TJ Reeves

My current girlfriend is a construction worker with a community college education, dyslexia, and very little experience with self-help books. That said, she's very smart, sweet, and easily one of the most awakened people I know. Every day she mentions some deep spiritual or psychological theory that took me years to grasp, despite my "elite" education. Only her life experiences and her tendency to contemplate while taking care of chores lead her to many insights. Examples of things she's come up with without ever having read books or attend seminars on the subject: "When I date guys, the biggest question in my mind is how they talk to their mom and whether they love themselves enough to love me. I feel like when people grow up [and start dating], they're really just trying to replace their parents in a healthy manner before their parents die." - Attachment theory summarized in two sentences "I mean, it only makes sense that I would be God. If he's everything and I'm something, then he must be me because I'm part of everything. *laughs* actually, I'm going to use her from now on... She must be me... and i'm her, then I must be everything too! Whenever I get super upset I think, 'wait a minute I'm God, what's there to be upset about?'" - Enlightenment "What I love most about going to the zoo is that I see parts of my self in every animal. I think thats the secret of zoos - the animal in the cage isn't in there, its in here *she points to her heart*" And I've asked her and no, she's never taken any psychedelics although she says hippy-shit all the time - Its the cutest thing ever.

(I'm practicing my story telling. Here's a short story I wrote up.) Everyone knows Superman has the stupidest disguise ever. Why doesn’t everyone recognize him considering all he wears are a pair of glasses? The secret is that Superman actually uses a hypnosis-beam on everyone around him. This beam bounces through Superman’s glasses and gives everyone Prosopagnosia, or face blindness, such that they literally do not see him for who he is. Considering how He's destroyed a solar system with a sneeze, shattered reality itself with a punch, and even escaped a blackhole, Superman finds it tough to find entertainment at times. I mean, the best games require challenge, and so does the game of life. More and more, Superman wonders what it would be like to be truly human until one day, his curiosity over takes him. Superman looks at himself in the mirror and uses the hypo beam on himself. Zap! Superman stopped being superman and only Clark Kent remained. Clark has hidden memories of what it was like to be Superman, but since he’s can’t recognize himself his identity, all he knows is that he feels some type of indescribable incompleteness. Try as he might, nothing fills up this incompleteness. Fantasizing about to Lois Lane doesn’t Help. Working up the Career ladder at the Daily Planet doesn’t help. Alcohol doesn’t help. Nothing lets Clark feel infinite again. People begin to look at Clark weird (Remember, everyone around him now sees Superman Moping about, walking instead of flying, acting as if he can’t do anything to help himself, and stuck inside his own mind). Now that he's become human, Clark feels more Alien than ever. Clark gets depressive and begins to zone out. Lois is skeptical - Why has her Superman started acting this way? She pulls Clark to the side on day at the office. “I don’t know what kind of shenanigans you’re trying to pull off, but it’s weird. You’re not acting like yourself. I don’t like it.You don't like it. No one likes it. Maybe you should go see the MetaHuman Doctor.” When Clark tells the MetaHuman Doctor about his feelings of physical incompleteness, anxiety over small problems, and inability to look people in the eye confidently, the doctor simply laughs. “Is this some kind of joke?” Clark gets visibly upset when he sees the Doctor's’ incredulity. At that moment, the Doctor realizes that Superman is being dead serious. He’s actually convinced himself that he’s Clark. That is, he’s not going to be able to tap into his superhuman abilities to help others until he snaps out of this delusion. Worse, a deluded superman is capable of killing the world in order to try to recreate the feeling of being superman. The joke is suddenly not funny. The Doctor smiles and tells Clark pain medication is unnecessary, as it would only be treating the symptoms and not the root cause. Clark tells the doctor that this makes no sense - "What is a sickness if not the symptoms? Perhaps, You mean that my problems are chemical instead of psychological." No, The Doctor tells Clark. That’s not the issue. In fact, the Doctor continues, there's weirder news: the symptoms aren’t even symptoms of anything, really – he’s acting like a normal person. The truth is that there’s nothing to fix in the first place. Clark just has to pay attention to who or what he actually is to realize that he’s been infinitely strong this whole time. Clark doesn’t get it. In fact, he gets mad at the suggestion that there’s nothing to fix – clearly there’s something to fix or else he would have never gone to the doctor! The doctor grabs Clark by the shoulders, looks him dead in the eye and tells him the truth: Clark, there's nothing to fix because You already transcend what it means to be human. You are a god. You are immortal. You always have been and always will be. You’re getting upset over nothing other than your own stories for what you think you are. If you remember who you are, where you came from, and what you did to get to this point, your problems as Clark Kent will become a mere joke to you. The world needs you to remember who you are - an immortal being - so that you can go back to helping others and stop focusing so much on completing Clark Kent. “You think I’m a god?” Clark looks at the Doctor like the Doctor is the one who’s insane “I thought you were supposed to be a man of science.” The doctor sighed. There’s nothing you can say to someone who’s not willing to listen. “Apparently, they’ll let complete nuts run clinics these days,” Clark says as he walks out, slamming the door behind him. He chooses not to notice that the door turned into pure sawdust from his strength. "Telling me that there's no problem when I stand here in torture is simply more torture." Clark leaves the building and presses a button to cross the street. A kid stands next to him, playing with a bouncy ball. Clark continues to curse under his breathe. “Why doesn’t anyone help me? First Lois tells me I’m not acting myself and then the Doctor tell me nothing’s wrong. I’m just Clark Kent – I’m not some superhero. What did I do to deserve this bullshit?” At that moment the kid’s bouncy ball hits off Clarks shoe and into the traffic. The kid runs out to chase the ball, not thinking whatsoever. Clark’s eyes open as he watches things unfold in slow motion. No one else can help - it's not his kid but it is his responsibility. He runs out. BAM! A huge bus hits Clark just as he manages to reach the child. He saw It for one second. His entire life flashes before his eyes. He sees the Truth – the whole universe in front of him – what he actually is. Then he wakes up, unscathed. And he gets it. Not matter what’s happened, he’s always been alive. The same way the sun always rises and the birds always fly, he’s had to be alive to see it happen. There’s never been a time he’s aware of where he’s not been alive. There’s no reason to be anxious, there’s no reason to think he’s weak, there’s no reason to remain unconfident – that’s all part of a character named Clark. In truth, he’s Superman. It never mattered what the Doctor told Clark. It wasn’t until Clark got by a bus that it all made sense. The doctor could have shouted YOU ARE IMMORTAL into Clarks face one thousand times but none of that would come close to the direct experience of what it means to be Superman. It’s not like recognizing who he is actually changed anything about Superman’s life as Clark. He still works at the Daily Planet. He still has a crush on Lois Lane. He still likes coffee. But his experiential grasp of his true nature does change his perspective on things. Specifically, Clark Kent won’t be limited to the same types of actions now that he remembers that he is. The next day, Clark saunters in the office with a certain pep. As he turns the corner, a plucky intern runs around the corner and directly into him, spilling coffee on his shirt. “Watch where you’re going, asshole!” the kid yells out. Does Clark get mad? Yes, a little bit at first. I mean, the its the kid who was run But he’s then he thinks “who gives a shit, I’m Superman. I could snap this guy’s spine in two, but it actually feels better not to." It sucks to live a life where you’re never going to know what it’s like to be Superman. "Honestly I acted like a jackass too when I felt like that. In fact, it sucks so much that I’ll help him clean up despite him acting like a fool." So Clark continues on being Superman and Clark, knowing the Truth, yet never able to completely state it or else people might freak out. His strength was always there, but his awareness made all the difference. Having the experience of being human makes being Superman that much better: He no longer feels as bored but he also has greater empathy for the humans-waiting-to-be-superhumans around him.

