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Open discussion. I'll start with an anecdote. As my life is setup right now, I work in an emergency department as a doctor. I see all kinds of people there. I face pretty intense situations and have to keep my cool. Throughout my months of taking upon the "doctor" role, I have become more and more confident in these types of situations. At first I held a lot of fear about what would happen and how to handle specific situations, but once you learn it, a lot of that fear disappears. This is not to say that the work cannot still be stressful, in that there's a lot to do and many obligations, lots to manage at the same time, pressures, it can still be depleting, etc. - but I wouldn't use the word fear anymore to describe my feelings toward it. As I drove home from grocery shopping today with my significant other, I crossed the road turning left, following the rules correctly, looking right and left, seeing a car to my left that blinks to the right, and think "okay, free ahead", and suddenly this guy overtakes the car in front of him about to turn, driving at least 70km/h where you're allowed to drive 50 km/h and has to push the brakes powerfully to avoid colliding into the side of the road. Instead of seeing his own mistake, he turns his car around, drives behind me and flashes the lights multiple times. Drives closer and closer very aggressively. At this point not only my significant other but also myself feel adrenaline rushing into the body and fueling the mind, "what should we do?" "maybe he'll hurt us". The classic fight-and-flight response. We've heard lots of stories around where we live which is close to a ghetto-place where many crazy things unfold. We turn the corner and he's still following aggressively so I decide to drive the car to the side, and he drives up next to me, and I roll down the window slightly. I think as he realises I'm not going to blame him, he simply says "Didn't you see I was coming?", and I just said something like, "It was a very unfortunate incident", and he says, "oh okay, just look next time", he seems to cool his demeanor and then gives a nod and drives away. Afterwards I'm struck by a deep disappointment in myself. Why was I that afraid? Why did my body and mind react so violently? It did not in any way or form help the situation. There was no point to it. I could've had the same conversation with him, perhaps much better, if I had been in a fearless state of mind. Instead, I was unconfident and afraid and answered him timidly. My significant other said it was overall well done as I defused the situation which could've gone a lot worse if we were unlucky and I had pushed him, as the guy was clearly looking for a fight. Maybe. I still can't help but think that fear ultimately doesn't help and it surely doesn't feel like it's a wise or elevated state to be in either. On the contrary. So that made me think... what is fear exactly? It disappeared as quickly as it came. But is it just ignorance? Ignorance of the unknown? Or is it rather all about attachment to life? Being afraid of losing what one has? Or is it instead simply all due to weak "kidneys", and people with strong kidneys never really feel fear like that? Either way, would be curious to hear people's thoughts. How does a practictioner approach fear? How does a practictioner eventually overcome it completely?

Do you think your own thoughts? Or those offered by others? Between any two thoughts there is a magical place. A pregnant pause. The next thought could be any thought. There is no limit here. Predispositions perhaps, but no limit. The next thought could be any thought... even none. Awareness returns to this lately, so I chew it and share it here in case it intrigues. These are open questions, requiring and perhaps having no firm answers. Do you think your own thoughts? How many of your thoughts arise from within? How many arrive from without? From where do thoughts come? Does it matter? How many of them are repeats? Do you choose what you eat? Do you know from where you eat comes? How much of your food do you grow? And how much is brought to you by others? Awareness returning repeatedly to the parallels between what I eat to maintain health and vitality and what I allow my mind to eat and its effect on my inner world and experience of reality. If what I experience is my effective reality. Then thoughts are a major portion of this reality. Buddha speaks to it. What will I allow my mind to ruminate on... what will I feed it? Where will I go for and what will I do with, the thoughts that arise today?

I enjoy Alan Watts, he's like an old uncle who starts drinking and can't stop talking. Anyway, this quick portion of one of his lectures reminded me of Sri Sankara: And with that, I'll share another quote from Ranjit Maharaj's 'The Way of the Bird', commentary by Andrew Vernon. I thought this was also appropriate...

A synopsis of what follows wouldn't do it justice, and I suspect would leave too much room for ambiguity relayed through my particular lens of understanding. Besides, the Swami's notes on the Gita are most excellently and lucidly expressed. I will however take the liberty of highlighting key points with emphasis, and may occasionally attempt to expand a bit on the meaning of terms used. It is shared here in the 5 parts it was translated into. Part 1: to be continued...

