futuredaze

Papaya seeds are also really good for parasites. I love the fruit too. Truly an amazing plant

In my view, alcohol in moderation can be a nice tool to facilitate socializing and creativity (I have heard drinking can make brainwaves go from more beta to alpha from this, may be why it helps assist with this), might even have health benefits especially if high quality (e.g. homemad3 hard apple cider, herbal beer, good wine) but only in moderation. Most people abuse alcohol, drink shit quality stuff and combine it with unhealthy lifestyle. Drinking a bit can (not always) loosen the ego, but higher amounts it feeds into ego and becomes an escape.

Diet, making sure you get enough vitamins and nutrients. Zinc, for instance, is good for libido (among other things). Herbs are good, certain foods too. Finally, exercise. I dont lift weights anymore, but when I did it definitelty increased testosterone, confidence, and energy levels. Be careful not to overdo it. Taichi seems to be very balancing, giving more sexual energy but not as intensive as weightlifting.5

Walking is nice since it can be energizing or calming. It is very balancing. Not only that, but it is a great way to explore, meet people, and learn from our surroundings, whether they are natural or man-made. Walking in nature is great too since we can rejuvinate our health when in powerful spots such as old woods, mountains, beaches, lakes, etc. I find it inspiring and almost therapeutic.

There are indeed many forms of Taoism. Some Taoists may believe in malicious spirits that may or may not have some physical form. Philosophically, I would say most Taoists do not say it boils down to good vs evil, but wisdom vs ignorance. This is a very simplistic view and I am no scholar, but this is my take on it. To me, Taoism is a inherently more anti-dogma than virtually all spiritual systems. As a result, I suggest to find out for yourself. The journey of inquiry and discovery is more fruitful than just reading about it.

Kierkegaard's book "A Literary Review" sums up the spirit of mainstream consciousness quite well. This book was written in the 1840s, in response to newspapers and printed media becoming more popular. Of course, Kierkegaard would not see the passionless nihilist mentality flourish as it did thanks to television and film. Still though, his insights are relevant. "The present age is essentially a sensible, reflecting age, devoid of passion, flaring up in superficial, short-lived enthusiasm and prudentially relaxing in indolence. ...whereas a passionate age accelerates, raises up, and overthrows, elevates and debases, a reflective apathetic age does the opposite, it stifles and impedes, it levels.... In antiquity the individual in the crowd had no significance whatsoever; the man of excellence stood for them all. The trend today is in the direction of mathematical equality, so that in all classes about so and so many uniformly make one individual.... For leveling to take place, a phantom must first be raised, the spirit of leveling, a monstrous abstraction, an all-encompassing something that is nothing, a mirage—and this phantom is the public.... The present age is essentially a sensible age, devoid of passion and therefore it has nullified the principle of contradiction (p. 68, 84f., 90, 97)." At the end of the quote, Kierkegaard is referencing how the abstract notion of "the public" can function to control people and prevent them from acting independently . Rather than reacting to events based on individual feelings and logic, people react based on how they stand in relation to "the public," which Kierkegaard is trying to show is an abstraction. Although this does not directly tie into the education system itself, I think the media and technology have a large role in why people are so uninformed and passionless.

I was very out of shape when I was younger, in high school, and ate shit food. Tons of pizza (I would devour entire pies), candy, soda, etc. It has taken many years, but I feel a lot more energetic and healthy in my mid 20s then when I was a kid. I used to be lethargic, depressed, and have low self-esteem. Eating good and exercising have helped a lot, and although it won't help everything, it definitely helps with energy and mood levels. Seems like you got the right idea with cutting down processed food and caffeine.

I've read that the Chinese incorporate the berries into dishes. It is not uncommon for Chinese cuisine to incorporate medicinal food in dishes. Makes sense, as early texts seem to not distinguish between food and medicine, they are all agent for internal alchemy. As open-minded as I am, I don't think I'd order anything on a menu with Schizandra, although I would be curious to try a bite of a dish. Did you try the berries fresh off the vine or dried? I'd be curious to try them fresh and see how they compare to dried berries.

During a thai massage I had my hair pulled, a bit too intensely for my liking, but the end result was good. I just tried it on myself with less intensity and it is very relaxing. Thanks for sharing Also, I used to not like using shampoo, but I recently started trying out certain herb-based shampoos and have enjoyed the results. Rosemary in particular seems to help with dandruff issues I have.

