Pallero

After the basics and history, you dive into studying different areas of philosophy and their key thinkers and theories. These areas include but are not limited to: - Ethics, the study of morality - Social and political Philosophy (different aspects of living in a society, e.g. equality, dividing of recources, government, law) - Metaphysics (existence) - Philosophy of science and knowledge, epistemology - Philosophy of art, aesthetics - Logic and argumentation - Semantics and the philosophy of language I believe that this is what is generally offered in most schools. Then it probably depends on a school what areas are stressed. It also depends on the continent. Here in Europe we have more European Philosophy, but in the U.S. they study more Anglo-American Philosophy, I would guess.

I experienced a breakthrough in my practice yesterday. I used to identify strongly with my body and my mind, but yesterday I had an interesting experience that was completely new to me. I realized that I'm not my body and I'm not my mind. It seemed to me that I am living inside my body and observing it and the mind do their thing. Sometimes the mind is going really crazy and loud and is full of itself. That's when it gets really dysfunctional and tried to seize control of everything. I also observed my body acting like it was on autopilot. I watched my hands move and do stuff, but I didn't feel like was controlling them. I just observed and thought "how interesting". I also thought "how curious is it that I happen to be inside a human body?" Human body is so unique and has its own strengths and limitations. I observed this mind that is inside this body as if from the outside and saw its immense potential to invent and create. I felt trapped by the body but not in a bad way. I thought that there must be a reason why I am inside this body and I have to make the most of it - explore its strengths and develop them to be the best "person" I can be. I just thought I'd share this experience and ask if anybody has had similar ones? And if we assume that enlightenment is a process, whereabouts in this process is this kind of experience? I think it must be at the very beginning, but it still felt like this huge breakthrough to me. I'm so eager to continue with this. It felt so thrilling and mysterious and at the same time I've never been more at peace.

What area of Philosophy are you most interested in? Have you studied any basics yet? Do you know any history?

I don't decide. I trust that the right material will be presented to me at any given moment. This keeps happening over and over.

Interesting question. As a person with a University degree I have thought about this a lot. What is important about academic knowledge in general is that if you study it you are very curious about life. And that curiosity is the beginning of personal development and enlightenment. Studying people like Einstein, Hawking et cetera will make you so curious and imaginative that you will start to feel that if you don't get into it in some way, you'll pop! And that is the motivation you'll need to start your own journey.

Thanks for the movie tip! I love children's movies.

I am not a well-dressed person, but I'll answer anyway, because learning to dress better is like learning anything at all. Answer these questions: Why do I want to be stylish? What purpose does it serve? Do I have an opinion about what is stylish? What is it? Why do I consider some things stylish and some not? What do I know about style? What would need to change so that I would consider myself stylish? What makes me think that I'm not stylish already? You can't become stylish. Style isn't in a set of outfits. Style is an attitude. So what you really need to work on is your attitude. Then when you get the attitude of a stylish person, you will instinctively know what recourses to use so that you can really have fun with it. But you have to realize this first. Until you realize this nothing you do will make you feel stylish. Good luck!

There's no such thing as a setback. Such is the force of illusion and the rhythm of this thing called life. Don't fight negative emotion, you'll make it worse. Everything will take care of itself. Relax, forgive yourself and trust the universe. This is not the same as "don't do anything". Just trust your natural instinct. You'll know what to do. But don't do it. Let it happen. I hope that was cryptic enough.

I don't believe that anything is random. I also believe that your higher self is calling you all the time and giving you glimpses and hints to follow. It gives you as much as your mind can let in. Your imagination is one of the most powerful if not the most powerful tool with which to do that. Everything you imagine is real and none of it is random.

Actually I wasn't meditating when this happened. At least not how I usually meditate. I was walking to school and talking to myself or some voice in my head about whether I maybe have a crystal aura. I fantasized about having this aura of peace and understanding and suddenly I realized I was in this state.

Meditation is not fun. It's not supposed to be fun. It's like saying that running 10 km when you have never run before is fun. You're supposed to want to do it for the benefits and then much later it can be tolerable and enjoyable, finally liberating and enlightening. But if you can't keep yourself motivated, maybe you are starting too high. Try other, gentler types of relaxation and focusing exercises and then try meditation again.

