Principium Nexus

You are whatever you think you are, but it are only the acts that we do now that really define us. The self-image is a story we tell ourselves, to justify what we do. Since all is relative, experience is subjective, the character that you think you are is only your own perception and doesn't have to be the same as other people see you. I think that when the body and mind are more separated the feeling of being a fictional character is heightened, but when your words become your deeds and you stop telling but start doing, then the fictional character you tell yourself will start to become non-fictional. People will then really start to see you as you think you are.

I think it all depends on perspective like already mentioned. The real truth is silent, no words, no concepts, just presence. It's completely empty/void, yet the mind can attribute an infinite amount of identities from nothingness. As long as we are wandering in this realm of words, then yes there is seperation, phases in thoughts, the feeling of communication, a distinct own identity. If you stop doing that you will become more whole, you will stop walking circles to find the truth. You will be the truth. Samsara is the endless loop, the searching of something that is already there and therefor it seems unpossible to find. Nirvana is breaking the loop, becoming fully present and be the living truth. I think this is what enlightenment is really about, the glow around someone who holds this knowledge cannot be unseen. I think enlightenment goes further than a person having some saint personality. If someone is really manifesting the truth, then all space around the person will be affected, as if all there is has become aware.

The quote below is from the book A Beginner's guide to Constructing the Universe - The Mathematical Archetypes of Nature, Art and Science, A voyage from 1 to 10 by Michael S. Schneider. Even though it's for the book, it's interesting to read and might make you more interested into Geometry or the book. "Sooner or later there comes a time in life when you start thinking about Reality and where to find it. Some people tell you there is no such thing, that the world has nothing permanent in it, and, as far as you are concerned, consists merely of your fleeting experiences. Its framework, they say, is the random product of a natural process, meaningless and undirected. Other believe that the world was made by a divine Creator, who continues to guide its development. This sounds a more interesting idea, but, as skeptics point out, every religion and church that upholds it does so by faith alone. If you are naturally faithful and can accept without question the orthodoxy of your particular religion or system of believes, you will feel no need to inquire further and this book will appear superfluous. It was written for those of us who lack or have lost the gift of simple faith, who need evidence for our beliefs. We cannot help being attracted by religious view, that the world is a harmonious, divinely ordered creation in which, as Plato promised the uninitiated, "things are taken care of far better than you could possibly believe." Yet superficially it is a place of confusion and chaos, where suffering is constant and the ungodly flourish. This is where we begin the quest for Reality. Looking closely at nature, the first insight we obtain is that, behind the apparently endless proliferation of natural object, there is a far lesser number of apparent fixed types. We see, for example, that through every generation cats are cats and are programmed for catlike behavior. In the same way, every rose has the unique characteristics of a rose and every oak leaf is definitely an oak leaf. No two specimens of these are ever exactly the same, but each one is clearly a product of its own formative type. If it were not so, if animals and plants simply inherited their progenitors' characteristics, the order of nature would soon dissolve into an infinite variety of creatures, undifferentiated by species and kinship's. This observation, of one type with innumerable products, give rise to the old philosophical problem of the One and the Many. The problem is that, whereas the Many are visible and tangible and can be examined at leisure, the One is never seen or sensed, and its very existence is only inferred through the evident effect it has upon its products, the Many. Yet, paradoxically, the One is more truly real than the Many. In the visible world of nature all is flux. Every thing is being born or dying or moving between the two processes. Nothing ever achieves the goal of perfection or the sate of equilibrium that would allow it to be described in essence. The phenomena of nature, said Plato, are always "becoming", never actually "are". Our five senses tell us that they are real, but the intellect judges differently, reasoning that the One, which is constant, creative, and ever the same, is more entitled to be called real than its ever-fluctuating products. The search for Reality leads us inevitably towards the type, the enigmatic One that lies behind the obvious world of the Many. Immediately we encounter difficulties. Being imperceptible and existing only as abstractions, types cannot be apprehended by the methods of physical science. A number of modern scientists, perceiving the influence of type in nature, have attempted to bring them within the range of empirical study. Rupert Sheldrake, author of A New Science of Life and other works, has take a bold step in that direction. In an earlier age, the Pythagorean's worked on systematizing the types by means of numerical formulae. Yet Plato, who wrote at length on the subject of constant types (referred to as "forms"), was carefully ambigious in defining them and never made clear the means by which they influence the world of appearances. Plato did, however, give instructions on the procedure towards understanding the nature and function of the types. In the Republic he described the ascent of the mind through four different stages. It begins in Ignorance, when it does not even know that there is anything worth knowing. The next stage is Opinion, the stage in which TV chat-shows particularly are forever stuck. This is divided into two subcategories, Right Opinions and Wrong Opinion. Above that is the level of Reason. By education and study, particularly, in certain mind-sharpening subjects, the candidate is prepared for entry into the fourth stage, which is called Intelligence (nous). One can be prepared for it but with no guarantee of success, for it is a level that one can only achieve on one's own, the level of heightened or true understanding, which is mental level of an initiate. The studies that Plato specified as most effective in preparing the mind for understanding are the so-called mathematical subjects, consisting of number itself, music, geometry, and astrononmy. These were the main studies of Pythagoras and his followers, who anticipated the realization of modern physics in proclaiming that all scales and departments of nature were linked by the same code of number. Geometry is the purest visible expression of number. In Platonic terms, the effect of its study lead the mind upward from Opinion onto the level of Reason, where its premises are rooted. It then provides the bridge or ladder by which the mind can achieve its highest level in the real of pure Intelligence. Geometry is also the bridge between the One and the Many. When you draw one of its basic figures - a circle, say, or a triangle or regular polygon- you do not copy someone else's drawing; your model is the abstract ideal of a circle or triangle. It is the perfect form, the unchanging, the unmanifest One. Below it are the Many - the expressions of that figure in design, art, and architecture. In nature also the One circle gives rise to the Many, in the shapes and orbits of the planets, in the roundness of berries, nests, eyeballs, and the cycles of time. On every scale, every natural pattern of growth or movement conforms inevitably to one or more of the simple geometric types. The pentagon, for example, lies behind each specimen of the five-petaled rose, the five fingered starfish, and many other living forms, whereas the sixfold, hexagonal type, as seen in the structure of snowflakes and crystal generally, pertains typically to inanimate nature. As soon as you enter upon the world of the sacred, symbolic, or philosophical geometry - from your first, thoughtful construction of a circle with a circumference divided into natural six parts - your mind is opened to new influences that stimulate and refine it. You begin to see, as never, before, the wonderfully patterned beauty of Creation. You see true artistry, fare above any human contrivance. This indeed is the very source of art. By contact with your aesthetic senses are heightened and set upon the firm basis of truth. Beyond the obvious pleasure of contemplating the works of nature - the Many - is the delight that comes through the philosophical study of geometry, of moving towards the presence of the One. Michael Schneider is an experienced teacher and, as you are entitled to expect, a master of his geometric craft. No one less qualified could set out its basic principles so clearly and simply. His much rarer asset is appreciation of the symbolic and cosmological symbolism inherent in geometry. That is the best reason for being interested in the subject, and it is the reason why the philosophers of ancient Greece, Egypt, and other civilizations made geometry and number the most important of their studies. The traditional science taught in their mystery schools is hardly known today. It is not available for study in any modern place of education, and there is very little writing on the subject. In this book you will find something that cannot be obtained elsewhere, a complete introduction to the geometric code of nature, written and illustrated by the most perceptive of its modern investigators." I want to open this topic to discuss/post literature or media regarding to geometry found in nature or in general. Anything regarding geometry is welcome!

