manitou

Living in the Now, vs. Dementia

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2 minutes ago, manitou said:

 

 

That sounds familiar.  It's like all the knowledge is held in a water balloon that gets thrown at graduation - and it's gotten so I have to form real intent to remember where I parked my car at the market.

 

Yes, I have to do the same. It becomes an exercise for the brain. I make little things like that a challenge. Like remembering I parked in lot “C4”. Or when I order food and they tell me “Order number 93”. I try to remember things like that, as if a game. 

 

I have a friend who has an amazing memory. He remembers the most obscure things, details, it’s impressive. But he’s wound about as tight as you can get. Just a ball of nervous energy. I see that he holds onto a lot. 

 

Given the choice, id rather be happy and forgetful. 😊

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Some interesting news from a paper I just read:

 

"In addition, the TG-EE group showed a 69.2% reduction in the total density of senile plaques in the hippocampus when compared to the TG-Ctrl group"

 

This means a certain type of stimulation (physical and intellectual challenges) ... on mice ... actually cleared away some brain plaques (probably cause of Alzheimers) ... which is more than can be hoped for frankly, and I am surprised.

 

The paper is here : 

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2018.00288/full

 

Next, in "Healing With Whole Foods" it mentions couple of things.

Chlorella : binds to heavy metals and can clear them from the body (chelation) especially aluminium which is indicated with Alzheimer's.  Aluminium enters the body via pots and pans and drinking water.   So you can change all that and chelate away, probably in a continuing fashion 1 month on, 2 month off.

 

Many weakened conditions are linked to toxic metals. For example, it is sus-
pected that an accumulation of excess aluminum may contribute to a brain dete-
rioration syndrome known as Alzheimer’s disease}-4 now among the five leading
causes of death in the United States. Aluminum is picked up from aluminum
cookware and from drinking water (aluminum sulfate is frequently used to filter
municipal water and often is not completely removed). Baking powder and antacid
tablets are two other common sources. The following remedies, if used in the diet
4-6 times a week for 6 months, efficiently remove toxic metals. For prevention
of toxic metal buildup, these remedies may be included in the diet periodically.
Garlic Wheat- or Barley-grassi
Seaweedsl or Algin*l' Mung beans (to remove lead)
Misoi‘

 

 

Magnesium : it said that Calcium in certain conditions can damage brain cells and to take Magnesium as a solution - sorry was a bit complicated.

 

In some situations, the accretion of soft-tissue calcium is an early step in devel-
oping excessive intracellular calcium in the neuronal brain cells as in Alzheimer’s
disease (AD). The occurrence of increased calcium induces toxic beta-amyloid
plaque to deposit, which deranges nerve cells as well as clogs the cerebral blood ves-
sels.29-3° Studies suggest that, in contrast, dietary magnesium helps control intra-
cellular processes and maintains calcium in dynamic equilibrium.31»32 Medical
researcher and author Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D., describes the cellular role of
magnesium: “. .. recent research indicates that calcium enters the cells by way of cal-
cium channels that are jealously guarded by magnesium. Magnesium allows a cer-
tain amount of calcium to enter a cell to create the necessary electrical transmission,
and then immediately ejects the calcium once the work is done.”33
Calcium excess can also occur in the specialized, immune-enhancing white
blood cells known as lymphocytes, where it disrupts functions. This occurrence
not only adds an extra pathogenic component to Alzheimer‘s disease,“ but may
also adversely influence overall immunity.

 

Also Blue Green Algae

 

Because wild blue-green stimulates the opening of neural pathways, it has
great value in treating cocaine, amphetamine, and other neuro-stimulant addic-
tions. It also shows promise in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Those who
have dulled their nervous system with too much salty food, including excesses
of soy sauce and miso, usually benefit from wild blue-green. Moderate to large dos-
es of wild blue-green have been therapeutically useful for cancer, arthritis, multiple
sclerosis, candida overgrowth, and similar degenerations; it dries the dampness that
supports these conditions and simultaneously acts as a mood elevator, although it
must be taken in moderate amounts by those in frail conditions. In general, wild
blue-green should be used cautiously by the person with a cold constitution if
weakness, thinness, dryness, and/or “spaciness” are also part of the diagnostic
picture.

 

That's all from "Healing With Whole Foods".

 

 

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I would say that taking up reading complicated and high quality texts, for instance Gurdjieff's book (I'm sure nobody will, but anyway) ... painting, drawing, music, dance, or of course qigong and other arts .... these are first class ways to enhance your stimulation so that you fend off any deterioration and enjoy life.