Few people actually know what they're doing at 23. And those who do are wrong - check in with them in about 10 years to see that I'm right about this. It's not at all too late for you. But recognize bullshit when it pops up: the idea that you're too old to start now is bullshit.

@Leo GuraThe "understanding absolute infinity" video was a masterpiece. The order of the presentation's deconstruction of logic was beautiful in the same way a fine-art painting's construction is beautiful. So here's are my questions: How do you write down and/or construct your presentations? Do you read off a teleprompter? Is it all in your head? How often do you practice each specific presentation before-hand? Do you talk with others for feedback beforehand? Does someone literally go "But leo?" I'm sure the people at Toastmasters didn't have you practicing 2 hour speeches. So far, I have this as my guess for your general format: Heeeeeey this is Leo and today we're talking about X [logo] One sentence main idea Define Main idea further One analogy Everyday Examples (or, if it's a list video, begin the list) But Leo! Nuance question #1 But Leo! Nuance question #2 ... But Leo! Nuance question #ABSOLUTEINFINITY Practical Application exercise/meditation/homework Wrap up

I've received a few messages and seen a few posts regarding consciousness work and social isolation. Part of me totally understands the sentiments of those who've found themselves more introverted. I also understand some of the feelings of isolation and loneliness. Another part of me calls bullshit. Spiritual work has made me less socially anxious, more understanding, and more connected to my community, as I think that it all goes full circle. So, if one does not find themselves more able to hang out alone AND more able to connect to others, something is up. I attempted a systematic understanding of what's going on. What results is a critique of some of Actualized.org follower's practices, NOT necessarily Leo. In fact, I think Leo has done a superb job at trying to prevent this issue - people naturally fuck it up. We can all choose to take responsibility over whatever we'd like - it's best to take responsibility of ourselves. Extra note: I get that few people will understand what death is like. But that doesn't mean there's no way whatsoever to relate to others. I've had enough experiences with death to 1) know the suffering of others 2) See just how it is that I'm everyone and everything and 3) become a vessel for the universe, an ultimately benevolent force. As a result, I have better relationships than ever. If this isn't immediately obvious to you and everyone around you in your life without having to ask, then you're kidding yourself.

