Zigzag Idiot

Everything is/has vibration. What is not spiritual? Are 'so called' 'spiritual' perspectives/attitudes a necessary element in the life of an actualizer? I don't think it has to be. But often is and more often than not, becomes a stumbling block that some never get past or integrated. Spiritual materialism, Zen devil characteristics, false humility, self-righteous narrow mindedness. Every one of these descriptions triggers an associated realization labeling me as guilty. I view everyone else as being my equal, if not worse, in regard to various kinds of self-deception. Being identified with whatever it might be. Worldview, gender views, loyalty to family, the results of childhood cultural conditioning, etc. Actualizing human potentials that are connected more with survival and materialistic aims do not require one to move into the more abstract, philosophical, psycho-spiritual areas. Or however you want to name it. In my view, the psychological aspects such as integration and individuation are really at the heart of reaching an area beyond the built-in flaws that are a part of all human beings born today which also vary in aspects and degrees depending on race, subculture, that kind of thing,,,. I've avoided joining more advanced work groups like those of the Almaas Ridwhan school or Ken Wilbers' Integral community. Being on the fringe of some Gurdjieff groups or at times being a student of some of the different lineages seems to satisfy me for the time being. It was taught to me by one Fourth Way Teacher. "One has to make the Work your own" once it has moved into one's inner world in certain way. Maurice Nicoll- INNER TALKING III “In this Work you cannot go far with pleasing self-made pictures of your own nobility or value. When you begin to observe yourself deeply enough, these pictures, these fantasies, begin to change. You know that you yourself are just as bad or worse than the other person. Then I am quite sure from my own experience that a great deal of your inner talking will stop. You do not seek to justify yourself.” V. 2, p. 776 RESPONSIBILITY FOR NEGATIVE STATES “If you are in a negative state, it is always your own fault, from the Work point of view. No matter what happened, what someone said, what someone did, we have to become responsible for our negative states—ourselves. . .When you feel the presence of negative emotions in you, as a foreign substance, as acutely as a stomach-ache, then youwill seek, for your own reasons, to work on yourself and transform your inner state for your own inner health...But this takes many years and requires a certain inner courage, an inner bravery, an inner determination, until something new is born distinct from life.” V. 2, p. 695 ON ‘NOT FIXING’ “As long as you externally consider another person with a view to trying to change him or her—that is, as long as you think the other person should be different—you are not externally considering, but internally considering. The basis of internal considering is that others should be different, and from this comes ‘making accounts’ against others...One thing is quite certain, and that is that the more sincerely we observe ourselves and what is in us, the less smug we shall be. And from this it follows that we shall be less satisfied to think that we know what the other person should be like.” V. 1, pp. 268-9 THE FEELING OF NOTHINGNESS “When the Work says that a man must come to realize his own nothingness before he can be re-born, it does not mean that he must humble himself and so on, but that he must by long self-observation actually begin to realize that he is nothing and that there is no such person as himself. The object of this is to get into a position, psychologically speaking, between the opposites...Why is it so important to get somewhere into the centre of the pendulum and not swing to and fro? Because here, between the opposites, lie all the possibilities of growth. Here influences from higher levels can reach us. Here, in this place where one can feel one’s own nothingness (and where one is therefore free from contradictions), influences and meanings coming from higher centres, which have no contradictions, can be felt. Not regarding yourself as good or bad, not priding yourself on being just or otherwise, not thinking you are well-treated or badly-treated, not being caught by either movement through identifying, you come into this mid-position. This is not easy! With personality active, it is impossible.” V. 1, p. 329

