Michael Sternbach Posted April 19, 2019 On 18.4.2019 at 1:34 AM, manitou said: Actually, it is a mindset of awareness that I practice whenever I remember to think of it. I will say that it happens maybe six times a day, sometimes more, sometimes less. I don't believe I'm insane, but I could be wrong. There is much inner work on the ego that needs to be done for the right balance on this. Of course we need a degree of ego to interact, to stay out of oncoming traffic. It is losing the unwanted arrogance, selfishness, small-mindedness, judgment, envy, jealousy and other similar traits that stand in the way of self-realization. It's really not a binary thing. This essentially reflects the philosophy that underlies Bach Flower therapy, a method I have been using as a certified practitioner for a number of years with the patients of a psychotherapeutic practice. It seems to be rather popular also in the US these days (to my delight, I happened to find the complete set of remedies in a Californian health food store right after my arrival), but few know that Dr. Edward Bach was not just a great herbalist, but also a profound metaphysician. According to Dr. Bach, negative attitudes and emotions - beyond causing psychological and physical distress - separate us from our true divine nature. While he was quite clear about that, he was nonetheless NOT teaching a dualistic approach of dismissing any parts of one's inner experience. So while there are indeed Bach Flower remedies for dealing better with arrogance, judgement, envy, jealousy etc., there are others for things like lack of self-acceptance, guilt, and exaggerated ambition for spiritual attainment. All of those act as obstacles to true unity from Dr. Bach's perspective, be it with others or with oneself. Unity is the real aim of this method, and the remedies are actually no more than catalysts in the process of reestablishing it, where it has been lost. There to initiate and facilitate internal alchemical transformation, as it were. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manitou Posted April 19, 2019 7 hours ago, Michael Sternbach said: This essentially reflects the philosophy that underlies Bach Flower therapy, a method I have been using as a certified practitioner for a number of years with the patients of a psychotherapeutic practice. It seems to be rather popular also in the US these days (to my delight, I happened to find the complete set of remedies in a Californian health food store right after my arrival), but few know that Dr. Edward Bach was not just a great herbalist, but also a profound metaphysician. According to Dr. Bach, negative attitudes and emotions - beyond causing psychological and physical distress - separate us from our true divine nature. While he was quite clear about that, he was nonetheless NOT teaching a dualistic approach of dismissing any parts of one's inner experience. So while there are indeed Bach Flower remedies for dealing better with arrogance, judgement, envy, jealousy etc., there are others for things like lack of self-acceptance, guilt, and exaggerated ambition for spiritual attainment. All of those act as obstacles to true unity from Dr. Bach's perspective, be it with others or with oneself. Unity is the real aim of this method, and the remedies are actually no more than catalysts in the process of reestablishing it, where it has been lost. There to initiate and facilitate internal alchemical transformation, as it were. I definitely agree with this. However, the dualistic style of seeking out my own resentments seemed to accomplish the same thing, the unity and internal alchemical transformation. Being able to finally identify 'what' and 'why' those hardnesses of heart were there allowed me to understand why it was so, enabling me to not only understand, and thereby systematically lose, the unwanted quality - but it created a compassion within me that I never had before, due to understanding of self. Truth is....we're all victims of victims. Lousy upbringing is the gift that just keeps giving. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silent thunder Posted April 19, 2019 "All perception is based on gamble." ~Husserl We all interpret our reality and we do so by filtering from a partial pool of information from our senses in the first place. We don't perceive the world as it is, conscious awareness deals with partial information, which it then interprets and seldom are we even aware that an interpretation is taking place. Particularly if we are not skeptical or inquisitive by nature and do not endeavor to question aspect of assumptions that usually lie beneath conscious thought. Religious dogma, scientific dogma and common sense are the most prodigious pools of unconcious reality tunnel construction and projection. Common sense is often just what you've heard from others (ueually before the age of critical reasoning) and thus never really questioned for yourself. Just because most folks agree on something does not connote veracity, only consensus. Just because you thought something, doesn't make it real, true or important. They're just thoughts. Just because many people agree with it, also does not connote veracity. It was one time for example, common sense that the sun revolved around the earth. All it took was to walk outside look at the sun's progression across the sky and then assume your perception of data accurately reflected the reality. This partial and interpreted information forged and projected into what seems like a seamless and very convincing complete picture of reality, but is in fact an interpretation of a partial picture, projected outward and accepted often without question as complete reality. This fallacy is the basis of Naive Realism. I see the world accurately with my senses. Robert Anton Wilson puts it far more succinctly than I can in some of his works, here's a short video of his description of Reality Tunnels and evisceration of Naive Realism. 3 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manitou Posted April 20, 2019 18 hours ago, silent thunder said: "All perception is based on gamble." ~Husserl Common sense is often just what you've heard from others (ueually before the age of critical reasoning) and thus never really questioned for yourself. I came to this same conclusion some years back, within the confines of my work as a detective. it became increasingly clear to me that if most people went along with it, it was probably not the whole story. This was further clarified when getting sober - I had to come to the conclusion that if my best thinking got me to what I had become, that most of my prior conclusions and thoughts were wrong. They mainly involved cynicism and criticism, an easy trap for a law enforcement officer to fall into. 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silent thunder Posted April 20, 2019 21 minutes ago, manitou said: I came to this same conclusion some years back, within the confines of my work as a detective. it became increasingly clear to me that if most people went along with it, it was probably not the whole story. This was further clarified when getting sober - I had to come to the conclusion that if my best thinking got me to what I had become, that most of my prior conclusions and thoughts were wrong. They mainly involved cynicism and criticism, an easy trap for a law enforcement officer to fall into. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CloudHands Posted April 23, 2019 Private petty truths are legions but Reality happens to every-things so Otherness is to be considered and Alterity is no enemy because All ends in One and yet... Different thinking does not make it truth, nevertheless belongs to it ! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
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