@Jordan wang As an athlete, I think about this question a lot. Some of my credentials: Walked on to the #1 NCAA lacrosse team in the nation Started every college football game through Junior year, winning 3 championships along the way Won indoor and outdoor track and field championships and broke several school records Competed on this season of American Ninja Warrior Now I'm getting ready for Broken Skull Challenge One of the best things about playing so many sports is the perspective it's given me. My athletic career has progressed in direct proportion to my understanding of the nature of competition. Here's what I noticed: Lacrosse - External Competition is a drag on your mental-emotional health when taken to the extreme the most depressed and stressed I ever got was as a walk-on to the lacrosse team, despite it being one of my childhood dreams. why? The head coach, Dave Pietramala, was and still is a huge fan of making us compete for every scrap of play time. There were times where he would insult and/or intentionally neglect players so that they would "toughen up" and "grab the brass ring" the problem was that everyone was constantly trying to one up each other and grab this ring, so life turned into a competition of who put in more practice time it got to the point where we'd all neglect studies to try to practice and outdo everyone else Obviously, such imbalance created issues in school, and relationships, as well as burnout And to top it off, no, you might not actually get better than the competition - so you did all of that for almost nothing. Another element of the competition was that the players did not help each other very much - why help someone who's gunning for your spot? By game time, the team was pretty of tired and stressed out from practice During games, instead of focusing on the joy of the game, players would focus on trying not to fuck up - there was always a 2nd string player ready to jump up and take their position. So players did not have the looseness and creativity necessary for top level performance The one's who did have that looseness were essentially crazy people who gave zero fucks since day one. The result? The worst season in Johns Hopkins History... a 41-year playoff streak ended Football - In small, friendly doses, competition has it's merits, but it doesn't contribute much to personal growth The most efficient team I ever played for was the football team, which was like a tightly knit family Practices were just as well organized as the D1 lacrosse practices. The difference was that we were all focused on growth and development through support We'd "compete" with each other, but it was just more friendly fun. Practice felt like being a little kid in a playground. No one took any one competition that seriously. Seniors were always helping freshmen learn positions and techniques Come game time, we were so confident in our preparation and support, it felt like we were floating through the air. For the entire regular season, we'd win by +30 points, celebrate with sick parties, and then go fuck the brains out of our fans. Those were Good times. ...But not exactly the most Conscious. Track - Focus on beating your self and breaking past your own limitations Emotionally, I began to flourish on the track and field team, where, for the first time in years, I didn't have to compete against others. track is all about how you do versus yourself. If you didn't get it by now, this is the most important question in life. It was nice to have teammates help each other try to beat their personal records The track athlete who lives his life trying to beat the competition is an inefficient jack-ass. The same would go for the swimmer. Ninja Warrior - The top athlete finds creative solutions to the problem of never-before-seen obstacles in competition, mainly these problems come from within. I think the most accurate metaphor for life came from competing on Ninja Warrior With Ninja Warrior, athletics stopped being about competition entirely and became about how to find solutions to the problem of training for never-before-seen obstacles You have at least one shot in the spot light and it's a blessing you're even there. Everyone cheers you on, even the other competitors Back stage, no one badmouths or glares at each other before the competition The only real way to do well on the show is to meet with other ninjas, figure out how to train for the obstacles, and work on your skills as best as possible using creative methods Broken Skull - there is no competition - there only is and then we create the false label "competition" Broken Skull Challenge advertises itself as being all about beating the other man in front of you The secret is that there is no other man in front of you. That person in front of you is you. Literally. Existentially. Moreover, the whole idea of competition is not even close to being capital T true. There is no competition and there has never been competition - we just play a game with ourselves thinking that it's true and that we should be afraid or nervous or whatnot. All versions of you that think in terms of competition automatically limit themselves out of fear - of pain, humiliation, and uncertainty. This is the mindset that helped Peter Ralston win the 1978 Martial Arts Championship This is the mindset that helps Me train This is the mindset that will help You in life.

To find out more, check out The Power of Vulnerability by Dr. Brené Brown

Check out the Science and Non Duality (SAND) conference occurring October 19th- 22nd in San Jose California Featured Speakers include: Adyashanti Rupert spira Robert Lanza Plus +100 others The cool thing about conferences and seminars is that you can meet a lot of people who are super interested your topic of choosing. Apparently, you can save $100 if you register before July 15th. After that, tickets are $599. I'll be going, so let me know if you do too!

In my research for a little book I'm writing, I came upon a fucking insane article. In france, a man has lived a totally normal life despite missing 90% of his brain. Here's his brain scan: From the Article: Doctors think the majority of the man's brain was slowly destroyed over the course of 30 years by the build-up of fluid in the brain, a condition known as hydrocephalus. He'd been diagnosed with it as an infant and treated with a stent, but it was removed when he was 14 years old, and since then, the majority of his brain seems to have been eroded. But despite his minimal remaining brain tissue, the man wasn't mentally disabled - he had a low IQ between 75 to 84, but was working as a civil servant. He was also married with two children, and was relatively healthy. "Any theory of consciousness has to be able to explain why a person like that, who's missing 90 percent of his neurons, still exhibits normal behaviour," Axel Cleeremans, a cognitive psychologist from the Université Libre de Bruxelles in Belgium, told Quartz. There are a few books on Leo's Book List that talk about consciousness and the brain, if you are interested. For now though, recognize that YOU ARE NOT YOUR BRAIN. This is important to grasp, because the belief that "you are your brain" is detrimental to personal development work and especially enlightenment work. As long as you equate your true nature with your brain, you will play the Game of Life in Safe Mode. That's all. Enjoy!

