Michael Sternbach

I am not opposed to birth control per se. I recommend non-invasive and non-abortive methods. We can talk about that more, if you are interested.

No comment.

So intimacy without intercourse? Back in high-school? Well, better have a few condoms in stock, just in case that one of you would be overcome... There are in fact various quite natural methods of pregnancy prevention known. Some aboriginal people practise them too, to my knowledge. It's incorrect that having sex without wishing children is inconsequential, unless you agree with the Catholic Church that this is its sole purpose. If this were valid (as far as humans are concerned), how come (no pun intended here) females are particularly sexually attractive and sensitive during their menstruation? - As certain studies showed. Regarding the question of sex and spirituality in general, I would like to share a Zen koan that I once read and that I will try to reproduce from memory: A wandering monk once asked an older lady for accommodation. She allowed him to stay in a hut on her property. While the monk was meditating, the lady sent her niece to him. The young woman laid her head in his lap (which is obviously an euphemism) and asked him: "Does this please you, sir?" Well, to cut this short, it didn't please him, and he pushed her away. When the older lady heard this, she got very angry, chased the monk away and burned down his hat in a big fire. - Fire obviously being a symbol for passionate sex. Tell me please what you think the creator of this koan was trying to express.

First off, in light of the views I shared above, I'm glad to hear that you have decided not to do this. However, I feel that now you are throwing out the baby with the bathwater. The way I see it, sex is not only meant for procreation, but also a spiritual activity that deepens the energetic connection with your partner. You may be "receiving messages that sex is no longer appropriate for you", but what about your partner? Are you sure she is okay with that? Are you considering an alternative to "normal" sex?

Hi Nikolai, I would advise against the procedure. For a number of reasons: I'm distrustful of many invasive medical procedures, even though I don't deny that they have their place under certain more dire circumstances. Whenever there is a choice, I recommend not to hamper with nature's wonderful designs. The intervention you are contemplating may be said to be quite safe, even though there are some studies suggesting an increase of prostate cancer in the patients. The results were somewhat inconclusive, and I would imagine that many doctors would tend to err on the unsafe side. But beyond that, orthodox medicine doesn't consider symptoms occurring in bodily systems that are "widely separated" from one that has been treated as having anything to do with the latter. In holistic and energetic kinds of medicine (TCM, homeopathy etc) such connections are evident, however. In extension of the foregoing, the supposed disruption in your subtle energy system could have unpredictable effects on your spiritual cultivation. Don't expect to see scientific studies on this anytime soon. It may be psychologically detrimental to a human being (man and woman alike) to have their power of procreation destroyed. Even if the head says that all is well - your psyche includes parts that are looking at things in more archaic ways, and it's best to respect those when you can. For the same subconscious reason, your attractiveness to your (fertile) partner may be diminished. By the same token, the loss of the ability to conceive a child reduces your attrativeness to potential other partners (read: competitors), and that might have negative effects for you in your existing relationship as well. I would expect a subtle shift of power towards your partner, at least. - I guess my boldness will be shocking to some; especially, to those who are not aware or in denial of the influence that archaic and subconscious impulses have on our sophistic behaviour. I think I'm just being realistic. Your idea rests on the assumption that you are going to stay with your current partner (which you have had plenty of children with) for the rest of your life. This may well be so, but fact is, you never know what is going to happen in the future. Here, I could tell you about a case that I have personally witnessed... For that reason alone, it would seem wise for you to keep your body's full functionality. I'm simply amazed that, in some rare cases, the body will reverse a vasectomy all by itself, just as it sometimes regrows a removed appendix or another "unnecessary" part. Such is its great wisdom. For all these reasons, my friend, I positively recommend to you:

Special thanks to our technician Daeluin, whose labour-intensive contributions to the upgrading were crucial.

I am a practitioner of the Old Yang style, and I certainly recommend it, but I also like some of the Chen I have seen. They are both quite martial compared to more modern, watered down versions. So, more important than the style may be how you resonate with a teacher and school. Watch a class and, if possible, join one, before you make up your mind and subscribe. That's the best advice I can give you.

A little correction... While it is hardly possible to offer something resembling proper therapy on a message board, there are plenty of examples here for advice that may have therapeutic value. We also sometimes offer towels for those who are crying...

Well, if you can hold it that long, why not keep going for hours and then ejaculate (if she still sees it as a necessity). Yes, that may result in a compromise, but I haven't seen any relationships entirely without them.

