Hypothetical scenario that makes you question God

[Goldleaf]

Time for an update!

 

So I have bought the Zinsser odour-sealing paint and finished painting just waiting for it to dry.

 

I have also looked into healthy buildings, apparently there is even a syndrome called MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivities), I feel glad I am nowhere even near that, apparently everything even the clothes you wear can drastically  affect your health if you have that.  Here is the link if interested and there is a nice interactive house diagram in one of the links (halfway down the page):

 

http://mcs-america.org/index_files/MCShousing.htm

 

  its quite fascinating.  Just don't read it if you are the type that worries easily!  IN any case I think in general  with a strong immune system, regular room ventilation, and using natural-based paints and building materials you willl be fine and have a healthy nourishing house.  Worth reading to improve the state of your living environment.

 

I also constructed a blanket fort around my bed!  It worked great for two days, I had awesome sleeps and full of energy after just two days!  But then unfortunately, I started having not-the-best sleeps like before ,although at least they aren't as bad.

 

So quick test question: how would you test whether the blanket fort or other structure you have built, succeeds in blocking odours?  One way I found is to have a friend spray a natural air freshener in the room while you are inside the structure, and see if any smells come your way.  I tried this, and still caught a faint whiff of smell after one min or so, so I know somehow the nasty odours are still getting through some gap somewhere

 

So, even though I still am not where I wanna be, if I stand and look back right now, I have come a long way from when I originally started!  Please remember this when you feel like you are struggling in a difficult self-improvement.

 

 MOre updates to come and I hope this thread will  inspire others suffering too.  

Edited April 6, 2017 by Goldleaf

[cold]

I can't answer your question, but I do applaud your efforts and progress!

[Brian]

Time for an update!

 

So I have bought the Zinsser odour-sealing paint and finished painting just waiting for it to dry.

 

I have also looked into healthy buildings, apparently there is even a syndrome called MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivities), I feel glad I am nowhere even near that, apparently everything even the clothes you wear can drastically  affect your health if you have that.  Here is the link if interested and there is a nice interactive house diagram in one of the links (halfway down the page):

 

http://mcs-america.org/index_files/MCShousing.htm

 

  its quite fascinating.  Just don't read it if you are the type that worries easily!  IN any case I think in general  with a strong immune system, regular room ventilation, and using natural-based paints and building materials you willl be fine and have a healthy nourishing house.  Worth reading to improve the state of your living environment.

 

I also constructed a blanket fort around my bed!  It worked great for two days, I had awesome sleeps and full of energy after just two days!  But then unfortunately, I started having not-the-best sleeps like before ,although at least they aren't as bad.

 

So quick test question: how would you test whether the blanket fort or other structure you have built, succeeds in blocking odours?  One way I found is to have a friend spray a natural air freshener in the room while you are inside the structure, and see if any smells come your way.  I tried this, and still caught a faint whiff of smell after one min or so, so I know somehow the nasty odours are still getting through some gap somewhere

 

So, even though I still am not where I wanna be, if I stand and look back right now, I have come a long way from when I originally started!  Please remember this when you feel like you are struggling in a difficult self-improvement.

 

 MOre updates to come and I hope this thread will  inspire others suffering too.

A "blanket fort" won't stop small airborne irritants from reaching you, as you have discovered, but this approach should help somewhat to filter and delay the intrusion. You might also consider buying some of those inexpensive paper masks which cover nose & mouth -- again, won't solve the problem but might help.

[Goldleaf]

2018 update!

 

I moved house, still had shaking feelings in spite of having a comfortable mattress and even a leather couch squeezed into my tiny room.  At the end of my teather, my dad casually recommended an Intuitive Healer who had some success with.

 

I made a booking with her, she then told me that I was having these symptoms because of an exhausted adrenal system and damaged nerves, and gave me a two fold solution, which I am greatly siomplifying here:

 

1. Remove wheat, sugar and caffeeine from my diet.  She said after doing a "reading" that eating wheat was damaging my nerves, and the other two were of course draining my adrenals even more.  Also with diet, she suggested eating more vegetables, meat and avoiding such things as rice as she claimed rice (and pasta) were basically filler, with small amounts of nutrtiion only.  She said to replace the rice with potatoes and sweet potatoes, as my weight was low, and also to eat four meals a day to help fuel my constantly intellectualising mind.

 

 

2. Join a meditation group and get proper teachings in how to meditate over say a week, and then spend regular timne there in exchange for say, doing some dishes, etc., to help quieten and ultimately still my crazy mind.  

