Forestluv

I have an idiopathic tinnitus that suddenly appeared full blast one morning, years ago. It wasn't sound induced. Contributing factors may include my hypersensitivity to sound, 5-meo-dmt and/or hearing loss from aging. . . The sudden appearance of severe tinnitus was shocking and sent me into some dark spaces for about a year - then I began to habituate to it. My baseline range is 4/10 to 7/10. Most of the day I don't notice it, yet it's always there if I check for it. When it takes over my attention, it's annoying - yet doesn't send me into panic like in the first year. The worst is when I'm in a quiet environment and when it interferes with me falling asleep. I've listened to many different forms of sound for tinnitus. A few provide temporary relief. . .I just played the Tinnitus mix on speakers for about an hour - I haven't heard anything like it. . . . I'll be cautious for now and play it a couple hours a day on speakers - to make sure it doesn't make things worse. Thanks for the lead, Leo.

It depends on what you mean by "crash". There won't be a recession before the election, since a recession is two consecutive quarters of negative GDP. . . People judge the economy many different ways. Probably the two most common are affordability in their daily lives and stock market performance. In terms of affordability: prices for groceries, homes and rent won't change much before the election (yet have had large increases the past few years). Gas prices can be very volatile. If things turn ugly in the middle east, there could be a spike in gas prices - yet U.S. production has significantly increased in recent years - which would be a buffer. In terms of the stock market. . . markets have been frothy lately and I could see a significant drop. The big run up this year has been based on expectations for a rate cut. Due to weakening job numbers, it's likely that the Fed will cut rates this month (the first time in years). The CPI inflation report is release Sept. 11th - if it's low (around 3%), it's nearly guaranteed the Fed will cut rates on Sept. 18th. This would create a narrative that we've "turned the corner" and are heading toward future rate cuts. The stock market would rally and it would be very positive news in mainstream media. . . If the CPI report is high and the Fed doesn't cut, things will get ugly in the markets since they've expected a September rate cut all year.

Add to the list: Dick Cheney, Steph Curry, James Murdoch and 88 major corporate CEOs

One thing to consider: RFK Jr. was a boy when both his father and uncle were assassinated. JFK and Bobby were two of the most prominent political figures in American history and the Kennedy family was a very prominent political family. As well, there were ongoing, intense conspiracy theories about both of their assassinations. . . He grew up with a lot of privilege, yet also with some extremely unhealthy, traumatic dynamics. I imagine that influenced his development and mindset we see today.

I was just considering an RFK Jr. impact on a subset of independents, not how independents might vote overall. Holistically, I see a lot of variables and can imagine many different scenarios playing out. . . . Whenever I zoom-in to one input (like RFK Jr.) and try to get grounded, lots of other related inputs arise - allowing for other possibilities.

For sure. . . I'm guessing the net skew overall. If 3% of independents skew Trump-ward and 3.5% of independents skew Harris-ward, it's a net gain for Harris. As well, there may be some left-leaning unlikely voters that shift toward likely voter. Yet this view is biased toward voting based on reasonableness and could be wrong.

Another view: What is "bad" or "good" is dependent upon it's relationship with another "bad" or "good". For example, is fire bad or good?. . . Fire is "good" in an open-pit BBQ because having a BBQ with friends and family is "good". . . In contrast, fire is "bad" in a house fire because your house burning down is "bad".

Overall, I think it's a wash. Trump might get about a 1% net boost on the RFK Jr. shift, yet Trump is doubling down on lunatic conspiracy theories / Qanon. Doing so will shift about 1% of undecided voters toward Trump (and some weak Trump supporters shift to undecided). It seems Trump is deepening the commitment within his base and marginalizing any dissent. In contrast, Harris has been trying to expand her appeal with a populist messaging that polls well with centrist voters, such as supporting the bipartisan Border Security bill. . . This doesn't seem to be marginalizing the left since they want to beat Trump so badly. As well, the left was surprised and thrilled that she picked Walz, a solid middle-left pick.

Yea. . . I downgraded her upper range half a level to "entry Yellow".

