Simpleton Posted May 17, 2013 I've been reading this forum for four or five years and have decided to join and contribute to the discourse. I hope I will be released from Lobby purgatory soon to discuss topics more specifcally directed to my metaphysical studies. I'm in my thirties and have been researching meditation and mysticism for about 18 years, I started as a Crowleyist, went from there into Kabbalah and Hinduism. After a few years I reached a dead end in kabbalah not being into gematria and literal Torah interpretation, though I still highly regard the works of Z'ev Ben Shimon Halevi. On the Hindu track I read Vivekananda, Ramakrishna, Shankara, Ramana, and Papaji and they influenced me greatly. My studies then turned to Buddhism and there my heart found a home. My main focus is on Rinzai Zen but I find all the branches fascinating. More recent spiritual teachers I admire are Eckheart Tolle and Isaac Shapiro. Other research interests of mine are astral projection/lucid dreaming, shamanism in all its myriad forms and techniques, early pre-christian gnosticism (the Ophite subsects), Mandaeism, Zoroastrianism, the Greek mystery schools, the Yazdani faiths, Platonicism and Pythagoreanism, and current developing interests in Kebatinen, Qigong, Tantra and Andean/Amazonian energywork. Regarding energy studies, I've had kundalini issues since I was 19 from ill-advised OCDish obsessive tampering with my chakras and central channel without supervision. I've discovered a few ways to normalize this activity over the years, but it still hinders my life and has precipitated numerous emergency room visits (heart chakra pains can REALLY feel like cardiac pains, took me $5k or more to figure this out, also half your body going numb is not something Gopi Krishna talked about). Right now I'm in a moderately stable period but these issues are what drove me to stop lurking about here and interact with you experts. Well thats my overly effusive Aspergian introductory essay. Its a pleasure to finally join and I hope to contribute often. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan Posted May 17, 2013 welcome to the bums! I'm 27 and have spent over half my life in pursuit of truth and [a] means to embrace true lifeways which are in harmony with nature as authority, and free will as human nature.So far, it's taken over 13 years to catch on... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xor Posted May 17, 2013 (edited) ... Edited May 22, 2013 by Guest Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Basher Posted May 20, 2013 I've been reading this forum for four or five years and have decided to join and contribute to the discourse. I hope I will be released from Lobby purgatory soon to discuss topics more specifcally directed to my metaphysical studies. Welcome Simpleton, suggest that you browse the Forums & post 4 more messages (can be anything). Then you'll win the key to the rest of the Tao Bums World. Basher Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Simpleton Posted May 20, 2013 Thanks for your replies you are very kind. Thanks Basher I will do so. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
StarSong Posted May 22, 2013 Hello Simpleton I read a Crowley biography a few years back and I was really drawn to his sensationalist sense of humor. I'm also a big fan of Ramana, Papaji and I sat with Isaac when he visited South Africa. I'm happy to meet you, whoever I and you are ;p Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
