Aetherous

Just kidding. The British guy has more of the look I was referring to, even though he doesn't have the fatface. I don't know about Mike Ohearn's arms...he must rub and inject steroids into them constantly or something.

Live stream of the concert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5cxpRRmCg8 http://www.121212concert.org/ Donate a minimum of $3 here, if you wish to help. The organization seems good... https://donate.121212concert.org/

It's very easy to cite the source...

Seems there are multiple versions of this tale. When quoting a specific version, could you guys cite the book, verse, and translation? Makes it easier to look up other translations of that verse and compare...and also to compare it to other books.

I once attended a psychology lecture, about "cutting" (note, my ideas aren't professional advice at all, they are just rumors). The psychologists discussed some of the reasons behind why it happens, and the methods they use to help the people. The reason was basically dissociation (so I think maybe their methods would also help with others who are dissociated). Some of the methods they used, were being in a relaxing and clean environment...listening to calming music...having different scents that the person would smell...getting massage...doing movements...etc. Basically getting out of the head and energy, and into the senses. I was amazed that this was actually a method they used for people that cut...and apparently it works well! One potential problem with energy work, is that it is your mind and energy combined. Practitioners are stuck in feeling-energy-mode...stuck to the mind. The sense of touch is tied into this...so you might feel your entire body at once, but you're still dissociated. So with massage, for instance, it's a new stimulus, bringing attention away from the energy sensation, the constant awareness of the old nervous system...so that would actually be good. It will break the cycle of being stuck in energy feelings to some extent. When I was going through qigong psychosis, I picked up on a technique...if I paid attention to certain colors and inanimate objects, it would make me feel much better, than if I paid attention to a storyline/people talking/my thoughts, etc. It was like an anchor back into the sane world. So that's another version of using the senses to break away from the mind. This is similar to the cultivating heartfulness book in my sig, where you're instructed to pay attention to novelty in the external world, and continually take attention away from the mind (where it's said that "attention black holes", such as bad experiences in the past, drain us of our well being. They literally dissociate us). One way of doing this is, in the winter season, you can view nature pictures from around the world and feel a lot better. Just be immersed and try to notice all that you can about it: http://thechive.com/2012/12/12/middle-of-the-week-you-should-get-away-20-hq-photos-22/ Of course, it's much easier in the summer or if you live closer to the equator. Another thing that helped me was watching stupid and lighthearted comedy TV shows. I watched every episode of Psych. It's good to laugh...releases the mind and energy. Good to not take things seriously (in a fun way, not in a sarcastic way). When that lightheartedness is in your environment, you feel safe coming back into yourself. Surround yourself with good things!

The fact that it's so devastating (lets be honest, it is) should bring awareness to our own actions towards our significant others. Are we leading someone else on, ever? Are we not being totally honest and up front with someone who is interested in us? Are we accepting being with someone who we don't see ourselves with at some point in the future? Are we cheating on them, because we "need" something more? Are we using them for our own loneliness, or just to say you have a girlfriend/boyfriend like all the other normal people do? All of those behaviors are fucked. With a lover, you open up so much. They are closer than your best friends or family...they see you at your worst, and also in the best light at times...they are the object of your desires...a person in love feels like they can't be apart, or that when they are, they can feel the love of the other person even across the world...the time spent together is pure bliss. Even the imperfections of the person, are things that are attractive. It's horrible that someone can have such access to you, and then break you just out of complete disregard. What's going on energetically? Well, an idiotic monster from the pits of hell tore open your ribcage, with a smile, then spit and shat on your heart, and left you half dead, lying in the middle of the winter street, outside of a hospital, on your birthday. That's what's going on... So be careful. edit: but for those who don't take advantage of the innocence and love of others. Who aren't selfish and messed up. Then they can have relationships which are really rewarding, where the two open each other up much more than if they were alone.

What Moses took from his Egyptian upbringing is something totally interesting to me.

It's the Illuminaughty! But seriously...this is just one guy talking about what might happen in the future.

