silent thunder

Well said mate. I enjoyed the article and your succinct response here. My own chronic adversarialness was a direct expression of my Chronic Certaintism. Chronic Certainty, maintained itself in local awareness for me, born from notions of Naive Realism, (where one assumes their perceptions are processing and taking in 100% of reality at 100% accuracy). This method of assumption was taught to me by my Materialist Father, our schooling system and Western Society as a whole. The Certainty born of this assumption is a malady I would not wish on anyone. It is a malady of mind that is quite painful to unwire. The first cracks appeared in adolescence but were quickly pasted over with dogma. But through turning inward and a steady exploration and eventually an unavoidable diet of doubt, born of curiosity and a desire to be able to entertain ideas without instantly having to accept or reject them, the inevitable dissolution of former certainties finally began in earnest. Chronic Certainty is a malady that in my case, bore its own sustenance within its structural isolationism. The more certainty I held of an assumption about my perceptual modeling of reality, the less I was able (or felt it profitable or helpful) to even entertain, or consider any notions or ideas counter to my perceptual certainties... as Cognitive Dissonance was untenable and would require either a reassessment of what I was already certain could not be untrue, or the adoption of the potential that my perceptual processes were incomplete and inaccurate. That for yeeeears was unthinkable. Chronic Certainty is like unto a mental disorder as I view it from my current perspective. One I would not wish on anyone, no matter how acidic, virulent or abusive they be... Indeed, could I cure humanity of one illness, Chronic Certainty, if not top of the list, would be top three. Thanks for the chance to re-explore this aspect of my unfolding awareness through this conversation Bums. It is deeply appreciated!

I'd love to support you and purchase a copy. Sending you a pm.

objectively unprovable assumption

This interview with Donald Hoffman is a compelling exploration of the nature of consciousness, Naive Realism and our perceptual modeling process and Programming/Artificial Intelligence. They cover some of the potent explorations and findings of Mr. Hoffman's career as revealed in his book The Case Against Reality. Fascinating conversation.

I have had no trouble finding teachers, since I stopped assuming I knew what to look for... Turned inward for a time and allowed the waters that were all stirred up by mind and projections and 'everything i knew' to settle without meddling them... then a revolution of sorts occured... i realized my assumptions about life were worthy of doubt. and when I reached back out... now I encounter teachers everywhere about me. And the most effective ones, usually aren't human. muddiest waters left undisturbed by process rest in clarity

this... until sleep takes me tonight.

For me, detachment is 'not taking the universe personally'. Forms, emotions, thoughts arise and pass away... awareness witnesses. awareness is one with what unfolds in form and non... Life unfolds as life... Ultimate Reality is not happening 'to' me... but through me as all is one in Brahman. I'm creeping a bit closer to living what has up to now been solely a head knowledge, intelligence thing.

omg... thank you Bums! I needed this after the day I just finished with... Big Viking Gratitude

Oh fuck...

Mostly Norwegian... but a fair amount of the rest is Scot. The Kilt is not a bad idea... have a buddy who sometimes works our crew, he wears one every Friday. Two years ago I banned pants as a New Year's Resolution. Decided I was only going to wear Pajama Bottoms that year. Nailed it. Second year, it was, only Linen pants with draw strings. This year, pants it seems, are back...

both... though I can't claim to know about the MAGA hat personally. for the MAGA hat influence, I'm taking Larry David at his word

For my partner in life and in life creation, (we have one son), the action of Tao in our sexual interest is like a bellows... Kind of like in every other aspect of life I"m beginning to notice... if slowly. We definitely recognize patterns in our three decades together... not just of sexual pursuit and interest, but in collective interests, artistic pursuits, topics and areas of study. My gal and I come together in 'seasons'... in many areas of life. After our son came. There were permeative and foundational shifts, both subtle and overwhelming... She had some post-partum depression and the reality of being a parent for both of us, brought a whole keel full of buried parent child memories and relevant energies to the surface that took time, patience and more time, to balance. Keep communicating... very openly and frankly. Talk talk talk and reach out with love. The rest will occur as nature unfolds...

I banned pants. Turns out, this is almost as effective as wearing a MAGA hat, for keeping most folks at bay. Downside... the folks it doesn't keep at bay... the one's I'd most like to... oh well... back to the lab

I regularly take media fasts now. It began from a deep need to cease the heart-harming, painful influence of random news, and participation in horror glorifying story-telling movies and tv and most of all, the emotionally bent and charged conversations here @ the bums. No media, no tv, no internet. First fast was meant to be a month. Was so welcome, like being able to breathe freely for the first time in a while, that it turned into nine months. Some 12 years ago, after reinvesting myself in sincere cultivation and after reconnecting and beginning to be able to hear my body again, I foundationally shifted my approach to food. To great effect. I was in a health crisis and managed in 90 days, to rework my blood chemistry by cutting out processed foods and sugar bs that my GP asked me to outline my methods, so he could emulate them with his family. Kept me from a life time of using blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol medicines. That led to re-evaluating what I was putting on my body... soaps, detergents for laundry, toothpaste, hair products... Lastly and by far the most impacting to quality of cultivation and overall life... was the media/thought fasting. What I choose to allow myself to ruminate on in mind, what I select to watch, read and talk about... in short what I select to allow into my mind space is now of paramount importance. Always resonated with Buddha's statement 'take care what you allow yourself to think, this becomes your reality.' But now, it's no longer a mental slogan to me, but a living expression of the impact of mind and body, with environment. Love, Respect and Vitality to you All.

