TheAvatarState

@Leo Gura Not true. MDMA is huge in the UK, and many many people have taken thousands of pills and continue to take them.

Evidence for this? Ravers would say otherwise. Of course it can damage your brain with too much prolonged use, but if you are responsible and space out your trips, I haven't heard of a decrease in quality.

I've listened to A LOT of Alan Watts talks on YouTube, but this one I discovered recently might be my favorite. It is absolute gold through and through, and I highly recommend a listen. Chattering finch and water-fly Are not merrier than I; Here among the flowers I lie Laughing everlastingly. No: I may not tell the best; Surely, friends, I might have guessed Death was but the good King's jest, It was hid so carefully. (The Skeleton by G.K. Chesterton)

@Shadowraix Of course, as with any teaching. Although, there's also a lot of real documentaries based on scientific evidence and archeology which are very educational. Perhaps be wary of the conclusions or possible hidden agendas and metaphysics, but there is much to learn from the content.

@Wisebaxter thank YOU for starting such a wonderful discussion! It was so funny to me that I was about to start a similar post that same night until I saw yours. This issue sits at the very core of our being, and therefore it's extremely worthwhile to explore. And while a strong theoretical foundation is important, it can only get you so far. I think you know exactly what I mean, because I've been there too. Too many ideas cause conflicting information and confusion, your head starts hurting, and you get this intuitive sense (from your anxiety) that you may never reach a conclusion by more thinking. This all makes perfect sense when you zoom out, take a step back... What are we really doing here? What is the nature of this question? Well, you are using the mind to question if you have free will to question anything at all. And when the evidence (your direct experience) starts pointing to the possibility of you not being in control of the questioning (there is no questioner), you get stuck in a strange loop of thought. Really try to visualize this, it's fascinating! This questioning through the mind points out that there is no mind, and yet you have to make sense of THAT realization so you keep going around in circles. It is the very question that defeats you, goes right to the core. Your head starts hurting. It is at this very moment that you can no longer make any more progress through the mind; your theoretical foundation stops serving you. The answers you are looking for cannot really be put into words beyond this point. Maybe I'll be able to relate more insights to language as I progress, but right now it fails me. Another point, staying stuck in the strange loop can be depressing and self-defeating. You are only able to actualize and see the beauty in these realizations through trans-rational states of consciousness. Move into being. Godspeed.

@Shakazulu word. Amazing show!

Why does this have to be about me? Lol. I was just trying to help you get clarity on the matter, but it sounds like we're on different frequencies.

@Shakazulu I see you deleted that part of your post, but my point, and your realization, still stands. The only reason you think there's something to "win" in life is because you want power, meaning, and prestige. It's all linked. You couldn't ask that question if you were at peace.

@Eric Tarpall outside is not a controlled environment. In the shadows, you can be in an air pocket and sheltered from cold wind, making it feel warmer. There's a lot of factors you haven't considered, not even considering the elephant in the room, which is that there's no such thing as a cold light. All light is energy. And the moonlight is actually sunlight just reflected off the moon's surface. I literally don't know if you're trolling me or not, but I'm assuming you're serious and that you're just not thinking things through. Your argument of not trusting thermometers because you didn't make them is hilarious. You're trusting your computer or phone right now to send me the correct message! You trust your car with your life every time you get behind the wheel. You trust GPS to get you where you want to go. Come.on now... If you're skeptical about your specific thermometer, then you can actually test it in controlled conditions to make sure it responds correctly. This isn't rocket science.

Why don't you go take a look?

@Bojan I am learning, and I know enough to know that society doesn't have a clue.

That's something you must deconstruct and overcome if you want this path.

@Miavono reading someone else's trap and thinking you've got it. That you're somehow immune. I can't think of a single trap I truly learned and understood without at least deep contemplation, Journaling, and direct experience. Not saying that a thread like this is pointless, just saying not to take any of this lightly. Your mind is very tricky!

