Late Boomer

I remember things I forgot all the time. All it takes is a little weed. Funny how it also makes me forget why I went in the kitchen... I think the problem is, it's hard to study because memories aren't super reliable anyway and studies have shown that false memories exist and can be implanted, inadvertently or purposely. Look up the "lost in the mall" study for example, where the researcher was able to get subjects to remember a made up story by suggestion. Therapists have gotten innocent people thrown in prison over false allegations by questioning children under hypnosis. Those techniques were widely used during the height of the Satanic Panic. You ended up with a lot of wild tales that couldn't be substantiated but which still had serious consequences. The McMartin Daycare trial for example.

@ZenSwift I've accepted it at this point. It felt like a shocking revelation when I watched the Social Matrix video, but after reading some Jung and listening to Alan Watts I was like yeah, this is known. I can now see it happening everywhere. Of course I still have that question in my mind: what else am I not seeing? One thing it has done is make me more empathetic including for people I dislike or have to oppose. It eliminates that you "disagree because you're a bad person" dynamic. It does feel a bit isolating. I've tried telling people about it and I get pushback just like Leo predicted. People look at me like I'm from Mars. Online, people immediately turn it into "you're condoning evil." Your credentials are questioned. Also makes me rather sad for the human race. Outlook is poor. Something else I can't get people entertain is Dunbar's Number, the theory that humans can only form stable relationships with approximately 150 people. It's something I'd prefer not to believe, but if true I'd like to look for workarounds, because it has grim implications. But solving the problem might not be possible with the internet the way it is. At least it feels good to not have to be a misanthrope, which can be tempting.

Duplicate comment. I don't think my smartphone browser likes this site.

Well, most of us won't end up in a suicidal flying saucer cult. I don't think...

I came across this watching the Heaven's Gate documentary. https://youtu.be/NyDDyT1lDhA It explains what they did, and how it could be any of us. Reminded me of Leo's video about the Social Matrix. We see what we think we're supposed to see.

I give it credit for mapping the skies so astronomy could exist.

They were propagandized by the GOP in the 80s. It was presented as killing babies which got them fired up and involved in politics. I was a Baptist for years and I don't remember it being quite as big in the 70s. Back then it was hippies and secular humanism.

Fascism in my southern state.

@silene I was thinking to distract us from the political and economic turmoil, but that makes even more sense.

To distract us.

I'm new to this forum and new to spirituality. I was a fundamentalist Christian, then an atheist, now I'd describe myself as spiritual but not religious or maybe spiritual curious. I'm no one's expert, only a handful of mushroom trips under my belt and there probably won't be more because I'm old and have high BP. But for what it's worth here's my take: look at this like a buffet. I don't buy everything Leo says, but too much of it rings true to dismiss him. I take a little bit from him, a little bit from Carl Jung, Alan Watts, the Tao Te Ching, Buddhism, Joseph Campbell, various psychonauts and new agers. I think there's horseshit everywhere, but you can't call it all horseshit. A lot of it lines up. Find what seems true for you and be willing to change your mind. Some of the new things I see as true now, I dismissed before. All these trip and NDE reports are subjective. You can't go into anyone else's mind. You can't study this stuff in a lab. Maybe some of it means nothing, but consciousness exists. We all live inside it. I appreciate Leo giving us his takes. I'll decide for myself. As for young people and psychs... I think we should all be careful with them. Some people are playing with dynamite. Leo has included warnings in some of his videos. Maybe there should be more. Nihilism and solipsism scare me too, but what can you do? I had thoughts about them as early as 9 years old. Mark Twain wrote about solipsism. It's going to come up.

Interesting jiu-jitsu move.

I'm afraid this fascism thing may have to run its course. Empires are carnivorous till they run out of food. Then they become cannibalistic.

I think what you need to do is grieve. Shame from past trauma that derailed your life is a bit like death. It's something unfair that you can't go back and change. Grieve over it then put it behind you. Then it's just part of your history, something you can use to grow. Getting bullied in school was a gift. It made me independent, gave me an outside perspective. If they had accepted me I would be one of them today. Asleep.

Those are red flags for me. I had a therapist who crossed lines like that and it got worse, with more lines crossed - to the point that I found out she shared some of my personal information with someone I knew. It sucks but you can't really be friends with your therapist.