theleelajoker

Yes, interpretation is very arbitrary : ) You can do it on the meta level (in general dream means sth vs. does not mean anything) and on the content level (particular dream means this vs. particular dream means that)

Might also tell you that you are in the process of overcoming your fears of commitment. You were afraid, now you work through this fear in your subconscious, it gets visualized in your dreams and afterwards you feel free in marrying the person. Interpretation can be veeeeery abitrary. Is there really any meaning to dreams other than the story we create ourselves? Don't know

@Keryo Koffa is correct - at least re me exploring the concept : )

OK I believe I get where you're coming from and what you're pointing at. I don't have such "soul mate enthusiasts" in my environment - but I can imagine that they exists and how it impacts their view on relationships. BTW, of course I have lonely days. Especially in times of introversion / during fasting when many feelings are coming up. Like you said, I also see accepting and confronting these feelings, taking accountability as appropriate way. Afterwards, I feel more open to seek and maintain connection to others.

@Lila9 Some assumptions here. Seeing someone als soulmate does not mean that one does not invest into the relationship. Maybe the person is a soulmate BECAUSE both parties know that it is important to do it and are doing it freely. Yeah, unfortunately is also see a lot of individualistic and narcissistic behavior. Agree on this re western society (my current environment) Seeing someone as a soulmate does not mean that you see this person as responsible for catering all needs. It's just a great match and fulfills some needs. For instance sharing intimacy, creating connection, personal / spiritual development with a sexual partner (sexual relation as difference to family and close friends). Not everyone is a poor, lonely self. Did you have a bad or lonely day when you wrote this? : )

Don't know how it is for others, but in the weeks and months before meeting her four things happened: 1) A "bad" relationship where many things did not fit but it was not able to see that for quite a while 2) The weeks before meeting here I had the feeling of expressing myself much more authentically than before 3) I expressed the clear intention of meeting a partner 4) I asked god/universe/[ ... ] for help and guidance My interpretations: No 1) reminds me of a proverb that goes sth like this: Before one can bring light into a room, it has to be dark. No 2) Mirroring principle? When you're more in touch with your true desires etc, then life mirrors matching counterparts No 3) Setting clear intentions --> already big step to manifesting it? No 4) Maybe someone was listening? Maybe it's helpful, maybe I am just creating a story. Don't know. Curious if others have similar experiences.

Until some weeks ago, my answer would have been "I don't believe there is sth like a soulmate". However: Recently, I met a girl and since then up to this moment right now it has been an incredible harmonious flow. After spending few hours, we both felt like we have known each other for a very long time. Many aspects of our personalities - such as interests, belief systems, our current stages and goals in life, sense of humor, physical traits etc fit so well that I never would have imagined that sth like that is possible. Yeah, of course it's very new and things can change easily. At the same time, "Life" really surprised me and if you ask me right now - yeah, my reply is there is sth that fits the concept of a soulmate.

How do you know that? You could just be programmed to hallucinate / simulate this experience.

Not sure I understand correctly. You mean because of infinity everything we can imagine (=non-zero probability) will happen/has happened?

Recently, I very often experience something one might call "mystical experiences" or strong synchronicities. Sometimes it's something "bigger", sometimes it's sth very "small". But there is a correlation that is simply too strong for me to ignore or to treat as mere coincidence or projection. Just to give you an idea, some examples: For instance, after a very long time I finally manage to overcome a big difficulty for me and in a phone call I shortly later I get to know the same experience happened to a relative thousands of km away. Imagine you are in a good mood, telling jokes while being with some people. I ride my bike, go to a sports class and I meet happy people in a good mood, telling jokes, perfectly reflecting my mood before I even started talking. (Never experienced that kind of mood in the class before - only the time I was in this mood as well) Imagine you finally decide to make a doctor's appointment for sth that bothered you for a long time - and shortly later, a friend tells you he just did the same thing: finally making a a doctor's appointment for sth that bothered him for a long time Imagine you a thinking about a very specific, non-mainstream business idea during the day. At night, you go out to a club. The person waiting right behind you in the line tells you that they are working in this exact niche of business. I could name many more examples. Each one of these instances - yeah, no big deal. Few of them, yeah all good. But a lot of these events in a short amount of time gives me a feeling as if my thoughts, feelings and actions are directly causing changes in parts of external reality. It's not like I could or did create anything on purpose - it's just happening. But in the moments when it's happening I cannot help but getting the feeling of causal connection. Why is it a problem? You might think "great that these things are happening". In some sense, yes. But it just feels like a awful lot of responsibility. For example, if I would start smoking now, will I notice that friends pick up unhealthy habits as well? If I refrain from doing certain actions out of fear, will people in my environment be afraid as well? Moreover, I don't like the idea of solipims and "me creating external reality". Why should the world evolve around me? I resonate much more with the idea of Indra's Jewel Net ("each individual is at once the cause for the whole and is caused by the whole"). But it does not matter that I believe I am just part of a bigger thing - it feels as if I am directly causing some events in my environment, whether I want to feel that way or not. So, long story short: Can someone relate to these kind of experiences / this feeling of "I am creating this" and the sense of responsibility? If yes, how are you handling it?