Does it matter? Concepts will be concepts. Only being is true. As long as you believe something is true then it will be true for you. So does it help you, does it feel right? If not, why bother, it's just an idea.

Actually a psychopath is only a label. You could say they lack emotional intelligence but what if they pray to some higher purpose than the small events happening here on earth. Some people are driven by some sense of cosmic faith like I saw in the movie Deja Vu. Psychopaths dont have to be emotionally unintelligent, but their actions can be preceived as cold or emotionless, because we cannot understand their worldview. I'm not defending any psychopathic behaviour. Still be don't know much why we are, what this place is, if there is really any purpose, how the game should be played. Whether their behaviour is correct or not is subjective and if we don't try to understand their actions by placing us in their shoes emotional wise, then that wouldn't make us any better. But to be clear I'm trying to link enlightenment/spiritual actions and psychopatic behaviour (how most people would view this). What about the Aztecs who mass murdered many people as offerings? Or many other cultural religions? These things would be considered normal even though we view them as insane, emotionally detached actions. Where is the correct balance between pursueing this spiritual connection that is thought to be preceived and "correct" acceptable human behaviour? Clearly this has been quite difficult in our past and still is. Would you really follow some devine voice or sign that tells you to do stuff or would you reject is as a reality? Nobody knows what to believe, we only feel what is good.

I think that to be enlightened and freed from most cultural chains you have to be preceived as somewhat crazy or insane for a regular person. Their understanding of how things should be done, what goals they have and how they preceive others and themselves will most of the time be very different from an enlightened spiritual person. But I don't think being enlightened and acting by reason and heart (so no cray cray) has something to do with psychopathy. Could you maybe give me an example?

