Colin

@MellowEd The tape thing is legit and makes a world of difference in sleep quality and energy upon waking. I have done one day with tape and one without, back to back, and the difference is monumental. To the point where I won't be going back. I am a mouth taper for life. I use tape that looks like this. Personally, I think it is best to pair it with breathing exercises during the day. Also skip it if you are sick, with a stuffy nose, and maybe if you have breathing problems while sleeping.

The perfect book for an infographic

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320636.php

This is a good video on one aspect of the hero's journey The link is only good for one day though. Unless you pay for the sub. This is probably what Leo is going through right now. https://www.optimize.me/plus-one/the-dreaded-u-lag-on-your-heroic-quest/

@Growf This is a giant list of pro vs cons one could make about alcohol One con that might not be commonly considered for instance is that it for sure interrupts one's sleep which will have far rippling consequences in life in unexpected ways. Even if you lose consciousness and are laying in bed you are not getting the essential restorative sleep states that ones needs to thrive. At the very least look into glutathione, and activated charcoal among other things to mitigate or eliminate the effects of a hangover.

@Ether From the book "The Tools" Paraphrased: "Gratitude is the solution to out of control negative thinking, it will reframe all of your thoughts. It works better than you may think". Try listening to this daily.

I've got something for ya, Have you ever heard of red light therapy? It is some pretty amazing stuff. Here is an entertaining and educational video a fellow name Siim Land, that used to frequent this forum, made on the subject. I have a lamp at home and there are some things I have noticed from using it. (They don't manifest every single time depending on the time of day and other health factors). -massive boost in energy - glowing skin - massive boost in sex drive - minor burns healing really fast - boost in cognition - old injuries hurting less - other things that I am not certain I can 100 percent attribute to the red light, but I think probably are attributed to it. I got a decent red light bulb off of Amazon for twenty dollars, plus a lamp you hold for ten dollars, and tanning bed glasses which you will really want for another ten. So forty dollars. Once you get one the challenge is honestly not taking it for granted, and remembering to use it on a consistent and persistent basis. I bring it up because it can help with multiple things. There is a review on the product I have of someone healing a really swollen thyroid. I don't know if the light could penetrate to the cyst, but the only way to really find out is to try it on a consistent basis then get the test done again. Best of luck and be sure to treat yourself.

@moon777light Hey don't feel bad for caring about your personal appearance, it is psychologically healthy to do so! Studies have shown that how you present yourself is how you feel about yourself. It informs the image a person has of who and what they are! Want to take yourself seriously? Dress up in business attire. Want to feel sleepy and lazy? dress in PJs. There is no shame in caring about your personal appearance. From another book, I am reading called "Why Buddhism Is True" by Robert Wright. He talks about how the human being evolved to be excessively conscious of the thoughts and opinions of others as a means of long-term survival. Even if it has to stoop to the level of delusion. It will concoct all kinds of stories. In the book, he describes how mother nature evolved to select for a person being delusionally wrong about a snake rustling in the bushes 99 times out of 100 if it meant saving the person from the snake just one time. Same thing with human relationships which were very vital in ancient times.

@moon777light I just confirmed this with a book I am reading at the moment, called Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker. He explained that sleep researchers know that the human brain has an uncanny ability to track the passage of time even while asleep. In my own life, several times I have set a timer while something is cooking, walked away to a completely different task, not looking at any clocks, then got up and arrived at the kitchen with just two or three seconds left on the timer. I have also seen 11:11 several times after hearing it was significant. I thought it was pretty auspicious and cool, but now I am convinced that It was just the wonderful human brain tracking the passage of time. Contrary to how I have been presenting my self on here I am not against the magical and the mystical, I am just against delusion. If not against delusion, then at least for being aware of it.

I want to offer a suggestion to try before any kind of fasting. It is called earthing. It is easy, it is real, and it is as natural as it gets. It will aid your sleep, possibly aid your chronic pain, and perhaps aid with other things you are not even looking to address. I recommend the sheet and the mat. Make sure you wash the sheet properly every two weeks. Take good care of the mat as well. Even if it only makes you ten percent better it is worth it. After this, we will move on to something else that is fundamental, easy, and that you are probably overlooking. I will not comment on anything else that you post until you report back to me with an update that you have acquired and are using the sheet and mat on a daily and nightly basis. @Sirius

I don't want to derail the thread, but my theory is that the human brain is smart enough to subconsciously track the passage of second and minutes and then look at the clock when it arrives at the time a person has designated as significant.

listening to this right now

I think it would be wiser to try something less extreme first. Let dry fasting be a last resort. What have you tried?

This book is better than I was expecting it to be

I have been getting a lot of value from focusing on the little gains. "Marginal gains" as it is called. Try focusing on the little "non sexy" wins. Things that you actually can control that make your life a little easier, and a little more pleasant. Over time they add up.

The topic came up about how many books to read at once, and what I have arrived at recently in my life is to read many books at once in relatively short bursts. I am focusing on books that are practical. So I am reading a book about diet, a book about minimalism, a book about meditation, a book about sleep, and books about personal development, as the need and interest arrives. In five to ten minutes I can glean an insight that can change how I live, remind me of something important, that is worthy of contemplation for years to come. There is such an incredible abundance of valuable information. For the time being am I fond of this approach. I am mostly listening to audiobooks.

"whether you think you can, whether you think you can't, either way, you're right" - 311

Full disclouse: I have been taking a couple of capsules of tyrosine and stomping and hopping around like a child in the sunshine while listening to mosaic by 311 over the last few days. Certainly the best part of my day.

@Metody watch the joe rogan podcast above and you will see how frankly stupid your response is.

@Quanty nonsense

I am reading a book right now called "The Tools" and in it, they claim that gratitude is the solution to negative thinking. They call it the "grateful flow" and according to them it is much more powerful at assisting with out of control negative thoughts then one would initially think. No need to write anything down or chant anything. Just kick back and listen to this for a few minutes, a few times a day, and see how you feel.

@Solace You don't need to play video games, Just listen to this song while watching a sunset with some friends and talking about emotional things. Also eating Ice cream.

Also, some facts based on science - Doing empowering or benevolent things as an avatar in a video game can make you feel empowered in the real world. - Listening to music has benefits for brain health, emotional health, and psychological health. - Video games seem like a form of emdr to me which is a very effective form of therapy Like anything in life they can be misused. Especially if you have a big goal in mind that requires emotional labor and sacrifice and you really want it, but you opt to play video games as a distraction.