Zigzag Idiot

I began learning the enneagram years ago as Helen Palmer presented it. Similar to Almaas' work in that whatever 'chief feature' (vice) one has when worked on over time can become a virtue that one has,,

As a child I attended a Church of Christ that didn't allow musical instruments or Sunday school. We sang four songs then had communion and then sang one more song. Then listened to a 1 hour + sermon. Somewhere in there among the songs we past around the basket for tithing. The way I understood it. If someone shot off your left arm and you cussed them out as you bled to death. You probably were headed for eternal hell. Here are some of the songs that I remember that was in our hymnal.

Reaching Up "Your Response to the State of the World" by Dr. Jim Rosen ©2021 Dr. Jim Rosen I am updating the mailing list for the Reaching Up column. If you would like to continue receiving my free column each week, please reply to this email with "Yes" in the subject heading. That's all you need to do. If I receive your reply by December 4, you will be on the updated list and you will continue to receive this column each Sunday. Thank you for giving this your attention. You don't need to take it personal that the world of today is such a crazy place. In other words, you can realize that the state of the world is not a personal attack on you. You can acknowledge that it's a crazy time and that people are acting differently now. But don't take it personal, and then you won't feel empty, hurt and hateful. It's true that the world is busy and in a hurry, and people don’t take time for each other. Yes, people have become inconsiderate, competitive and self-centered. They're angry and ugly with one another. They seem willing to do anything for money, and they ignore the consequences. It's not your fault, and it's not a personal attack on you. The world is scared, and it's acting out with anger. But you don't have to follow in lock step with the world. We each make our own choices. You can still be kind, considerate, and giving. In the words of Mother Theresa, "The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; give the world the best you’ve got anyway." Dr. Jim Rosen is a PhD Clinical Psychologist. He is an experienced psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, and couples counselor. He offers treatment for anxiety disorders, panic attacks, depression, relationship problems, self-esteem issues, assertiveness training, anger control, stress management, and overcoming the effects of sexual, physical, and emotional trauma. Dr. Rosen works with his patients primarily over the phone. When needed, face-to-face therapy sessions can be scheduled in his home in Magnet Cove, Arkansas. Because he does not accept insurance, his fee is only $60 for a full 50-minute hour of treatment. He can be reached anytime by email at drjrosen@ipa.net or by phone or text at 501-623-2050. If you like Dr. Rosen's Reaching Up column, you are free to share it with other people. There is no fee for this column. It's free. If you're not on the list to receive it, just send an email that says "Please Send Column" in the subject line. You will receive a new column each Sunday. If you are on the list and you don't want to receive Dr. Rosen's column anymore, just send him an email that says "Stop Column" in the subject line. Dr. Jim Rosen Clinical Psychologist Magnet Cove, Arkansas Ph: 501-623-2050 Email: drjrosen@ipa.net