A few observations the last week: 1. For 30 yrs, I've worked as a teacher in education systems. . . from my perspective, Tim and Gwen have embodied aspects of teaching that is not easy to embody. I've watched videos of Tim and Gwen speak about teaching as well as their former students speak about the impact Tim and Gwen had on them. I can tell they are extraordinary at meeting students where they are at with patience, care and inspiration. . . It is much easier to intellectually know about this aspect of teaching aspect than to actually embody it. 2. Kamala and Tim are an example of the value of "DEI". In a sense, Tim Walz is a "DEI hire" - in particular, he adds diversity and inclusion. It's one thing to describe new elements Walz brings (such as a different demographic backgrounds and gender), it's another thing to actually show value in how you are living. . . I think Kamala and Tim have good chemistry and she is learning from him. 3. Walz has never used a teleprompter in his life, until recently. I can understand Harris' team wanting to stay on message and to avoid gaffes, yet Walz is very good speaking off-the-cuff in the moment. Today, he is speaking to a high school sports team and he is speaking to them as a teacher / coach. 3. Walz allows Kamala access to certain areas. For example, when Kamala and Tim are in a school building, or with a sports team, - it's not a "photo-op". It's Tim's world. It would be like an Olympic athlete being in a locker room - it's a totally normal part of their life. . . Similarly, Tim gives access into "working class" spaces, such as Unions. . . These dynamics would be very different with a Harris / Shapiro ticket. 4. I think criticisms that Kamala is a chameleon for personal gain has some truth to it. My impression is that her orientation is toward being the leader of a movement and is malleable to the details of what that movement is. In my view, her range is solid left to centrist and she is comfortable working within that range (albeit difficult to do). . . This allows her to interact with a variety of subgroups such as Pro-Palestinian groups as well as major corporate donors. . . Rather than having a pre-defined set of convictions, she is more-suited to be a leader / spokesperson for an underlying movement. - Within a range of Bernie Sanders solid left to solid Centrist, yet would not be effective as a far left leader or a right-wing leader since it is outside her range of malleability. . . In a sense, she is a typical politician that changed her positions for political gain. In another sense, she wants to be a leader / spokesperson for things she can believe in. There is a form of authenticity that comes with that. In contrast, the changing positions of Lyndsay Graham are very inauthentic. 5. Kamala has extraordinary coaching and she is teachable. In particular, every speech she improves various aspects of public speaking . . . One thing I was impressed with was how she evolved her interaction with Palestine protestors. One rally, she came across as dismissive to many. Then the next day's rally she had a very different response that was much more inclusive. A space that allowed for a different voice to be heard and acknowledging value in that. . . I was impressed by how seamlessly Kamala was able adapt - which ties into my points above - she has some flexibility and adaptability. 6. In terms of Spiral Dynamics, I would put Kamala's range to be Orange to entry Yellow. Her expressions of Orange and Green are obvious. Yellow is harder to get a feel for since Yellow spaces are disadvantageous from a strategy perspective. The vast majority of Americans range from Blue to Green. . . Yellow mindspaces is not good for effective messaging - it is waaay too nuanced. . . Yellow would be better for "behind-the-scenes" type of things. . . Yet I've seen Kamala reveal glimpses of Yellow and I could see her being "pulled up" to those conscious spaces by those around her. For example, she has spoken about her love of Venn Diagrams, which is "bread-and-butter" to a Yellow mindstate. . . Even if her mindspace doesn't default to integration / system thinkers, I can see her being open, curious and engaged with a roomful of minds centered at integration / systems.

For sure, I spend a lot of time contemplating this space. Some things are difficult to express in words, because any word used creates "not that word". Here, we can try to use the word "direct" in that it is zero steps. Yet introducing "direct" creates "indirect", opening a door to further exploration and creation. . . which is great, yet has left the origin. . . Closer to the origin would be something like "Prescence Knowing Itself". We can sit, let that dissolve and get in touch with that "essence". Or, we could explore things like "what does that mean?" or "how does that happen"? One idea I like to play with: There are many ways one can perceive "what is happening now". This is obvious, since different people and different animals percieve "Here and Now" differently. . . There is an infinite number of ways "Here and Now" could be perceived. Yet our perception reduces those possibilities to "that" - what is present. . . that is a tree, music, hunger etc. . . Doing so, eliminates all the other possibilities - for example, the "tree" could be perceived as a dynamic energetic field from a quantum perspective. . . So "what is happening" is happening, yet it is also not happening. . . A fun paradox.