The Science of Idiotism is about the hindrances to becoming a Self Realized Being, plus other stuff. The term Idiot here is drawing an the old Greek usage of it as: being oneself,,unpretentious ,,,, But it is used also simultaneously as the standard modern usage of fool because until we 'have our Being', life is experienced on the emotional pendulum connected with dualistic thinking and we are pretty much just a torture to the world, of some kind or other. I used to be an a epic complainer in addition to Alcoholic and coward. After that, I went around depressed and with a long sad face because I couldn't drink alcohol and party it up forever. Some people can but I realized I couldn't. The Science of Idiotism is a little known teaching from the mystic George Gurdjieff. Bruno Martins - The Realized Idiot - is about the only book written solely about The Science of Idiotism. It's very good. I recommend it. You can find a little here and there with a google search. Zigzag idiot is #9 on the Ladder of Reason. Of all the Idiots, I thought this one made the best screen name. I've been working on my self for a few years doing self inquiry. Keeping this Journal out here in front of God and everybody meshes well with the Gurdjieff work of Self Observation and Self Remembering. The whole lot of us are just bad full of bullshit, says Gurdjieff. Justifying,,, self deception,,, Kundabuffer he called it in his book Beelzebub's Tales To His Grandson. I really like AH Almaas's The Diamond Approach. It's Gurdjieff,,, modernized plus psychological explanation of things like our defenses against inadequacy. Is it a schizoid splitting off and sticking ones head in the sand? or do we employ a Grandiose self to shield against inadequacy. This work which includes, very much processing our shadow material can be very painful and destabilizing. Being light hearted can amount to good strategy if it can be sincere and natural. This Work teaches we project any repressed guilt we may have out onto others. I've observed this in myself over time. Also, we don't have to be negative. The practice of not expressing negative emotions has shown me the existence of my own spiritual sleep. We wake up and although might never sleep as deeply again, spiritually, we take naps as E.J. Gold put it. It's very difficult sometimes to just simply feel , without repressing negative emotions and not give expression to them. It pays out big dividends in 'spiritual coin' though. Remind me of this, if, in later post, I go off on a angry emotional rant.

There's no fault in not knowing if you're willing to investigate further. The reading and study can be tedious. It can be extremely boring unless you're truly curious and willing to investigate. Investigating the term ego. A bifurcation is immediately encountered making a distinction between the ego of spiritual literature and the ego as defined in psychoanalytic theory or developmental psychology. I enjoy the glossary found in A.H. Almaas' Diamond Approach. The Ridhwan School,,,, https://www.diamondapproach.org/glossary/alphabetical?alphabet=5 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. The Void, pg. 9 Interdependence Between Ego and Being To know that one is Being, which is not within the realm of images, is such a subtle understanding that it seems impossible for a child to have this knowledge. Enlightenment must wait for the maturity of perception, discrimination and understanding, since it depends on self knowledge. These capacities depend upon concepts. We can say then that ego is needed for enlightenment, since the beginning of conceptualization in childhood is inextricably linked with the development of the ego. So first the ego, which is needed for knowledge and functioning, develops; then the capacity for discriminating knowledge, among other things, leads to the dissolution of the ego. The final result is the life of Being, including the development of functioning within the realm of Being. This interdependence between ego and Being can also be seen in the process of inner metabolism. Ego on its own cannot complete the metabolism of experience and hence cannot bring about complete human development; Being is needed for this process to take place. On the other hand, Being cannot accomplish on its own the whole process of metabolism; it cannot dislodge ego when ego is defensive. From the perspective of the mind, Being can be resisted easily with a slight movement of ego; thus ego must first cooperate by relinquishing its defensive posture. Pearl Beyond Price, pg. 167 Have a nice day and stuff Enjoy yourself and all Being too serious is slow suicide The bumper sticker - Mean people suck,,, - Seems like a paradox to me.

Meaning You will come to your senses and discover yourself, when you finally and forever abandon self-pity and self-criticism. by Arnold Keyserling Truth Only that truth which is recognized by all can become a fellow-being. You should grow up around your grievous mistakes like a tree, and let them be, until one day they become a part of your strength, and they no longer hinder your ascent. Thinking is a force, feeling leads to new motivations. Remain receptive to both and truth will become attainable. Truth is that knowledge which becomes one with being. You will become one with being when all of your burdens and loves, objects and fears, sorrows and joys have found their place in the whole. by Arnold Keyserling An article by Ralph Losey regarding Integration and Individuation. A favorite of mine. I recommend to anyone who is interested in Actualizing their potential. https://schoolofwisdomcom.wordpress.com/laws-of-wisdom/the-problem-of-the-subtle-sybil-effect/

Dualistic thinking is an intrinsic part of being a human being/doing/being. What is knowing? The value of its result is self-evident. As most always, I awoke this morning as a walking dead person. In an ascending octave. "I" as "it" leapt out of my grave. The Automaton became a crow in peacock feathers. A persona to examine the world with. Accumulating incoming impressions consciously. This coats the Astral body. This is solar coating. Intentionality is required. The ability to direct one's attention consciously. Represented as the Kings in playing cards. The speed of this function is slower than Queens and Jacks; feeling and mechanical centers. blah, blah blah. Lunar coating is unconscious living as an unguided projectile or perhaps as an unguided Golum (Lord of the Rings character). We all have this pendulum on which we ride and awake and fall asleep to different degrees. 24/7 365 in our annual trip around Sol. The practical side of Zen manifests the idea and execution of a controlled accident. Growing up in a challenging environment produces something similar. Others self-deception seems to be more readily visible than one's own. It's an invisible something that can be used as a mirror to self observe one's own nature Through subjective analysis, good and bad bifurcates quickly and often reverses course, of course.