I don't, at least not in the Absolute, Capital "T" Truth sense. It's not like I've seen my head even, let alone my brain. For all I know, I'm headless. The most accurate description of my head is " ". When I point to objects in the world I can describe them, but when I point to where my head is supposed to be, all I get is " " My perception is like this: My world is like this: I have never actually seen where I am, only everywhere that I am not - even the parts that seem like "I am all" are actually parts that I am Not. In experience, when I move, it's seems like the world, which exists as the form of I AM ALL-except-NOT-actually, moves through where I am and turns into the more conventional form of I AM-NOT... The world gets created and destroyed wherever I look. On top of that, I am open to the possibility of feeling like "where I AM" moves to other places outside of what's been told to me is my skull. I haven't personally experienced it, but I'm at least open to it. However, when I factor in that time only exists Now, I can't factor in experience -- For all experiences take at least some time to process. As such, no experience is actually true. Yet, still there I am. ------------- That said: If you're going to go around completely denying any and all ties between your brain and consciousness in this world of common experience, you're throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I have personally experienced traumatic brain injuries from football that affected my mood, memories, and behaviors despite trying to deny the injuries. That is, if the placebo effect were to take place and the brain had absolutely, positively nothing to do with the contents of consciousness in this realm, then I should not have been affected whatsoever. But the contents of consciousness were indeed affected. So, I have considerable, first-hand evidence in the relative, shared, "normal" impermanent world of my awareness that I have a brain that has at least some ties to consciousness in this world. Sure this is all mental content, but the mental content does interact with itself. For common, everyday purposes of talking to people, referring to my head and my brain tends to make a lot of sense. I'm not going to go through a whole philosophical derivation of the no-self when I go buy a hat at the hat store. "Excuse me, sir, can I buy a hat for my not-head?" I don't disagree. Mu. It seems to anchor us within just one version of the Game of Life, despite just being more of the Game itself. The funny thing is that there is no gaming console for the overall Game itself. Consciousness simply Is. Basically. We could imagine an overall mind-at-large that has the picture of Absolutely Everything NOW sending out probes/tentacles to examine consciousness (itself, the universe) through a filtered perspective. Such probes get anchored and constrained by the brain, with the brain simply being what-it-looks-like from an outside perspective. But the brain might only apply in certain realities and not others. This would allow mind-at-large to focus on and appreciate what's going on one thing at a time. Or not, I mean, who knows? I don't actually know much about anything. And it's not like anything I write here will be the Absolute Truth.

The impaction caused neuronal death. You would have understood this if you googled what's going on. Neurons aren't that squishy. There's a reason Trepanation has existed as a form of brain surgery for 2,000 years: brain cells very quickly die when they get pressed into the skull. Even just a little bit of squishing tends to be a major problem. the issue is not genetics, its more that a: the IQ test sucks and b: peoples from around the world have different focuses and so develop different capacities for action. You develop strength in what you practice, but we demand people practice what we do. 1- There is more genetic similarity between peoples of the world between cultures than there is within cultures. No one culture is genetically superior to another culture in a statistically significant way. Any genetic differences in IQ are on the order of maybe 1-5%, and even that is debatable, as it is due to cultural effects present in the test itself. 2 - And even if there hypothetically were some difference on the order of 10%, which would be huge, there is so much variation amongst people it's useless to make a generalization such as "he is from X country therefore he is genetically inferior due to IQ." 3 - People from other countries would make you look like a fucking idiot because they know how to do things you have absolutely no clue how to do. Westerners are WEIRD. Do we? Says who? Some keyboard junkie? With what evidence? I hope you know that most of the world's problems are from people making blind conjectures about what the world needs to do. On top of that, please tell me what fucking criteria you mean for intelligence? There's at least 8 different areas: Verbal-linguistic intelligence refers to an individual's ability to analyze information and produce work that involves oral and written language, such as speeches, books, and emails. Logical-mathematical intelligence describes the ability to develop equations and proofs, make calculations, and solve abstract problems. Visual-spatial intelligence allows people to comprehend maps and other types of graphical information. Musical intelligence enables individuals to produce and make meaning of different types of sound. Naturalistic intelligence refers to the ability to identify and distinguish among different types of plants, animals, and weather formations found in the natural world. Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence entails using one's own body to create products or solve problems. Interpersonal intelligence reflects an ability to recognize and understand other people's moods, desires, motivations, and intentions. Intrapersonal intelligence refers to people's ability to recognize and assess those same characteristics within themselves. Which ones are you going to measure people by? Oh and despite what you might think, science is not even close to measuring what genes contribute to what intelligence. Almost as far off as they are about the brain and consciousness, they are as far off with genetics. The big reason: Chaotic interplay between genetics, environment, and mind. You cannot even come close to modeling any one intelligence from pure genetics. Genetic diversity is what prevents mass wipeout due to sickness. Yet, you argue for genetic uniformity. Thats how you create a bottleneck effect. If you want to make sure humans don't get wiped out, you would specifically allow for as much random breeding as possible. In conclusion, the only reason you argue for any form of genetic culling is because you secretly think that you would be allowed to breed. But who says that would ever be the case? For you've demonstrated: - an inability to google articles like the one above, - a largely racist, misinformed misunderstanding of intelligence, - and a lack of knowledge of middle school biology despite having access to proper education and yet you believe yourself intelligent enough to call the shots and not get genetically castrated by your own wish. What a joke.

