Hannes

I do have a lot of questions, but the main question would be, to drop me a PM when you plan to come to speak in Chicago. Maybe it is worthwhile to contact Jeniffer Weigel. Next to being the writer of "I'm spiritual Dammit"; she is a journalist of people with gifts like you. http://www.jenweigel.com/ She works with people like caroline myss https://www.myss.com/ in the form of live interviews in theaters. I hope this helps you to get more known and heard. I might ask more questions but I'll read your book first.

I am in a really sensitive and emotional frame of being today and I must say that I can find myself in every point; until I got to the tenth point; which gave me goose bumps. The reason I came to the Daobums today was because I feel a pull to seek and ask questions. Without knowing what questions to ask. As if I am getting myself ready so "the teacher" will come. Although I know my tribe will only show up later and this leg of the journey I venture alone. Point seven is really of concern for me; and knowing stories of other shamans and their kin; I know what can happen if they fail to engage with their mission. Me, myself; I would wholeheartedly say yes if I knew to what to say yes. Although I feel myself more of an alchemist or Gnostic than a shaman. For the people I encountered who I consider Shaman have more developed healing skill. While I just have the gift of word, intuition and the occasional foretelling dreams. Also my mind wanders to places and ideas that seem beyond this place. While I figure out my own Dao and how to make that work in the practical world, it is really beautiful to see the sparks of light that people like you are. If the nature of Shamanism as a bridge is to be standing outside of the tribe and forming a bridge, I give you a hearthfelt hug as a kindred spirit in the tribe we have in that non 3-dimensional place. Be brave, this world is a bittersweet and hard place at times; but I firmly believe it is worth the effort.

Yesterday I went to a presentation, given by a friend of mine, about the "fourth way". She spoke about the philosophy of Ouspensky and his interactions with Gurdjieff and spoke about the book "In search of the miraculous". In true turn of the century Russian style (before the Bolsheviks took over Russia) intellectual thought, his work seems to bear many similarities to the more esoteric teachings of Dao, Indian philosophy and some late German philosophy/psychology. It seems so interesting that the last years all my searching and learning in different traditions and modalities seem to broil down to the same core of knowledge; and Ouspensky's work seems to be another one of those modalities (or maps of the territory like I like to call it) that seem to fit in with an underground thinking that has been going on as long as the history of written language. Although from what I can see, I have a feeling I will appreciate the more scientific approach to these esoteric topics; since growing up without a strong cultural/religious tradition it is hard for me to find myself in any of the more culturally based traditions. Do any of the Bums out here have any comments on Ouspensky/ Gurdjieff? Any warnings or advice, or any kind of teaching they can offer?

I will next time I see her. Strangely she seems to pop up every time I delve into this (daoism/4th way) subject. I cannot tell if she has attained something besides the fascination of reading Ouspensky at a young age. She is the type of person that appears when I need help. She is really serious. But she is not super friendly in the friendly sense; she has good manners of course, but it seems for like she has a fascination with the topic and maybe something I can offer. Like she has an intuitive hunch about me, the first time she met me. Maybe something karma related or just kindred souls or something. She literally made it possible for me to stay in this country. (She is the kind of person that has a "fate" quality about her)

If everyone is a healer, then who will be the keeper of the ports? And a million other things that are not about healing but make the fabric of whatsoever is? apple seed grows into tree that bears apples; crow's egg hatches crow; stone falls down on ground and all that is born shall die. On computer game; I like the game Dark Souls.

I don't know if you are still around and don't take the following as advice. It is just what helped me. - orgasm & cigarettes While the first seems understandable; the second might be better. Use organic ones. And I mean smoking, not vaping or other crap. It is the tobacco, not the nicotine in itself. You'll end up with an addiction; but it is probably easier to kick that adiction than what you're going through now.

Interestingly my friend who's lecture I went to talks about starting a group herself; or at least teach its existence to people around this area. She found indeed that many of the groups are either total batsh*t crazy or exclusive to the very rich. I have started reading "In search of the Miraculous" and I must say; this book is like a synopsis of things that are going through my mind for the last seven years. You know the book where I would wonder why I didn't found and read it sooner; only I have an inkling of understanding why this is the right time for me to find this book and his insights/teachings.

I think I will try this. I already try to follow my omens and even more my intuitions. In the past following my intuition let me to find my wife, move to a different continent, find a new job, etc. That is one of the reasons I am already inclined to follow intuitions. Maybe I should keep a log about following intuition/omens and see what it teaches me.

On Sunday my wife and I went to a beautiful nature restore but since it was bad weather we didn't walk around much. But the place seemed strangely calming and I knew my way around and to that place without knowing why. I'm normally bad at directions. The feeling I had was a sadness that I wanted to be at that place in summer. Now on Monday the sun was shinning and I felt the irresistible urge to go there and see the place in sunlight. So we went and the place looked so beautiful and peaceful to me; it was both otherworldly and so familiar. At a certain point we walked on a catwalk going into the shallow lake and there was a place with a roofed structure. From the moment I stood under that structure I knew I had been there and talked to people there. Only, this is impossible since it is the first time I visited that place and I grew up 4000 miles away in Europe; so it could not be a lost childhood memory. The place has only been build 23 years ago out of an old army base so it could not be a past life regression either. I have the strange idea that my spirit has gone there at night a number of times when I was younger. I calculated that the 7 hour time difference between Europe and America would mean that when I am asleep it would be afternoon/evening in this place. It is just a mere theory but something deep inside me loves that place and whats to connect with whomever I spoke to while in spirit form. Another possibility is that it is a form of precognition and that I dreamed the future. But it seems more like a memory than a future event. And I have had inklings of future insights. The strange thing is that lately (and over the 7 months since my surgery) I have gone through a lot of childhood trauma and work on myself. I've quite literally went to my own psychological version of personal hell the last years or maybe the Hero's journey is a better description. It seems this place is so important for a piece of my soul. I never felt anything like this for any other place in any other country. There is also something in that area that soothes me; that place and further north where I had a smaller insight of belonging earlier this summer. So that whole area has something. Would anyone have any idea how this is possible?

