UnbornTao

Breathe, it's fine. I'd add that contemplating is more about "silence" and "waiting" than it is about thinking and intellect -- thus providing an opening or space rather than "knowledge" and constriction. So, that's something useful to consider. Of course, when contemplating, one's intent has to be directed at a particular subject so as to give the mind something concrete to focus on.

Duplicate thread:

More like a raccoon.

Christ Sutras by Bart Marshall -- recommended reading.

Are you defending suffering? It is as feasible as generating it.

Can "lying" be unconscious? It seems that ignorance may lie behind certain forms of "lying." But I'm holding lying as having a broader meaning than the norm, as in operating from untrue things. This would be a deeper investigation. For example, we tend to take our beliefs to be true. We do. Yet they are beliefs--the truth is unknown. We might assume that we are X or Y, and, while not false, it is untrue, which might be called unconsciousness, or in a sense, "lying." I might be taking creative liberties with the word, though.

But isn't pleasure something distinct from happiness? Can you find pain -- and thus, likely suffering -- underlying the search for pleasure? Can one suffer and still be happy regardless? That would certainly place "happiness" in an unconventional category relative to how it is commonly understood. Essentially, what are they?

Consider that.

Nice, thank you. If there's some genuine insight beyond the rhetoric instead of something that is subjective, then that's OK.

You need to see that this is something you're doing, and how you're doing it. Essentially, it is based on what you create with your mind (what you "think"). Stop generating those expectations, ideations, and demands, and the subsequent negative feelings that result from them won't occur. Catch your own conceptual activity at the beginning of these dysfunctional thinking loops.

Dani Smash-It?

What is the nature of those realizations? What are they about? When you say: communicate with Jesus, what is that about? What actually goes through your mind, and what occurs in your experience as you do that? What is Jesus? When you say 'communicate', what is that? Does it take place in your internal dialogue, is it written down, or is it verbalized when alone?

I understand the difficulty in writing down his name.

@puporing People make claims of all kinds of stuff, especially in "spiritual" circles where fantasy abounds. That doesn't make them true. Beyond the rhetoric and trying to convince others as much as oneself, what is sourcing that claim?

@puporing What precisely do you mean by being the second coming of Christ? What is it that you're referring to as Christ? What does a claim like that have to do with honesty?

There's a theory that Jesus might have traveled to the east and studied Buddhism there. Are you sure your Lord and Savior isn't actually Gautama? "When you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him."

Haha

Obviously, I don't know the cause, but some of it might be withdrawal effects from quitting smoking. Quitting a drug like that isn't pretty -- even with coffee you can experience withdrawal symptoms for weeks or months. Congrats on your achievement, though -- keep it up! This isn’t professional advice, and it is rather simplistic, but it might help to some degree. It is about some foundational things: If you consume caffeine and processed sugar, consider quitting the former and drastically reducing the latter. Eat more frequently throughout the day. I've noticed that fasting (just skipping a meal or two) sometimes increases my anxiety. Fasting + drinking coffee on an empty stomach are sure to increase my anxiety levels. Move and exercise: Yoga, Tai Chi, walking, running, swimming, weightlifting--any activity or sport will do. Ideally one that is relatively intense, and a couple that are more lightweight. Limit screen time, and avoid blue light exposure at least an hour before bed. Look into potential supplements or vitamins (research and consult your doctor). I've heard magnesium is beneficial for this, and I personally like L-Theanine.

Who's gonna call a lie stage X or Y?

Zen sticks for those committed to fantastical thinking.

@puporing That messiah complex stinks from a mile away. If you think that to begin with, I don't think there's anything anyone could say to make you challenge that.

You mean humans.

God has no religion -Gandhi.