alyra

IMO manipulating the tools you have is definitely very powerful I suppose the idea is to transcend the illusions so before then you're risking making yourself unconscious again but changing patterns takes time so it's good to not be neurotic about avoiding unwanted things. I'm doing a certain thing and in the surface level it appears that it is low-conscious but really I'm just doing it because there's no reason not to. it isn't about the low-conscious rewards... even tho it is... it's hard to explain. I am no longer driven by them, and freely choose to do the action without any need or neurosis. but really there was no better way to find that freedom that to keep "going to the gym for sex" as the example goes. it's funny that you need it to be an example! what's so important about not having that reason? any shame or moralization is created by the individual mind it's really OK to just let people make their false assumptions. gotta be honest tho it's harder to do than to say...

society isn't a conscious organism that makes decisions. it is like the weather. the weather doesn't make us wear an umbrella, it doesn't even make us get wet. we do so. it is true that there are many traps in mainstream culture... scrap that, all culture. all things can trick us really, this is part of our nature. really there is no illusion at all... if there is something there than it can't be called "false" and anyway calling it false to begin with is its own illusion. it's just perspective. it ain't false if you hold it. it ain't any more an illusion than every other perspective... and good is just a matter of preference. are there particular things you have on your mind?

if I don't see it, I just don't see it. I mean in a way I think too much outside the box. so sometimes i just gotta copy others. but that isn't always enough, and I'm working on that. what else can I do, to just... even notice what it is that i'm doing wrong?

@bronsoval the problem is figuring out what contributing factor is the ill decision. I am not 100% failing at.. various things really... but it is pretty clear that they could improve. and anyway I tend to believe there is always a chance for improvement. but finding out just... "which of all the many specific details, is definitely bad" when overall the process is "OK" is really hard.

I have always had a hard time connecting with people especially with idle chat. it has changed certainly with my "enlightenment" so to speak but. it is still the same in the end - feeling at a loss with what to do, feeling uninterested despite caring about them. I have always just used the strategy of patience. in the end they are indeed doing something they are interested in - perhaps even love. it may seem less important to you but imagine the things you would say that would irritate them! it is a two way street! overall people like to talk and sometimes talking is difficult. we all try our best to connect and sometimes we have to connect to people even though it is hard. especially true this, with family and coworkers, but do not worry there is a reason you are connecting with them. so hold onto that reason in your mind if you need motivation to enjoy it. do not worry with practice you can find a way, if you make sure to keep in mind that it is possible and that it's what you want. I think yes it may be very important to look inward in our spiritual growth! it is important to press that becasue of how easy it is for people to not even do that at all! but we often forget when looking inward, that we are a community. we are all as one. they are as much a part of us as our hands are! they are just as important to connect to as looking inward to begin with never forget that!

@shin I find it incredibly easy to accept all things. they are as they are. I am not enlightened tho! I don't even know what that means. what a useless word imo! ps. lol in a way i fail to accept enlightenment! but what exactly is acceptance?

acceptance is but the first step tho? there is like. discovery, exploration, development. all these things can only really happen in full, after acceptance. somewhat before but acceptance happens only once. and ongoing learning thereafter.

I might wear some neckless personally, but a good idea. for awhile I was using a worry bracelet 'cause i needed to break a figitting habit, but when i broke that habit i stopped 'cause it weirded me out to wear the same thing all day but never really wash it like i do with my hands. didn't occur to me to start wearing a necklace instead but now I just might

@nahm I contemplate every mornign for an hour and then i walk after which is usually then very "muse" activity. I I eat salads some days (I make a big salad and eat it for my three meals) andother days it is a frozen pizza or canned soup morning with rice and fish and frozen veggies for a combined afternoon dinner. currently I'm trying to get more activity into my day because before this year I was too inactive and so am too weak right now and need to slowly work it up. I'm taking two walks a day now, and yoga three times a week, once with instructions.

