Zigzag Idiot

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.,,,,,,,,,

I'm about a week late posting Dr. Rosen's weekly mini- column. Tomorrow he should send out another. Reaching Up "Challenge the Bull" by Dr. Jim Rosen ©2021 Dr. Jim Rosen Challenge the untruths and educate yourself with truths. You're not stuck with the thoughts you have today. It's a good thing too, because "bull" causes people a lot of pain. The Greek philosopher, Epictetus, put it more eloquently when he said, "It is not events, but the perception of events that disturb people's minds." There are many untruths. Here are just a few examples. Put-downs: "I'm bad. I'm stupid. I'm ugly." False ideals: "If I don't do _____ like other people, then I'm abnormal." "If it's not perfect, I've failed." "I've made bad mistakes, so God couldn't possibly love me." Awfulizing: "If I don't get enough _____, I'll go crazy and I'll die." Personalizing: (S)he did _____ because there is something wrong with me." The untruths cause much emotional distress, including anxiety and panic. You've heard the proverb, "The truth shall set you free." Well it's true.

@fridjonk Please forgive the slowness of my responses. I understand what you express about the cost of running a farm in a responsible way with a long term view. When I managed our family ranch there seemed to be no end to the things I could spend money on ( x 10 ) with good justifications. I got tired of working my ass off whie deciding what I had to spend money on that was most crucial and then paying taxes with the rest. Often denying things for myself like health insurance and taking vacations. @fridjonk Expounding on the question I asked you became a launching pad for a spontaneous spiel that I just typed out and in no way is directed at you but to the forum at large. I wanted to make that specifically clear and thank you for allowing me this space in our conversation for this indulgence. My question about the possiblilty of deceptive potential mates probably gives away my tendency for having a rather pessimistic 'glass half empty' view of the world, At times anyhow. That admission is likely to push the buttons of lurking self righteous zen devils that are currently trolling this section of the forum. When I say these things that appear to have an inherent negativity, I do so with a non-judgemental heart, or try to, because in the past, I was one of them. A zen devil that is. This is my expression of how I've found this work towards Self actualization to be a two edged sword. I could often see others shortcomings but lacked the love of absolute truth enough that I would put on the blinders to avoid seeing my own self deception and folly. I've also found these type of confessions to draw out the beginners and partially awakened neophytes who are quick to dog pile onto others and in which they fail to recognise their own judgemental assessments. The neccessity here that I see of this work to eventually resemble an ouroboros. A similar cryptic statement out of the Fourth way is that one must work on oneself and purify emotionally in order to become food for Arch-angels. When one has cooked enough internally in an alchemical way, anything which happens will no longer be taken in a negative way. Even seemingly "bad" things. This realization is one that comes and goes with the flux in my degree of being. My daily yo-yo of being. When I have objectively seen my own bullshit, how can I judge others at all for theirs,,,, When my degree of being is at a higher level I perceive how Understanding is a magic bullet for unconscious behaviors and unneccesary suffering. It comes with a price though.

@fridjonk I would have been glad to have your company! Yesterday I did discover how much better a millwaulkie high speed grinder with a metal cutting disc cuts through roofing tin versus the old skillsaw with a blade put on backward. And much less noisy as well. Such an improvement there has been in tools over the last 30 yrs.,,, Ive been meaning to ask you a rather personal question. Please disregard if you would rather not answer. With all of your families enormous spread of land, people must view you as rather wealthy. Have you ever been suspicious or a little paranoid that potencial mates/wife would pursue you because of your wealth?