ACIM and stuff I continue to observe my own multiplicity in both subtle and obvious changes of personality. Personality linked to the conditioned mind is false personality. ACIM uses the term 'mind', differently than some Teachings but speaks about us having our being which I equate with Almaas' personal essence attaining the (station) of the pearl beyond price or the embodiment of the essential Self. The way I link this may not be the way Almaas would put it in more exact terms though, A while back I announced that I would start a year long group reading of ACIM in its own journal here. As an example of my multiplicity, I have yet to organize this endeavor. I may or may not... That's how it kinda goes and for me to deny it would only be pointing to my own self deception. The course is about forgiveness and that's about as unpopular as any message out there. Especially in the world of the collective ego or as some would say the parallel reality in the demonic sphere of consciousness, where big extroverted personalities are king. I'm not sure how much I'll continue in my other Journal for Universal heretics recently started. Using circumstantial evidence manifested in my world, it would seem that God's beard really got pulled on. And as it's said, discretion is the better part of valor. Below is the preface to ACIM for those who may be interested,,,, What It Says Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God. This is how A Course in Miracles begins. It makes a fundamental distinction between the real and the unreal; between knowledge and perception. Knowledge is truth, under one law, the law of love or God. Truth is unalterable, eternal and unambiguous. It can be unrecognized, but it cannot be changed. It applies to everything that God created, and only what He created is real. It is beyond learning because it is beyond time and process. It has no opposite; no beginning and no end. It merely is. The world of perception, on the other hand, is the world of time, of change, of beginnings and endings. It is based on interpretation, not on facts. It is the world of birth and death, founded on the belief in scarcity, loss, separation and death. It is learned rather than given, selective in its perceptual emphases, unstable in its functioning, and inaccurate in its interpretations. From knowledge and perception respectively, two distinct thought systems arise which are opposite in every respect. In the realm of knowledge no thoughts exist apart from God, because God and His Creation share one Will. The world of perception, however, is made by the belief in opposites and separate wills, in perpetual conflict with each other and with God. What perception sees and hears appears to be real because it permits into awareness only what conforms to the wishes of the perceiver. This leads to a world of illusions, a world which needs constant defense precisely because it is not real. When you have been caught in the world of perception you are caught in a dream. You cannot escape without help, because everything your senses show merely witnesses to the reality of the dream. God has provided the Answer, the only Way out, the true Helper. It is the function of His Voice, His Holy Spirit, to mediate between the two worlds. He can do this because, while on the one hand He knows the truth, on the other He also recognizes our illusions, but without believing in them. It is the Holy Spirit’s goal to help us escape from the dream world by teaching us how to reverse our thinking and unlearn our mistakes. Forgiveness is the Holy Spirit’s great learning aid in bringing this thought reversal about. However, the Course has its own definition of what forgiveness really is just as it defines the world in its own way. The world we see merely reflects our own internal frame of reference—the dominant ideas, wishes and emotions in our minds. “Projection makes perception” (T-21.in.1:1). We look inside first, decide the kind of world we want to see and then project that world outside, making it the truth as we see it. We make it true by our interpretations of what it is we are seeing. If we are using perception to justify our own mistakes—our anger, our impulses to attack, our lack of love in whatever form it may take—we will see a world of evil, destruction, malice, envy and despair. All this we must learn to forgive, not because we are being “good” and “charitable,” but because what we are seeing is not true. We have distorted the world by our twisted defenses, and are therefore seeing what is not there. As we learn to recognize our perceptual errors, we also learn to look past them or “forgive.” At the same time we are forgiving ourselves, looking past our distorted self-concepts to the Self That God created in us and as us. Sin is defined as “lack of love” (T-1.IV.3:1). Since love is all there is, sin in the sight of the Holy Spirit is a mistake to be corrected, rather than an evil to be punished. Our sense of inadequacy, weakness and incompletion comes from the strong investment in the “scarcity principle” that governs the whole world of illusions. From that point of view, we seek in others what we feel is wanting in ourselves. We “love” another in order to get something ourselves. That, in fact, is what passes for love in the dream world. There can be no greater mistake than that, for love is incapable of asking for anything. Only minds can really join, and whom God has joined no man can put asunder (T-17.III.7:3). It is, however, only at the level of Christ Mind that true union is possible, and has, in fact, never been lost. The “little I” seeks to enhance itself by external approval, external possessions and external “love.” The Self That God created needs nothing. It is forever complete, safe, loved and loving. It seeks to share rather than to get; to extend rather than project. It has no needs and wants to join with others out of their mutual awareness of abundance. The special relationships of the world are destructive, selfish and childishly egocentric. Yet, if given to the Holy Spirit, these relationships can become the holiest things on earth—the miracles that point the way to the return to Heaven. The world uses its special relationships as a final weapon of exclusion and a demonstration of separateness. The Holy Spirit transforms them into perfect lessons in forgiveness and in awakening from the dream. Each one is an opportunity to let perceptions be healed and errors corrected. Each one is another chance to forgive oneself by forgiving the other. And each one becomes still another invitation to the Holy Spirit and to the remembrance of God. Perception is a function of the body, and therefore represents a limit on awareness. Perception sees through the body’s eyes and hears through the body’s ears. It evokes the limited responses which the body makes. The body appears to be largely self-motivated and independent, yet it actually responds only to the intentions of the mind. If the mind wants to use it for attack in any form, it becomes prey to sickness, age and decay. If the mind accepts the Holy Spirit’s purpose for it instead, it becomes a useful way of communicating with others, invulnerable as long as it is needed, and to be gently laid by when its use is over. Of itself it is neutral, as is everything in the world of perception. Whether it is used for the goals of the ego or the Holy Spirit depends entirely on what the mind wants. The opposite of seeing through the body’s eyes is the vision of Christ, which reflects strength rather than weakness, unity rather than separation, and love rather than fear. The opposite of hearing through the body’s ears is communication through the Voice for God, the Holy Spirit, which abides in each of us. His Voice seems distant and difficult to hear because the ego, which speaks for the little, separated self, seems to be much louder. This is actually reversed. The Holy Spirit speaks with unmistakable clarity and overwhelming appeal. No one who does not choose to identify with the body could possibly be deaf to His messages of release and hope, nor could he fail to accept joyously the vision of Christ in glad exchange for his miserable picture of himself. Christ’s vision is the Holy Spirit’s gift, God’s alternative to the illusion of separation and to the belief in the reality of sin, guilt and death. It is the one correction for all errors of perception; the reconciliation of the seeming opposites on which this world is based. Its kindly light shows all things from another point of view, reflecting the thought system that arises from knowledge and making return to God not only possible but inevitable. What was regarded as injustice done to one by someone else now becomes a call for help and for union. Sin, sickness and attack are seen as misperceptions calling for remedy through gentleness and love. Defenses are laid down because where there is no attack there is no need for them. Our brothers’ needs become our own, because they are taking the journey with us as we go to God. Without us they would lose their way. Without them we could never find our own. Forgiveness is unknown in Heaven, where the need for it would be inconceivable. However, in this world, forgiveness is a necessary correction for all the mistakes that we have made. To offer forgiveness is the only way for us to have it, for it reflects the law of Heaven that giving and receiving are the same. Heaven is the natural state of all the Sons of God as He created them. Such is their reality forever. It has not changed because it has been forgotten. Forgiveness is the means by which we will remember. Through forgiveness the thinking of the world is reversed. The forgiven world becomes the gate of Heaven, because by its mercy we can at last forgive ourselves. Holding no one prisoner to guilt, we become free. Acknowledging Christ in all our brothers, we recognize His Presence in ourselves. Forgetting all our misperceptions, and with nothing from the past to hold us back, we can remember God. Beyond this, learning cannot go. When we are ready, God Himself will take the final step in our return to Him. (ACIM, Preface)