There's a ton of over thinking here on this post. Since you spent $250 and +25 hours to finish the life purpose course, you should have done the homework and watched Jorodowski's Dune. Except, clearly you didn't, because you would have realized that the life purpose course promotes things like artistic careers in fields like drawing/illustration. Your little freakout about how drawing is selfish is a judgement on every single illustrative artist. Not only do you insult Picasso, Dalî, and Walt Disney by identifying with the guilt that "drawing is selfish," you also prevent yourself from doing what you love. Take your head out of your ass and drop the judgment immediately. Use the Sedona method if you have to. And yeah, its true: Art is, has, and will always be selfish. That's because it's your goddamn right to create art, as it is one of the best ways to express your truest self. There's nothing to be guilty about. Don't worry about "oh no! Self expression! That must mean my ego is getting in the way." No, where your ego is getting in the way is how you've come up with this huge set of bullshit reasons why you don't do the thing you love: drawing. Look at how much anxiety you've caused yourself by forgetting what art is at the end of the day: a chance to therapeutically express yourself. Fuck you, any thing, any thought, or anyone in the world who tries to keep you from making art. That especially includes creative guilt. This whole thing about needing helping the world with your art or else is egoic bullshit. You do not need to save the world with your art. That belief will create huge problems for you, especially through creative blocks and anxiety. Just do what you want and make what you want -- for you. If you want to help the world, fine. But don't freak out about how your drawings don't save polar bears. Rest in the Not Knowing as you move toward the future. Read "How to Be Like Walt Disney" to see what it looks like when someone decides to follow their passion for creating cartoons, especially for children. When you see the life possible, then you will realize how fucking silly you are being. This is awesome! Seriously, go after it! I'm sorry if I sounded harsh above, but It's because I want you to wake up and recognize when your ego is limiting you. In this case, you've clearly gotten hold of a great idea and it would be a shame if your ego-identification prevented you from going after it. Main point: The issue is not about wanting to make educational illustrations. The issue is that you take those false feelings of guilt seriously and are limiting yourself from pursuing a cool opportunity, all the while thinking that you're being heroic or selfless or something. It's a sad joke. Another great book that you may want to consider reading is called Big Magic, by Elizabeth Gilbert. It will help you wake up and take charge of your artistic career.

So I looked at the actual study itself as opposed to the analysis of the article by the Telegraph. My main interpretation is as follows: Mindfulness gives you the tools to spot issues with your emotions and thoughts. Women have a better way of then handling these emotional issues in real time and in real life because of the way they were raised. Men, on the other hand, do not. So, as opposed to showing why mindfulness fails, Peterson's study just shows why men need to both take mindfulness classes to spot their issues and then take emotional-focused therapy classes to address issues in a healthy manners. Here's my reasoning: As noted by the authors of the study, the issue here does not lie with meditation itself but with gendered forms of emotional expression. In the beginning of the paper, the authors of the study write: Importantly, research also suggests differences in response mechanisms to psychological distress. When coping with psychological distress, men tend to “externalize” their distress by directing action outward (e.g., playing sports or video games, watching TV, etc), whereas women tend to internalize their distress by directing action inward (e.g., ruminating or writing about a negative event) . The other thing women do is that they talk to each other about their emotional baggage. Women are much better at talking to others about their emotions than men are because of the way they are cultured. In a society that much become less about doing and more about allowing yourself to Be, it's important to let go of this externalized "doing" that characterizes masculinity. As a result of men's externalization of emotions and need to "do" stuff, men: Suffer from greater amounts of attentional issues ("what should I do to solve my problems!? There are too many options of what to do! ") Take on greater job risks ("I have to do something to get noticed, so I won't feel so worthless and I can finally be happy!") Refuse aid more often from mental health professionals ("Because all they do is talk talk talk instead of actually finding solutions!") And thus, commit suicide more often ("At least it's technically a form of doing something") The difference is so great, some sociologists argue that the #1 factor for determining a straight male's lifetime longevity is whether he's married during middle age. Why? Again, women are simply much better to talk about emotions with. Another study, the Harvard Longevity study, demonstrated that: "close relationships, more than money or fame, are what keep people happy throughout their lives. Those ties protect people from life’s discontents, help to delay mental and physical decline, and are better predictors of long and happy lives than social class, IQ, or even genes. That finding proved true across the board among both the Harvard men and the inner-city participants." And what is the secret to keeping and maintaining strong relationships? Respectful discussion of emotional issues, the ability to discuss solutions to those issues with one another, and being there celebrating each other's wins. Women do a much better job of this then men, who are off trying to live out some grand purpose on their own. Going back to the study itself, I do not see any issue with these findings. I can easily interpret the studies results as follows: men and women both learned to recognize their emotions in real time without identifying with them, as they should have with mindfulness practice the women in the study proceeded to talk with their friends about the new emotional flavors that came up in regular every-day life the men, when faced with new emotional flavors, either tried to "do" stuff to fix it or did not talk to friends about it nearly as much as the women So, the women gained a benefit but the men didn't. Mediation is just practice. What matters is Game Time. What matters is ordinary, every day life. I still think that the mindfulness practices are important for showing men their emotional flavors in the first place. What must happen is that the men become well trained at talking about that shit with other men and women. Overall, the study may be evidence that for men, Mindfulness alone is not enough in its early stages, but that doesn't mean it should be thrown out. Instead mindfulness would be better off intertwined with some form of emotion-focused therapy for men. Women, by nature of how they were raised in culture, may not need such therapy as much, although it might be beneficial for some people, regardless of gender.

