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meditation's relaxing effect will only decrease motivation if what drives it is anxiety. Look for better, more authentic intrinsic forms of motivation

San pedro sounds like such an amazing psychedelic. Shame it doesnt seem to be an option in Australia

I wonder if kanye really did do dmt...

Try yoga then, more involved and the benefits might look more obvious to you (since its got the obvious physical benefits). Maybe you'd find it less boring??

@Iorga Camil Did you take it by yourself or in a ceremonial setting if you don't mind me asking?

It's a psychedelic I rarely see people talking about, never tried it myself but am very curious about it. It definitely sounds like a very mystical experience that could offer a wide range of personal development benefits. I was wondering your guys thoughts on it and how it compares to Lsd, mushrooms, dmt, 5-meo, etc. Is it as much of a mind-fuck as Lsd or shrooms? For me Lsd's time distortion was a bit too much of a mindfuck and so was hoping mescaline's experience would be more "mystical" in nature if that makes sense.

Perhaps Islam did have non-dual origins, however much of the teachings attached to it, as evident by the scripts themselves and the example of the prophet, are disgusting and it's impossible to argue that the verses didn't mean exactly what they said.

I'll let the video speak for itself, very interesting though.

On the issue of anti-depressants: If someone has a shit life, or some psychological issue like a victim mentality, then obviously antidepressants won't do much, but if someone has a good life and tries to think positive but still feels immensely depressed, then there should be no reason why antidepressants shouldn't be considered. Of coarse, look at improving diet and exercising first as well as meditation and therapy, but simply dismissing antidepressants entirely is ridiculous. All treatments should be looked at with an open mind. Of course they can have side effects, but so can psychedelics even if one takes precautions. Personally I think Ketamine is the future of depression treatment, but for the time being, antidepressants should be looked at as a tool for those struggling significantly to get better and successfully implement practices that they can use for the rest of their life, and at some point leave antidepressants behind. I hope no one in this thread thinks that resisting the urge to use antidepressants is a logical thing to do if one is on the verge of killing themselves.

@CuteCornDog I had this problem; I'd recommend Acceptance and Commitment Therapy cos that helped me fix this issue. Search up "The mind workout" by Mark Freeman.

Your thoughts are just stories! What helps me with painful thoughts is seeing them as no different from those deluded retarded thoughts you have when you meditate that make absolutely no sense. Why take this one anymore seriously? Don't battle the thoughts, that makes them stronger. Accept and love yourself and welcome those thoughts without believing them. The link above i think is a great one for understanding this from experience. (Also, maybe try loving-kindness meditation as well?).

@Nadosa well I use to have OCD so I know a thing or two about uncertainty ahaha. The truth is you will never be certain about anything, so quit chasing it. Learn to accept uncertainty and the uncertainty will bother you less over time. If you react to uncertainties in your head, it will counter-intuitively create more uncertainties. I found surrender to be a process, you get better with it over time. Just let go of control. I wouldn't worry too much about being perfect at acceptance, all you need to do is allow emotional pain to be there and be mindful of it, meaning NOT JUDGING IT.

ah ok sweet thanks guys! And yeh @Joseph Maynor I guess I just have to expect there to be some fluff in Hindu texts ahah. My aversion to the fluff must be why I like buddhism so much, especially zen.

Any good books or resources of sects of Hinduism with relation to non-duality? Without a bunch of gods tacked onto it, besides Advaita-Vedanta?

I would hold off until you've done at least 2 years of mindfulness, acceptance and meditation practice. When struggling with your mental health it's almost too easy to see these things as an escape from our problems, an escape from our unpleasant feelings and thoughts, which our bullshit thought stories will label as "personal growth" or "purging of the impurities of the mind". If you do decide to take psychedelics now instead of later when you've done more practice, it should realistically be almost expected that you are going to face many, if not all your demons, and if you don't feel ready for that then don't take psychedelics until you really are.

@Wormon Blatburm Yes omg people focus so much on the problem and not the solution itself. @Gabriel Antonio Great Post! I used exposure and response prevention for OCD, and it was very effective. Your tips remind me of the stuff I learnt from ACT therapy funny enough. Also, did you ever try float tanks to be more confident and relaxed?

@Elton just make sure that with whatever life changes you make (dating, career, working out, etc.) you don't rely on practices such as visualisation and affirmation to do it effectively. I made that mistake and nothing changed in the end. I think seeing these practices as enhancements to your actions will lead to better results. I used to crave some feeling of confidence to do anything bold, which never works out in the end, seeing as confidence is temporary like all emotions. Just a bit of advice from my experience take it or leave it haha.

