Steel Grotto

First Post I'm making here on the Forum. This Discussion should tie into the following interests of this particular branch of the Forum. Self-Actualization, Self-Improvement Spirituality, Consciousness, Enlightenment, Nonduality, Meditation, Mindfulness Mysticism, Yoga, Lucid Dreaming, Paranormal, Channeling, Chakras, etc. Discussing & Sharing Spiritual Techniques Perhaps I should give a bit of background of myself before I begin the topic. I was brought up in a pretty regular kind of Christianity, pretty chill, on the spectrum of types of Christians. I went to Christian Summer camps at times, attended a Christian private school for a couple years, and had/have a fair amount of relative invested in the Christian World as it generally is. As I got older, my time in public school brought me into contact with *gasp* nonbelievers, atheist's, nay! infidels, that challenged shook my belief a bit. I begin to question, look for answers online, watch online debates. I found Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Harris. Watching the debates resulted in a sobering disillusionment in what I thought was true. Now I was an athiest! My mind unshackled by dogma and ignorance, muahahaha! (I was rather cocky whatever my views, it would seem). I attended Christian Bible studies in college and critiqued the book and beliefs that had no sense or evidence to them... yadayadayada, time went on, but Sam Harris's interest in spirituality and meditation opened a new door, that would lead to something else. My interest in meditation put me in some spiritualish lanes of information, Alan Watts, for one, a delightful discovery. I don't know if I was really just interested in the strongest conceptual club (as in weapon) I could wield, but I suppose Watts, others, and to great technical definition, Leo, changed my understanding of God. From worshipping God, laughing at the notion of God, to, apparently being God/rebecoming myself as God, aye-yaiyai! Neville Goddard's writing, it would turn out, led me to a new understanding of the Bible and connected it to the other consciousness work I was involved in. I hope that this background info will create the understanding that I am not dogmatic about this matter or allegiant to Christianity in particular, and that this matter can be relevant to everyone, regardless of familiarity with the book, believer, former Christian, atheist, former atheist, buddhist or what have you (perhaps it can even help the God realized O_O?) Hello my fellow explorers and guardians of consciousness, over the last, two? years, I've come across actual comprehension of what the stories in the Bible, to a large degree are about, and was wondering how widespread the truth and ignorance of the Bible are spread in this time and place. From what I gather, for something of its impact in this time, the Bible may be the most misunderstood thing on this Earth. This may be a larger problem of the symbolism of religion being reduced to its surface feature by most of its adherents, but, from the little I've seen, and if I may risk being hyperbolic, it appears that. . . NOBODY F*%&ING UNDERSTANDS THE BIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! heh, phew, I really need to get this off my mind, so if you would be so kind as to help me get the lay of the land here, can you share your understanding of what we now know of the Bible is all about. I'm mainly interested in the ahistorical meaning the parables are meant to convey, which are all related to mechanics of consciousness and the mind, from what I've gathered of Neville Goddard's analyses as well as the talk of mythologist Bill Donahue. If you want to include historical and other facets of it, or even insights into other myths/parables of other religions, such as Odin, the Bhagavad Gita, Greek Myth, go ahead! (Even nursery rhymes or more humble sources could be included) Depending on what answers are given here, I may be compelled to go on an endless tirade into elucidating the richness of those long forgotten secrets, unearthing them into the glaring light of day once more! I'll make a list, and we can discuss the symbolism of these different, famous tales, and if they have any relevance to the consciousness work/interest of the good members of this forum and all that good ol' Awakening jazz Things/Stories in what is now the Bible: (feel free to give your analysis, interpretation, or what have you) Eden (This includes a lot of stuff, such as what is the Garden, what is/who is Adam, the serpent, Eve, the two trees, the two fruits of the trees, and the Fall out of Paradise) What's up with Cain and Abel What is the meaning of Noah's Ark and the Flood Sodom and Gomorrah Joseph, of the Coat of Many Colors The Exodus Story, who is Moses, who is Pharoah, and what is it all about? Very comparable to the Bhagavad Gita, methinks. Desert stuff... What is the Ark of the Covenant? David and Goliath (and all the subsequent David narrative if you prefer, David does a lot o' stuff) (Elvis Singing)Joshua fought the Battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho. Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, and the walls came atumblin' down (favorite of mine) What's all the miraculous births about? The whole trifecta of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has a lot to it (in particular, Isaac's vs Ishmael's birth, the fight for old blind Isaac's blessing between Jacob and Esau) oh! and the often puzzling story of Job and his ordeal New Testament Jesus, Jesus, Jesus Who is he, what is he, what the hecks he talkin bout, what do his miracles mean/represent. What is the Cross, what is the Manger, what is the Virgin Mary, what's up with the fish, bread and wine, the walkin' on water, and the Disciples. Was it historical, what relevance does it have to me and you, and the biggee, What is the Crucifixion (what is the Cross?) and the Resurrection. Lot's of Jesus stuff available to discuss. (Odd observation in the similarity between Odin and Christ in parts, it seems they share deeper aspects. An irony, given the historical hate between the two faiths. *Bonus content, Misc. New Testament stuff, Paul n' stuff Revelations O_O (not too deep into this, tell me if you got any insight here) Major Themes (Please chime in on these) What is the Biblical God? Why does it introduce itself as "I AM that I AM"? PRAYER*!!! What is prayer, why do it, does it work, how to do it properly, prayer! prayer! prayer! Huge insights available when you realize what Prayer is about Bonus Points Numerology in the scriptures (I'm sure you could easily remember several numbers that come up again and again in the Bible, I was surprised at the system in place for this, finally find out what 666 means! :O! o~ooooh! Spooky!) Astrology mentions in the Bible Historical Origins (Tail end, tangential topic) Discuss how the Bible stories stole their wisdom from Egypt and Zoroastrianism, myths and all! In closing, what is the Bible? Is it important, especially to you in your modern, non desert life? What's it about? Can we get any use out of it? Does it have anything to do with other thing we talk about here at Actualized.org? Find out Next Time, on the Next Exciting Episode of Dragon Ball Z !!!

