Matt23

@JosephKnecht Apart from enlightenment, did you gain much else from the series?

I've come across this idea that people's brains (thus minds I presume) stop growing and developing at around 25 to 30 years old. Though, I've also come across different resources indicating neuroplasticity and brain growth can extend beyond these years. What are your views about this? Do you think it's more that particular aspects of the mind/brain stop developing or get pruned rather than an overall loss of functioning? Like creativity and fluid intelligence being reduced while other aspects might increase, like wisdom functions (perspective, humility, non-reactivity, tolerance, thoughtfulness, etc.), discipline, and perhaps even general acceptance. Or do you think it's possible to maintain and even grow in things like creativity, fluid intelligence, and cognitive abilities (memory, mental quickness, logic, holding many perspectives at once, working through and learning complex concepts, etc.)? I think I'm asking since I fear my creativity and aspects of my mind like cognitive skills will be decaying as I age (I'm 28), and that I'll not be able to actualize my life purpose or develop myself much and get to a point where I'm enjoying being a creator, etc. To me, not considering my limiting beliefs or fears, I could see how brain development can occur long after 25 and 30 years old even though brain development and functioning (in areas more like creativity and cognitive skills) probably drops as you age. Though, it might not be as simple as losing certain abilities of mind in that it might be more of a shift from one type of mind to another (i.e., from a less mature perhaps more agile and robust mind to a more mature perhaps more wise mind) with either type of mind having strengths and weaknesses. Any studies, videos, people or resources relating to the topic definitely welcome May the growth be with you.

@Thought Art [Thumbs Up] !

@louhad I dunno about this. I'm probably nowhere near Green (probably somewhere around Red/Blue center of gravity) and I find it fairly easy to understand. Though, I haven't read any books on it yet, but from videos and other sources online it seems pretty straightforward. I haven't memorized all the ins-n-outs perhaps, but I feel pretty confident in being able to distinguish between different stages when I see them in real life. @Espaim I think I've tried similarly. What I'm reminded of is Green's desire for relativism. I could see how Green may not like hierarchical ideas and perhaps, to differing degrees, be averse to discussing hierarchical ideas. I'm not saying this is always true, but I could see how it may trigger Green more than other stages and thus make them less inclined to inquire and discuss it further.

Love sociology. Spiral Dynamics is a great place to start probably. Rene Girard's memetic theory Game theory Michele Foucault is a popular post-modern (I think) thinker studied a lot in universities Gerard Bouchard's Collective Imaginaries I haven't studied this one much at all. Collective Imaginaries are like ideologies for society, but they're deeper than ideologies. The example I heard was the difference between the concepts of water and money; we can get together as a society and say "We don't want money" and we'll still live. Not the same with water. But often, though the collective imaginaries are socially constructed, they can often feel extremely real and are also very unconscious assumptions we just take for granted. Rebel Wisdom did an interview with Tomas Bjorkma who talked about this, as well as the idea of deep sociology here:

@Artsu I don't know if I totally agree with that. Are you saying that internal change is what really matters, and precedes real external change. For example, if I'm scared of jumping off buildings, I could overcome that fear internally and then that would constitute real change rather than me going out and skydiving? If this is what you mean, I can see your argument, and I think there's some truth in what you're saying. I'd still say that externals can play a role in changing oneself as well; like, for example, overcoming a fear of heights by progressively diving off higher and higher jumping boards. Also, I can see how external changes in behavior are in fact changes as well (even if the internals are the same). Though, I can see how in terms of psychological development, changing one's internals would be the metric to judge change and growth (mostly). I guess I kind of agree with you, but I also find it hard to imagine development happening without any connection to externals. Maybe I see it like, if I grow internally and don't do anything with it, what's the point? Maybe I think that internal growth should lead to something and have tangible results. I dunno... They just seem so intertwined to me and I find it might not be helpful to solely do internal work, like there's many traps to doing solely that. What @Raphael & @soos_mite_ah made me think of was how we can get super stuck in our bubbles, perspectives, and paradigms if we only do internal work and don't explore externals. Makes me think of how artists and creators get inspired by experiencing new things, new people, new cities, etc. I also think of how a farmer who grew up in the same town he was born in, no matter how creative, imaginative, and open-minded, would be way more limited in his creative output and novelty compared to a farmer from the same town who went and traveled the world for 20 years. The latter would have way more experience and material to draw upon.

https://sites.google.com/view/microdosingpsychedelics Paul Stamets is a leader in psilocybin research, as well as James Fadiman.

