PsiloPutty

Yes, and it's trippy. I get comfy in a seated position in front of a mirror, get close to it (8" away or so), pick a pupil and simply stare into it for 20 minutes without breaking the gaze. Face will morph into other people's faces, men and woman, old and young, attractive and ghastly. I gain an appreciation for myself and others afterward. It can be scary, though.

I can understand what your saying.....but only as a concept. I don't KNOW what you're saying. And yes, I posted that so maybe Lora would read it, think about it, and decide that it was just ego/fear that was holding her/him back on this. In a physically healthy person, what might be holding her/him back here, if not ego-induced fear? I'm asking humbly, as someone who is genuinely curious.

After the 45 minute session yesterday, today I feel the muscles in my neck are quite sore, which makes sense. I had my head turned upward for a good chunk of time as I breathed. When I bend over and touch my toes and let my head hang down, it feels tender inside. Not really a headache, but more like the feeling you get in your head after puking strenuously the day before. Like the dura mater around the brain is tighter than usual. Those are the physical after effects for me. The mental feeling now is basically good, except maybe I feel a little peevish and grumpy. Could be the ego kicking, like Leo warned about in the video, or maybe it's just my emotional reaction to the slight physical discomforts I'm feeling this morning. I might do another session tonight, but only if the soreness has subsided. I don't want to add soreness on top of soreness.

Unless you have some physical affliction, that sounds like what your ego wants you to think.

Glad I clicked. Some very good stuff in here.

@SeanD Yeah, I feel you. I really wanted to quit after 15 minutes, but it turned into something more manageable after that.

Wow, I just got done with 45 minutes. Anyone who hasn't done psychedelics, and wonders what they feel like, this is as close to a psychedelic experience as I've ever had without taking something. Blew my mind. Fingers and toes totally asleep, tried to make a fist but couldn't. Felt fear at the beginning, like there's no way I could do this. I found that it helped me mentally to Rock myself back and forth with each breath, and eventually that morphed into gyrating around with my whole body on every breath. Had some childhood memories come up. Kind of like watching an old movie from an observer's point of view. My breaths turned into sobs for 5 minutes or so, but I was conscious to never lose the rhythm of the breathing or the depth. My sobs turned to anger, and I got on my hands and knees and bared my teeth like a lion, which felt awesome. I was talking, making sentences by saying one word on each out-breath. Saying things in this way, like I won't stop. I am not afraid. You can't take me! Just crazy stuff, and I was trying to treat it like an Ouija board, where you try not to make anything happen. Open eye visuals, almost exactly like a 5-gram mushroom dose, with grid textured iridescent waves. And I'm left with a feeling of positivity, self appreciation and it's sort of like I just got done with a great workout, or did something else that demonstrated love for myself. Just have a feeling like I gave myself a hugeass hug. That was the wildest all-natural 45 minutes that I've ever experienced.

@Sage_Elias Far too variable in its effects. It's dependent on so many other factors; sometimes you might get blown out of the water stoned, and other times you might not feel much at all on the same dose of the same edible. The lack of predictability and outcome make edibles a no-go for me, especially not in self-development pursuits.

Holy shit, trapped wind sometimes turns into tornados. Yeah, that might make me break my pose......

I've only done a little over an hour as my max, but it's such an unusual feeling to sit there and notice a burp or a fart as it presents itself and wants out. Not being allowed to willfully contract any muscles means you just have to let them rise and fall, only to bubble up again in a few minutes. It's not uncomfortable, but it's a foreign thing to not give them the usual and almost instinctual help in coming out. Aside from being polite in public and holding it in for a few minutes, I can't say that I have ever experienced the long-term sensation. If they get enough power behind them, they'll come out little by little, without contracting any muscles, but it's a very odd phenomenon when you're simply observing and not participating. Kind of uncouth to talk about, but it's real.

@NoSelfSelf Yes, that's what I mean. When it's harnessed, there's almost limitless potential for growth. But until there's a pill that reliably induces LDs, it's hard to harness.

@student Man, that was a good post. Helped me a good bit.

Aside from a little chicken, I've been doing vegetarian for a month, and I really do feel better. My poops are more solid, which is good.

Darn right. Purge that shit out.

Very few know or care about the origins of Freemasonry. 90%+ are in it just for the social and comradery aspects. I was a FM for a few years. The history, traditions, ceremonies and floorwork are interesting.

@cirkussmile Thank you. I also learned quickly to not chug water beforehand, which gets a lot of air in my stomach. I now drink very intentionally before, being mindful to not swallow air along with the water. Or....just don't drink before I sit.

@Paan I only just got the book, so I haven't really started the practice yet, but a few pages back in this thread, some folks were talking about backing their kriya time down, as it was getting far too intense. I'm sure it varies by person, though. Fascinating stuff, and I'm looking forward to getting some good reading done this weekend so I can sit my butt down and jump into it!!!

There is such huge value in letting go. Little by little it's happening for me, and it's liberating. I'm looking forward to seeing just how much gets let go in this process. You are fine, man. :-)

Wow, I just watched the second half of Leo's video on the importance of real yoga, and to say that he endorsed it is putting it verrrry mildly. I only watched the first half a while back and then got to researching kriya elsewhere. Not that it was boring, man, I'm just jumpy like that when I get extra curious. Anyway yeah, great to know it comes so highly urged.

Edit: I should have watched Leo's Kriya video all the way through the first time around, totally answered every question in this post in the second half of his video.

@Sirius So I have to ask then.....if you know that doing good things helps you feel better, why aren't you out running or doing the things that make you feel better? If going for a run grounds you, why not get out there and show Gump how it's done? Anything to give you an anchor until this storm blows by. Even if you don't feel like doing it, do it. An excerpt from an excellent poem called Desiderata: But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

@starsofclay Thank you, no I haven't read a word about lucid dreaming since I bought Stephen LaBerge's book back in 1996 or something. I always knew there was a huge potential in it as far as a person's psychology goes, but I never pursued it. I may check out the book you suggested. You know something funny? Just reliving/relaying my dream, and talking to you guys like this will hugely increase my chances of having one tonight. It's always worked that way for me.

@NoSelfSelf I've had lucid dreams since I was a kid, unaware that not everyone had them. I haven't had a prolonged one in quite a while, though. Yes, if I'm understanding your question, you can accrue lucid dream memories just as you accrue waking memories. For example, I remember a conversation that I had with a little old woman who was sitting at an outdoor kiosk food cart of some sort on a sunny day with lots of people walking around shopping and such. I asked her about the food she was eating, and then about her life. She didn't speak English very well, but I got the gist of what she was trying to convey. I remember her weathered brown face, her shy smile and her openness. That dream was ~25 years ago. That one was especially memorable, because I would normally, upon becoming lucid, immediately jump into doing impossible or off-limits things like flying, running around squeezing the breasts of every woman in a crowd, punching my perceived enemies, and other things that most young men would like to do in real life, but on a whim that night, I decided to just sit down and talk to someone who looked kind and interesting to me, knowing full well that she and everything I was experiencing was imaginary. I remember deciding as I sat and talked with her not to tell her that she was just a part of my fantasy. It didn't occur to me then, but now I wonder if she was the one with the secret. There are many other memories from lucid dreams I've had, but that one is my favorite. I'm not sure if I even answered the question you were asking, but thanks for listening.

Yes! I had the same thing happen yesterday, and it has happened to me my whole life. Details of forgotten dreams jump out at me, at seemingly random times. You're not alone.

Those glimpses act as catalysts for me and my determination to keep going on the quest to find out what's actually happening behind the curtain. I'm happy you had that experience.