seeking_brilliance

Welcome to the study group for "The Book of Not Knowing" by Peter Ralston. If you have this book, you can read along with me and discuss. I will post my thoughts and interpretations, and welcome anyone else to do the same. By rules of copyright, you can not quote anything from the book but you may tell us which chapter and passage you are referring to. Please do not skip ahead!! And do not spoil further insights to be found later in reading. Keep all comments pertinent to what has already been discussed. (much of chapter one is pretty self explanatory but I expect further chapters will require much more contemplation) ------------------------------------------------------------------- ((Reading music, or you can listen to it before reading to settle the mind)) —-----—------—-----—----- Beginning to Wonder & Beyond the Self Mind Chapter one: 1-15 1:1 A call to step into the 'realm' of not knowing. It is a jumping point into the state of being. 1:2 Mind and conceptions are a veil to our true nature. 1:3-5 The monks live boring lives like us... But why do they seem more content? (maybe no nagging spouses or pressures of money making? ?? Jk.) 1:6 All humans 'suffer' from "discomforting uncertainty". Except most of us accept bs answers for it instead of investigating into our own nature. (I despised the constant queasy uneasiness that comes with worrying, which was one of the catalysts that brought me to this forum and inner work.) 1:7 Before we start waking up, we take our lives absolutely for granted. Lulled by believing that we know reality and how things are, we don't even have questions that need investigation. Yet there is always this inner struggle--whether we are aware of it or not-- that we are afraid that it's all a fallacy. 1:8 Oops, cat's out of the bag... 1:9 The human mind craves certainty. It will literally make stuff up to satisfy that craving. 1:10 As we grow, biases are made and they begin to dictate reality. Mostly right under our noses. 1:11 It's easier to see the faults of biases in other people than in ourselves, mostly because we live such a biased reality, it all just seems normal. (ain't that the truth....) 1:12 To step outside of this biased reality takes much effort, but it's a worthy effort to see what's true. 1:13 Biased knowing can be useful, but not knowing is something inconceivable (can't have concepts in not-knowing), and can only be experienced, not explained. 1:14-15 The author acknowledges the difficulties in bringing the reader out of biased reality, but takes on the challenge and compares it to climbing a steep mountain with switchback trails. One may see a view several times, but with increasingly higher vantage points. --------------- OK I will stop here for now. Please comment with your interpretations and thoughts. And stay tuned for the next selection of paragraphs.

what if there is happiness in failure? does that count?

Maybe ask your doctor about something supplemental like 5-htp or GABA or melatonin to help ease your symptoms

that is so cool!!!

Oh good ?

Love memories. They're awesome! A bit fucked up at times, but at others, they really shine! I wonder why sometimes its imagined that I can remember something, and sometimes that I can't.

http://www.winwenger.com/imstream.htm (link to book : The Einstein Factor) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y4V1JQ1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ywjSFb8TNCKRC

Hypnagogia does not have to be while sleepy or drifting. It's actually completely possible to see this stuff while attentive. Image streaming strengthens this ability, to the point of even communicating with this eye if you wanted. It's just that hypnagogia is a word used for 'while falling asleep' and I don't know a word for the same phenomenon while not falling asleep. I wouldn't think of the eye as anything more than a dream character. Doesn't mean it doesn't have something to say..

@Shin yeah but what if I remember... Can I take it off? It gets stuffy in this heavy thing. Of course anyone can go ahead and do the 80 years without remembering, might be a neat experience... This is all hypothetical, right? ?

@Shin alright, but am I allowed to remove the headset whenever I want?

Hypnagogia is completely normal, and is the gateway into travelling realms.

@Saupahar what if vr games got so advanced, that they could make the character have failing eyes and one of the goals is to make enough money to pay for eyeglasses. Then, once your character can properly see, it becomes easier to accomplish many of the other tasks available in this first person game.

@abrakamowse i enjoy discussing fan theories, dont you? It doesn't ruin the show, and it's alot of fun.? Of course if you are prone to getting distracted by fan theories, rather than the enrichment-- then by all means, forget about them. In the end they are just noise.

@abrakamowse i won't say if that's true or not, but it's definitely my experience as far as dreams go.

@abrakamowse have you played VR?

One time I was by a swimming pool and leo came over and touched my third eye... Had some trippy visuals for a while.

@AtheisticNonduality isochronic tones are said to be more effective and you don't have to use headphones

you didn't dream about Leo, you dreamed about yourself. Have you been thinking about going to Bosnia lately?

perhaps this gives new meanings to "flat earth". perhaps flat earthers just don't know what they are trying to say

@AtheisticNonduality hmm licking the floor is a new one for me! perhaps not as effective as rubbing your hands together

Hey callers, here is a good in depth video on various reality checks. I'm actually thinking about trying out a new one... which is writing a letter on my wrist and then checking it with each reminder. Now lets see... my reminder will be every time I hear the phone ring. (I own a busy salon).

Someone could start a tier2 discussion thread at any time... no need for a special subforum...

no, I have only smoked marijuana in non lucid dreams.

@electroBeam