Study from new scientist shows they have below average intelligence. However a intelligent psychopath with bad intentions can be quite risky. Maybe it's not really the question whether we need them, but how we should deal with them? https://www.newscientist.com/article/2118547-real-life-psychopaths-actually-have-below-average-intelligence/

No I dont experience any withdrawls, its not like caffeine at all. Caffeine can be viewed as sharp whereas this is more rounded feeling I put some in my tea but you could also put it in food as a spice. Dose is like third/half a tea spoon

Hey guys, I have been using this root powder for some weeks now and it seems to work very well. It seems to stimulate hormonal balance in the system, you get more energy and feel slightly better. This is really the first natural thing I would call significant and worthwhile to check out. It should also help to improve fertility (what not my focus is). They say maca was taken by warriors before hunting or war and gave them a good stamina boost. So yeah, check it out!

Any other natural supplements that are great?

@Loreena Pisces ruleeeee, high five!

I have some experience with noopept, alpha gpc, aniracetam and piracetam. Piracetam is not worth it, too much hcl salt and effects are not that appearent. Aniracetam should br stronger and also have anxiolitic properies. Noopet is appearent and seems to work, but should only be used incidental to learn for exams or something like that. Eventually your thought are sooo organized and go fast that you feel like a emotionless robot. Some people also get arrogant and think they know everything. So in general, use it incidental if you really need it or just keep a heathy diet/exercise/brain stimulation like reading or making music and then you should be fine.

Sensory overstimulation. Keep being bored its good! It will also make you more focused.

Space and time is relative and so is the mind. No absolute, your world is the exact center of all experience so to say. Question? If everything is relative, then absolute doesn't exist at all. Name me one thing thats completely absolute in the universe, that would probably the center of all that is.

@Will Spot on, you are right there is no good or bad. It's all matter of perspective, as long as we survive we are living good, since thats the act of beint alive, not getting killed. Outside from that its all up to the person, he can do whatever he wants, but if others agree that its correct is their problem. How to let go one should find out themselves, there is no one path.

@Will Leo has a video on Balance, its key to everything in life! Extremism is bad in any area, they lose sight and indeed wander away from what they want to achieve. A little from everything right? By the way, how to let go and live peacefully? Follow your heart, this is your real brain and reflects you are in sync with all around. Hitler did these things from fear, he was bullied and took revenge if I may say that. He clearly did not follow his heart, purely ego driven.

Lets get things clear. What you say is completely true, there is no absolute thing to know or to be achieved. This is true for non-duality, it won't take you anywhere on an intellectual level, because it is without thought and can only be lived without it. You are in the here and now, you let things go naturally without really thinking about them, then there is no need for better achievement. All IS already present! However since we don't live in non-duality, most if not all of our society is living in the duality of thinking. This is the realm of choice, perspective on good or bad, a possibility to make something better or worse, creating or destroying, following the dreams by doing what you think and say or always putting it further in you agenda. Actualizing is here to learn how to improve living in the duality, understanding what non-duality is and how we transform it for the better. If you feel it doesn't help you, then it won't! But if you find passion and joy in understanding yourself, others and getting some big picture to put things into perspective then your in the right place. The choice is up to you!

Ask yourself what the threat is? You feel a slight existential crisis, but where does the fear come from? Probably you want to grasp all these concepts and get it right, there needs to be some REAL ground right? In fact there isn't, atleast no concept you can think of. Only being is the most true experience you have direct access to. Don't think, listen, feel, take a deep breath. What are the most distance sounds you are aware of? Do you feel your awareness expand? Once the awareness of the surroundings grows your silly thoughts shift to the background. You experience the now in full presence, let it be.

Accept what is and strive to live a balanced and happy life. Only when you can forgive yourself there will be room to grow.

I was wondering how you guys look at this topic. Some people only had one life partner in their lives and didn't date any other, would this be foolish because you limit what you have seen? Other might argue the person would be great at commitment and is able to explore the whole spectrum of having a long relationship, with many short ones you might never come close to that same understanding. What are your thoughts? Do you think having few long is better than having seen many relations?

The funny thing is that there is nothing to gain reaching enlightenment. You're only losing 'things'

I was having this conversation with my friend that only then the mind stops to think we come closer to our true nature. All philosophies, books, movies fill our minds with all these things what to expect and where to look for, but resulting in the exact opposite of becoming. The only things you can do to become enlightened is nothing. That's it, nothing more, nothing less. So if you haven't experienced non-duality, stop seeking, wandering topics, filling your mind with concepts and just sit still. Only afterwards these things might enhance living the duality, but will certainy not help you getting further to enlightment.

4 hours in nature, presence was greatly increased during/afterwards. The funny thing was you start to notice all the dynamic relations between animals/wind/sounds/etc, great insight

@Leo Gura Excellent! No hurry, but it's wise for now that if you notice psychedelics you tell folks to do their own research. The more experienced people/actualizers might now how to handle certain paradigm shifts but for some it might be too overwhelming. The shift might happen anyway for those but a prior notice is appreciated.