Birch

Oh good. Another thread about this Here's what I'm considering in my present state: - I already have enough of a deal dealing with my own emotions and if a man is "oversensitive" then I will feel like I need to deal with that stuff as well. That turns me off. If he can take care of himself, I won't have to do it and that pleases me no end. - Attraction is also based on polarity. If I feel you are too much "like me" it might not be attractive long term (there's a Seinfeld episode in there somewhere) - Desire is based on the ego that feels it lacks something. If you want to seduce someone, play off their ego, find all the ways you can help it latch on to what you're offering. To be avoided: - Being outright about your desire for "a woman" rather than "me". Yah, everyone wants "regular sex, someone to come home to and ease the pressure, and some nice conversation with a smart girl.Maybe some good food." But seriously, there's nothing about "me" in there that he wants. I could be anyone. (see third thing on list above). - Disclaimer: there are women who know the latter and will use it. Have money? Of course if it's just sex you're after, then the other posters probably got it spot on.

GIH, do you consider, might it have something to do with "gong". I wasn't joking when I said "it's all gong to me." When "you" get out of "your head" and into "your leg" (or wherever) what's going on? I may suggest a few things: - you cease (albeit temporarily) your habitual thinking. So rather than playing "puppy sit" or just "watching the puppy", you take puppy for a walk. - while you're off playing with puppy elsewhere, you can't also be engaged in habitual thinking. (Or maybe you can, but I'm not an expert or even very talented.) Anyway, upshot might be that you stop doing some things and engage in others. Veering over: - if the things you engage in through qi-gong are primarily feeling and awareness, hum, that seems kind of Vipassana-ish to me. - if Vipassana is an asana, is it also a gong? Just some ideas. They might not be very good.

I agree with this one too! It's all "gong" to me ;-)

Markern, that was extremely well said OT IME (I'm having effects on a regular basis and it doesn't really matter anymore ) Kundalini practice puts the wind up me on an ongoing basis and I believe it depends what I do with that experience that matters. I think there might be a few things worth doing once I'm completely out of my own way. A nail to extract a nail?

Because we invented them (the angels, gods, immortals, and the weapons.) And once we invented them, then they came to abide with us with their weapons in their hands until we need or want to use them. People still call upon them? Hopefully they only answer when needed and not desired? Right now, it would seem otherwise to me. If I can't "cut it" myself then I assume I need to train better. But I'd rather live than die by the sword (or a gun, or a flail). But I don't know, so perhaps the angels, gods and immortals and weapons have other ideas in mind when carrying out our "wishes"? Like the wolves Tao Meow mentions?

IME, living next to graveyards provokes stuff you don't want. Everyone I have known (including yours truly) that has lived close to a graveyard has BOTH a)had some sh*t thing in their lives happen and b)never failed to mention the proximity of the graveyard as relevant to what happened. I think "" is the weirdest part of it. If living next to a graveyard wasn't an issue, no-one would bring it up, right? Causality in this configuration is beyond me. IME with graveyard, causality is somewhere else. I don't know what it is, but I'd get another house to rent, just because it's enough to warrant the question. And the thread "Hey, I'm thinking of moving right next door to a landfill, want to come to dinner?"

Ah, where there are villains, there are also heroes! I quite liked the thread but I find it talked about some things I can't explain(like energy sucking). So I find it hard to categorize. I have tried it but it's not an easy sell. I think (I hope) when I respond to threads where people are asking for help I am, genuinely, trying to help. Although sometimes it reminds me of myself and that can be both helpful and agonizing. Or at worst, irrelevant. The current thing in this thread that is bugging me, however, is the idea of higher vs lower vibrations. I know I've used similar categories but now I'm not really sure about what "high" vs "low" means.

I have called this topic and the response the "stick figure hypothesis" and I rambled on about it in my private forum. It does have bearing on real life IMO and I'm very much in the midst of working out what I do about that. When I can articulate it better without resorting to existing references about dogma etc I'll get back to you. That part could take a while

I want to thank SF Jane again for what I read as an excellent post and putting herself on the line and I feel like saying to you SFJane "you go girl" because you got to here from there and that incredibly fucked up family did not win. You win. And I am on the side of the people who get through. Ask me why some other time. GIH, I like your posts because they are interesting and counterpoint and logical. Yet I often find them formulaic IMO. Your forewarning of "unkindness" is unnecessary. IF (IMO) you are taking yourself seriously as a teacher (and I think you are a good one) then conveying kindness (especially online) could be learned so you wouldn't have to warn anyone. IF however, you forewarn because you intend to be unkind, I'm not so sure about why you would do that. Just a thought.

She knows!!

