Aetherous

It only sounds weak if you're not sure of yourself...and you sound sure of yourself. Sometimes certain people are not good influences for us, and we should seek out better company. If someone is trying to say you should have sex with people without being in a long term relationship, perhaps they're just plain wrong, and you're right. Your life is not even their life, so they should shut up and mind their own business, respecting your choices for yourself. And if they call you weak, perhaps it's just them projecting their own issues onto you...basically there is no need to listen to such people. Not listening to them = the opposite of any weakness.

I'm sure others have thought of this... Typically, the 5 elements correlate with the seasons as such: Spring - Wood Summer - Fire Late Summer - Earth Fall - Metal Winter - Water But consider why leaves appear red just before the fall. Consider that everything is green in the summer...that you work out most often then, using your muscles which relate to the liver...that you take rest in the shade of trees, which are of course wood element...everything flourishes at this time. Consider that in the spring, snow melts into water and there are "april showers", and also some clear blue skies...this is also the time of first growth, which is similar to the function of the water element...the time when apparently everyone in the kingdom is hooking up, sowing seeds, and reproduction is related to kidneys a lot more so than liver. In the winter, everything is white which is the color of metal/lungs...breathing the cold air has an effect on the lungs...changes in temperature greatly affects the lung function according to TCM. So, following nature, I view it more like... Spring - Water Summer - Wood Late Summer (leaves change) - Fire Fall - Earth Winter - Metal Just an idea. I guess this thread could also serve as a placeholder for other examples of the 5 elements in the real world.

Have you tried going a week without any masturbation? And exercise before meeting with people? Those two things seem to boost the charisma for me.

Is there anyone who thinks that?

Yes, I think low-wage-high-profit corporate greed is a major issue. There are many people making much more than they need, and paying the people who work for them hardly anything. The cost of living is now high enough that people are basically forced into these lines of work (unless they're smart) to survive, and yet even working full time, they barely get by. A person working full time should be able to survive comfortably in the most prosperous nation. There should be a law that says, a company has to pay at least a certain percentage wage for the lower workers in relation to profits and the income of the higher ups. Enforced reasonable pay. This means that it's still affordable to the company, so there's really no excuse why they couldn't (business owners like to get all freaked out about the 'living wage' idea because they don't think they could afford to pay all of their workers, well this enforced reasonable pay idea solves that)...they just aren't allowed to rip people off, which in other countries is called slavery or sweat shops.

Why is the world exponentially sucking?

I don't know about punk, but I like this.

I recall Taomeow mentioning in the past that TCM docs say that running causes issues with the heart. Interestingly, here are a number of Western studies showing the same thing about long distance running. http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2012/01/25/cardio-may-damage-heart.aspx

Get this book and practice diligently.

A note on that neidan thread...the supposed authentic schools being discussed such as Wu Liu Pai or Yu Xian Pai, are unfortunately not available for learning in the US at this time. I haven't had luck in contacting them and trying to get them to come over here. I did speak to one member who is now living in Vancouver, B.C. who said he could teach the Yu Xian Pai stuff after teaching some preliminary practices for at least 6 months, but then later said that he couldn't personally initiate anyone into Yu Xian Pai. So it's very unfortunate that we have people saying there's an authentic way...but we don't have access to it.

I've been up to this lately, http://www.artofmanliness.com/2013/10/17/battle-rope-exercises/ lol

Zhan zhuang gets the lower body involved in the practice, sort of opening it up, and also kind of 'sinks qi' to those lower levels. The lower levels correspond to some of the darker aspects of the mind or reality, like some traditions say, "the hell realms". This could just be an explanation of what's going on for you, and isn't necessarily true or something to be scared of. You should never be afraid of anything...only aware of actual danger. Something that might help is focusing primarily on your breath during the practice. That will cause the mind to release, and energy will go upward again naturally. I highly recommend this if you're continuing...also think positive thoughts. You could also think about taking a break from zhan zhuang and see if your dreams go back to normal. Then you will know for sure if this exercise is what causes it for you, and can then decide whether to continue with it or not. Don't believe that every practice which people say is good, is actually good. Your results determine whether something is good or not.

It can only pull a solar powered 3d printer that prints solar panels.