@Revolutionary Think if you want to play video games, play videogames. don't take everything said to you on blind faith. you do the work yourself to discover what is good for you and what isn't. if you're worried that videogames are unhealthy, then be mindful before you play them. while you play them. after you play them. and over time, either you will discover the ways in which they are negative, or you will instead continue to do them because that's just the way you live your life.

I feel as if I have a "sixth sense" an internal sense a sense of my thoughts themselves. I know what information they contain without even hearing the internal voice speak them, or even feeling my internal touch writing them out. (I do not have an internal sense of sight, instead I touch my visionary thoughts) at first I thought that it was an extension of my internal sense of touch. but it is not, it is something else. it is as if I sense the information directly. if anything it is my original thought of youth. I can sense the whole idea in abstract, and tactily it moves about and forms a weight and texture and size - but those are the tactile side of my internal thought, the "sixth sense" is in addition to this. at its most direct explanation - it is knowing what it is exactly I am thinking of. not the after-knowledge of holding onto the thought - but the first-being of thought, that I feel the thoughts arise by my muse and this is sensed in this sixth sense. it is a split or full second upon thinking a thought before it gains the dimensions of the other senses - the dimensions of touch primarily, for me - and sometimes internal voice. but before those dimensions arise, I still sense the thought itself. and this sensing is unlike any of the other senses, instead it is a sense of just being aware of the thought. and I am unsure if it is even fair to call this sense awareness itself. as I understand it awareness is holding things at your attention, or at least attending them without any holding. in this way I can be aware of this sixth sense, or just let my awareness wan. but even if I am not aware of a sensation, lateron I can remember the sensation and only then am I aware of it - so I had to have sensed it to begin with. so it makes sense to me to say my sense of "thought" is not the same as my "sense of awareness" and is instead a separate thing. does this description ring familiar to you? do you feel as if you have a sense of your ideas, concepts, thoughts, and information, which only exists internal to your mind but not to any organ of your body, which reveals what it is you think? I believe even that it reveals the information held in the other senses too - but then it is responsive instead of the origin. when I see blue first I experience the sensation of the colors upon my eyes, and second I sense the realization that it is blue. and then only third to I mimic the blueness in some way in my mind - whether by claiming it with language or with my tactile internal "sight". so in this way the sense of thought is its own sense and is not the same as awareness. do you have it? are you unaware and would need to meditate upon it to discover if it is there or not? for me I have had it for as long as I remember, but only was able to acknowledge it and even give "name" to it recently. tho in this context by "name" I mean to create some kind of symbol in my head which helps point to the idea - a tactile experience. as I said, I do not have internal imagery and only have internal sound for the sole purpose of my internal voice - and at that it is monotone. I keep ending with distractions. so now I end with the main question this thread has the purpose of. do you have, internally, a sixth sense, which senses the information of thought, transfers the understanding of what it is that is contained by your various forms of thinking? are you aware of such a thing in you?

I have often received harsh bullying and negativity in the past, and knowing how bad it can be I still am adamant - the only bully that has ever been in my life who had any impact on me is myself. it is my thoughts that harmed my self esteem. I did not know until I learned the hard way, that it my thoughts alone that determine the impact of someone else's words. this became especially apparent when I noticed how often I read into things as mean, when they were not meant meanly at all! and all those times I spent days hiding in my room trying to run away from my own anxiety. the only thing worth fearing is your own mind's thoughts.

of course, not that I am so arogant to thing that human can only be this one thing. the point is, that fundamentally both scenarios are different from the scenario we are in. imagine an alternative reality where everything was the same except hitler was 100% successful and now the entire world was a derivative of his vision. that too would no longer be humanity as we know it. and it certainly would be more human that either of the scenarios. plus, we know for sure that the robots and the nazi world would both adamantly say they are humans, and we are just some fantasy a philosophist dreamed up for fun!

well the real kicker tho is, we are not human. IMO neither of them are human tho. "human" is this weird thing that lives on this place they call earth and runs around trying to be successful when that really has nothing to do with being alive. in this way, a thousand babies dying on a planet versus machines that never grow but only mimic our culture. neither are human.