No matter how auspicious an idea may appear as it is known by a knower from within the mind, identification with being anything in particular is essentially self-imposed limitation. The guru admonishes to leave concepts behind, to relinquish the identity of doership and acting, to be free of burdens not needful which may become to us as obstacles. Being is without doing. One can not help but simply Be oneself. All that must be done is then done rightly and naturally. Simply be as one has been, as one already is and as one will forever be. Be as you are, for the naturalness of this being that we are is that which makes the supposed becoming of anything in particular possible. Being this being, is to naturally abandon this or that identity. In this being, it's revealed that one is the knowing-ness of knowledge, the doing-ness of that which is done; the essence, the very being-ness of being itself. The Power of power. There's no being of this or that, there is only this-ness or that-ness, through and through. The heart of being, which is being, and beyond it. The Paramakash, so far removed from what the mind can imagine, that even the pure consciousness "I AM" seems to be an almost alien thing. From Paramakash, to Mahadakash: The gods and devas may possess names and forms, but the "light" of consciousness is completely attributeless. Without a body, it embodies all. That "light" which illuminates the mind as a reflection, is no more the mind or its contents than the Sun is equal to the daylight it provides. Lord Krishna: "By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them. And yet everything that is created does not rest in Me. Behold My mystic opulence! Although I am the maintainer of all living entities and although I am everywhere, I am not a part of this cosmic manifestation, for My Self is the very source of creation." Innumerable states seem to appear upon or within this "light", along with the appearance of one(s) who appear(s) to traverse them. Eternally back and forth, seesawing up and down, the actions and inaction of the apparent many is reflected in the waking dream and deep sleep states. One can get comfortable in a dream of one's own making, lucid even, yet become mesmerized by the powers of awareness in the dream. One can become engrossed in the indulgences of physicality, unsatiated by desires of experiencing waking life to its presumed fullest potential. These states come and these states go. Yet there exists a "state" which never comes and never goes, beyond even the self-love that is undifferentiated bliss experienced in deep sleep. It is all there is. Conscious, unconscious, both conscious and unconscious, and Neither. The original being, experienceless, stateless in its state, in which all states and all experiences appear as if they were themselves dreams of a dreamer unknown.

Diagram found on the albigen network. It's characterized as "a synopsis of states of consciousness and realization", and is aligned with Ramana Maharshi's commentary on the experience of Samadhi. Thought I'd share, along with some pertinent commentary by, Sri Sadhu Om. Mind in Sleep Kevala Nirvikalpa Samadhi Sahaja Nirvikalpa Samadhi 1. Mind alive 1. Mind alive 1. Mind dead 2. Sunk in oblivion 2. Sunk in Light 2. Resolved into the Self 3. Like a bucket tied to a 3. Like a river discharged rope and left lying in the into the ocean and its water in a well identity lost. 4. to be drawn out by the 4. A river cannot be other end of the rope redirected from the ocean

"The rising of thought (the rising of the first thought, ‘I am so-and-so’) itself is birth, and the forgetfulness of Self itself is death. The mind’s phenomena of such thinking and forgetting is called samsara. When the mind, freed from its impure state of thinking and forgetting, stands ever holding on to Self, that is called the destruction of the mind [manonasa], which itself is liberation." ~Sri Muruganar

Perceptual Filling In of Artificially Induced Scotomas in Human Vision.V. S. Ramachandran and R. L. Gregory in Nature, Vol. 350, pages 699-702; April 25, 1991. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/mind-the-gap/ I will take this a step further. I suggest that we also use this process to create and support things that we perceive that don't fit the 5 senses. Sometimes by processing them through hearing things, seeing things, feeling things, etc. It may be the closest sensory area we have to the energy at hand. Then, the next point is, that we take that which we are perceiving, and give it form. These are usually mapped in the brain, and depend on the current state of mind. Like being afraid, producing frightening figures visually in the dark. Being elated or happy producing something like an angel, etc. The energy form is there, whether an external source or some form of internal, or from this dimension, or another. The exception being, of course, hallucinations or images purely from fantasy or imagination that are not "real" energy.