IMO, 3d printing is the new Segway.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/potential

IMO, the discipline should happen before you feel like it. When you feel like that, you've already lost discipline in keeping the mind from lust. Past that point, sometimes discipline is good and it's worth trying, but don't drive yourself crazy, because full blown lust is not something that can be controlled in my opinion. It's like an avalanche...the innocent seeming thoughts and feelings of sexuality are like a loud noise in the mountains. Seemingly harmless. Then all of a sudden, snow begins shifting beneath...and before you know it, an unstoppable avalanche is coming down on you. Try as you might to stop the snow from wiping you out, but you're now destined to lose. So don't make the loud noise in the mountains. Try not to be lustful, is my view of correct practice.

I got fifty years. Follow me, guys.

Are you being sarcastic? I'm college educated, excelled at English, and it's almost meaningless to me.

Nonlinear has multiple meanings...really not sure what you meant. Also, how can potential be brimming?

Precisely. Oh, I should also say...when I said "pop a bone back into place", that isn't correct. The popping sensation and sound is just caused by a gas bubble inside of the joint popping, and isn't actually bones popping into place. It's just back cracking, similar to cracking one's knuckles. Ya Mu, you're totally right that "vertebral subluxation" isn't real...unless it's a serious medical condition like spondylolisthesis.

The more you practice things that open you up or bring spiritual and healing progress, the more you will notice this. Why? Because you'll tend to be more aware of what's going on inside of the body and also in your mind...basically becoming more introverted and intuitive. This is not a bad thing. You can also become more extroverted at the same time of becoming more introverted...basically an amplification of all that you are, and not just being one or the other. But in my view, this throat phenomenon can seem to get worse, becoming more noticeable, with progress. It is possible to just ignore it, just "dive in" to a speech, or "press on" and be present socially despite whatever strong sensations are there, and as a result of that not be affected so much. This is the route most people take - "just do it". You should know that a significant number of people experience social and speaking problems! I'd say most people are like this and only sociopaths are not. Lets say your voice quivers...no big deal, just forget about it and continue saying what you need to say. Having something useful to say is really the key to confidence in saying it. If you spend time thinking about what's important in the conversation, rather than the challenge of the conversation itself, it helps make the conversation meaningful. Another idea...ask people about themselves if it's a relaxed kind of social setting...that takes the heat off of you and makes you seem like a great person who is interested in them and listens. The throat in some spiritual systems is connected with the sense of self...if you have no sense of self or if the sense of self is healthy (for instance when you're fully confident in who you are), then the throat relaxes open. If there are issues with the sense of self, for instance if you feel that you can't fully express yourself and are being forced in doing something, then it closes and causes problems. Believing in who you are and what you are doing helps keep it open, so have integrity...and also, having no concern keeps it open, so be as care free as possible. I've found it helpful to do practices which dissolve the sense of self, the clinging of the mind, the negative emotions such as a fear that sweeps over you...basically just methods that help you "loosen up, energetically" before going somewhere that you need to deal with people. Tibetan Buddhism seems to do this stuff for me, subtly. Laughing can also help clear things...for instance, watch some really funny comedies after you've had a rough day and get some genuine laughs in, and don't look for results but just let it all go. Relax and have fun. It's good to open the throat after work again, and not stay in that kind of fearful clenched state for too long. It's tough to say...I wish there was something really easy and effective to do in the moment, but I haven't personally found anything that actually works for this, aside from a total change in who you are.

Hi. This is a strong suggestion that you guys don't open yourself to such things. You may now return to your regularly scheduled programming.

No habla ingles.

I've seen videos of Islam dudes talking to the supposed djinn inside of people...the people will make a different voice and talk about how they are djinn and stuff. That kind of thing is on youtube. On the other hand, I spoke to a girl from Saudi Arabia before...she said that djinn possessing people isn't true. The djinn aren't invisible beings that enter into people's bodies...they have this area in SA that no one enters because it's their territory, that if you go near it apparently rocks are flung at you from out of nowhere. Who knows about the truth of either of these things. Don't really have much to add apart from...try to not let anything enter your space, try to have complete control of yourself and your actions, try to connect with God or all that is good, pray to not be a "host" and to just be normal.