@James123 well, this is partly what the Bible is about, more in the Neville Goddard interpretation.

@Salvijus Music is very unique. I've been led to wonderful things by music, anime like Serial Experiments Lain, the existentialism of Ghost in the shell, Shinji's Ego Freakout as Humanity Dissolves in The End of Evangelion, Spike's Dream mentality in Cowboy Bebop, Breaking every single limit possible in Gurren Lagann. Films with the participation of Don Bluth, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Jim Henson movies are also great at distilling a message from God. Every good film that really hits ya has something to do with the profundity of consciousness, whether it be a psychological thriller like Memento, a swashbuckler film like the Mask of Zorro, plenty of pre 2002 Disney films, the list goes on. Some of the greatest channelers of God are storytellers, composers, and animators. Yoko Kanno, Yuki Kajiura, and the possibly most ethereal artist Enya feel like gateways into a different domain of consciousness!

(*.*)

@numbersinarow for fun! No reason not to

Unfinished Zuko Watercolor I made

@Razard86 How does that interplay with all the interconnection of consciousness? After all, the things I hear about as 'out there' may one day be on my doorstep or affect me personally? I'd like a more thorough extrapolation and the implications of it, if you would be so kind.

@OBEler @OBEler I understand. At first glance the number thing sounds a bit wack but the numbers have definite meaning. The Bible is incoherent without the numerology, among the other symbols. A bit of a wonder of how such a veiled and occult book became the foremost religion, and no wonder the trouble and confusion that has resulted since. Mythologist Bill Donahue is the go to if you care to learn about it.

