Bazooka Jesus

@Thought Art Who says there needs to be a "you" to remember something for remembrance to happen? A you to contemplate something for contemplation to happen? If there are clouds floating in the sky, does there have to be a "you" in order for them to appear?

Exactly. It's good that you seem to be able to at least temporarily suppress the substance cravings, but a long-term solution is only possible if you address the root cause of those addictive tendencies. Which requires effective trauma healing (through therapy).

What many people here on this forum don't seem to understand is that (Neo-)Advaitan pointers are not meant as instructions on what (not) to do. They are apragmatic expressions, directly hinting at the non-dual side of reality as it is here and now. The great paradox of awakening is that it usually takes a great deal of prolonged effort to cross the bridge that leads from separation consciousness to the "other side"... at which point it is immediately recognized that there is no bridge, no other side and noone who could put in any effort.

Music for the ages. ❤️

Check this one out: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0676977413/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?crid=VBOGTUZXLACQ&keywords=realm+of+hungry+ghosts&qid=1701784224&sprefix=realm+of%2Caps%2C605&sr=8-4 Amazing book about addiction and its connection to trauma. One of the most captivating & well written books I have ever read.

Dude, this is absolute gold. I nearly peed myself laughing reading this.

If by venerate you mean that they don't treat 'em like crap, then yes... they certainly don't. They simply let them do their thing and leave them in peace - and when you see it, it makes you think "yeah, why the hell wouldn't they? It's not like these cows are bothering anyone!" In fact, they are the most peaceful animals that you'll ever see in you life, so why not let them hang out on the beach and do some sunbathing, right?

Funny how heavily our upbringing shapes our ideas of what's comfortable / what's disgusting, huh? I guess every culture finds other culture's toilets gross & impractical beyond comprehension, lol! Yup, leave it to the Germans to take one of the most positive and life-affirming symbols in existence and turn it into a no-go brand. Ugh. Well, it's extra confusing for a Westener when you ask someone a yes or no question and all you get is that enigmatic wobble... talk about ambiguous, gah! Anyway, I am sure that I'll crack the code eventually.

Sunbathing cows on the beach of Goa

Thanks

Mmmm, good point. You're right... as fascinating and helpful (in certain regards) psychedelics can be, they are ultimately the heralds of unearned wisdom. If the ego structure is still very dense while you have these "glimpses", it will immediately hijack them and spin all kinds of stories around them... which can spectacularly backfire, especially in cases where heavy spiritual bypassing is involved. What's so pernicious about it is that you can only see through the lunacy once you have moved past it, at which point it becomes as clear as daylight.

Well, like I always say: "You" and "God" are both concepts. The usefulness of concepts is that they de-fine things, thus turning them into (seemingly) distinct objects. To say that one concept = another concept obviously defeats their whole purpose. The All That Is on the other hand is not a concept, which means that it cannot be defined, named, numbered or characterized in any way whatsoever. Exactly. The notion of "Absolute Solipsism" (an oxymoron btw... by definition, no -ism can ever be absolute) which is so ardently propagated on this forum is really just the ego's last ditch effort to construct and hold on to an illusory identity, and it's the final height of all delusion... kind of like a setting sun that glows in the most intensely vibrant colors right before it dissappears. It may very well be a necessary stage that everyone needs to go through (lord knows I've experienced my own fair share of solipsistic madness), but the quicker you move past it, the better. Ideally you just get it over and done with in one single instant, like our friend Keanu here:

Well, if you absolutely have to watch a movie while tripping, then at least watch a visually truly imginative work of art on which you can feast your eyes (and which is not disturbing & depressing as fuck, lol). Like this, for example: Or how about my favorite LSD inspired flick of all time:

At least the equation 1 + 1 = 2 is logically/mathematically sound. You = God on the other hand makes about as much sense as 1 = 57732579533654.

Yup, nailed it.

Thanks, will do! 🙏

Namaste folks, day two of my India adventure is drawing to a close. I slightly twisted my ankle a couple of days ago and my foot is still pretty swollen, so instead of going out I decided to just take it easy tonight, hang out at my hostel and share some more (mild) culture shock anecdotes with you guys. 1. Bucket showers The place I am staying at is a super basic low budget hostel perfectly suited for penniless travelers such as yours truly; apart from being perfectly situated smack in the heart of the city and being housed in a pretty amazing centuries-old building, it gives you a neat "welcome to India" type of experience. So when I decided to take a shower this morning, I opened the door to the little cleaning area next to the dormitory (which kind of reminds me of one of those makeshift wartime hospitals that you see in WWII movies) only to find a big plastic bucket standing there placed under a water faucet. After a brief "what the fuck?!" moment, I finally regained my composure, stoically resigned to my fate and stepped inside. And I have to say, it's not as bad as it looks at first... I can actually see myself getting used to this (can't say the same about those squat toilets though, ugh!) 2. Omnipresent swastikas Yeah, that one's a doozie, lol. I mean, am well aware that the swastika is an ancient symbol of prosperity and has existed long before little Adolf was a glimmer in his old man's eyes; but being German, it's just too weird and funny seeing them displayed everywhere around here. They're gracing walls, paintings, scarves, bracelets, devotional objects... I was actually tempted to buy a little incense lamp with swastika-shaped holes that I saw at a shop in front of a temple today just for giggles, but somehow the idea of carrying this thing in my bag when I arrive at the Berlin airport in three and a half months from now doesn't strike me as the brightest move, lmao. 3. The Indian head wobble I heard about this characteristic gesture before coming to India and thought I was more or less prepared for it - but it still confuses the heck out of me. Especially in combination with that sly half-smile that people usually put on while doing it, it sort of makes me feel in the moment like they don't take me seriously... but that's probably just my own insecurity coming through, lol. Not to mention that I am never quite sure if it means yes, no, maybe, thank you, f*** off or all of the above. Feel free to enlighten/comfort/encourage me if you're Indian. Okay, that's it for today. Gonna hit the sack now and dream of swastika-adorned squat toilets. Goodnight!

I just watched Jordan Peterson's latest music video. WOW. I mean, the good doctor's behaviour has been strange for quite a while now, but damn... this takes the cake. Quite honestly, this reminds me of the sort of stuff that Connor Murphy used to put out on Youtube during his manic/psychotic episodes. And some of the comments that I read mentioned vague rumors of a schizophrenia diagnosis that Dr. Peterson and his daughter are allegedly trying to keep under wraps. Now, all of this is of course just half-baked hearsay, so don't quote me on any of it... but man, this incredibly bizarre video does make me wonder about old Jordan's mental state. I hope he has people who take care of him.

Can you use PEDs to win a marathon? Sure you can. Is it more constructive to improve your technique, muscle power and stamina in order to get the same result? You be the judge.

There's also a small indie rock band from the 90's called Nirvana. You should check them out sometime.

F*** yes. Analogous to what @Danioover9000 wrote, I'll say that I don't really have a problem with cold weather per se, but cold and rainy weather is the absolute WORST. Which is why I've made a solemn vow a couple of years ago to never spend another winter in Berlin ever again, lol. Man, I love the food here. And it's super cheap too!

I've said it before and I'll say it again... duality and non-duality are two sides of the same coin. Asking how the whole manages to divide itself into multiplicity is kind of Iike asking how a biscuit manages to transform into a cookie. Two aspects of the same thing!

@Javfly33 @Salvijus @LSD-Rumi Thx guys, I'll make sure to post some reports. 🤘