Please continue reading . . .
In the end, we all have to save ourselves, or not.
Nature will run its course.
I wish you the best.
Iām glad you are aware of that. You and I probably have different ideas about how things are resolved.
What does that even mean?
Aware of it doesnāt mean I can really do much about it. Iām not really sure what to do here. The guy likely isnāt going to admit to being wrong, neither are the people on that forum and none of them have been able to address my questions or criticisms. I kept telling them we are the brain but they insist we are not, they say emotions reside in the heart and body or originate there (even though itās the brain that they originate from). There isnāt a way to know if it actually works or not because none of them can explain how and hide behind the usual outs for having to explain it (that you have to practice it or everyone has their view or stance).
So I donāt know what to do.
What they are talking about is the subconscious homeostatic function of the brain that controls the chemistry of the internal organs.
When something goes wrong internally, the brain experiences ādiscomfortā (pain, nausea) caused by the chemical warnings of the problem issued by the affected organ.
Do check out āHomeostasisā.
In biology, homeostasis (British also homoeostasis) (/hÉmÉŖÉ(Ź)ĖsteÉŖsÉŖs/) is the state of steady internal, physical, chemical, and social conditions maintained by living systems.[1] This is the condition of optimal functioning for the organism and includes many variables, such as body temperature and fluid balance, being kept within certain pre-set limits (homeostatic range). Other variables include the pH of extracellular fluid, the concentrations of sodium, potassium, and calcium ions, as well as the blood sugar level, and these need to be regulated despite changes in the environment, diet, or level of activity. Each of these variables is controlled by one or more regulators or homeostatic mechanisms, which together maintain life.
Homeostasis - Wikipedia
Possibly. I donāt think they know what they are talking about. Emotions donāt reside in the heart, but its analogy. If they understand the chemical and electrical impulses, they should talk about them, instead of using outdated analogies.
Why do you think I mentioned it?
Something to that, but they are gathering more facts all the time. Interpretation of those facts is another thing.
An Atlas Of The Human Body That Maps Where We Feel Emotions
- 01-06-14
- VISUALIZING - Fast Company.com
Happiness uses your whole body, but anger is concentrated in your head.
Heat map of the body experiencing various emotions
Body/brain/mind/environmental feedback 
Every sentence is complete.
If you wanted to discuss any of it in detail, Iād be happy to.
But, I get the feeling, youāre not interested and Iām not here to offend you, and people are so easily offended, so Iāll leave it at that.
Iāve tried mentioning that. You feel it in the body but itās the brain that is responsible for them.
Though considering they post stuff like this:
"Perfect love casts out fear.
What you are today is the result of what you did yesterday.
If you donāt think about yourself, youāll be happy."
I wouldnāt get my hopes up.
You understand this better than they do.
Thatās what Iāve been saying about them. Iāve also tried to say I have hope for you. Those quotes they gave sound like something out of a bad self-help book. They arenāt exactly wrong but they arenāt super helpful either.
I know, but some guy talks about his expensive education so I doubt myself. He knows names like Alfred Whitehead (I looked through his stuff but it sounds like panpsychism which isā¦something).
I know but it feels like Iām obligated to do them or I am choosing to suffer and am therefor bad.
Though a common thread in these spirituality types is they donāt really come from actual suffering, like being homeless, terminally ill (some are but they are lucky to get care), or knowing what itās like to have to choose between paying a bill or keeping the lights on. The guy I talked too said heās about to be unemployed with expenses coming but has a job on the way. To me thatās not really the same as losing your job and not knowing when youāll get another one. Iād like to think that if you are able to post on an internet forum and pay for these courses then youāre pretty fortunate, Iāve known many who donāt have that luxury.
It just seems to me that for people who claim to be open minded they donāt tolerate questioning of their teachings or experience very much and their perspective on the world is rather limited. Like if youāre saying stuff like ālife has ups and downs but it evens out, itās a matter of the story you tell about itā you have to be pretty damned privileged.
The rest of your post so spot on, you have no reason to doubt yourself. Except the thing about you feeling bad, no reason for that I can see. You completely nailed the description of spirituality types.
I should specify when I say I doubt myself because I canāt convince them otherwise. I also canāt really argue against personal experience here. They say it works but donāt really explain how. Like in my original post I figured I had to find out how he was wrong. But the more I read it over the more I see that it doesnāt really add up.
I also donāt really have an answer for the āwatchingā thing in meditation or this sort of āgapā in thoughts and objects. I have experienced it before, even in the video you told me to watch. What I do doubt though is what they think that it means. Personally I just see it as a stimulus and response, I did something that yielded an effect. It doesnāt mean Iām not the brain, in fact I wouldnāt doubt that such an exercise likely had an effect on the brain and that is what lead to this āstillnessā. I donāt think it really says anything about reality. But Iām not sure how to argue that and if I canāt change their mind then Iām sure Iām wrong.