Recently purchased a pound of dried Schizandra berries. I had no idea how strange they would taste, although I've heard stories... they taste so profoundly strange, since these berries have all five flavors. I've been doing anywhere from 1-2.5 gram dose per day, probably will keep it in this range. I'd be interested to try a tea, but I have yet to do this. I feel a slight increase in energy and definitely some sort of cognitive enhancement, but it is subtle and hard to describe. I'd love to do a longer write-up and maybe make a separate thread for schizandra berries as I experiment with this curious and very dynamic berry.

Lately, I have been trying to get back into my practice. I took some courses years ago, and they helped me in a lot of obvious and subtle ways. These days, I do what I can remember from the classes, or try things I see on YouTube or read about. I'm making progress, but feel having an instructor would help. NYC seems to be one of the few places in the U.S. where there is a lot out there, so I can't just "try them all" like I would do in a smaller city or town. I am also open to Taoist meditation instructions and anything else related to Taoism and Chinese medicine. If anybody has any input, I'd love to hear it. I do not live in NYC, but can get there in 40 minutes thru public transit, and want to take advantage of living near the city while I still do. I tried searching for this too, but did not come with much. If anybody knows otherwise, please let me know. Thanks!

Looks good, thank you!

Cool, I will look into those. Thank you Edit: And I do have a basic/core practice. It is a vipassana style meditation for 15-60 minutes a day, plus some basic qigong movements, breathing techniques, and some stretches thrown in. I'd like to take some more courses so I can revise my core practice, maybe even get some pointers for things I already do. There was a lot of interesting things I tried in prior classes, such as the animal forms, and certain tai chi movements, but I never quite got to master those. I only could get the most basic things down.

Have you ever looked at something and loved it, or felt concern about it, without thinking about yourself? For a minute? A second even? To say we are ALWAYS altruistic is, surely, a delusion. I agree. I am concerned with people I love, and others that I might not even love so much, because by helping them, it helps myself too in some way. I am aware of this yes. In evolutionary psychology there is the concept of "reciprocal altruism," which is basically that we help people because they might help us back. This suggests there is ego in "altruism", so it is not true altruism by definition. It shows that ego and altruism are not necessarily opposing forces, but linked together in some way. I believe, (and I'd like to find research to support or disprove this, if any exists yet) that early experiences shape our ability to help others, and most people do it with some expectation or reward (extrinsic motivation) when they are older, whereas rare others sometimes (not always) do it for the joy of doing it (intrinsic motivation). If true, this suggests that true altruism can exist, but it is built on egoism and only happens infrequently even in these rare individuals. What about moving a beetle from the path so it doesn't get stepped on? If nobody is watching somebody move the bug, they are not really thinking about their own interests at all when they move the beetle. Of course, if a lot of people in modern times would do this today, they would take a selfie with the beetle or boast about it to some of their friends. That would show they had egoistic intentions, but what about the person who just moved the bug and did not mention it, or did not think about it much after the fact? Can we love without our egos as a reference point? I think so, but I also understand that others may not be fortunate to have had this experience. Sure, you can say it is a delusion, but I can argue that. From a certain standpoint, the color green is a delusion created by the neural matrix of consciousness, yet that does not make it any less real to us. If somebody can never be 100% altruistic, does that mean that there is not a spectrum to altruism and that behavior can fall on a spectrum of this? Even with those in power, who are usually very corrupt and lustful, does it not seem that all cultures have their share of decent people who come to power? I'm not making the argument that it is "better" or "worse" to be altruistic. Nor do I think one can be impeccable and always selfless... nor should we even aim for that extreme. What I am saying this: is to try both, and then decide. I think many people have had moments of empathy and love when they forgot about their ego's needs for just a few moments. Does that make them altruistic people? No. Does it mean they had an altruistic experience? Maybe.

Dictionary.com definition of altruism: 1. Unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness. I agree that altruism, carried to its extreme, can lead to bad outcomes. Whether that is just preaching or acting in a naive self-righteous way that, ironically, leads people to get harmed. I think that the people we both find problems with are those who use altruism and multiculturalism as dogmas and chess pieces in their own selfish desire to appear "holier-than-thou" or perhaps more "politically-correct-than-thou." One can even argue that these are not even true altruists, but rather "patrons of altruism" who are actually selfish in a more obscure way than most others. Altruism is a good thing, but true altruism would look at the refugee crisis in regard to how it effects other citizens in their country just as much, if not more, than helping others from outside. Helping others is only good if we help ourselves and those we are close to first, otherwise it is hypocritical and dangerous.