And you can also Now yourself as much as you want, preferably alternating being-Now with letting-go-into-surrender.

Both sides can be developed simultaneously.

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9 hours ago, Fa Xin said:

 

Ive really seen this with my school studies. 

 

Having to memorize things like anatomical structures, microbiology and pharmacology stuff - all very exciting *rolls eyes*

 

Energetically I can feel myself “holding onto” the information, very big words and classifications - holding onto the information until the test. After the test I let most of it go.  But until then I really have to try and have an intention of remembering it. For better or worse, my natural state seems to be blank! Lol. 

Do yourself a favor, read your notes for a test into a voice recording app. Play the app while going to sleep be with every word as much as possible then fall asleep.

 

Cant begin to tell you how many exams I aced that way.

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10 hours ago, Fa Xin said:

 

Ive really seen this with my school studies. 

 

Having to memorize things like anatomical structures, microbiology and pharmacology stuff - all very exciting *rolls eyes*

 

Energetically I can feel myself “holding onto” the information, very big words and classifications - holding onto the information until the test. After the test I let most of it go.  But until then I really have to try and have an intention of remembering it. For better or worse, my natural state seems to be blank! Lol. 

It is not blank, but blank is a good place to start allowing your true nature from flowing more fully through you. All you have to do, is then find a thought, any thought, that feels good when you think it. And as you then appreciate, your natural state of being becomes fully allowed to flow again. And it expands, 17 seconds of appreciation, leading to the expansion of the momentum and thus power of that thought which is in harmony and alignment with your greater non-physical consciousnes' knowing. 

 

So you are in a sense, dialing your tuner to the broadcast station of the Source of All Creation. By meditating, and then appreciating. Meditating, and then appreciating. Untill you just begin to perceive your world through the eyes of Source. Untill you activate a thought that is resistant in nature again. Then you meditate again, and appreciate. Etc. Very easy. So you never have to freak out if you lose that state of connection, because you can never truely lose or be disconnected from it ever. And that is what negative emotion is for. To remind you that you ARE connected evermore, and that you CAN right now allow that connection from flowing more fully through you. And all you gotta do, is let go of those thoughts of resistance. And then be willing to feel good again, and pay the price of joy. Best deal ever!

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1 hour ago, Pilgrim said:

Do yourself a favor, read your notes for a test into a voice recording app. Play the app while going to sleep be with every word as much as possible then fall asleep.

 

Cant begin to tell you how many exams I aced that way.

 

Great idea. I will definitely try this. 

 

Though I may have to hire a voice actor... I sound nasally recorded! 😄😆

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2 hours ago, Pilgrim said:

Do yourself a favor, read your notes for a test into a voice recording app. Play the app while going to sleep be with every word as much as possible then fall asleep.

 

Cant begin to tell you how many exams I aced that way.

I’ve even tried keeping my books under the pillow before exams. I only woke up with a sore neck :), didn’t do much towards the exams...

 

For me, the key was in my being able to write down about the subject without referring to any material. Multiple iterations. Each time adding more and more details. It is a very time consuming way to learn, but served me well. 

 

 

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27 minutes ago, dwai said:

I’ve even tried keeping my books under the pillow before exams. I only woke up with a sore neck :), didn’t do much towards the exams...

 

For me, the key was in my being able to write down about the subject without referring to any material. Multiple iterations. Each time adding more and more details. It is a very time consuming way to learn, but served me well. 

 

 

Writing and rewriting is a great idea too. 

 

Though I do enjoy your accent, Dwai. I’ll PM you for some voice acting details... 😄

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In another life, I was a stage and tv actor.  Mostly classical scripts, but I also wrote for a small company writing mostly sketch comedy and standup.  Pirandello, Ibsen, Checkov, O'Neill, The Bard, were my life blood then.

 

The words these authors presented were agonized over, sometimes for years before releasing to the public.  Every phrase every word was considered from the perspective of the character in such depth.  Read some of the interviews with such authors and discover the level of commitment to the meanings of words they lived in.  We sometimes talk about the importance of what words mean what in our spiritual conversations here.  These men and women understand that implicitly.

 

Their words were so important to me, I couldn't imagine missing one, or substituting any of my own.  So I studied like my hair was on fire to saturate my being in the words soaking their essence into my very bones. 

 

Turns out, this is the way to release yourself and free your mind into the action of the play and really is the startting point in rehearsals to begin the work.  Until the words are second nature, the work of listening in the moment to your fellows on stage cannot begin and the interplay will always appear cardboard, flat, fake and will be unengaging for those trying to watch in the audience.

