Eternity

This is a free audio book that answers the questions of how you will, and many do, hear the I AM's (or God's) voice speaking directly to you and how ego interferes with this ability we are all born with. Very worth listening to:

I tend to believe the leaked from the lab theory when I remember back to the first whistle blower who spilled the beans was a supervisor at the lab and had caught the virus himself, shortly dying of it after blowing the whistle. Then the Chinese quickly pointed away from their lab and laid the blame on the nearby wet market where live animals were sold out of cages, and species were kept in tight quarters with different species. That theory just sounded too far fetched and smacked of a Chinese cover-up. Regardless of the timing in other countries, both theories stem from the first whistle blower from the Chinese lab. Before that we all had little to no knowledge of the coming pandemic.

I don't know about the vax in Africa. But I do know that there are so many conspiracy stories out in the conservative media here in the U.S. due to Trump giving out false information from the start of the pandemic that the less than fully educated portion of our population doesn't know what to think. Now, Trump was the one who spread rumors about his political opponent, Hillary Clinton, such as she was running a pedophile ring of vicious cannibals from a pizza a shop in the basement (there was in fact no basement in said pizza parlor and no pedophile ring). Trump also claimed that the propellers of wind energy "farms" caused cancer (I don't know why) and proposed we drink bleach or Insert special lights into our bodies to cure Covid 19. His fans were and still are willing to believe any thing he says and he said we didn't need any vax . Meanwhile this last January he and Melania quietly went and got their vaccines before many of the rest of us could get ours. Trump's fans still insist they side with Trump against the vax even though he is in reality not against it. He's just a pathological liar and lies for the power trip he gets from influencing a large portion of gullible folk. The fact is that there is a very tiny number of people who get side effects from the vax. And it is keeping people out of hospitals at about 90-95% effectiveness rate. There is another surprising phenomena about Covid 19: younger, very fit individuals tend to get the worst cases. It is not known why. The experts are very puzzled by this. I would certainly rather deal with the possibility of maybe having some effect later on with the vax than having to be put in the hospital on a breathing tube, on my stomach in an induced coma for weeks only to die a tortuous death in the end. Also it was the easiest shot I've ever had. I literally felt nothing when the needle went in, as did my husband and everyone I know who had it. I had a sore shoulder the next few days as is usual with other shots like flu shots and others and felt nothing else. It's a snap and judging by the success rate it's not a gov't conspiracy. I trust our current president on this.

I was puzzled by the word "incel" so I looked it up. Somewhat cult like and sadly so focused on blaming women for their dating failures: https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/politics/a20078774/what-are-incels/

Omg! Men are truly delusional when it comes to this subject, I swear! If she gives you a certain look then you will read that as she's consenting. She's winking: omg she's consenting! But she could just as well have gotten some eye makeup in her eye and she's trying to blink it out. Men, I know your brain wiring and hormones lead you in the direction of concluding a woman wants sex no matter how little evidence there may be. If only there were some dating advice out there that convinces males that at best only about 25% of women they meet may be thinking sex in the very short amount of time it takes men to come to that conclusion. Then once a man concludes he has a good chance of extracting sex from the woman, he goes on to delusionally take any cue she gives as a positive sign she would be okay with it, when in fact it is only after the man starts to pressure her mentally and/or physically that the idea even enters her mind. The comedian who mimicked a woman giving mixed signals is not even aware he is just as delusional in his assumptions. The woman now realizes what he has on his mind and begins to register her doubts about his advances having any success. She mildly protests at first but because women are socialized not to be aggressive, she will keep it mild until the male becomes too forceful. Meanwhile each time she doesn't raise her voice and, in our eyes, act aggressively enough to put it quite plainly in clear words, the male assumes out of his delusion that she is green lighting him. That is so often not the case. But when she finally panics and raises her voice holding up a hand, the man will think he's been played. Dating sites even encourage men to ignore the woman's negative signals. It's all a communications game. I would like to know what men think is adequate negative vibes for them to pick up on it.