 

She also emphazized a thing called "the separated self", which I can't remember exactly what it is, but basically what it means is that the mind will do what it can to bring you back to a place of fear because that's what makes it feel comfortable and avoids your real, true self from coming through.

 

After this, I had some good sleeps and was really enjoying life and even managed to meditate, even though I didn't follow through with the meditation course as Christmas was approaching.  I flirted with girls effortlessly and gained about 5 kilos!!  (12 pounds).

 

**(NOTE:: Do not let yourself be distracted by girls.  Make your life, your focus, first.  Girls may be wonderful beings who want to spend time with you, but if you focus on them instead of your life, not only will you waste your life but girls will lose respect for you over time)***

 

But then, as she had warned me, the effect of the healing/ clearing wore off, and my mind returned, and although I didn't have BAD sleeps anymore, I didn't feel as nourished by sleep as normal, and I lost weight.

 

Part 2

 

Back to drawing bed with bed combinations. I became methodical to rule out exactly what helped and what didn't. AT one stage, I even purchased cushions that were comfortable from a coffee shop, through the suppllier!!  But although they were comfortable initially they were too soft for my skinny frame.  I decided to risk it on a bamboo bed advertised on Gumtree.  Bamboo bed didn't work   So I added my Belgian Latex mattress topper to it, and voila...

 

 

I had the best sleep I have ever had in ages.  I felt alive again!!  I chatted with people warmly and they chatted back!! 

 

Anyway, my advice to you is don't be afraid to experiment with what works best.  From my experience, a combination of a firm mattress and of course a sturdy bed frame, plus a soft layer on top (hard and soft, yin and yang!), works well.  I read one guy who just did the following:

 

Quote

I solved my mattress problem by buying a medium-firm basic one on special from Harvey Norman (about $800 iirc) and putting two Clark Rubber 50mm latex pads (about $200 each) on top. Three years later I still find it the best bed I've ever had, with no "holes" and no "memory effect", just plush on top with plenty of support underpinning it as I joyfully sink into it every night. I'm a late-60's average size bloke and weigh 80-ish kg, and it's on a modestly priced slat base.

 

Its by a man called "wongaga" and its a huge mattress thread written by people here in Australia - http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1694383

 

I will put this post  in another thread called" mega-sleeps and super-health, yeah!" (will link shortly)

 

Hope to give more advice to anyone out there suffering from poor sleeps or want to improve their sleep a bit more.  Waking feeling fresh and energized is so important to a productive life

 

Cheers!

Gl

Edited January 11, 2018 by Goldleaf

[Lost in Translation]

5 minutes ago, Goldleaf said:

She also emphazized a thing called "the separated self", which I can't remember exactly what it is, but basically what it means is that the mind will do what it can to bring you back to a place of fear because that's what makes it feel comfortable and avoids your real, true self from coming through.

 

The mind likes comfortable. That would be ok if the mind had the same definition of comfortable as we do. Unfortunately it does not. The mind defines comfortable as "routine and familiar - the same today as yesterday as tomorrow". And that's the problem. If "routine and familiar" is something painful and frightening then the mind will seek out sources of pain and fear. 

 

Crazy, huh?

 

I find it very helpful to resist the temptation to place judgements on perceptions, including feelings. If you are fearful then be aware of the fear. Listen to it. Yes, live your life and yes, continue to make choices. Behave rationally, but listen to the fear while you do these things. Often we try to "heal" fear. That doesn't work anymore than you can "heal" love. You need to sit with it. Get to know it. Listen to it. After a while it leaves on its own. Until then all it wants is for you to be with it.

[Aetherous]

I'm very impressed with how much fortitude you showed by figuring out your situation, and also coming back to share your successes with others. Great work!

[Goldleaf]

Thanks Aetherous,

 

Its one thing going on a journey, but its another to come back and share the wisdom of it with others.

[Goldleaf]

The Hero Falters

 

My lease ran out and I had to move house again.  I have begun experiencing some not-nice symptoms.

 

Its been really frustrating after I made so much progress I thought.  So, I just want to canvas some more views,l after I have collected the common "symptoms" I experience and see if it resonates with anyone.  I'm going for a sleep study soon but thats another month away *sigh*

 

1.Eye dryness.  When I use computer or phone, in most other places, its fine.  When I use it in my room, I immediately feel dryness of eyes / sore kidneys.  And then I look in the mirror and my eyes are blood shot.

 

2. Painfull runny baby diarrhea, sometimes twice a day.  Strong odor and color.

 

3.  Once outside the house, a tonne of mucus to clear.  

 

I realise some of these symptoms I might have mentioned before, besides the eye dryness.  But I'm just hoping that the colleciton of them might trigger something with those who know TCM, or other building-related conditions.