Yes, just look at something like a wall or floor. Avoid looking at anything that has words or moves.

Ok so Ill be starting no fap for the first time today and will be aiming for at least a month without fapping and keep adding more time each attempt I make. Posting this because I thought it would help me stay accountable. Wish me luck! (rip my life lol)

@Arkandeus Thanks man! and yes I do meditate and it would definitely make me more horny ahhaha.

UPDATE: NO FAP MONTH COMPLETE!!!!!!!!! Thank god. What I can be certain about what it did to me was increase my level of discipline (not surprising) as well as give a slight boost in motivation. I am not sure if it gave me more confidence, I personally didn't see a difference. Keep in mind that I am not addicted to porn and masturbation, so the benefits definitely aren't as big as what it would be for an addict. I think I would need to do it for longer to get more benefits. Even though the benefits are subtle, I would still recommend that people do it at least 3 times per year just to free up some time in their schedule, train their discipline skills and clear their mind. I definitely was not thinking about sex much after a decent amount of time went by, which is a lot considering I'm 17 (lol). And I think that makes talking to girls a more comfortable, normal experience. @Arkandeus @Voyager @pluto @sweater @Noname @ShapeShift

"And in the darkest nights, if my memory serves me right. Ill never turn back time, forgetting you but not the time". Read the story of the album American idiot by Green Day and this song will become even deeper than before.

FORMER SUFFERER OF OCD WHOS RECOVERED. Check out Mark Freeman on youtube. He does some great videos about various things relating to mental health but talks a lot about ocd and effective treatments for it. Mark Freeman's definition of a compulsion (the cause of ocd)-Anything you do to cope with, check on, or control uncertainty, anxiety, and any other feelings you don't like. The two main forms of therapy which I used and found effective was a combination of Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Both are extremely useful for cutting out the compulsions that cause such suffering. Medication (SSRIs are probably your best bet as they have less side effects than other meds) can be useful too when doing the therapy. Studies have shown its effectiveness in combination with ERP, so I'd highly recommend it when doing ERP. While I say this, you should know that medication is no long-term solution to the problem, merely something to give you the strength to cut out compulsions and build the skills. Tips on ERP: THE PAIN IS NOT THE PROBLEM. Remember that the urges, sensation, thoughts and feelings themselves while painful are not the problem, but the compulsions that you do, either in your head or out in the world, are the problem. They are what lead to your suffering, and could cause other problems such as depression and addiction. ACCEPT ALL UNCERTAINTY- Whatever uncertainty it is. It could be as simple as "I wonder why my phone buzzed" or "I wonder what she thinks of me" to as extreme as "Did I just kill someone", "has the house burnt down" ,"what if I'm a pedophile, or a murderer, or secretly have schizophrenia", "what if none of this is real". So much in life is uncertain. When we react to the uncertainties in our head, we cause more uncertainties that are more extreme than the previous ones. Accept it all! You cannot know! You Will never know! Try to look at the cores of your fears and the extreme consequences of your fears, and over time learn to accept those things. The cores of all fears include: Death, loss of resources and being alone. Try to find which fear is most related to your obsession, and learn to accept that as well as the obsession. Realise that you are not your thoughts, and that your thoughts are just stories, not facts. This tip is more related to ACT. I'd recommend "The Happiness Trap" by Russ Harris to learn more. Cognitive Defusion is the key concept I am referencing here. The great thing about ACT is that it is something you can do for the rest of your life and continue to benefit from it, and it will be able to help you in various situations as well as recovery from OCD. Remember that through this process of recovery, to be kind to yourself. Be gentle with yourself. This journey is hard, but trust me it is well worth it. RECOVERY IS POSSIBLE. I am a living example of that. I am free of the need to engage in compulsions because of these techniques. I don't take my thoughts seriously anymore, and no matter how negative my thoughts are, I can accept them and live a life I value, and if you do the things I mentioned, you will recover. Just be patient, this wont happen over night. Good luck, work hard, recover, self actualise.

Some things I find useful: Cutting out internet and caffeine addiction. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy techniques. Hypnosis. Meditation: The Five Remembrances, Mindfulness and Loving-Kindness. Diet, supplements+ exercise.

Facing your fears is ultimately the only way to truly overcome these things. Your mind will throw all sorts of excuses to not face them, ignore them. Face these fears and accept the uncertainty and fear involved in the process, and to stick to doing this consistently, I recommend basing your actions on what you value, which I assume is overcoming social anxiety, and not on your feelings, which would be to avoid others. Its perfectly normal to have emotions that are painful, but controlling such experiences is what creates social anxiety in the first place. Self-compassion will make this process easier also.