Sugarcoat

For sure most things are an ego thing in some way. I don’t think I really understand it intellectually even. And it doesn’t seem to be the opposite too, that women contempt masculinity yet are attracted to it simultaneously to the same degree, when its happens it’s usually as a response to female opression, so can’t really compare the two

School is your best bet it’s harder outside of school to make friends. Chat people up and if you have social anxiety challenge it. So I did in high school and I managed to get a few friends and people I could talk to

I don’t really understand why some men have this conflict within them when it comes to women. There are books about it for example the book “the second sex” by Simone de Beavoir that goes really deep into the roots of female oppression, these dynamics etc . I haven’t read too much from it but from what I read it was very juicy

Are you enlightened? How do you know this? I’ve been thinking the same tho, there being no real correlation between practice and enlightenment that it’s spontaneous, I don’t know that tho, just a guess

Thanks I will try this

👍🏻

Ok I see. Since I am aware of thoughts it seems I am separate from them, in the same way with seeing , anything I’m aware of can’t be me, experientially. I don’t feel like I am my hand because I am aware of my hand it’s an object in my awareness like thoughts. But now that I think about it with thoughts it’s a bit different than the rest as you say, it seems I can imagine myself so in some way I feel I am in the thoughts. So it’s like both, I’m aware ~of~ thoughts so separate from them, but simultaneously it can seem I am in the thought. Or maybe my experience is unique or I’m not able to describe it the best

This applies too to physical exercise I find. Helps to be very present for the mind muscle connection etc

May I ask what a self referential thought is? I’ve heard it before. It means any thought referring to an I or? So could be anything like “I like ice cream”

On Wikipedia it says: “Self-enquiry, also spelled self-inquiry(Sanskrit vichara, also called jnana-vichara[1]or ātma-vichār), is the constant attention to the inner awareness of "I" or "I am" recommended by Ramana Maharshi as the most efficient and direct way of discovering the unreality of the "I"-thought.” when you say self inquiry do you mean this placing of attention on the “I “ sense or do you mean more of a questioning like asking yourself “who am I” “what am I” etc or maybe both?

Is there any example of someone becoming permanently enlightened from practice except Buddha?

Ok

Ok👍🏻

Hmm

What is a soul?

I can kinda relate to what you said about only seeing the front side, almost merging with the ground but not the rest. I remember when I tried a little 5 Meo dmt, it was like the border between me and the world got partially erased (I only took a low dose) but it didn’t affect the 3D depth interestingly enough, like my other natural experiences. I believe it’s unique perhaps why few relate to it when I wrote about it. Only two on actualized said they had similar experience.

Everything flattening into almost 2d one could say. What I mean tho is that my sense of separation from the environment was so thin there was almost no depth perception left. Everything being kinda “in your face” close. Almost no sense of solidity too. I know it’s an unique experience i haven’t really encountered anyone who can relate

this is one of the freakiest things to me. How do you know tho? I think it’s like that too intuitively

I don’t know what u mean by a zoom or lower fov I just meant literally less 3D depth and the environment seeming “closer”. Not really like the vid either.

Interesting I see

@CARDOZZO for sure . I’ve talked about this

Yes

I’ve had it over 50 times in my life and only found it scary a few times

Interesting indeed that you found that correlation

It stopped because you did something different like stopped meditating? I also used to do spiritual practice then stopped “You became the environment. There is no distinction” oh it was that radical for you? That’s cool. I’ve only had that when I’ve taken psychedelics