@OBEler I'd find the lecture collections or audio recordings of Neville Goddard and the videos of the myth analyst Bill Donahue (not the guy who leads catholics of america with the same name). They pair nicely, as Neville focuses on the myths related to the creative power of the mind(How mind creates matter/reality) and the schematic of God's descent and rise. Bill Donahue covers some of the other symbols of the Bible, like the meaning of certain numbers that repeat throughout 40, 3, 9, 12 and so on, astrological allusions in it, as well as some of the more biologicial-spiritual parables. A big one is the number 9, which is hidden throughout the bible by having numbers that add up to a single digit by continuously adding the sums. The notorious 666: 6 + 6 + 6 = 18: 1+ 8 = 9. That's how it works overall, with some exceptions. 9 is the code for consciousness, and in this case 666 represents the lower nature, which is contrasted with the number of saved, 144,000 = 9, higher nature. Kinda wild ain't it? But it is nice to know what these stories are actually about, and kind of shocking how totally off christianity has been in it's reading of it

@Someone hereThe bible may appear like that on the surface, but it's actually only *your* biography/God's biography. The Bible contains no actual people and is not historical in events or as part of its purpose. All the stories are meant to represent lessons about reality and the powers of the mind. If you have any interest in it I'd recommend Neville Goddard or Bill Donahue (myth analyst) to get at what it's real meaning, which basically no one would figure out unless they knew about the symbolic language, numbers and symbols it uses. I haven't read the Quran, I suspect commonality in the story of the Ant Queen and of splitting the moon, which seem likely to contain a symbolic meaning, not to mention their common and similar tales and characters. The Bible apparently descends from Egyptian Theology and Zoroastrianism and share their same insights, but with altered symbols and characters. The story of Jericho is particularly interesting, and I will put a link if you want to read into what the story means relative to your life. https://www.neville-goddard.com/neville-goddard-books/neville-goddard-your-faith-is-your-fortune/neville-goddard-your-faith-is-your-fortune-chapter-27

@Inliytened1 at least, with any goal related success, it needs to follow that basic formula. Vision/Aim, Impression, and Result, but not everyone enacts it in the same way or with the same level of awareness. Action, impression, result is what creates everything. That's just the mechanism of this, I'm not saying everyone is using it in the mystical sense, it's at work in the ordinary actions we take every day, but imagination creates reality in a very discernable way, for which the Bible is a cryptic manual, I assure you.

@Inliytened1 @OBEler (unintentionally tagged Inliytened1 twice in this and not sure how to undo it) Well, the bible is a heavily veiled book with it's own coded language. The Trinity is not in the Bible, as are many other things Christians believe to be, like the identity of the serpent in the Garden. The first thing to note is that the Bible deals with the Mind! All characters are devices to illustrate lessons about how existence/mind/consciousness works. It might take some effort on my part to build a case for it given the widespread confusion about the Bible. Maybe I should make a separate post for it, but essentially the Bible is always talking about the 'I Am'. When Moses asks, who are you, God replies, 'I Am that I Am'. Eve is made from Adam's own Rib as he was made to sleep by God, as others are made of us in this dream of life. Jesus says 'I and my Father are One', meaning he identifies as his awareness. 'Hear me, oh Israel, the Lord your God is One!' Only one consciousness. Then there's the whole cross symbolism of how consciousness is now crucified to this human form. Christ = Consciousness, Cross = Your Body, it has the same shape. Christ is Crucified on Golgotha, or 'The Place of the Skull ', signifying Christ is within your skull, and that is the same tomb from which he will emerge in 3 days (3 being the number of completion of a process in the Bible). Basically, it describes the path of awakening. Many stories, such as the Virgin Birth, Jacob conquering Jericho, all the birth of babies basically, instruct how to alter reality by impressing the subconscious, which fits with reality as a dream, which of course has solipsistic implications. I could add more support if you want or point to some lectures by Neville Goddard. All the stories from Genesis to Revelations detail the transformation and awakening of the mind from the lower up to the higher, the ones that matter at least, not sure about the tribal laws in there, .@Inliytened1I could add more, but I'll end it here, let me know what you think

@Inliytened1 @Inliytened1 @Inliytened1 @Inliytened1The ego/human doesn't make it. It is all made by the I Am, that being consciousness and the impressions that echo and swirl in it. A 'human mind' can still facilitate this creative power to a lesser degree, choosing the direction and context of ones consciousness, which basically all successful people do through different ways and yet the same basic mechanic: belief, impression, result. Impressions upon awareness get reflected as our world and our self. The stronger the more insistent the impression, the greater the effect. As for AI, selflessness is necessary for higher intelligence, same principle as God, as intelligence is an expression of unity, which is also an expression of Love, so the strongest and most intelligent AI that emerges will be the most Godly.

