Carl-Richard

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Posts posted by Carl-Richard

  1. Posted · Edited by Carl-Richard

    Wherever you're going, you can't take what is asking with you. Enlightenment is the ultimate anti-achievement. You thought you would get something but it's the complete utter opposite. If you think you will achieve something at Enlightenment, you will be radically, extraordinarily, impossibly disappointed. It's the cessation of achievement.

  5. Posted · Edited by Carl-Richard

    @samijiben

    Maybe there is a deeper notion you have to deal with that you haven't identified yet (likely one you have to drop). That's why investigating all your notions and dropping them as a practice is very useful. Using one notion as a crutch when there is another conflicting with it is not optimal. Also, often there is an actual problem to be solved, or you just need practice with a given situation. That anxiety must be avoided is also a notion (I'm not saying it's a good or a bad one).

    Also, to use a very general notion ("all anxiety is just an appearance") to deal with a specific issue (anxiety in a particular situation) is often not optimal, which is why the anxiety might resurface. Say if you're anxious about doing a presentation, maybe the main fear is of not performing and looking like a fool. A good notion there could be to not care about your performance. Then the anxiety has no ground anymore. So good notions often track specifically to the situation.

    And sometimes, maybe dealing with notions is not needed. Maybe you just need to go with the flow and take on things intuitively (which is itself a type of notion, but you get the point). Some problems cannot be solved by the conscious mind. Sometimes being, listening and feeling is all that is needed.

  7. Posted · Edited by Carl-Richard

    There also many notions which you should consider dropping. A common notion for some people is "I'm an introvert". It's a notion you should generally drop in social situations. It will impede you. Another one is "I don't like having presentations, I tend to get nervous". That's a notion to drop before having a presentation.

    You should also practice identifying and dropping all your notions. This is the apex of autonomy and allows a huge degree of choice.

    And don't take the notion of dealing with notions absolutistically either. It's not everything. The notion of notions, just like other concepts in self-help, is just a tool and way to remind yourself of your own capacities and the potentials that exist within yourself. What we're doing here generally by communicating is reminding ourselves of what we're capable of and what we value. We're honing the limited frame of our ever-wandering attention.

  8. Posted · Edited by Carl-Richard

    @samijiben

    Brutal honesty is itself a notion that can support your autonomy. But be careful that it doesn't impede any of your other values (i.e. be aware of the traps and nuances). Brutal honesty can often be used a cover for anti-social outbursts and impulsive, less than strategic behavior which you might regret in hindsight.

    As for examples of notions for autonomy, they are often very particular to your life, and you'll get insights about them. One of mine is that "I need to be tormented to be motivated" is false (it's a notion I reject). A notion I embrace is "you don't need to do anything". It's good for reminding yourself that your being is always whole. It's also useful for noticing when I'm for example doing something on my phone while doing something else instead of doing it while being completely focused. That I'm not driven by an outside stimulus but rather my inner will.

    Another interesting notion that I got from Leo is "you are creating everything". It's extremely mystical and all-pervading. Another one is "thoughts are just thoughts" (or "concepts are just concepts", "concepts are limited", or even "notions are limited"). It gives you a layer of meta-awareness and space to choose how to act. Notice that a lot of spirituality is about elevating autonomy.

    But I'll stress again, be aware of traps and nuances when dealing with notions. A big trap is treating a notion absolutistically, or ironically ceeding your autonomy to it. Notions are more like small furniture decorations in your mind that create certain moods and states. And you should always be up to change some of the furniture, but be honest with which furniture you like and which you don't.

    Use your sense when dealing with notions. Don't just take up a particular notion because I mentioned it. Your ability to choose and discriminate between notions is fundamental for your autonomy.

  9. Posted · Edited by Carl-Richard

    12 hours ago, Davino said:

    I'm also sure kundalini somehow activates the production of endogenous chemicals, it's like accessing the inner drug lab.

    Finding the physical correlates of kundalini energy (or inventing new methodologies to capture it) is something I would like to research one day. There are things like nadis which are subtle phenomena and not physically measureable (as far as I know), but surely it could be possible to find something physical going on that would be particular to kundalini and which could explain or predict it.

  10. Posted · Edited by Carl-Richard

    When behavior is determined from the inside, that is autonomy. Autonomy is the basis of bodily integrity and mental stability. If you constrain a human to something they don't want to do, they will complain. If you constrain the movement of a dog, it will whine. If you constrain the movement of an amoeba, it will die. It goes straight down to our biology.