Not a Buddhist perspective, but I'll share some ideas... When you give all of yourself to benefit others, that's good merit. Such a person has a lot of good coming their way for the most part. And if not, at least they have helped others to not suffer...and that will bring them peace of mind. On the other hand, when you keep merit for yourself, attempting to accumulate it, that's paradoxically sort of bad merit. It's like a rich person eating enormous feasts everyday in the most beautiful paradise with tons of the most expensive things surrounding him...and outside of the palace walls are people living in pure hell, starving, having less than nothing, being enslaved, being tortured, etc. A person with merit would rather open the walls to all of those people, or at least travel through hell themselves, and attempt to bring their heaven out into it. It's all based on compassion, and wanting to relieve suffering for others, even at the expense of oneself. So it's a weird thing...the way to gain merit is to give it away, and the way to lose it is to keep it. It keeps our practice focused on what matters (all of the pure and enriching qualities, such as compassion, mercy, love)...which does not include all of the ego things, such as "I just did Buddhist practices, I'm so Buddhist" etc. The former brings peace, and the latter brings suffering. Dedicating after each session (maybe multiple times per day) is an attempt to ingrain the correct mindset...it is brainwashing, in a good sense of the word. What matters most in life for all people, the Buddhists (and others) have figured out, and they pass it down through Mahayana. It is a good question...does dedicating merit really help others, because it feels just like going through some weird motions? Well, perhaps in some mystical way it does help people in need (like the power of prayer). But if not, then at the very least, it helps plant the seeds in your own mind toward being a being that helps others outside of practice time. Toward a peaceful way of living. edit: Also, I think as one naturally progresses...dedicating merit all the time, eventually they come to ask those hard questions about their practice. It will hopefully lead them naturally to giving a lot in the practical sense, and not just by dedicating the merit of their sessions. Who is satisfied by simply saying "I help you", rather than actually helping? Talk is cheap! What is a Buddhist that dedicates merit 4x a day, but then doesn't use his resources to actually help people in need in the real world? I'm guessing...someone whose practice hasn't yet taken effect.

This thread is awesome.

I wouldn't be surprised if this was Shiva's 113th technique... Laughter is amazing.

Pill companies don't represent modern medicine...but the doctor who prescribes them (sometimes unfortunately) does.

Rolling Jubilee This group is basically about random people donating money, which buys debt, and then erases it altogether. Totally in line with the ideology of "mercy". 100% of the money goes toward this cause, and not to the volunteers that make it happen.

Just wrote a reply about the meaning of pyramids and triangles, but I felt like it wasn't worth the time to post it in a topic about prunes. It would have been pretty much way off topic. So here it is. Voila! This is just me providing another interpretation of a common symbol...not claiming to be RIGHT. Simply presenting an alternative point of view... Pyramids...from the little I know, a corrupt system would use a downward pointing triangle with the ones on top having abundance, at the cost of the affliction of the ones on the bottom, who have hardly anything, and are crushed by the weight as well as the pinpoint accuracy upon them. Of course, something corrupt cannot last, just like such a structure would hardly last. The ones hanging out at the top are bound to topple over with the slightest change in the breeze, simply due to the nature of the construction. No stability in the design, despite there being a seeming stability for the elite, since they are not standing upon a pinpoint of personal achievement (due to their own hard work) but standing upon a huge platform of unearned rewards (due to taking the easy way out and manipulating others' hard work). Upward pointing is more aligned with doing the work yourself, rather than oppressing others in any way. Virtue...which is lasting because it's built upon something solid, like personal integrity...is why the pyramids are still around. The design has integrity, in another sense of the word. It is also upright (coinciding with what that means for a person), as opposed to being a downer. And it also represents the person seeking to change themselves for the better, by rising up to the occasion...raising their vibrations...rather than downward pointing, which represents the mind doing whatever it wants to the earth (or that which you can easily take advantage of, aka, the innocent), as well as lowering vibration. Also downward represents 'coming down from above', which coincides with judgment of those below, by your sharp tip facing downward.

Nope. It may be that they were blacklisted from my email...but if that were the case it'd probably show up in my spam folder, I think? Might be that they are taking the time to try and find a decent answer. Might be that they thought it was silly and chose not to respond.

Okay...please white wolf, no more taking threads off topic please.

K, back to runes.

Well, it wasn't similar, if you read the writings from the time...for instance, the saga of Erik the Red. Quite a few people in the community converted to Christianity right away, and the community ideas was often split between Christian and the older ways. For instance, there are tales about how praying to Thor brought a blessing (if I remember correctly, a beached whale...which they ate and became sick), but praying to the Christian God brought a complete blessing (IIRC, fish being caught). This kind of story is from the people's own writings. The religion wasn't imposed on a completely unwilling population. These people (Vikings and others in nearby cultures) were some of the most literate, well traveled, aggressive, and mythologically developed in the world at the time...not simply victims of fate. Not people who would be conquered and forced to believe in something they weren't inclined to... Anyway...I think you're misinterpreting my POV. I don't think all things should be classified as African. LOL

Hm, well...Iceland quickly adopted Christianity as its official religion... About Native Americans...if they hadn't likely arrived in the Americas from the East, it would probably be easier to classify them as Western. But since they were a culture separated from the rest of the world for so long, I don't know if they could fit into the East/West culture classifications. Native European on the other hand...you're entitled to your opinions.

Oh, interesting.

Yeah...it's strange to realize what parts of the world belong to the Occident and what belong to the Orient. I wouldn't consider anything Nordic as Oriental...so I guess it must belong here.

Agreed. (this was in his post before it was edited...)