Reaching Up "What's In Your Nucleus?" by Dr. Jim Rosen ©2021 Dr. Jim Rosen I am updating the mailing list for the Reaching Up column. If you would like to continue receiving my free column each week, please reply to this email with "Yes" in the subject heading. That's all you need to do. If I receive your reply by December 4, you will be on the updated list and you will continue to receive this column each Sunday. Thank you for giving this your attention. If your kids are the center of your universe, the bond between you and your mate is suffering ...and your kids suffer, too. Their sense of well being shouldn't depend on being the center. It makes them self-centered and insecure. A strong family revolves around the bond between two loving adults. When your choices and decisions are based on what's good for your marriage to your partner, then your family has a strong nucleus. It fills your home with security and love. Although your kids won't always get their way, they do get the security and love they absolutely need. They also learn to share with others and tolerate frustration. Having a strong center doesn't mean that you ignore your kids' real needs. It doesn't mean that your kids become less important. It doesn't mean you become a slave to your mate's wants and wishes. It means doing what's right for your marriage, because it's right for your whole family. Dr. Jim Rosen is a PhD Clinical Psychologist. He is an experienced psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, and couples counselor. He offers treatment for anxiety disorders, panic attacks, depression, relationship problems, self-esteem issues, assertiveness training, anger control, stress management, and overcoming the effects of sexual, physical, and emotional trauma. Dr. Rosen works with his patients primarily over the phone. When needed, face-to-face therapy sessions can be scheduled in his home in Magnet Cove, Arkansas. Because he does not accept insurance, his fee is only $60 for a full 50-minute hour of treatment. He can be reached anytime by email at drjrosen@ipa.net or by phone or text at 501-623-2050. If you like Dr. Rosen's Reaching Up column, you are free to share it with other people. There is no fee for this column. It's free. If you're not on the list to receive it, just send an email that says "Please Send Column" in the subject line. You will receive a new column each Sunday. If you are on the list and you don't want to receive Dr. Rosen's column anymore, just send him an email that says "Stop Column" in the subject line. Dr. Jim Rosen Clinical Psychologist Magnet Cove, Arkansas Ph: 501-623-2050 Email: drjrosen@ipa.net

Re; Is Reiki real or scam? Both. In my opinion. There are those who are earnest and sincere who are effective healers. This field is also full of charlatans just trying to get into others wallets or just those who are caught up in magical thinking.