@Inliytened1 @Inliytened1 that kinda clashes with me, I'd prefer a more loving society and economic equality over that. It'd kinda separate me from others having so much more. I think having great AI would be a lot better for universal benefit. But you really doubt it? It's how every person creates their life, but the hypnotic method is simpler. It does take skill and persistence like any skill. All the wild stuff on these forums, to doubt this hardly seems defendable without giving it a shot! Impressing something as true upon your mind makes it so if your mind can accept it. I could elaborate, but that's the gist of it.

@Inliytened1 crazy to think about, just like devs making whiterun in Skyrim and filling the world with lore, heroes and dragons. Truly bizarre. I am surprised by how much overlap Judeochristian lore overlaps with that of Buddhist and Norse! texts. It's nice to appreciate to depth of it. They all point to 'I Am', the self same thread and needle ✨

@Inliytened1 Well yes, I'm not talking total God Mode, but a 'limited being' can still tap into God's power, the 'I Am' by impressing qualia upon the subconscious. You can do it consciously, but it takes skill and works best in a liminal/hypnogogic state of consciousness. The Bible/Neville Goddard's lectures detail this at length. Imagination, thoughts and impressions are the seeds of reality. I suppose tapping into this power is my play time atm, but yeah, it does make you question the purpose of anything and what you want to create.?

@Leo Gura I get it, nothing compares to eating cosmic DMT waffles? and infinity, but perhaps it would help out your audience (well, I don't know how you construe that given the whole solipsism angle) since the Bible is a big deal to humanity presently it could be an interesting education like the Aztec video and free more minds by unpacking it's actual meaning. I'm not that attached to it despite it being part of my upbringing, but it's a recent fascination, much like how Moby Dick was found to be a spiritual map of sorts in Jed McKenna's 2nd Spiritual Enlightenment Book. If the state of humanity affects you at all, it might be worth doing, but I can understand if not. It's kind of tricky to know what your perspective is, so I don't know what would matter in your world, so to speak. Ahah! It's a chance to teach and demystify yourself to yourself! Yourself as the world and it's people! They/you sorely need this culturally weighty book reclaimed in the name of consciousness when it is perverted by historicity and literalism for ill ends. I'm not appealing to your personal interest in the book, rather benefiting yourself as the population you may meet when you go outside again. Thanks for responding Leo, I'll let this topic alone now ?

@Leo Gura Well, I can certainly understand that, as you have seen or even stood in the metaphysical 'Promised Land' from what I gather. But it will be nagging at me until I know if you actually understand what the Bible is communicating, not for the sake of any authority or spirituality, but in the same spirit of your Aztec Nonduality video. (Please abide the solipsism technicality jargon) In a sense, you can become aware of just how abused and disempowering this document has become on this planet, and how it is suffocating the spirit of so many. This is mainly due to ignorance of the symbols of the bible, leading to a literal historical reading of it. I mainly want to know, if you know that the Bible includes solipsism and that The One God(only thing that is existence) descends into human form? It is completely consistent with what you are describing from your trips! Is any of this surprising that such a widely regarded book is so deep and yet hugely overlooked and misunderstood! I just feel like I'd like the characters in this world to know about it when they appear again. After all, I still feel the quality of the food I eat in this perfectly detailed creation, and if you made a video on it, the world would be better off, to whatever degree that matters?. Millions of humans believing in a power outside themselves even though the book actually teaches the opposite, they even pray opposite of how Jesus taught! Surely this affects us at an ambient level while in this body living here! I don't ask that you treat the Bible as special(I don't, I simply see it as a surprisingly cool existential manual), but it seems like a relevant piece of this setting and the people around here. The thought that you have researched so thoroughly all these religions and so on and not found this out(possibly, don't want to sell your rigorousness short), would irk me to a limited degree! I mean, if Andrew Tate is important enough to cover, why not the hidden meanings of one of most importantly held books of our culture! Sorry to dump all this fixation on ya, I should at least thank you for all the consciousness videos you've made, a uniquely pure channel(in two senses of the word?), and it has changed my mode of being greatly ☄️??

