Natasha Tori Maru

If we didn't have these hearsay stories regarding enlightened figures from the past - would you still interpret your experiences as being (for example) the 'Christ' that came to you? Without the pre-existing story - there wouldn't be any association or mental linking. No potential for a misunderstanding. Only a knowing. This is why it is essential to act and realize from a space of not-knowing.

I went hard down into investigating the NXIVM cult a few years ago. I was hoping you would showcase it! It's fucked up on so many levels. Theres an interview with Allison Mack & Keith Raniere I came across which was really interesting for a body language read. The branding.... sex. Racketeering. Controlling what women eat. Theres so much demented shit Some of these YouTube videos I haven't seen - cheers for the share!

I agree. Jesus, Buddha etc - they are stories. Most of what was written about them probably happened well after their existence ended, inflating them to legendary status. Stories through chinese whispers. They have nothing to do with what is real now (whatever that may be, DON'T MAKE ME CONTEMPLATE :P)

I understand what you are saying. But I don't see the contradiction. This is the relative plane. Behind it all the absolute is oneness, love. Recognizing within the relative that 2 are one isn't a contradiction for me.

This is the truth of the interaction. Just because I was polite, and expressed gratitude, does not make the statement of acknowledgement any less true. Nothing 'saved my feelings' because I didn't even register an offense lol. In any case, this is an 'agree to disagree'. @OBEler It's. Going. No. Where. Just raising at no point did I, or do I, take offense. You don't need to reassure me. Tapping out.

EXACTLY. Because one. Realizing we are all one. One mind. One breath. Pneuma. I don't see any contradiction

I am of the opinion existential love between 2 beings can be shared. It's not restricted to romantic bonding. The key is to view the other piece of consciousness not as another ego or self. But a being within experience just as you are. Borders broken down. No division between you and other. No self to interfere in the experience and interaction. Both beings, no self. Nothing interfering with the experience of pure love connection in confluence between. It's going to take 2 supremely consciousness beings. So I don't think it can be achieved by 2 normal individuals. I think lowering expections for romantic connection to non-existential realms is sensible. But it's impossible for me to discount the possibility of @Razard86's proposition.

Being attracted within this space of time isn't an issue and I don't think is crazy. But for women, deciding to sleep with someone within that time is high risk behaviour. It's hard to understand from a male perspective, but women are so physically weak and vulnerable - especially during intimacy - it's top priority over almost everything else. Sometimes I wish men could flip bodies just to experience simple things like lifting a pot of boiling water and feeling the lack of strength in such a simple operative movement. Even getting into an uber is a risk. A calculated one. But a risk. So a women deciding to be so vulnerable in such a short timespan is a miscalculation of risk ie 'crazy' This is why the key to women is providing and making sure she is safe 🙂

This is fantastic! I think you are reaching a breakpoint in your career. I struggled in mine for 3 years, then it just... Clicked. It became effortless. In terms of performance anxiety, I have some strange methods. I realised early on it's all in my head. You are right that it is YOU getting in your own way. I have to meet up with clients regularly - heads of large medical centres, project managers for the big $5mill + jobs, the health minister etc. I used to get nervous - it was rooted in 'imposter syndrome'. I didn't think I deserved or earned the place. I reprogrammed my own mindset: I just view these people now as some human, just like me, that has no idea what they are doing and making it work. They don't actually have any authority over me, they are just there performing some behaviours because they want money. They still shit, piss and have demented pathologies just like us all. When this clicked I suddenly stopped caring. I stopped trying to conduct myself to fit in and decided I would turn up looking how I wanted, speak how I wanted and never hesitate to pass on bad news. If someone has an emotional reaction or blames me for passing on news they don't like it's totally on them. They shouldn't be mismanaging their emotions. There are no emotions with business, but people inject them in and justify their anger regardless. No need. I just focus on the solution immediately. I divert all energy to the solution. That's what you are doing with performance - you are finding a creative solution to something. Only, your solution is pure art, creativity. Delivering joy. That focus on delivering joy to others is essential. You are helping others experience the music. You are pulling them into a state of being. Bringing them closer to an elevated state. Perhaps if you shift your focus to this solution, you won't worry about the performing part. This happened to me 😊 But don't underestimate exposure therapy - I got better by doing and repeating. It helps I have done dance performance in front of audiences. Spoken in front of large rooms of people and hosted these talks. All these skills overlapped to inoculate me against nervousness speaking to high level government employees. I do wonder if you could do something to expose yourself - busking perhaps? Much less pressure and you can engage in a flow state

