DrewNows

Haven’t the foggiest idea...maybe do nothing? @Jack River do you concur? ?

Using concentration to escape mind chatter. the practice only feeds the division perpetuating it

@Jack Riverall right chill dude. Nuff said Pass me a beer ??

There are So many ways in which fear plays a role in your daily life. Be conscious in your human interactions, habits, roles you play, nagging thoughts past/future, ideas of psychological becoming and security, and emotions especially in triggered situations. All of this is “opportunity” to see/understand thought/self and see through the veil.

@Outerlove this quote ?

The self image/persona is formed via thoughts The creation is a false division or duality, simply an illusion the illusion acts to manipulate ‘what is’ creating all sorts of psychological conflict This veil of thought changes our perception of reality which creates all sorts of strife and limitations

Lucky you! Your decision can not be wrong for the work within is not confined to your decision

@CharlotteOf course! On the flip side, being an activist might be a good test for the psyche which may bring you insight into human suffering, pain, anger etc. Personally I chose to learn through something i am passionate for as i don't look at the ego as being an enemy, but more of a guide

A way of doing, as in effort, is needed until one sees why it is not. So in a sense it can be necessary, yet not necessary. Way to get into this! @Jack River and @GeoLura

@CreamCatI would see daily life goals/routines/practices to all be separate from the idea of enlightenment Also what does "success" as @Serotoninluv says, have to do with enlightenment? This would be resistance to what is. first is the awareness of these experiences, there will be a holistic understanding to nature of experience, thought, relationship to self, and psychological time Then i suppose there will be an awareness of the awareness

There is no right or wrong...it is all a matter of perspective it may be useful to get out of your comfort zone and see what sort of fears pop up....also see what roles fear plays in all your daily activities ....all this of course if you have interest in the idea of enlightenment

@CharlotteJust finished reading all these great opinions/responses/ideas/convos etc. Wanted to throw in my two cents.... If the ultimate goal...per-say...is enlightenment... Do you realize enlightenment (a concept) has 'no way' as the only way....as @Faceless would say This means no effort, activist or no activism will get you closer (also this includes all practices of psychological becoming) Why not do what makes 'you' happy? either way there will need to be exploration into 'the self' (Krishnamurti goes heavily into this...but ultimately we have to see it for ourselves) the seeing will grant you clear voyage (to love and freedom from suffering)

Lots of great points made here! @Jack River This is effortless for you bro! Lets give some credit to our complex mind. Without conceptualizing, we would not be human and the joy we have in learning and accumulating knowledge would be impossible. Lets not misunderstand "stopping" thought-self as there is no effort in its ending. All that is necessary is the observation and understanding of psychological time. The mind dividing the experience through creating the experiencer Precisely dude. it sure is an awesome realization! Would you say the realization deepens?

ill have a go as well! uh we're slaying right?

When you realize it takes an "ego" to see an "ego"

@TheAvatarStateThis is well said! I have been stuck here as well. It seems like quite the painful truth but it is indeed partial. I almost gave up on the ideas altogether as even if "i" thought i knew the truth of reality it seemed so depressing. I took a break from it all until i began to see the truth within. Simply observe how psychological movement / fear play a part in daily life. It may be useful to just drop all concepts/ideas and end the practices. As @Truthsays this egoic reaction is the struggle you will have to see through before you are free.

ego is an illusion so what's there to lose? what is it you seek from meditation?

Can we see why these negative thoughts occur? Why they are "negative"? What are the stories/beliefs we tell ourselves surrounding these thoughts? Who is this "i" thinking about controlling thoughts? Simply to be with these thoughts and feelings They can be there, but why do they have to be ours? To end psychological time is to be here now; to see what is actual

That is very true. But observation requires detachment. This allows us to be empty of intention and to keep quiet because... @B_Nazthe intention is to detach...therefore detachment is just another mind trick/illusion of doing. To understand how the mind manipulates the doing is all that is needed. An awareness to what is (illusion) will end psychological time

@Nahm Yes that feels right. A simpler way of putting what @How to be wise explains Here's a somewhat related story: the other night i fell back asleep with both hands gripped around the pillow laying on my belly. When i again awoke, my hands had fallen completely asleep (one was so gone i felt as if i did not have a hand). As i turned around i noticed the dead weight in my arm as the hand hit the bed. If i wasn't so sleepy i would have enjoyed this little exercise However i often like to do recontextualization exercises randomly throughout the day with anything in my visual. What a great way to appreciate the beauty of living.

This may be mental masturbation in a sense, but a fun topic. Relatively new to this contemplation exercises, i recently learned about this---the mind (that which gives rise to thoughts/beliefs/memories) with the ability to conceptualize and contextualize perception. We are conditioned from a very young age to find/seek out problems to solve. This conditioning is very strong and we are easily persuaded into this division from experience to experiencer. We then become psychologically fragmented to create the "me", experience, and an endless sea of problems. Nourished and feeding as @Shiva says, creating a strange loop.

@Jack Rivercould give example of a projection? Such as: see woman approaching, thoughts *is she attractive *does she seem interested *how do i look *what should i say * etc etc etc the "me" using past/future thought/value/image creating experience

@Jack River ...to observation/seeing the accumulation of thought/memory dividing observer and observed creating thought-self/ego/experience

@Joseph MaynorWe create our own thoughts and experiences but do they have to exist? no. do we have to exist? no. what has to exist? nothing. How am i doing? why do thoughts and experiences exist? they only exist if we exist right? the mind creates division in thoughts and experiences they reflect back on themselves?

@Joseph Maynorexperience exists with mind...we cannot know if it still exists outside of mind, correct? But changing the way we view things including our idea of us will indeed change our reality. Sure all may be an illusion but it is very real for the mind. Thought and perception are both created with the mind...sometimes thoughts from interpretations of perceptions as well as projections created from thoughts...all seen from within