kbone

There's a lot to be observed and taken in in any new culture: stereotypes, nuances, reasoning, contextual clues, and all the rest. To get through the culture shock and adapt/accept requires a conscious learning and a strong degree of self awareness. But yes, the Japanese are a very interesting bunch. I learned a lot during the expansive and implosive years surrounding and including my time there. Curious, how did you decide on a junk boat as your avatar pic? I used to enjoy watching those in Hong Kong. Didn't see many last time I was there.

I might say mind is illusive in that it can only deal in probabilities, as interpretations of what in blazes is actually going on. That we use mind to think about thoughts alludes to 'mind cannot rise above itself' as mentioned to @Anton Rogachevski. Things often begin to go awry, especially when the patterns of thoughts/reason evolved unconsciously throughout life as coping mechanisms, denial strategies, numbing escapes, and the like. 'Tis the problem with self, which is, existentially speaking, an illusion... always changing, never actually an object, but more of a contextual amalgamation based on memory and assumption. But it's impossible to explain that away.... gotta be SEEN for what it is. That's Ramana's Nan Yar.... gotta SEE it oneself. But the thoughts/thinking do continue to arise, at least for most. So being conscious of when mind is engaged and remaining aware of its patterns is waking up to its construct: strengths, weaknesses, shenanigans, and all.... is putting it in its place (secondary in the flow of consciousness). Thoughts/words are not the actuality, just at least once removed. That's why hearsay is (at least relatively) more unreliable, as are our conditioned beliefs (lots of hearsay). And when you throw in time/memory, the potential for more delusion and unreliability only increases. That's one of the problems with conflating states of mind (which come and go) with realization or Truth, at least in how I express it. But yes, existentially speaking, whoever said, "There is no time like the present" was right!

As in the Course in Miracles, yes? I must say, I was a little interested to see a Deadhead speaking of Jesus on this website. Times are interesting. Great, unlearning is a big factor, to be sure. It's more or less a 'becoming conscious of and letting go process', yes? If comfortable with doing so, please share what you mean by "Jesus then began to reveal himself quite quickly, as a kind of inner guide or higher self. But it took me a long time to accept him and begin to understand what he is really about." What would you say about differentiating between say, Jesus the man versus the realization as the Christ? According to the Bible, Jesus is claimed to have said, "I and the Father are One".......“Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods” (John 10:30-38). What do you think was meant by that? It is self honesty that helps deepen the understanding of how the mind works. It sounds like you've gotten over 'the hump', so to speak, and are appreciating some peace from a previous storm. Take your time---- lots of cool Dead songs about the journey.

The mind is a tool, not the master sort of dealio. Living in the world, conscious of the mind and its propensities. Would you say that the voice you're referring to is more akin to the bicameral mind ish, or would you attribute it to some of the mother-father conditioning stuff (i.e., inner critic, self-concept, attachment, trauma)? Or perhaps how the latter shaped the former?

All good. You do you! I'm old and just have a variety of pre-Internet skills that still work. I even used a typewriter for undergrad work . Luckily, during my early professional life, they developed the Internet before I returned to school and did my dissertation. Your predicament just sounded so much like my students', who always tried to tackle the blob. Granted they were just writing extended essays, not theses. I'm sure you'll be fine. G'luck!

A brief history via a map for those not aware or may have just been absent that day in 3rd grade (and give a 💩) .

Perspective by AI in the Sky Crime rates and immigration in the U.S. over the last 20 years. Key Findings and Data Points: Overall Trends: Multiple studies and analyses indicate that immigrants, including undocumented immigrants, generally have lower crime rates than native-born Americans. Some research even suggests that increased immigration may be associated with decreased crime rates. Historical Data (1980-2022): A comparison of crime and demographic data from 1980 to 2022 showed that as the immigrant share of the population more than doubled (from 6.2% to 13.9%), the total crime rate dropped by 60.4%. Incarceration Rates: Immigrants have had lower incarceration rates than the native-born population since at least 1870. [1][3] In 2020, immigrants were reportedly 60% less likely to be incarcerated than U.S.-born individuals. Texas Data: Texas, the only state that tracks criminal arrests and convictions by immigration status, has found that immigrants of all legal statuses were arrested at less than half the rate of U.S.-born citizens for violent and drug crimes. Recent Data (2017-2022): From 2017 to 2022, the immigrant share of the U.S. population rose, while the national total crime rate dropped by 15.3%. Incarceration Rates (2023): In 2023, the incarceration rate for native-born Americans was 1,221 per 100,000, while for illegal immigrants it was 613 per 100,000, and for legal immigrants, it was 319 per 100,000. Second Generation: Crime rates tend to rise among second-generation immigrants compared to first-generation immigrants, often approaching the rates of native-born Americans.

