Forestluv

@winterknight Nice. I like how you framed it as a "seeker's Game".

@Shaun I can relate. There is a physical issue I've been dealing with that comes and goes. My mind-body just wants it to go away, yet it keeps returning - then vanishing. . . What I've learned is two things: 1. At a physical level, the bodies "fight or flight" gets triggered. Rather than focus on the thought story that I can't make it stop and it will never end - I have been focusing on how my body responds (without the thought story). If I can release the bodies fight-or-flight response, it doesn't both me much and I can let it go and focus on something else. 2. At an existential level, I'm realizing there is a very deep level of freedom available by experiencing what is Now. Again, this then allows for a better chance to let go of the anxiety and discomfort.

This reminds me of yesterday while I was hiking through a forest. I stopped to see two butterflies dancing together in the air on on plants. It was such a beautiful dance. I suddenly felt urgency to get my camera and "capture" this beautiful moment. Then I let it go and just admired them. It seemed like I appreciated it even more, knowing it was temporary and would soon vanish.

@Truth Addict I did not send the gentle warning to you. It was sent to someone else. Please stay out of it and return to your discussion on conscious politics. This is the second time I'm communicating this to you: if you have further questions for me about my decision, please do it via PM so we do not derail this thread. This would open up a can of worms on the thread.

The thread topic is on conscious politics - not on the details of trolling via giving unsolicited and unwelcomed personal advice. I was not referring to you.

Do not derail the thread. If you would like to learn more, I would encourage you to read the forum guidelines. As well, I would be happy to discuss this with you via PM.

@Shadowraix The thread topic is on conscious politics. Please don't post unsolicited and unwelcomed personal advice.

Be aware of the mind's tendency to become attached to subtle objective notions of "what is" to get a sense of grounding. One cannot ground themself in shifting sand.

That's an interesting contextualization. To me, it has a strong component of a story within a timeline. Combining the actuality of Now with a construct of a timeline interests me. Yet I suppose any contextualization of Now is also a construct. . . Sometimes life seems to be a process of constructing and deconstructing. Perhaps that is a feature of Aliveness.

Discussions of nonduality are fine. It can be communicated kindly without personal identification, attachment and personal conflict (Tier2 yellow and turquoise). Lead by example.

Last week, I was walking along a beach with my 7 yr. old niece. We were looking at the shells and stones in the sand. I picked up a few pretty stones to bring home with me, yet then I felt something odd. The stones felt alive. It felt like I was taking the stones away from their friends and family on the beach. I felt sad and put them back on the beach. I told my niece and she said "Yea, sometimes I feel that too.". . . I thought about how I wouldn't have shared that feeling with another adult, since it would have appeared "weird". Yet a 7 yr. old child still "gets it". . . Unfortunately, that type of connection with our environment gets conditioned out of us as we "grow up".

Nondual wars are against forum guidelines. As a general statement: please drop the personal nondual wars

Please don't derail the thread into a nondual squabble about who is closer to god.

The ocean contains all fish, seaweed, water etc. If a fish thought "I am a fish within an ocean 'out there' and I am having an experience as a fish", it has created a dynamic that fragments itself (a separate fish) from not itself (the rest of the ocean). It is no longer being the totality of the ocean. . . There is nothing "wrong" or "false" with this because the fish is both a fish within the ocean and the ocean. Of course, fish don't create these thought stories. Yet humans do. In fact, they live 99.9% of their existence within a thought story in which they are fragmented from the whole. This is partially true, yet when a human is constantly within this fragmented thought story, it creates all sorts of turmoil and conflict. Notice how deep down humans desire relief from this fragmented thought story. To "lose" themself. They may become immersed in a book or a movie. They may lay out on the beach for hours to forget their self. They may use drugs and alcohol to temporarily free themself from fragmentation. Yet these seem to be fleeting glimpses. They "snap out of it" and must return to the "real life story" - their beliefs, responsibilities, identity, plans - what "he said" and "what she did". Yet without identification, such personal stories and memories are eerily similar to the stories and memories of our dreams. . .

With imagination, you betcha.

Can a grain of sand know itself as the beach?

These types of anxieties are common. You can use mini doses of psychedelics, get insights and still feel in control. Alternatively, you could try a cannabis edible. They give a quasi-psychedelic feel - more than smoking or vaping. There are also ways to explore consciousness without substances: Retreats, shamanic breathing, kriya yoga, sensory deprivation tanks etc. Get creative. Today I hiked deep into a forest and laid under trees for two hours - I went in and out of lucid states of consciousness with no substances.

@mandyjw I don’t think the debate format with 10 candidates suited her style well. I think she would connect a lot better in a discussion setting. Modern debates seem centered in conflict, catchy sound bites and ratings.

I’d say that is true for relatively small segments of the US, but by no means is that representative of US culture in general. Get out and explore sexuality in diverse subcultures. You might be surprised what you find. . .

Republicans are donating to Marianne Williamson’s campaign to help get her in future debates. . .

Communicating IT-ness with nonhumans has benefits as well.

Embodiment is nearly all practice. Watching videos can help orient a person, yet it’s the practice and direct experience that leads to embodiment.

@AncestorOfAisle6 Some people resonate with psychedelics and can greatly increase their baseline conscious level. Psychedelics can leverage expansion, so it becomes much MORE important to do integration practices such as meditation, yoga, contemplation - especially for the first 50 trips or so. Years worth of insights can be revealed in days - this can be overwhelming to a mind-body, so it’s important to maintain a healthy mind-body to handle this and reduce risks of unhealthy effects. In addition to consciousness expansion, regular use of psychedelics remold the body and rewire the brain. I would not take this lightly. It takes work, discipline, responsibility and maturity to do it efficiently. . . I would recommend at least 15-20 hours of integration practice per trip. One can get years worth of insights after a trip, so 15-20 hrs of serious integration work is trivial in this context. As well, I would recommend regular exercise and healthy eating to help strengthen the mind-body so it can accommodate the rapid growth and conscious expansion. Yet for the first few times, I would just trip without any expectations or agenda. I’d just trip with a humble open mind and see how it goes.

@moon777light I resonate with trees too. Not in a “isn’t that a pretty tree” kind of way. It’s more of a connection. An essence. Like a sixth sense. Closer to a feeling than a thought. Almost like they have a personality. Yet if I start thinking about it and try to make sense of it, I lose it. It’s like I need to be a child again and just be it. I was in South Carolina last week walking through trees with glorious Spanish Moss. It gave the trees a cool personality. Nature is amazing. It has no agenda or expectations. It simply IS. A natural teacher and healer. Off I go to dissolve in the magical forest now. . . ?‍♀️ ?

@Paul92 Notice how you are attached to one of two opposites. You seem to say that you have experienced both opposites and are struggling between these opposites. As if you must decide which is truer between the opposites of heads vs tails. The human mind is conditioned to imagine in opposites. And you seem to be convinced that your happiness and well-being is dependent upon making the right choice between these opposites. This can cause all sorts of inner turmoil. . . Observe: those opposites are not two distinct separate things. They are inter-related and can even collapse together. . . It is an hallucination your mind is working through. When our mind-body is believes something is threatening to our well-being, happiness and survival - the appearance of this something will trigger a “fight or flight” response in the limbic system - causing anxiety. The mind may keep “checking” for this threatening something to protect the mind body. Here, there seems to be some form of a solipsism hallucination your mind finds as threatening and keeps checking in with.