In the category of Synthetic Telepathy, Gang Stalking, Targeted Individuals or abuses in programs of Intelligence Agencies such as MK Ultra. The first videos give a good introduction. The last video is just 23 minutes. Attn. Moderators- This could/ should also go in the forum category concerning mental health issues because its effects are psychological and phenomena-logical hypothetically producing artificial schizophrenia essentially. I’m interested in the responses this might get. Private message me if you feel the need to communicate about this.

D I’m going to post these on the forum to see if there is much interest. Will probably have opinions and comments on this topic at some point.

Chocolate chip cookies and chicken for breakfast this morning. Utilizing what’s conveniently accessible as foodstuffs. Open-mindedness, flexibility, persistence and determination are qualities that I combine to utilize when ordinary discipline has been abandoned. Add to this a good dose of light heartedness and I’m prepared to face the world. Reminder to myself,,,,, Discern sensing from feeling. Put the mind in the heart so there’s a possibility of understanding others point of view. Throughout the day sense the physicality of the feet and lower legs to stay grounded in the body and away from being trapped in the mind with too much neurotic thinking. People will challenge you for different reasons. A part of them needs you to be patient for the benefit of everyone. This is alchemy. It’s often hot in the kitchen,,,, Have a nice day.

It doesn't matter what genre. It doesn't have to be inspirational. It doesn't need to be explained. Everything is welcome. Sad, goofy, angry, happy, inspirational, weird, profound, profane, etc.,,,,

Drummer Frank Beard flew the coop to another Dimension

Hi dee how Humor can be an effective coping mechanism and help a person get their shit together, so to speak.

What would that be?

This act or idea of expressing your vulnerabilities. It’s a quality that I admire in people. There have been times when trying this myself ended up just being a disaster. Sometimes not. Richard Alpert and Cynthia Bourgeault are two people who have informed and inspired me through their work. I admire their wisdom and their courage. They are easily found on YouTube.

I was reading on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Wikipedia a moment ago. In September 2022, Ocasio-Cortez was asked about running for president. She said, "I hold two contradictory things [in mind] at the same time. One is just the relentless belief that anything is possible. But at the same time, my experience here has given me a front-row seat to how deeply and unconsciously, as well as consciously, so many people in this country hate women. And they hate women of color. People ask me questions about the future. And realistically, I can't even tell you if I'm going to be alive in September [of 2022]. And that weighs very heavily on me. And it's not just the right wing. Misogyny transcends political ideology left, right, center."[247] Her description is poignant. It's sad that she is so misunderstood by so many people. Mostly on the conservative side of the political spectrum. This shows my bias, I guess. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandria_Ocasio-Cortez#Early_life_and_education:~:text=In September 2022,[247] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandria_Ocasio-Cortez#Early_life_and_education

From the above video,,,,,, ,,,,,, In addition to dream analysis, several other practices can support conscious individuation. One, self-reflection and journaling. Regular introspection through journaling or meditative practices helps uncover repressed emotions, desires, and conflicts. Writing about personal experiences and feelings can bring unconscious material to light, fostering greater self-awareness. Two, creative expression. Engaging in creative activities such as painting, writing, music, or dance provides a powerful outlet for unconscious material. These mediums allow us to externalize and explore aspects of the psyche that may be difficult to articulate verbally.” Good morning I like the newly converted, the recently baptized or those who have had a powerful transformative experience. Their innocence and good will annihilates my recurring cynicism. Mostly Christian, but people of any faith. Don’t let the term fundamentalist be a label that makes you feel superior. Rumi- “Don’t scold the lover. The wrong way he or she talks is a thousand times better than the right way of others.”

An explanation of the meaning of the playing cards in relation to the possible integration of potentials for actualizing human beings. What’s your center of gravity? Instinctive center - clubs moving center- spades emotional center - hearts Intellectual center - diamonds These also correspond to the 4 jungian functions. A part of waking up is disentangling the centers through self observation. To observe mechanical behavior (jacks). In your Queens your attention is drawn away emotionally. To be operating in the Kings is to direct one’s attention intentionally instead of the attention to be wondering aimlessly from the jacks. Don’t assign sexual identity to queens and kings. It’s a map of capacities. Women can have a greater ability to direct their attention with intention than men. And vice-versa with the feeling center with men juxtaposed to women. A excellent book on this subject is Human Types by Susan Zannos.

