Norbert Somogyi

Here is an overview examining the potential of the incredible immunomudolatory potential of vitamin D - preventing and/or fighting influenza, respiratory infections, enveloped viruses (Hepatitis, Corona, Ebola, pox, bird flu etc.). I haven't been sick since I've been supplementing with vitamin D (at least since my dose was at least 10,000 IU/day - different people react differently to xyz doses). Even a flu that was not really advertised in my country, that made almost everyone around me sick for days or weeks - washed it off overnight. Now as my levels are close to optimal, whatever flu I seem to encounter (my immune system turns up - feeling heat and/or lower energy), I feel a little low for a few hours then everything goes back to normal. This is without drastic lifestyle changes such as healthy diet (my diet has almost always been moderately healthy - need to cut down on sugar) or exercise (I'm still slightly overweight). I'm also smoking, and it seems it is also fighting off the damage I've caused on my lungs (still, need to cut it out once and for all).

@Judy2 You don't need to set unrealistically metaphysical goals for meditation right away, different people use it for different reasons. Focus, clarity, calmness, reduction of background noise (overthinking), general well-being - granted that doesn't fully utilize the potential of meditation due to shorter sessions in comparison - but who cares? As long as it is helping you, and the regularity and discipline you can form will help you either way. Furthermore no need to punish yourself for your mind derailing from time to time, it is natural. The mind doesn't like to stay in one place for long, you need to train it up. Meditation is like training a muscle, although progression is not as linear. Either way, the more you do it the less derailing you will experience. I've begun with guided meditations long ago (The Honest Guys youtube channel - for anyone who remembers from 2015-ish), they were great! Later on I experimented with different techniques, but what worked best for me is expanding my focus to whatever bodily sensations I have during the session. It's a little hard to explain, but it's like focusing on your field of awareness all at once - might be a little too much as a beginner. Try to focus on your breath, the sensations of the air flowing in and out of your nose - or just an imaginary point. Good luck!

@BlueOak Thank you for sharing your experience! I can attest to the ego-reframing experience (spiritual bypassing as a teenager, lots of meditation - had a so-called satori experience), which led me through a journey of spiritual ego initially and then rediscovering myself as a human and what it means to me. Even though my ego reformed, there is at least one almost impercivable crack in the whole structure - which is shined upon whenever I come near infinity. Instead of total denial, I panic while fear washes over my whole being. Guess it is still better this way, because you could think of this experience that had a lasting impact, forming a crack where divine light shines through. Whatever seed is put in there, the constant source of light helps it grow - a spiritual photosynthesis so to speak. I also like your description of whole and different parts of ourselves experiencing infinity differently, reminds me of holism and IFS.

What I think needs to be mentioned here is that Spiral Dynamics is but a model, a western one at that. Is it useful? Hell yeah! Does it apply equally to the development of all human beings/societies on this planet? I don't think so. To me it appears to mirror Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, which I think works in tandem with the integration and transition between the stages up to Yellow (perhaps Turqoise). The previous discussion about community, networking, career being a necessity to develop into Tier 2 reflects that as well. Strictly adhering to the models, it is a necessity and in most cases I think it actually is. However a yogi meditating in a cave for decades may tap into Coral (acknowledged by Beck, hinted at by Wilber) or beyond, without going through these stages since the environment drastically differs from one SD usually considers. Would it be the same as someone who went through these stages and integrated them? I don't think so, but the manifestation may be similar - at least on an individual level. For a long time I considered that kind of action a selfish escape, but nowadays I've been thinking if there is a potential effect of their manifestation of consciousness on the collective as a whole. I also think that progression when you consider this model is messy, not linear at all. It got incredibly messy since the globalization and the internet. It's more like those vertical soundwave visualizers you see on music players like WinAmp, seemingly randomly manifesting (even though there is a delicate balance within the chaos), but there's a hint of progression (like increasing the potenciometer of Preamp gradually over the years). A quote from Clare Graves (The father of SD) - "The psychology of the mature human being is an unfolding, emergent, oscillating, spiraling process marked by progressive subordination of older, lower-order behavior systems to newer, higher-order systems" "The map is not the territory" - Leo, 2020?

From my perspective the body appears to be an interface of consciousness. A thriving body resonates well with consciousness and can allow it to expand within, while a polluted body clouds the mind and leaves little room for expansion. Judging by how some yogis for example, stay healthy and energetic well into the 100s. This does not mean that a thriving body expands consciousness by itself (although I'm sure it can happen, but usually an intent and focus needs to be there), nor that people with severe addictions or health issues can not (Alan Watts is a good example, Eckhart Tolle is another - I'm sure there are other outliers - Hey Leo!). Genetics definitely play a big factor too.