If your works are rendered from memory and imagination this does elevate them substantially! Dutch painters are top for me as well - Rembrandt is my favourite. I had the privilege of working with my late grandfather restoring some iconography and very old paintings hung in the chapels in Melbourne, Australia. I remember using pressed gold leaf on paper to illuminate their halos. He used the works of Rembrandt as an example and reference for techniques in restoration. Looking forward to more of your stuff!!

My eyes are bleeding as I sip the morning coffee .. the text size change is giving me a brain bleed 💀🤣

@OBEler It's simple. My statement acknowledges a truth another user raised. Imagine if my comment didn't say 'thank you' it said 'truth!'. It's a way to acknowledge the validity of a statement through dialogue and nothing more You are desperately looking for some way to make the dialogue feminine. Inserting some odd interpretation into it to attempt to use it as an example. If the statement was an example of feminine behaviour and you pointed it out - I would be all cool with agreeing. Essentially you are forcing your frame of understanding into the situation without assessing the frame itself (as @Carl-Richardtried to raise) literally jamming a square peg in a round hole. I'm not going to be convinced otherwise here. So that's that for me on the topic.

No, it's the truth.

But that isn't gender specific. You haven't argued the case, just made a statement. I thanked him because it IS true. I'm not emotionally erratic. Why are you telling me the reason why I thanked him? You don't know the reason - it's an assumption.

So, you ARE critically analyzing the frame - to test if it is true. It's not my ability to understand that is the issue. It is your imprecise language. And for your information, I am perfectly within my rights to thank a user for remarking I am not an emotional basket case. And for you to imply his statement is untrue, is implying I have erratic behavior. Check yourself.

So you don't critically analyze concepts and frames?

@Schizophonia Thank you - really appreciated! I don't date women, so I don't have any experience being in relationship with attractive ones and experiencing the crazy spoken of. I just hope the generalizations being made assist these users, and don't act as a limiting frame.

@Tristan12 BUT WHY AM I THE SAVAGE ONE (ง ͠ಥ_ಥ)ง

Yes, we agree Black and white is tricky. Normally the issue arises when the statement is reductive, so original context is lost. Usually if you probe the context comes out and the statement makes sense

The stilettos only come out when I think there is some black and white thinking regarding nuanced subjects, or misappropriating some behavior to gender. But I am a bit unusual there, as when I have a big reaction to anything I read I immediately know it is my ego. So, I tend to not respond for a while. Walk away. Think it over. Sometimes I like to sleep on it and address it the next day. I resist the rush and impulse to act on the emotion. And if I do address the issue I reread my answers 'What am I trying to achieve with this communication?' over and over as a self check. But I rarely have any emotional response to things I read here.

It's called javelin, you uncultured swine!

Inspired by @Water by the River Pencil & biro on 140gsm

Again, the colour use is expert - I think you might be feeling some consternation regarding the lower right area. 2 things stand out to me there - the perspective might be a bit out of cohesion with the vanishing point of the render. And it is slightly busy - but not terribly so. A touch more dark tones that are out of sequence with the rest of the image. Almost like it doesn't quite marry up to the path, farmhouse and sky. Very hard to say with this one Absolutely no negativity meant with the above - just my observations based on training <3

I mean I am happy to consider myself an amorphous, genderless blob. But there are still going to be people projecting their distinction onto me. People love their little rigid boxes of understanding to shove you in, so they don't have to think about it ever again. Most people couldn't even tell you what a fucken cup is

@Eskilon @Princess Arabia @LordFall @Inliytened1 @Davino @Miguel1 @UnbornTao @Schizophonia @ExploringReality @Ulax Thank you all, I am smiling @NewKidOnTheBlock You have nothing to worry about provided you stay within the forum guidelines. Just because people disagree, doesn't mean there are consequences. @How to be wise I don't think time on the forum is the primary deciding factor - or even one high in relevance.