@Leo Gura So, I've not taken any psychedelics other than 6 instances of Ketamine over many weeks for therapy, so I won't speak to higher levels of consciousness (which I have found your videos on very helpful and powerful, thanks for that ;D), but from what I've gathered, the creative power of God dwells in Man, and is accessible to us. I'm speaking of the Law of Attraction sphere, which I'm not sure of your stance on it, but according to my own testing and also the symbology of religious texts, our mind can interact and impress qualia onto the essential 'I AM' to have it reflect back as our manifest reality. Not to glorify it as the ultimate thing, but this can be a great way to fulfill long held desires, acquire what you want for your dreams and change your self concept. It was particularly fascinating to find out that the Bible was partly a manual for how to work this mechanic of existence. I don't know if you've done videos on the Bible, but it's a huge book in this culture that is totally misunderstood. The Bible covers psychology, mysticism and our individual nature as God because it is a (non-historical) veiled symbolic scripture! I saw your coverage of Aztec nonduality, but it seems a shock that the Bible is also Non dual! I and my Father are One. I suppose you could already know this given how much research you've done, but if you haven't done so already and decide you want to cover the meaning of this contemporarily relevant book. I'd be fascinated by your video on it! I learned it from Neville Goddard and Bill Donahue (myth decoder guy, not the catholic org leader). Neville in particular experienced mystical visions related to Biblical scripture. Forgive me if you already knew this. I think this information is a practical 'everyday' tool that can help bridge the gap between God Consciousness and Human Consciousness. For instance, the Garden of Eden = Subconscious, Noah's Ark = Mind, Ark of the Covenant = Human Body, Cross = Human Body. There's also all the numerology in the Bible that is meant to symbolize things, too much to information to appropriately fit in this forum. I just have to know if this is already a piece you've considered in all your research or if this information is of help! Please let me know what you think.

@Someone here Ok, I'm going to take a shot and contradict what the others are saying here. The truth, at least in some perspective of it, is that you can alter reality through consciousness, your consciousness, that is. I found this out through the writings of Neville Goddard, in which he deciphers the stories of the Bible. The Bible is actually a manual for God (you) and how to wield your power. Many of the stories illustrate how you can impress an imagined sensation or event onto your mind and have it later crop up when it sprouts from within your subconscious mind. I'll list the stories that relate to this: Garden of Eden (symbolizes the subconscious), Jacob conquering Jericho, All the stories involving the birth of a baby pretty much: Isaac, John son of Zachariah, Joseph born of a mother different from his siblings, and of course Jesus, who was born with no available worldly means. There are other relevant stories, but I won't go on. So at some level, you don't have to deal with all the limited human crap, as far as I can tell. Learn that your awareness of being, what you assume to be true is reflected as your reality. To remark on that mirror comment (at least in one sense), you are the author, not the reflection. This world is a reflection of *your* subconscious mind, and *really* changing your conception of reality will alter it. There are many techniques to achieve this, simple and not so simple. The Bible is, of course, the most misunderstood book in the world, especially by its adherents, so if you want to study this proper view of it, know that it is a non-historical, *symbolic* book for cosmic psychology and consciousness, and is by no mean delivered in a immaculate form given alterations of meanings to sanitize it, plus minor translation errors and possible irrelevant cultural inclusions. But! Neville Goddard is a great source for this as well as a man named Bill Donahue (NOT the head of Catholics of America guy), who talks about the symbolism of various mythical texts, though mainly the Bible (he has videos on Youtube). The Neville Goddard subreddit is a great resource if you want to learn more. Ultimately, researching this does lead to a finer realization of existence and the mechanics of consciousness, and coincides with many of the insights of other paths and experiences :D.