Seems like a defeatist view. Do you think recent events are not having some effect on the way people think in Europe? Do you think if things stay as they are or get worse that people will still think the same way? It is easy to have lofty beliefs, but people can change really fast if they feel threatened. Sure, some might cling to these beliefs even with a threat, but most people care way more about survival than ideals no matter how much they might like to think otherwise. Guilt is a luxury, survival is a necessity. No matter what our beliefs are, this is generally the case. Perhaps in time, the "progressive extremists" will eventually be revealed to be just as dogmatic and anti-life as Muslim extremists, only less violent. And many people will change their view, since they realize that altruism is good, but only to a logical extent. Extremism seems to result from people who do not learn from nature and/or logic and get caught up in concepts and words that are detached from reality and fueled by emotions that make them feel good. I'm not going to pretend I will know what will happen, but I do believe that when enough people have had enough of any situation, they will do something about it. I also believe that people can change their opinions quite quickly when reality does not synchronize with their idealism.

Is it really that widespread? I live in the U.S., I am pretty left on a lot of things, but it is really easy for me to see through the liberal propaganda as easy as it is the conservative. I'm not that smart, maybe I am blessed with a good internal bullshit detector, but it is really hard for me to believe that the majority of liberals would adopt this view. First of all, it is not even about race, but religion. And to be honest, it is not even about religion as a whole, but certain sub-groups. Is being cautious about certain sub-groups (and, by necessary extension, the religion as a whole) racist? Seems ridiculous. Do you think this has been changing with recent reports in the last few months? Sure, it is one thing to say something and hold a belief, but if something powerful happens that puts this belief in question, do you really think people will ignore it? Even if it continuously happens?

Apparently the original quote was "will trade racists for refugees." Even so, I wonder how she defines racist? People love buzz words but nobody likes to define anything in modern times. In Maslow's hierarchy of needs, safety is one of the most foundation things we need, right after food and shelter. Now ideologies are nice, and providing care to people who need it is good, but if these ideologies lead people to get harmed, then they need to be looked at again. She might just be really young and naive... hard to blame someone for that, but young and naive people should at least have that self-awareness before trying to draw attention to themselves by making a statement they have little perspective on.

Nice! In my experience, and what I've heard from others as well, the beginning is often the most challenging part. It is really hard to maintain a consistent meditation practice and be able to integrate the practice in a skillful way that does not merely spiritually inflate our egos. Benefits can happen fast, but those benefits can be integrated in such a way that actually does us harm in the long run. For example, getting fixated on any mental or emotional state, getting fixated on insights or experiences, believing we are superior because of the practice, thinking we are enlightened when we are merely average shmucks drenched in delusion, ignoring important parts of our lives, etc. etc.. Patience, persistence, and caution are important, especially early on. It has taken me 7 or so years to get to a place that is mostly good, but I suspect I could have gotten here in a few years if I was more consistent with my practice. But hey, better to attain some progression over a long period of time than none at all.

Lot of posts, I did not read them all so I don't know if the Lone Pine reference books have been mentioned. I have not used them personally, but I have heard from friends who are knowledgeable about foraging and homesteading skills that they are good. Here is a link to two: http://www.amazon.com/Plants-Pacific-Northwest-Coast-Pojar/dp/1551055309/ref=sr_1_32?ie=UTF8&qid=1454350700&sr=8-32&keywords=lone+pine http://www.amazon.com/Mushrooms-Northwest-America-Helene-Schalkwijk-Barendsen/dp/1551050463/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1454350792&sr=8-4&keywords=lone+pine+mushrooms

I agree "fake it 'till you make it" is not a good mentality. In my experience, a better mantra would be something like "embrace it 'till you transform it." By running from and avoiding our fears, weaknesses, and darkness we end up giving these things strength over us. Once we embrace them, we inevitably watch these things transform into something else. Nothing is permanent. A lot of times our "weaknesses" are really just obstacles placed on our paths to challenge us and remind us of our strengths. Like shadows that remind us of the light, the struggle is critical part of the journey.