Isn't it strange? Did one dream visit a place, or remembered the future? or saw things through someone else's awareness? I hope researchers are doing some research into this. I'm conducting my own research in this in some way and try to notice omens and synchronicities more now. And try to act more on hunches. I'm getting more and more amazed by the human experience I am experiencing like my eyes opened in a certain way and although everything is basically the same, it starts to look different.

This is just a reference to what I found about the kingfisher (the North American one). It resonates so deeply with me, and when reading this to my wife she says this is exactly what I am going through. It's been a hard year for me. Or more honestly a hard 4 years. I yearn for a peaceful time with re-found warmth, love and prosperity. In any case; Grace be given. This world is so beautiful despite all suffering, Grace be given.

One thing I forgot to mention is that while walking back a belted kingfisher tried to get our attention, it called, followed us and then hovered in the air looking straight at us for about 7 seconds before landing on the roof of the structure where I had previous mentioned experience. Something tells me that in spring things will become more clear. I don't think winter will make me any wiser in these matters. But then again, what do I know.

Did you have it about a singular place or area? And do you still go there or live near that place?

It is almost Pentecost again; and while I'm 4000 miles away from Leipzig, part of me is going to miss WGT. I've never been a goth, mind you --I just like to associate with the melancholy from time to time, sehnsucht and the artistic non conformity.

Being aware of this already goes a long way. An answer I cannot give, but following is something I remind myself of. If you want to train your body you read about exercises and go to the gym. You compare the results you get and talk to other people that go to the gym. Now, in the end; it is not the reading about exercises or discussing them with others that will build muscles. Yet they were necessary steps on the way to find the exercises that help and not harm you. Welcome to the forum, we can talk about and discuss the possible practices.

Isn't this the issue with all rational thought to begin with? Let's assume following 1. You are not your thoughts 2. thoughts are just maps, not the territory - Why read a book filled with thoughts to further your path? I mean it can give your mind more ideas to feed upon, but it creates more levels or barriers from my point of view. Similar to the saying of "adding to Maya"; and warned against in "the first shall be the last". The more you learn, the more you'll have to unlearn.

Welcome I must say that I only know about the Bahá'í faith because of this big temple here in my village. Please feel free to post some of your study work here. I love to learn.

Why is a question that can only be answered in causality. To answer that question you should answer what lays at the base of causality. First causality has a time component; so you would ask the first time segment or where the origin of time begins. At some point in the past (in terms of clock time); space-time manifested from the unmanifested. Some would call this point the singularity or naked singularity (since it lacked an event horizon) and everything has expanded from here. On a more abstract level; the laws in this space-time continuum create causality and the answer to the question "why" is so the question why could be asked". On a deeper level the question why becomes answered by "because we wanted/want/will have wanted it this way"; considering the we exists outside of time. -or some form of us On a deepest level the question simple is answered by "because it is possible" and we are asking this question from within that possibility. Our wanting is what makes it possible; the rest is just a translation. So we wanted it and it was possible. Who is we? :-)

Welcome, Thank you for being.

When I watch the first video I can't help but thinking about fractals (like Mandelbrot) In fact I was contemplating yesterday evening that if the universe is just a collection of energy vibrations in space-time following a quantum equation. It would mean everything is happening at the same time (in terms of consciousness). It would also mean that the time dimension we perceive as clock time would just be the measure of of causality that is the result of the solving (and direction) of the (mathematical) quantum functions and its collapse of (unmanifested) potential into causal time-space reality. There is some more to this; but I leave it at this for the time being -clock time I mean

To the first 3 statements: You can only chose to lead your own life. You can chose to grow into being yourself and align yourself with Tao (under any other name) to grow. Or you can stay who you are, rust in place and stagnate and decline. To the last 3 statements: You chose to give because giving is receiving. There are no unilateral transactions. Follows: receiving is giving. I have not yet met a rock that is indifferent; even a single hadron has a will. Indifferent things don't manifest. But if you refer to a state of mind, know that you are fooling yourself. Why follow Tao? you cannot follow Tao. You can only realize Tao. Be aware of it. Being aware if what some called being efficient in posts above. Which you accomplish by Taoism or many other paths which are in fact all similar.

I eat meat to sustain myself and I have no problem killing an animal to feed myself. I would chase away / kill an animal to defend myself. Ants don't take hints well, so they learn by example: die in my kitchen, be prosperous is my garden.

I need something, presumably help. Although in what form, I have not the faintest idea. Instead of filling this post with a flood of ramblings, trying to explain things; I'll leave it at this.

This is one of the most beautiful things I ever read here.

1. One can guide you to the fountain, but one cannot make you drink. 2. All knowledge has potential to be dangerous. Some things are not knowledge but changes within consciousness beyond knowledge. It is always helpful to have guides. 3. Stop thinking; start being. 4. The rational to see the limitations of the rational and overcoming those. 5. According to the Dao it might very well be that everyone is crazy. 6. They have been revealed and there everywhere around you. The revelation in yourself is a process you and every other person has to do individually. It is not about reasoning or understanding; it is about being and becoming. 7. your opinion depends on definition and is neither true or false 8. The Dutch accepted Judo. When a Chinese Daoist accepts the best the West has to offer he/she to will grow. 9. The unasked question. There are no secrets. There is just waking up and the process of waking up. Daoism is one way; there are others. Even in the west. Only the west didn't value and honor those as high in their culture so they are more hidden. There is nothing to know really; it is more an experience.