Skimmed though the replies, and it's fascinating how people see/experience the world. It's quite amusing what ideas, perspectives and claims people can come up with. I think it's dangerous and harmful to think and proclaim "the world / humans have been like this in the past, hence they are like this now, hence they will be like that in the future". I am NOT claiming to know WTF this is. But the way I see it is the following: If I can't know, I at least can make assumptions Whatever assumptions I make directly influence my experience in literally every action/interaction every day These assumptions can be healthy for me or unhealthy (re state of mind, self-worth, happiness, quality of experience etc...you get me) These assumptions can be fun or no fun I can adjust these assumptions if there is new/better information I am lucky enough to live in a country where I can make assumptions that allow a life in dignity and full of opportunities (no war, no tyranny but health system, individual freedom, human rights etc.) For now, I just assume for instance That I want to be here / I choose to be here That I have some responsibility towards me and others (u might call it "working through my karma") That "life, God, Universe, other entities" whatever u call it supports me in my experience Some time ago, someone in this forum mentioned C Lilly. I love this quote of him: "In the province of the mind, what one believes to be true, either is true or becomes true within certain limits. These limits are to be found experientially and experimentally. When the limits are determined, it is found that they are further beliefs to be transcended. In the province of the mind, there are no limits." I also recommend the talk of Alan Watts "the human game". Not saying this is "truth" but I like this way of seeing the world.

Thanks for your replies. Your points - about other people's karma and reflecting, integrating, deepening understanding - are helpful for me to put my experiences it into some (preliminary) context. I think of sth Alan Watts (I love his talks) once said. "There should be a word in language that combines "doing" and "happening". Because it's not that things are simply happening to you, but neither it is you doing it". Intellectually I also "know" that it is not "me" (Ego, Self) creating events. But there was just a certain kind of feeling that I could not / cannot put my finger on.

One the one hand, I get you.100%. It's impossible to not see all this s***. On the other hand, you might see things differently when you fall in love. Fear, deception and confusion are transformed into something else. It's crazy how one single encounter can change so much.

Fun video

My idea: Stop trying to short circuit it. Alan Watt once said sth along the lines: "You don't dance to get to the other side of the room as fast as you can. You dance because you enjoy dancing" "You do not listen to music to get to the end of the music as fast as possible. The best song is not the one that is played the fastest. You listen to music because you enjoy the process of listening to it" Once you enjoy and listen - REALLY LISTEN - to the process instead of trying to accelerate it, the questions cease and become actions. And those actions are the answer to your question of "what's the best way to short circuit". You already know the best way. You just don't know that you know. May sound like BS, but the basic message is: "stop trying, start listening, start dancing". Or even better: Stop trying - you are already dancing. You just need to recognize that you are where you want to be"

My experience is that my future experience is never the experience that I think I will experience when I think about my future experience in the current experience

@Keryo Koffa I agree. Big thanks at you but also re many others for their support and contributions.

Bold emphasis by me. Great statement and guideline for life IMO.

Assume that you know at every point in time everything that you can and should now. The universe gives you all the information you need and your "subconscious" allows you to know, see and understand what's relevant right now. It helps me to stop the "search" and to enjoy the process.

Yeah, it's no coincidence that I recently experienced major shifts in my personal experience and now feel more and more drawn to a re-read of the yoga sutra in my book shelf + doing more yoga asanas.

Fits my experience

Knowing how much tension I have left in my body - I AM SO LOOKING FORWARD TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS IF I CONTINUE THIS PATH

Thank you. That's crucial additional information. I appreciate it. I noticed that doing yoga give me more intense sexual experiences and orgasms. That fits perfectly with what you are saying.

For me they already are. It's not like you are saying completely only new things for me - but you remind me of their importance. This one, on the other side, is new for me. I will pay attention to this and see what I can observe.

Made me laugh out loud. Twice Thanks