Think of happiness as being + values in action. Do not expect yourself to literally embody values perfectly, as values themselves are concepts. But do make the attempt. It's the trying that counts. Don't know your values? Figure them out. Once you nail down your personal values, you can eliminate all the distractions that keep you from living out those values. Embodying your values is hard enough. Embodying values without knowing them yet is a recipe for disaster. - When you practice your values in actions enough, you'll get to a point where you don't even think about it that much. - Add unconditional happiness to your list of values . That said, don't get upset with yourself for getting upset and not 100% living up to the value of unconditional happiness. Keep asking yourself "am I setting up conditions for my happiness? Oh yes! I am!" and then finding a proper solution to that condition or letting go of the condition completely. Over time, you will come closer to truly unconditional happiness as you get better at facing and removing your happiness-conditions. - We all have a list of human needs. These needs may cloud our awareness such that we become desperate to fulfill them, in order. - in desperation, we may go against our values or make rash actions that make the world worse for everyone and everything in it. So the game is to figure out how, when, and why your needs are clouding your awareness. - The wholehearted do value play and joy. This is part of their secret. - The problem is that people go overboard with it and knock themselves out of balance. Life is not all about fun. - The opposite of play is not work. It's depression. So if you find that you're not doing anything fun while on your quest, then know that you're fucking yourself over. - The Specific answer to that question depends on the person, but basically the overall structure will be: having complete experiences of life, especially by opening up to new ones growing in the ability to handle more complex problems (on your own and with other people) practicing authenticity - being able to speak your mind and heart as necessary connecting the Truth that you literally are God in God hanging out with other versions of God helping others do everything listed above in a direct, appreciable way Do that and you're bound to have a great life. Enlightenment? Enlightenment does not equal personal transformation. You can access the Truth but still go back to do thing the same 'ol things. Then again, the Truth can be used for a) mental clarity so that you can get shit done b) a reminder that you don't actually have to do anything, so you don't have to become neurotic about getting shit done and c) simple amazement at the fact that you are aware of everything at all - if you understand what to look for, then the world becomes this goddamn amazing wonder of stuff to discover. (HINT: you are awareness in the never ending process of not knowing and figuring itself out. Or better yet, you are how the universe feels itself and contemplates about itself.) Example: Peter Ralston wrote a whole book about the fact that enlightenment does not equal personal transformation and yet his enlightenments (note: plural! there's a lot to become enlightened about!) allowed him to not give a f*ck about pain while winning world martial Arts Championships. Being As a synonym for being use "complete experience" or "stopping to smell the roses" or "really feeling what it is like to be you in the moment of being you as you do the things you do, whatever they may be" Overall, enlightenment and being are themselves part of fulfillment, as I hinted at earlier with the list of things that generally comprise a fulfilling life.

Open your heart to the possibility. Do you think you're ever going to even approach unconditional happiness if you don't open your heart? Open your mind. Do you really think you're better off not being open to the concept? For now, just strive for looking at how you set up conditions. Let go of the extreme examples and look at the smaller examples. Yes. I can. A lot of people can. Even right now in a limited level of consciousness with relatively little much training, I can be happy about just about anything. In fact, some of the worst things that have ever happened to me have been the best things in my life. And Vice Versa. I am pretty open to the possibility of gaining understanding about some of the worst things that might happen to me. And if you're going to go with a whole "oh but time is only now" thing, then yes, I can potentially get to a point where I am happy with anything NOW as it happens. If you have a complete sensory experience of anything it's really not bad at all. I see what you did there: you make seem as if happiness causes torture and rape. And again, your incredulity demonstrates a lack of open-mindedness toward possible good things. For example, I personally know two examples of people birthed by rape. Obviously they are not 100% happy that it happened the way it did, but they are indeed happy that they were born, and it had to have happened or else they would not have been born.

