Minimalism Vs. Consumption

[Epiphany_Inspired]

Consumption vs. Minimalism

I'm reading "The Minimal Self, Psychic Survival in Troubled Times" (published in 1984, still totally relevant). It's really helping me to see behind the veil, and bringing up a number of questions. We are all aware that we are being subconsciously manipulated to consume, but what I did not know enough about, is how our emotions are used to control our subconscious, and why this has evolved to such an extreme level over time. I am very interested in your communal imput on healing this extremely devestating affliction, for us, & all new generations.

Questions: What is the best method to initiate reprogramming of our minds against consumption? Do some of the solutions to materialism that use a sustainability model perpetualte an elitist bourgeoisie class system by mandating sustainable technologies that may not be affordable to all (reduced water consumption in efficent washing machines vs people that now can't afford to wash their clothes...plus larger housing, vehicle etc issues)? What are the best alternatives to consumption, that meet the same emotional needs? How can we evolve beyond equating goods with happiness in a culture that constantly bombards us with these messages? How can we strenghten actions (like present moment awareness) that bring TRUE happiness in our daily lives, and use these methods to combat materialistic desires?

Me, personally (NOT NESSESARY TO READ THIS PART TO COMMENT): Fortunately, I am not an extreme horder, (just a low-level one - NO climbing over stuff, or narrow paths through mountains of crap, just a big collector of records, clothing, books, hats, etc).For a while I thought my masses of crud were perhaps a replacement for my lost mother, but looking back, i've had this issue since I can remember: An obsession with accumulating things, especially antique/old stuff. Many of my things seem to have a friendship-like value (almost a personality). If they are lost (for good) the pain seems real, and memories of the item are often triggerd for years to come. My 2.5 decades in environmental issues has caused an intense desire to keep things from landfills as well. That broken hand-made vintage lamp must be saved, for repair "someday", or it will turn into toxicity, degrading in a heap of unnessesary waste. I also have a fear of apocolypse (something common in a world running out of resources). I don't hoard food and supplies, but I have a terrible time getting rid of things that "may be useful someday/ doomsday". I don't appear materialistic (used the same cell for almost a decade, etc) but my desire to be unique, and express this still results in consumerism (even if it's second-hand, up-cycled/ more sustainable). I completely understand how egoic this all is, still, I would be immensely greatful for any advice on: How to begin purging more things without any future regret, and how to fully awaken my subconscious to the manipulation of materialistic control to bring my future accumulation to a minmum. Thank you!

[Leo Gura]

As you raise your baseline level of consciousness, you'll automatically find less and less value in material things, and you will start to see how materialism undermines itself.

At the highest levels of consciousness, you will not even be attached to your body anymore. The entire universe will literally de-materialize. And then finally you'll taste the sweet freedom you were seeking through materialistic dead-ends. And it will be more glorious than you could have ever imagined.

The best method is something like self-inquiry or mindfulness meditation.

Or 5-MeO

[stevegan928]

5 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

The best method is something like self-inquiry or mindfulness meditation.

what's the difference between the 2? both seem to just be experiencing reality as literally what is. 

[I Am That]

The best method is action and there's no time like the present. It may feel totally wrong at first, but just start to sell and/or recycle your possessions that no longer serve you. Pack a bag full of clothes you can live without, go out into the city and pass them on to a homeless person.

I know entheogens are the flavour of the month around here and I'm sure some folk are getting sick of hearing about them, but a recent difficult experience with an ayahuasca analog allowed me a broader perspective in regards to my materialistic side and the message was pretty clear- it was to reduce my possessions and greatly moderate consumption. Actually the message was a bit more harsh than that, as I was in a borderline psychotic state. 

I think for some people there are emotions invested in their possessions, so it would seem that holding onto these possessions is refusing to face a part of themselves. Anyway, that's just my take. All the best.

[kurt]

You can have nothing and still be materialistic.  I think solution lies more in sorting out the need for all these things.  Material goods I think are fine in themselves, I don't see society manipulating us to go for these things, I observe that it's more a case of we created society to conform to our nature.  It has gotten a little out of hand in recent times since Freud and his "unconscious aggressive desires" theory, but our basic apparent nature is always been to look outside ourselves for comfort and security. That seeking is the structure which is present, but the content of the structure changes as technology advances.  So it's a little bit more tricky than assigning the blame to society at large for manipulating is.  If you want to delve deeper I could suggest you are being manipulated in some ways by the literature you are reading regarding this phenomena (which in my experience does not solve the actual problem, but merely displaces it to something apparently "outside" oneself in the culture and therefore outside of one's responsibility to deal with.  The only realistic solution I am aware of is meditation and a spiritual education, and by spiritual I don't mean a spirituality of attempting to transform society at large to serve the emotional needs of the species (a careful analysis of your experience will reveal that this is already the case because we are all already getting our 'emotional' needs met), but a personal transformation, because that really is the only control you do have in this life.  You can't change the collective causal body, you can only change your part of it. 

Edited September 28, 2016 by kurt

[Leo Gura]

10 hours ago, stevegan928 said:

what's the difference between the 2? both seem to just be experiencing reality as literally what is. 

I have videos covering each topic separately. They are quite different techniques.