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@Ilya Meditation can be used for avoiding the truth or exposing it. The enlightened, by definition, are no longer stuck in ignorance. That is, they know the truth. To meditate, or practice introspection, to reveal your own core truths requires facing ALL your fears about self and its association with the world you walk through. It's not about relaxing to feel good, it is about relaxing to be vulnerable and exposed (as contradictory as that sounds). That is why the word 'faith' is often used to explain that contradiction. To come across an enlightened person is like finding a diamond in the rough. It's rare.

@poimandres 'Life' is living one moment after another. Otherwise 'life' as we know it ceases. Then again, it is this ceasing (like in meditation) which reveals other than the 'life we live'.

@Dan Arnautu Since he is prone to mood swings, there is nothing on this thread to suggest that it will stop. Alcohol maybe to culprit, The Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde symptoms is common with drinking too much alcohol. Or he may be suffering from Bipolar disorder. Just to let you know that these two possibilities maybe something for you to consider if your father shows no overall change. Also, some father do have difficulty taking guidance from their son. Many think it should be the other way around. My father was like this, but later took on those suggestions. However, I do have a concern for you Dan. Just as a reminder, taking care of your father is one thing, but taking responsibility for him is not a good idea. So while taking care of him remind yourself that if he goes against what you feel is best, he is making the choices for his direction in life. As hard as that may sound, you must also look after yourself. Many people in this caring position quickly learn that tough-love is not only tough on the father, but also tough on the son. The tough bit is the truth of the matter. But in most cases it works out best overall. Your a good son. He is lucky to have you.

@Siim Land Okay, I'll give that a go.

@Dan Arnautu Many depressive drunks, at times, talk in a depressive way. I used to be one. My motto at the time was "poor me, poor me, pour me a drink". I used it as justification for getting drunk. After all he did admit to this by saying " I would at least mention to him that he is still okay (a loving and supporting father when he is off the drink), well I don't know him, but from what you say it points to that. If you get a chance to talk with him in a non threatening way, find out if he actually has a 'plan' for committing suicide. If so, I would be very concerned. In Australia, and in my ex-profession as a counsellor, if a client had a definite plan, it would be my duty to tell the client that I have to call the mental health team and get them to have a chat with that person. Surprisingly, nearly every one of my clients, probably for the first time, realized that what they were planning to do was very serious. They became willing to be consulted by the team. The team are specialists in helping people to circumvent their suicidal tendencies. Also, if your father has already attempted suicide in the past, then that is also a major concern, because he will have less fear of dying. If you are having difficulty dealing with this, I would advise talking with a mental health team, or those trained for attempted suicide, to get help for both you and your father.

The deeper you go the fears that have been categorized as "I don't want to know" become more apparent. As one goes deeper, uncovering the veils of denial, the most covered are becoming apparent. Secrets long forgotten will no longer be forgotten. And the ego senses threat of losing self-esteem. It gets sensitive to what may shortly arise (anxieties). Fear of how people looking at you, doubting you, are examples of the fear of being judged. This primary fear passed its fears to the fear of rejection, segregation, abandonment and annihilation. The best, permanent, way to overcome this fear of judgment is to truly know yourself (self-honesty to your core). That way you then no longer need to be afraid of being found-out, exposed, and/or vulnerable to the unknown judgments of others. The AA 12 step program has a few steps which works wonders for eradicating fears. Read about steps 4, 5, 9 and 10. There are other approaches for clearing the wreckage of our past. For example, the Catholic religion has confessionals. Though you don't need to be a Catholic to use the service. Otherwise, you can try and do it yourself by doing step 4, and I highly recommend doing step 5 to get rid of any guilt and/or shame. I know this all sounds too hard. you could try sweeping those fears under the carpet of denial, but to deny it you always have to know is truth before you know what to deny. So in effect it won't go away. fear, resentment, and all the negative emotions such as anger, intolerance, impatience, and irritability will dog you. Until you clean house there will always be a good chance of getting tripped up on the carpet.