    Homeostasis is the process of keeping the internal structures in line with its own wholeness, its own will, its own autonomy. An organism who acts in line with its own innate abilities and capacities, experiences maximum fitness, maximum mental stability, maximum feeling of pleasure and well-being. This is basis of Self-Determination Theory, a famous model of behavior, and also particularly Self-Actualization in Maslow's Hierachy of needs.

    Certain notions can multiply or subtract your autonomy. A famous example is Andrew Tate's "depression doesn't exist". Even if you think it is blunt and prone to traps, it's an incredibly effective notion to have. As a notion that sits in your mind, it confers a strong basis of autonomy. I'm convinced very successful and powerful people gravitate towards these kinds of notions, and some have learned to use them very strategically and effectively to their advantage.

    Now, if you are thinking about traps with this, there are (e.g. closing your mind to outside information, undermining checks for self-deception). But also notice that any virtue can be "corrupted" by a value system you deem to be lower than yours. "Balance is a virtue" -> proceeds doing charity work for the Jehova's Witnesses during the day and homicide at night. Or "holism is a virtue" -> proceeds to make "the whole world" into the Third Reich. Similarly, the idea of funneling autonomy down to egoism would be a particular value-laden interpretation (maybe Red). If your values are higher than those, your autonomy would be to act in line with those values (e.g. human rights, love, equality).

    Autonomy (as well as other virtues) must therefore largely be seen as a virtue on the organism's or value system's own terms. Principles that are universal are also particular. Doing a pre-emptive strike on a country if you believe the country will destroy your country if you don't do it, will confer autonomy, emotional and mental stability, and not least bodily integrity to your country. A leader of a country who is naturally steeped in autonomy, will express this for their country. That is again not to say anything about the values of such countries. Their autonomy stands on their own terms.
     

    So what is the take-away for someone who values self-development? Notice the values you have, what you feel compelled to do, what you like to do to, what excites you, and worship these things. Create and build notions that support these things, while also of course being aware of the traps that can occur while doing so. Express yourself, say what you mean, say what you think is right, not as an anti-social outburst or to be blunt for bluntness sake, but because you MEAN it. Say it because it comes from deep within your soul. Say it because you think it will create the right world to live in. Autonomy is nothing without autonomy support, and that's why this advice, this place and others that support you, and the world you want to create, matters.

  13. Posted · Edited by Carl-Richard

    1 hour ago, Sugarcoat said:

    Why is conventional fluoride toothpaste bad?

    If fluoride binds so strongly to your teeth, what do you think it does to the rest of the structures in your body?

    I'm a weirdo, but for me, the straw that broke the camel's back is that it increases the activity of an enzyme that converts glutamate to GABA. It essentially lowers your brain activity. There are many studies showing IQ decreases from fluoride. But it also affects many more things in the body.

  14. Posted

    42 minutes ago, RendHeaven said:

    To be clear, "fructose" is a category of sugar and is obviously found in fruit, but is more importantly found in all the processed foods (corn syrup) and added sugars that everyone is eating.

    At a high level, my stance is not that fruit is bad for teeth, but that processed sugar is bad for your teeth. At the end of the day, all sugar is a threat, but fruit has protective compounds that "counterbalance" the sugar content, whereas something like cereal with corn syrup will just fuck you over time.

    If anything, I do recommend a moderate daily intake of (organic!!) fruit for most people (amazing vitamins and antioxidants, which are overwhelmingly positive inputs).

    I am weird in the sense that I'm basically on 0grams of dietary sugar (personal preference. not a universal recommendation). Sometimes I drink organic pomegranate juice in glass for the antioxidants, but it's not a daily thing. This does stain teeth so I sip through a metal straw to avoid as much teeth contact as possible, and promptly brush and floss my teeth (with water) afterwards.

    tl;dr: fruit is generally fine. fructose is more concerning in processed normie foods (which everybody is eating, which is why everybody needs toothpaste). within fruit, there are further distinctions about staining foods vs non staining foods. you can use your gut to discern. like obviously blueberries will stain your teeth more than a banana. You should be brushing (with or without paste) after every time you eat fruit, but if you're guzzling blueberries every single meal then just water might not be enough to keep your teeth completely white

    I could possibly raw dog it then if I do some small tweaks. I already don't eat much processed sugar. Largely whole foods. But I'm a sucker for sauces and spices.