No bueno.

I've been in so many countries where border enforcement is not only worse, it's damn near impossible. The Pakistan/Afghan border comes to mind. I suspect it's even in Merriam-Webster for 'porous', hehe.

Buenoooooo!! You young folks looooove the screeeeeens, dontcha?!

Yes, that might be considered the 'impersonal' aspect, when one can at least dis-identify from the self construct, seeing the mind's movements more objectively. It's definitely higher order than all the self-referential thinking that most are lost in and/or wholly identified with. The witness can at least laugh at the silliness one used to get so wound up in, and not take the self so seriously. That's always noice.

The mind can only deal with so much info at a time. The 200 pages is a now a BLOB, and it creates resistance. This is a success-oriented approach used by 100s of my students/trainees. There's no short cut to successful completion. Breaking the thesis down into sections, then breaking down the sections down into paragraphs is breaking down the cognitive load into manageable chunks. The notecards help you move ideas around and internalize the ideas as you move through the project. Otherwise, the overwhelm gives way to procrastination. If you are trying to do it all on a screen and remembering that insane amount of info, location and detail, welp, goooood luck. Imagine your room floor covered in notecards with specific details, examples, anecdotes etc.... HOW can you remember all that? Why even try? Get real and go old school. Eventually, the organization will begin to become more automated, but you have to start from scratch. Once you get more comfortable with the structure, the time on screen can/will increase. Right now... it's just blob and confusion. It sounds like you are dealing with the perfection-procrastination conundrum. It's a losing battle with a self-fulfilling prophecy of uuugggghhh..... start small, brick by brick, and get good at it. Build complexity, and refine the product in phases. C'mon, girl!!

@Judy2 How long is it? Buy two packs of 100 blank note cards. Write your skeleton: thesis statement topics for section of the thesis topic sentences for the paragraphs conclusion ideas (optional... usually comes last, when all is said and done, and in a moment of clarity when the whole point of the essay really emerges with an big insight) Break down the research into the chunks (sections.... and then paragraphs) Transfer key ideas, examples, data points, etc to notecards and place them between the topic sentences in order Number the notecards and keep a running order of the bibliography in a notebook Start to place the notecards in order of the thesis ------- your room should start looking like a crazy person lives there (Beautiful Mind style) Take pictures on occasion in case you want to look back at changes (or lose them somehow) Rinse repeat ad nauseum During and by the end of the process, your mind will start to internalize and write the thesis Type like the crazy academic writing sister you are without stop, maybe on stimulants like coffee or guarana (or whatever) Do NOT stop and edit. DO NOT STOP AND EDIT or reconsider anything.... just type what you've organized TYPE Walk away for 1-2-3 days Come back for revisions break hours/days Come back for revisions break hours/days Come back for revisions break hours/days Celebrate EDIT with a fine toothed comb. break hours/days Re-edit Celebrate These are all baby steps and times for cognition.... one step at a time. It will change a lot and eventually start to write itself.

Absolutely agree. Everyone must see for themselves. Contemplation, questioning, and taking out the garbage are key. Space and clarity are what emerges, and no one can give it or do it for you. Ironically, on a psychological level, it is mostly about unlearning, and adding concepts may/may not take up unnecessary space.

As I stated in my reply above, it's kinda when the mind is so caught up in the drama it has created about and/or around the self, that it is not even aware of its own contradictions or self-sabotage/self-destructive capacities. It's more or less akin or related to the split-mind theory (aka, dual consciousness), maybe related to bicameral mentality.

When the mind becomes unconscious of what it is doing (often triggered and goes unconscious leading to addictions and escapes), believes the world it has constructed as independent of 'external reality' is factual/true, regardless of the evidence otherwise. That sort of thing. Direct experience of the individuated mind and/or being honest about misperceptions is fine. I have not read your study, so maybe the incongruent terminology is a factor. Not sure. But, to be clear, it's not my field, so I may not be up to speed on the nuances of what your study deals with.