I wanted to add some felt between the clear perspex front panel and the metal console. Could not get it in a grey colour, so I bought a cream coloured felt and grey dye. Dyeing the felt worked well. I cut strips and glued them to the console edges. Bought a length of flexible LED strip and attached them around the inside edges of the console where the front panel will be attached. Bottom photos show inside the bottom left corner of the console opening. These strips can be cut (see scissor symbol in top photo) at intervals. Then wire can be soldered to join them again. In this way, the strip can follow a 90 degree bend. Now the clear perspex front panel needed to be attached. However I soon discovered that the PIR sensor does not work behind perspex, let alone glass, because the infrared heat-waves cannot penetrate it. So I had to drill a series of holes across the front of the PIR to allow the infrared waves to reach the PIR. The bottom section is the kick-plate cut from the original front panel. The original manufacturing plate was re-attached to its centre. Below shows what the finished console looks like in both the dormant and activated states. Activation occurs when somebody approaches the console. The interior lighting turns off when either there has been no movement detected for about ten seconds, or when somebody starts using the console to operate the model bridge. I am very pleased with how it turned out. I am sure the museum visitors will enjoy looking at what is involved within the console. Now that the console is finished. I can now get back to working on the model bridge display.

Recently retired. Worked for decades as a counsellor, and now revisiting my childhood interests in creativity. But having difficulty starting 'a blank canvas' so-to-speak. Then, not long ago, the local maritime museum acquired an old console for operating a local lift-span bridge. One of the museum's volunteer workers new I had done electronics in the RAAF during the 1980's. I was asked to examine the console for the possibility to have it operate a model bridge. I did so, and ended up volunteering to create a working model for the museum. My friends doubt that I can do the project alone. That I have overestimated my skills and abilities. Maybe so, but I never thought I could not do it. However, I soon discovered that there are no plans available of the bridge, or schematic drawings for the electrical wiring of the console. I had to start from scratch. I am still trying to work it all out. This project will be challenging and testing. I feel that this project will help me rediscover my childhood creativity. This will largely be a photographic journal. The reason being is that the museum's workshop is too small for the project, so it will be created in my lounge room. Photo updates will be sent to the museum's curator so that they can observe my progress. In doing so I will also upload photos into this journal. Examining the console interior. To better map the wiring of the control panel I stripped all loose wires which had exited through the console base plate. Reverse engineering is required to understand how each switch, and other parts, functioned.

@Siim Land Thank you very much Siim. Funny video. They distracted me a bit, plus the fast talking. I had to match it again to get a better grasp of all you said. Oddly enough, I do a long fast of about 14-16 hours most morning, most of my life. That is, I don't do breakfast, though everybody tells me I should start the day with a good breakfast. The trouble is I eat too much in the evening. But now I am starting to eat half doses but more regularly. So instead of 2-3 larger meals I am doing 5 smaller meals. Starting to eat from 10am-12noon, depending what time I get back from cycling. I cycle nearly every second day for 40-60 kms, from 7am-9am, then have a chat with friends at the cafe. I don't drink coffee like I used to, but have a hot cup of water instead. I actually like it. Last week I found that if I cut my open sandwich in smaller pieces, cutting a piece each time I want to eat more, it slows my eating and I appreciate the food more. My half dose actually fills me by doing it this way. I think it's because satiation kicks in by the time I finish the dose. Thanks again for your help.

@Joseph Maynor Towards the truth (not facts) about human thoughts and actions.

@SFRL Thanks, but I already ride at least 200 km (125 miles) a week. But I do need to lose some weight. I am currently doing this by covering most of that distance spinning on the bike. That is, I pedal about 100 rpm in gear that does not raise my maximum heart rate above 75-80%. It is these figures, of aerobic capacity, which the body burns fat more than anything else. So that is my current goal - to lose excess weight by exercising.

@Siim Land Please tell me your version of water fasting.

Decided to include a passive infrared (PIR) sensor, as a motion detector, for operating the console interior lighting when someone approaches it. The PIR will be located inside the console. Because there will be a metal kick-plate covering the bottom of the perspex front panel, the PIR has to be positioned above the plate. A wooden bracket was built to accommodate this. The PIR operates the white double power point which the console lighting power source is plugged into.

Be aggressive (determined) to see the truth behind the situation. Be determined not to be fearful, be determined not to get caught up in the story. Once you see the truth there can only be two outcomes. The aggressor is telling the truth about yourself. If you weren't aware of that truth, then thank the aggressor for pointing it out. If you did know, then agree with them. The aggressor is not telling the truth about yourself. Then you know the problem lays with the aggressor. I usually stay calm, and say nothing, until the aggressor calms down a bit. Sometimes I will say, "Sorry, I do not know what to say because nobody has spoken to me like this before". In most cases, this brings some self-awareness to the aggressor, and can calm them right down to a manageable dialog. Then, if they are willing, I will help them to see their own fears (which is the cause of all aggression). Naturally you need to be sure you know your own truth in the situation. Remember, the aggressor is a fearful person. They are afraid of something which makes them upset. So don't respond aggressively as the aggressor for it will frighten them more so and their aggression will be worse. But do as you have done, stay calm, speak softly too. This will help them to calm down so they can hear what you are saying. Also, I don't hang around bars (speakeasies) where all sorts of loose, and touchy, talk gets around. Been there and done that...no more thank you.

