It kinda is though? No brain equals no consciousness, but people in those circles refuse to accept that and think it’s separate or something like that. Like when I was briefly passing through Buddhism a lot of them expressed incredulity that something made of matter is responsible for consciousness.
But that’s beside the point, I’m asking what was the point of citing that exercise. I did as the video said and while it did lead to some help it also raised some issues.
I can’t speak to something you think you heard from some anonymous group of people.
I explained it when I posted it. I’ve never heard of someone having issues with sitting quietly and listening. Sorry you didn’t like it.
So what? Incredulity is an indication that the incredulee still has much to learn.
If you are totally focused on yourself, all sort of things don’t make sense.
That’s why I have such issues with a world of philosophers and ‘spiritual guides’ that still haven’t divorced themselves from wrestling with the God issue.
My perspective is born out of observing the world around me and how I interacted with it. But that’s me, we all have our individual paths to walk.
It helped some, but also raised some issues.
Welcome to adult life. That’s how it goes. Nothing is absolutely straight-forward, there are always complications, costs, victories that turn into mistakes, and all sorts of messy stuff we need to navigate. No one said it was going to be easy.
What will you be present to?
Why so many expectations?
Oh man. But the guy said if I just do what he says it will all work out. You mean, I have to do something.
It’s a theme in spiritual groups that they don’t believe consciousness is a product of the brain. It’s not more to it than that. They don’t think something like that arises from matter.
Except your explanation didn’t make sense and wasn’t entirely true. I also posted the issues that arose after the session. If you thought it was just sitting quietly and listening then I think you missed the point of the exercise.
Either way it has nothing to really do with what the guy wrote or how now I don’t feel anything anymore after having read it.
It’s not really adult life, the video on the meditation left me not wanting to do anything or feeling anything so…yeah…
Can’t exactly live like that.
And now my current issue is not feeling anything emotionally since reading that stuff by the guy. Apparently reading that stuff doesn’t make you feel but it being your belief system about it does somehow turns off all emotion since then like some spell was broken.
There are no spells. You can’t turn off feelings.
If you need help, please reach out
Well apparently you can if someone tells you it’s your beliefs about something and that things don’t make you feel a certain way. It almost makes it sound like I’m to blame for how I feel about things. That nothing is sweet or sad, but only what I believe it to be. After that I stopped feeling things. Can’t even get into anything anymore without that popping up and killing the mood.
Apparently someone on the forum said that I’m struggling with this because I “believe I am my mind” or “identifying with my mind”, whatever that means. Didn’t really address my issues or offer an explanation, just that “you identify with your mind”. I kept telling them what happened but no one had any advice, just that “you misunderstand it” but they don’t explain how or why, so what’s the point in saying that.
That said I have tried that suicide hotline before and it’s HOT GARBAGE. The people there are next to useless and don’t have any real help to offer you. I even tried the online chat and they weren’t much better.
It’s like I don’t even know now.
He gave an example of how even with someone cutting you off the emotion is due to your beliefs and not what happened.
I could have died - Fear
What was he thinking - Anger
stuff like that, how it’s your beliefs and not what happened. How am I supposed to take that? Am I to blame for how I feel because I didn’t choose better?
Now I know what this guy felt like in the opening with “people lying”: Are You Feeling Connected? | Pathway To Happiness
There is no blame. You’re human.
Red flag for a poorly sourced organization. It’s like a church that tells you to go back and pray harder.
Start with the basics. Eat healthy. Get some exercise. Then find others with the same interests as you.
It’s not that, so much as the reality, that in the end you have to save yourself.
That includes actually interacting with other people when you’re in over your head. Admit it or not, you are a social creature, even if you despise most people, there’s still a longing for someone(s) who relate to you and whom you feel good being around - that’s wired into your body.
Still, you are stuck with your self. The only way to get away from yourself is to kill your body. Which is a really sucky answer if you still have a somewhat healthy body with years left on the odometer.
Oh, and, why not blame yourself for how you feel?
Do you have a problem with taking on a little responsibility?
Why?
It’s not about the mirage of “Free Will” it about accepting the reality that you need to make choices everyday, and those choices will bring consequences with them. Are they consequences worth pursuing or consequences that tear you down?
What will you be present to?
What you are reflecting . . .
impacts what gets reflected back at you.
Adopt a positive attitude and life will become much easier. And that is not empty talk.
Laughter can improve your emotional and mental health.
Endorphins also contribute to feeling calm and happy, improving mood and reducing anxiety.
An excellent vehicle for laughter is the British TV show “Would I lie to you”.
Check it out!!!
Well if they say they can choose or create emotions at will then that seems to be the implication, as does saying that it’s based on beliefs like the guy does.
What does that even mean “you think that you are your mind” as if there is something else other than the brain responsible for all this? Does watching your thoughts and emotions mean those aren’t yours? Then does that mean all that is for nothing and not really information about me? If I like something is that liking “me” or am I just watching the emotion and don’t really like it?