The /r/vitaminD subreddit has been undergoing fundamental changes, and the new moderator u/vitaminDJesus (hah) came up with a comprehensive guide & FAQ when it comes to vitamin D supplementation. You can find it here Unfortunately it lacks scientific references or studies (which has been proposed as a criticism, supposedly will be done later), but is a great base-line for people starting out with D3 supplementation.

Magnesium is 100% a factor, as shown above in the website I referenced. K2 is recommended especially at higher levels levels / doses. There are videos and posts around the internet (Dr. Michael Holick, Rhonda Patrick, Dr. Berg etc.), but this is currently a niche part of medicine. I only found about it a few months ago, despite researching ways to improve my health for years. It is not part of mainstream culture, because drastically improving your health and well-being with over-the-counter supplements (and lifestyle changes) does not profit big pharma, nor does it grant you frequent visits at the doctor.

The case with Tellogen Effluvium is very interesting! here is the case study I found (the study you read is most likely cited here too, 200K IU twice a month treating it). Glad to hear it is working for you too! When it comes to acquiring Vitamin D from the sun, there are numerous factors involved in how much vitamin D you produce from sunlight. Skin color (darker skin produces less in comparison, ancient northern migration potentially induced pigment devolvation to increase vitamin D production) Altitude (near the equator is ideal) time of day (depending on where you live, mostly between 10 AM - 2-3 PM, best when your shadow is shorter than you) time of year (depending on where you live, 2-3 months up to 5-6 months near the summer - angle of incidence of the sun) Age (aging increases skin thickness, reducing vitamin D production) Sunscreen decreases absorbtion by 95-99% It does not work through glass Some other factors Here are some suggestions to optimize vitamin D production from the sun I believe it is reasonable to consider people who spend the most of the time in the sun when it comes to determining optimal vitamin D levels. People natively living in equatorial Africa, or lifeguards for example. Some lifeguards are reported to have levels of 100-125 ng/ml, without toxicity. Perhaps those levels are closer to the optimum range than 30-50 which is usually recommended. Definitely below toxicity, if even vitamin D can be toxic by itself (and not just such levels negatively influencing other factors such as calcium or potassium). I wouldn't go above 150 unless medically supervised though, for example for autoimmune diseases or cancer.

Well, rather it is advised. I would recommend Magnesium altogether as it is depleted by D3, while there are other cofactors that help improve your D3 utilization and/or reduce risk-factors such as hypercalcemia (K2, especially at higher D3 doses - might not be needed on a low calcium diet). It is increasingly harder to acquire these from diet alone, as the soil in general is being depleted by abusive agricultural practices for the last ~100 years.

Transgender is associated with autism, low vitamin D, low BMD (Bone-Mineral Density) etc. - studies overview Can be a rather simplistic take, but my experience overlaps. No sense of gender confusion that I recall, but I feel much more comfortable in my skin as a man than ever, once I started to optimize my D levels.

He's saying that these symptoms force him to stop taking D3 (they can be temporary, I hope it sorts out sooner or later), even though taking it is important (which I agree with).

I'm just a guy who researches online and experiments on himself, so take my words with a grain of salt. Do you take Magnesium? It is essential for vitamin D. That's what I would think of when it comes to diarrhea, when it is too much. Alternatively your body is sensitive to that specific form (Glycinate appears to be ideal for most, works for me too). When you eat a lot of it from diet, less of it is needed. I've had a span of 1-2 weeks with irregular bowel movements when it comes supplementing with D3, (did not happen until I approached 20K/IU, you may react better to D3 in general) but it sorted itself out over time. Perhaps vitamin D was improving my immune system to sort out the gut-bacteria that does not belong in my gut, while enriching the healthy ones. A transition was needed. I'm not an overly healthy eater, by the way. Prolonged vitamin D deficiency maybe can cause the body down-regulate certain bodily processes to maintain energetic equilibrium, prioritizing those that are essential for survival over those that are not. When the system has enough energy to reboot those processes, it can be painful at first. Here's a study and some research to look into the relationship between vitamin D and gut health, and correspondingly acid reflux. Keep experimenting, take things slower or sporadically and see what happens. You can also take a look at this comprehensive website for more information

@Emerald Thank you so much for sharing this! I saved this post, for later down the line when I regain the desire to get back into dating. Even as a man, this is very insightful to be able to appreciate a healthy female perspective when it comes to dating.

Oh yeah, that's definitely true! He did not try to fix her though that much, rather the relationship instead. Either way it was doomed from the start unfortunately.

Strength and sobriety to you!