I think your surroundings were wrong for your intentions. Most of the ppl there likely were not on the same level spiritually as you. You really can't reach ppl with a spiritual message who are several levels below you unless you start on their level first. Going to a bar to meet enlightened beings on the same path as you will be an uphill battle. I suggest you try attending satsangs, or talks by well-known spiritual speakers with the intention of actually gaining a step up in your enlightenment path. Keep your eye focused on the end result. In the right environment speaking spiritually won't be considered out of place. And chatting with others on the subject will draw the right people to you including the right woman.

You might want to do some research on which more prosperous nations have more liberal immigration laws. Canada used to be fairly liberal, but you had to have a job. When they had an industry where they lacked workers, their embassies actually helped recruit workers. We went through this when my husband, who is German and I wanted to move back to the U.S. closer to my family, but my husband thought it would be better to have a job first. It may be different now in Canada, but there may be other industries in some countries that need workers. It will probably be physical labor, but in countries where society is more open and prosperous, there are more opportunities to work your way up to a better position. I also believe, but have not researched it, that the northern European countries including Iceland seem more open to immigrants. You need a one way ticket there with a cheap airlines, you may have to work like a dog to earn enough for that, but then afterward you know where you have the best chance of finding labor that has a better opportunities for advancement and good middle class starting salary.

I would give you a more spiritual answer, but in this case it is like you are standing in the middle of a burning house. You would not try to stand there and change your thinking, you would just get the hell out. Recently I read some articles that shrooms are being medically researched as a serious aid to kicking addictive substances. It's showing a lot of promise. I also have an acquaintance who used shrooms to get off weed and cigarettes. You might try googling the research.

Have you tried The Sedona Method or seen the course? I've seen it online, not sure if it is for free or just discounted. I bought it used and it's a simple method of learning not to resist things that most of us would resist. The saying "what you resist persists" is very true. Resisting pain, whether mental or physical will prolong that pain. The Sedona Method teaches in steps starting with small things and building up to just letting go and letting them float away. There are some yt videos introducing the lessons. I think I went through all the CDs in 1 or 2 evenings. It also reduces anxiety due to teaching you to let go of trying to control your problem (a typically egoic thing to do).

@Gili Trawangan Follow the you tube video instructions above and see what happens. You may surprise yourself.

Keep in mind "do to others as you would have them do to you." Why? Because there is only you and what you do to so called "others" you are doing to yourself.

@Pilgrimage of Self I haven't been very disciplined about meditating but still, I've had several glimpses into awakening. I've read many many spiritual books and followed Ramana Maharshi, Nisaraghatta, Davids R. Hawkins, Sailor Bob (an Australian non-duality teacher) and many others. But it was only the other day I came across some you tube videos on recent research about our own buillt in DMT system and how to crank up your own DMT production through certain breathing and breath holding techniques. It occurred to me that these breathing techniques could be the reason yoga masters are able to go into states of enlightenment and others who may have stumbled on these techniques. These exercises in breathing seem to lead to a state of low oxygen which seems to signal your pineal gland to pump more DMT into your system which is what happens during dying and during the development of a fetus in utero. You might try one or two of the recommended exercises.

It's hard not to share the latest spiritual realization with others. My husband is not into spirituality (he does pray now and then) and I have been since as far back as I can remember. In our first years I tried to explain some to him and he acted like he might be interested. But we've been married a long time and he gets quickly bored if I start on it . So I finally asked "does talking about this make you uncomfortable?" and he said it sounded crazy to him. At that moment I gave up on sharing and came to the conclusion his path is on a completely different timeline. He has a mental disorder also that was diagnosed about 10 years into our marriage and I have concluded that he is deeply afraid of having his mania come back by listening to airy fairy stuff as he puts it. So it is probably wiser not to push. And that is what I advise those with gfs or bfs or partners who are not into spirituality. Don't push it. Just let them learn their own lessons in life. Be supportive during their bad times when that happens the way it does to most of us, and don't try to convince them your way is better. Also there are some interesting videos about our own built in DMT system if you are using psychedelics and how it unlocks spiritual connections. So let them observe you over time and see how these experiences make you a better person. My husband tells me I have changed for the better since we married and I just say it started with my readings of spiritual books. I can see his eyes start to glaze over and I stop talking right away. After all, I'm not here to make his life harder. And remember even if you are sure that you understand the real and absolute, spiritual truth, you should never undertake to enter another realm by starving yourself or hurting yourself or leaping off something to end this particular dream. You will find only the same lessons will have to be learned in the same manner possibly harder lessons. All that may do is change the scenery and maybe make your development harder. To me it would be disrespectful of yourself as God and your spiritual path which is here now, always in the present. This dream is part of the growth process and integration that your level of understanding requires and it makes no sense to take away the opportunities you have to develop in the present where you always are. When your psychy is fully developed, you will naturally be transformed into the full expression of the Godhead without letting ego steer the ship.

