Fatuous

Thank you both for your very wise and lucid (hah) advice. My pattern is that I notice the flow of things, I go with the flow of things... but then I start to question, start to second guess, start to wonder whether I'm getting caught up in someone else's flow of things... And that takes me from an easy and strong and peaceful sort of wuwei into a very cerebral, fearful, stuck place. I do so much better when I discern and act, and not dwell too much about it. Really appreciate it - thank you so much.

Is there a daoist practice that combines astral travel + the esoteric sexual practices such that you can enter someone's dreams and harvest their sexual energy / jing that way? Asking for a friend! Just kidding: I have reason to believe this was done to me. I had a dream that included passionate sex which TBH is a dream type I never experience; frankly I don't think I ever have before. I also personally don't lucid dream or travel astrally (at least not intentionally). After dream sex, I immediately woke up and had the distinct feeling that this person was in my room, observing me from a specific location. I've had the feeling of someone's energy in my room a few times before but it's always been a not-alive person; this person is very much alive. It was a strong sense and I trust it. I don't want to go into details about this person but they have advanced knowledge and probably direct experience of daoist esoteric practices likely beyond most people on this forum (not to be rude at all to anyone here, I just want to try to put into context without giving too much identifying information about this person). So I'm curious, is this a thing in daoist esoterica? Astral travel, entering someone's dream, and harvesting their sexual energy that way? I'm trying to determine how to interact with this person moving forward. I guess I don't mind the idea of a night time astral visit for a dream-time fling; I do mind nonconsensual energy harvesting. Yes, he is aware of daoist practices involving nonconsensual jing harvesting and semen retention, at least in the physical reality. Trying to figure out if that's what happened here, but in dreamtime format. Oh, and I don't have a sexual relationship or even a regular friendship or a master-student relationship with this person, it's a bit different and that's all I'll say. I have a tiny crush on him (I am a person who develops tiny crushes) but I don't fantasize about him or anything, so the dream wasn't manifesting some deep desire I have. There was non-sex stuff in the dream that felt quite important, so I guess it's also possible that his astral body sensed the big dream and came to see what was going on. Thanks in advance.

Hi @ronaldk, replying to your comment about password-style qigong being connected with an egregore. Could that egregore be something that is for the benefit of the master alone, or perhaps their lineage or the egregore itself? Or is this something that is for the benefit of the individual alone? I've wondered whether this style of qigong practice is not only feeding me but also something else. Would love to understand more about this and how it works, thank you.

The one I practice is called Taoist Light Qigong and also has a password. I have been curious what the difference is between qigongs with and without a password. Would love if anyone had any insight. This is the only qigong style I have learned so don’t know any other way.

Thank you so much to everyone for your thoughtful responses. This was super reassuring. My spontaneous qigong practice continues!

Would also like to append two things: 1 - I have been doing this qigong since the beginning of August. In July, during seated meditation one evening, I felt a strange compulsion that I should stand up and start moving around. So I did. For about 10 minutes, I kinda swayed around and moved around, kind of interpretive dancing. It wasn't very very strong and I didn't lose myself, but I definitely felt "something" and like something else was moving me. Tripped me the eff out a few weeks later when I took that very first qigong class and found that it was nearly identical to what I had "discovered" a few weeks earlier. 2 - The amethyst mala has the typical circle mala beads but also at the center, there's a large-ish carving of an animal creature. Guy at the shop wasn't exactly sure what, thought maybe a dragon (don't look like a dragon) and that he had gotten it in China on a trip awhile back. Can't figure out how to add image, so put on Imagur. Thought it was interesting that there's a compass on its underbelly. https://imgur.com/zk9gb4M https://imgur.com/lxTrIgW

I'm practicing a certain form of spontaneous qigong that was transmitted to me by my instructor. (Not 5 Animals.) It's got 5 sections and a ritual to kick off each section that includes my hands in a certain position and saying a couple intonations & chinese words in my head. Different hand positions & words for each section. Spontaneous qigong involves letting go and allowing the qi to move the body, as opposed to intentionally moving the qi around. I always feel a release, unburdened, clearer, lighter after each practice. Last night during meditation I felt a strong compulsion to practice my qigong (normally I do this in the morning). The full moon was rising, felt like holding my amethyst mala throughout, had done a big bike ride, and actually had already practiced the same qigong earlier in the day with a group and participated in a "group healing" (presumably included qi transmission as well as the instructor singing certain tones). My practice last night was the strongest that I have ever felt in terms of the strength of body movements and sense of getting lost in the practice. At points, it bordered on scary to observe myself and the strength of my movements. In the first two sections I felt on the verge of ego death, losing myself completely. Normally each section ends gently on its own, but I felt so out of control and the practice wanted to keep going. I never felt unable to stop, but the feeling of stopping and interrupting felt strongly "wrong", so I allowed it to continue but did try to gradually slow myself down and assure myself that it was ok. I eventually starting speaking out loud to myself and repeated, "peace body [name]" where I addressed myself in third person. I mean - I addressed my "body" in third person... WTAF? Often during the spontaneous qigong practice, my body does this gentle undulation of front-to-back where I imagine that maybe I am generating some sort of MCO. I dunno. But last night during the second and third sections, that undulation was borderline violent, like I was aggressively jumpstarting some sort of I don't know what. While the first and second sections were difficult to bring to a natural close, the third section just STOPPED after a period of pacing forward and walking backward. In the fourth section, in which I often feel compelled to kneel, this time I felt kind of pushed backward via energy in chest / second dantian area, and then literally dove to the floor in kind of in a yoga cobra pose, and just laid there, completely still, for at least 5 minutes. That was what my body wanted. Felt nothing at first, and then the slow building of energy in my entire body, and then it was done and I knew it was time to get up. Again. WTAF? The fifth section was pretty gentle, and usually is, and then drew to a slow and natural close. I will not lie that the power and near loss of self (I refused to let go of the final thread of me) had me totally freaked out. Without going into tons of detail for now, I've also experienced some "weird stuff" this past year that I've had a hard time accepting. I've learned that I have a ton of fear built up around spirituality in general and am only now becoming open to other things beyond what my very recent agnostic-only beliefs allowed for. I am entering into qigong and spiritual practices with complete naiveté and openness and I realize this may be ill-advised. I have no experience or upbringing with spiritual matters and tend to lead with trust and sincerity. So yes. I will be speaking with my instructor. But before I do that, I wanted to ask this group: 1) WTAF? but more importantly 2) Is there a spiritual danger in practicing spontaneous qigong? and 3) Is there a possibility that the gestures and phrases are somehow an invitation to enter me?

Hi there, first time listener and first time caller Found this site from a search today on whether we can feel the energy from bugs and insects. Hey it's Sunday and I was curious, it's what I do. US-based and just started my qigong practice a month ago. It's a spontaneous form that feels kinda profound and connected. I like it. Looking forward to learning more in this forum. Question - wondering whether anyone here "believes" in third eye activating spontaneously as a result of trauma. Have seen that spoken of elsewhere, but here I see a focus on practice which is fine. Had an experience earlier this year that made my brain break a little bit, then had all sorts of interesting experiences. Came here from the trauma, staying for the practice!