Matt23

Ya, suffering probably had something to do with my pursuing spirituality. Though, not necessarily a single event, and not necessarily only suffering being a fuel.

Genmaicha popcorn green tea. ... soooooooooo... oooooooo good. I think it comes in roasted rice tea as well. Which is awesome too.

Ya, I'd also watch out for assuming that people "need" to learn this stuff like it's "the gospel that will transform mankind". Praise the Spiral! All in good fun (with some resentment hidden in there too ..) Reality is so complex, I think it to be kind of arrogant to think we, I, you, know what others need to grow. Be kind to them, be open to just letting them be and grow as they are and let them tell you (explicitly or implicitly, verbally or through their actions, etc.) what they need. Whether that's just listening to them, playing a game with them, laughing, telling jokes, giving advice, disciplining, etc. I don't like saying teach them psychological models cuz... I dunno... cuz I think kids wouldn't like and and that they just wanna have fun, be kids, and learn through their own processes. I'd say kids and teens don't really wanna hear that kind of stuff, especially at a summer camp where they just wanna have fun and do teenage stuff. Help them have a great time, have fun, get inspired. Don't be too preachy or ideological on them. But ya... just let em' be. I think one of the most important things a counsellor can have with kids and youth is connecting with them, showing them he understands them and is "with" them on their level. Someone who they feel they can trust, trust with their feelings and desires and thoughts and all that. Someone that they feel they can be themselves around without feeling scared to open up to. Someone who helps them "be themselves" and helps them show that self to others and creates a safe space for that to happen. Show them respect and show them what self-respect and demanding respect looks and feels like. Be funny. Long post, I know. But I think one of the best things you can do with kids and youth is to be yourself. Confidently and honestly. Enjoy.

I really enjoyed The Book of Not Knowing. I don't know how much it impacted me though. I read Byron Katie's The Work and have used that method quite a bit. Hard to say really. I really liked "Man's Search For Meaning" by Viktor Frankl. The Science of Success was decent.

I think focusing on other principles and values, even helping them find their strength, passion, and life purpose would be more exciting for them and thus probably more helpful to them. I also agree with showing them Maslow's hierarchy. Like, even for me who's 27 and into this stuff a bit, I can't say I've benefitted hugely feom learning spiral dynamics. I'd say i benefit more from hearing people speak about and explain different principles, like honesty, openmindedness, and wisdom and then explaining those a bit. Talking about possibilities and getting people inspired might be more helpful especially at this age since they are more influencible (I know it's not a word). I'd go with getting them inspired about life's possibilities n such, and then showing them various values by example and also by teaching them if they ask. I that's also inportant, to ask if they want to learn some stuff or if they ask you. I often get frustrated and irritated when some just chimes in without me asking for advice n such. Best lead by example and then if they ask for advice n stuff, awesome! Depending on the fromat i guess as well. Like if you're supposed to have a dedicated amount of time devoted to teaching something, maybe that's a bit of a different story. Good luck! And don't mind us nay-sayers if were're not seeing some potential you're seeing. Go for it if you feel it's best. ... but heed our words (insert evil stare).

Questioning where these thoughts are coming from. Asking "why is this thought occurring?" What is it's agenda?

Here's a short video of Jamie speaking about Meaning 3.0, a blend of meaning 1.0 (traditional religious and top-down meaning making) and meaning 2.0 (modern de-centralized, free-market, inclusive meaning making).

I wouldn't say this. I would say that the best way to stop this happening is to heal or resolve that within you is being triggered. Sometimes even having external things trigger you could be a gateway to further exploration, understanding, and then healing since you're faced with it rather than it lying dormant and unconscious and never getting fully resolved and healed, thus plaguing you forever. Now obviously there's a balance, you don't want to be facing too many triggers all at once or too often since then it can be overwhelming. Nor would I expect it healthy or desirable for people to spend time with toxic people if they don't have to. But you also want to be free enough to live your life and not be bothered if you are put in a situation where being with someone you find toxic is necessary, since you can't control everything or every situation. Plus, it's more joyful to be coming from a place of positivity rather than avoiding people, places, and things. Imagine being so healed, so free, that you don't feel the desire to avoid or fear anything, anyone, or any situation. Easier said than done, but as a goal or possibility, I'd say this is a damn good place to start.

I don't think competition is necessarily related to having a big ego or is a "bad" thing. It can be toxic, and I can see how many really competitive people, like professional athletes, might have stronger egos, but I think many people just have a more competitive nature as almost a value or strength, which has a more positive flavor to it. Nice.

....nbd.

Neurohacker Collective Created by Daniel Schmachtenberger and Jorden Hall. This one might not be the best fit as they are more centered around physiology, neurohacking, high-performance, etc., and less so the more spiritual stuff. Though, Daniel did do an interview with Ken Wilber at one point. https://neurohacker.com/about Jordan Hall does interviews From what I've seen, he's a pretty openminded guy who talks with all sorts of people about all sorts of topics. He's spoken about spiritual things before, but maybe that's not his center of attention. Though, he's a stage Yellow guy so I think a lot of people who listen to him are involved in quite unique circles. IT would also be nice to see more conversations between tier 2 thinkers to get more examples of how that can look. https://www.youtube.com/user/jordangreenhall Jamie Wheal Another stage yellow thinker. HE's done a lot of work on peak experiences and flow states (recently wrote a book about it called "Recapture the Rapture"), especially when linked with the social dimension, and the benefits and drawbacks (e.g., cults) from the two working with each other. I think your interest in epistemology, ideology, psychedelics, and spirituality are things that he also shares and it would be interesting to see both of your minds come together to see where you agree, disagree, and where some blindspots are. Here's his website. I don't know if it's the best way to reach him. https://www.flowgenomeproject.com/ The Stoa = they do lots of group sessions (they had Daniel Ingram, Shinzen Young, and Frank Yang on for a collaborative convo) https://www.thestoa.ca/ They host all sorts of free zoom sessions for people with all sorts of professionals in psychotechnologies and social-technologies. Like I said, they have hosted several people who discussed spirituality (more than the ones listed above). It would also give people a chance to ask you questions and get some interaction.