@King Merk @Alex bAlex Yeah, I forgot your question about Catholics . The Catholics were pretty early immigrants and the North American States had many Catholic missionary immigrants from France often Catholic priests and some of their parishioners, and many of those set up churches in the northeast part of the U.S. and Canada. Today part of eastern Canada is French Canadian and also almost totally Catholic. Our north eastern states also had many Catholic immigrants during battles with the French who were Catholic. And then Catholic immigrants came from Ireland during the Irish famine in the 1800s and early 1900s. They also believed in large families so the Catholic church became larger and larger in those areas. When the Irish couldn't find work in the north east they came further and further into the west with their families and it was common for their families to have 10- 15 kids, but times were hard and they usually lost a child or two. Anyway from the middle states many went further west but some stayed in the middle northern states. Then during the gold rush days (people found gold in California) in the mid to late 1800s many immigrants went clear to the west coast to mine for gold. That eventually led to Catholic missionaries following the immigrants to convert these wild miners to their religion. Religion grew in different states like mid and northern California in those areas pretty fast. Later immigrants from Mexico and Central America came to Texas and Southern California mostly Catholic, so religion was strong in those areas. Like King said, in the cities people were busy building businesses and industries and many had no time for religion and it is the same today. Mostly they weren't as interested in religion unless it gave them status. Atheism has become more popular lately with the younger generations going to university since they believe they are smarter and religion is just old fashioned story telling, just mythology and made up stuff. So that's about it when it comes to the Catholic church and atheists here.

I'm not a religion expert but I do live in the U.S. in a State that is about half religious and half not. So I'll take a crack at your question. My husband was raised Catholic but does not practice it anymore, so I was at Catholic church before, but most of the religious right wing politics are associated with Protestant religions: Methodist, Pentecostal, Community Christian churches, Mormon Church, Church of Christ, Baptist churches (north and south), Episcopalian, and others. Each of those religions has their own version of Christianity. There are also many many television channels and many pastors. These other religions also came to the U.S. and brought their own religions. The extreme churches where people try to test Christ by actually handling poisonous snakes and falling down rolling on the floor because they think this is the way people should act as Christians, are very dramatic a and they also do prophecies. In the Pentecostal church, it has grown in size because the drama is fascinating for so many and they see it on television. They have traditionally leaned toward the right wing (this time Trump) party. There are more churches following the same path. The drama and spectacle of their church members falling on the floor and shouting amen and the pastors shouting in "tongues" which I thought meant languages, but the pastors make up their own, mostly sounds and meaningless made-up language, and people think the drama is real and that the prophecies are real. And these pastors have made prophecies that Trump came to save the Christianity of the churches as it predicts in the last chapter of the bible. They have made fearful statements on t.v. that the more left party, they say, is all Communists and these extremist pastors feed their members these false statements. The southern Baptists are similar to this, but not as extreme. But they too have followed the style of the Pentecostals and they are an even bigger religion, so many more members. These two churches and smaller similar religions have become radical right wing and they are always asking for members to bring friends and family so that they can become even larger. Mormons who began with Brigham Young who made his own prophecies are about 80% right wing and 20% left wing and they are a huuuuge church. They own super markets, shopping malls and stores, and invest in big businesses and property and they have billions of dollars to give to any political party they like. They also have many children. As part of the religion, they believe when they die that they will become gods of their own worlds and that their children and grandchildren etc. will become a part of their world and a part of their kingdoms. Having many children is important to them, but it also makes the size of the Mormon Church grow and grow and grow. You can see that the right wing "charismatic" churches are growing ever larger. Atheists don't have churches so it is obvious that they are outnumbered since they do not have an organized sort of united belief system except they do not believe in God or the Bible etc. The Catholic Church is still very much a part of the Christian Churches and so their member numbers are also big, but they can choose individually which political party to support or not and I don't know for sure but I don't think many of the Catholics are supportive of Trump and his party, the right wing, because of Trump's poor character. They are however, a big, possibly the biggest religion in North America and still growing. I hope this helps you understand, but maybe some other answers will also give you the basic picture better than I can. AA