 

All this to say that memorizing lines is not what we do with a script.  Classical actors study scripts they don't memorize.  In the process of study, they become ingrained in you and the words become part of your awareness.  Then you can play with them and how they will flow through you.

 

This type of work is exceptional for mind elasticity and depending on the subject matter, quite beneficial for you as a human as well.

 

The reason I left acting was due to the nature of the scripts and the subjects.  Most scripts dealt with such dark and heinous aspects of humanity, I found my subconscious was not distinguishing that I was only 'playing'.  The decompression from roles like Hamlet, Richard III and Alan Strang in Equus, caused emanations in my psyche that persist to this day in some aspects.  Something in my life will occur and passages that apply sympathetically will resonate and rise to the surface 30 years later.

 

That said.  Few things will benefit one like picking a poet and a subject you love and committing their words to your living being through saturated study.  When you can effortlessly recall the words aloud, they will come to life and you may find yourself in the heady territory of face to face meetings with the spirits of long dead authors whose essence is imbued into every word they agonized over.  If you don't ever have such an encounter, you'll at least be the beneficiary of increased mental presence, clarity and capacity. 

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The following isn't necessarily a "sunshine" story, and if the consequences of violence are troubling to any reader here I would suggest skimming past the rest of this post.

 

Some years before I joined this forum I had experienced a rather damaging experience where my forehead was repeatedly slammed into the floor by my drunken partner at the time, who ordered me to bed when he was done. In the morning he awoke and asked what happened to me; to which I responded he did, and life went on.. in this odd sort of fog. I could not think very clearly, and my choices and actions immediately following were guided by him, and my parents - who to this day do not entirely grasp how understated I have a tendency of being. 

 

Like manitou (And like during my childhood) I settled into the "now". Now nothing is happening. The Sun still shines.

 

In any case, it wasn't until I returned to posting online that glimmers started arising of what.. what.. that was the question. 

 

Energetically I sensed the new pathways being created. 

 

I once wrote someone here with some odd phrase regarding help with remembering things I couldn't remember on my own. It was like parts of my brain where certain things were stored couldn't be accessed without some new input that created a path to the bits that had become isolated..

 

In, any case, I'm here manitou, I understand, and (just as this community supported me with little intent to do so) I support you, and hold you gently in the warmth of my heart. 

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1 hour ago, Fa Xin said:

Writing and rewriting is a great idea too. 

 

Though I do enjoy your accent, Dwai. I’ll PM you for some voice acting details... 😄

It is I left that part out,  would  do that first before audio recording. 

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5 hours ago, rideforever said:

I would say that taking up reading complicated and high quality texts, for instance Gurdjieff's book (I'm sure nobody will, but anyway) ... painting, drawing, music, dance, or of course qigong and other arts .... these are first class ways to enhance your stimulation so that you fend off any deterioration and enjoy life.

And you can also Now yourself as much as you want, preferably alternating being-Now with letting-go-into-surrender.

Both sides can be developed simultaneously.

 

 

Some really great information in both of your posts.  And yes, I do read constantly - but it's either non-fiction or metaphysics because I can no longer remember a plot unless I take copious notes.

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27 minutes ago, ilumairen said:

 

I once wrote someone here with some odd phrase regarding help with remembering things I couldn't remember on my own. It was like parts of my brain where certain things were stored couldn't be accessed without some new input that created a path to the bits that had become isolated..

 

 

 

This is it exactly.  Things that are stored can't be accessed now.  Or if I do access it, it slips away almost immediately.

 

I'm so stuck by your childhood awareness to 'get into the now', just to be with yourself, playing quietly with your own toys, and disregard the chaos going on around you.  You're right.  'Now' nothing is happening.  Thanks, my adorable friend.

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Just now, silent thunder said:

Eckart Tolle for the win.

 

LOL.  I can't get enough of him.  And every time I re-read one of his books, I see totally new stuff.  that's probably because I had forgotten it - but either way, he fits me like a glove.

Edited by manitou
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On the plus side of forgetfullness... I love forgetting some of the old things as I grow older.

I find I get to rewatch some films and reread some favorite books, almost as if for the first time again.

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What is very good is learning to play an instrument "by ear".  Meaning listen to a simple piece of music, or section, say a couple of bars, and then repeat "by ear" on a recorder or any instrument.

