anshino23

Is this similar to the spiritual mirror or is that something completely different?

I think it's because we're discussing on a Daoist forum and the thread is called 'Seven Steps to Deep Meditation'. If we were talking with our neighbors or a local Yoga studio we most likely wouldn't even broach the topic of what meditation proper really is -- at least I know I wouldn't!

So something that intriqued me a few days ago watching Elon Musk talk on Joe Rogan was the way he processes information. By the look of it, his eyes move a lot as if he's recalling information or visualising things in detail on-the-spot, but it also reminds me of like very fast processing speed. Do people that have higher than average intelligence have more natural Qi development? Are their bodies just more efficient at organising information? Are they healthier than normal people? Is it a jing thing - with genetic factors (thus past-life merit/cultivation) being the primary cause of their intelligence? Or is it rather... that they have a more natural ability to enter samādhi and become fully absorbed as a consequence of above-average concentration; perhaps trained from childhood due to parental influences or just natural interest? Is it possible to enhance basic levels of cognitive performance through the internal arts ... and if so, to what degree? We read about samadhi and mental absorption and changing the physiology using internal alchemy; but while I can see it affecting your ability to concentrate and your intuitive capabilities quite dramatically (including but not limited to things like 'reading' people/energetics through the 'third eye') does it really enhance intelligence in terms of depth of mental processing, faster pattern recognition, logic, reasoning, etc. A thing I remember my Buddhist friend was that once truly enlightened and one had entered the stream - one would have access to a sort of wisdom stream - which would allow you to, if you made yourself a fit vessel (such as through studying the material) much more 'prone' to mental insights into any topic of study you put your mind to. What's the limit? Is there one? This may have been discussed before, but I'd be very curious to hear people's thoughts on this topic. Perhaps especially interesting to me at the moment because I'm spending all my time learning hundreds upon hundreds of facts and algorithms for my final medical school exam.

He described it in the post above my friend

We discussed this here:

Translated Google version: You are very patient and have a very elegant temperament, but there are also problems with your practice. Judging from this paragraph "this is when the sense of self begins to disappear and the energy body moves powerfully. Then physical breath stops and other stuff happens." , you know you are doing it wrong. When the energy body starts to move powerfully, the sense of self has not yet begun to disappear. In fact, the sense of self at this time is only in "one state of mind", and there are still several steps to disappear, so I say you are practicing wrong But I'm still the same, I don't want to convince you, I just want to keep a record, and see if you will find out that you really practiced wrong in the future. I have seen your situation in many people. This is one of the most obvious mistakes in practice. It is called "stubborn emptiness", but here, no one seems to know what "stubborn emptiness" is. thing. One of the great features of stubborn emptiness is that there is no second meditation in Buddhism, that is, the phenomenon of black liver in Taoism. It goes directly from the movement of energy to a state of rest. This is a very big feature. After entering this state for several months, I realized that something was wrong and walked out. No matter what kind of gong you are practicing, the Buddhist four meditations and eight meditations, or the Taoist inner alchemy, you must follow the same procedure. Cultivation is also known as "dead wood turning ashes", which means that it is like a pool of stagnant water, and it is impossible to practice "the wonderful existence of a vacuum". Maybe some people will mention the seven-chakra system of the central channel in India. I also tell you that the seven-chakra system of the central channel also follows the same route. The geometric figures of the seven wheels are the inner scene of the yang generation in which the negative pole generates the yang. What I want to use, that is the real interior scene of yang life, and it is not a fantasy. If there will be a second stage of the interior scene of yang life, it must have passed through the fantasy world of desire, but I can't say too much, because I can't see it. Young people, in the early stage of the second stage of Yang Sheng's interior scene, they were blocked by the illusion of the Desire Realm. But this is not the point, the point is that you practice this method, not to mention the illusion of the desire world, you don't even have the qualifications to produce the illusion of the desire world, you will be dead wood and dust directly behind the first meditation, which is actually worse than the illusion of the desire world. divergence. Let me add that the shen you mentioned is God. If you use deep to say it, you are already wrong here. You think it is deep here, but in fact you are fake deep caused by "repression". The true transformation of consciousness is not by suppressing God, but by allowing God to produce a series of chain reactions of evolution. No matter which step is taken, there will be no suppression and sinking. Therefore, you have practiced wrong in this key part, and It is horribly wrong and totally contrary to the Madhyamika way. If you want to practice meditation, "viewing the truth" must be a very important principle. Whatever state you are in, you should accept that state. You should not set a goal and then suppress your consciousness to your so-called goal. It's 'control', and that kind of control is enough to destroy all the evolutionary mechanics you're supposed to have.