personally I have recently discovered that it appears much more meaningful, accurate, and pro-social to consider the process an awakening, instead of an enlightenment. enlightenment in and of itself has direct implications of superiority IMO. Awakening directly leads into the understanding that it is potential that anyone can find, on the other hand. furthermore, I have never ever ever felt enlightened, tho in reality I suspect I first became "enlightened" in high school during my reading of Siddhartha and reflection thereof. but ever sence, it was a ongoing growth that truly was subconscious and in many ways dormant despite its ongoing changes. In this way, it is more accurate to, at least in reference to my growth, refer to it as an awakening instead of as enlightenment. the latter inherently implies sudden bursts! there are many times in which I can mark a noticeable, even a directly observable, shift in perspective, but none of these were sudden or in a burst - they were all a result of hard labor in the manner of contemplation over time. and end result to an ongoing process - not a sudden change at all! and lastly, I find recently that I Often notice both how common wisdom is found in cherished teachings throughout all of culture - but even people "enlightenment" would imply or assume are unenlightened (or unawakened) people, they show strong signs of having made some important growth thereof in various directions. I find that considering the process of an awakening more conducisively leads one to seeing these already found growth as possible, meaningful, and real, whereas enlightenment encourages one to think that they were less-then before, and others who have not found certain ideas are unenlightened. when the reality is that there are soo many perspectives to find growth in advancing, that All humans naturally stumble upon some of them throughout all phases of their life, in fact there are many common marks such as the time where a toddler ceases to see the world as "for them" and instead as "a community". In these ways, all humans have already awakened many of their potentials, but I doubt most people would consider many of these growths to be enlightenment or an enlightened experience! oh and sorry one more thing - one thing I have Always been aware of but unsure how to proliferate awareness thereof in others, was the very real possibility in learning important realizations during any discussion, even if discussing with a "fool" or a "troll". even with lies the truth can be found, even ignorance is capable of highlighting understanding. So I strongly endorse the use of the term awakening. any thoughts in opposition or in support of proliferating this terminology? I certainly will be using the word more often in my future, whereas I still hesitate to refer to myself as enlightened or having enlightened experiences. enlightenment just doesn't grok!

ooh I especially loved this statement it is true really. recently I was worried over how my motivation lessened as I was more accepting of not achieving my tasks i had set them. I don't formally conclude that worry I guess... but it is very true, that it was not a lack of motivation I was notice, but a lack of compulsion and self-blame. there are better ways to find motivation than the spur

sometimes when you want to turn right you gotta turn left a few times instead.

but this is the easiest thing! all you have to do is persist for one more second easiest thing to do. rinse and repeat

"human" and "ignorant" is a self-fulfilling prophecy isn't that adorable! I love humans :3 I love being human lol!

there is no such thing as relativity! there are no second thing to be relative to! blow my mind that. hard to fully see it still. we constantly are born and then die and each moment of rebirth tricks us into thinking we are alive at all! creates the illusion of change and difference! what strange phenomenon existence is!

are you so sure that attachment to enlightenment does not include attachment to success and etc?

I don't feel anything anymore.

@zasa joey I do not promise that these ideas will have real meaning. my ideas on immediate consideration are - work to find foods that do not trigger heart burn, or methods of eating patterns that reduce or do not trigger heart burn. additionally, spend time searching for lifestyle patterns that affect your gastro's reactions outside of eating, for the same purpose. once you find things that do work in avoiding the unwanted response - make them a part of your life. but then remember - that when we limit ourselves we actually damage ourselves. atrophy is dangerous. so regularly push your limits even if only slightly, or only once a week. this will hopefully train your body to be more durable. of course, also spend time researching your condition in the meanwhile, make sure not to discount scientific analysis and studies of the condition. but also make sure to take measures of your own actions, and be aware of them and the effects they have, in pursuit of minimizing the damage your condition brings. again, I do not promise that this will necessarily work, but it is the idea I have that might prove useful in finding healing.

failure is simply discovering one method which doesn't work

extroversion and introversion are just labels to denote patterns. humans love to use labels in order to lock them into these patterns! so funny, yet so sad