What this does is use the body (hands and mouth), emotional feeling, and thinking-brain, simultaneously to recall things.   I'd say this is a 3brain activity.   This develops the different plexuses (the different brains in the body) simultaneously and co-ordinates them together.   Then memory and intelligence will function from several ares of the body ... and not be just limited to the head-brain.

Painting is similar but is more of a two brain activity unless you listen to music at the same time and incorporate it in the work.

Qigong is probably a two brain activity, although it can in some cases add intelligences of the subtle body ... for instance after taichi practice I notice that my dantien is thinking, so it is a 2+1 brain activity.

It may also be possible for the eyes themselves to be activated as centres of intelligence (That would be cool.) ... and the 3rd eye.   The "I Am" / Now is the a region of development further back in the head.   But the 3rd eye in the forehead has a unique development that is closer to the world and to "thinking" and memory.   So working on the 3rd eye might possibly replace any memory loss ... well it's probably a big job but possible.

There are many options, but the principles are the same ... just choose something and get into it.

 

Also I have a whiteboard by my front door with any appointments, groceries, and bills that need doing.

Edited by rideforever

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The confusion between losing one's memory vs maybe becoming more enlightened, learning to live in the now, worries me. There is so much you can do to prevent memory loss, and losing your memory is no longer a one way street. Two MDs introduced below are developing effective programs to reverse memory loss, and a lot of it you can do at home.
 

In his book The End of Alzheimers, Dale Bredesen, MD, discusses  30-odd factors that can interfere with memory, and what to do about them. Not that you have Alzheimers just because your memory is slipping, but having a look at all the possibilities he has discovered that affect memory might be a big help to you...

 

Here's a link to an excellent article about Bredesen's research and what he has found:
https://www.foundmyfitness.com/episodes/dale-bredesen

 

It's hyperlinked all over the place, so you can pick the elements that interest you. :)

 

You could also have a look at the work of Dr. David Perlmutter, MD, an innovative neurologist who focuses on the relationship between lifestyle and the brain. His landmark book, Grain Brain, made the connection between grain consumption and brain health five years ago, and there is a revised edition out last December.  He also has other books that discuss the effect of food and gut microbiome on brain function, and a new book, Brain Wash, coming out in January 2020, in which he addresses detoxing the brain. 

 

I hope anyone reading this who is concerned with memory loss in themselves or a loved one will have a look at these books.

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On 5/22/2019 at 2:50 PM, manitou said:

I am dead serious about this.  Maybe some others will be at the same place I am.  Or if you're not yet, you probably will be.

 

My 92 year old mom has full blown Alzheimers, she's in a really good facility.  She doesn't remember me or my brother, her grandkids, nothing.  (Although she does remember all old music and lyrics from the '40s, which is how I bond with her now) 

 

I fear that I am developing the same problem.  I have very little short term memory any more.  I don't look much to the future any more.  I'm in a strange hovering place that really requires that you focus on the Now.  It's very much the same as being in Consciousness, in the place of I Am, but less blissful.  When I remember to be In Consciousness, which I do to different degrees throughout the days, I feel great.  But this seems to be a push-pull between the two:  Consciousness vs. Dementia.

 

The way I have learned to protect myself from making ridiculous mistakes, or missing appointments (which I do a lot) is to focus on the Now as much as I can.  That way, I can still bring a little organization into my daily routine, but it's difficult.  My mind is sort of blank now, much of the time.  But the short-term memory loss is getting horrible, and this is getting serious.  I woke up the other morning, couldn't find a particular bra, and found it in the refrigerator 20 minutes later.  That's the sort of things I'm talking about.  If you lived with someone like this, you'd worry too.

 

But I am finding that staying In Consciousness (out of necessity, in this case!) brings an end to the confusion.  Things do truly fall into place.  But I step out of it for a few hours unintentionally?  Everything turns to doo-doo.

 

So I thought I'd just pass on the 'live in the now' information to anyone getting up there, or living with or caring for old folks.

 

You're courageous for sharing your experiences.

 

I tend to think that everyone lives in the now (I mean, really, no one is in the past or future), it's just that some people have lots of thoughts going which deal with the past and future, while others are aware of their external environment more and therefore have less concepts going on.

This "living in the now" state of mind can coincide with other good or bad things going on with the mind. A good thing is having a calm mind, but it's able to learn new information, retain that info, and recall it easily. It's kind of like the functions of the mind are ready for use, but the person is in a neutral state where they're not being overused for useless things (like worrying). The mind rests.