I have been on this forum for only a few months and did not follow Soonhei so I've not commented though I am sorry for his family's loss. I did see some of his beliefs in a few posts that were copy/pasted on the Soonhei thread, and he did express his thoughts so well, I found myself in full agreement. But it would never have crossed my mind that he would interpret anything Leo teaches as a call to suicide. Actually the opposite is true. Leo is very life affirming in every video of his I have watched. He can be a little salty at times, (ahem) but his teaching does not point to committing suicide. At all. I wonder, and this is only to hopefully avoid someone else misinterpreting something Leo says, if there needs to be more explanation maybe at the beginning of each video re: spiritual work, as to the difference between speaking in relative terms and speaking in absolute terms and how important it is to understand that we often speak in relative terms because everything in our "lives" in this world is relative and it is hard to express the absolute in relative terms. Each of us needs to ponder before making life changing decisions whether we know the difference and how misunderstanding can lead to treacherous territory. Otherwise, I have no criticism of Leo's work and find his video's to be intelligent and compelling in a good way.

@RMQualtrough Awareness is the I that is consciousness but cannot be localized. It simply does not exist except in the mind of God. If you ask a brain surgeon where awareness abides in the brain, they will not be able to answer. They simply don't know.

Discussions of various states of mind are really just entertaining stories. Where is the "I" that purports to have experienced all these states? Can you point to an I, can you localize it? Does it really exist or are you caught in another ego trap, which btw is also not there or here or wherever you can point? You are so wrapped up in whose state is higher (as if it mattered) and what brought you there. I don't think any of you have realized none of these states exist and neither do you. Only perhaps Leo, but as long as he observes from a position of I, he cannot say he is transformed nor can you.

@Tech36363 I believe you have made a fundamental error in your perspective. In this stage of existence, we are still tethered to ego when communicating with others. No matter how good your intentions are, you are still using ego as the language through which you try to express your good will while the ego only uses ill will to express itself. This is the obstacle that gets in our way to represent Spiritual values. The world we perceive is split by two differing thought systems. The world in which body and ego are dominant can not possibly represent the world in which pure unconditional Love is the only thing in existence. We do not even have words that are adequate. Others also struggle with the same divided mind scenario and also are ill equipped to express Love in its truest form. I used to dislike being around other people for that reason. But one very remarkable book took me out of that mind set and illuminated real universal Love to me. It cleared the pathway for me to experience Love instead of bitterness. It is called "A Course in Miracles." It uses some Christian terms in correcting our mistaken thinking but is not what we would term "religious." What shines through is Love and Compassion. At first, since it is written in stream of thought style it seems difficult. Most likely, I think, the ego tries to make it difficult because ego knows when you intend to stifle it. But the more I read the easier it got and the more comforted and peaceful I felt, and eventually, I found I loved others and had great compassion for those still struggling in the lower stages of spiritual development. Here is a short paragraph from ACIM regarding how to "see" your brothers (mannkind): "The way to recognize your brother is by recognizing the Holy Spirit in him. I have already said that the Holy Spirit is the bridge for the transfer of perception to knowledge, so we can use the terms as if they were related, because in His Mind they are. This relationship must be in His Mind because, unless it were, the separation between the two ways of thinking would not be open to healing. He is part of the Holy Trinity, because His Mind is partly yours and also partly God's. This needs clarification, not in statement but in experience.... The idea of the Holy Spirit shares the property of other ideas because it follows the laws of the Universe of which it is part. It is strengthened by being given away. It increases in you as you give it to your brother. Your brother does not have to be aware of the Holy Spirit in himself or in you for this miracle to occur. He may have dissociated the Call for God just as you have. This dissociation is healed in both off you as you become aware of the Call for God in him and thus acknowledge its being." You see, every act of inconsideration or hate or unkindness from a brother (all of mankind) is a Call for God, a need for healing in his mind and in yours. And we all have the divine ability to heal minds simply by seeing them as a brother in need and forgiving them their ignorance because the world needs forgiveness and love, just as a child who acts out in a hostile way. Rather than condemnation, wouldn't it be more productive to ask them why they are angry and reassure them that they are still God's child, God's creation, and you still love them. Nothing heals the hurt of others and yours more quickly and completely than Love.