And what about this mysterious technique they talk about? I just have so much doubt.
What are you wanting to hear from him?
That heās wrong, mistaken, that maybe what he thinks of his experience isnāt actually so.
Itās hard to really say or challenge much of anything that they say without getting banned. Like this:
"Awareness is the ability to see deeply into what is happening without describing with words. When you describe with words, you add a layer of narration that distorts the direct perception.
When we were born we had no thoughts or words. We had to learn words, and their meaning, and in doing so our mind was developed. Over years of repetition, our minds were filled with ideas made of words and language. Yet we perceived before this happened.
Returning to Awareness happens as you dissolve your narrative stories of the Ego.
Developing Awareness also assists in dissolving those narrative stories.
Letās explore. "
For one we donāt directly perceive reality, that much is true. Even then our perception of it is influenced by mood, emotions, prior knowledge, etc etc.
Not even getting into the notion that this is just another story as well and that even newborns have thoughts and words, but thereās no sense in arguing that because BAN.
There just seems to be a lot of loaded assumptions even in this and they donāt see it or donāt care and trying to point it out gets you ignored.
Also Iām pretty sure the āblank slateā notion of humanity was proven wrong right? I guess Iām just frustrated they canāt see how they LITERALLY contradict themselves. The notion of a āclear viewā of reality by removing all impurities is literally the oldest story in the world.
Guess I should have been clearer:
What are you wanting (expecting) to hear about ārealityā?
Was the question I was actually wondering about.
So, your he said she said answer confused me, and I donāt get Laustenās joke, but I guess I donāt do enough religious to really grasp the humor in that image. Though I do see Washington crossing the Potomac River, nice touch.
Though, I hear you 5 by 5 on that one!
Yes, purity laws are the worst. They are easy to argue for, because you should eat good food and control your gluttony, but they are also easily abused and turned into arbitrary reasons for punishment. Or in this case, to charge you for advice that is sometime useless and when itās good advice itās common wisdom.
Which is the Jesus joke. Jesus talks vaguely about sin. New age spirituality tells you do something that isnāt real and you achieve some magic result. Either way, itās blaming you for being human.
Iāve gotten to like this guyās food/cooking channel and was surprised to find this video.
He because a successful YouTuber, his money problems went away, and he points out money fixes a whole lot, but money donāt fix everything. So now heās facing off with his demons.
I hope some of his story and strategy will be relatable.
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Truth in advertising:
Iāve never tried Headspace, nor do I feel any incentive to check it out, though a few decades back I probably would have, meaning, this is not an endorsement - simply sharing something that sounds interesting and probably worthwhile for many.
So as in all things, buyer beware.
I think your words are tripping you up.
Earth is a Reality that has been evolving for billions of years, unaided by human thought.
We are biological creatures who perceive the Reality of our world, that is Earth, though our specific senses/body/brain and then we interpret those perceptions into species specific realities.
Meaning the question of Reality isnāt āout thereā itās in our minds and how our body interprets the signals we receive. Which of course is dependent on how we are wired (hard and soft).
Right, we are dynamic creatures living through dynamic happenings, within dynamic environments - how else do you think it should it be?
Of course weāre influenced by mood, emotions, prior knowledge, etc etc. - but thatās independent of the Reality playing itself out in front of us.
Oh of course this is all about dealing with the world around us.
When we are dealing with the people around, then we are dealing with other minds, where everyone is doing the best with what they have, which is social minds that trying to get inside the heads of other social minds, there we get into more of a āhallucinatoryā experience where everyone is making it up for themselves.
Dealing with nature gives one hard boundaries and benchmarks, dealing with humans, all bets are off, as our dear MAGA friends make clear everyday with ever more vengeance lust.
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Wrong on most counts. Reality isnāt an in our minds thing, itās something that is out there. We donāt directly perceive reality just our brainās best guess of what that is.
Well not impurities as in moral but more like concepts and ideas, etc. Like they often say that words or concepts point to a thing or experience but arenāt that thing or experience.
But the problem with thinking that leads to a pure or direct experience of reality is that we assume we already know what it is we are striving for when in reality itās just a guess.
Correct, our PERCEPTION of the Reality that is.
Sure, our body and senses do observe reality directly enough, (including sound, and light waves and such - then brain does a lot of processing and imaging. Check out Dr. Robert Sapolsky for details to parts of this.
All we know is produced by environment/body/brain, and visualized within our minds.
Does that make any sense to you?
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