Vitamine Water

@Basegodmike @dorg @SOUL @Joseph Maynor @Nahm @Charlotte @Artaemis Thanks everyone for taking your time to reply. I'll take my time to contemplate it. The breathing technique seems the most accessible right now for me. I recently returned from a solo retreat and I can see how much work there has to be done. It's unbelievable to see how asleep I actually am. Though it's so interesting to see the mind fall back in its old habits, even after a week of the retreat. And I feel that work and other activities are causing this. Oh man, the mind loves to be distracted Thanks again everyone. This made me laugh out loud, tnx <3

I'd like to have some guidance in this. I lose myself every time when I get too engaged in an activity (socialising, studying, work stuff). I fall right back asleep. Only when the activity is over I can observe and meditate again.

There is concentration, yes. But the activity itself is not observed. This is only realised when it's passed. That's why I feel like I'm lost in monkey mind and not present during these moments. For me, that's not meditation and staying mindful.

Sometimes when I do a body stretch (standing with shoulders backwards, chest/stomach inwards, with hands behind my back and neck turned backwards) I hear this loud snap (or crack, click?) in the heart/solar plexus area. I gradually stretch my body from the base of the spine to the top and at this particular area I hear this snap sound. It's nothing compared to the usual, subtle stretching sounds I hear. I feel really comfortable afterwards and sometimes even zone out for a bit after a long sit. My question is, is this loud snapping or clicking normal? What does it mean, or do? I'm new to yoga poses and stretching exercises, so I don't even know if this body stretch exercise is safe Thanks!

@Faceless Nah, not at all. Quite the opposite really @Salcedoop Thanks for the advice! It doesn't hurt, so good to know i'm fine I'm planning to attend yoga classes in the future. For now, i'm exploring different styles and poses to learn the basics. I think I resonate the most with Kundalini now

@Leo Gura My advice: - Remove ranks - Remove reputation count - Remove content count next to avatar Butttt: * Keep content count only on someones profile page, or add a "years of service" kinda thing so you can see how much someone has contributed (or is involved with) the forum. Imo this is less 'jugemental' than seeing ones reputation count combined with his total posts. * Allow reputation only for posts or replies, without adding to ones reputation count. I think it's still important to filter out quality posts or replies. In this way reputation only becomes relevant in the context of it's post or reply. Option 2: - Keep reputation count, keep content count only visible on your profile page, not on the fast view or post/reply page. Edit: it's all relative anyway

I mean, what exactly is your problem here? You're feeling good doing what you do, so it seems. Why seek justification? When you truly feel something is True for you, you don't need different opinions or point of views. Be confident about your views. The rest is just masturbation. You're making things way too complicated in your head, my friend. The mind is only tricky when you make it tricky.

Isolation is not okay. Avoid it at all costs.

Definitely check this one out, if you haven't seen it yet

Do you have any idea for when your next (solo) retreat is planned? Thanks!

@rorghee Yes! Welcome to the plateau of boredome. It's a phase you have to go through. Unfortunately, growth is not linear. Live with it. As long as you're sitting, you're making progress. Know this. And double up your meditation time! Meditate 20 minutes in the morning and 20 in the evening. BAM! 40 minutes total. Work your way up from there. Also, try strong determination sits. These really boosted my meditations. Try one our sits. Sometimes one has to experience extreme boredom and physical uncomfort to train meditation muscles. Your mind is taking you over and you are giving into it. You're creating excuses. Just sit and shut up. Bite the bullet. Real growth comes when you pass the threshold. And this one: https://youtu.be/EHI1aPUxs4s

Take a few deep breaths in ..... Notice the calm silence ..... Notice the sensations in your body ..... Notice your surroundings, sounds, sights ..... Notice yourself Now ..... Surrender to this moment ..... This Now is all you there is ..... This Now is all you have .... Connect to this Now whenever you can ..... Ohm

Which Now are you? Is there a difference?

Yes. Simple things make life beautiful !

@Shin

The state of "being aware" is a state where you become awareness itself. Being aware of something is something else. You are aware of nothing, but not like object and subject. You become the experience of being aware, but you can't possibly label it bacause you are aware of absolute nothingness. Try to shift your attention to an object for one minute. Then shift your attention to the experience of being aware. And see what happens. This is one of Rupert Spira's excersises.