Wonderful explanation. Appreciate it. Much clearer now.

Okay that makes more sense then. So it's essentially related to the mental state. Which kinda begs the next question: Is anchoring the Qi in the abdomen then a cause or an effect? In other words if someone works on the aspects you just mentioned "seeking stimulation from the environment… or your mind starts to daydream or run through thoughts, ideas, events… if you feel uncomfortable, fidgety, bored and not at ease - then you’re probably unanchored" would said person still be anchored in the LDT? In other words a person that never feels those emotions you described when they sit down - they're just naturally anchored? If I understand correctly we're trying to "lull" the awareness to sink under its own weight into the lower abdominal space (aka lower 'tien', no dan) - but any mental action (effort) will have the Qi rise again. Isn't the most important thing then just to still the mind and the Qi will naturally sink? Ala emptiness meditation. What does interacting with the abdomen do specifically that allows for the mind to be settled? As you mentioned one can do mental work - but still be "anchored" in the LDT. Like is there then a degree of anchoring? Where we say "Well if the person is feeling slightly uncomfortable well then they've already moved out of being anchored in the LDT" - which to me then seems to suggest well that's a major part of training right there. No one except those that then have achieved something similar to absorption and complete emotional equanimity would be able to stay anchored at all times. So most practictioners would essentially throughout the day then be moving through "anchored"/"unachored" continuously cycling like that? Yes it is showing blood flow. Blood and Qi is connected I would imagine? So is having anchored Qi in the LDT a stage of training? I would imagine (if the criteria is as listed above) it requires quite a lot from practictioners since most have some degree of afflictive emotions such as "uncomfort, anxiety, not at ease, bored, daydreaming, distracted, etc." when they sit - at least until they are at a certain stage of proficiency of having cleansed/purified both mind and body. I hope my questions are making sense. Thank you

Oh my god! Yikes... what a time to be alive. Imagine chasing some guy and cowtowing to him for years on end just to find out he's using a device to create his "Siddhis". What a let down.

I am still a bit confused about what it means, but maybe I am just overthinking this... How do you know if your Qi is anchored in the LDT or is situated in the heart or head? What are the clear signs of either one of those being the case? You say most people are stuck in heart or head - but do you mean that their awareness operates from within those spheres (the UDT and MDT) or rather that due to emotional afflictions there is simply more "activity" operating from those spheres? For instance this is a heatmap from a study described in "The Neuroscience of Emotion" by Adolphs and Anderson. Is this what is meant by people's being stuck in the head and heart? See sadness/surprise/fear/anger/anxiety, etc. Would it be correct to assume that in someone with anchored Qi - we would see a uniform flow such as in the happiness example but perhaps also at the same time increased activity in the LDT area? Maybe I'm thinking of it all wrong - would appreciate the input - thanks

You're probably going to have to use Google translate for your response and then quote Awaken rather than me to reply to that

Google translate: "Of course, it is necessary to move the gong. It is impossible to only practice the quiet gong or only to enter into concentration. That is impossible. Yin and yang must be alternated repeatedly. If you use standing posture, the effect will of course be better than just sitting still, but if you also practice movement, the effect will be better than standing, but if you also practice movement outdoors, the effect will be better than indoor movement, but If you not only practice kung fu outdoors, but your kung fu is spontaneous, the effect will be even better. In short, if you want to grasp the actual situation, you have to keep a diary, otherwise I can't help Originally, I opened a QQ space, and there were nearly 20 people who came, but the communication effect was not good, so you are still on this forum, go to my space, open a topic in it and write your practice diary, so that It may be easier to interact"

Google Translate: "Originally, the body will have its own language, so in the process of spontaneous, standing, Tai Chi, gossip, body print, mudra, will all occur naturally, including meditation of course"

Don't blame salt for the harms of sugar.