Other low ambition type people like Terence Mckenna. Joe Rogan and Graham Hancock at some point in their life anyway have been consistent users of cannabis. Hancock quit cannabis for a good while after an ayahuasca trip informed him of the need to. If I understand correctly he smokes occasionally nowadays. After smoking it regularly in my teens. I quit completely for 20 years or so. I then used it to replace Paxil, an SSRI, prescribed for anxiety. My use of cannabis fluctuates. I find that if I lay off for a while and my tolerance goes down. Meaning I become more sensitive to it. I become more prone to experiencing that certain kind of paranoid that sometimes affects people who smoke cannabis. It counter intuitively works for me to just double down and smoke even more and the paranoia then usually disappears. I feel that cannabis is a good antidote for those who are overly serious or are chronic worriers. Some claim that it feminizes men to a healthy degree in that it puts them in touch with their feelings and perhaps lessens the swaggering macho violent jackass tendencies. I'm not an overly enthusiastic advocate for cannabis though. Everyone's body chemistry is unique and I believe the old saying applies that what is good for some may be poison to another. To me it's on par with baby aspirin and all these hysterical little male and female Nancy Reagans running around saying -"just say no" are just the core of the collective ego and its group think and herd mentality.

Read my lips Read my lips No new taxes on a burned out village No new taxes on a burned out village Don't scold the lover. The wrong way he/she talks is better than a hundred right ways of others. This is what you get when you mix George H.W. Bush with Rumi.

Thanks! @Raptorsin7 I'll definately give it a watch.

@Zeroguy Thank you, We all vary with different backgrounds, cultural conditioning, and shadow elements to process or heal no doubt. But in other ways we are all the same. It's interesting you mention that. I need to be reminded of that on occasion. Whenever ungroundedness or imbalance show up in my inner condition. I've always been prone to hero worship as well and anyone with a degree of status or fame intimidate me sometimes. A self esteem issue most likely. I try to at least observe it as objectively as I can if nothing else.

In another Journal this morning I was pretty harsh in my assessment of Leo's latest video. i Should have waited until after I had watched the whole thing before I gave an opinion. He said some things that made good sense and outed himself for how socially awkward he used to be which was an endearing display of humility. I still think how he presented some ideas in the video and the title given to it was kinda cheesy though. Talking about "game",,, For the most part developing healthy self esteem seemed to be the focus. It's a part of my development which has always been lacking. So who am I to be so critical,,,,?

Reaching Up "Finding Purpose & Meaning" by Dr. Jim Rosen ©2021 Dr. Jim Rosen There is purpose in life. Indeed, there are perhaps four big purposes. If you pursue them, i.e., if you strive toward these purposes, you will very likely experience fulfillment in life. It's no small task to achieve fulfillment. Much of your time and effort is spent taking care of physical needs. But that's not the reason you are here. The real purposes - the higher, deeper, meaningful ones – you can accomplish in very important spans of time. Without them, your life will probably be empty. Just take a look at people you know whose lives lack purpose or meaning. They're often depressed. They experience the "what's it all for?" kind of depression. They feel empty because their life is missing something. They lack a reason for being. You are not handed your purpose on a silver platter, but you are provided with opportunities to find your purpose. And it's your responsibility to seek it and reach for it. But first you must put your physical needs in their proper place. You already know that life is not really about physical beauty, money, sex, possessions, and the size of your portfolio. Close to 45 years as a psychologist have taught me that the deeper purposes, the ones that give meaning to life are these: to love, to learn and grow, to create, and to enjoy. You come here to open your heart and love deeply. You come here to find out how to love. Along your travels through life, there are many discoveries, such as: loving another person as much as you love your own self; viewing yourself with humility instead of self-importance; putting yourself in the place of others and feeling what they feel; and accepting others for who they are, instead of molding them to serve your needs. You come here to give love to your brothers and sisters, and to open yourself up to receive love. Thus, you are making a home for love within yourself. Life is also for learning. You come here to learn and grow and develop as a person. Improving your worldly talents is important. Becoming a deeper, better person is much more important. This is the kind of learning that you keep forever. You also come here to create, and thereby give something back to the world. There are no rules for what your creations must be. You can be an architect or a carpenter - both are capable of giving beauty to the landscape. You can be a bus driver whose gift is transportation. You can be a teacher who stimulates young minds. You can be a parent who helps create love and self-esteem in your children. Fulfilling your purpose to create can be anything you do from your heart. It’s not easy. Life hands us many difficulties and hurdles. But it's not enough just to endure your circumstances and grunt your way through life. You come here also to enjoy. When you can enjoy who you are and what you are given, then you have mastered this task. Dr. Jim Rosen is a PhD Clinical Psychologist. He is an experienced psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, and couples counselor. He offers treatment for anxiety disorders, panic attacks, depression, relationship problems, self-esteem issues, assertiveness training, anger control, stress management, and overcoming the effects of sexual, physical, and emotional trauma. Dr. Rosen works with his patients primarily over the phone. When needed, face-to-face therapy sessions can be scheduled in his home in Magnet Cove, Arkansas. Because he does not accept insurance, his fee is only $60 for a full 50-minute hour of treatment. He can be reached anytime by email at drjrosen@ipa.net or by phone or text at 501-623-2050. If you like Dr. Rosen's Reaching Up column, you are free to share it with other people. There is no fee for this column. It's free. If you're not on the list to receive it, just send an email that says "Please Send Column" in the subject line. You will receive a new column each Sunday. If you are on the list and you don't want to receive Dr. Rosen's column anymore, just send him an email that says "Stop Column" in the subject line. Dr. Jim Rosen Clinical Psychologist Magnet Cove, Arkansas Ph: 501-623-2050 Email: drjrosen@ipa.net

