theleelajoker

@AION 1) Careful about assumptions. There are free retreat that are donation based (Goenka, vipassana e.g.) 2) At home you don't have the structure. You still have to care about basic things like preparing or buying food. At the retreat I know you just eat, sleep, meditate. In between some breaks for walking & some lectures in the evening. You are also more likely to be disturbed at home. One time I tried doing it at home. Turned of all communications and then my neighbor knocked on my door first time ever

@AtmanIsBrahman Go on a meditation retreat for at least a week. Do you best to follow instructions, to observe, to be still and to feel. If you still believe meditation is BS after this, then we can have a conversation again After finishing my first 10 day retreat I had this idea that if I ever founded my own company, it will be a necessary condition that they did at least one long meditation retreat. Why? Because people that do these kind of things have proven to be much easier to work with for me. Of course some people don't need retreats to reach these cooperative behavior and open attitudes - but most do...

@Jowblob Thx for clarifications. In particular the second quote (marked bold by me) got me closer to understanding your point (or at least, makes me believe I understand better). The thing about the importance of the opposite I can observe with me and my male friends. I believe you need the opposite in your life and no other things (money, power, prestige, possessions) can give it to you what a female can give if she freely and voluntarily chooses to be with you for who you are. (Don't know how this plays out with people that are not hetero) The interplay of creation and potential you describe also makes sense for me. I mean, it's actually very symbolic with how sex works and how new life is being literally created IN THE WOMAN. You made me curious enough to at least try some stuff, e.g. some semen retention on days and weeks I don't see my gf.

Nice one I like that! Not seeing enlightenment as a state, but as an infinite process.

No better way to start a Saturday morning then people arguing who is awake, and why and why not, or even better who is more awake. Grabbing popcorn...

Just read this passage to my gf and asked her. She confirmed she's a demon sucking my energy. But she's very cute while doing this, so it's hard to not stay in her claws. But seriously; @Jowblob Why all this effort just to stay away from women? Sure, the differences male/female do create some conflicts, but also wonderful moments of connection. And isn't the female/male attraction and dance somehow a very beautiful part of the game of life? Today I was thinking that given how fast AI evolves, maybe soon (some decades?) many things of life are likely be extremely automatized. Maybe we reach a point where transportation is automatized, food production and distribution and other survival tasks. But what I believe will stay is the hunt for a partner, either as life companion or to have a family. And I think that's kind of nice. Maybe I am missing sth, happy to learn...

I want to live in a world where you can go to your standard psychologist and say "I'm so successful and accomplished in life, but yet I feel so empty inside and I'm longing for something more but I don't know what it is, and I'm an open person who takes in new ideas and sensitive to subtler aspects of life", and the psychologist answers "have you considered just accepting your feelings?"

For me: Similar, but not quite there Similar: A pulsating of surfaces Things that are not moving are now more dynamic Not quite there: I see geometric patterns I normally don't see Things that are 2D like a poster on my wall become vibrant 3D Normal surfaces, patterns and shapes recombine to different shapes and pattern create sth (don't know to to describe it better. Let's say there was a wall with irregular surface, and suddenly these irregularities formed shapes like humans, animals) I don't have the experience of a "center" like during the peak period in the video The pulsating, geometric shapes (like fractals) are more colorful

In my experience there is indeed a cycle with "happiness" and "non-happiness". Up and down. Can't have a one sides coin. A the same time, I feel I do get a bit more relaxed, centered, calm as I grow older. Not caring so much about others expectations, or my own but just doing my thing. Becoming more conscious if my programming, cultural programming etc. Looking more inside than outside, Just remember that "happyness, sadness, pleasure, nihilism" are just words. I learned that it is good for me to go more into physical sensations and less into words. Be careful not to think too much about it. And for the nihilism: This is likely to change instantaneously the moment you meet a girl/boy you like very much. Suddenly you will care about a lot of things quite a lot : )

I think of two: 1. Realizing that the "external" world is not as external as you think it is but much more a refection of the inner one 2. Realizing that the "I" is not that much an independent, separated agent as you thought

Very interesting. Appreciate the discussion. I can follow until here: Not sure how to make sense of that: This new form of life is outside of this dimension of reality? Sth you - maybe - can compare to what you see on a DMT Trip? Makes sense. At the same time, I cannot help the feeling that it's not a "tough evolutionary fight" but a game. As if "life/universe/god" has a sense of humor and "winks" at me from time to time. The very moment I heard of the divine game "leela" it resonated with me immediately. Maybe I am seeing what I want to see, maybe it both a unstoppable push combined with humor, maybe it's none of it. Really curios if we will ever get a "good" answer what this is about.

Makes sense. Resonates with recent experiences. I see the logic behind your idea of seeing infinity + non-ego. Can't say it's wrong, just does not feel "right" for me subjectively. Can't give a convincing reason why. Maybe I am stuck in old ways of thinking. Gonna process. Resonates. So why you think non-synchronicity is possible at all? Why can we resist instead of just flowing? Bold emphasis by me. Yeah, that's what I feel like sometimes. There is sth I need to do no matter what. And it has sth to do with balancing of relationships. And the uniqueness of every situation - yeah, that's what I also beginn to understand /integrate better.

Yes, I heard a lecture where he talks about the feeling of "haven't we have been here before?". He also mentioned "boredom" of the universe as a main motivation. You mean that a will - "I want this and not that" - implies a limitation which implies finite trait? If you mean sth else, I don't follow. I kind of can see and feel the reflections and the synchronicity in my life. I agree with the idea of "non-synchronized" movements cannot exist. At least it feels like that for me as I experience life now and recently. Why is development the goal if there is infinity? Haven't you developed and rebuild from zero infinite times? Only motivation would be to have fun developing but the result does not matter, does it? So for you, the mind is a hindrance, an obstacle to be overcome? For whatever reason, I more and more see it as a feature, not a bug.

If you could do it at will, would meaning still be fun? Control at will seems counterproductive without losing control once in a while to me. I am a big Alan Watts fan and he once made a point of "you want to forget so that you can surprise yourself again and again". My personal experience resonates with this. Sometimes I am so open, so clear and then I get anxious, blocked, lost in the daily stuff. Few weeks or months later I have great and calmness clarity again and then one thought comes up: "Wait a minute...I was here before! I know this, this is familiar! How could I forget?" So it's like a good movie - you want to be so deep in it that you forget it's a movie. If you don't get caught up in it, it's no fun.

Great. Thanks for investing the time to answer thoroughly. Will process. The animal-predator example is great to illustrate your point. I agree.