StephenK

In my fruit bag, a gift: a love mutation, two grapes, each to the other, dissymetric, but together fused -- heart-shaped asymmetry! I want so to hold, to keep, to make last, but know decay. So into my mouth the heart pop and sweet entropy consume.

@Outer It's interesting how those that are inclined to believe in an external universe keep on missing the fact that the brain is within consciousness. It's almost like the mind does not what to acknowledge this. I've struggled with it myself over and over. It's like a deeply ingrained bug in the software of the mind. The material world will always remain a metaphysical postulate.

Well put.

@lmfao I think that the pleasure/pain difference comes down to a movement towards or away from whatever sensate arising is occurring. I personally find it hard to differentiate between a sensation and the mental impression of that sensation. As for language, I think that when it comes to non-duality, language is used for deconstruction rather than construction (this is not how we normally think of the utility of language). Non-dual teachings that really rock your world end up chipping away at the foundations of the megalithic structure we call "ego" -- at least that is my experience.

I tested as INTJ about three years ago. Now I tested as INFP.

I've spent many weeks on end outdoors with no human contact. Personally, I love it. It's how I recharge. It may have a lot to do with how you're wired though. Sometimes when it comes to introversion, it is hard to tell how much of it (the introversion) is because of nature or nurture. There is a balance for you -- you just need to find it. It will take time (as most things do).

@SageModeAustin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Default_mode_network

I'm there now. The switch has been flipped. The DMN is doing self inquiry on its own.

This the real answer to the "How to escape wage slavery" video...

That's a very interesting way of looking at it. If you don't mind me asking, why did you choose to use Cetus in your username?

I'm slowly starting to realize that most of my suffering is because my mind is trapped in a specific symbolic framework/network. When we as a society look at things, we try to create grotesque symbolic representations of what is truly a miraculous non-symbolic reality. We look at a truly complex system of cells, fluids, electrical currents, responses and call it 'human' or 'mother' or 'daughter', 'bad man', 'good man'. Symbols are there to hide the truly miraculous nature of things, and in doing so, hell within the mind is created since we divorce ourselves from what is. I have also been having flashbacks to when I was 2-3 years old, where reality was a continuous, amorphous, dynamic system of inputs and outputs, without labels and abstractions. There was no 'me' nor was there 'other' -- there was just manifest reality. I'm am starting to realize I saw reality more clearly as a toddler than I do as an adult. wtf? how does this make any sense?

The fear of letting go of that I know to be false, because falsehood seems more comforting/familiar than emptiness. I don't know what will be left when I let go...

@Serotoninluv Fair enough. I guess I'm just realizing that the symbolic framework with which I view the world has/is tying me in knots. Some symbolic frameworks can cause tremendous distress. I guess we each have our own unique biology and genetics that respond in very different ways.

@cetus56 I feel as if I am learning the same lessons over and over again, then forgetting them, then remembering. Life is a wheel. Oh, I don't doubt it. Everything (cognitive) seems like a distraction at this point. The more I deconstruct the symbols within my mind, they're replaced with finer grain symbols, but symbols non the less. Does this deconstructing process go on forever? I don't know. Am I going somewhere? Probably not... @Misagh What if you don't know what trash is? Nice

@d0ornokey Ah, my mistake then. Must have missed that.

I find it interesting to create a video on the topic of 'wage slavery' without getting into the issue of living beyond your means. You can be earning 100K plus a year and still be a wage slave if you've fallen hook line and sinker for consumerism. Similarly, if one is willing to live frugally, a 'wage slave' salary can be more than enough. But addressing this aspect of the issue is not really on Leo's agenda it seems.

The video below is a favorite of mine, and happens to have about 300 thousand views. There seems to be something very impactful and mesmerizing about the delivery. Thinking it would be a good idea to create a video like this: powerful statements juxtaposed against prolonged silence. Just an idea.

The idea of meaninglessness was always the thing that left me with an underlying dissatisfaction with life (existential dread, fear, etc...). However, recently I am finding tremendous relief in the meaninglessness of things. Now, whenever I get caught up in life (things getting too serious) I can look at it, see that I am creating all the meaning around it, and just let it go. Poof. Anxiety gone. Stillness remains. Is this healthy? Does this make sense?

@DonMario About 4 months now. I've been through periods of fasting for 16 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours in the past. Never longer than that, since I am naturally lean. I see OMAD as just one type of fasting routine amongst many.

I think that omad gives a pretty good break to your digestive system as well as give you the ability to easily go for a 2 day fast. I've found that I obsess about food less and and am pretty happy to eat less palatable (but healthier foods). You also get a level of self control that guides you throughout the day.

Ambiguous word A causes ambiguous word Y. Blame, blame, blame! Haha, am i right?

As far as I can tell, there seems to be a wide spectrum of agendas on this forum. Some people are lurkers, some are deliberate contrarians, some love debating (to test their world-views I assume), some come to ask questions, some fancy themselves teachers, and some come across as preachers. Personally, I came to this forum over a year ago with a somewhat antagonistic attitude and desire to argue. In the last few months, I've stopped arguing as I've realized I get nothing out of it and I don't actually know what most (not all) people on this forum are saying. Sometimes I read threads and after 4 pages ask myself 'What the **** did I just read?' Maybe I'm just not spiritual enough. So I pretty much exclusively ask questions now. So why do you come here and what are your opinions on this forum?

@Matt8800 I wouldn't say I've reached Equanimity, as i still fall back into old patterns (dark night stuff) when I'm not attentive. @Faceless Is this fear you describe the same as what is referred to as Dukkha in Buddhism (a sense of unease being in all transient-phenomena/mind)?