I was under the impression that the Amrit is something that is produced endogenously as a consequence of the correct causes and conditions being in place that would allow it to be produced. I wasn't aware that it can actively be directly activated by a Master even if the conditions were not in place for that to happen? But I guess at the higher levels an authentic master could literally transform your physical body if he wanted to (but your karmic hindrances may not make that the 'right course of action').

Freeform is writing a book? This is news to me! But great news!

It's not something I've looked into. Plenty busy with other things I'm afraid.

Sure thing. Smell is all back to normal now. Still have some heat toxin effects from the COVID, but besides that it's clearing out nicely. My recommended protocol, with just short descriptions of their effects and why I included them: 1-3g Taurine. Taurine is a natural amino acid and has many positive actions; it reduces reactive oxygen species, maintains osmotic balance, also has calmin effects through NMDA and glycine receptor effects. Vitamin D 3000-5000IU daily. Ideally you want your levels being around 40-50 ng/ml as too high levels can lead to hypercalcemia (high levels of calcium) which can lead to increased levels of calcification of one's arteries and also lead to depressant effects (muscular tone and mood). Vitamin C 1-3g. Essentially it's helpful for the immune system. Zinc 10-50mg. Antiviral effects. Positive effects on hormonal signalling. Immune system effects. CoQ10. Reduction of reactive oxygen species and important for the production of energy (ATP celullarly). Multivitamin. Just to make sure all bases are covered. L-carnitine. Enhanced mitochondrial efficiency through beta-oxidation of fatty acids. Green tea. Modulates immune system, blunts overactivation and cytokine storms. Reduced glutathione. Increases glutathione intracellularly. Glutathione is an extremely powerful antioxidant and also supports the immune system. Quercetin. Has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and analgesic effects. Serrapeptase. Anti-inflammatory, fibrinolytic and mucolytic and thus aiding recovery. 7,8-dihydroxyflavone. Naturally occuring flavone found in some plants. The important part here is that it binds to the TrKB receptor which is the main signalling receptor of BDNF, or brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Thus it helps aid recovery and protects the brain from insult. I hope this was of help to you... Best of luck.

Antiviral cocktail appears to work very well! I added some serrapeptase as a mucolytic agent and also added a neurogenic compound to aid with brain recovery that upregulates BDNF... Have smell returning by a pretty big percentage in my right nostril already. So far so good. Just adding this information here in case people get COVID themselves and may want to speed up recovery. Not a blinded study or anything, but may be useful anyway. Mechanistically the addition of the compounds I've mentioned thus far make a lot of sense. If people are interested I can describe why that is, too.

I am now also joining the COVID-19 club. I just had a PCR confirmation. I'm double vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine yet still caught it. It may have been because I worked 4 days in a row in the COVID-department overseeing those patients last week. The incubation period for COVID is between 4 and 14 days which makes it almost impossible to tell when you got it. I remember the first sensation of symptoms when I was out having a drink with a friend last thursday but shrugged it off as being nothing but a sensation (felt like something between a wind-invasion and something lodging in my throat). Next day I felt fine. Only symptoms I have which happened on Sunday were a stuffy nose and loss of smell (which sucks, but hopefully will come back). I am on a strong antiviral cocktail with vitamin C, vitamin D, CoQ10 (two versions), multivitamin, l-carnitine, green tea, zinc, reduced glutathione, taurine and quercetine. Considering adding PDE-5 inhibitors and maybe metformin as well though my case is so mild it may be a bit of an overkill. Best wishes to everyone out there.

Amazing... Thank you for sharing.

Yeah, so not the same.

Completely different. It's not phosphones. It's a fractal overlay. Like this. Do you get that?

