Xerces

Steven Wilson/Porcupine Tree

I’m an IT engineer at a large hospital, working there just over two years now. Getting my degree coincided nicely with studying Actualized.org material.

This video was added to my favourites, thank you.

Looking forward to this book, pre-ordered the Kindle and paperback versions a while back (the Kindle version is released over a month before the paperback). The Book of Not Knowing and Pursuing Consciousness were pivotal for my understanding of consciousness and enlightenment, and now in terms of life purpose, effective interaction when dealing with people at work is my main focus developmentally so expecting this book will be useful.

Love the female vocals on this.

Because Spiral Dynamics is such a significant part of Actualized.org, I decided at one point to sit and casually read the entire book even if I didn't enjoy it that much. It's quite dense as you say, but like what Ken Wilber says, you will move up the spiral just by having an understanding of the model, i.e. it's psychoactive in your understanding. Most of my books are digital copies, but that one sits on my desk with a bunch of other paperbacks for further consultation if needed . The Religion of Tomorrow by Ken Wilber was a far more exciting read I thought. I like the way integral theory specifically addresses enlightenment in the Waking Up states and describes the Growing Up structures separately. And I love the idea that re-owning your shadow material in Cleaning Up produces an authentic self that is then the "vehicle" for the Real Self of enlightenment. I hadn't understood the connection between the psychological and spiritual this way before.

I've always felt an affinity for Carl Jung's ideas, particularly the concepts of synchronicity, individuation and how they relate to Taoism. I still look through Man and his Symbols every now and again to revise my favourite quotes and passages. I thought I'd list them here: "Synchronistic events almost invariably accompany the crucial phases of the process of individuation." "As soon as we notice that certain types of event "like" to cluster together at certain times, we begin to understand the attitude of the Chinese, whose theories of medicine, philosophy, and even building are based on a "science" of meaningful coincidences. The classical Chinese texts did not ask what causes what, but rather what "likes" to occur with what." "Trying to give the living reality of the Self a constant amount of daily attention is like trying to live simultaneously on two levels or in two different worlds. One gives one's mind, as before, to outer duties, but at the same time one remains alert for hints and signs, both in dreams and in external events, that the Self uses to symbolize its intentions – the direction in which the life-stream is moving. Old Chinese texts that are concerned with this kind of experience often use the simile of the cat watching the mousehole. One text says that one should allow no other thoughts to intrude, but one's attention should not be too sharp – nor should it be too dull. There is exactly the right level of perception. If the training is undergone in this manner… it will be effective as time goes on, and when the cause comes to fruition, like a ripe melon that automatically falls, anything it may happen to touch or make contact with will suddenly cause the individual's supreme awakening. This is the moment when the practitioner will be like one who drinks water and alone knows whether it is cold or warm. He becomes free of all doubts about himself and experiences a great happiness similar to that one feels in meeting one's own father at the crossroads." "People living in cultures more securely rooted than our own have less trouble in understanding that it is necessary to give up the utilitarian attitude of conscious planning in order to make way for the inner growth of the personality. I once met an elderly lady who had not achieved much in her life, in terms of outward achievement. But she had in fact made a good marriage with a difficult husband, and had somehow developed into a mature personality. When she complained to me that she had not "done" anything in her life, I told her a story related by a Chinese sage, Chuang-Tzu. She understood immediately and felt great relief. "[The carpenter in Chuang-Tzu's story] saw that simply to fulfil one's destiny is the greatest human achievement, and that our utilitarian notions have to give way in the face of the demands of our unconscious psyche; If we translate this metaphor into psychological language, the tree symbolizes the process of individuation, giving a lesson to our short-sighted ego." "Under the tree that fulfilled its destiny, there was—in Chuang-Tzu's story —an earth-altar. This was a crude, unwrought stone upon which people made sacrifices to the local god who "owned" this piece of land. The symbol of the earth-altar points to the fact that in order to bring the individuation process into reality, one must surrender consciously to the power of the unconscious, instead of thinking in terms of what one should do, or of what is generally thought right, or of what usually happens. One must simply listen, in order to learn what the inner totality the Self wants one to do here and now in a particular situation." "Like the tree, we should give in to this almost imperceptible, yet powerfully dominating, impulse. An impulse that comes from the urge toward unique, creative self-realization. The guiding hints or impulses come, not from the ego, but from the totality of the psyche: the Self." "It is, moreover, useless to cast furtive glances at the way someone else is developing, because each of us has a unique task of self-realization."

I'd recommend Jon Kabat-Zinn's guided mindful yoga sessions, they're like a combination of mindfulness meditation and yoga. I've practiced with these for over 10 years after getting them as part of a counselling and psychotherapy course. I haven't felt the need to look elsewhere yoga practice wise as I've found them that beneficial. There are two different sessions of about 45mins each. Mindful Yoga 1: After doing this one a few times, you might want to skip to 3:12 to pass the introduction. Mindful Yoga 2: The two yoga sessions are part of a series that also include a guided body scan and sitting meditation which I would also recommend. Body Scan: Sitting Meditation: Maybe someone will find them useful, if they work well you could get the mp3 versions and put them on your phone so that you can use them wherever you want.

Four of my favourites are The Fountain, The Passion of the Christ, The Matrix and Donnie Darko.

Pro tip: don't swallow .

The ending to this is the sound of full enlightenment, I want this track played at my cremation if that's how I decide to go out

"The other folks in the marketplace may have no interest in the dharma, but this cup of tea is very good. The Buddha made this cup of tea. The Buddha is this cup of tea." - Ramaji, 1000