This is what I've been hearing ever since I was a child. That I'm too sensitive and I think too much. As long as I remember I've been passionately interested in the world's mysteries, philosophy and psychology. I'm also sensitive to all kinds of things. I have also suffered from depression, anxiety, fears et cetera. Whenever I try to get help, the response I often get is "you think too much" or "too deeply". "Normal people don't think about these things. They just get up, go to work and don't question everything." But I have always been this way. I can't stop thinking and wondering. And it makes me depressed about society and people. I was just wondering, can anyone relate? How can I stop feeling so damn miserable and misunderstood all the time? Why does everyone treat me like I'm weird and abnormal?

Yes. But for me it has been going on my whole life or as long as I can remember. As a child and an adolescent I didn't have any terms for what I was going through and I didn't meet any like-minded people. I felt very depressed and different because of that. As an adult I've learned that I'm not the only one going through these things. I still struggle to meet like-minded people. People on this forum seem to be here for so many different reasons and they are at so different stages in their life that it's difficult to find anyone who I could totally relate to. Because of this issue, I have felt detached from people and society my whole life. I was unenthusiastic about friendships, couldn't find what I was looking for in the dating scene, always felt like my parents don't get me, and like the society is this system that is so cold-hearted, rigid and so far from being what I felt like it should be: warm, accepting, flexible, intelligent and human. I don't have to tell you that I was completely and utterly miserable. And when I went to talk with so called professionals, I couldn't find any help there either. I've tried the "fake it until you make it" strategy. I told myself that if I really try to be interested in the things that others are interested in, maybe I'll find that interest! I managed to fake it for a while, but it was difficult and I never made it so I quit. I've also tried to hold shallow friendships. I said that if I can't find anybody who I can relate to on a deep level, I'll just keep that to myself and maintain some shallow friendships for socializing purposes. Didn't work. I became annoyed and frustrated very soon. I kept coming up with all these ideas that I wanted to share and there was no-one to share them with. I tried to look for like-minded people in the philosophy department at the University, because at 18-years-old, I thought that that's where all the like-minded people must be. But the philosophy students were very interested in philosophy - history, theories and thinkers. And I soon realized that I wasn't that interested in what they were interested in. I wanted to think for myself, they were just very interested in the philosophy practice. Not to say that they weren't intelligent people - they were very intelligent, probably much more intelligent than I am. But it's not about intelligence. It's about perspective, a different point-of-view. I finally found some answers through different sources such as Abraham Hicks and Neale Donald Walsch's Conversations With God. I began understanding how the world works and why people are the way they are. The most difficult question for me is "why?". Why me? What happened to me and when that I see everything so differently from most people? For me, it was never a conscious choice. It's like I was born this way and I don't understand it. Even though I'm still upset and searching for answers, I'm beginning to see that other people are quite interesting. Even though it might seem like they talk drivel on the surface, they actually give you glimpses of the reality as it is. They show passion, love, kindness and trust. You just have to see it. They can be very mysterious, too.

Do you feel Russian, American, both, neither or something else? Do you identify with some type of culture or nationality? Do you think that it's important to a person's well-being?

I am also an Aquarius. My ascendant is Gemini.

Before I became vegan I was vegetarian (who ate milk and eggs) for ten years. I finally became vegan after seeing Forks over Knives, No Impact Man, Cowspiracy and Supersize Me, among others. I also like Ralph Smart and he recommended it. Then I read how much animals suffer even for milk and egg production and decided to become vegan then and there. Even though not everything is sunshine and roses about this, I haven't regretted this decision. After I became vegan, I realized that all animal products always disgusted me. It was subtle but it was there. The "downsides" of vegan diet in my opinion are that you cannot get (good) vegan food in most restaurants, you feel a little hungry all the time, you can actually gain weight if you indulge in fat, salt and sugar and that you basically have to cook everything. None of it matters though, because vegan diet just feel so damn good and right. It's hard to put into words. But I feel like this is what I was born to eat.