I've invested in various companies developing psychedelics for mental disorders. I also think they will have a great impact on the future. . . Yet that was the only factor I was considering and assumed that would lead to growth of the company. . . And I lost A LOT of money. . . There are other major factors impacting company success and stock price. Examples include: how much cash on hand do they have? what is their cash burn? what is their debt level? . . . For example, a company low on cash cannot continue funding their clinical trials. They generally do an "ATM", in which they create/sell additional shares (also known as "dilution"). Diluting their stock puts strong downward pressure on the stock price and short sellers rush in and start selling "borrowed" shares. Stock price then significantly falls. There are also other factors, such as the skill of the CEO, partnerships, macro-economics, interest rates, etc. Choosing an individual company increases both risk and potential reward. If someone wanted less risk and wanted to invest in psychedelic research 'in general', they may want to look at an aggregate fund. Such a fund inlcudes lots of different companies within the psychedelic space. So, if one company bombs, the fund would decrease just a bit - it would bomb. Similarly, if one company has a major breakthrough, the fund would increase a bit - yet wouldn't skyrocket.

I don't want to derail this thread, so I started a journal exploring dynamics of transcending and integrating.

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@Snader Thanks for sharing your experience and insights. I appreciate the introspection and curiosity. No. Making decisions is hard for me since I'm constantly looking at pros / cons, partial truths, different possibilities, different perspectives etc. . . I'm a terrible manager. . . I think my colleagues can sense this and don't put me in positions where I'm a decision-making leader. . . I contribute in other ways. I'm actually quite satisfied with my career. I have a lot of autonomy and lots of space to create. . . A few thoughts on range and constraints: -- Being in a science department, there are standard courses like Cell Biology, that have a history of content. As well, teachers have an obligation to teach students knowledge and skills that will be on graduate exams, graduate / medical schools and practical things in those careers. For core courses, there is generally a body of accepted content - I have flexibility in how I teach that as well as sprinkling in things such as life skills, memory etc. . . I have a lot more space in my upper-level courses to go bigger-picture and integrate. Yet my forms of integration is beyond integrating different disciplines within academia. I love all that stuff, yet I also want to bring in more that isn't standard academia. For example, I've brought in meditation exercises into my classes. This raised some eyebrows in my department, yet I explained to them the importance of self awareness, social awareness and meta-cognition in the bigger-picture of learning. . . I also have an exercise using Zener cards to integrate concepts like: direct experience, intuition, energetics, unique abilites as well as science components, such as statistical analysis of the data we gather. I got some pushback at first, yet I framed it with buzzwords like "hands-on", "experiential learning", "engagement" to teach statistical tests. Then my collogues thought it was brilliant (since I didn't believe in the "whoo, whoo" stuff. . . I'd also like to add things like shamanic breathing and chanting - yet having had the guts to yet (as well, most students are receptive). . . Lastly, I feel the need to hold back on explorations of consciousness. I feel comfortable speaking about things like lucid dreaming and flow states of consciousness, yet I still need to speak about psychedelics from a relatively shallow level. I've done over 150 trips and my level of understanding of psychedelics and various conscious states is equal to, or higher, than my level of science understanding. I'm one of the few people with a high level of expertise in both psychedelic/conscious states as well as science. One of few people that could integrate direct experience, psychological dynamics, mysticism, creativity, nonduality, neuroscience, genetics, evolution, social science, energetics, critical thinking, empathy and on and on. I can do this to some extent, yet I have to hold back. -- I'm constrained with where students are at. . . In an environment like a spiritual retreat, nonduality lecture or concert - people go because they are interested, want to learn and want to participate. Yet in a classroom environment, most students don't fully want to be there. Many students have low attendance, show up late and are