rene

Always.

Maybe I came back just in time.

tm

The way it was explained to me - our brains need both of its sides functioning during an experience to classify, and categorize, our experiences appropriately. For example, when we have a bad dream, or nightmare, when we wake up we might recall it fully - but our brain has already given it the 'dream' clasification/code... and we can shake it off, eventually. In some PTSD, in the case of a extreme-stress event, one of the brain's sides (hemispheres), doesn't kick in to do it's job during the experience and the experience isn't 'coded' appropriately...i.e., it isn't given (in my case) the 'it happened in the past, it's over now' classification. For 7 months, back in the winter of 2010-2011, I lived in extreme fear. By choice, and because there was no other choice, I kept my husband alive through constant vigil, 24/7. Some things were in my control (right meds at the right time) but the things that I had no control over were the source of my fear: if the power went out he would die within 15 minutes and all I'd be able to do is watch. Remote Canada. Winter. Snowed in. Rescue wouldn't make it in time. Yeah, right. I didn't realize the physical-stress toll this had taken on me until after he died, in the spring. The power never did go out - amazingly - but that constant fear still had me by the throat; couldn't even start to grieve, could barely function; I was so fucked up and didn't know how to fix it and sought help. I got lucky. EMDR was pretty new back then & the counselor I found wanted to try it. The theory is this: Stimulate both sides of the brain while the experience is relived, through recalling everything, so the experience can be classified/coded the way it should have been in the first place. It took six 2-hour sessions, twice a week. The debilitating fear no longer had me by the throat. I still remembered (and remember) everything....but only as a memory, rather than as flashback, and my stress-level (from the fear) dropped to near-zero. Everyone's story is different. EMDR might not be effective on all types of PTSD. By god, though, it's worth a try. Saved my life, that. I'm open to questions, if any. Warm regards

I never had one as a kid...but I picked up the affinity a few years ago... It comes in handy, up here (-:

Does 'intent' play into this for you? Perhaps in effort, but not in authentic action? (wonderful term for non-effort, btw )

You arrive at Both, same time! We intentionally (using effort) try to accomplish something - all the while being totally fine with the possibility that we will not succeed as planned! Intentionality and surrender do not exclude each other! (-:

I appreciate your elaborations. (-: I'm not familiar with the other texts at all, let alone to make any comparisons. I can see, however, where some texts would want to pretty much equate their concept of Heaven with Dao's impartiality...to reinforce their own ideas. My take on "Heaven is not being the same as Dao" is simpler, and incorporates the Christian concept of God/Heaven - which is pretty much representative of the "goodness/positive/light/thrive" half of the whole, and promoting such. Yes? To me, "Dao" is in all things, there is nothing and nowhere that Dao is not; having no preferences, etc... So yes- But, on the other hand, it does not seem apart from Dao either ... that it shares some qualities. You are right, Heaven is not apart from Dao and the (good/positive/light/thrive) qualities it represents are half of the whole - but Heaven is no more the whole any more than an arm is the whole body...or that there is light with no dark. Or so it seems to me.

LOL I hear ya. There's only one person on my Ignore list - Drew, aka voidisyinyang or whatever his latest incarnation is - but only because the length of his repetitive cut&paste posts fill my pc screen & when I'm on phone it's a nightmare. I'm glad others have quit quoting him - as that causes the same probs. fwiw - my 'good old days' include RonJeremy, FatherPaul, & the other real Bums. But...all things change and you and I still seem to be here, eh?

That ^^^ is the best post I've read in a very long time. Good job, Pilgrim.

Your thoughts here elude me, which is good, because then I'd have to think about it. Leaving the discussion in good humor (Next time I'll think before I jump in. lolol )

That may be closer to it, yep.

When I first learned to type..frequent thoughts were: Now where is that 'g', where is that 'u', etc. Now, typing my response to you - my thoughts are..."Ok, how can I explain this clearly..." There is no thought as to where each finger should press. It's the same with flying. I am a pilot. (Private, single-engine, fixed-wing, land, 500+ hrs). The 'mental-echo' you refer to...as in "Oh, There's a cross-wind. Maybe I better correct" was there in the very beginning... but now, as conditions change responses and adaptations become second nature. I understand the posts about hoping your pilot 'thinks'. Me? I'd rather fly with someone that doesn't need to take the time to figure out what to do. But that's just me.

To me it seems there are 2 levels of 'thought' being discussed: the underlying non-thought type Spotless refers to - and Jeff's different kind of thinking...wherein we think 'about' something. Well, that was clear as mud. Never mind.

Maybe. Let me think on it. Kidding aside, good post & I agree. Nice to see you, btw.

you are on a roll this morning, ST.

LOL @silent thunder We should have the option of clicking more than one response button. Like and Laughter both! (you know, same time, heheh)

Hi escott - belated welcome to TDB! Glad you are enjoying the forum; it is a unique place indeed. I agree with you, trolls and BS are easy to spot. It might be some folks like to engage with them, for a variety of reasons. Their own buttons got pushed; or cat&mouse practice; or nothing better going on in the forum...there are slow times, sometimes. In my opinion, IF a 'knowledgeable, experienced' person left JUST BECAUSE of a troll - that person probably needed a break from posting for a while and may or may not come back. Some of us have been doing this, here and elsewhere, for decades and after a while it's just the same thing over and over...lol. As you've discovered - there are still many good folks around, and some of us will never leave...haunting TDB appropriately. It's all good. Even when it's not. Warm greetings!

thanks

Yes, it's trolling - but it can also be of value to you... if you take the opportunity to explore why you let some idiot's behavior bait you or bother you so much... or, you could just put them on Ignore. That's what I do, lol. Idiots don't bother me; I just choose to not spend energy on pages and pages of hooey.

Picture like a number line: empty<-----------------------I------------------------>full The extreme ends of the two positions are: empty: shell existence, mindless 24/7 meditation, fully in Mystery only. Nice work if you can get it. LOL full: complete hedonism etc, fully in Manifest only. Again, nice work if you can sustain it. LOL Either/or mindset straddles the center, alternating between the two positions - like hopping on one foot in the empty - and then on the other foot in the full. As one gets closer and closer to having a blended perspective, i.e. feet hopping closer to the center point between the extremes, the empty does indeed inform the full more often; as you clearly expressed above. But when a tradition puts too much emphasis on one side or the other - by trying to deny or suppress half of the whole, it not only denies what is natural - it prevents an individual from finding their own natural and blended balance. Having one foot in the Manifest and one foot in the Mystery, simultaneously and neither hopping, is what I call Both, same time. Full is always there, enjoying whatever comes (good and bad) - and Empty is always there, unboundaried in full support, to inform, temper, and when needed - mitigate. At least that's how it is for me. Heaven having a preference (not just in FH's post) bugged me too until I learned that in the DDJ "Heaven" is not the same thing as "Dao". Life wants to thrive and grow, yes? 'Heaven' would promote that, so something going against 'Heaven' would not thrive. But that's not the same thing as "going against Dao" which is not possible...and a whole 'nother topic. Glad you did - it's fun to talk about these things! Warmest regards

Right.

Yes. Yes I am.

Of course it is. You want those who you consider disruptive/non-contributing/whatever to be stifled. You have a preference as to how others should behave...and your words suggest that something of value can only be found in what you find to be of value. I dont think any of us is smart enough to know what someone else might find value in, learn from, or whatever. Second note to moderators: Unless there's a TOS violation going on - please continue to leave us the fuck alone. Thank you.

Moderators take note. There are a handful of people who think TDB should be just like they want it to be. They should be immediately banned. That's all, thank you for reading.