Lol. That would look so silly.

This really clicked for me. Like, "Oh! Ya... duh." It's amazing how far just a little comparison can go in shifting one's perspective and re-contextualizing something from seeming "set in stone"/obvious/no way around it, to totally the opposite/normalcy/positivity/etc.

I think I was talking about life in general. I think the second part of what you said is probably the best, most healthy and sane way to do anything though.

Yes.... but I wouldn't bet on it. == To me, this attitude/way of thinking seems to be the wisdom or balance point in the whole genetics vs. possibilities debate. Like, on one hand, sure, maybe everything is possible etc., but on the other, are you really gunna put your eggs into that basket on the super slim possibility of doing/becoming that thing? Optimizing life = the time you have + genetics + desires/possibilities. If one is aiming to optimize their life, I'd think they would want to consider these factors. Such that, ya you might technically be able to do something, but is it really worth it considering you have limited time and resources? And ya, maybe limited genetics as well. I dunno. I think personally I just get stuck in victim thinking, self-doubt, low self-esteem n' all that easily. So I kinda just sink a bit when these topics come up and fall into the more negative ways of interpreting these things.

I'm kinda getting the sense from these talks like if genetics are such a factor, why bother doing anything? It doesn't seem healthy to me, this attitude I have, but a part of me is kinda just sticking to that. Sorta victimy I suppose.

I'm at a point where I definitely could use some regular self-help and self-development work. Even trauma work. But I'm also interested in the more "lofty", philosophical, spiritual stuff. I'm trying to seek that balance. I'm aware it's a personal thing, and I don't think anyone can really give me "then answer". But I think having others' input helps. So, how do you balance these things? What advice do you have? What pitfalls and benefits do you see to both? How do you see each one informing and connecting with each other (philosophizing --> relationship issues --> spirituality --> earning a living, etc..)?

How much do you think psychedelics could actually help in growing people rather than only reaching higher states of consciousness which you then come back to your baseline level right after? Also, for the talk about being genetically gifted, I can kinda see that. In all domains of life. Like basketball for instance, some of the lowest ranked NBA players absolutely school high-level non-NBA players (NBA players are the top players in the world. In a season, there are about 450, so the top 450 players in the world). Here's a couple videos of some NBA players, not even the best ones, absolutely schooling elite non-NBA players. I think the first video is the best one. It really shows you the differences from the top players in the world vs. everyone else. I guess the question is, reasonably assuming that some people are simply genetically gifted or something, and that you'll probably never get to their level, what do you do? I think somehow you still gotta find the drive to make the most of yourself, focus on your own progress and fulfillment doing what you're doing.

Music inspired by your spirituality.

We could start something like this anytime. Like just get a group of us together for a skype/zoom meetup and just chat about stuff (or have some sort of structure).

I live on Vancouver Island in B.C. Canada. It's considered "rural" I suppose, a town of about 30,000-35,000. I think our region and the entire Island has done pretty good with keeping numbers down (especially compared to Vancouver). As far as I know, our province's covid policies are: Travel ban for all non-essential travel until May 25th with fines for people who leave their region. Indoor group activities and gatherings, including religious services are suspended. Up to 10 people can gather outside. Stick to the same 10 people. Restaurants and bars are closed for indoor dinning. People in schools have to wear masks. Physical distance. We can have a core bubble with a maximum of 2 people in it (which I assume to mean we don't have to follow proper Covid protocols with distancing and mask wearing). I think peeps here are pretty chill about it and not worried too much. It hasn't hit us hard so I guess we're pretty calm about things. I haven't spoken with many people about it, but in my area I'd say, in terms of spiral dynamics, we hover around high blue/low orange with pockets of green. We get some redneck types, but also have some stage Green people. So I imagine people's opinions range from being kind of "anti-vaccines" and not too into the whole social distancing things, to people who obey it and do their due diligence. All types, all opinions really.

I wonder if there's a day when literally nobody on Earth right now has been born on. ... But anyhoo... Happy day of birth oh wise and all knowing one who shines light down on us from atop the All-seeing Throne of Abundance.... (we are not a cult)

Just talking at work about how providing a second stat as a reference point really enables people to see the characteristics of a thing more clearly (e.g., it's lethality or harmlessness). Like, you're a bijillion times more likely to die in an airplane than get killed by a shark. Etc. I think my boss was saying something like this about the lethality of the vaccines, but I forget which second reference stat she used.

Got my vaccine today. Pfizer. ... my arm hurts around the place they poked me (as if someone punched me hard there), that's about it so far (it's 7:15 right now and I got it at 3:50 ish).

Yes, I believe this is part of the protocol.