Yes, I agree that there are cases in which the application of such medications is helpful. Even the psychiatrist I collaborated with prescribed them sometimes. This should be reserved for the really serious cases though, and dosage and length of application should be not exceed what is necessary. Many of those substances suppress the sufferer's creative faculties that would be highly beneficial to them. I have a rather practical attitude in such matters though: Use what is at hand in a given case in order to best stabilize and support the patient. My suggestions are of a more fundamental nature: Psychiatry and psychology should much more take Man's innate spiritual nature into account, and study how to activate its properties for true healing to take place, by activating them using the appropriate methods, which include the vibrational remedies I mentioned above. Chemical medicines would then naturally need to be used less and less (just like lobotomies and electro shocks are no longer in vogue), and psychotherapy would quite change, along with all of medicine as well as other areas of human endeavours. This is the development that is hoped to happen during the coming decades and centuries.

Better yet a chastity belt.

I got a chuckle out of your post, Taoway.

There are many free websites that host images. Just google "picture upload" or something like that.

Everything is interconnected (especially in Junko's brain, but by no means limited to that).

Hi sagebrush Posting pictures of lily pads requires permission by Admin and a $ 15 fee will be due. Forgive me, I couldn't resist. In fact, we love to see flowers on this website, post as many as you wish. I don't think you need to resize them either. I simply upload my pictures to a hosting website and insert the URL that I get for them in my posts.

In other words, are there little Karls gearing up to spread the gospel of Objectivism?

It seems to be the latter.

LOL Well, I don't log in only for seeing if there is mod work to do. I totally agree with those who find that the frequent malfunctions are a bummer. Staff is discussing measures to solve this problem.

If the ancient Chinese theory is correct, losing semen is detrimental for the male - but receiving it is beneficial for the female. That might explain why your gf is feeling deprived of something (unless you have been using condoms all the time). In more general terms, the partner's orgasm is re-assuring to most. Personally, I really doubt the concept of semen retention. I do think that excessive loss of semen such as happens in frequent masturbation is detrimental. But as part of a healthy sex life, I don't see it as a problem; on the contrary, according to modern research, ejaculation cleanses the prostate. By the same token, Chinese texts claim that losing menstrual blood is decreasing a woman's vitality. Again, this only seems to hold true for excessive bleeding. Whereas normal menstruation cleanses the body of toxins according to homeopathic medicine, and the great practitioner James C. Burnett believed this to be the reason why women averagely live longer (not shorter!) than men. Maybe semen retention was invented primarily to keep monks from engaging in sexual activity and stay focussed on meditation? Anyway, I do sympathize with your gf.

Food and life habits in general do have an influence on both our physical and mental condition. I strongly recommend vegeterianism. However, while there is a give and take between the physical and the mental planes, sometimes changes in the mind (attitude, beliefs, motivation) totally override physical factors. This makes sense, because the mind per se is not a function of the body, but a field of higher topology. As for medication, better be careful with that. While it sometimes offers temporary relieve, it can also do a lot of harm in the long run, including addiction, suppression of issues, physical "side" effects. It's generally better to use natural remedies such as flower essences. Homeopathics are highly effective too, but find a skillful prescriber especially for the latter. Talking about psychiatrists, well, many are doing no more than prescribing aforesaid pills these days. It's very sad to see. Their materialistic approach can be pretty devastating especially for a spiritually refined individual. There are exceptions amongst them, but it is rare to find the kind I was collaborating with as an alternative therapist during most of the 1990s. However, if you are lucky enough to find a spiritually sensitive psychiatrist, psychologist, or some other kind of profesdional counsellor - sure, go for it. Such a person can be of great aid. As to the original question in this thread: There are many different kinds of Qigong (both moving and still), and there are many different kinds of meditation. In fact, every Qigong method is a kind of meditation, and that includes Taiji and other internal martial arts. What works for one person may not work for another. The best advice I can give: Explore what you feel attracted to. Best wishes, Michael

Of course there is a Collective Unconscious, even though we may have to clarify what we mean by that exactly. To Jung, it was the realm of the archetypes, a common heritage of all of humanity. The OP seems to be using it as a term for a field of consciousness that all humans are hooked up to, that they contribute to, and that acts back on them at the same time. This would seem to be part of what Jung described, in the final analysis. Anyway, the existence of some kind of hive consciousness should be obvious especially to an Anarchist.

Who else could she have been talking about? Best, Star-Lord

The sage will naturally act with integrity, due to their own integration. There will be no duality, no gap between what they wish to do and what they need to do. That's because they are one with the Dao. Mind you, I'm talking about an ideal state. Another word for it is wu wei.

Integrity also has something to do with consistency in one's behaviour.

Your citation is reminiscent of the magickal trip Crowley undertook in a desert (mind you, in a real, not an imaginary one). http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/642011.html