Re; List any and all the ways you see as being contributors to building and sustaining and solid sense of self. An internalized self image Being identified emotionally with ideals and values I believe we need a healthy well rounded personality/ego before we can begin transcending and letting go, Eventually the two things I listed will have to be let go of for Self realization of one's essential identity. For those who want to dig a little deeper and maybe from another perspective- A Dynamic Structure Comprised Not Only of Self-Representations but Also of Inner Activity The self-identity structure is a dynamic structure comprised not only of self-representations, but also of inner activity (Kohut’s tension arc). This “dynamic essence of the self” is an automatic, compulsive and incessant activity, which is mostly unconscious. We saw in Chapter 8 that the main components of this activity are rejection, hope and desire. Repeated experience of the stillness of black emptiness exposes this activity as mental agitation, which now intensifies and reaches feverish proportions, as an obsessive inner activity whose ultimate purpose is to perpetuate itself. It becomes increasingly obvious that the details of this activity, the content of what the self rejects and what it hopes for, are immaterial. What matters is the activity itself. The notion of giving up this inner activity appears to the self as defeat, a surrender to hopelessness. The mental activity intensifies in an effort to avoid deep hopelessness and helplessness, despair and depression. These feelings are part of a narcissistic depression and deep hopelessness that the student feels about being her real self. This heavy and painful state is characterized by inertia, dullness, and self-hate. One feels existential hopelessness and despair about the possibility of existing authentically, and about receiving support for one’s authenticity. The Point of Existence, pg. 340 From; https://www.diamondapproach.org/glossary/refinery_phrases/self-identity There are several more excerpts on this same web page.

So I tackled a few shitty jobs today. It was a good day to do it because I felt centered and peaceful. Not always do I feel centered and peaceful. But neither do I experience the emotional turmoil that I did 20-30 years ago. I've neglected my well pump and pressure tank over the years. When I finshed building my house back in 1995-96, I was so sick of carpentry that come fall, I would just throw a few square bales around it and call it good. Some years I would throw a tarp the over pressure tank pump and pressure switch and scatter loose hay over it for insulation. A few years here lately I would just throw all my old clothes that were ready for the rag pile onto the pump and then throw a tarp or some plastic over it all. Well this morning I went out to clear around the pump so could build a nice insulated pump house. When I tried to find earth around the pump I encountered layer upon layer of haystring, rotted tarps, insulation, and old half rotted clothes. Mixed in was some fine looking electric extension cord plus a nice section of 6 guage high voltage wire. Fine looking extension cord is anything thats not rotted or has bad insulation. I cut the plug in cord off every appliance I throw away. The heavier ones with three prongs I'll use to put on old extention cords. The female ends I usually get new at the store. I do the same thing with garden hoses. Patch with splices and attach new ends whenever necessary. if for some reason I need to run out a 1/4 mile of water or electric line, ,,,,,,, no sweat. It took me all morning using box cutter, pruning shears, pry bar, shovel, 420 Honda quad and chain. At mid day I was soaked with sweat and short of breath but I had dug down to fresh earth around the well pump. This afternoon I went and cut garage door panels as jigsaw pieces for a small well pump house. My father had bought a couple of semi loads of these things that had been culled at the manufacturing plant. This was 30 years ago and the things are still worthy a building material. Mostly they're 2 foot wide in random lengths. You can cut them the way you can roofing tin. Just turn the blade around backward on a skill saw and lay into it,,,, You just have to watch out for the carbide saw teeth as they fly off the blade on the first cut. With the blade turned around the saw will still eat through the tin. One problem though is the massive noise polution you put out into the world. The terrible growling whine made by a skillsaw cutting tin is just God-awful. On a still day it will echo for miles. It will make your ears ring. The chorus of crickets that I often hear sounded like they were on a frozen lake. This only lasted for an hour or two. ,,,, I take that back. i payed closer attention just now and their sound still isn't back to what sounds normal. I didn't mention. Last night I had rather long and vivid dreams. Thinking of them this morning early started the day good.

Sometimes being awake means that most everywhere you look, you see things that make you cry, because of their beauty. in this beauty is the inherent meaning in which any words of description completely fail to do justice.

