Forestluv

This is an area in which intuition and flow comes into play. Ime, under-asking or over-asking can spoil the fun. There is a sweet spot in which things flow. Yet, the chemistry between every couple is different and it's good to get some idea of boundaries. I wouldn't just slap a woman across her face during sex to see how it goes. That is under-asking and it can throw off dynamics - the chemistry, the trust etc. Yet over-asking spoils things as well. If I asked a gal in advance if I could pull her hair and we over-planned, it's no fun - for me anyway. "Ok, first I will pull your hair this much and then you slap my ass twice - this hard.". That is over-planned for me. Part of sexual exploration is uncertainty, spontaneity and the unknown - without under-doing it or over-doing it. This are some ways I would put out "feelers". . . bring up the topic in casual conversation. "I heard someone talking about doing [insert act] during sex. I wonder what that would be like". It could be spanking, wearing a hood, a whip, handcuffs etc. - just said in a casual way. Then I get present and in tune with the vibe. If she withdraws and says "that's really demented" - then it's out of bounds. If she gets curious and says "I've never tried that before, hmmm. . . ". Then it's in play. If she says "That's actually one of my fantasies, yet I've never met a guy that's into it". Then I'm making a stop to the adult store before our next date. . . Yet I won't over-ask and over-plan. For me, elements of anticipation, suspense, curiosity and unknown add excitement - as long as we are playing within bounds. Early in relationships, I also ask that we give each other nonverbal feedback during sex as we explore. This way, we can improvise. If I pull her hair gently and she her eyes roll back as she moans - that's a good indicator to continue that path. If she pulls away and grunts, move in a different direction. I've found it important to be willing to "fail" and have a "micro rejection". If I'm trying to do everything right and be perfect, it doesn't go very well. If I am present for the cues, I can get much better in tune with her and us. Also, mood is really important. If she had a hard day and just wants some "release", that is a different mood than if we had been sexting all day and things were building. . . If you want to take things to the next level, I would suggest role playing.

Exactly!

The original question of the interviewer : Do you consider yourself a god? To address this at a deeper level involves a realization and transcendence of “you”. This can take years and thousands of hours of practice and study. It’s not easily addressed in a simple linguistic response. Yes, and it often gets conflated with “you are god” - which was the orientation of the interviewer “You are God” is a different context than “you are god“. I’m using the term “happening” in a broader context. That is, everything happening now. There are appearances of sounds, smells and objects happening now. In this context, there is simply what is Now. What is happening now may be sitting in nature listening to birds. Or what is happening now may be posing in photos by a Rolls Royce. From one perspective, this is simply what is Now. There is no personal attachment/identification to the birds or the Rolls Royce.

In the video you linked the question is “Do you consider yourself a god?”. The question and response is in a traditional dualistic framework of subject-object god. Osho’s even references religion. The clip is not in the context of a transcendent/nondual context of god. Imo, Osho was correct to point this out that the existence of a separate god is a lie. Similar to how we could say the existence of “me” is a lie. To address the question at a deeper level, we would need to transcend the concepts of “you” and “god”. This generally takes years of practice. The questioner was not at this level and if the response points to transcendence, it would likely have been misinterpreted and misunderstood. Also keep in mind of the historical context. In the 1980s, the environment was very blue in western societies. This is very different than in a green level societal context. In a current example, Sadhguru interacts differently with Orange and green level audiences. Regarding if a highly conscious person can have extravagant displays. . . This frame uses a hierarchy of low to high conscious levels. Using that frame, I would say it is less likely that a highly conscious being displays extravagance, because there is transcendence of the personal construct. It is personality immersion that gets off on that type of personal attention, validation and pleasure. With awakening there is an energetic shift away from self glorifying pleasures. Yet it’s possible for this to occur within a high conscious state, yet it would be less common and have different dynamics. For example, the Rolls Royce’s are simply happenings. There is awareness of Rolls Royce happenings and the pleasure of Rolls Royce happenings. Similarly, there are flower blossoms happenings and pleasure of flower blossom happenings. . . . For me, the material thing is not too important. The attachment/identification to the material thing is of more interest.

It seems there is a general context for the usage of “enlightenment” on the forum, yet I’ve noticed it used in many different contexts. For example, we could say that no person is enlightened because there is no person to become enlightened. We could also say enlightenment is a type of trans personal awareness which includes the person. I’ve seen lots of different expressions. For me, direct experience transcends theory. Yet it can be easy to drift into an enlightenment story and miss the direct experience.

You two get to create and write your own story. That’s the beauty of it. Fo me, it’s important that it is welcomed and we are both into it.

The mind likes to focus on personalities. To me, the primary question is “What is enlightenment?”. If we don’t have clarity on what enlightenment is, how can we determine if something or someone is enlightened? If someone asked “Is Oslo fribvuy?”, we would need to know what “fribvuy“ is to determine if Osho is “fribvuy”.