UUHHH, I was just role playing a plain spoken asshole of sorts earlier this afternoon. One of the crew aboard my ship of fools. He's an unguided projectile. He rebels at any kind of guidance or direction. Neither is he afraid of being a self starter. He just pulls initiative right out of his ass and goes to town. Moderate to heavy use of cannabis pacifies this patented Idiot. Guess I haven't been smoking enough lately. If I were to quit altogether. He would probably be running for the presidency or maybe a Senate Seat and offending as many people you can just barely get by with. Anyway I hope that all who witnessed this role playing event were entertained or amused.

Five fridays in a week Universal heretic celebration day The title stems from my station as being both a Zigzag Idiot and a universal heretic. I've titled today as that just for the hell of it and because it's raining outside. it would be more serious if it were also raining inside. I agree with Almaas when he says you have to have a lot of nerve to let go and voluntarily lose your mind. The average Jack or Jill in no way will be up for it because they want to be accepted by the herd. Now for a comercial. At times I will come off as being a goody goody and at the drop of a hat I will say extremely raunchy things sometimes. I'm not bothered by this because through understanding I've come to accept my multifaceted nature. This doesn't mean that I never get rattled or embarrased because of .the depth this multifaceted nature. I'm just not as fractured as I was in youth and early adulthood. What most of you actualizers reading this needs is someone to slap your sorry ass around. Either to make you angry so you'll quit crying foul and telling everyone what a poor helpless victim you are or to put you face to face with your own schadenfreude. Saying this won't win me many friends but I write this with sincerity and conviction. Expressing my inner truth means more than winning peoples approval. Whenever I express from this facet of myself it drives compassionate Idiots completely berzerk. They start jumping up and down pointing at me and blowing a loud whistle. They may say "Look, look look. See how terrible and uncaring this ruffian is. Oh how awful." If they're lucky, there will come a day when the need to show the world how caring and compassonate they are will be gone and they will have a more complete understanding. I intuit that in Leo's approach at times what people are seeing as arrogant is his way of slapping us around a bit to make us think or wake us up. He's possibly playing the role of the malamat at times. The way of blame. I could be wrong about that also. Anyway, in light of that there is the idea that at times an awakened person needs to learn when it's best to just go run and hide. So as not to be pecked to death. Somewhere in my journal I remember writing about the aggravated chicken pecker syndrome that manifests both in poultry farming as well as in human sociology. The tone of all this may sound like I'm putting myself above everybody or that I don't have any empathy in regards to the hardships others have to endure. Not so. I do care deeply about people but at times my selfishness may rule the day. In addition to occasionally being a complete fuck up to boot. I try to be honest with my self observation and inquiry. To help pay my dues, so to speak.