disengaged. The majority of Gen Z has an extremely short attention span and part of my job is being an entertainer to keep them engaged. And it's draining to constantly compete with their cell phones for attention. . . And it just takes a one "bad" student to create all sorts of problems, which can be an emotional drain. I spent months creating a First Year Seminar titled "SuperNormal" abilities. Unfortunately, one student was a sold narcissist that soured the energetics in the class and caused all sorts of problems. That one student ruined many aspects of the course. . . Lastly, many students do not have the capacity or interest in much of what I do. For example, not able / interested in things like introspection and mind expansion. Some students don't think abstractly and I have to constrain myself, such as my use of metaphors. -- With that said, there are a small percentage of students that really connect with me and I have a big impact on them. A few students have unique skills of metacognition, systems thinking etc and felt like they never fit it. I'm the first one that can see this and "speak their language". Stuff they thought was a disorder, yet I get excited and say "That's a thing!!! I've known people in Zen Centers that spent years trying to attain that". . . They take every one of my classes, come to my office to chat about things that are "out there" that they can't speak to anyone else about. . . A couple years ago, I started a group called "Transcend and Integrate". It's a select group by invitation only for students with certain abilities. We meet in a secluded location and have a free flow conversation about things not discussed or revealed with "normal" people. . . For about 1% of my students, I have a deep life-changing impact on them - such as discovering core aspects of their nature / ability. . . This is so rewarding to me, that it balances out a lot of headaches. -- When I started teaching, I wasn't aware of my "thing". If you know yours, I would be mindful of how that fits with the environment. For example, one of my core components is integration. I work at a liberal college that prides it's identity on "multidisciplinary". Yet it's at a very surface level. For example, "inter-disciplinary" to my colleagues and administrators are taking set of required courses in various disciplines. Yet psychology is in one building and just talks in a psychology box, Religious studies is another building and speaks within a religion box, Biology in another building, etc. . . That is a surface level of integration. It would be like having a guitar player in one building, a piano player in another building, a drummer in another building and calling it an integrated jazz band. . . Deeper integration is having all the instruments playing together to yield emergent properties. . . Zooming Out and being contracted in an area has value, yet so does Zooming Out and synthesizing. I'm the only one that is really good at this in my department, which is good and bad. On the good side, I'm "that guy" my colleagues come to for questions and help. I've helped them create new course materials and to look at things from different perspectives. I like contributing in that way. For sure. Here, I think Myers Briggs is useful. I'm on the extreme end of "introverted". As well, the "S" or "I" is also a big factor. "Sensing" is toward concrete thinking and what's actually present here and now. Things like construction work. . . "Intuitive" is toward internal abstraction and imagination of things that aren't physically present. Most people are "S". . . I'm on the extreme end of "I", which can make communication difficult. And also agree with being alone. . . During the covid isolation lockdowns, my extroverted friend struggled hardcore. Yet I loved it. I didn't have as many social obligations and I had more time to explore consciousness on my own without people thinking I was "anti-social".

For me, creating a god that is love creates the question "what is love?". Who/what decides what "love" is? And if this god would be these ideas of love, it means it couldn't be not-love? I'm now placing conditions on what "love" is and limiting a god to these ideas. . . If we move toward unconditional / absolute Love, the barrier between love and not-love dissolves. To get in touch with this unconditional Love, I go prior to my ideas / feelings of conditional love. I simply become aware of empty space around me. That space will allow anything to arise without judgement. Space will allow things I consider to be beautiful to arise, such as flowers blooming. Space will also allow things I consider ugly to arise, such as someone abusing another. Observing this allows my mind to enter an area that is prior to ideas / feeling about what is love and what is not-love.