Great book, Power vs Force. I like David Hawkins a lot. To me it seems like using psychedelics to reach enlightenment is like impatiently forcing a flower bud open to see what the blossom will look like fully developed. But instead the bud winds up being blighted and misshapen and discolored, nothing like the way it would have appeared had it been left alone to develop naturally. Force is of the ego, and Power is of universal Love.

@Endangered-EGO It seems to me that you are pushing too hard, working and working on being enlightened. You should just relax about it. So many people feel that they have to, simply have to change in this lifetime. Yet as Rupert Spira (see his you tube vids) says and Alan Watts (his talks are also on you tube) as well, the best way is to realize yourself is to stop looking, stop forcing meditation sessions or any other forced practices. All that accomplishes is for ego to waste your time pounding on the idea that you are failing. Hear me now please. You cannot fail. Surrender, to God within you where it is the natural flow of Love to lead you home. It only takes surrender. Give up all ego devices to reach enlightenment and trust God mind to show you the way. Ego is the one working and working and yet you can never be realized through the enemy of God who wishes nothing but enmity against you. Surrender all thoughts of doing it all yourself. God will lead you there if you stop trying to will it by use of ego. Here is a quote from ACIM (A Course in Miracles) which never fails to comfort and reassure me: "The plan is not of you, nor need you be concerned with anything except the part that has been given you to learn. For He Who knows the rest will see to it without your help. But think not that He does not need your part to help Him with the rest. For in your part lies all of it, without which is no part complete, nor is the whole completed without your part. The ark of peace is entered two by two, yet the beginning of another world goes with them. Each holy relationship must enter here, to learn its special function in the Holy Spirit's plan, now that it shares His purpose. And as this purpose is fulfilled, a new world rises in which sin (sin = lack of love) can enter not, and where the son of God can enter without fear and where he rests a while to forget imprisonment and to remember freedom. How can he enter to rest and to remember, without you?. Except you be there he is not complete. And it is his completion that he remembers there. This is the purpose given you. Think not that your forgiveness of your brother serves but you two alone. For the whole new world rests in the hand of every two who enter here to rest. And as they rest, the face of Christ (Christ = Love) shines on them and they remember the laws of God, forgetting all the rest and yearning only to have His laws perfectly fulfilled in them and all their brothers. Think you when this has been achieved that you will rest without them? You could no more leave one of them outside than I could leave you, and forget part of me." ~A Course in Miracles

ACIM was a whole revelatian to me when I first read it. I read the entire text first because once it started to sink in, I found old negative thought patterns and habits just effortlessly fall away. I never looked at it as some kind of "work or struggle" to be fought. But it took me around 100 pages before the ideas (written in sort of stream of consciousness) actually began to really make sense to me. After I read it through once, I did it again and again and found that each time there were deeper layers of understanding that had amazing effects on me. I knew about and had read some of the daily exercises which consist of repeating a key idea to yourself throuoghout the day. Many of them are lovely ideas with beautifully written reminders of love. But I never turned it into a system though it could be used that way. I never had to ask or supplicate God for some special healing of my mind. There were errors in thinking it just cleared away with no effort on my part. This is why I clung to it for 5 years because it was filling all the holes I had that needed correction. I would reach new enlightenment every day without even focusing on what I thought were my failings. To this day, I still open it up and read at any plays and find answers to questions I never knew I had. It leaves you feeling peaceful and knowing everything is all right.

These economic cycles have been going on since the big crash in the late 30s. It's nothing new and just another story to keep the mind from breaking free of the ego. As long as ego can distract the mind from finding out about its consciousness and awareness in forming the univese and who really is in charge, it will continue to run around like chicken little shouting, "the sky is falling! the sky is falling!" Don't get trapped in ego stories designed to keep you running in circles.