 

Your help is much appreciated both for me and future readers.

 

Cheers

GL

 

[Goldleaf]

I just realised, it isn't the air quality!!!

 

I don't think the air is never really that big a deal, unless there is mold in the house (which you would be able to test for).

 

Since I realised this, I don't have the painful bowel movements or so much mucus!!

 

(But, still my sleep is not the best).

 

I downloaded an app called Sleep Cycle, which tracks your sleep patterns and quality sleep.  Looks like I am getting sufficient amount of short wave sleep (deep sleep), which is both good and bad.  I will upload my most recent sleeps here shortly, perhaps someone famililar with sleep will notice something I can't, and it will also keep me accountable to having a good sleep every night.

 

Cheers

GL

[Cheshire Cat]

On 13/12/2016 at 4:38 AM, Everything said:

On 12/12/2016 at 3:07 PM, Cheshire Cat said:

In truth, the basic reality of living in an entropic universe makes me question God...

There are more questions than answers. Answers are simple, so less are needed.

 

It's not that there are more questions than answers. The truth is that answering questions is an abused activity. 

 

Why God created a planet in which every single day half of the living beings eat the other half, often after a brutal kill? 

 

 

[Everything]

On 29-5-2018 at 1:02 PM, Cheshire Cat said:

 

It's not that there are more questions than answers. The truth is that answering questions is an abused activity. 

 

Why God created a planet in which every single day half of the living beings eat the other half, often after a brutal kill? 

 

 

Hehe, sorry for late response. You are right assumptions can be overused, but answers can never be overused. For answers is what you want. And you will never feel bad if you receive what you want. 

 

I can give you the answer to your question. But woulden't you want to be able to answer your own question? I want you to think about that, but either way answer is an answer. 

 

Again, most of the animal life is extatic and good, for they do not come here as victims but powerful creators of their own reality and experience. Their perspective is very different from yours, thus it is difficult to understand, unless you completely one hundred percent understand your self. Know thy self. And you will know the entire universe. For you are as it. At the very center of it for that matter! All of us are at the center of our own universe. You come here, knowing that you can forget who you are, and fall into some kind of pessimistic outlook on life that doesnt know half of the truth and finds more questions at every seeking of even a small answer.

 

That truely hurts my heart, because I know what that means and how different that is from the joy and knowledge and freedom and love and empowerment that is your birthright. 

 

So I answer your simple question. Not because it is important to me, but because I would like to see the entire universe happy, at the very least, because I selfishly want that and I selfishly love you, no matter what you say or do or think. So I say to you, your life can be wonderful, beyond your wildest dreams, your wildest dreams can become your wildest reality. If you but want it, look at it, and feel good about it, its done. It is. Now. 

In nature, you can experience wild things. Wild things beyond your wildest dreams. And the horrible ending, tho super small in comparison to the huge joyoush freedom and powerful ability to create their own reality in utter wild untold of extatic freedom and wild extacy, is not actually as bad as we make it out to be. There are aspects of the death experience that you cannot understand untill you experience it yourself. But again, even if it may be somewhat negative, yes, it is small in comparison to the life lived. Especially if you are the one dying, it is allot less worse. Hear me out, because, if you feel good about dying you will be like stepping from one room to another. Extacy to more extacy and beyond rapturous bliss. But if you feel really bad while dying, thinking, no its not my time, or god damnit atleast eat me quickly if you gonna eat me in the first place you asshole. Imagine the contrast between that negative experience (and every animal is much more virgin to negative experiences than humans, especially because they dont hold a grudge and again, only after long contact with us weird strange humans can an animal sometimes feel elongated negative emotion) and the insane extatic rapturous bliss that is the return into your full blown fully non physical full blown higher dimensional fully here now expanded infinite eternal knowingness awarenesss. Imagine the contrast between those and the insane wild rollercoaster ride from negative to woosh more positive than everything positive you have ever experienced in your entire life. 

That and because you get an extra bonus for having bite marks. Lol. Someone ate me bro. I got eaten! Whaaat? Pfff.... I just fell dead on the ground in the middle of sleeping on some branch... And suddenly came here in this wonderful place. 

The death experience is not that important as we make it out to be. Especially if you know that there is just life and yet again even more life on the other end. Which is actually right here and now anyway. But hey dont let me wake you up xD

Cause I think I wanna be here, when that big thing wakes all of us up. It's gonna be one hell of a ride, trust me. Especially considering that we humans have achieved the highest degree of self limitation of almost any known species in the entire universe. Forget about your animals! They are more than fine! They serve us very well. Allnis going as planned.