"Let's dispense with any self congradulatory statements." That statement was made at a Fourth Way group meeting nearly twenty years ago. That's a statement that gets your attention. It did mine anyway and also the lady that finished making some remarks just pryor to it being said. At the time I didn't really hear anyrhing that was self congradulatory in what she said. Also I belive it was the first time I had ever heard that word uttered. I knew what it meant though and became concerned that it might have been me that had made some self congradulatory remarks just before the lady mentioned spoke. This cause me to inner consider which is fourth way speak for -thinking too much-. Another point stressed in fourth way self observation is to refrain from self criticism. That's difficult to do. It was for me anyway for a long time.It's something I still have to keep an eye on. How objective is your inquiry? Can you recognize when you make self congradulatory remarks and possibly out yourself for it. By the way, this is pretty hardcore. If a person is working on bolstering their self esteem. They really don't need to be concerned with outing themselves for being self congradulatory. It goes along with Ken Wilber once saying that we have to have a healthy functioning ego before we can start doing work to go past it and letting go of things egoic.

I got this in an email from the Diamond Approach today and thought some good points were made in relation to duality/non-duality Experiencing Nonduality "In the experience of nonduality, it is not as though physical reality were a dream emanating from it - that perception would still be dualistic. When duality is seen through, physical reality is imbued with the essential dimension, and the two become one. This gives the physical more reality, more substance, more existence, more meaning, more depth, and more dimensionality. When you look at people, they seem more substantial, and even their bodies appear more physical, in a sense. Every object and person has a concreteness and a definiteness that makes each appear more defined, more present, and more complete, because your experience of them includes the depth of the true existence. When everything is perceived as the Absolute, each atom, each form, has its depth. The Absolute not only underlies everything, but penetrates all manifestation. Depending upon which dimension you are experiencing, everything you perceive acquires the depth and beauty of that dimension." -A. H. Almaas, founder of the Diamond Approach, Facets of Unity, pg. 87 The known can place limits on our potential and possibility. How we envision the end of the spiritual journey or the enlightenment of the soul can pre-define what’s possible. The Diamond Approach doesn’t posit an ultimate reality, and the central methodology of the Diamond Approach is open and open-ended inquriy. These fundamentals keep everything wide open, allowing each soul to unfold according to its uniqueness, not some prescribed cookie-cutter reality intended for all. The openness to engaging experience where you are is more important than whether you happen to be in a dual or nondual state. Spiritual bypassing can happen otherwise. Read Full Blog Post Here https://online.diamondapproach.org/nonduality-allowing-experience-to-educate-inform/?utm_source=ontraport&utm_campaign=eNews&utm_medium=email&utm_term=eNews&utm_content=Nov21&0=

