Colin

I just discovered this artist. This is some pretty incredible artwork. http://mariusfineart.com/

“Ultimately, happiness comes down to choosing between the discomfort of becoming aware of your mental afflictions and the discomfort of being ruled by them.” ― Robert Wright, Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment

Here are some interesting articles on sky gazing. https://www.thewayofmeditation.com.au/blog/the-incredible-mind-altering-meditation-of-sky-gazing/ "Sky gazing is apart of the Dzogchen tradition which is considered the highest spiritual path within Tibetan Buddhism and has been kept secret and only given to the most devout students, but as one Meditation Master has said in these times of strong materialism, chaos and disturbing emotions there needs to be an equally strong practice that can counter those negative forces and sky gazing is a practice that can do just that." https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mind-wandering/201607/look-the-surprising-joy-raising-your-gaze "neuroscientist Fred Previc argues that this second visual system, specializing as it does in surveying “extrapersonal space,” the distant vistas above the horizon, is especially well-developed in human beings. Previc goes on to argue that this area of the brain is strongly activated during religious experiences, meditative activity, dreaming, and probably any kind of artistic or creative activity that encourages us to reach beyond the bounds of nearby time and space into the infinite and eternal. It’s no accident, according to Previc, that meditative states, trances, mystical or religious experiences are often accompanied by upward deviations of the eyes. "

"and the sky, it makes me feel so high" - can you feel the sunshine, song

This is another fascinating idea put forward by mark hyman in the book. "Consuming too many omega 6 fats also increases the likelihood of inflammatory diseases and links to mental illness, suicide, and homicide. In fact, studies have shown a connection of mental health with inflammation in the brain." https://drhyman.com/blog/2016/01/29/why-oil-is-bad-for-you/

lol at the first line of the description "Did you know that eating oatmeal actually isn't a healthy way to start the day? That milk doesn't build bones, and eggs aren't the devil? Even the most health conscious among us have a hard time figuring out what to eat in order to lose weight, stay fit, and improve our health. And who can blame us? When it comes to diet, there's so much changing and conflicting information flying around that it's impossible to know where to look for sound advice. And decades of misguided "common sense," food-industry lobbying, bad science, and corrupt food polices and guidelines have only deepened our crisis of nutritional confusion, leaving us overwhelmed and anxious when we head to the grocery store. Thankfully, bestselling author Dr. Mark Hyman is here to set the record straight. In Food: What the Heck Should I Eat? -- his most comprehensive book yet -- he takes a close look at every food group and explains what we've gotten wrong, revealing which foods nurture our health and which pose a threat. From grains to legumes, meat to dairy, fats to artificial sweeteners, and beyond, Dr. Hyman debunks misconceptions and breaks down the fascinating science in his signature accessible style. He also explains food's role as powerful medicine capable of reversing chronic disease and shows how our food system and policies impact the environment, the economy, social justice, and personal health, painting a holistic picture of growing, cooking, and eating food in ways that nourish our bodies and the earth while creating a healthy society. With myth-busting insights, easy-to-understand science, and delicious, wholesome recipes, Food: What the Heck Should I Eat? is a no-nonsense guide to achieving optimal weight and lifelong health."

Just got to the part of the book "Food what the heck should I eat" by mark hyman where he talks about how oats are not a health food. There is always a different perspective

https://bebrainfit.com/increase-dopamine/

This is helpful too

This is a shitty, ignorant, and asinine comment. Tasha, please watch this video. I just watched the whole thing and tapped along with it. It is very good. The effects may be delayed, but it will make a difference. "Researchers from prestigious institutions such as Harvard Medical School, University of California, Walter Reed Military Medical Center, and Texas A&M University have published over 100 studies on EFT in peer-reviewed medical and psychology journals. (11) Conditions studied include stress, anxiety, depression, phobias, PTSD, pain, and addictions. (12) Harvard Medical School psychiatrist Rick Leskowitz, MD, director of the Integrative Medicine Project, has gone on record saying tapping is “the most impressive intervention I’ve encountered in 25 years of work.” (13) Clinical EFT treatment administered by trained practitioners has met the American Psychological Association’s standards as an “efficacious” or “probably efficacious” treatment for a number of conditions, including anxiety, depression, phobias, and PTSD. (14)" https://bebrainfit.com/tapping-anxiety-benefits/

