RickyFitts

Maybe 'assume' is the wrong word, it's more that there's a sense of there being a self that's perceiving the events in the dream. Which is carried over from the waking state. Mm... I've been trying to wrap my head around this sort of thing for years, tbh, I think maybe I just need to admit defeat already. Thanks for elaborating, though, I appreciate it.

Interesting question. I exist as the one who perceives the events in the dream. I don't actually think about my existence in the dream, I guess it's just assumed - events are being perceived, so there must be someone who's perceiving them.

I can definitely relate, unfortunately. There's often a lot of lingering anger and resentment between family members, and if there's one thing I've learnt from observing my own inner state, it's that that sort of negativity tends to harden the heart, which makes us feel numb and disconnected. It's something that's been a huge issue for me personally, I've worked a lot on re-establishing a connection with my body and emotions but I still find it really tough, and it affects my relationships with others in such a profound way.

You have to see your human condition in the right context, namely that we've evolved to be social creatures and belonging to a group has been critical to our survival - this need to belong is deeply ingrained in the human psyche, and so on some level we feel like our very existence is threatened if we're cut off from everyone else. This is visceral, biological, and the only way to truly move past it is to become intimate with that fear, to become conscious of the instinctive resistance in yourself and to allow that to release. But that resistance is so deeply rooted that it isn't just going to release overnight, and the underlying fear may recede and then re-emerge for some time, so you do need to be patient, and you do need to have a willingness to allow the arising of uncomfortable sensations and strong emotions like terror and grief.

Couldn't have said it better myself.?

I don't think it is, actually, I think it answers the question very well. It's just that it's very nuanced and, as it says, paradoxical, and therefore it isn't something that can really be explained in a sentence or two.

@Danioover9000 @LSD-Rumi Yeah, thinking about it, the poaching of members from this forum is a definite banning offence, given Leo's zero-tolerance stance on the issue.

Was Nahm ever actually banned? I know he lost his moderator status because Leo lost patience with his repetitive, cryptic schtick (Leo wasn't the only one, tbf), but I thought he just saw his arse over it and decided to leave the forum altogether, I didn't think he actually got banned.

Were Loba and IxIichael banned, too? Haven't seen them around for a while, either.

I'm not that familiar with his work, but I did see this quote from him that really nails it for me, he's talking about something that isn't widely understood or appreciated even in communities like this one: This right here, this is something that really needs to be understood, because we are, after all, emotional beings, and therefore when we're emotionally repressed, we simply are not going to be able to fulfill our potential, have truly satisfying relationships, be a positive presence in the world, and know true peace and well-being. The mental realm may feel safe and familiar to people, which is why so many just resort to mental masturbation and endless speculation and theorising, but it's the emotional realm that really requires attention for most people.

@MsNobody You're very welcome. Yeah, it's tough initially to break those very ingrained patterns of behaviour. Just get into the habit of turning your attention inwards when you're starting to feel overwhelmed, tune into your body as you say.

Great film. It's a hell of a story - you're suddenly thrust into the role of King after your brother abdicates, with the world on the brink of the most destructive war ever seen, and you're required to speak to the nation when you've got a debilitating speech-impediment. Fuck that for a game of toy soldiers. Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush are so freaking good, their performances alone make it worth watching.

When I went through a period of feeling very overwhelmed a few years back, I'd simply ask myself, 'What do I need right now?' - maybe I just needed to go for a walk around the block, do some breathing exercises or yoga, listen to some music, or whatever. I think it's especially important to tune into your needs and to practise self-care when you're feeling overwhelmed or ungrounded, otherwise you could really spiral. Maybe you just need to take a break from it all and chill out for a while, just to let things settle down, because pushing yourself too hard ends up being counter-productive.

Listen to your inner guidance, that's the best advice I can give you. Ultimately, no-one else can know better than you how you should proceed, but so many of us are taught to distrust our internal guidance systems that we just blunder blindly from one mistake to the next. That's okay, though, making mistakes is often how we learn.

Ah, good old autocorrect strikes again.

Thought that's what it meant, never heard that expression before - in the UK we say 'like the cat that got the cream', though I find the other version more amusing. You're a cannibal? ?

Interesting. Doesn't sound entirely unreasonable to me, tbf.

What makes you say that?

Ah man, I'm sorry you had such a bad experience, you deserve much better than that, especially when you're paying for her so-called services. I don't know how these things work, but you really deserve a refund if it's at all possible (and she should be stopped from treating people, she'll do more harm than good by the sounds of things).

Good for you, mate! ???

I only just got that now (and probably wouldn't have if you hadn't pointed it out), you're clearly getting a lot more jowblobs than me.

Which is?

What makes you say this? I don't know how anyone could know a thing like that for sure.

???