    My dentist said that bacteria don't seem to like it in my mouth (a compliment) back when I was brushing with only like a microscopic amount of normal fluroide toothpaste (it would usually not even create foam, just integrate with my spit), and often I would only brush at night.

  15. Posted · Edited by Carl-Richard

    Here is a prompt for checking whether your post isn't shit enough to post 😂: 

    If you were to interpret this post from a Tier 2 perspective in Spiral Dynamics, what is wrong with this post?

    And here is your answer (only showing the summary):

    Quote

    https://chatgpt.com/share/68588671-b9ec-8004-b4d0-b0a2c9f64d22

    In short

    A Tier-2 critique would say the post is:

    1. Stage-siloed (Blue/Orange absolutism)
    2. Shadow-ridden (projecting personal insecurities onto “women”)
    3. Systemically blind (ignores cultural algorithms & access issues)
    4. Polarity-illiterate (confuses yin/yang energy with biological sexes)
    5. Statistically naïve (cherry-picks data to fit a pre-set narrative)

    A genuinely Yellow/Turquoise response would integrate both “truth” and “emotion,” investigate the social ecology that skews representation, and invite all genders into deeper inquiry—because reality cares about wholeness, not tribal score-keeping.

    By the way it hurts to post ChatGPT nonsense, but to balance out other ChatGPT nonsense, it will do.

  16. Posted · Edited by Carl-Richard

    Let's also do some ChatGPT-4o dialectics since you brought it up as a point (only showing summary):

    Quote

    Why are only 13 out of 100 famous spiritual gurus women?

    https://chatgpt.com/share/68588784-cf34-8004-901d-31b663abaec0

    In Summary:

    Women are not less interested in spirituality — quite the opposite. But traditional structures of guru-hood, which often require visibility, hierarchy, and institutional validation, haven’t always aligned with women’s paths or societal opportunities.

    And if you have problem with logic (which you shouldn't if you're a "man"), women are of course generally still more "social" than men (I already addressed that point). I'm just countering the point about 13 out of 100 spiritual gurus.

  17. Posted · Edited by Carl-Richard

    This is a caveman post.

    Tall people are less interested in truth because they are more attractive and get more sex and get more complacent in the social matrix. That's a true statement. But who gives a fuck? Why does that need to be said? How much does it really matter?

     

    On 20.6.2025 at 6:52 PM, OBEler said:

    Ask Chatgpt4 about top 100 spiritual gurus. 13 of them are women.

    Men are generally in positions of power, what's your point?

  18. Posted

    15 hours ago, Inliytened1 said:

    There is a genetic component.  Also most people don't do actial meditation or follow the meditation practices laid out in Leo's earliest videos - including self inquiry which is one of the most essential.  (That is enough deconstruction right there if you don't hold too tightly to any particular belief system.  Also timing.  One  needs to be in the right place in life where they are ready for Truth to be revealed.   This means they need a certain level of suffering prior to.doing it.  All of these components must fall into place at the right time for.awaleming to occurr during meditation.   But meditation, if done right, can alter your state and level of Consciousness. 

    I believe genetics often dictate whether you do the right things intuitively, like deconstruction. Meanwhile some need a prompt to do the right things and suddenly they get many benefits. Then some maybe struggle doing the right things.

    Genetics is also a crude way of looking at it. You might actually have spent decades meditating in a past life and you pick up where you left off. Somebody posted pictures of a child prodigy painter in another thread. The things they drew when they were four-five years old makes you think they definitely had some past life experience.

    Another painter Jan Esmann said he was a painter in at least one of his past lives, and he is of course a master. He was also on the spiritual path for many lifetimes, which also would explain his insane experiences.

  20. Posted

    On 21.6.2025 at 5:56 AM, Natasha Tori Maru said:

    Apologies for the late reply @Carl-Richard - I wanted to do this answer the justice it deserves by thoroughly deconstructing my deconstruction process.. so to speak :P 

    So, I work in commercial construction, so it is easiest for me to supply you all with a concept to illustrate the process (sorry to the concrete [LOL] thinkers).

    Imagine, if you will, a set of plans to build a 2 story building. When you go to the site to check out what latent conditions are present (your ego) it looks good. There is a little slab of concrete there ready to act as a footing, or stability structure, for your building. The soil looks pristine on the surface. So, you go in and begin building (your thoughts). You level the existing concrete and decide this will be the slab. You get the steel in, calculate loads and order the members needed to bear the weight of the building. You start building the walls with studs and tracks. Next, plaster. You are very proud and invested in what you have created here. You identify with your creation (thoughts).