Pseudo means "not genuine." The word science shares similar etymology to the word "scissors" - it cuts the whole into small pieces. I looked up the etymology on etymonline.com -- Now, any system that looks at theory, whether that is CTM or Ayurveda, or even Western psychological theories on personality, it seems that they can be called "pseudoscientific" because it attempts to assemble the pieces into a systemic whole. Western psychology might not be called "pseudoscientific", and it often incorporates scientific findings, especially now that neuroscience has taken off, but IMO a lot of theoretical stuff that references scientific findings might as well be called pseudoscience. Science is good at what it does, but without a philosophical and/or psychological framework to make sense of it and apply it, it is pretty much just dead information. From the point of view of a philosopher, science taken to its extreme might be called "pseudo-living" because living is always subjective, and science always aims at being objective.

That is a good point. We are all unique, different genes, different life history, different ambitions, etc. I think that using the yin/yang philosophy can be helpful, but we have to remember that it is only a map and not the territory itself. Not only that, but we are the ones who make the map. It is best not to compare ourselves to others, since we are so different. If I say I "feel too yin" that does not mean in comparison to others or even some imagined ideal. When I say that I mean I that I feel out of balance, more on the yin side, relative to other states I have experienced in the past. Now, perhaps things will never be in total equilibrium, and at best we can curb the extremes and just enjoy the cyclical ways yin and yang manifest itself. Regardless, this framework is only valid if we have good self-awareness and good understanding of yin and yang. Otherwise, a split between the real and ideal will emerge and it will make living a lot harder.

When I was younger, I went through sleep-deprivation induced by kundalini. I basically did not sleep for roughly three weeks (exact number of days, I'm not sure, a lot of it is blurry...). It resulted in lots of hallucinations, paranoia, craziness. Fortunately, I got better thanks to medicine (sleep meds and anti-psychotics, which I went off right after I got better). As I read your post, it reminded me of my experience, so I just wanted to caution you. If your sleep deprivation gets really bad, as mine did, seek medical and possibly psychiatric help asap. I don't think strong sleep meds are good long term, but I really recommend them short term. Any potential damage the meds may cause is way less damaging than psychosis and paranoia can be. I was contemplating suicide quite often in that stage (note: I was not before or after). You will more than likely be totally fine, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to share this information. Btw, I recommend cutting out the cocaine (uppers will make sleep deprivation worse) and cutting down on cannabis. Although cannabis is relatively benign in the substance world, it does have a subtle effect and in my experience is best used for medical conditions (insomnia being one of them), or not at all. Very moderate use can be good too, although this is sometimes difficult to do skillfully! All the best, Futuredaze

1. Activity. Since YANG is associated with strength, action, and masculinity, I would start by meditating on what yang actually is. I'm not sure if I can describe how I go about this, personally, but I have faith that you will eventually intuitively gain understanding of yin and yang principles as you meditate on them more and naturally observe them from day-to-day. These meditations will invoke the energy on a subtle level and actually make its nature more clear. Of course, reading about it, asking peoples opinions, can be helpful, but you need to find out on your own what it is, how YANG relates to YIN, and how your experience relates to YIN and YANG. Once you are more aware of what it is, you can start to act in a way that will eventually get your energy and spirit balanced. For myself, I was pretty YIN but meditating and qigong tend to balance this. Lifting weights is definitely very yang, and I think cardio stuff might help but probably more in a way that they are balancing rather than strong yang. Another thing: meditating under a pine tree is said to make one more yang since pine is very yang (compared to willow which is very yin). Everyone is different, so while it is helpful to see what others do, we need to skillfully experiment on our own. 2. Diet. Certain things, like soy that is not fermented, or chemicals (which I forget the specifics of right now) in plastic, for instance, can raise levels of estrogen in the body. I try to stay away from these foods, even though I don't think the effect would be huge if I just have some soy oil or whatever, I rather not take risks with my health. Other foods, like maca, burdock root, and pine pollen, for instance, are said to be helpful for balancing hormones and I believe both can potentially increase testosterone level (reported more anecdotally than scientifically, so proceed with caution). There are way more herbs too, but those three are the only ones I have personally experimented which come to mind. And yes, they can be helpful and extremely potent. I avoid maca now actually since it makes me too yang... burdock is good though, more balancing than maca. It is interesting how multi-layered this question is, and how multi-layered the answers are. Some people look at yin and yang on a more chemical level whereas others are more mystically or intellectually. To me, it shows how powerful these concepts yin and yang are, since they can be looked it from many layers and dimensions. All this while still, on some level, remaining very mysterious.