Change vs. transformation is a topic worthy of consideration. As it sometimes happens with those who struggle with alcohol addiction. There can come a time when an inner seeing takes place and they may experience a moment of clarity. With that moment of clarity comes the willingness to endure the suffering that lay ahead of them in order to move past their accute addiction. The enduring of this friction within themselves is alchemical. It produces a transformation. Sometimes this inner struggle moves one as well from the realm of mind to the realm of Being. Below is a diagram produced by Dwight Ott, a former Teacher of mine of the Fourth Way and esoteric Christianity. Metanoia, a transliteration of the Greek μετάνοια, means after-thought or beyond-thought, with meta meaning "after" or "beyond" and nous meaning "mind". It is commonly understood as "a transformative change of heart; especially: a spiritual conversion." From Wikipedia

it's tricky from a certain perspective when you consider that the self esteem that's usually pitched and is pretty much a necessity equates as fundamental narcissism which is often overlooked. When speaking of narcissism people are usually taking about pathological narcissism. But in Self Realization self identity is out the window. I like these quotes from Almaas. Approaching the Dimension of Essential Presence We Inevitably Confront the Narcissism Inherent in Our Disconnection from that Presence When a person is working on self-realization, this narcissism is increasingly exposed; in fact, it is usually aggravated for some time. When we approach the dimension of essential presence we inevitably confront the narcissism inherent in our disconnection from that presence. The success of the work on self-realization depends, to a great degree, upon successfully resolving the arousal and intensification of narcissistic manifestations. The narcissism of everyday life is much more ubiquitous, much deeper, and much more significant than we usually allow ourselves to see. However, it dissolves steadily in the deeper stages of self-realization. Full self-realization completely eliminates this narcissism, for it is not natural to the realized self The Point of Existence, pg. 27 Complete Resolution of Narcissism Requires that We Cease to use Self-representations for Self-recognition Before we embark on this exploration, we need to address the significance of the above discussion with respect to narcissism. Our observation that the deepest root of narcissism is the absence of self-realization and the additional observation that in full self-realization the normal sense of identity dissolves, combine to give us a deep insight about narcissism: The presence of the normal identity is the root of narcissism. This implies two further insights, at different levels of the self. The first is that not only is normal identity fundamentally weak and vulnerable, but its very existence is responsible for this weakness, and thus it cannot become completely stable. In other words, the normal self (or more accurately, the ego-self) is inherently narcissistic because its identity is inherently weak and vulnerable. This weakness is due to the inevitable incompleteness of the self-representation, and therefore cannot be eliminated as long as the self-representation forms our sense of identity. Second, since the fundamental narcissism of everyday life is an expression of normal identity, complete resolution of narcissism requires that we cease to use self-representations for self-recognition. The Point of Existence, pg. 129 Taken from; https://www.diamondapproach.org/glossary/refinery_phrases/narcissism-everyday-life

An excerpt from a favorite article of mine. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Only years later did Professor Tart learn that he had the CIA to thank for all of the LSD he ingested in those experiments. In the early nineteen sixties the CIA had set up dummy foundations to secretly fund research into psychedelic drugs. They wanted to know if there was any military potential to these strange new psychological drugs. They found the drugs were powerful, and potentially dangerous, but the experience of God was found to have no military value. Although not all unwitting government guinea pigs were as fortunate as Charles Tart, he, at least, was eternally grateful to the CIA. ,,,,,,,,,,, Taken from; https://schoolofwisdom.com/laws-of-wisdom/the-problem-of-the-subtle-sybil-effect/ This article, written by Ralph Losey, provides a good explanation of one of our common human conditions which is also a huge blind spot. That being our psychological fracturedness which necessitates the need for integration. This process of integration is a key element in the overall goal of what Dr. Carl Jung described as individuation. If actualization is your goal. This idea of integration and individuation lay at the very heart or foundation. I highly recommend this article for anyone interested in the goal of actualization of your human potential.

i went to a reputable therapist a few years ago and unloaded all the lowdown, shameful, dirty, corrupt, humiliating events and episodes that i could recall. My attempt at some proactive shadow work. i feel it helped me and I would recommend it to others who may be so inclined. Just be sure and comfortable with the therapist you pick. 5 or 6 appointments was all it took. it really does help to unload that stuff in front of another human being. a therapist who has been around for a while has probably heard it all and will not be judgemental.

RE; Is it "easier' to reach non-dual states as a male? I think not. @OneHandClap @Jakuchu I agree. Rhetorical question,,, Who are those that are more able to become passive towards themselves or their personality? Specifically their thoughts and opinions, beliefs, etc.,, Maybe nondual capacity in contemporary women is overlooked because of the blindspots and prejudices inherent in our dying patriarchical paradigm,,,