ivory

I don't have any tips for you but keep us posted. I'm curious to hear how your intensive goes.

@Buba I went through dark night of the soul. It last about 5 years. I have a few questions for you. What does your life look like? Friends, job, hobbies, health habits? How is your self-esteem? What do you fear when you experience meditation induced horror? Dark night is accompanied by extreme dissatisfaction and negativity. What is it about yourself and life that you don't like?

As a martial artist, I can tell you that one's motives change as you develop through time. I started out because I wanted to learn how to defend myself, then I went through a period of thinking I was tough, then I developed a passion for it. There's no ego now, I love the training, the pyhsical fitness aspect, the artistic expression, and the sense of community it provides. I see the same patterns in people who seek enlightenment as well as in artists, philosophers, etc. Most people embark on any type of journey for egoic purposes but those motives transform as the person matures.

I did the same thing. I obsessed over enlightenment and let my life turn to shit. After a while I realized I had some work to do. Now I'm much more balanced and responsible.

It takes about three months to get used to a meditation practice. Try it one way for three months, then if you still want to explore the alternative, then try that for three months. Meditation is something you're going to be doing the rest of your life so take some time to explore and find out what works for you. No rush.

What makes you think that we should go beyond this? Sounds like someone told you a bunch of lies and you believed them. As someone who has experienced a great deal of social isolation, I can tell you that we absolutely need to have relationships for a basic level of mental health. We're meant to be together.

Supposedly forum Jed is not the real Jed: https://enlightenmentmyth.com/impersonating-jed-mckenna/

It doesn't happen anymore, but when I first started meditating I would twitch all the time, especially when I was going to sleep. I think it's a common side effect of meditation. As for the other stuff, I really can't comment.

I thought about taking residence at a Zen monastery but I couldn't hack the robes and rituals.

Thank god, I got shit to do. Precisely!

Don't wanna get banned because of pumpkin puree. Ain't nobody got time for that...

This ^^

Authenticity is a complex topic. But at a basic level, here are some of the qualities: You do things out of love and enjoyment rather than to seek validation or doing things you think you "should" do. You do the things you say you are going to do. You accept where you're at on your journey (self-acceptance) and realize that change happens at a slow pace. You express your likes and dislikes. You take responsibility for you life and your actions. You do things because you love yourself, not to be hard on yourself. You are able to be honest with others about what you do and who you are.

Judgement will always be there. However, most judgement is some form of self-judgement in disguise. You can't truly love others until you love yourself. To loosen judgement, see if you can see that you are guilty of the things you judge people for. As for yourself, be patient. It takes time for change to happen on a deep level. Be kind to others, take care of yourself, and soon judgements start to cease. However, there are toxic people out there, call them out, set boundaries, and/or avoid them. On the other hand, if you view all people as toxic it should be clear where the work really lies.

That's exactly what needs to happen. We need a president who's going to make the population see things differently and learn to appreciate what's truly valuable. Only then will the system change. The trick is in finding a president who's not going to fuck things up too much. When transitions don't go smoothly, which they rarely do, people assume failure. They don't realize that change happens slowly and that things are going to be a bit hairy for a while. However, if people's values shifted, they'd be pushing for progress even if it happens at a slow pace or if we hit a few snags along the way. Part of the problem is that people expect immediate results.

TL;DR Keep your mouth shut regarding non-duality. I've given up trying to talk to people about non-duality. Instead, I tell them that I like spending time in meditation. Meditation has mental health benefits and I like the way it makes me feel. That sort of thing. As for the theory, I tell people that I'm a deep thinker and that I love philosophy. I don't go into details because it freaks people out and makes them think you're weird. If people really want to know more, I talk in terms of Buddhism because it's more socially acceptable than saying, "time is an illusion and so are you." I just say that Buddhism has been around for thousands of years and it's basically a philosophy for living a life that makes you more happy and healthy. Sometimes I mention that at one point I developed an interest in mind mechanics and how I should have become a psychotherapist. Over time you learn what to say and not to say.

The amount that we have to work is nonsense. However, we live in a capitalistic / consumeristic society whose values are skewed. The fact is, we have to work. Who knows what that amount should be. Have you seen Life Below Zero? It's about people who live off the land in Alaska. They spend a LOT of time working. In fact, it's almost all that they do. However, I believe they work a LOT because most of them live on their own. Should people live in groups AND live off the land, I believe the amount of hours one would spend working would be about 5 hours a day.

Depends on what you mean by a bad trip. I've had trips where I felt extreme fear over the loss of control of my mind. And others where I had dark thoughts and emotions come up. There was not much benefit to the first, but definitely to the last. I learned a lot about what I needed to workin on as a human being.

IMO, LOA is wishful thinking at best, not to mention a distraction from personal development. Why work towards something when you can wish it into existence?

Based on what evidence? You don't actually know what people will do. Just because other democrats have a history of lying doesn't mean that he does. In my opinion, Yang comes off as someone who's honest, selfless, and intelligent. Whether or not UBI would work is a different matter. I personally don't think America is ready for UBI because it's such a drastic step. There's going to be a lot of push back. That does not mean that he can't do good for our country. He clearly has America's best interest at heart. That was an experiment on a small portion of the population. Not UBI. Here's what I see. Yang wants to change the American value system from money driven antics to that of health and happiness and to get discussion going on how to do things differently. Yang is clearly green but sees things from many different angles which indicates that he's also yellow. This is what makes him different from other democrats. He wants to discuss alternatives, not go to war with those who have opposing views.

Meditation helps you build present moment awareness and mental strength. Both can decline rapidly so you don't want to give up the practice. My number one rule is stick to my meditation practice no matter what. I can see the value in taking a break from contemplation especially if it's something you obsess over. You have to let the mind rest. It can also be helpful to take a break from reading and watching videos. Too much information and not enough insight leads to confusion.

You sure they were actually psilocybin? Maybe get some LSD

Contemplation should never stop. You should always be aware of your feelings and motivations. What is often needed is to take a break from endless doing. When you find yourself spinning your wheels, struggling, disappointed, or exhausted, that's when it's time to slow things down and let go of attachments. Pacing yourself is part of the process. Two steps forward, one step back, as they say.

What doses of LSD or mushrooms are needed in order to gain non-dual insight? Of course, assuming that one has been practicing self-inquiry for some time.

I think that learning how to connect and have better relationships with women is an authentic desire. I believe you can be good with women without becoming a PUA as long as you understand female attraction and practice authenticity. Authenticity is highly attractive to a women. You may not be able to get every girl out there but it's not about quantity, it's about quality. Have you read the book: Models?