Practical Answer: take a break ever 20 minutes to look out 20 feet away from you for 20 seconds to rest your eyes A little deeper answer: Deep work requires deep breaks I want you to consider that you are doing a mental workout every time you read and do this work. As such, getting to the point where you can handle a ton of information and focus your attention for a ton of time is like getting to the point of a bodybuilder who can lift a ton of weight for a ton of time. You are a beginner in consciousness work, and like a beginner in bodybuilding, you get tired. Accept this and use it as motivation for getting stronger. The more you meditate and read, the easier it will become. Lastly, like a top bodybuilder, you must seriously consider what is that you eat.

I have. Yes. 1 - If you're not the type of person who understands the value in buying it, then that $35 you would save by not getting the book list will probably be spent on total bullshit. The less you want to buy it, the more you actually need it. 2 - Its invaluable when you consider the amount of time and effort it saves you. Imagine having a recommended list of the best books for any subject you need to figure out, categorized and listed out right there for you. It's almost like a cheat code for life. 3 - Despite what you might think, the Amazon.com recommended books or highest rated books doesn't come even close to the booklist. Leo goes out of his way to find unheard-of, niche books that you would probably never have considered given 10 years to research each topic.

Stop suppressing so much. Change the flow of the energy instead of suppressing it. This post is at least a start. But also consider going to your friends and complaining a little. That is, talk to physical people out in meat-space about the struggles you go through. Get them to help you on your journey. Perhaps instead of automatically labeling the feeling as "jealousy" and getting mad at yourself, try using it as a signal for what you possibly would like out of your life. For example, if you see that a certain guy is amazing around women, then maybe that's a signal that you want to focus a little more on your personal relationships. Then, go up to him and ask what he did. That same feeling of jealousy can actually turn around into a form of pure positivity and joy for the success of others as well as motivation for yourself if you examine it properly. You stab yourself with your assumptions. No one else stabs you. Moreover, you don't even stab your true self, for the true self is untouchable. What you stab and what does the stabbing is your ego/limited perspective/pain-body that clings to suffering as a way of life. Examine how much pain the ego throws at you. Observe how much the ego bleeds when it cuts itself. Ask yourself if you truly wish to suffer the way you do. Make your ego as aware of its faulty practices as possible. Allow for the thinking to pass. Stop identifying with it. You perceive the thoughts, but you are not the thoughts. Meditate and pay more attention to what's going on. You do not know that it is you doing the analyzing. Perhaps, thinking is the universe attempting to analyze itself in a way that you can't actually stop. Perhaps, you are solely a witness to the process of trying to understand the world. Perhaps, the thinking is the universe attempting to use the wrong tool to solve the problem. Perhaps all you have to do is recognize that no amount of thinking or doing will solve the problem, for thinking and doing are limited to experiential mindspace, when indeed the answer lies in non-experiential witnessing. Perhaps, your job is to be the answer by simply existing. Notice that the lack of excitement comes from a lack of perspective. There are a ton of potentially exciting things in life. In fact, nothing in life is not exciting. Your ego places a judgement on what's exciting or not exciting and then your ego takes this judgment as fact, when it is indeed the exact opposite of fact: total make believe. Stop assuming everyone else that is "prettier" or "doing cool shit" is overall suffering less. That's just a projection on your part. Even supermodels suffer and they get to look pretty and do cool shit all the time. You're not a special fucking snowflake. You don't have it worse than anyone else. People aren't necessarily as "happy" as you think. The big reason you feel this envious upset is because you have yet to take your head out of your ass and become more empathic and pay more attention to other's lives. If you actually paid attention, you'd realize that 99.9% of those people you're so jealous of are suffering just like you. But perhaps the main question is why can't you just be happy, regardless of other's? The main reason is that you place conditions upon your happiness. You secretly like being unhappy. Yes I said it: You like being unhappy. You think that by forcing yourself to be unhappy, you will motivate yourself to reach the conditions of your choosing for your own survival. See to be truly unconditionally happy means that you are okay with absolutely anything and everything that happens to you. That means being happy with your mother getting raped and killed in front of you. That means being happy with getting rejected by women and jobs. That means being happy with getting tortured and killed by the exact same people you're trying to help. But noooooo that's taking things to far! You think you wouldn't accomplish anything, let alone survive, if you actually functioned that way! That reaction - that inability to be unconditionally happy out of fear that it will lead to your death - that is the fucking reason you are not happy all the time. The moment you started creating a story for you to remember is the moment you started forming an ego. And as soon as you formed your ego, you stopped being able to just live life. Before that, you were a nonjudgmental witness of pure experience who did not attempt to form a story. You still are the nonjudgmental, non-existence witness, but you've identified with a make-believe story. Don't kill your current body just yet. 1 - I know this sound's weird, but you can't actually die. It's only from an egoic perspective that death is a solution, for only the egoic perspective sees death as death. The ego dies, not You. In other words, you won't simply become "free of problems" if you kill yourself physically. If anything, you create more suffering for your true self because you are the identical to everyone around you who loves you. This is nuanced, so reread what I am saying and think about it. 2 - look into this apathy, frustrating, hurt, and lack of motivation. If you take the right steps, this will be a launching point in your life. The world stinks because you're head is stuck far up your own ass and you keep taking whiffs of your own shit. The world will stop stinking when you get your head out of your ass and begin to smell the flowers all around you. Ego = limited perspective - a part of The Universe/Buddha Mind/The one fabric of consciousness that thinks it is separate from the rest of The Universe/Buddha Mind/The one fabric of consciousness. Increase the breadth and depth of your perspective to include new wisdom and other's perspectives as much as possible. The more breadth and depth of your perspective, the better off you will be. Don't fake this. Actually look into what it is that you're missing in your understanding of the Truth every fucking moment of the day. For now, use as a mantra that "you don't know." So next time you feel jealous about others looks/dating/coolness/ease say "I don't actually know what its like to be them. I also don't know if I actually want that stuff. Perhaps I should look into it." and next time you want to kill yourself say "I don't know that killing myself is actually a good idea. Perhaps I should look into whether people who commit suicide regret their decision (PROTIP: they instantly regret it.) and next time you think that the pain you feel is 'bad' say "I don't know that this pain and lack of motivation is bad. Perhaps there's more to the story." Basically everything you think you know is an example of yet another thing you don't know. If you embody this principle, you will find the "rollercoaster" effect go away while also becoming more exciting with greater twists and turns. Here the roller coaster analogy seemingly breaks down because you may assume that the roller coaster's problem is the ups and downs when instead you want more ups and downs but you need to change your interpretation of the ups and downs. This is very counterintuitive for the ego. But don't take my word for it -- perhaps I do not know anything -- so investigate all of what I have said thoroughly by seeking direct insight on your own.