Less good is having a mind that is basically conceptless and aware of the external environment, living in the now...but it can't learn, can't retain, and can't recall info. Probably is similar to someone who is lobotomized, and I'm not sure it has anything to do with spiritual progress.

I liked Vaidya Mishra's idea of spiritual development. For that, he said the mind should be well functioning (able to learn, retain, and recall). He advocated brahmi for that (such as using this on the crown of the head, plus other facial marma points, and on the wrist pulse points; using this soap in general; and taking these drops internally). Also, he said that grief (and other negative emotions) should be released from the heart, so that its light can shine. For instance, he used ashoka for that on marma points associated with the heart in Ayurveda. And when the well functioning mind is aware and connected to the light in the heart, then spiritual development is happening...for instance, insights can come with that state of being.

Besides poor memory/dementia/Alzheimers, I think PTSD is also related to the negative type of conceptlessness. Hypervigilance isn't so much about thoughts, as it is about being too aware of the external environment. The mind gets stuck overobserving things due to trauma.

I read a story about Confucius, where his student was looking at something (in this case, overly admiring a positive view), and Confucius quickly held his hands over the eyes of the student, in order to prevent his spirit and essence escaping from over-observing. I imagine hypervigilance is the flip side of the coin.

 

So, this empty state of mind can either be good or bad. Good is when the mind is resting and then can spring into function when needed. Bad is when the mind is stuck in a conceptless state, and can't function well. Also bad, of course, is a mind that's going every which way out of habit...but it can be partly good if such a person's memory is still working, even if they have monkey mind syndrome.

I think you, manitou, write about resting the mind and then it functioning better as a result. There is more order and clarity, and perhaps memory works better with that. Just like when water is stilled, you can look into it and see the reflection (the memory)...versus when the water is disturbed, the reflections are harder to access.

To some extent, it seems, we "use it or lose it". I've heard of people who do brain puzzles that are able to retain their good memory into old age. There are things like https://www.lumosity.com/en/ which can supposedly improve memory.

 

TCM also differentiates between types of memory loss, and could potentially help prevent it, or reverse it.

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On 5/25/2019 at 10:46 AM, silent thunder said:

On the plus side of forgetfullness... I love forgetting some of the old things as I grow older.

I find I get to rewatch some films and reread some favorite books, almost as if for the first time again.

 

 

Oh yes.  And you meet so many nice new people each day :D

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I’ve started taking Lions Mane daily and find a change in my ability to recollect. Though actually retaining the new stuff is very hard :( (having to retool myself for a midlife career adjustment — learning huge amounts of info, and by the time I get to topic 3, I’ve forgotten 1, and most of 2).

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In my case, it's no doubt dementia - I am unable to remember anything from yesterday, for the most part.  For future activities, I depend on notes taped around the house and striking off each day of the calendar.  I have to look several times a day at my calendar to remind me what day it is.

 

On the other hand, my inner vision has increased, perhaps because there are no heavy thoughts of yesterday or tomorrow.  I don't know if this is dementia or sheer nirvana.  I have made peace with my own soul, I have made all the amends in life that I felt that I had to make, and, as Castaneda would say, I try to be as impeccable in my thinking and actions as possible.  As a meditator for 40 years, my mind isn't the monkey mind any more.  I do get to choose how high I want my thoughts to be, and I prefer them to stay on the high side, although a tiny bit of the old cop does rear her head periodically.  She' can be a bit fun.

 

I have developed an inner vision which accompanies the effortless life I now have.  It is an alignment that I can 'see' - it happens in my mind with triangles for some reason - and there is a place of spiritual clarity which is centered on the I Am consciousness within.  It takes a while to be able to retain this consciousness and it will start maybe a few minutes at a time - but with practice it increases and consciousness can be constant.  

 

I don't know if there is a real relation between the lack of memory (or inability to plan, which seem to be different sides of the same coin) and the further development of a more vertically-oriented understanding.  It seems to me that one would affect the other - or maybe everyone going into dementia experiences this other dimension to some degree.

 

I don't know why I felt compelled to write this.  I probably sound awfully arrogant.  But here's what I've recently learned - like maybe within the last year:

 

When you reach a place on your path where you know you are merging with whatever the heck it is - that your conditioned identity is dropping away and you are ready for the next step:  Don't let ego stop you.  More specifically, don't let fear of sounding egotistical or being afraid that you sound crazy.  Either one of those, don't let fear of anybody's opinion stop you.  It's like deciding to pick up a robe and put it on.  I think the rest of our life, then, becomes an exercise in dealing with the ramifications of the momentous and enlightening new understanding that we have.