I've camped quite a bit and have done a few solos camping. One thing I'm noticing is that I find it pretty hard to do consciousness work and concentrate on internal growth etc. since it's just me, alone, out in the wilderness and my survival instincts and fears kick in. It's it's hard to do meditation when you're worried of being attacked by a bear, cougar, or other animal. That's just my experience though. I tend to lean towards anxiety anyways. I'd say it might take some experience to get acclimatized to the wilderness and not be scared of it enough so you can do personal development work. Also, yeah, even if you feel like you're safe and are close to civilization, the elements and nature can fuck shit up pretty quickly. Not to scare people from it, I personally think spending time in the wilderness alone is great. But, it's good to be prepared adequately and note that if one thing fucks up and you don't have access to proper resources, it can lead to a negative chain reaction. I don't know where you are, but cougar and bear attacks are super rare and they are more scared of people than you are of them; mostly.

@Consept Holy fuck.... that's incredible.

Were you doing lots of spiritual practices during this time the thoughts came? Meditation, yoga, self-inquiry, psychedelics, etc.? I've heard that sometimes lots of negativity can come up through a purging process. Also, it could possibly be related to trauma in the past (I'm not saying it is though). Here are some resources and people that I've used and discovered relating to the trauma field. Peter Levine & Somatic Experiencing Books Healing Trauma comes with a CD and a trauma-healing program Waking the Tiger More about acute, or "shock", trauma incidents, like car crashes and abuse, but it's very illuminating about how trauma cycles work in general and how the body stores trauma within the nervous system. Basically, animals go through specific cycles when a traumatic event occurs. But, due to our Neo-cortex, humans can short-circuit the instinctual trauma cycles from completing. When this happens, the uncompleted traumatic energy is stored in our nervous systems and bodies but is still looking for complete its cycle. So, the energy will unconsciously try to complete and relieve itself by acting out in unconscious ways; like autoimmune diseases, reoccurring accidents, relational patterns, etc.. The body is trying to re-create the same traumatic event that happened in the past so it can complete the cycle that never occurred. The only issue is that each new event will be different than the initial event, leading to new problems and even making the trauma worse. Less practical and more theoretical. Bessel van der Kolk Book The Body Keeps the Score I have recently started this one, but it's interesting so far. Near the end it has a "Paths to Recovery" section where it outlines specific actions and techniques like EMDR, Yoga, theater, and Neurofeedback. Things to research Developmental trauma Acute / Shock trauma Polyvagal theory

I've been struggling to maintain a solid meditation practice and grow in that domain for a while now (though I've bulldozed through it for a few years ending in it not really working). I do like 10-20 mins a day now. This gave me the lens of seeing how I was deficient in other basic areas which, without them, any further development in more advanced areas and techniques wouldn't work.

Hey, im interested in studying some Jung. Does anyone recommend a book of his to start with? Criteria a) A book that works well as an intro. Or b) One of his best books Or c) One of his most influential books Cheers