It just confuses me the more I think about it.
That doesn’t work anymore, for reasons I already mentioned. That thought just keeps interrupting about “that’s a lie”.
That is actually empty talk and false also. It goes back to what he says about something not making you laugh.
He said that connecting is just a feeling and that’s all we look for.
That hasn’t been true in my life experience, what you give isn’t always what you get, in fact it’s often the opposite.
Because that means me crying is my fault, me being mad is my fault, me being hurt is my fault. Because stuff doesn’t MAKE me feel X or Y but it’s just my belief system that does that. And by extension that means I’m choosing to suffer if I feel bad over something.
I honestly don’t know what to think or do anymore. It feels like the only people who can absolve me on the people on that forum but none of them will answer questions. They just say “You just gotta do it” like swim practice, except in swimming you can ACTUALLY explain what they are doing wrong and show them. Or something like “the answers are inside you”.
Some claim they can create emotions at will and there was some audio in his course that teaches it, they all claim it worked (but again I can’t really prove it based on their say so and since they tend to believe in wooey stuff I’m not likely to take their word for it, one claimed to have some cosmic insight under a pyramid for example). Oddly enough I’m not at the point where I’m gonna shell out 177 bucks just to find out.
No, just the act of laughing, even without something to laugh at, produces endorphins that make you feel better. It seems to be part of the homeostatic system.
Just start laughing… 
Those are interesting philosophical questions. CC and I disagree on this, but that makes it more interesting to me.
Eating doesn’t work? Those guys didn’t talk about eating. I’m talking about the vitamins and calories, not a subjective experience of pleasure in eating.
I didn’t read that in any anything you pasted. And it would not be true. I went over this way back in this thread.
So, they are telling you that NO ONE can tell you how to feel, but you think only they can tell you how to feel or not feel or control your feelings. Do you see why you should NOT give them any money, or listen to them at all?
I have my doubts about that but it reminded me of this movie wherein Bill Murray goes and sits on a mountain for a few days and starts laughing at one point.
I wonder if you can be a good judge of that.
You don’t seem to have the introspection and self awareness to be able to judge your own behavior towards others, since you jump on simplistic assumptions that you then cling to.
I carefully listen to what people say about themselves and then watch how they behave - they are often not the same thing - what others are perceiving isn’t always the image your ego is painting for your self.
Who’s he? What’s he know? Why do you trust him?
I was simply pointing out we are social animals, are you saying that’s baloney?
If not then spend a little time absorbing that truth - with whole communities of scientists supporting the suggest that at heart we are social animals and depend on each other.
No we don’t control our emotions.
We interact with our emotions,
which are born deep within our biology and interacting with others.
It more like our emotions control us.
May 31, 2023
Explore the fascinating world of animal emotions with Ron Magill from Zoo Miami through the tale of Kwasi, a lion cub born at the zoo in 2014. This compelling video delves into Kwasi’s early life struggles, offering unique insights into lion behavior and posing the question: do animals experience human-like emotions? Ronald Magill is an american wildlife expert and photographer; he is the communications director of the Miami-Dade Zoological Park and Gardens, and makes regular television appearances across local South Florida networks. Magill has won five Emmy Awards for his work on the nature documentary programs; Dreams of Alaska, The Amazon & Beyond, “Alligator Love,” and Dreams of the Rain Forest This talk was given at a TEDx event.
Jul 13, 2016
Carl Safina takes us inside the lives and minds of animals around the world, witnessing their profound capacity for perception, thought and emotion, showing why the word “it” is often inappropriate as we discover “who” they really are.
And yet, we are wiping out the very animals we should celebrate; we are the flood coming for Noah’s Ark.
Carl leaves us with a difficult question: Do we have what it takes to let life on earth survive?
Or if you really want to get into the weeds, here’s an interesting discussion between two scientists who disagree with each other, though it turns out their disagreements are pretty minimal compared to how much their notions overlap.
It get’s complicated.
Mar 17, 2023
This 90-minute discussion (unedited) came about when Mark Solms, a psychoanalyst and neuropsychologist, tweeted that he was writing a critique of the theory of constructed emotion by Lisa Feldman Barrett, a neuroscientist and psychologist. Lisa invited Mark to discuss his understanding of the theory so his critique can be as accurate and useful as possible. It’s rare for two scientists to speak in advance of a critique like this, so we hope this informal discussion can serve as a model for others who critique each other’s work.
It really is a fascinating interview, a day in the life of a scientist.
Even in the hardest of times, laughter has a steadfast ability to bring people together. A new study reveals how laughter affects the brain, which may help to explain why having a giggle plays such an important role in social bonding.
more… Laughter releases 'feel good hormones' to promote social bonding
The laughter does not have to be in response to anything. Just laugh, it’ll make you feel better.