 

I have gotten much better at surrendering to life completely.  I've gotten pretty good at not-doing, and that is what I do with the dynamics in my life that are less than what I want them to be.  Truly, by dropping control and surrendering to the order of the universe - handing the situation over in surrender - something magical happens.  Things that you thought would never possibly straighten out, straighten out.  But in order to get to the point where this magic works well, the more clarity you have inside, the more you will see.  Otherwise you're 'looking through a glass darkly'.

 

But no.  The memory's worse now than when I started this thread.

 

 

 

 

Edited by manitou
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29 minutes ago, manitou said:

In my case, it's no doubt dementia - I am unable to remember anything from yesterday, for the most part.  For future activities, I depend on notes taped around the house and striking off each day of the calendar.  I have to look several times a day at my calendar to remind me what day it is.

 

On the other hand, my inner vision has increased, perhaps because there are no heavy thoughts of yesterday or tomorrow.  I don't know if this is dementia or sheer nirvana.  I have made peace with my own soul, I have made all the amends in life that I felt that I had to make, and, as Castaneda would say, I try to be as impeccable in my thinking and actions as possible.  As a meditator for 40 years, my mind isn't the monkey mind any more.  I do get to choose how high I want my thoughts to be, and I prefer them to stay on the high side, although a tiny bit of the old cop does rear her head periodically.  She' can be a bit fun.

 

I have developed an inner vision which accompanies the effortless life I now have.  It is an alignment that I can 'see' - it happens in my mind with triangles for some reason - and there is a place of spiritual clarity which is centered on the I Am consciousness within.  It takes a while to be able to retain this consciousness and it will start maybe a few minutes at a time - but with practice it increases and consciousness can be constant.  

 

I don't know if there is a real relation between the lack of memory (or inability to plan, which seem to be different sides of the same coin) and the further development of a more vertically-oriented understanding.  It seems to me that one would affect the other - or maybe everyone going into dementia experiences this other dimension to some degree.

 

I don't know why I felt compelled to write this.  I probably sound awfully arrogant.  But here's what I've recently learned - like maybe within the last year:

 

When you reach a place on your path where you know you are merging with whatever the heck it is - that your conditioned identity is dropping away and you are ready for the next step:  Don't let ego stop you.  More specifically, don't let fear of sounding egotistical or being afraid that you sound crazy.  Either one of those, don't let fear of anybody's opinion stop you.  It's like deciding to pick up a robe and put it on.  I think the rest of our life, then, becomes an exercise in dealing with the ramifications of the momentous and enlightening new understanding that we have.

 

I have gotten much better at surrendering to life completely.  I've gotten pretty good at not-doing, and that is what I do with the dynamics in my life that are less than what I want them to be.  Truly, by dropping control and surrendering to the order of the universe - handing the situation over in surrender - something magical happens.  Things that you thought would never possibly straighten out, straighten out.  But in order to get to the point where this magic works well, the more clarity you have inside, the more you will see.  Otherwise you're 'looking through a glass darkly'.

 

But no.  The memory's worse now than when I started this thread.

 

 

 

 

:wub:

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11 hours ago, manitou said:

When you reach a place on your path where you know you are merging with whatever the heck it is - that your conditioned identity is dropping away and you are ready for the next step:  Don't let ego stop you.  More specifically, don't let fear of sounding egotistical or being afraid that you sound crazy.  Either one of those, don't let fear of anybody's opinion stop you.  It's like deciding to pick up a robe and put it on.  I think the rest of our life, then, becomes an exercise in dealing with the ramifications of the momentous and enlightening new understanding that we have.

 

I have gotten much better at surrendering to life completely.  I've gotten pretty good at not-doing, and that is what I do with the dynamics in my life that are less than what I want them to be.  Truly, by dropping control and surrendering to the order of the universe - handing the situation over in surrender - something magical happens.  Things that you thought would never possibly straighten out, straighten out.  But in order to get to the point where this magic works well, the more clarity you have inside, the more you will see.  Otherwise you're 'looking through a glass darkly'.

Beautifully articulated — truth speaking to truth. 🙏🏾
 

Vis-a-vis surrender, personally I find that the main challenge is in letting go of one very persistent habit. Though I realize that there’s no point in fighting it — letting it exhaust itself.

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23 minutes ago, dwai said:

Beautifully articulated — truth speaking to truth.

 

Hi dwai,

 

How about falsehood speaking to falsehood ~ on truth?

 

- Anand

 

 

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