Below are some of my thoughts. They are within the context of my experience and may have less value in other contexts. How would begin by gaining depth of awareness / clarity on what those "sides" are. How can we integrate components if we aren't aware of what those components are? . . . From my experience and observations, most people are consciously unaware of how deeply entangled they are within a social mind. As well, most people are unaware of 'realms' that have some distance from that social mind. For example, imagine someone that engages most of their day with co-workers, family, friends, social media etc. Even when they aren't directly interacting socially, there is still social entanglement within the mind. Someone may want to get away and go for walk in nature, yet their mindspace is engaged with thoughts / feelings of their social system. Thoughts / feelings of interactions with co-workers, friends, family, partner, children etc. They may have brief moments of freedom outside that social mind, yet that is just scratching the surface. Imo, this isn't easy to explore this since disengaging from social systems is difficult. I get three months off per year, and my mind engages in different spaces after disengaging from work for a couple months. As well, I've lived villages in central / south America for 1-3 month periods. I've gotten so disengaged that I'd forget what my previous "character life" was. Occasionally, a villager would ask "What do you do in life?" . . . it would take me a while to remember and put the story together - as if they were asking me about a movie I watched years ago. . . This goes much deeper than a simple realization that "I play a character in life". . . it's disengaging from that character and exploring new areas - new abilities, new ways to relate to reality and so forth. . . So I've gotten good exposure of those "sides" and have a clearer idea of how to integrate them. . . For example, the extended disengagement allowed to realize that I can sense energetics around me, that most people aren't consciously aware of because they are within that energetic system. They may simply have a vague idea of through their feelings. . . Once aware, I was able to explore this deeper as a "sixth sense". Then, I was able to start integrating that sense into the classroom and individual students. For me, becoming aware of, and observing, that social entanglement was important. Then I could make conscious decisions to disengage and could now notice when re-engagement entered. Getting distance over time was important. Also, psychedelics can also get distance. Not necessarily heavy doses. A light to moderate dose can allow for distance. Yet these can be compressed experiences that are harder to embody. A very high extent, if someone is aware of their abilities / resonance, is open to opportunities and makes conscious decisions. This also assumes that it's an "average" situation. it's more complicated if someone is in a war zone, abusive environment, has serious cognitive / physical issues etc. A big barrier was social conditioning throughout my life that blocked discovery of abilities. For example, in elementary school I was in a grey area of whether to be placed into an "Advanced Learning Program". I was put in the program for one week. During one class, we had a mock court case and I was the judge. At one point, the prosecutor asked a witness if the defendant was "intelligent". I wasn't sure if I should overule or sustain the question, so I called both lawyers to my bench. They each gave their arguments - both of them seemed partially right, as well I struggled with what "intelligent" means. Contemplating different perspectives, partial truths and relativity of meaning is extraordinary for a grammar school child. From a neuroscience perspective, that type of abstract brain processing doesn't begin until years later and doesn't fully develop until around 24yrs of age. . . Rather than realizing this, the teacher got annoyed and said "Is it a valid question or not? Make a decision.". I was under social pressure to make a binary decision. I got super uncomfortable. . .yet I wasn't aware at the time that one reason I was uncomfortable is because I was forced to make a binary decision. Either decision I made was partially wrong and I could say the word "overuled" or "sustained". The teacher then got very annoyed and put more pressure on me to make a binary decision. I almost had a nervous breakdown. . . That week, I was pulled from the Advanced Program and put back with the "regular kids". I was also labeled as a kid who "had potential, yet doesn't apply himself". Over and over, I was placed in situations geared toward concrete thinking and developed a self image that I wasn't "smart enough". . . I went on to pursue science as a career. I was super curious about learning, yet I also had a subconscious desire to proved to myself and others that I was "smart enough". I became an average PhD in an environment geared toward concrete thinking and logic. . . It wasn't until I was about 44 yrs old that I began discovering other forms of "intelligence" and my nature abilities. Another big barrier was being socially conditioned that my work must make a contribution to society. If not, I'm self-centered and there is something wrong with me. So whenever I got curious about things that weren't contributing to society, I would become hyper self-critical and repress it. . . It wasn't until my 40s that I realized I only have a moderate desire to engage in activities that directly contributes to the lives of others / society. My stronger desire is to explore imagination, concepts, creation new experiences - regardless of whether they have a purpose at the personal or societal level. What gives me deep meaning is when I integrate the too - for example, having insights and passing those on to my students. Another barrier are work constraints. I work as a science teacher and there are constraints being in a science department and within an academic institution. In addition to realizing my abilities, I also found it helpful to realize what I'm not good at (and what I dislike). Because of my multi-perspectival / partial truth mindset, I am not a good decision-maker or manager. . . I've learned that I work best "behind the scenes" to make connections, rather than a leader. . . Also, I'm very creative in some ways, yet I lack innovative skills to manifest those ideas into actuality. For example, I have lots of creative ideas about how to create an integrated neuroscience program, yet I lack the innovative skills to make it happen.