THIS! Thank you SB. This is OT but this post made me think of it. There was a request a while back that people posting also post their practices - as in type, frequency etc. I'm starting to see how important that information might be to other people. For example, if you're practicing Vipassana then it could (might?) have some systemic effects that other people could maybe discern as being "path-specific" I'm thinking it might help. Maybe not... If you're practicing Kunlun or KAP, then those might have some effects that other people could maybe discern. Again specific to practice. I know that a lot of this this happening in the mind, there would be a bunch of issues with reporting it vs reporting other effects. Then we'd also have to contend with the promoters of various practices...oh just forget the dumb idea

The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain At least that's where I would live if I were a French Daoist

Aw rats;-) I will have to concede that Susan has it;-) Thank you for the pdf. The clearer these things can get the better IMO. I'm only half kidding.

I LOVED Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now Dude's don't need an orange dress to speak the truth, or to impress or transmit IMO;-) I'm still very interested in "distance transmissions." If there's a medium (like Youtube or streaming) I'm still very interested but for different reasons. The tempo in those videos was one of the things that was doing "something" IMO. Great to see. Thanks Trunk!

Excellent post SFJane. In fact, before seeking any kind of "siddhi", I'd suggest cultivating the following (lesser?) powers: - critical thinking. It ain't easy. it's very technical and a storehouse of learning IMO - scientific method - I want to underline method - awareness - empathy - compassion I should maybe add that the above are also valid for oneself as much as for others Just IMO

I'm presently figuring Kundalini meditations I learned in KAP as an intentional rework. If the idea that an "activated kundalini" accelerates neuroplasticity is acceptable then maybe one ought to have some kind of an aim (or several) for such rework? The results being the practice in and of itself? Want to feel happy? Unhook your happiness from its prior dependency on any and all "external" conditions. Danger, try smiling through a funeral. Then there's another idea that Kundalini will have her way with you anyway. Life will out. Do you want more or less of it? My answer always surprises me.

"this provides a carrot." When life brings me carrots, I make mayonnaise to go with ;-)

I can see where Findley's concern might lie and it's a good idea IMO to bring it out into the open. As well as dissing him for his attitude, may also be worth listening to him. IMO practice does not equal cult-ish behaviour yet so much depends on the practitioner and the conditions in which he/she is practicing. I wonder how many people on TTB are lone cultivators vs with others. I don't think this equates to trying teachings or techniques. Sometimes it gets tough (this has also been my experience) and if when it gets tough you cave in, then there you are. Hopefully you have teachers and friends that have more integrity than you do at that point. But if you kick off with a personality that tends towards herd-like behaviour, it may take a while before you snap out of it. But maybe you don't need to snap out of it. That will be you. That's it. Same anywhere you go.

MCO on the bus Also whenever things get too much. Secret smile spontaneously. A female taoist thing in the bath in the morning. Damo's cave from time to time before sleeping. Random relaxation depending on whatever, whenever. Some sending of whooshing upwards. Always being aware of where I am.

Awesome! I'll tune in without Skype to see what happens Hope you're well Santi.

I wrote a quick post about this in my private forum. There is and there is not. Next! What do we do after that? I sometimes wonder if we might have forgotten that part in our introspection?

Yeah for the Siberians, I think it was reading too much Narby The others seemed to be seeking me out but as you very eloquently put it in your post above, defining the "you" from the "not you" is still a "work in progress" Any ideas to do it faster? KAP is a pretty good "pipecleaner" ;-)

Hi TaoMeow! I "get" what you're saying and it feels more or less logical to me. What I'd like to be able to do is better discern which phenomenon come from where: - local event trigger (e.g. watching a movie, being in the same room as a person who is feeling sad - or happy) - internal event trigger (e.g. your back hurts, drinking coffee;-)) - non-local triggers (TBD) Questions: - Dreams vs trances? - Shamanic visits. I'm especially interested in the last one as I've had a couple of examples where I can't say for sure what is going on. But that would be pretty typical of me when weirdo things occur Plus KAP does allow me to be more accepting of weirdness. Benefit or disadvantage? I read Narby and some other people on the and they all seemed to have recurrent themes about how to set up such bridges, what to take with you upon crossing, how to interact with the beings along the way. If you're a (post) modern person, what do you do if the shamans turn up? Either it's a bunch of dreams reflecting my hearty interest for weirdness or actual Siberians, Bon and Buddhistss are intentionally seeking "people like me" out.

I'm confident in my faith that I know almost nothing (or something like that ) It IS so easy to mix everything up. Lots of things are based on our faith that others know better than we do, even if they don't.

Good point. When I saw E.T. (the movie)the first time, it got to me so much that I hallucinated a full blown "E.T." walking across the floor at the end of my bed. I was pretty young at the time. When it first came out I think the best starting advice I read on here about "spirits" is that whatever they are, whether from one's own mind, communicating with one's own mind, seen in one's own mind etc is to take them as yet another manifestation and then move on. I don't know what happens if you "engage" with them as others have here and unless they're going to really be helpful with respects to what's going on on this plane then I don't see the point. My personal opinion. Yes, there is some mixed fear/respect in there Remembering our ancestors may help us with where we're at. If we're around, they got through, so something they did worked till now