I only have one more thing to add which is how I managed to overcome my crippling shyness that followed me clear into my mid twenties. I could manage to talk to gfs, but just anyone randomly scared the crap out of me, especially when it was a guy I was attracted to. I was completely unable to converse or try to even show my interest. I froze. It's not a set of rules really or some system. It's just an idea that dawned on me one day, maybe from a book. I don't know. But it hit me that everyone is insecure. Yes, even those girls you think you have no chance with. We are all insecure, maybe extreme extroverts aren't , but I was on the opposite end of the range. When the idea went off in my head, I realized that at every event I went to (mostly because a gf wanted to go, I never volunteered) there were others there who were probably as uncomfortable as I was. And I decided that I could be helpful by making them feel comfortable. So at parties (my worst nightmares) for example I would look around for another person or two who looked as uncomfortable as I felt and I'd go over and say something friendly and look them in the eye while doing it. Now I didn't start off with doing this to any male at first. I was scared senseless of doing that. But that would come later after I got used to just striking up a little chit chat with people I barely knew or didn't know at all. Practice this with guys if you feel comfortable doing that. I assume of course you won't be talking to them exactly like you'd talk to a woman. But it's good practice. Then you start from there and gradually move on to looking for less attractive women you can make feel comfortable. The less attractive the woman and more miserable the better. You won't feel as pressured by approaching them so that's good practice, talk with a few everywhere you go. These will help you build your skills as you move up the scale and try talking to more and more attractive women. As you start off, just get within speaking distance, say " 24" or so apart and look at them in the eyes smile (while you remember they are probably shaking in their boots) and say something inane, like "how ya like the party (or concert or performance or game) so far?" Now you've opened the conversation. Conversation is like a tennis game. You lob the ball at her and when she hits it back, you lob the ball her way again. If she isn't lobbing very well, just have a mental list of topics you can bring up, like "what do you think of the Lakers" or whatever team you know something about, or "who's your favorite musical artist" if that's what you asked about first, or "what's your favorite style of music". Just keep asking questions, but based off how she answers you or about what. As you keep doing this chatting thing you'll learn to throw in a cute funny remark here and there. You don't have to be a pro comic. For instance at a job interview once, I was elaborating on answers to questions about myself and realized I'd been overdoing it, so I stopped short, chuckled and remarked "me, me! it's all about me!" Everyone chuckled along and it broke the tension of the moment. I also got the job. So just concentrate on making the other miserable person feel comfortable and your anxiety will just fade away. Not maybe the first time, or second or third, but it will happen as long as you view it all, the good and the bad as practice for you. The more you do it, the better you'll get.

Where is the self that all these "past" memories have attached themselves to? Can you point to the self you refer to? Is it in your stomach or your foot? Can you locate it? Can you point to it? The self is just a delusion, a made-up story about your real Being. Does the past even exist? All you have to state there is a past are memories and maybe some souveniers of the past. But can you touch the past? There really is no tangible past, only the present moment and as soon as one second passes, it disappears into the invisible past where it is no longer a present threat. So there is really no past you can hang onto. There is a path to peace however, if you want it badly enough. It is in a very remarkable book I read years ago and I think there is at least one free pdf of it online if you google it. It's called "A Course in Miracles." The name refers to the miraculous way it clears your pathway to peace and teaches you what real love is. When I first read the text, I thought it was a little dry, and I was about 100 pages in when I finally began to understand some of the phrasing and the corrections to thinking that it illuminates. It is not written in linear fashion, but more like in a random, stream of consciousness way. I had decided, since I was resistant to reading it, that I would read it the whole way through and then decide if it was just hogwash once I was done, just to be fair. But the more I read, the more I resonated with it. Then I started to have little miracles happen, like sychdonicities began happening, and rage I had hung onto since I was a child just died down to nearly nothing, and being fairly narcissistic faded away and forgiveness of others became easier. I was not aware of when these things happened, only that I wasn't reacting the way I had up to the point of reading this book. This continued with all my unlovable aspects while I continued to read. When I was done with it, I read it from start to finish again and did that for 5 years. It wasn't as if I had to, it was more like drinking cool water after days of wandering under a hot desert sun. No matter where I opened it, there would be a sentence or paragraph that would give me solice and take away any pain I had struggled with that day. I highly recommend reading it. The title is also often shortened to "ACIM" if you want to google it.