Here's a little fun for Monday morning... Stating the Obvious We often hear the words “my body”. For example: “My body is fat”, or “I hate my body!”. Well, think about that? “My” body. Body is a possession, is it not? Hence the “my”. If that is so then who is the possessor? But it gets worse. We also hear “my mind”. For example: “My mind is sharp”, or “his mind is dull”, or “she has a good mind”. Also possessive. Also a possession. Who is the possessor? There’s more! We hear such phrases as “I want to save my soul”. Or we hear “he lost his soul to sin”. Is that right? “my” soul. “his” soul? Is soul also a possession? Who is the possessor? Who is the possessor?

In day to day language, mind is the only distinction used, besides (from) body. Intellect (buddhi) seems separate. The perceiver or thinker? Is ego (ahamkara) a separate entity? Is this not part of the mind? The same question about the memory store, past experiences & beliefs (chitta). Is this also not part of mind? Can some one clearly explain the distinction between the four?

Very succinct. This may help... ADVICE FOR BEING IN SELF-ABIDANCE Be quiet. See the mind as it is. Grace action starts. Then Peace occupies your Heart. Then be still. The Grace of Self burns all your tendencies. No question or any practice is needed. You already reached the destination. That is the Source of thought. If you lose your Awareness, immediately sleep, deep sleep or thought will come. Stop just for a few seconds, see the covering, and immediately Awareness will come. Then if you question, 'To Whom?', and wait, the question and thought will vanish. Again we will get Peace. Then be quiet and still. While you are in Peace, see the experiencer of that Peace or question, 'Who is that experiencer?'. The experiencer will disappear. But it rises again and again. As and when it rises, see it with Peace and Awareness or question, 'Who Am I?', until it burns. When the seer or the experiencer or the questioner burns permanently - that is Jeevanmukti (Self Realization). V. V. Brahmam

Lately, I discovered that my meditation was actually hacked by a mind function that conceptualizes and creates an image of an experience and faked my experience of reality. an example: the experience or state of no-thoughts, at first it was a genuine experience and it felt really nice, during meditation. but after a while i discovered that, during my practices in the past months, I wasn't actually in that state that I started with and i was actually in a thought of no-thoughts. In other words, I was living in a conceptualized image of what i experienced first time i started the practice and the mind automated the process by attracting my awareness into it. which got me question a lot of my experiences, and ask you in this thread: How is it possible to identify whether the experience, state or the feeling we are having is a result of reality and not a fake, mind made image? When i say between myself, i forgive that person for what he did or give love to a person or deep inside pain, how to know whether it is coming from a real feeling, and not from a conceptualized dry image of forgiveness or love? Maybe it is by looking for the intention behind it? In buddhism, they say, you should approach pain with equanimity, and not with aversion, because aversion=resistance= persistence, but wouldn't you try to be in equanimity in order to heal (get rid) of pain which is by itself aversion but in an indirect way? or when you try to allow things to be as itis, but you are allowing it to be as it is, because you want to get rid of that pain (which is not allowing). Thank you,

Synopsis: "Sky Dancer" is a film about the daily life and teachings of one of Tibetan Buddhism's great female masters. In a world where ethnic and political tensions are driving people apart, we are transported to a community where Chinese and Tibetan students study together and are treated as equals. Khandroma Kunzang Wangmo the matriarch and spiritual leader of a remote area on the Tibetan plateau is one of very few women ever to receive a position of power in Tibetan Buddhism. Even more rare, she is the descendant of two extremely significant and highly respected masters of Tibetan Buddhism. The film is an inside look at the daily life and journey of this extraordinary woman who is a living example of wisdom and compassion in a world that so often seems to be lacking genuine examples of both. http://www.cultureunplugged.com/documentary/watch-online/play/50486/Sky-Dancer