So, I'm in a spot where... - I could get a job which may be a bit demanding considering I'll be starting school in September, have experienced pretty significant and regular mental health and emotional issues. -this job isn't financially necessary for me at the moment. Though, it never hurts financially to make some extra cash. - It's serving, which is one of the better jobs I've had previously. - I feel that, my ego is not wanting to do it in a "lowly" type of way. - If I didn't do it, I imagine feeling like this one time when I was really young, my grandpa brought me to the circus and there was an opportunity to ride some elephants. Out of fear I said I didn't want to ride them, but I actually truly really wanted to. I regretted that a lot and felt super bad about that. I felt like I missed an opportunity that would never happen again. - I don't know how much the line above is playing into this, but there's a sense that it's being lesser-than I could be, or not fully pursuing Life if I don't. Like I wouldn't be making the most of life. - On the other hand, thinking about where I've been and am in life (emotional issues bordering on unbearableness, not really needing money, university coming up; being the main ones), it doesn't make logical sense, nor, from another perspective, does it seem super wise (though that's debatable), and thinking about Leo's video on hoe life unfolds in Chapters, I'd peg myself in the "slower" stage of healing, thinking about life, taking time off, etc.. I guess I feel it's hard for me to make this choice since I feel I'll be spiritually hurt, deeply, if I don't do it, and if I do do it, I'll be overwhelmed and even more miserable... Strangely, from my POV right now, the latter seems less painful but in the long-run, I don't know. It's like if I do it, I feel i'm pounding myself hard or something. Like I'd be pounding myself into the ground a bit. If I imagine doing it, I get a big ego-backlash thinking about it. Like "UGGGHH! Fuck You!" types of shit. Like I'm pushing myself too hard. But also, there's a part of me that feels like I'd be not living up to myself or ideals or "Life" energy or something, if I didn't do it. Thoughts? Persepctives? I'm trying to do my best at listening to myself here, but I find listening to other persepctives can sometimes help as well. Bouncing things off. Also, just writing this may be helping somehow. Cheers.

"The flow of contraction and expansion itself will begin to move your lips and tongue for you, and you'll discover that magically powerful and appropriate things are moving across your teeth, without you actually quite knowing until its too late. It takes a long to time train this. You have to be willing to somewhat throw caution to the wind." -Shinzen Young from the video

Hey. So I've been using this technique I got from Shinzen Young. It's super simple; instead of thinking about what you're going to say and do, just allow yourself to move, say and do things sponaneously. I experience a lot of indecision and emotional issues, and this has been so valuable when I'm in a tight spot and feel overwhelmed and not knowing what to do. It's amazing how reliable I've found it to be. He offers some more methods in this video as well.

@fridjonkI told her I wouldn't take the job. I feel great about it ! Feels kind to me. Freeing. Thanks for the advice though.

Hey. Does anyone know of any good non-medical/non-pharmaceutical products to help anxiety? Specific brands would be appreciated as well, especially if you have experience with them. Cheers

Hah! Literally just posted this and found a thread below with The School of Life's top intro book list for Jung... thank you serendipity?

Im pretty sure this is Ken Wilber's company's site. Not 100% certain, but pretty sure

@Luciphene Cheers Ah! Touche

@Michael569 I've not done any medications. I'm trying to find a more naturalistic way to deal with anxiety and depression. Over the last week or so since I posted this, I'm seeing how I think I feel more depression than anxiety. Though, there may be a cycle from anxiety to depression, especially considering context.

A dichotomy I'm seeing is (from Leo's life advice for young people part 2 which, I think, kind of maps on to how I sort of feel about this) ... - Don't overload your schedule (this is where I perhaps feel like I'd be lesser than if I did it, but logically and cognitively it seems probably more likely to be the case) vs. -Commit to challenging yourself (this is where i'm definitely feeling the "life spirit") The idea just struck me that, since I realize I probably have tons of trauma, I find it difficult to distinguish between authentic intuition/inner-calling and yearnings or "intuitions" coming from trauma. I'm not claiming that this is that whole issue, but that it's probably a part of it. Another aspect of the issue could be that my mind simply doesn't have the ability to completely grasp the complexities of life such that knowing which choice is best may be beyond my intuition, mind, and body-mind system.

@tuckerwphotography I can also see how value systems would be a major blockage to moving in this direction. I can see, even in myself, times when I clung (...right verbiage? haha... "clinged") to a choice (i.e., a value) even though it wasn't necessarily the wisest or most truthful choice to make. slight tangent: I even hesitate to say wisest since maybe it was the wisest choice, but I'm simply not able to perceive the complexity of life such that I can determine what's wise or not. back on topic: I can see how it may take more pain in order for people to switch perspectives, views, actions, and values. Sometimes you gotta take several blows to the head to start wearing a helmet.

@mandyjw Cheers. Iv'e actually seen your content a little and your face did flash through my mind in the last few days

Cheers! @Luciphene Any thoughts on CBD for depression?