 

But our human significance here. Dude, you have no idea what awaits you, what awaits us. Trust me, its beyond your wildest dreams. 

[Cheshire Cat]

You live on faith which feeds a delusional philosophy. 

 

I live in the real world. 

[Nungali]

Yeah , I agree ... thing is if it turns out I am wrong  and  'amazing things await me '  'afterwards'. I will shrug and say "Oh well, I was wrong there, only human. Now ... where are these goodies "  

[Marblehead]

2 hours ago, Nungali said:

Yeah , I agree ... thing is if it turns out I am wrong  and  'amazing things await me '  'afterwards'. I will shrug and say "Oh well, I was wrong there, only human. Now ... where are these goodies "  

No, "afterwards" you are not going to say anything because "you" will not exist.  All gone.  You get only one chance.  Make the best of it.

 

[rideforever]

On 29/05/2018 at 12:02 PM, Cheshire Cat said:

Why God created a planet in which every single day half of the living beings eat the other half, often after a brutal kill? 

 

Life is exploring.
An animal is a solution to a question, it is an exploration, and attempt to grow.
We see a body, but in truth this form is life attempting to answer a question.
The body is not "physical".
All of life is exploring.
War violence killing is a kind of exploration.
Is it bad ?
At a certain level it is necessary.
Conflict makes knowledge grow.
But of course the ultimate goal for life is the growth of knowledge and too much destruction prevents that.
That is why all creatures instinctively protect children, even of other species because they understand the rules and the goal.
Plus each creature is happy when he is growing and exploring, and so individual creatures start to push and pull the direction of life, creating new drives, currents.
It's a multi-dimensional multi-polar multi-intelligence exploration.
Quite incredible.
But for a human being they are in a not very good place and have lost their way.

[Marblehead]

6 minutes ago, rideforever said:

The body is not "physical".

I am a Physicalist so I totally disagree with that statement.

 

[rideforever]

38 minutes ago, Marblehead said:

I am a Physicalist so I totally disagree with that statement.

 

I have been reflecting on this recently.   What is it that people mean when they talk about material - physical ?
What are they really saying ?
That there is a solid substance - well no it's all "energy" at least science says that.
Most of a physical body is vacuum, the volume o matter (protons/neutrons/electrion/etc...) is very very small, most is empty space.
Not that science knows everything.

I would say a physicalist is someone who prioritises / trusts a particular layer of consciousness.    What we call matter is when our consciousness functions in a particular mode, and interacts with the world in a particular mode.

And it's a lot better than to live in distortion-corruption-false-self.

[rideforever]

On 11/01/2018 at 4:36 AM, Goldleaf said:

 

 

Not sure where you are now.

Zinsseer Shellac Primer (think it's called BIN) is very good, 2 or 3 coats applies with mini roller and you have a waterproof wall, I used it here on a damp bedroom wall under a victorian parapet that is leaking.   Worked perfectly.

Dwelling places can have many old chemical poisons, even ghosts, and so on lurking around so you are right to be cautious.
However the more unconscious you are the more you will be susceptible.

 

These practical problems are also life / god testing you.

 

As for God, did you actually ask for help ?   Or will it have to get a lot worse first ?
Everything is a test, if you don't do well you resit and maybe it will be tougher next time.

Anyway you can sit down and say the Jesus prayer slowly and gently for half an hour, or the Rosary.

[Marblehead]

1 hour ago, rideforever said:

 

I have been reflecting on this recently.   What is it that people mean when they talk about material - physical ?
What are they really saying ?

A Physicalist, a Materialist, (Basically the same thing) is a person who acknowledges reality as our senses perceive it.  The tree is real and it is called "tree".  My chair is real and I can sit on it as that is what it was designed for.  No magic - no miracles.

 

1 hour ago, rideforever said:

That there is a solid substance - well no it's all "energy" at least science says that.

When we take a thing and break it down into its individual parts what we have after the job is done is parts.  If I took my chair apart and laid all the parts on the floor I would be able to say "These are the parts that make up my chair."  But can I sit on it?  No.  The chair no longer exists - all we have are parts for a chair and yes, we could name each of those parts.  But what good would that do?  I sill cannot sit on the parts and pretend I am sitting on the chair.

 

1 hour ago, rideforever said:

Most of a physical body is vacuum, the volume o matter (protons/neutrons/electrion/etc...) is very very small, most is empty space.

I actually agree with this.  However, it is useless to a Physicalist.  I'm not sitting on mostly air - I am sitting on the chair.

 

1 hour ago, rideforever said:

Not that science knows everything.