@Nak Khid From a rational perspective, your ideas make sense and I would agree. In this context, taking a psychedelic temporarily grants super conscious realizations that can be difficult to integrate and embody. This is a common view from a personal lens, which has value. Yet there is much more going on. Your creation involves a sober state that is defined as unaltered/normal and a psychedelic state that is altered /abnormal. You also create a timeline of past and future in which an undefined imagined thing can be permanent. If one observes the ISness of Here and Now, these constructs may disappear - or they may appear very differently. Why does your sober mind state get to decide what counts as “normal”, “higher states of consciousness” and “enlightened”? Why doesn’t your psychedelic mind state decide these matters? A post-egoic psychedelic experience is very much real. Awareness, awakeness, and being is very much present. Yet the ego won’t like that because it is no longer controlling the narrative.

@Bno Yea, unfortunately McConnell won’t allow a senate vote on bills that aim to protect election integrity. That’s part of the structural problem.

I’m not too interested in a “Russiagate” narrative. I’’m more concerned about Russian interference into our elections as indicated by all US intelligence agencies, national security advisors and diplomats. To me, fundamental threats to democracy should be taken seriously. I’m supportive of US intelligent officials, national security advisors, diplomats and journalists that are putting themselves on the line as they attempt to convey the degradation of our election integrity, which is the foundation of our democracy. Imo, his transcends any single US president, including Trump. And it’s not just limited to Russia, as it’s also clearly revealed with the Ukraine, and likely other countries as well. And it’s not just limited to foreign interference into our elections. Things like voter suppression and campaign financing are also big concerns for me. If we devolve to non-democratic authoritarianism, it doesn’t really matter if we have president trump or authoritarian “president x”. The underling degradation of election integrity and democracy is the deeper issue. I think getting Trump out of office is a key and I think it’s important to play politics well to do that. As you say, the Russian interference may not be an effective case against Trump. It’s very nuanced and includes complexities. The Ukraine situation may be more effective as it is more direct, simple and easy to disseminate to a populace that is not engaged with politics. Yet I also think there is corrosion that goes deeper than Trump.

@Bno From my pov, you don’t seem to have experience of being involved in crime or understand the mind of a criminal. This is a good thing, yet its hard for me to have a conversation within this context.

Russia has leverage on Trump and can manipulate him. That is what they want and what they are getting. They want four more years of Trump and are trying to influence the 2020 election as we speak.

Ime, the most important thing is no contact. No texts, no looking at her social media, no looking at her in photos. Second, release through writing. I released by writing several pages everyday. Everytime it pressures up, open up a relief valve through writing. A lot of the writing revealed unhealthy aspects of the relationship. This was particularly important when I missed the good times, had little hope for a better future and wanted to contact her. And writing allows relief which is really important for the mind and body. Third, do something new and healthy for you. I started doing yoga and it was so helpful to change my orientation. I did 1-2 hrs of yoga everyday and went from a total beginner to intermediate in a couple months. It breathed new life into in my life. It’s a different thing for each person. I think it’s a big help to start something new and bold to re-orient in a new direction.

Russia is gaining power relative to America, in part through Russia’s leverage on Trump. Most Americans are unaware. .The world’s western leaders mock Trump during international meetings. . . Russia is delighted.

When the duality between imagined and real dissolves, things get very interesting. . .

That was you?! ?

@Bno You don’t seem able to imagine things through the mind of a criminal.

You can transcend all the conceptualization. Yet more conceptualization is unlikely to transcend concepts. Allowing space for direct experience realization is a better way, ime. Ask yourself: would you like to conceptualize about magic? Or would you rather be a magician that creates and experiences magic? Notice how there is an idea of someone in Africa sungazing. That idea itself is finite and separate. "If I am a person here and not a person in Africa, then I am not absolute". . . Also notice that the idea of someone in Africa is happening Now. It involves both space and time. In a sense, you are in the dimension of Now (there is me and a person in Africa right now). Yet you still have the dimension of space. "There is a thing here called me and a thing over there in Africa". This imagery is creating spatial separation of here relative to there. It's very similar with time - the mind creates separation by imagining past and future - relative to now. Once the time and space dimensions dissolve (transcended). All sorts of "experience" can arise. The gloves come off. . . For example, could you dream you were a person in Africa sugazing? Yep. Could that dream feel very real? So real that you wake up and you aren't sure whether or not you are in Africa sungazing? You bethcha. Once the time and space dimensions dissolve, a much more diverse set of experiences can arise. At times, imagination and reality cannot be distinguished. Yet imo, this type of voyaging isn't possible when a mind is still contracted within time and space constructs. You have an easier time with this because you have removed imaginary space (I am here and not in Africa). In this case, you are Now with what is "actual". You are still imagining the tree, yet the tree appears to be "here" spatially. Thus, you have removed one of your barriers. Yet notice how there is still a spatial dimension of subject - object. I am the subject and the tree is the object in front of me. "I am the tree" still has separation. There are two things: the seer and the tree. Yet there is only one. Look. There is only what is. Your mind is creating separation of a thing over there and me over here. Yet seer and tree is the same thing. I think realizing this through the visual system is much much harder than through the auditory system because the visual system is so much richer in terms of detail and space. I think it's much more accessible through sound. One meditation I do is in a room near birds (it could probably be done via bird recordings). . . I sit and relax the mind so thoughts slow. It's not necessary to be thoughtless, yet thoughts need to be unattached, at a distant. Close your eyes and put your attention on the bird chirps. Watch the appearance of bird chirp sounds in your head. The mind will create an image that the bird chirps are "over there". This is due to millions of years of evolution, a lifetime of conditioning and survival needs. Yet it can be transcended. Put all your attention on those bird chirps. There will be a glimpse that the bird chirps are not outside of my head, they are appearing inside my head. This is a glimpse of nondual perception in which "inside" and "outside" dissolve. Yet at first it is a brief glimpse and the mind will go back to perceiving the bird chirps as if they are external. Notice how the mind does this. It's very very good at this. It can even determine how far away outside the bird chirps are!!. . . Bring the focus back to the appearances in the mind. More glimpses will occur. The bird chirps are occurring in my mind!!! With enough practice, spatial duality can dissolve and you can even flip into it on your own. . . . At a more advanced stage when the mind no longer associates bird chirps as external. . . then. . . observe the appearance of thoughts. Thoughts are the mirror image - thoughts are associated as internal. Yet now, bird chirps and thoughts appear in the same space. There is no "thoughts inside" and "bird chirps" outside. I suppose this could be done with some type of recording and other sounds could be used. I like natural sounds. . . This can also be done visually, yet ime it is much much harder to do it visually. Like 100x harder.

