Ziran

I agree. Open ended with a rhythm. Life cycles. Ebbs and flows. I'm curious: When was the last time you did something spontaneous? How did it feel?

Nice. I love this.

It's a transitional stage of meditative cognition. The heart is "Running and Returning" like the "living creatures" in Ezekiel's vision of the heavens. The advice given, traditionally, "If your the heart is running, return it to *the-place-beyond* " which is envisioned as a distant point. Then carry on with the meditation. Alternatively, some consider these errant thoughts to be blessings in disguise. They take note of them like one would do in a dream journal. Either way, trying to avoid the thoughts usually backfires, so, just go with the flow.

In English there's two general categories of happiness: 1) "Acclaim" - this is the feeling one has when a beneficial story the individual has crafted for themself comes to fruition such that it's undeniable, "written with fire in the sky", for everyone to see. Example: designing a house, and then feeling happy when it is completed. 2) "Joy" - this is the feeling one has when a malevolent story the individual has crafted for themself flips dramatically such that the malevolent has become benevolent. Bad has flipped to good. Example: getting on a roller-coaster, slowly going up the big hill, dangling over the edge, then... whoosh you feel like you're flying not falling. Acclaim is a satisfying feeling which settles the mind-and-heart ,the psyche. Joy, in stark contrast is an arousal which unsettles the mind-and-heart, the psyche. ok Because these stories are open-ended, it's challenging to encounter either acclaim or joy. 2 ways that work for me: Transmute the anxiety into wonder. They're distant opposing extremes of the same underlying cognition. Either one can be derived from its opposing partner. In this modern world, with instant access to facts and knowledge, wondering has become discouraged. Most people don't appreciate the unknown. Unknowns are outside of their locus of control. Modern people don't like that. They want to know. Knowing makes them feel powerful. Instead, embrace the unknown as a source of awe and wonder. Find pleasure in the unknown as a source of surprise. This technique is useful because the inner-story telling doesn't need to change. It naturally cultivates joy when the unknown potential for harm/losing is replaced by unknown potential for help/gaining. Another way involves chopping up the inner-story into bite-size chunks which have distinct endings. Then, do the work to map out how to get to the endings of these bite size "side-quests" for lack of a better word. Look for opportunities to flip the script on the harmful/losing outcomes. And do the work to "stack the deck" in your favor to accomplish the helping/gaining outcomes. Specifically how? My vote? No. It's the opposite. Happiness necessarily is attached to outcome. Detachment brings stasis and a form of bliss which is like returning to the womb. Many people are seeking this due to trauma, frustration, and bafflement. But, it's not a panacea for everyone. Those who seek detachment religiously, and are devoted to it like a god, will say it's the **only** way. And it's true for them. It is the **only** way for them. Agreed. This is the distinction between happiness, in all its forms, and bliss in all its forms. Detachment is an inward-journeying. Embracing the unknown as a path towards enlightenment ( literally en-lightening the burdens of life ) is called by many a "Fool's Journey". It's out-going. It's the opposite of detachment. It's integrating/connecting. The Fool is the unexpected hero of this story. See below, in a spoiler to save space on-screen. The story is included in the Tarot pantheon/construct, but, the purpose isn't foretelling the future. The purpose is to find the Hero-Fool as it exists within oneself and others. Once it is found within the heart-and-mind, it can be called on in response to life's events, connecting them to opportunities instead of defaulting into void.

... because reality includes the improvement already. That improvement, from raising consciousness, is already included in reality. Reality is the totality of all events: past, present, and future, fantasy, fiction, myth, and the inconceivable.

It's not expanding consciousness. It's remapping sensory feedback exaggerating the certainty of a highly unlikely story they're telling about themself usually for the purpose of avoiding an inconvenient painful set of truths. If the condition developed after these events, I'm guessing the individual is trying to make sense of their circumstances ( Why me? ). They don't want to accept that the condition they're in is partially genetic, partially their up-bringing, partially chaos, partially their own poor choices, partially poor choices of others. They want their circumstances to be significant in a way which is pleasing to them. And they will do a lot of work ( usually hyper-verbal, preaching their truth ) to reinforce their version of events with their remapped sensory feedback restated and emphasized. Most people who are suffering and struggling with what most describe as "mental illness" respond favorably to regular visits with a professional regardless of the type of treatment being offered. The routine appointments help to focus on basic needs: nutrition, hydration, rest, exercise. These are almost always neglected. Here in America and in the UK, most mental health practitioners keep distant from their patient's version of events, because, speaking about it reinforces the symptoms. This can be very frustrating for the patient, but, that's conventional wisdom. Professionals don't want to be liable for making matters worse. Instead they prescribe medication, try to treat immediately urgent symptoms when they arise, and accept that the patient will likely always suffer to a degree. How much they suffer is usually attributed to compliance with their medical advice. Since most individuals who are "mentally ill" are non-compliant; the practitioners almost always are able to offset their own concerns and be satisfied with minimal effort and energy invested in bringing the patient to a full recovery. Conventional wisdom in these cases is to keep the individual calm. Don't challenge their far-fetched ideas. Often, when challenged, the individual will become violent, suicidal, or otherwise unpredictable. Conversely, engaging in conversation about the symptoms reinforces them. The result is treatment which appears to the outside observer to be "aloof". The "standard treatment" is a minimalist, hands-off, approach where it's natural to wonder: "Isn't there more that can be done to help?" No. From a spiritual perspective, in general, the rule is: "You are where your mind is." From a spiritual perspective, the afflicted is in another realm. Those techniques grant access to "other realms". Even "grounding" practices counter-intuitively draw awareness beyond the material toward their ( nearly ) infinite essence. ( Which is/are other realm(s) ). In order to help them, from a spiritual perspective, one would need to join them in the other realm where their mind is. That's not an easy task. It takes a long time, a lot of effort. What's needed are listening skills. Not spiritual practice. Yes, I've worked with an individual who was diagnosed with schizophrenia. He had been in treatment for almost 20 years. He had developed the condition during his time away from home at university. We met when he was over 40. He had been asking for help from anyone who would listen, because his psychiatrist refused to discuss anything relating to his delusions. He and I worked together ( pro-bono ) for a little over 2 years. The best help that I could offer involved giving the afflicted language to better describe their inner-experience in ways which fit into his specific set of circumstances. We also worked on ways to validate his experiences without inviting negative reactions which triggered him. But, he still suffers. He wasn't cured. We haven't spoken in several years. 3, I think. We have common friends. I've been told that he's relapsed a few times.