Hi guys! I want to share some of the experiences I had with my LSD trip yesterday. It was in a social setting (with 2 friends), so unfortunately not a lot of time for myself. Preperation This was my 3th LSD trip. I took around 200 micrograms, one tab (at 14:00 pm). We tripped on 2cb and truffels before so we were all right. We prepared all our food, drinks etc. We always buy fresh orange juice and chocolade. It intensifies the experience. We put couchins and blankets on the cough, matrasses on the ground. Also some nice incense sticks and tea. And of course, comfortable clothes. Lastly we put our phones and whatches aside for the duration of the trip. Oh and by the way, buy fruit when you trip! Best thing ever. Oranges, bananas and stuff. We rubbed them for days. The trip Let's jump right in. I planned to do timestamps, but time was no not present during the trip. We felt the acid hit quite fast. Only 20 minutes in and I started seeing things move. Colors became brighter and I started seeing mayan-like patterns and eyes in every object while they morphed in other objects. I could endlessly stare at it. It was like a living organism that created visual loops and patterns. The more I focussed on it, the more it came alive. I know you guys love pics, so here you go (first pic was the most present one) But then... BOOOM!! The acid really hit me. It's so hard to explain it. I think people who tripped before can relate. There is no way to put it into words. There is just amazement and bliss. It lasted for about 8 hours. This is what I wrote in bed while contemplating what just happened: (sorry for the amount of "I" in this one, my brain farted it out) "I am the creator. Every scenario I come up with is perfect in itself. If the scenario went downhill the mechanism would pick it up again to turn into a perfect scenario. I became the whole loop. I became every scenario in it and made it perfect just how I wanted. There was no way for it to be something negative. And man it felt so INFINITE and ENDLESS. You just couldn't escape it. No way. I am IT. I am the whole scenario and the whole mechanism. Its perfect. Like how a machine is programmed." "It's all happaning by itself. I am creating myself. And i'm looping these "thoughts" back into the loop. Automatically. I am the scenariowriter. I am the scenario. I am the writer. Social and verbal interactions made no difference. Everything they said fits within my perfectly created scenario. For a moment it was all fine that I was the silent guy. I was just being me. And they didn't judge me for it. This scenario set the trigger for the loop. If I got caught up in the scenario, I would create more scenarios in that scenario to feed the loop. It just felt so great. Like it could never stop. And there is just no way to put in into words. The only thing I could possibly do was make noises and laugh. I just let it happen. Laughter and sounds became the explanation. I was the creater of all music. I orchestrated it. Even in silence." "Through thought I was able to convince my friends that I created the music that was playing. I automatically synchronised them with my thought patterns. They became my thoughts and my scenario. I became their guide. I controlled their actions, I controlled their speech. It was insane. If I thought about standing up to get a cookie, the person next to me would instantly stand up to get the cookie. It was just like that. I was in total control. I planted these thoughts in their system. But looking back at it, these were no real thoughts. It was just reality creating itself in the infinite now." Thoughts create your reality. "Whatever you bring in, comes out. If you think positive, you become positive. You are the scenario writer of your life. External influences can't harm you if you create your own positive reality. Just smile. You are perfect. If people judge you or laugh at you, SMILE at them. That's the paradox. They are creating their reality, not yours. YOU are fine!!" And eat a banana now and then!! (biggest insight) Looking back The trip was so nice and intens. But I know it goes so much deeper. And i'm so fucking ready for it. I think I'm ready to trip alone now. I like the social setting, but it holds me back from truly exploring myself. I NEED to kill my ego. My whole life has been going so well. Too well. I'm an overall happy and energetic person. I used to have a lot of friends when I was little. Now I don't, but I don't really care. I love flowing with life and not crave anything. I enjoy being alone. It feels like it's a sign. THANKS FOR READING! I hope you liked it and find it useful. I also plan to do more detailed reports with more practical advice than this one. I would also love to improve my writing for you guys. It's not my best skill. I haven't watched leo's loop video, so i'm gonna do that now Safe flight! Cheers. Wesley

His body died, his soul survived. But he was never born in the first place. He's infinite, eternal, like you and me. Death and birth are the same thing. Re-incarnated? Only he himself can Know. His body was simply a microphone for Truth. So i guess he's right and wrong at the same time. I don't think this satisfies him tho

be·ing (bē′ĭng) n. 1. The state or quality of having existence: technical advances that have only recently come into being. 2. The totality of all things that exist: theologians who hold that the mind of God is the source of all being. 3. a. A person: "The artist after all is a solitary being"(Virginia Woolf). b. An individual form of life; an organism: "We [humans] are the only beings who are aware that we shall die" (Seyyed Hossein Nasr). c. An imaginary, conjectural, or supernatural creature: extraterrestrial beings. 4. a. All the qualities constituting one that exists; the essence: the very being of human nature. b. One's basic or essential nature: "[My grandfather's] face, words and gestures are a permanent part of my being" (Duane Nitatum). What does "being" mean to you?

@Alien A huge step in the right direction! Nothing doesn't matter indeed, ultimately. It's all One and infinite. In fact, there is no "next". You're living in an infinite now. On a relative level, our mind loves problems, worries and control. It's how most of us are programmed (by society, school, parents etc.) The quest is to allign yourself with the absolute perspective and less with the relative perspective. Become God. Live as God. Write your insight down to remind yourself once in a while. It's a damn long journey

Yes

Orrrrr Smash it against a wall. Hardcore approach.

@Psyche_92 What happens if you let go of the idea that consciousness is behind all your experience? What is left? What happens to your consciousness? Try this. You're mentally blocking your direct experience by thinking.

Oh boy, that is just the beginning. Two days ago I felt like I was meditating upside down while falling, eyes started rolling up. You're fine.