Birch

Vortex, it was pretty awesome. But can i make a very small suggestion? Just give out "the information" )if indeed it is such:-) The "what do i do with it" is IMO/IME a whole other thing. Indeed i'll field it generally to TTB. "once you've found out what it does:is. Then what?

Thanks Stig! Open the conference up to include online attendance and I'd go!

Twinner, I'd go get the black-outs part checked out. Could be all the stress you've been under but i recall your diet isn't great so watch out for BP- related "stuff":-)

What Jetsun said. From what I've read/understood/experienced, this kind of thing is actually pretty common. And yes, a way of protecting yourself (as is dissassociation BTW). If i can find references, will post. Sounds like you'd be a good candidate for some kind of soul retreival work to integrate everyone. I'd also thank them for being there and let them know you're fine and danger is passed and they can go off and play:-) I think we get so obsessed about "normal" phenomena when many of these things are IMO/IME "normal". My personal 2cts opinion

I was suggesting we look at all and any descriptors of reality. - and yes especially when it comes to "our human nature". For the very reasons you suggest:-) All have consequences. Wasn't so long we considered other human beings as "lesser races" more akin to animals. This did not reconcile us with nature (as far as i can see from here). Also want to put forward that brain parts aren't acting in isolation. See the now debunked left-brain/right-brain idea. Neuroscience is also, as far as i can read, a relatively "young" science compared with others and while it's making great strides, I disagree that one should hand over one's understanding of human behaviour to it without some forethought.

I concur. Excellent post Steve Although the part about the brainwashing. I think it hooks in to an initially natural situation (if you're 3 years old and your family are mistreating you, you don't just get up, pack a bag and leave, do you? I think i read a story about that once)

I get wary (:-)) when i read accounts of "human nature" like this. I'm not concerned with the "truth" of it but rather what are the consequences of this conceptualisation of humans? When it comes to the "symbolic" thinking issue, i think people sometimes forget that the very words I'm using to describe all this stuff are themselves symbols. In fact, one of the first things i think is a step towards growing a new brain is to refrain from labelling (i.e. using symbols to denote reality) Cat-dragon out.

Amnatava. I think I agree with you. I think it's possible to be content while at the same time harbouring (welcoming/receiving) full intent towards resolution. However, IMO this 'state of affairs' is a choice - following full understanding of conditions (note, I only understand the conditions I come into contact with so wouldn't want to claim anything beyond) . IMO/IME 'contentment' is as much born of ignorance as it is of non-ignorance. As far as I can tell, it's possible to be content and raging all/both at the same time. IMO/IME here's where 'acceptance' kicks in full on:-) But like I said in another post. There are pitfalls.

At first glance, sounds pretty much like stuff discussed on here very often, but different jargon :-) If you could manage to distill it into ways that can be understood without attempting to 'prescribe' or 'proscribe' IMO that would be very agreeable. You might find it fun at TTB's after all Mr JCS!

Which IMO/IME is why it's better to do than to sit around shooting the crap about it. Need I post a "The Dude" Youtube video to illustrate?

That's the only bagua book I have. It's also where the sh*t story came from (the one in the pit). You should know I don't do bagua. I don't do martial arts. I fight like a girl. I do like the 'Qi gong empowerment, book (big pink one) and http://www.amazon.com/Qigong-Secret-Youth-Changing-Classics/dp/1886969841/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b.

Yep. IMO Evil is something else entirely :-) And if it's listening, it should know I intend to kick its a$$ :-) My 2 cts.

You may like http://www.amazon.com/Whirling-Circles-Ba-Gua-Zhang/dp/1583941894

Hmm, I just think it's become obvious. And IME you don't even have to have sex to understand :-)

You're almost right :-) QGN, go check out some of the older threads about 'paper upon paper' if you can. I recall Mark Foote (user here) was pretty good at explaining it. As was TaoMoew a while back. And, if you go looking 'out there' there is also some 'scientific proof' related to it. To do with muscle memory and animal dreaming and other 'stuff' that I can't presently gather up for you. Yes there are definite physical changes associated with qi-gong. I have experienced some myself (not all of it a nice time) I also wouldn't neglect physical exertion (to a point) if you want overall health benefits.

"The death of these shamans represents not just a tragic loss of life, but the loss of a huge body of knowledge about rainforest plants and the crucial role shamans play in traditional medicine and spiritual guidance in indigenous communities." Very sad news.

I think I disagree that I don't want to do any refining of myself. You know, there is IME/IMO a point (or many or a risk, or many) in practice (and IMO/IME it's a pretty persistent risk/point) that a practitioner will get to where their 'unrefined' mind (= conditioned 'ego') will take them all over the map (same thing, different clothes) - and hence the smorgsbörd of practices and new teachers/new practices malarkey. This is the point at which most teachers insist on 'persistence' IME/IMO. (edited to add 'levels') IME/IMO more to the point if you have ever been through any kind of qi-gong syndrome or whatever it's called (which I know I have, not pretty) you may realise what is actually going on with that. Or you may just realise who you are really.

Yes, finally! Someone acknowledges the sexual component of 'spirituality'. In fact, if you lock it (the sexual component) down entirely then IMO/IME it's pretty damn near impossible to achieve many of the 'higher' energetic skills that keep getting talked about on here. My 2 cts.

Do you want a 'non-informed', as in 'intuitive' reading of what I reckon it is? I have one :-). It's jing-chi-shen issue IMO. And not just the 'Jing = sexual 'stuff' perspective. Jing is much more than that. Now if I could just get what I have in mind to telepathically transfer without me having to explain. That would be cool:-)

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/low_concept/2011/09/the_joy_of_unicorns.html Like I said. Repressed :-)

Looks like the mindskills of Sinfest are pretty damn good already :-) Except you're getting a bit too much into the thread IMO :-) One of the fun things about qi-gong IME/IMO is it really reconciles you with your sexuality. Especially if you are from a repressed culture, which I certainly am. (Note: being 'from a repressed culture' tends to make one 'repressed'. So it's kind of both funny to consider and not all IMO/IME once you realise how much the repression of sexuality (and not all forms of repression are immediately obvious) is an influence.

Not all your doing Mr Slopps. I took a shot at the historic timeframe. I suspected that it was unlikely the good man would be making his own dinner during that period :-) Maybe his wife didn't either.

Great! Thanks for doing this Mjj! I'm curious about what changes need to take place in a person in order for them to be able to do things like John Chang is able to do (supposed to do, because I have to admit to being unable to believe it ) thanks!

good point