Breathe

This.

I can relate, I think I was away for a few years, if not longer. Leo's way of teaching of non-duality is not for me. But he did turn me on to psychedelics and politics. This would not be my choice for finding love and acceptance. I come from a Zen background, which I never felt at home at either. I found a small, politically engaged, Theravada group that I have come to call home. If you're serious about this stuff, seek out a city with a rich spiritual and creative culture. Also, don't discount some of the intimate communities online if that's the best you can do. There are teachers out there that have a smaller following, and they can be solid. Ultimately, there are no ideal communities or one-stop shops. But also be careful about mixing and matching conflicting teachings. It will only lead to confusion. Use discretion and don't put anyone on a pedestal. Be well.

@carterfelder We try to be open minded here but there aren't many on this forum that support corrupt, bankrupt, racist, war-mongering, rapists on this forum. This isn't 4chan

The majority of dems are corrupt.

Sarah Kendzior: https://substack.com/@sarahkendzior/p-157988203

Exactly. But right now, even the Democratic party is rife with corruption. The dems knew this was coming and did nothing. They still remain silent except for a few brave souls. I'm just not sure how long they will be able to keep this up before they are silenced, jailed, killed, etc. The illusion that most people hold is that there is someone that can or could have saved us. We have lived in an oligarchy for some time. What we really needed was to find a way to get corporate interests out of our politics. But, we saw what happened to Bernie. A Bernie would have been bad news for "democratic" donors. The reality is that both parties have a many of the same donors. That's who has really run this country. There is no one that can save us from this mess because they don't exist. Something radical is going to have to happen in order for the US to re-emerge as a democratic country. I heard a professor of political science say, "The constitution means whatever he majority of the supreme court says it means." With the current judicial system, it doesn't hold much weight anymore given that it consists mainly of Trump loyalists. We are headed to a future where the constitution means whatever the prez says it means. I don't think it's that people love authoritarian regimes. They just want someone in power that' espouses similar values. Or, they are looking for some kind of savior, or someone to keep them safe. And if it's an authoritarian regime, so be it. But the thing to keep in mind, Russia actually holds elections to give the appearance of democracy. It's called an "Electoral Autocracy".

You say this as if we still live in a functioning democratic society. We are slipping at breakneck speed. https://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/25/us-is-no-longer-a-full-democracy-eiu-warns.html

One thing we really need to keep an eye on is if we can no longer access services such as Proton Mail, VPN services, Tor, Signal. If any of you are on any social media platforms I would advise you to follow the ones that I mentioned and keep an eye on the happenings. Maybe subscribe to slashdot and one or two popular cybersecurity groups. We already live in a surveillance state, the question is, how far are they going to take it? FYI: Timothy Snyder is advising us to stay off of social media.

How willing are you to go to jail if shit really hits the fan? Protesters are already fucking scared.

I do think that people need start being careful about what they post on big tech servers (google, facebook, twitter, etc). We already know that DOGE is harvesting data and using AI to analyze it. Here's one example: https://substack.com/@olgalautman/note/c-100390154

@carterfelder No he does not. The constitution was drafted to protect against leaders like him. That's literally what it is for. @PurpleTree Damn good question. I'm just waiting for him to declare non-supporters enemies of the state. Keep in mind, we are becoming Russia. Ask yourself, WWPD (What would Putin do)?

Maybe someone else can chime in here, but I think Putin has something on Trump. He owes Putin. It may be because of Putin's assistance in the 2016 election but it could be some sort of blackmail as well. That said, I still think that Trump thinks Putin is his friend. He's not.

I wouldn't be so sure about that. Putin is playing Trump. Trump wants people to think that he's in charge, telling Putin what to do, when in fact, it is quite the opposite. Trump has been groomed by Russia for a long time, primarily because of his influence here in the US but also because he's easy to manipulate.

I was thinking about the four threads I mentioned in the original post today. I forgot to mention BRICS. How in the fuck does BRICS tie into all of this? One of the things I don't get is how Trump always has Putins balls in his mouth but is constantly talking shit about China. How can this be when China and Russia are allies?