Probably right. Thanks for the quick reply, I'll let them know before I head to bed. peace...

I'd never heard of MP until reading about it here yeeears back. After the third thread (i'm guessing), i lost interest in it as any thing but another basic system that seems to no longer be available... aside from its ability to engage folks every few months/years in dozens of pages of repititious claims and argument. Then again... I don't deride this... it just lacks gravity for me... my own meditations are quite repetitious so... to each their own.

Japanese Millenials: The Elders are a burden on our Society. Ningen Isu: Ok then, Hold my Sake!

I definitely don't want whatever elon's smoking...

Wife just turned me onto this story of the Aussie Shepard saves hundreds of sheep from fire

No more carpets... rugs are welcome, carpeting is decidedly uncivilized.

That is pure awesome! as a general warning... expect a PM from me if/when I make it down that way mate. We got some hanging out to do!

Powerful experience rereading this topic. Stay in the city or push into the wilderness? I've lived the benefits and detractions of both, having lived both ways. Though I used to find cities vile scabs of technology, this has passed. I don't love, or worship cities, but I appreciate them deeply now. Grew up in the Northern Woods of Minnesota, my Father's place was one of a few dozen homes in a small isoted community on the banks of the Mississippi. To our West there were a few other houses spread out along the banks, to our East, was nothing but Ranch land and wild forests. Split time with Mom in a suburb of Minneapolis. Met my partner in life at an audition, fell instantly into the metaphysical gravity of love and we moved to the city while attending University together. I then followed her to NYC for seven years. Then having suggested casually we should think of relocating to Los Angeles while visiting. Boy was she ready for that! Three months later she had a job here and we were living just a few blocks from where I type this now. This April it will be 20 years in the South Bay. We'll undoubtedly end up a ways outside some Northern City once we're done here. Somewhere close enough to a city, an hour or two perhaps, to day trip in for museums, theater, music, culture; but day to day, live in the relative quiet of a forest. (relative because honestly, some Forests can be far noisier than some cities!... I've noted the nigh on spiritual quiet of our local few block neighborhood in South Bay here for years now, one friend has come to realize the same and remarks on it with each visit)... Where we live, tucked in a beach town south of LA proper, is one of the quietest neighborhoods I've ever lived in. It's magnificent, particularly in the hours just before dawn. Talk about peaceful.. My Dad's place out in the sticks of Minnesota... It was noisy AF in those woods particularly certain times of the year! I used to revile cities, referring to them as 'scabs' on the planet. Not so any more. I appreciate them. Not all aspects of them. But then, I don't adore all parts of a forest either. Boggy, swampy too moist areas, I tend to avoid. The years in NYC refined my processing of human energies and technological presence. It was one of the aspects I knew would be most challenging for me going into it and it was a constant source of cultivation and intentional energy work while there. The fruits are indispensible. Now solitude is wherever I'm standing, sitting, or working. It arises within and is not characterized by loneliness, nor induced or inhibited by external forms/surroundings. On my Father's side, we are related to Sami people of Northern Scandanavia/Syberia. The Tribal, tent dwelling nomads who followed the reindeer across the Great Forests of the North. I have come in my wanderings to embody one of our oldest Sami sayings: "My Home lies within me. It will follow me wherever I go." I so value my solitude and am thoroughly recharged, bouyed and filled by it, yet as Brian mentioned, I do not suffer from loneliness, whether in the midst of a crowd, nor in the hollow wood. Home is here and here is always flowing. There are times, when I lament and grow heartsick that nearly all of those closest to me in heart, are furthest in mileage. Though they are never further than a thought or a call... It is a painful aspect of the utter ease of modern migration and motion. Solitude is a commodity now. Cultivated in any location and seemingly a staple. What was once medicinal is now dietary. I'm with @liminal_luke and for me the functional antonym of lonely is connected. Invested perhaps too. Posed the question to my Son, he paused for half a minute and then shrugged. "don't really have one that I can think of." My gal gave the exact same answer she did two years ago. Content. I say thanks Bums, for here I have found connection in abundance, on a level I did not anticipate stemming from a technology I used to abhor. Talk about progress eh?

Absolutely. it was my first encounter with the Great Thunder of True Silence

whoa... This is one of the most succinct descriptions of relation to climate in general, but SoCal climate in particular that I've ever heard. We share much resonance Master Meow. So deeply grateful that you authentically share so much of your insight, effort and time here. *deep bow of gratitude*

I miss the North. The Northern Forests are... intrinsically my true home. I miss Fall and true Winter. Though the painful sessions of returning feeling to frozen digits not so much. I miss deep, dense forests and the near utter silence after a foot of snow has blanketed the world. I miss how it sometimes rains for days, over thousands of square miles on end without ceasing... and there's no flooding. I adore Southern California. Snow in the morning and Beach in the afternoon if one wishes... but at a price. When my tour in Southern California runs its course (another 10 years i sense). I expect to settle in Northern Oregon or Washington for the final cycle of life. Certainly up North. Time for another road trip i think. I need some northern old growth spirit touching mine...