Sorry I haven't been of much benefit to this thread. Chiming in now though... all scientifically proven methods to improve health. Whether they're 'health hacks' depends on your definition of hack, but I'd say they are: Aerobic, anaerobic and resistance training fitness Each act on a different system in the body providing a host of incredible benefits. This is covered in so much scientific literature that I won't go through why or how here. If you're doing the YJJ training in a strict Daoist setting then avoid the resistance training but include things like physical conditioning and body-weight level of "resistance training" such as push ups, squats, jumping squats, running up and down stairs, plank, animal walks, etc etc. I personally enjoy martial arts because I find running absolutely boring and need the social stimulation to really push myself. I would recommend a martial art if you're having a hard time exercising frequently and consistently. Proper sleep. Aim for at least 7-9 hours per day depending on activity levels. The 7-9 hours should be of high quality. Ways to ensure that are manifold and too lengthy to go into. If you need more than 9 hours of sleep consider yourself in very poor health unless you're doing extreme levels of physical exercise which are necessitating that level of repair. In most cases it is poor health, poor cardiovascular health and poor physical energy levels and a wrecked endocrine system. Metformin. Short explanation: It increases insulin sensitivity, helps balance your microbiome and its a longevity promoter. Long explanation: If you're to the heavy side or your HbA1c is above 38-40 mmol/mol you're entering so-called pre-diabetic range (which starts at HbA1c at 43 -- type II diabetes is diagnosed at a HbA1c >48 mmol/mol over two readings) which means you most likely have metabolic syndrome or disease. This simply means that if you're moving away from metabolic health you're now operating at a level of suboptimal 'cellular health' and your energy metabolism is strongly affected. This means that your body's cells now have issues converting energy substrates in the form of glucose or fatty acids, etc., into cellular ATP (the 'energy currency in the cell') in an efficient and effective way. While the disease or syndrome occurs at the cellular level at the level of the organism metabolic syndrome manifests in the form of things like high blood pressure, high blood glucose, high blood lipids and generally an inflamed state in the body (measured by hs-CRP). Metabolic disease is the major driver of the three diseases that literally kills 80% of the population: (1) cardiovascular disease (stroke and heart attacks, 50%), (2) cancer (25%) and (3) neurodegeneration (e.g. Alzheimer's, 5-10%). Metformin is an incredibly powerful tool to improve your metabolic health. Can use low dose (500-1000mg) and avoid GI side-effects. Most times GI-side effects are adaptation to improved gut health. Fasting. Twice monthly. Preferably 24-48 hours. Fasting is one of the best ways to have a period of controlled temporary 'catabolism' (break down) which leads to known autophagy (literally 'self-eating') where dysfunctional cells are cleared from the system. When you then eat again and enter anabolic window you can then literally create and build new healthy cells. Fasting is one of the best methods for longevity known in all longevity research. The strongest senolytic agents we have are all related to the mechanisms of fasting, by regulating cellular growth, autophagy and much more that would take pages upon pages to describe and elucidate. Cold therapy. Make sure to cover this with your Daoist teacher as it can depend on kidney health. What we know from the scientific literature however is that just 11 minutes per week of cold water exposure can increase brown fat levels in the body which leads to higher basal core metabolism (which also helps you burn fat) and makes you more comfortable in the cold over time. Red and infrared light therapy. This is literally as close to a 'hack' as you can come. If you live in a cold and dark environment and can't just get sun exposure every day (even though you should always try), this is almost a must. Red and infrared light therapy helps brain function, helps improve energy levels, decreases pain, combats hairloss, fights oxidative damage, helps with inflammation and even reverses signs of skin aging making you look younger. The way it does this is through two main mechanisms one of which involves stimulating ATP production in cells by interacting with something called cytochrome c oxidase and secondly through the mechanism of hormesis which is a "beneficial stressor" not unlike exercise and fasting. Diet. For most would be recommended a low glycemic index diet usually low grain and low inflammatory type diets. I do not recommend veganism or even vegetarianism at all from a health standpoint. Supplements. Just a list I recommend, I won't go through them individually and explain, but definitely look into fish-oil, specifically EPA at 1000mg shows great benefits. Taurine. Creatine (if you don't get bloated). Curcumin. Magnesium. Vitamin D (5000IU). CoQ10. PQQ. L-carnitine. Melatonin (very low dose, sub 0.5mg). Hope this helps some

Ever since doing lots of psychedelics in my mid twenties I can see fractals if I want to. Either closed eyed or simply keep looking at a white wall and the fractal pattern mesh will start unfolding. It's quite remarkable. It's like neural patterns are formed and the brain/mind recognises them again easily. I also appreciate trees and depth-perception much more after those trips, even many years later. If you're watching stars on a dark night you should also be able to see an almost spider-like threads that connect all the stars together... I am unsure whether these are the same thing as 'leylines', but damn it if it doesn't look cool. Also feels like you can connect to the different stars and even glide your consciousness across those webs to kinda expand your consciousness further into all the stars. It's pretty wild when you play with it.