A home - to share your spiritual journey

[Mr H]

 

 

 

[Mr H]

Let's talk about spiritual bypassing, some folks from time to time mention that on here. 

 

My take on it. 

 

There are different stages of realization. First, "I am not that", or the witness position. Or the "neti neti" process. This is done so the experiencer can disentangle itself from the limitations that what they are essentially is Ethel at the supermarket.

 

This involves "watching, observing" experience, alongside the teaching "you are not the doer" "there is nothing to do".

 

People not involved in the stages of realization see that as being non active, laissez faire attitude......

 

All it really involves is....

 

It's not denying there is nothing to do, nor that you don't exist. This stage is taught so one can realize the one doing the doing isn't Ethel at the supermarket!! I.e the mind and the body. These are just functions or expressions of consciousness YOU. They (body mind) are not autonomous entities in their own right.

[Bombadil]

So I’ve been chilling at night by listening and following a YouTube video based in yoga Nedra to in theory help achieve astral travel. Won’t lie certainly calms my mind helping me sleep better. It states that this may happen so all good. Im trying to understand if I am experiencing anything or not. By following the process I am 100% feeling sensations of pulsing energy. At some point ( not always) I start having flashes in my minds eye of unsought imagery. Also when my eyes are closed I see purple shapes pulsing into and out of existence. Not confused by normal colour changes when eyes are closed. Any thoughts? Or am I just a nutter!

[Mr H]

23 minutes ago, Bombadil said:

So I’ve been chilling at night by listening and following a YouTube video based in yoga Nedra to in theory help achieve astral travel. Won’t lie certainly calms my mind helping me sleep better. It states that this may happen so all good. Im trying to understand if I am experiencing anything or not. By following the process I am 100% feeling sensations of pulsing energy. At some point ( not always) I start having flashes in my minds eye of unsought imagery. Also when my eyes are closed I see purple shapes pulsing into and out of existence. Not confused by normal colour changes when eyes are closed. Any thoughts? Or am I just a nutter!

This is awesome. Yoga nidra is an ancient practice to get deep rest during the day.

 

I would keep a diary and see how it unfolds.  Sounds awesome though.....

[cemeterycrow]

13 minutes ago, Bombadil said:

So I’ve been chilling at night by listening and following a YouTube video based in yoga Nedra to in theory help achieve astral travel. Won’t lie certainly calms my mind helping me sleep better. It states that this may happen so all good. Im trying to understand if I am experiencing anything or not. By following the process I am 100% feeling sensations of pulsing energy. At some point ( not always) I start having flashes in my minds eye of unsought imagery. Also when my eyes are closed I see purple shapes pulsing into and out of existence. Not confused by normal colour changes when eyes are closed. Any thoughts? Or am I just a nutter!

I was first taught yoga nidra about 25 years ago, I don't practice it much now but it's something I used a lot over the years.

 

It's based on a tantric ritual practice called nyasa which means 'to place' or taking the mind to a point.

So this is an uncomplicated form of that ,taking away the Sanskrit mantras and other ritualistic elements.

 

Don't know what video you are using but I'd say the process of taking the awareness to each individual part of the body and consciously relaxing it is key in the beginning.

 

I don't know if it will help you astral travel but like other forms of meditation it can make the mind one pointed but the difference is your mind is retaining awareness while you're technically asleep so that might help if you're intending to travel while you sleep in the future.

 

 

[Mr H]

@Bombadil

 

Might be of interest. When I used to live in London I sometimes hang with a guy called Todd Acamesis who is big into astral travel. He even invented a machine for it called Pandora star. He also used to let people use it for small fee if they didn't want to buy it.

 

Not sure what he's up to now but this is it Incase of interest ( I never tried myself but folks I knew loved it)

 

https://pandorastar.co.uk/

[Bombadil]

@Mr H @cemeterycrow Thanks for the comments. Really appreciated. Im just going with flow of it really. Not expecting any particular outcome. The video says it could help with astral travel but that you should just enjoy the experience regardless of how it unfolds. For example if your mind wanders, wander with it. 
I have major problems with breathing, especially at night. The women’s voice Is very chilled. First thing I have ever tried that has a positive effect. 

[Bombadil]

2 hours ago, Mr H said:

@Bombadil

 

Might be of interest. When I used to live in London I sometimes hang with a guy called Todd Acamesis who is big into astral travel. He even invented a machine for it called Pandora star. He also used to let people use it for small fee if they didn't want to buy it.

 

Not sure what he's up to now but this is it Incase of interest ( I never tried myself but folks I knew loved it)

 

https://pandorastar.co.uk/

Looks really interesting. I would certainly give it a go!

[Bombadil]

3 hours ago, cemeterycrow said:

I was first taught yoga nidra about 25 years ago, I don't practice it much now but it's something I used a lot over the years.

 

It's based on a tantric ritual practice called nyasa which means 'to place' or taking the mind to a point.

So this is an uncomplicated form of that ,taking away the Sanskrit mantras and other ritualistic elements.

 

Don't know what video you are using but I'd say the process of taking the awareness to each individual part of the body and consciously relaxing it is key in the beginning.

 

I don't know if it will help you astral travel but like other forms of meditation it can make the mind one pointed but the difference is your mind is retaining awareness while you're technically asleep so that might help if you're intending to travel while you sleep in the future.

 

 

She’s got loads of different videos but this one seems to resonate with me the most.

 

 

[Mr H]

10 hours ago, Bombadil said:

@Mr H @cemeterycrow Thanks for the comments. Really appreciated. Im just going with flow of it really. Not expecting any particular outcome. The video says it could help with astral travel but that you should just enjoy the experience regardless of how it unfolds. For example if your mind wanders, wander with it. 
I have major problems with breathing, especially at night. The women’s voice Is very chilled. First thing I have ever tried that has a positive effect. 