He's not doing this for the American people. Of course it's going to be a disaster. How could it not when you're burning down protections for the people that need it. The rich will survive, god help the rest. I don't think people think that at all. It is clear that we've been on the decline for a long time. Rent has more than doubled in less than 10 years while wages haven't even come close to keeping up. I could go on and on, that's just one example. Trump is just accelerating the inevitable. The dems were trying to keep a dying dog alive while Trump just took it out back and shot it in the head. What people don't realize is that no-one is coming to save us. Nor have they been. Corruption runs too deep. The US empire is done.

It's not so much a phase as it is a journey. You might want to learn about the differences between nihilism, absurdism, and existentialism. As you navigate through life with a certain level of insight, your perspective will change to suit one or more of the above descriptors. Meaningless isn't a bad thing unless you are attached to life or things being one way or another. Otherwise, meaningless will eat you alive, destroy your soul. It can get nasty. You are asking the right questions. The happiness I described above is the only way out of the existential rut. Life has no meaning. Meaning is subjective. One's interpretation of meaning is dependent on getting what you want or things going your way. No such luck mister. People get hit by semi-trucks, die in fires, lose their kids, their job, etc. Shit happens. As you alluded to, you just roll with the punches. But you NEED a spiritual practice that prevents you from getting sucked too deeply into the drama of life. And this will certainly happen. Over and over and over. The practice is navigating this cycle and becoming more skillful at doing so. Good luck!

Yes But this type of happiness is different. This is where the term "happiness" becomes murky. I would describe this more like contented enjoyment, or contented joy. You don't experience it for any other reason except that the mind is calm and tranquil and fear, sadness, anger, fatigue, etc are not present. All of those conditions must be met. An other way to describe it is that it feels pleasant to let attention rest in the body. It is a meditative happiness. There is no need to be anywhere else. I would also like to point out that one is not likely to experience this if their needs are not met: social, financial, emotional, food, water, shelter, etc. One in survival mode cannot get there. Depression, stress, and anxiety are major hindrances. Lastly, you said, "Explain it to me.. Maybe then I will change my mind" It cannot be explained, but when you begin to touch on this state of mind again and again you will KNOW.

Jiu-jitsu is actually pretty fucking cool. And don't knock butthole sunbathing until you try it ya close-minded prick

It's been a while since I've seen anything from Wilbur. I wonder what he's saying right now. Not interested enough to watch hours of his videos, but still curious.

Yeah, but that's what all the cool kids are doing these days. This was two months ago. I wonder if they still think the administration is trying to "bring back family values" I hope they're at least now like, "Oh fuck, they're trying to burn it all down." Or maybe their spiral cult sees this as part of the unfolding of perfection. A lot of stroking of each other's nuts in this video. Really though, they need to learn more about fascism and corruption. They don't seem to see it. They see orange vs green. They took the "war on wokeism" bait. If I hear one of them say, "It'll be interesting to see what happens when..." one more time, I'm gonna chop off one of my own nuts. I don't think it'll be that interesting to see people starve and die due the oligarch's fascination with destruction.

After watching that video I don't think we're going to see much in the way of actual political positions. They just made integral into an ideology and want to flaunt the egos they think they've transcended.

Jesus Christ that video is annoying. Just a big intellectual circle jerk. These guys are enlightened as fuck alright.

All is well and good until your wife gets deported for having brown skin.

Does it matter what kind of syringe you use for plugging? What do you guys recommend?

You're making my point here. If you have a fear of psychedelics, then you have to face that shit. If you have a fear of consciousness, then you have to face that shit. I am well aware of this fear of psychs. I have had terrifying trips. I had my first taste of MALT recently and I sat in a chair for the first 30 minutes scared out of my mind. I would say that psychedelics are about dealing with whatever comes up. Including fear. And yes, that surrender is the name of the game. I do feel like there's a disconnect though. Here's an example of what I'm saying... Tripping balls in your mom's basement when you're afraid of public speaking at a coliseum is not facing your fears of speaking at a coliseum. You might have insight into your fear. It might help a bit. But thinking that a trip is going to eliminate your fear of speaking in front of 1000s of people is wishful thinking. I don't disagree with this at all.