Ah, whew, glad to hear that. But yes, those kinds of psychological phenomena do appear, pull all attention to them, and darken the view, to be sure. That's what I read in your posts, somenoone who is aware of the shenanigans of the mind. So, part of your theory is that the mind cannot rise above itself, yes? And you're kind of cluing in on how the split mind operates... And I chuckled with your post elsewhere about some 'other' being able to guide God back to itself. Always love a good existential jest.

I do not know you on a day to day basis, so perhaps this answer surprises me. You've always expressed yourself in a clear, honest, and healthy way that I respected. The previous comment was just spinning off your comment on "the magic of expereince", as I thought the essay alluded to a depth of insight that was, welp, cool. I'm very glad to hear you are handling things of this nature in a such sane manner. I, too, went through a "dark night of the soul" period in my later 20s, so I can appreciate the gravity. For me, it was also quite intense for a while. Would you say your context is intense, or more like a long drawn out, numbing annoyance? I gravitated between them both, and then when the walls started to close in, I intuited it was time to make a dramatic change of scenery... like literally. Is that possible for you?

What's appearing in its absence?

Whatever wrote that essay, touched and moved the mind, and contemplated the precipice of mind itself. A clarity adorned with insights arose in the mind, giving the impulse to put fingers to keyboard expressing a clarity of what could be formulated via the discerning mind. Now tell me, what's not magic?

Aaah, I misspoke then. I was referring to @Grateful Dead. I haven't watched the vids. So, she was going on and on about seeking skydaddy's love and approval? Yeah, that does tend to happen. Don't mind me; I'm just old and weird, hehe. I had just written to GD and Leo on the topic at hand and was completely ignorant of the video content. Peacely 🤙

I am not much of a political animal, but I had always kinda snorta noticed that Dems were a bit more active in trying to bring immigration legislation to the table; whereas, the GOP tended to not show up. So, I asked AI to give me the lowdown. According to AI in the Sky Here’s a list of notable immigration legislation proposed by Democrats that faced opposition from Republicans, including reasons for opposition and alternative proposals: 1. The DREAM Act (2001, 2007, 2010) Democratic Proposal: Offered a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. Republican Opposition: Concerns about perceived "amnesty" and fears it would encourage more illegal immigration. Alternative Proposals: Some Republicans suggested stricter enforcement measures or limited versions that did not include a pathway to citizenship. 2. Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) (2007, 2013) Democratic Proposal: A broad approach that included a pathway to citizenship, increased border security, and reforms to the legal immigration system. Republican Opposition: Criticized for potential amnesty and insufficient border security provisions. Alternative Proposals: Republicans often pushed for enforcement-first approaches, focusing on border security before discussing pathways to citizenship. 3. The Immigration Reform and Accountability Act (2013) Democratic Proposal: Included a pathway to citizenship, increased border security, and an overhaul of the visa system. Republican Opposition: Concerns over amnesty and the potential economic impact on jobs. Alternative Proposals: Many Republicans favored piecemeal legislation focusing solely on border security without addressing pathways to citizenship. 4. The American Dream and Promise Act (2019) Democratic Proposal: Aimed to provide a pathway to citizenship for DREAMers and TPS (Temporary Protected Status) recipients. Republican Opposition: Viewed as too lenient and a form of amnesty; concerns over national security. Alternative Proposals: Republicans proposed legislation that prioritized enforcement and border security without pathways to citizenship. 5. The U.S. Citizenship Act (2021) Democratic Proposal: Comprehensive reform that included a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants and increased border security. Republican Opposition: Criticized for being overly broad and lacking sufficient measures to secure the border. Alternative Proposals: Many Republicans advocated for stricter enforcement and rejected comprehensive reform in favor of targeted legislation. 6. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act (2021) Democratic Proposal: Provided a pathway to legal status for agricultural workers and addressed labor shortages in the agricultural sector. Republican Opposition: Concerns over the long-term implications for immigration policy and labor costs for farmers. Alternative Proposals: Some Republicans suggested increased guest worker programs without pathways to citizenship. 7. The Protecting Immigrant Families Act (2021) Democratic Proposal: Aimed to restore public benefits access for immigrants and their families. Republican Opposition: Viewed as an expansion of welfare and concerns about public charge rules. Alternative Proposals: Republicans proposed limiting benefits for undocumented immigrants and focusing on enforcement. 8. The Citizenship for Essential Workers Act (2021) Democratic Proposal: Sought to provide a pathway to citizenship for essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Republican Opposition: Concerns about prioritizing undocumented immigrants over American workers and potential economic impacts. Alternative Proposals: Republicans typically focused on enhancing job opportunities for American citizens rather than pathways for undocumented workers. Summary Throughout the years, various Democratic proposals aimed at reforming immigration policy have been met with resistance from Republicans, primarily revolving around concerns over national security, economic implications, and the concept of amnesty. Republican alternatives often focused on enforcement-first strategies, limiting immigration pathways, and addressing border security without comprehensive reform.