In one of his videos, Leo says that meditation is really simple and many people try to complicate it and end up telling themselves excuses as to why they can't do it. I believe he advises you to sit in a chair, back up straight, in a comfortable position. I can totally relate to that. I have tried to over-complicate meditation by telling myself I can't sit this or that way, I can't find a quiet place, my shirt tag is itchy, I don't have time, I don't have energy et cetera. Any comfortable position that you can hold will work. Most people advise to keep your back up straight, because it doesn't strain it, but I have found that if your core muscles or psoas for example are very weak, keeping your back up straight can be difficult. In this case leaning on the back of a chair/sofa is a good option. This is just my opinion. I don't see anything wrong with meditating lying down either. I sometimes meditate in bed in the evening. I fall asleep mid-meditation and those have been my most peaceful nights ever. I also practice meditation and mindfullness throughout the day, no matter where I am. @RandomPaul There's nothing wrong with shifting your position. You're not doing some hard-core Buddhist monk meditation where you have to sit immobile for ten days without blinking or breathing. In the beginning you will have trouble with muscle tension, holding your position, keeping your eyes shut/open and everything else. When I started meditating it was also difficult for me to hold the sitting position for a long time. So I just held it for as long as I could and meditated the rest of the time while doing some easy calm yoga asanas that stretched out my back and legs gently. The most important thing about meditation is thought awareness.

I think I'm starting to understand this. There seems to be a paradox here. (I'm reminded of Leo's paradox video.) On one hand I have to be myself and be proud and accept myself. On the other hand I need to make some changes. On one hand thinking is good and necessary. On the other hand it's damaging and has to be reduced. I meditated on this and I realized that in order to realize what is damaging I have to do the damage. Thinking is a gift and it can and will help me understand many difficult things. On the other hand it can be a curse. But what I really get now that it has to be both. I can never appreciate the gift and use it unless I first hurt myself with the curse side of it. Thank you!

I'm a firm believer in tolerance. I have been extremely depressed and had to cope with really frightening thoughts and feelings that could have turned into actions. From that perspective, I feel like I can understand evil. I believe that there is potential for absolute good and evil in every person. I am no better than the worst criminal in the world. Maybe I am just more fortunate. Don't hate people who are less fortunate than you. I try to live by this guideline.

I haven't seen that many of her videos, but I was fascinated and inspired by her story. I don't even care if it's true or not - although I believe it is - it's still an inspiration. From what I've seen of her videos (law of attraction, you create your own reality et cetera), her stuff reminds me of Abraham Hicks, who I really like despite the annoying focus on manifestation of money and other material things. Teal Swan doesn't seem to be that focused on materialism though. From what I've seen, I believe her.

@Saarah Thanks! I feel that often in order to find out some answers I hit dead ends over and over again. I can't tell productive from non-productive thinking. But how do you relate to people in general? Doesn't it bother you that they don't think about this stuff? It bothers me. @MonikaBcn They comment, because I incessantly talk and complain about stuff. I complain about the society, people, the world, my thoughts, feelings, beliefs, pain... and I ask them questions whether they agree with me or can relate. @Anicko When people tell me that, I get very upset and defensive. I don't feel like I cause problems that don't exist. To me, my problems are very real. Other people just don't see them. Could I be creating problems that don't exist? What does it mean that a problem "doesn't exist"? Aren't all problems subjective? Why do they feel so real if they don't exist? @kalter000 That sounds very familiar. How did you find the answers? What was your reason for seeking answers? And how did you deal with being misunderstood?

@future That's what I want, some confidence. @MonikaBcn Thinking doesn't make me miserable and I don't believe I can stop. Meditation doesn't really stop me from thinking. I meant I'm miserable, because I keep hearing that there's something wrong with me. @Neuroticon I think you might be right. It's useful to use it to your advantage, to think smart. But how? Even though I kind of know that it's a strength, I don't see how I could specifically use it. I'd love to make use of it. It does help a lot. You see through other people, you understand many things about the world et cetera.

Do you feel you are better because you are doing self-development or for some other reason?

Hanging out and cooking with my boyfriend and also eating junk food. Everything else I do is self-development related.

It so happens that I live in a country where that is possible. It's very fortunate. ?