I would put direct knowledge prior to memory, which is a second order creation. As an example. . . observe your surroundings for a moment. There is a 'knowing' that what is happening is happening (regardless of what that is). There is a 'knowing' that you are not in China right know fighting wild dogs in an arena. You don't need any evidence or rationale to validate that knowing. Then, we can create all sorts of ideas about what things like knowledge, perception, reality etc is, which would be second order.

I think Trump's rally tomorrow in N.C. will be very revealing. In particular: 1) What is the size of the crowd and enthusiasm level?. . . As the 2020 election showed, rally size doesn't determine elections. Yet rally size is extremely important to Trump: toward his self image and emotional / mental stability. As well, social and mainstream are engaged in the rally size narrative. 2) Can he stay on message during the rally? . . . After observing Trump the last few weeks, I don't think he can refrain from rambling. I think it's hardwired into him, he loves rambling at his rallies and he thinks it helps him. Yet even if he doesn't say anything inflamatory, his ramblings are boring and make him look like an old man (although boring ramblings won't get amplified as sound bites in the media). 3) Will Trump's team try to moderate to attract undecided / independent voters? . . . Early signs or "no", since far right fire-brand Mark Robinson will be speaking. 4) People may brush aside Trump's delusions of helicopters etc. as "Trump being Trump", yet I think it's undeniable that he has phonemic paraphasia and slurred speech (which was really bad last night). It looks like he can generally minimize it during formal speeches. Yet if it becomes apparent, it makes him look really old. Most people have been around aging family members and know it's signs of being elderly. It would also undercut one of his images he tries to portray: that he is a strong leader and can stand up to foreign adversaries like Putin.

In terms of energetics / experience, not that I know of. I came this through my psychedelic experiences. In the beggining, a psychedelic mindstate and a sober mindstate seemed like two different worlds, yet then they started overlapping. Here, I would enter half-way points. For example, where my mind and body went through various stages of anxiety into a full-on panic attack. So, I got to directly experience that. . . Afterwards, I was shaken for a day or so, yet then settled back into being grounded and 'normal'. . . In a sober state, I haven't had a panic attack - yet I now occasionally I go halfway there - close enough that I can sense it, yet far enough I don't spiral down. This has opened up new ways of relating to people. I can now relate with people that have anxiety conditions and panic attacks. As well, I can "pull" some people that don't have anxiety issues because they have had experiences that was "halfway there". During some of my trips I entered a mindsapce in which the mind can't differentiate between what is real and what is imagined. It would be considered a psychotic state from a psychiatric perspective. I now occasionally have experiences that are halfway there, close enough that I can sense / imagine full immersion - yet far enough that I can still stay grounded. While in a halfway state, I realized that most people have had similar experiences - they just haven't examined them. Yea, very similar. I was referring more about experiential relating / understanding. Your example is more of a cognitive / concept understanding - yet it's a similar idea: a stepping stone to get solid footing and then going another step forward. . . Also, you bring up the idea of "knowing" - which is a key. There is a form of 'knowing' that involves things like factual knowledge. As well, there is a form of knowing that is more of insight, realization, "getting it". A sense of "Omigosh, I 'know' what that's like".