@Breakingthewall, Thank you for sharing. It's very nice to meet you.

^^ This ^^

You're very welcome

It's "engraving". The "something" that's being made from "nothing" is "contrast". Maybe this will help? 1) Reality is a multi-dimensional, multi-layered collection of events. Reality is something which is happening. It's a verb. 2) Each layer is superimposed on all the others like layers of semi-translucent tissue-paper of differing colors. Or another analogy. Each layer co-exists with the others like the differing melodies, harmonies, and rhythms co-exist in a symphony. Or another analogy. Each layer is like the individual aroma from each of the flowers in a bouquet. 3) One of those layers is entirely materialistic. That's the realm of science, facts, here-and-there, before-and-after, hammers, nails, houses, etc... That's the dog-eat-dog world where it feels and looks like everyone is chasing their own tail and making zero progress. Physical bodies, hunger, thirst, relief, creature comforts, **temporal phenomenon** all exist here. In isolation, this realm is entirely nihilistic. 4) Beyond this realm, in nearly perfect opposition are nearly infinite immaterial realms. In these realms, phenomena are timeless. They do not occupy physical space. They do not break down over time. They don't behave like physical phenomena. These events are eternal, ongoing, primordial. Examples: "Loving", "Honesty", "Accounting", "Cooperating", "Nullifying", "Gathering", etc. 5) Law: Within the material realm, opposites attract. Conversely, beyond the material realm, like attracts like. It's correspondence. Like hand-in-glove. 6) Law: Within the material realm, phenomena can be tested. Beyond the material realm, phenomena cannot be tested. While the testing is occurring the phenomena is fully subsumed within the material realm. In QM this is described as "waveform collapse". ( This law was well known by many in the past. It's the reason why in the American birthday custom to "make a wish" it's important that they "don't tell anyone what was wished".

"Living Your Best Life"

"Wisdom is a flowing brook..." Sharing it is delicate. It's like choosing, where, when, and how to cross a stream.

uncomfortable footwear

Love, in its purest form, is "out-reaching". Nothing more, nothing less. It exists at the extreme end of a spectrum opposite Restraint. Restraining <<<>>> Out-Reaching Respect <<<>>> Love In common parlance, when people refer to Love, they're referring to healthy Love which is "nurturing". However, sometimes, as you're observing, Love isn't always good. Love isn't always nurturing. When Love is nurturing it is partnered with Respect/Restraint. Lacking Respect/Restraint Love becomes unhealthy, inappropriate. The classic example of unhealthy love is a parent who loves their child, the rapist, and gives them safe harbor, hiding them from authorities.

That part of the story was added approx 1500 years after the original story was compiled. It happens when an individual "charts a course" ( like a navigator on a ship going on a long voyage ) between what's possible and what's generally considered impossible. Once that's done, let nature take over. The trick is, all is omnipresent and concurrent. Once the path is mapped out, what was previously considered highly-unlikely becomes certainly-true. It's not "knowing". It's a feeling. It's like pressure. Maybe think of it this way? It's not conjuring. It's making a nest for a mother bird who is flying overhead on a long journey. If the nest is good; the mother bird cannot resist. The desired effect is "in the heavens" already. It's hovering, ready to land. Fashion a nest for it. ------------------------------------------------ Best wishes, and be careful. These things are dangerous.

related: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kefitzat_haderech ETA: An audio class by an academic/believer: LINK

Really interesting read. Ty.

What if there's different types of consciousness? ( One is a narrowing consciousness, and another is expanding consciousness. It's like looking compared to listening. Looking is narrowing. Listening is expanding. Both are happening simultaneously. )

... and in like manner one can become directly conscious of the others helping.

It's, at least, equally plausible that the others helped. Can we agree here?

Lacking consciousness, what is starting the new dream?

Most people lose consciousness immediately following a car crash. And then, others who are conscious, will take the injured and put them back together. If those others were fictional characters, then, when the victim in a crash loses consciousness, no one would come to help them.

You're not ALL alone. In many ways you are, and in many ways you're not. Both are true, simultaneously. To prove that you're not ALL alone: 1) Go for a drive 2) Close your eyes 3) Keep driving with your eyes closed 4) Rather quickly you'll be getting help from others

I am not within myself. ^^ Russell's paradox ^^ Think about it. Can infinity possess itself?