No.

Writers write right? Then if you do that, and enjoy it then you have succeeded. Business people get busy with business. If you wish to be successful in getting published and book sales, then you need to focus on what it takes to do that. Maybe what you like writing about is not what will sell (today / season). Besides, most writers wrote many books before they got their first book published. The strange thing about artists (writers included) is that once they start selling their art, and keep doing so for several years, they start becoming successful. Why so long? Because the public starts thinking that because the artist has been around for awhile that they must be successful, and therefore their art must be good. So they buy your art / books to find out what is so good about it. Their minds will adapt to finding what is good about it with minimal criticism or negative judgement. Most of these people will become ardent patrons and keep buying your books (until something better comes along). So hang in their and don't give up. Be patient. Remember, those that hang in their are most likely to become successful financially.

No, but I just did. So helping others, with knowing your own truth, should work very well with you. Mind you, it has taken me many years to be ruthfully honest, accepting it all, changing for the better, and identifying with other peoples truth (though they often are not mindful of it). It is identifying others in myself which bridges the gap (a unity of sorts). In a nutshell, my self-honesty laid bare my fears, hundreds of them. Now I identify fears much easier in others than they do themselves. Because I will not support their fears, or their denial of them, I simple talk to them as if they did not have those fears. In this way they often let go of what they fear by finding awareness of their own truth of the matter, and the courage to deal with it. I am a helper too, but do not have most of the things outlined in Type 2, because in my self-honesty I have overcome many of those issues that stem from being fearful.

@Himanshu Yes. After all we are simply thought machines.

True. However the longer you practice self-honesty that honesty becomes you. And that new you gets shared with others, because it is you. You may end up helping others, without yourself knowing it, to be honest in return.

@Mario most of self-actualization, while at home, requires no wi-fi, no internet, just quiet introspection (without even sitting in an obvious meditative position). Nobody has to know what you are doing. A lot of self-development in regards to dealing with life situations requires us to do nothing. For example, if you wanted to learn how to be patient, you need to learn how to wait, and what do we do to wait? - we do nothing. The same goes for tolerance, forgiveness, loving, listening, understanding, discovering revelations of own truths. All this in a meditative type states. Be still and accept everything. Your home environment may be a good place to practice these important life skills.

@MiracleMan this may sound silly, but depending on your location, there could be dangerous wildlife discovering you during meditation. Where I live, has the worlds highest population of various venomous snakes. None that I know can detect infrared like the rattlesnake, so being still while a snake travels over you is the best thing to do. So perhaps while in a meditative state you may become aware of a venomous snake (or spider) DO NOT MOVE. On the other hand, it is after about twenty minutes or more of stillness, all sorts of wildlife that comes into your area will most likely observe you as a curiosity. All sorts of birds, lizards, crawly creatures make themselves at home with you. When I lived in the bush, while still under a type of pine tree a black cockatoo above me would snap off cones and drop them on me. I thought it was coincidental so I relocated under another tree. Shortly afterwards the same cockatoo would snap off small branches and drop them on me again. They sure have a character. Once my partner found a lush cool shady area to sit in for some meditation. She quickly screamed out because she sat in a patch of stinging nettle. Once I got engrossed in painting my first (and apparently my last) outdoor landscape on top of a high gorge. After awhile I forgot exactly where I was. I stepped back to get an overview of my painting. Then it occurred to me that the gorge edge was nearby. I looked down at my feet and found my heels half an inch off the edge. I almost had a heart attack from fright. So, though its been a long time since you've done backpacking, I thought I better remind you that it is not necessarily a walk in the park.

Hello Prabhaker. If you are fortunate enough to be looked after (fed, clothed, sheltered) without doing anything, well good for you.

@Visitor Just a thought, why not help others to determine (intuitively) which foods to access for their body to replenish what chemicals it needs. Pregnancy brings this intuition out very strongly in mothers to be. Now there's a challenge even for a nutritionist.

In a nutshell, the more you know yourself the more you can identify with others. As one discovers the multitudes of finer subtleties of self, so too will you identify with other peoples subtleties.

I would not worry about it, because you will undoubtedly implement any innovative approach which will benefit your client. In regards to healing, one ought to remember that it is the body which heals and not the approach or the practitioner. That is, both practitioner and approach only assist the body to heal itself. Having that in mind may start opening doors towards that far more to healing than the scientific paradigm can offer.