high school I became very interested in psychology and after graduation I started studying this field at university and I'm currently the best student in my department. I'm very passionate about personal development, I love both studying and practising it. Am I too scared to pursue some of these artsy stuff or have I simply outgrown them? I love all of these things, I'm also pretty good at them and I don't know how to choose just one. In any case I feel like I am betraying some part of myself... What do I do?

@SLuxy I barely made it through my SDS session from excitment about the possibility that you suggested. Can't wait to share those updates!

@Wilhelm44 Thank you for your feedback, I'll try that. That's a great idea! Choosing between these two areas is impossible to me. It never occurred to me that I could actually do both. Thank you very much, I will take this into serious consideration!

'Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents' As I've already said.. This is an amazing book by Lindsay C. Gibson that teaches how to heal from distant, rejecting, or self-Involved parents. I would highly recommend it to everyone who's struggling with childhood trauma and neuroses of any kind. It has a very good theoretical foundation, a lot of examples and also exercises that can help you identify emotional immaturity in your parents, but also some toxic coping mechanisms that you adopted as a child. Hope it'll help you..

This is an amazing book by Lindsay C. Gibson that teaches how to heal from distant, rejecting, or self-Involved parents. I would highly recommend it to everyone who's struggling with childhood trauma and neuroses of any kind. It has a very good theoretical foundation, a lot of examples and also exercises that can help you identify emotional immaturity in your parents, but also some toxic coping mechanisms that you adopted as a child. If you are in the middle of the process of healing from dysfunctional family like myself, know that you are not alone. Sending love your way... <3

I've been desperately trying to purchase LPC this way, but it shows me an error (Things don't appear to be working at the moment. Please try again later). What do I do?