@Widdle Puppy I feel you. It can be really hard, that is, feeling dragged down by society and your peers. At some point you have to face that this path will bring about a lot of loneliness. It's par for the course... You're trying to grow to become your greatest version, and no one else really cares. You have vision, they don't. Think of yourself at the forefront, and that's really rare. Having a vision will not make you immune to being alone and depressed, so be careful not to lean on that. Ultimately, you have to create that light within, and a lot of times you have to go through loneliness and depression and come out the other side... I really wish I had great news, or some simple trick to overcome all this. But if it were that easy, then everyone around you would be doing it to! Living alone has its own set of challenges, so I don't necessarily recommend that. I think you need that social interaction more than you realize, regardless of how "low-consciousness" you perceive it to be. Honestly it's how you make it, all relationships are a reflection of yourself.

@Emonkey004 as long as you feel. There's no need to rush! That would be the biggest mistake in self-development.

Just step back and observe! It's so apparent. The easiest examples to see are politics, organized religion, news networks, marketing, and probably your dad's fishing stories. Do you see that these sectors are nothing but bullshitting machines to control and delude the masses?

You're right, I see that all the time! I don't know if this was ever a thing in previous generations, but my guess would be at least not to this extent. Technology has a lot to do with it. I think we're starting to appreciate how connected we are as a globe. Not just physically (planes, high speed trains, and other fast travel) but instant communication through phones. All readily available to most people. Go back 100 years (that's it!) and if you wanted to travel to China, you'd have to go by boat for weeks. Just think how radically different the world was a century ago, it's almost unfathomable. That being said, however, our mental and physical ailments have gotten worse. Depression and suicide are at an all time high, and show no signs of slowing down. As a species, we are as confused as ever on how to live life and what's important. We are as confused as ever on how to love. So this air of "best time ever!" is certainly not based on a feeling of wellbeing. I think it has almost everything to do with convenience from technological advancement. And this can be a really scary thing, because it could be accelerating our own demise. It turns a blind eye to what we should be fixing. However, this attitude is positive, so I can't say it's overall a bad thing. I do see dangers in a public adoption of this attitude though.

@Guided so in your opinion, the only way to actually die (not be reincarnated) is to get rid of your cravings? You see your entire life as a struggle against craving, and if you finally win the battle, your reward is to die and never come back? Sounds like you're in Hell! Let me ask you, where do you go after you are liberated? Do you really believe you cease to be? Where else is there to go?

Day 2: Energy: 3 Awareness: 4 Sexual thoughts/urges: 3 Self-esteem: 3 Social confidence: 3 Went on a hike for the first time in months... Absolutely beautiful day! My goal is to get outside with intent every day and hike at least 3 times a week. I gain energy and life-essence from nature. I'm deeply connected with it, and I see this as a positive force in overcoming my ailments.

@Serotoninluv Sacrifice, n. An act of slaughtering an animal or person or surrendering a possession as an offering to God or to a divine or supernatural figure. At a really high level, perhaps this is the best word to describe it! I see it now, but I'm not sure if CreamCat meant it in that way. To change, part of you needs to die. The idea of you, your ego. And with true spiritual development, you let the old you die in order to get closer to your true nature, God.

Is silence not the most profound awakening?

@Eric Tarpall What was your environment? Inside or outside? Also placebo can be a real thing. Check with a thermometer lol. That would be true skepticism.

In my experience, I wasn't fully comfortable with death until I actually died. Now I see how beautiful it is. As long as it's just a concept in your head, yeah it'll seem like a foreign, scary thing. Short of taking psychedelics and meeting your death, or having an actual near-death-experience (not recommended), some things that can help are to really zoom out and take a universal perspective. Everything that is created gets destroyed. God taking Form=impermanence. Visualize stars being created and destroyed. Supernovas. Nothing escapes death, it is completely natural. In fact, consider that what makes something beautiful is in fact its impermanence (that insight may take some contemplation). Visualize nature here on earth. Everything is constantly dying and being created. The death of one creature or plant provides the life for the next. One form to the next. Notice that it is only the form that changes: matter itself is neither created nor destroyed. The spirit of the forest, of mother earth lives on. A forest is not diminished by death; it is the cycle of life that makes it so. When you get far enough in your spirituality, you will realize that life and death are actually the same thing! But anyway, toy around with these ideas for a while and see where they lead. And no, you're not crazy for contemplating death so much... It is a gift that's uniquely human, and it's one of the most powerful things someone can do.

@Guided Why don't you jump out a window then? Serious question.