Just like any technique, it takes some practice and skill. And just like other practices, some people will have predispositions and naturally resonate. Most people I've talked to didn't get much out of it. Not as much as they hoped for or expected. I went with one person who kept thinking the whole time "what's it supposed to be like, do I need to be doing something?", Another person I went with got incredibly bored and irritated and would never do it again. Another person said it was super relaxing, yet she fell asleep through part of it. I've done pretty well with floats. I think the key is to let go and be aware/pay attention. Just keep letting go. Let go of trying to let go. As well, going with the flow of imagination - without rational analysis. If someone is good with mediation and can let go, it would be an asset. Or just letting go in general. For example, if someone can lay under a tree and fully let go, it would be an asset in a tank, imo. Yet even still, they don't resonate with everyone. I've had a few deep realizations during floats. As well, if someone is experienced with floating and psychedelics - they can supplement the float with a low dose of psychedelic or cannabis edible. I've gotten good results with this, yet I'd advise against it for newbies.

Because you are creating a "particular perspective" that is separate. There is nothing wrong with that, it comes in handy when navigating life. Yet what is there prior to the creation of a separate thing called "my perspective". Prior to thinking "this is my perspective", what is there? There is simply what is happening. There may be sounds, smells, bird chirps, thoughts and feelings. It's all simply ISness happening. The mind creates a narrative of a thing called a perspective and becomes attached/identified - it becomes my perspective. Humans often seek to defend, change or get rid of a perspective. For example, someone may have the rotten perspective of their parents and ask "I can I improve my perspective". This is still within identification. The person seeks to "upgrade" from a rotten perspective to a healthier perspective. Nothing wrong with that - it can be very helpful to the mind and body. Rather than trying to improve the content of a perspective, what if we observe the attachment/identification to any perspective? Of course the ego won't like this, because the ego is all about attachment/identification to my perspective. What happens if we let go of all attachment/identification such that it is no longer my perspective? Now, the perspective is simply an appearance and there is no me to take ownership of it. When sounds of bird chirps arise, there is nothing to take ownership of it. There is no "my" bird chirps. There is no "I am bird chirps". If the bird chirps are annoying there is no "I am annoying bird chirps". If the bird chirps are beautiful, there is no "I am beautiful bird chirps". . . . Similarly, thoughts and images can appear just like bird chirps with no "me" taking ownership of it. Yet the ego will strongly rebel, for this would be the death of the ego. The ego is dependent to the identification to perspective as "mine". The ego will become attached to this egoic identification. Without the attachment/identification, there are simply appearances happening now. Yet this isn't what the ego desires and seeks. Regarding "can't get out of it". There can be dissolution of attachment/identification, which is a form of liberation. Yet, One can't get out of ISness. There is no escape from that. One cannot escape One. Now cannot escape Now.

The theatre is your mind and you are projecting the show ?

❤️ ?

@mandyjw Thank you for those kind, beautiful words You rascal

Let's remove that pesky middle-man and see what happens. . . Now we're talkin' . . .

self It's hard to find words. I wish I was more of a poet. . . I'd say self creates an image of Self, and in doing so there is separation between self and Self. Yet this separation can merge within Now. self is Self. All is Self. When I sit by the river, it is so easy to see that the water, clouds, trees and birds are Self. Yet not so easy to see that self is also Self. I can't formulate or communicate it. This can feel sorrowful.