Agree. I watched a science documentary last night about Black Holes.  One of the Physicists said that we could call a Black Hole "Singularity".  If asked what is Singularity he would have to answer "I have no idea."  There is no evidence to prove what it is or what it isn't.

 

1 hour ago, rideforever said:

I would say a physicalist is someone who prioritises / trusts a particular layer of consciousness.    What we call matter is when our consciousness functions in a particular mode, and interacts with the world in a particular mode.

And it's a lot better than to live in distortion-corruption-false-self.

You've got that pretty well.  No magic, no miracles, no illusions, no delusions.  But the chair is still here and performing its intended function.

[rideforever]

1 hour ago, Marblehead said:

 

 

Yes, well I feel there is a lot of good with this view, because at least you accept this reality .... and engage with it .... rather than swimming in a cloud of unconsciousness.   People who say they are physicalists are probably healthy in a certain way.   See the world is a straight way.

 

A physicalist  seems to comprehend reality on the basis of what is outside him, and does not recognize the inner being.   Hence you talk of senses, well it is not the senses that see.   They are just machines.   Who is it that sees ?

 

The other thing is .... we saw the world one way when we are young, and differently when we are old.   One way when daydreamy, differently when sharp and present.   Therefore our state of consciousness has vast importance, and is in different states, leading to different worlds.   So it i s worthwhile exploring these things.   

It's not a question about what the world is, but how may I explore in order to bring about a better world.   How can I improve things and enter a higher world.   And each time the world is not a vaporous floaty dream, but hard reality in front.

 

For instance outside of the planet there is "space".   And in this "space" there are concentrations of matter we call stars.  "space" is not empty, it is a kind of fine material that allows the present of bodies of mass.   At the edge of the universe is a boundary and outside is nothing (presumably).   "space" is inside, and is a material.

 

Similarly when we walk on the surface of this planet, we are not in a space, we live in a fluid called "air".  We do not breathe it, we breathe from the blood, the body in response to the entre of the vital force at tantien triggers the lungs to do their breathing cycle and so on.   Incredible stuff.

 

As humans we are transforming energy, from food, from the air, and from conscious impressions.   We are small engines of energy transformation.   The surface of the earth is like a large garden planted to produce food.

 

Similarly Sunlight is the emanation of the central source of energy of this system of planets, when we "see" we are having a high-density-information-packed source of external recognition that functions due to the sunlight from the local source of energy.   It is all material, but who considers such things.   Fascinating stuff.

 

The world is alive also.

 

But I sense that a physicalist might already take some of these points on board.

Edited August 6, 2018 by rideforever

[Marblehead]

Sure, things change, we change, our perspective changes over time.  But in most cases this is only because we have a better grasp on what is important to us.

 

Sure, some concentrate on their inner essence.

 

For those who no longer have the need for that we just make sure the chair is under our butt when we sit down.

 

[rene]

14 minutes ago, rideforever said:

 It's not a question about what the world is, but how may I explore in order to bring about a better world.   How can I improve things and enter a higher world.
 

 

The Laozi, Ch 29 (F/E)

 

Do you think you can take over the universe and improve it?
I do not believe it can be done.

The universe is sacred.
You cannot improve it.
If you try to change it, you will ruin it.
If you try to hold it, you will lose it.

So sometimes things are ahead and sometimes they are behind;
Sometimes breathing is hard, sometimes it comes easily;
Sometimes there is strength and sometimes weakness;
Sometimes one is up and sometimes down.

Therefore the sage avoids extremes, excesses, and complacency.

[rideforever]

3 minutes ago, rene said:

Therefore the sage avoids extremes, excesses, and complacency.

 

Listening to Laozi you can radically improve your life.
ooops .... not allowed to do that, am I !!!!!

[rene]

1 minute ago, rideforever said:

 

Listening to Laozi you can radically improve your life.
ooops .... not allowed to do that, am I !!!!!

 

Not allowed to do what?

[Nungali]

11 hours ago, Marblehead said:

No, "afterwards" you are not going to say anything because "you" will not exist.  All gone.  You get only one chance.  Make the best of it.

 

 

Marbles !   You seem so sure about it .   I am not   . But thanks for the advice - its good advice  .   I already do make the best of it and I live    as if   I only get one chance  and I also live as if this one chance might end at any moment .  I am good with that  - I have had a great innings .

 

Its just that I am not so  absolutely sure without a doubt that I know all about this     

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  *

 

 

 

But if we   do   run into each other  'there'  ... boy will I give you stick  !      

Edited August 6, 2018 by Nungali
* had to edit out the whole front TDBs index page, and my notifications list that somehow got pasted where the xxxx s are - weird !