it is been a time since i awakened out of conditioned mind and noticed the reality and what the mind making me see and what the reality actually is. but whenever i increase my awareness, focus and mindfulness... a trigger reappears and drag me down to the conditioned mind and the misery airse back but in a deep sad way. recently, i m noticing the moment before falling into the mind and become a follower and loosing my awareness of the now and the present moment and dwell in mind and stories... i feel myself standing on the edge between 2 perspectives... perceptive of everything great and wow vibrant and such and another "social" perspective of sadness of seeing what really is and how the world is in a sad way. lets call one the social perspective and the higher perspective.... the social perspective attract me into it.. by saying lets be real.. society is like that and they see you this way.. and u are this and that ... and what u believe in is bullshit ... etc .etc. This social perspective was raised by society and people, values and such.. and they lead to beliefs in me about myself and about life that serve no purpose and actually hinder and make me struggle in my life. the higher perspective gets me into it ... when i focus and allow the "social" perspective to be.. it is great and vibrant the life become, but it never lasts ... i m always switching in and out of them. There is like an inner conflict between me awakening and trying to manage my life and myself in beliefs that serves my improvement and the other thoughts and beliefs that are conditioned by society and people, culture... the question is how to Merge them ? or how to break free of those social/cultural beliefs implemented in my subconscious ? Thank you!

Is faith an illusion of the mind? Or I'm being pessimist (or realistic), considering that zen budism stands for the direct experience of reality and, therefore, faith is a product of mind? And hope? Kind of "game" that universe plays with oneself? Destiny, karma? Who knows for sure?

Just moments ago I threw out all my previously held beliefs about this concept or idea called the subconscious or unconscious mind. I admitted and allowed all my beliefs, feelings, thoughts, programming - everything on the subject, then I accepted them, warmly embracing each one as if they were house guests who had stopped by for a visit and provided interesting conversation, but now it was time for them to go home. I opened my arms, releasing them, letting them go, to work themselves out. I feel so much freer, lighter now. If following your emotional guidance system, as Abraham teaches, is the way to go, then mine is telling me this is the right move. In the material I read as I studied self-hypnosis last year I was taught that the conscious mind is like the tip of the iceberg with the subconscious aspect being the greater part below. That somewhere in the subconscious mind is all your beliefs and programming. Self-hypnosis became a way to access these normally hard to reach areas of myself. But as I look back on these teachings tonight I see that they have broken a new sort of golden rule of mine: I choose to invest my energy only in those things which empower me! To my mind anything that takes away my power is attempting to coerce or control me in some way. It turns out I had consigned my unwanted beliefs and programming to the "dark forest" (as Seth calls in in, "The Nature of Personal Reality") of my subconscious mind. In other words, I had no control over what the authority figures of my past, including my parents, programmed into me. I had no choice in the beliefs I adopted as a child. I was coerced, forced or herded to believe certain things and think a certain way. I am powerless, I am a victim of my circumstances, there was nothing I could do, I was at the mercy of others bigger and more powerful than me, I have no control over my life, everything I am is decided already by fate, destiny, genetics or karma. When you adopt a belief in the subconscious or unconscious mind, these others are innate within it. I realized that I always had more success with visualization, and what is that but a conscious way to train my thinking? It is how I worked through depression and anger. I can't say with any certainty that I had any success at all with self-hypnosis. I think there is a reason I can hypnotize myself. Maybe I should use it, with visualizations, to engage the conscious mind at a deeper level. I don't know. I have decided to accept Seth's teachings as true, or a direct pointing to the Truth. Releasing and letting go of my previous baggage about the subconscious or unconscious mind allows me to throw myself completely into Seth's teachings. That is the course of action I choose to take right now. I find Seth's and Abraham's teachings to be empowering. Some may disagree with the LoA teachings as they are called. They may say that we have no control over our lives and things don't work that way in the real world. My only response to that is this... Maybe in your experience you have no control over your life, and you experience the world in a certain way. Maybe you always have. But just because something has been one way for a long period of time does not mean it always has to be that way. Also if there is one way things can be, they can certainly be another. Finally if life does not work that way, then why not? Why does life have to work as you think it does and not this other way? Some reading material: https://blisswriter.wordpress.com/2015/01/26/the-problem-with-the-way-things-are/ I am interested to see what others think about this. Do you believe there is a subconscious or unconscious mind? If you do, why? If you don't, why not? Also if you haven't made up your mind yet about this subject, maybe these words will help you decide for yourself. I have experienced no benefit believing in the subconscious or unconscious mind. In fact I suspect that my current life situation, the beliefs I have that manifested this experience, were reinforced by those beliefs. I think letting them go will help me to break apart the physical reality I am experiencing and create something better. If this is the path you wish to take, the first step is to let go of the concept or idea of the subconscious mind. Doesn't matter if it is really there are not. Just adopt a "don't know" or nonchalant attitude about it. If its there, cool. If its not there, cool. For now you are just ignoring the question of its reality so you are free to engage with the conscious mind for a while, see where that takes you.