As an intercultural language fella, I found that such statements using stereotypes and personal pronouns tends to introduce judgment into and 'personalize' the context of a discussion that might otherwise expand the view to a more objective, impersonal look at what the mind is doing. Imo, the previous writer was showing an authentic gratitude for a positive aspect of a teaching in their life, and was even willing to take a risk in doing so. How might the crux of these statements be made using the passive voice and/or without such stereotypes, assuming you are are native speaker of English? I assume you are speaking from your own experience and/or with at least a few Christians in mind, and that's fine. I getcha.

That’s a thoughtful post. Here’s a take on the points you’ve presented. 1- With respect to existential questions and the search for their answers, there are two interesting schools of life: the School of Necessity and the School of Futility. People will not seek to find an answer without the necessitated question at hand, which emerges within the mind and grabs the attention. Due to any number of biases, mostly cognitive and/or socio-cultural, one’s individuated consciousness is attenuated to projected likely ‘answers’, desired outcomes, or probabilities. 2- Inconsideration of the above, yes, most peeps’ world views are formed by the ‘outward’ environment, the appearing world. The cognitive and the socio-cultural biases inform one another until a certain stimulus necessitates the search for a ‘new answer’ and/or revision of a previous one. Therefore, if one has grown up in a culture (family, media, social circles, school. etc) that is dominated by say, the scientific-materialist paradigm, many or most of the so called acceptable ‘answers’ are going to appeal to that world view. All good….. Until it’s not. Rinse and repeat ad nauseum. 3- In culturo-linguistic fields, this is called immersion. And yes, the more one is immersed in a new paradigm, the more one is likely to get a sense for, adapt to, and accept the validity of said paradigm. That said, this all with respect to cognition, language, and social settings. This message board is an example of one such paradigm. Note: Some of what Leo is on and on about is learnable, so he considers himself a teacher of it. The material is all researchable on the web and subjectively valid and/or experienced, subject to prioritization, re-organizable, revisable, etc. As with all knowledge, it is impermanent, subject to entropy, and changes. When it comes to Truth, which he claims to have apprehended, one must understand that it is NOT teachable, as it is not learnable or cognizable. It is not a thing. It cannot be researched, revised, or restructured. IT must be Realized. Many will exhaust their mind’s faculties in the effort of seeking to learn more about it, and die, perhaps with some degree of knowledge of the metaphysical, high end physics or ‘spirituality’, and the like, but will never apprehend IT. With any luck, they will fall to their knees, and in that moment of surrender, get a glimpse of, or perhaps a full on apprehension of Truth will emerge, but no one knows when/if. This often takes the form of inquiry into the nature of reality and/or the nature of the self. Many others will go the other route of seeking to subdue or subvert the mind via meditation and other practices, or take drugs (some of them purddy wild, to be sure), and woo woo experiences abound. All of this is done in efforts to create different mind states in which one might get glimpses or experience transcendental states, which come and go. As with any practice or effort, there's always the potential for failure, and with Truth, it is actually quite high, because the mind is that quick and sneaky. After the oceanic feeling, mind-blowing experience, woo woo, or otherworldly event has subsided, the mind kicks in with all sorts of ‘new’ theories and/or expressions meant to clarify what was seen, experienced, or understood. Typically what happens is that the essence of any potential depth of ‘experience’ gets, shall we say, corrupted by the momentum of the dominant paradigm of one’s mind/thinking. As with all trial and error phases in life, many give up and/or find their own comfy spot. That's fine; it's just hasn't found what it was looking for. One rarely notices or fully realizes the Absence giving rise to the sense of presence, or the Nothingness giving rise to Everything, the Absolute that gives rise to the relative, etc. Lots of ways to express the journey and/or the clarity. As one immerses the attention in Truth, it continues to inform the mind of its limited capacity for which it is mostly a tool to be used in the world. But that’s the catch; states (which come and go) are always about mind, which changes. What comes and goes is NOT abiding non-dual Awareness of/as Truth: Peace, Freedom, Love, Beauty, the Good....right HERE, right NOW. And IT's ALL GOOD.