This is one of my favorite spaces: somewhat relating, yet not fully. It gets me curious. One of the topics I teach involves Schizophrenia. In addition to the underlying genetics, I also bring up relating. At the start, everyone in the class sees Schizophrenia as something totally different than themselves. So when I propose "Let's see if we can relate 'a bit'" - I get some odd looks. . . I start off asking them to imagine something they already have direct experience with. . . To imagine a time when they had a dream that seemed very real. Perhaps their body was sweating or crying during the dream. . . Nearly everyone can relate to that. . . Next step. . . Have you ever started to wake up and were still sorta in the dream? Such that you couldn't tell if it was a dream or not? Perhaps for a few seconds or so?. . . Then you 'snap out of it' and are suddenly like "That was just a dream. Omigosh, I'm gonna be late for work.!I gotta get going!". . . Most people can relate to that. . . The next step is the big one. . . Now imagine those few seconds where you didn't know if it was a dream or not lasted the whole day. . . About 20% of the class has a noticeable shift. . . For them. . . now they can directly relate 'a bit' to what it's like to be in a mindspace that has difficulty differentiating what's 'real'. That's a big breakthrough. Yep, that's a big key. And I'm not very good at it - especially when egos come into play (theirs as well as mine). Thanks to you as well. You helped me unlock a block I had today.

Yes. . . That is one of the most common communication blocks I encounter. . . Also, much of my mindspace / communication is exploratory, which isn't well-received by most people because it lacks a purpose, goal and practicality. I'm often "in the woods", which is one reason my nickname is "Forest". For social interaction, what I've done is find people that are open within certain realms. For example, I have a friend who is a master Shaman and I love exploring a certain realm with her - yet its still within that realm. I also have a friend who is a master psychologist and I love to explore within that realm with her. It's sort of like having medical specialists. I can see an eye doctor and explore eye-related things. I can also see a kidney specialist for kidney type things. etc.

Yea, now you are entering my mind world. . . This gets into a balance of form, formless and open-mindedness. If I had a mindset of "This perception of 'yellow' is correct", it hyper structured and becomes limited. On the other end, a mindset of "anything can be 'yellow' it's all relative" is hyper fluid and also becomes limted. Yet both have value and I kind flip back-and-forth (and in-between). From a more concrete perspective, we could ask "What is 'respect'?". Any single definition we create is too limited, since it doesn't account for relativity. Somes cultures may consider something disrespectful, while another country does not. . . Yet we could also get hyper fluid and say "Respect is anything a person says it is", yet then Respect could be a ham sandwich. . . In regards to stage yellow, it's much easier to say what it's not than what it is. For example, stage yellow cognition is not restricted to binary "either / or" thinking. Yet precisely defining something like the relativity within yellow is much harder to describe. Whenever I say "yellow is 'xyz'", I do so to communicate, yet I don't hold the idea rigidly. Yes, I would consider that one component of the yellow category, as well as "Tier 2". I'd say it's a necessary component, yet there are different degrees. When I put my mind to it, I can do what you describe really well, which opens some doors and closes some doors. Yet I've also observed minds I would consider 'yellow', that are stronger in other areas. For example, someone very skilled in systems thinking could create a model of climate change that integrates history, chemistry, geography, biology and social systems. Yet they could be relatively rigid and attached to their model. So they would be really strong in one area of 'yellow' and weaker in another area. From a personal / societal perspective, I'd say there is a lot of truth to that. . . I think everyone has some type of "superpower" and I've often joked that my superpower is pretty much useless at a personal level. Where my mind wants to explore and dwell doesn't give me any personal gain. It doesn't help pay the rent, it doesn't help me advance my career, it doesn't help getting shit done and being productive. Yet the benefit include insights, expansions, realizations, wonder, awe, curiosity. Most of those I'm unable to express to others, so it gets quite lonely. . . I live in a small town and work with people, yet in a sense my mindspace is usually "alone in the woods". Regarding this thread, I would say 90% of society leads toward concrete thinking and that needs to be given a lot of weight when designing policies. For example, what is practical toward a relatively normal functioning society? . . . The society we have in 2024, not 2124. Personally, my mind defaults to various possibilities and idealism, rather than realism. . . . I'm good at being diplomatic, yet I suck at restricting ideas, making decisions and implementing decisions.