Have You Ever Thought About Going On A 6 Month Fast From Conceptual Life?

[Joseph Maynor]

No reading
No audiobooks
No discussing personal development
No discussing enlightenment
No philosophizing
No judgments
No theorizing
No shadow work
No self-therapy
No arguing
Practicing the principle of not-knowing

This is what I'm thinking of doing from August 2017 (next month) through January 2018, 6 months.  What do you think?  I think this is the ride I need to go on.   I'll do it just to see what happens.  This is gonna be a trip because I've always been such a conceptual dude.  Not reading for me feels really weird after a week or so.  I'll still keep up to date with all of you through my self-actualization journal during that time.  But I feel like if I don't take a deep-dive and do this, I'll never really find out about this stuff fully.  I don't think you can half-ass this stuff.  Our world is too conceptual -- we live it and breathe it all the time.   It's like pretending you got off the junk-food but you're still eating bagels all the time thinking you're much healthier now. 

Edited July 11, 2017 by Joseph Maynor

[Loreena]

7 minutes ago, Joseph Maynor said:

No reading
No audiobooks
No discussing personal development
No discussing enlightenment
No philosophizing
No judgments
No theorizing
No shadow work
No self-therapy
No arguing
Practicing the principle of non-knowing

This is what I'm thinking of doing from August 2017 (next month) through January 2018, 6 months.  What do you think?  I think this is the ride I need to go on.   I'll do it just to see what happens.  This is gonna be a trip because I've always been such a conceptual dude.  Not reading for me feels really weird after a week or so.  I'll still keep up to date with all of you through my self-actualization journal during that time.  But I feel like if I don't take a deep-dive and do this, I'll never really find out about this stuff fully.  I don't think you can half-ass this stuff.  Our world is too conceptual -- we live it and breathe it all the time.   It's like pretending you got off the donuts but you're still eating bagels all the time thinking you're healthier now. 

 

I don't think  I will ever be able to do that. That's an impossibility for me. That's my daily bread..

[Prabhaker]

10 minutes ago, Joseph Maynor said:

No reading
No audiobooks
No discussing personal development
No discussing enlightenment
No philosophizing
No judgments
No theorizing
No shadow work
No self-therapy
No arguing
Practicing the principle of non-knowing

Then what will you do to remain occupied ?

[Joseph Maynor]

@Prabhaker I will work and live my life, but I will ween myself off all intellectual or conceptual pursuits.   I will live in the moment.  I'll still contemplate, not I'll try to limit the contemplation to looking inside rather than philosophy.   It's like getting off TV.  I won't be able to tell you until after I do it.  I don't want to get caught up in spiritual bypassing.  

 

Edited July 11, 2017 by Joseph Maynor

[Loreena]

21 minutes ago, Joseph Maynor said:

@Prabhaker I will work and live my life, but I will ween myself off all intellectual or conceptual pursuits.   I will live in the moment.  I'll still contemplate, not I'll try to limit the contemplation to looking inside rather than philosophy.   It's like getting off TV.  I won't be able to tell you until after I do it.  I don't want to get caught up in spiritual bypassing.  

 

Why  would you think that contemplation is a bad thing. Why what's wrong with it ? 

[Joseph Maynor]

I will still contemplate but I want to be careful that I am not spiritually bypassing.  I want to make a counter-intuitive move for 6 months and see what happens.  Like an eager scientist.  An explorer.  I've never done this.  My life has been defined by intellectualism in one way or the other.  Concepts are synonymous with me on some deep level.  I've always loved ideas.  I always asked why? when I was a kid.  I used to annoy my family with this -- Why why why?  They used to respond -- just to make you ask questions!

Edited July 11, 2017 by Joseph Maynor

[Loreena]

Curiosity is a good thing. Its only when you explore you learn and you grow.

Anything that hinders growth is not productive in the long run. 

Our mind always needs growth or else it turns deviant. 

[AleksM]

I want to do this too in the future, but I thought of it more like being alone in nature, no talking to anybody. Isolating myself for a long period of time. Getting rid of all those things you mentioned would be also a great test, thank you, great idea.

But first, I need to become financialy independent. Then I Will buy a house in the Woods isolated from civilization and practice all those things.

[Joseph Maynor]

@AleksM Have you read Walden yet?  Listen to the audiobook on Audible.  It's awesome and right up your alley.

[AleksM]

No. Thank you for the resource. I Will add it to my list of books to read/listen, Will look into it down the road.

[Prabhaker]

On 7/11/2017 at 8:23 AM, Loreena said:

Why  would you think that contemplation is a bad thing. Why what's wrong with it ?

A philosopher never meditates, a philosopher contemplates. Contemplate as much as you can, but it will not lead you anywhere.

[Loreena]

@Prabhaker  Thank you my friend, I wish to be Philosopher cum meditator. Best of both worlds.

[Prabhaker]

1 minute ago, Loreena said:

I wish to be Philosopher

Learn dancing, it will be more beneficial.

[pluto]

I see what you are doing >.< finding all by losing all

Cheeky cheeky!

[LetTheNewDayBegin]

@Joseph Maynor  Have you considered finding a middle way for all this?

[Shanmugam]

On 7/11/2017 at 7:23 AM, Joseph Maynor said:

No reading
No audiobooks
No discussing personal development
No discussing enlightenment
No philosophizing
No judgments
No theorizing
No shadow work
No self-therapy
No arguing
Practicing the principle of not-knowing

This is what I'm thinking of doing from August 2017 (next month) through January 2018, 6 months.  What do you think?  I think this is the ride I need to go on.   I'll do it just to see what happens.  This is gonna be a trip because I've always been such a conceptual dude.  Not reading for me feels really weird after a week or so.  I'll still keep up to date with all of you through my self-actualization journal during that time.  But I feel like if I don't take a deep-dive and do this, I'll never really find out about this stuff fully.  I don't think you can half-ass this stuff.  Our world is too conceptual -- we live it and breathe it all the time.   It's like pretending you got off the junk-food but you're still eating bagels all the time thinking you're much healthier now. 

Thats good man..

I have a different list for me and I wish I could do that (Just for a month or two)

No internet

No phone

No books

No talking to people

No TV or any other entertainment..

Just being in the nature, taking bath in river, eating fruits, smoking weed, taking walks in parks, sometimes in busy places, travelling in bus and train etc...

 

[ajasatya]

On 10/07/2017 at 10:53 PM, Joseph Maynor said:

No reading
No audiobooks
No discussing personal development
No discussing enlightenment
No philosophizing
No judgments
No theorizing
No shadow work
No self-therapy
No arguing
Practicing the principle of not-knowing

that's life in a monastery. the heart of zen.

[Guest Annetta]

Yikes sounds intense, good luck!

[Nahm]

@Joseph Maynor Godspeed Jo!