This was an ICHING reading I got yesterday. Line 1. If the wanderer busies himself with trivial things, he draws down misfortune upon himself. This line can call attention to a fate a person has created by busying himself with concerns of the collective ego. Among such trivial concerns are judgments based on the human-centered view of the universe: about justice, crime, and the supposed guilt of others about supposed rights and privileges attributing catastrophes to weather, or Nature, when they have been the result of expectations projected onto Nature gossip and idle curiosity about others' relationships, including the intimate affairs of animals blaming one's fate on an outside cause, rather than seeing its cause in oneself watching whether others are conforming properly to the moral and behavioral standards (the oughts and musts) of the collective ego preoccupying oneself with things afar rather than with what lies directly in front of one 56. The Wanderer • dismissing things of real significance (such as money) as mun-dane, in favor of working on a spiritual self-image. When a person does not understand the Cosmic Way and has created a fate due to his incorrect views, the ego in him will seek to put the blame on something or someone else, the Cosmos, life, Nature, or even his true self, rather than having the ego itself recognized as the cause; in addition, it may put a heavy burden of guilt upon the person. He needs to catch onto this tactic of the ego before it plunges him into yet another fate. (See p. 539, Freeing Yourself from Mistaken Ideas and Beliefs, p. 542, Freeing Yourself from a fate, and p. 551, Deprogramming Guilt.) The line can also refer to a person who feels guilty for possessing something while others have nothing. Possibly he has been taught as a child to take on guilt for the starving children in the world, human maltreatment of animals, trees, the earth, etc. It is one thing to care about all these things, and act responsibly in regard to them, but it is another to allow guilt to drive one to fulfill the image of the "compassionate person." Striving to fulfil this self-image keeps the person from saying the inner No to wrong conditions and their causes, and from asking for help from the Helpers, which are truly able to correct these conditions through transformation.

@Olaf Good self observations you made! You noticed the dividend it payed back in terms of energy. More conscious awareness,,, Higher degree of being,,, Understanding human behavior better @UpperMaster Excellent commentary and to the point. A trap many people fall into, not to mention actualizers of denying their own negative feelings. Repression grows the shadow. In the fourth way work this is called the second conscious shock. Turning a negative experience into a positive one. Usually accomplished in part by "holding one's tongue", as the saying goes. I'll give an example that happened in my past. I was trading into a new Subaru. When the salesman told me the offer on my old Hyundai. The adrenaline hit. I was angry and he could see it. I hadn't said anything yet and was stewing,,,, As is said in the Work, It was hot in the kitchen! After several seconds had passed. He said, "Please, we shouldn't have to become antagonistic in what we're trying to accomplish". With what he said. It made me see myself and the ridiculous way that I could have spoken something in anger that would have knocked a lot of energy out of me. If you can kind of read into that situation,,, I actually smiled and later on, complemented him for how he handled my potential anger on hearing their offer for my trade in. Speaking in anger is so easy to do and so difficult to not do. To not deny one's feelings but to not let the passion of anger turn one into an "unguided projectile" or an "unguided Golum" as one of my favorite Fourth Way teachers says. some notes- Like Dislike Understanding the Second Conscious Shock in the Fourth Way In the Fourth Way teachings of P.D. Ouspensky, the first and second conscious shocks are key moments in the process of self-remembering and transformation. They are not random events but intentional, often difficult experiences designed to break habitual patterns and force awareness. What the Second Conscious Shock Is The second conscious shock typically follows the first conscious shock, which is the moment of sudden realization that you are acting mechanically or out of habit. The second shock is the experience of defeat or the tension between desire and inevitability — the moment when you confront the reality of your own mechanicalness and the lack of proper energy fourthwaytoday.org. It is often described as: A tension between the fire of your desire to remain present and the chill of the inevitable fall into old patterns fourthwaytoday.org. A sacred direction in the octave of development, where the process of defeat becomes a catalyst for transformation fourthwaytoday.org. A psychic death experience — the “life” of your habitual self is temporarily extinguished, creating a flatness or stillness that is not dullness, but a deep sense of peace and “all-rightness” gurdjiefflegacy.org. How It Works with the First Shock Ouspensky explains that the first shock is the recognition of mechanicalness; the second shock is the confrontation with the consequences of that mechanicalness. Together, they form a synergy — the first shock creates the awareness, the second shock deepens the transformation YouTube. The second shock is not just about discomfort; it is about sacred direction — a moment when the process of defeat aligns with a higher purpose, leading to a shift in energy and awareness fourthwaytoday.org. Purpose and Outcome The second conscious shock: Breaks habitual patterns by forcing a confrontation with the self. Evokes transformation rather than just resistance. Aligns the self with higher functions by moving beyond mechanical reaction into conscious, intentional action. Can lead to a stable, inner peace and a deeper understanding of the temporal and eternal aspects of life gurdjiefflegacy.org. Practical Context In Gurdjieff’s groups, such shocks might be triggered by: Sudden commands (“Stop!”) that interrupt habitual movement to-be-able.blogspot.com. Intentional labor or discomfort that forces presence to-be-able.blogspot.com. Moments of self-observation where you realize you are acting without awareness gurdjiefflegacy.org. The goal is to stop the expression of negative emotions and to change attitudes so that the shock becomes a stepping stone toward higher consciousness SelfDefinition.Org. In short: The second conscious shock is the moment when the realization of mechanicalness meets the reality of its consequences, creating a transformative “defeat” that, when integrated, moves you toward higher states of being in the Fourth Way.