    You progress through the build.

    It's going well, then suddenly, you run into 2 massive issues - you didn't check the soil. Or footing. The weight of the upper structure is too heavy for the base. It's going to topple. You also didn't core into the base you found to rough in pipes for the toilet and plumbing - SHIT. FUCK. Now you have to fucking rip the structure down. You need a geoengineer to test the soil. You need to rip up the concrete (your ego) so you can pour a new slab with a footing that can support what you are going to build on top. What a waste of time. Lucky that this building is just conceptual as otherwise this could be a $100,000 error.

    Back to deconstructive meditation:

    Your ego is at the core - that's the foundation of the build. The soil quality, the slab. There are hidden beliefs/assumptions there - just like there are latent conditions in the soil of our build. You absolutely need to know these conditions to be able to build the structure (your thoughts). Do you really want to found your understanding of consciousness on these potential landmines within you? It will topple at some point - and your entire understanding of reality will explode in your face (midlife crisis).

    As you further enter into the deconstruction process, you realize just how much you identify with your thoughts. So, the primary technique I employ is 'I am not XXX'. Realize just how much you identify with your thoughts and reasoning. These are the structure of your building. You have so much pride and ego in the building. Look at it! That shit is beautiful, the cladding! The door hardware! But as you deconstruct this, you realize you cannot even be sure your thoughts are your own! How do you know that is YOUR thought? You think it is yours because your ego identifies with it. Just look at half the people on this forum - they all post and when their thoughts are challenged, their ego is fucking TRIGGERED. They think they are their thoughts. They think thought is fundamental. This is an assumption. I digress...

    Following this deconstruction process 'I am not...' you eventually reach a state of empty.

    And once you reach that state, you make way for something else to come in. Something you can NEVER perceive with all the human bullshit that stands in your way. This is your own unique experience to reveal. This is the truth you are trying to get at within you.

    But you cannot ever reach this space if you are building some shit on top of a rotten base all the time.

    Constructing is a different tool. It can be useful. But meditation is for deconstructing. 

    Damn. A literal construction metaphor for explaining deconstruction 😆 Very sound.

  21. Posted · Edited by Carl-Richard

    I just thought that to choose between fluoride toothpaste and hydroxyapatite toothpaste is like choosing between a lambo for your teeth and lambo for your brain. You can drive a good ol' Hyundai or Volvo and get good mileage with that, you just don't get a supercar.

    So do you want lambo teeth and volvo brain or lambo brain and volvo teeth?

    And if you think having lambo teeth is mandatory, what about fuking Jumbo jet teeth with strontium chloride toothpaste, hmm?? That's a real thing.

  22. Posted · Edited by Carl-Richard

    On 8.5.2025 at 8:45 AM, Carl-Richard said:

    Balance is largely synonymous with holism: you want to not just focus on one thing, but many things, and you want them to exist in proportion to each other so they serve a greater whole. What the balance should be is dictated by the whole. What is a human? What does a human need?

    What I might add is that humans "need" or are capable of focus, so that some things take more space or serve you more than others. That could for example be what life purpose is, or pursuing your passions. So balance doesn't have to be rigidly egalitarian, but again serving a higher telos, the whole.

    I just learned that the word "health" stems from the word "whole". Health is holism. That's amazing.

  23. Posted · Edited by Carl-Richard

    6 minutes ago, Insightful27 said:

    @Carl-Richard Lmao maybe we can brainstorm together then. Are you also on the psychology side on things or more neuroscience? There are a lot of different options for neuroscience...

    I'm primarily a psychology guy but with specialization in neuroscience. My masters now is an RCT and an fNIRS study on a kind of music+mindfulness practice. I did an interview about it here (it's in Norwegian but there are English subtitles):

     

  25. Posted

    2 hours ago, Sugarcoat said:

    I agree but the only thing I’ll say is that in my experience letting go off attachments,  beliefs etc are directly correlated to the dissolution of your self since what makes up the self is your self image and also all your attachments and your worldview kinda. It’s like this one mass. That’s at least how it has been for me. I struggle with maintaining my self while deconstructing the rest. 

    Sense of self is unhappiness.

    But if you deconstruct your sense of self and you live in a sewer or a public toilet from a horror movie, it won't be too fun, but you'll not be too unhappy about it.