Start the game, I'm breaking all that came You know that you have lost at the second you delay Play the gate, it lies in your biology Rising up the temperature, useless technology Park the car and walk under the stars So goddamn afraid to let down your gua-a-ard You can see I'm talking bu-bu-but me That's just what it is like in the wildfire It's me me me I am more than what you see Pouring out my cranium on the m-i-c I'm gonna come in harder To the thirsty bringing water Thought you wanted it to get higher But you're in the wildfire now Someone told you that you had no chance People told us it would never transpire You could be defeated in advance Just let them all burn in the wildfire Let me tell you what you might not know When the chips are down I mean lower than low You might think this dude won't show 'Cause I done robbed Knox and took all the gold We'll overcome with our squad and we'll get in the mix And you can pray to your god but your god can't fix How I look at this world and if I am crying It's cause I'm at the bigger life and I'm a die laughing Haha Whether you think you can Whether you think you can't Either way you're right Tell ya whether you think you can Whether you think you can't Brother, you're right on Someone told you that you had no chance People told us it would never transpire You could be defeated in advance Just let them all burn in the wildfire Life goes on and on The decisions so many times they make themselves And in the aftermath You cannot take it back Your point of view is everything That you're making Rude awakening Hate to be the one to tell you so I thought that you should know Cause that's what I'm here for Told you I'd never go And when the morning comes You know I'll still be here One thing you should not fear Whatever things that come Through the rain And the sunshine and the pain We'll look back and smile When all is said and been done When the song is sung

@martin_malin The thinking got sparked by reading this book “natural selection didn’t design your mind to see the world clearly; it designed your mind to have perceptions and beliefs that would help take care of your genes.” ― Robert Wright, Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment “This has been the point of much of this book. The human brain is a machine designed by natural selection to respond in pretty reflexive fashion to the sensory input impinging on it. It is designed, in a certain sense, to be controlled by that input. And a key cog in the machinery of control is the feelings that arise in response to the input. If you interact with those feelings via tanha—via the natural, reflexive thirst for the pleasant feelings and the natural, reflexive aversion to the unpleasant feelings—you will continue to be controlled by the world around you. But if you observe those feelings mindfully rather than just reacting to them, you can in some measure escape the control; the causes that ordinarily shape your behavior can be defied, and you can get closer to the unconditioned.” ― Robert Wright, Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment

@CreamCat I disagree, I think he is honest about his impulses, which is a great quality and a great start. Comments like "you are a terrible human being" are more regressive. But let us not derail this thread

I've been getting a lot of value out of thinking in terms of human evolutionary history as of late. It is a tribal competitive impulse. Someone being better than you would mean your death in ancient times. Especially if they were from a different tribe. It is good to know where these impulses come from, so you can act constructively from it, rather than berate yourself or ignore it.

yeah I'm not really ready for relationships times at the moment, but this list is something that I aim for. It might be too much to ask, so do what you gotta do, but be wary of getting tangled up with a narcissist. That will surely end in disaster.

I've got another cool biology based idea to share. Red light therapy. I don't feel like myself if I don't use it. I shine it on my whole body, I feel a surge of healthy energy. I put directly against my head and move it around, my brain comes online. use it on sex organs and my sex drive goes up. Use it on my hands and my guitar playing becomes better. I don't represent any company, but I can offer some low-cost recommendations if you are interested. I only paid 20 dollars for the red light bulb that I have and it is the correct frequency.

I've got an unconventional answer. I had a snag where I would get upset when interacting with my family, then one day I started playing a fighting video game. I got really focused on it for like a half hour and really tried to get good at it. In this game, you have to be quick to deflect against attacks, dodge at the right time, know when to strike, and timing is very important (like life). I had fun doing it, but was also challenged. Kind of like a flow state. Then I went and met my parents and the usual stuff that came up that would bother me , pretty deeply sometimes, I just slapped it away like it was nothing. I was quick to respond. I left the same interaction that would have left me feeling upset previously, feeling pretty great. Of course, no violence was involved, I was very sweet and cordial, but mentally I was stronger in important ways There is precedent for this. The last few chapters of this book make the case for something like this. https://medium.com/@choysauce/how-fighting-games-can-help-you-deal-with-the-chaos-of-life-d832b7bd9e3d "By improving in the game, you are demonstrating that you have the ability to improve your situations in your personal relationships, your career, and your personal growth. It’s a lifelong process that we’re all going through no matter how seasoned anyone is considered to be. It may seem farfetched that something like video games can help you with things in your life, but I can say that in my own experience it definitely has helped me. So I hope that something in these musing ends up helping you as well. And some of you may think that you’re not improving or that you can’t, but that’s a total lie (that we can talk about in another article). Keep fighting the good fight and when you look back you’ll see how much stronger you’ve grown and leveled up in the game and in life."

Here is a resource to strengthen your resolve against the allure of digital addiction. https://www.optimize.me/cda/ There is a great price being paid for one's addiction to all kinds of internet services.

"Here’s a list of the most common dopamine deficiency symptoms: (2) lack of motivation fatigue apathy procrastination inability to feel pleasure low libido inability to connect with others sleep problems mood swings hopelessness memory loss inability to concentrate inability to complete tasks engaging in self-destructive behaviors, especially addictions"

I've got something from a biological perspective. There are days when I wake up and I don't have the motivation to do anything, then I do various things to boost dopamine and my motivation, optimism, and willpower come back. https://bebrainfit.com/increase-dopamine/ This article has a lot of info. seeing it happen in real time is pretty compelling.

I was going to give you generic words of encouragement, but seeing as I don't know the details I'll just say, Be true to yourself!