This topic can be approached from many angles. Taken from an article in Fortune magazine. US Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts Eleanor Pringle Posted: July 10, 2026 | Last updated: July 10, 2026 Despite concerns from debt hawks, the U.S. government is continuing to borrow at pace: For the fiscal year of 2026 so far, the federal deficit has totaled just under $1.4 trillion. The first nine months of this fiscal year (beginning in October) have now surpassed the borrowing levels of 2025, when deficits totaled just over $1.3 trillion for the same period. At the time of writing, the total U.S. national debt sits at $39.4 trillion, accumulated under administrations led by both Republicans and Democrats. As such, the monthly borrowing for 2026 now sits at roughly $155 billion, or $39 billion per week. And, like any borrower, that debt carries an interest cost. The latest monthly budget review from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) confirms that net interest on public debt for the fiscal year has hit $857 billion: roughly $23.8 billion a week. This is approximately $100 billion more (13%) than the interest paid out in the first nine months of 2025, the CBO adds, owing to a higher total debt burden than last year and higher long-term interest rates. In fact, interest payments on the debt are now $20 billion larger than the outlays for the Departments of Defense, Commerce, Homeland Security, Education, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Small Business Administration, and the U.S. Coronavirus Refundable Credits scheme—combined. Also contributing to the demand on government purse springs is the increasing demand for social security, Medicare and Medicaid. Spending for Social Security benefits rose by $62 billion (or 5%) because of increases in average benefits and in the number of beneficiaries, CBO noted. In comparison, Medicare outlays increased by $58 billion (8%) due to higher enrollment and higher payment rates for services. Rising costs per enrollee meant Medicaid spending increased by $49 billion (10%). This is a trend that isn’t going anywhere: The U.S. population is aging. According to the Census Bureau, Americans’ median age—the age at which half of the population is younger, and half is older — continues to rise, climbing from 39.2 in 2024 to 39.4 in 2025. Men’s share of the older population is particularly of note, the bureau adds. In 2001, there were 70.6 males for every 100 females age 65 and older, but by 2025, the ratio had increased substantially to 81.6. Debt trajectory With the factors influencing Treasury spending only embedding further over the coming decades, those concerned about the U.S. fiscal trajectory are calling for action. So far, they haven’t got much response—though there is a growing sense of urgency among policymakers, according to experts. The latest CBO estimates have alarmed the likes of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget which, for a long time, has been lobbying the government to address its borrowing. In a statement shared with Fortune, Maya MacGuineas, president of the committee, said: “The FY 2026 deficit has now passed the FY 2025 deficit–and it is likely to stay that way for the rest of the fiscal year … We will likely borrow $2 trillion or more this fiscal year—an astounding figure given that the economy keeps growing and unemployment is low.” The current situation is “likely the tip of the iceberg,” MacGuineas adds, if policymakers don’t make changes to entitlements and “ignore the need to cut spending and increase revenues,” she adds: “Social Security and Medicare are within seven years of trust fund exhaustion, and action needs to be taken to prevent across-the-board cuts to both programs.” MacGuineas advocated targeting a deficit of 3% of GDP, roughly half its current level, a proposal that has gained support across the political spectrum. But she also added that “more importantly,” politicians should be “honest with the public about the grave dangers we face by remaining on this unsustainable path.” This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

Testing clip from; I enjoy specific scenes from this movie when taken separately. When watching the movie in it's entirety,,, It turns into a cheesy movie from the mid 70"s. It's enjoyable though,,,

@Inliytened1 @Breakingthewall To experience gratefulness is a reward unto itself. Expressing gratitude is a way to spread Love.

@Inliytened1 @Breakingthewall Great thread! Beautiful.