I am celibate and have been practicing cultivation / jing retention for quite some time now, but have come to realize that it is unnatural long-term for a human to exist without experiencing occasional arousal of Kundalini energy. This is not to say to give in fully to lustful desires, but to at least allow the energy to flow through the body. Does anyone have any specific sexual yoga or meditation practice to offer apart from Chi-Gung, which I already do? Thanks.

I am a 19 yr old male and i have been currently been celibate for 30 days. In that time, I have already seen great transformation of mind and my psychological approach to the world. I feel that I have gone from being a rather ordinary slacker with little self confidence to a much more confident and determined individual. I don't know how else to describe the changes that have occurred except to say that it has been made clear to me how damaging self-pleasure was to my soul and mind. my intellectualizing of it is that the more often jing-essence is released, the more empty the soul and heart become, the less confident a man will feel, as well as more physically connected to the world. i went from being a user of pornography, whom was uncomfortable around women, to a guy who can casually engage any girl in conversation. i am aroused by real women. Girls seem to sense this energy and are more drawn to me as well..... i get hit on by girls now more than ever, lol. i was always self-confident about my size, as i am only 5'5" and 110 lbs, but now i truly do not care...because i can feel the inner fire burning also -- statistically, I believe it is true that men experience more orgasms than women. this addicts men to the physical aspect of sex, and they will do anything to have that physical experience, with ANYONE, hence, prostitution, et cetera. since women are more conservative, they are more discriminating with regard to partner and they must have their heart-energy attached as well. they also are more in-tune with the heart and soul orgasms that can occur in life... since being celibate, i receive joy and orgasm of SPIRIT by simply being in the COMPANY of women, if that makes sense. the "jing", or fierce, intense, primal willpower which is present as a result of being celibate, i channel into music, which is my passion. i can create more fiercely than ever before, and my determination is strong as an ox. i do not need to waste this willpower on expenditure of genetic material, lol. so, haha....the path to enlightenment....am i doing it right?

SONIA BARRETT - "HOLOGRAPHIC GAME" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVl88xw6U_I A very enlightening 1hr 18mins. In fact it was enthralling and captivating. Its refreshing when something truly resonates. Namaste, gentlewind

The Matrix Trilogy Decoded by Mark Passio "The Matrix Trilogy Decoded" by Mark Passio was recorded on September 15, 2012. In this video Mark Passio breaks down the hidden meaning of the "The Matrix" movies. It would serve you better if you watched all three movies before and/or after watching this video. This event was held as a fundraiser for the "Free Your Mind 2 Conference" coming up in April of 2013 in Philadelphia. It is a three-day conference featuring top-calibre whistle-blowers from across the country who will shed light upon our world's problems and bring forward empowering solutions. This unique event will build upon the success of the first "Free Your Mind Conference" in 2011, with a continued focus to spread awareness on the topics of consciousness, mind control, subversive occult influences, holistic body-mind-spirit health, and solution-oriented approaches to the problems humanity faces in these challenging times. If you can make it to the conference please buy tickets ahead of time because tickets are limited. If you can't attend but would like to help support this conference please make a donation by sending an email to [email protected]. Free Your Mind Conference website: http://www.freeyourmindconference.com/ FYMC promo video: Mark Passio's website: http://www.whatonearthishappening.com/ Enjoy and Please Share! This video was produced by "Signs of the Time" media. The Truth Will out! But will you see it? Have watched this twice, and enJoyed on both occasions. Namaste, gentlewind