@Visitor yeah why not

I take people's headshots for a living while I work on my life purpose. So unlike most people, my art gives me the freedom to work on my career, not the other way around.

Clinically, if you lacked dopamine you would begin to suffer from Parkinson's Disease. "When approximately 60 to 80% of the dopamine-producing cells are damaged, and do not produce enough dopamine, the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease appear. This process of impairment of brain cells is called neurodegeneration." What I think you're proposing is that a) we have too much dopaminergic stimulation so b) what if we lowered it to the amount of stimulation experienced by indigenous/old-school/toned down people's? We begin by looking at the effects of too much dopamine: desensitization Basically, with an excess of dopamine, the body sends out more receptors to handle the stimulation. This makes our cells able to handle greater amounts of dopamine signaling. This process also makes it more difficult for less or normal amounts of dopamine to achieve the same level of signaling. "Reduced sensitivity levels to various hormones and neurotransmitters have a variety of effects, but none of them are good. Fat, depressed, bored, numb, anxious, irritable … the list goes on." Videogames, chocolate, and love have been shown to trigger dopaminergic responses at the same level as cocaine. As such, one would go through similar withdrawal periods when giving those things up, as the brain may have to readjust its sensitivity levels. What happens when we wean our selves off? Ideally, you would feel better off with less. But this process is difficult. What most people do is substitute one addiction for another, deluding themselves into thinking that their new addiction is healthier.

1 - Learning and improving your skill set is part of generating a sharper mind through physical changes in your brain There is no reason to create a separation between the two. One is part of the other. 2 - “That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons that history has to teach.” Basically every single problem you have ever faced has already been faced by another version of you in a previous lifetime. Books are a Time Machine that transport you into the mind of a wiser, more accomplished version of you. Books are also like sitting down with a mentor who has taken the time to choose his words as wisely as possible so that you grasp insights that took him years to reach. Most importantly, Books are like a cheat sheet for life. You can bullshit around trying to reinvent the wheel ... Or you can just read how another version of you did it and then adapt they solution to your problems. I could try to come up with the neti-neti method all on my own after years of meditation and then begin practicing it. Or I could read about the Neti-Neti Method and practice it years earlier because it only took a day to read about it. So lets say reading wasn't going to make some "physical change" to your ability to think: the lessons reading gives you would make you "sharper" in that you would solve life's problems faster than a version of you who didn't read. Because again, you already know the answers to the problems you're solving since you read the answer in book somewhere. 2 - Books are a form of meditation thus they sharpen your mind Let go of the idea of meditation as something you only do sitting with your eyes closed and legs crossed. Anything that exercises your ability to concentrate + contemplate counts as a form of meditation. And if you didn't guess it by now, books require a ton of concentration and they raise your ability to contemplate by giving you new perspectives. More specifically, reading can be seen as a form of mindfulness meditation. Instead of watching your breath, trailing off, realizing and going back to the breath, you read a book, trail off to consider what the book is talking about, and go back to reading the book. Seriously, just do strong determination sitting while reading and you will see just how difficult it actually is. I have added this to my daily regimen and it's done wonders for me. So yes reading in and of itself gives you a sharper mind because meditation gives you a sharper mind. Overall, stop looking for excuses to not read. You should be reading far far more than you currently do.

Leo has mentioned several times in videos and on the forum that he's making a new course about exploring the subconscious mind. Finish the life purpose course while you wait for the new one.