A.H. Almaas (/ˈɑːlməs/ AHL-məss) is the pen name of A. Hameed Ali (born 1944), a Kuwaiti American author and spiritual teacher who writes about and teaches an approach to spiritual development informed by modern psychology and therapy which he calls the Diamond Approach. A.H. Almaas Born1944 Kuwait OccupationAuthor, spiritual teacher Almaas is originally from Kuwait. He is the spiritual head of the Ridhwan School. He may be described, among other things, as an Integral theorist, mystic, spiritual teacher or an exponent of the perennial philosophy. Almaas' books were originally published by the Ridhwan School, under the Diamond Books publishing title, but are now published by Shambhala. The Diamond Approach is a contemporary spiritual path integrating the teachings and practices of the ancient wisdom traditions with modern depth psychology. The Diamond Approach is derived from the experiences of Almaas, along with Karen Johnson and Faisal Muqaddam (who split off early on to develop his own approach). They were among the first students of Claudio Naranjo, an early pioneer of the integration of spiritual and therapeutic work. The curriculum of the work draws upon the founders' backgrounds in Sufism, Platonism, Buddhism and the Fourth Way. Teachers of the Diamond Approach focus on the students' specific perception of their own immediate work issues.[1]Presentation of a canonical body of knowledge and practice is introduced over time as required. From - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._H._Almaas I'm adding this mostly for everyone to have easy access to the Glossary. The Glossary https://www.diamondapproach.org/glossary In many aspects I find most of Almaas's Teaching and Leo's articulation to dovetail quite well especially in regard to describing the Absolute, Love, as well as the realization of many aspects of being. There seems to be much more in common than not,,,, I'm a rogue student of the Ridhwan School or the Diamond Approach as it's called. I've never joined a group, participated in any online courses or interacted with anyone connected with Almaas or his school. I just love reading his books and want to share what he is sharing. The the Glossary consists of quotes from his books for the most part. As with the term ego, this could be a resource for clearing up confusion in regard to our own discussions and interactions. Maybe,,,,@ Leo gura and Moderators. ? Confusion About the Term "Ego" Here we digress to point out a source of confusion about the term “ego.” Readers who know both the spiritual and psychological literatures will find the term freely used in both, but with no general agreement on what the term refers to. This ambiguity often leads to confusion. The literature on spiritual development, on essential or inner development, on all matters of religious concern, generally uses the term “ego” to mean something which is seen as the barrier to spiritual realization. The literature on depth psychology, however, uses the term with a very different meaning. The ego referred to by Freud, and which ego psychology studies, is not the ego which is the barrier to spiritual development. They are two different concepts. The psychoanalytic term “ego” refers, rather, to the functional self, which is the site, organizer, and coordinator of the functions of perception, memory, mobility, and so on. There is, however, a concept in depth psychology and ego psychology that coincides with the ego of spiritual literature: it is called the “ego-identity,” and is sometimes referred to as the sense of self, or the sense of identity. This sense of self or separate identity is the main concern of ego developmental theory. This identity is, in fact, the acme, the most important outcome of ego development. It is ultimately the organizing center of the psychic apparatus. This psychic apparatus includes as one of its units the Freudian ego. In other words, the Freudian ego is part of the mind, is a structure or a structured process in it, while the self is a sense of identity and a center of action. The exact sense in which the ego identity is a barrier to spiritual development will become clear in later chapters. This is the second quote of 17 quotes on this page. https://www.diamondapproach.org/glossary/refinery_phrases/ego Everyone can decide for themselves. ?

Ha! Thankfully that incident was resolved without any violence and all is well. Thanks.

I can be in a state of love. That oceanic condition,,,,, I've noticed in the past that driving a 16 penny nail into a piece of wood is not conducive while in that oceanic condition of Love with a big L, Love for all. On the other hand I can't recall any difficulty in swatting a mosquito while in a state of Love or agape. The mosquito doesn't have 3 centers or 7 chakras. The mosquito doesn't have feelings or for that matter opinions about anything whatsoever. So far as I know. At most, biologically speaking, a mosquito is just a very small stimulus response blood sucker that has no nostalgia for times gone by. Not that long ago I was held at gunpoint while laying on the ground with instructions not to move or they would shoot my ass. This wasn't the police by the way. As this drama unfolded there was more than one mosquito that fed free choice on my body for a good while. The result was quite large welts that were red and swollen that really had a deep itch and didn't go away for a couple of days. Long story short. It doesn't violate my conscience to kill a mosquito. A mammal it does but not a mosquito.

I'll smash that sucker flat. About how this relates to Absolute Love. I'll have to ponder on that,,,

Here is a relevant perspective on the topic for anyone interested. I googled ectomorphs and got this link. https://www.uh.edu/fitness/comm_educators/3_somatotypesNEW.htm

Reaching Up "Let's See What You're Made Of" by Dr. Jim Rosen ©2021 Dr. Jim Rosen Are you love or are you fear? God created you to be love. The world demands that you be fear. You can try to be both, but you can’t really be both. Being afraid blocks your ability to be loving. Fear covers up your loving nature. It is clear beyond crystal clear that your brothers and sisters need your love. Everyone needs your love, your compassion, your kindness. And you need the very same to be returned to you. What you give is returned to you. You have a choice, an obvious choice. You can comply with the world’s commands to stand in fear and tremble within. Or you can listen to your deeper within, the One where God is. You can stand in His light and be the loving being you were created to be. The power to make this choice comes from the simple realization that you have a choice.

BLACK ELK's VISION This is a quote from a well known and recorded vision. It's from the Lakota healer and visionary, Nicholas Black Elk (1863-1950). It's a powerful statement expressing about his nondual experience. In reading it, some of you will cry. ,,,,,,,,,,Then I was standing on the highest moutain of them all and around and about me was the whole hoop of the world. And while I stood there I saw more than I can tell and I understood more than I saw; for I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the spirit, and the shape of all shapes as they must live together as one being.,,,,,,,,,