To assist with your breathing issues. Have you tried doing the wimhoff method? Free on YT.

 

It was tremendous when I used to do it. I might start again. But it is all breath work and REALLY GOOD.

[Bombadil]

1 hour ago, Mr H said:

To assist with your breathing issues. Have you tried doing the wimhoff method? Free on YT.

 

It was tremendous when I used to do it. I might start again. But it is all breath work and REALLY GOOD.

Never heard of it before. Nice one. I’ll hi it a go.

[Mr H]

1 hour ago, Bombadil said:

Never heard of it before. Nice one. I’ll hi it a go.

 

 

[Mr H]

Something came up during morning contemplation, thought I'd share...

 

If you're depressed about the past or worried about the future, then you LITERALLY imagining yourself and considering yourself as a mere idea. A fleeting thought. You're more and better than dat. Have more respect for yourself and what you are!

[Mr H]

One of my spiritual teachers once said to me. He knew a women that used to pray for suffering....

 

This made no sense to me really....

 

I'm also not suggesting to do this

 

But I was feeling a bit down in the dumps lately..then I realized, what can I learn from this? And started to write it down. When I eventually finished, the amount of knowledge I had gained was substantial.

 

Then I reflected back.on my life, at the tough and horrible moments. I have to admit my greatest knowledge and wisdom has come from all these experiences. 

 

So I begin to slowly understand what this lady was praying for...

[Mr H]

It's kinda funny because you hear someone say something and it has a certain flavor of understanding. Coming to it yourself via experience is a different level of understanding.

 

But I have concluded that all my "problems" I've ever had in my life, is because I thought I was a real seperate character. When I investigate the charecter all that is there is primarily, intermittent thoughts backed up by a fleeting feeling. 

 

Small I exists in its own right just as much as if I imagine an apple right now. It's a fleeting thought. Often reenforced by society. But has no basis in its own right.

[Mr H]

 

IF YOU TRULY WANT TO LIVE, YOU NEED TO DRAG YOURSELF INTO THE FIRE OF TRANSFORMATION

 

At a certain threshold of truth, you must awaken from the theater of your own excuses. The drama you’ve been rehearsing, the story of why you can’t, why it’s too hard, why they hurt you, grows stale. Familiar. Addictive. 

 

You sip suffering like it’s wine, not realizing it has long since turned to poison. And yet, you return to the cup. Why? Because the known ache is less terrifying than the unknown liberation. 

 

But make no mistake: your bondage is not ordained; it is chosen. Your limitations are not laws; they are habits masquerading as fate.

 

Yes, life has bruised you. Perhaps unjustly. Perhaps repeatedly. But healing does not arise from apportioning blame like currency; it is born in the furnace of responsibility. 

 

And responsibility is not shame. It is power. It is the radical act of saying: I will not let my pain become my personality. At some point, you must stop praying for new doors while clinging to the rusted hinges of the old. 

 

You must stop pointing fingers outward and look inward with holy ferocity. Your liberation is no one else's task. It is your own soul’s revolution.

 

There is a sacred place for grief, anger, and fear. Let them come. Let them roar. But do not let them take the throne. You are not here to be ruled by emotion, but to integrate it. 

 

Not to obey every feeling, but to discern its message and choose wisely. “Go with the flow” is not wisdom when the current is addiction. “Trust your feelings” is not the truth when your compass is trauma. 

 

Would you tell the drunkard to follow his thirst? Is he enraged to honor his violence? No. Feelings are sacred, but not sovereign. Let them speak, but do not let them steer.

 

The hardest pill to swallow is this: you are addicted to your delusion. Addicted to believing you see clearly when you do not. Addicted to postponing your power because comfort feels like safety. 

 

But comfort is not safety; it is sedation. And if you truly want to live, then you may need to drag yourself into the fire of transformation. This is not punishment. This is purification. 

 

You may need to wake at dawn. You may need to sweat, fast, cry, scream, write, burn, rebuild. You may need to dismantle the altars of distraction you’ve built in the name of survival and finally, finally choose to live with intent.

 

Spiritual maturity is not incense and affirmations. It is discipline. It is warriorship. It is keeping your word when no one is watching. It is the refusal to betray your future for the comfort of your past. 

 

Sometimes, self-love is a mirror that doesn’t flatter. Sometimes it is a friend who calls you out, a coach who pushes you, a truth that leaves you breathless. 

 

Sometimes, self-love is setting fire to the life you built on fear, so you can rise, smoldering, holy, and free.

 

Do not be afraid of burning. Be afraid of never becoming the flame.

 

 

© Katie Kamara

[Mr H]

Pondering today...

 

Would appreciate feedback.

 

Tag @Campion

 

Are both the spiritual teacher and the spiritual seeker the ego in disguise?

 

Teacher. Who are they teaching to? True self already knows . It is lecturing to thought. If the teacher really grasped it, why would they bother teaching to thought? The only reason is they get a subtle ego boost from it. There is no benefit teaching anything to thought.

 

The seeker embodied in thought, who keeps seeking,reenforces the teacher and encourages them to teach more. The seeking never ends and therefore neither does the teacher. The ego remains intact although wearing a different mask ....

[Campion]

6 hours ago, Mr H said:

Pondering today...

Would appreciate feedback.

Tag @Campion

Are both the spiritual teacher and the spiritual seeker the ego in disguise?

Teacher. Who are they teaching to? True self already knows . It is lecturing to thought. If the teacher really grasped it, why would they bother teaching to thought? The only reason is they get a subtle ego boost from it. There is no benefit teaching anything to thought.

The seeker embodied in thought, who keeps seeking,reenforces the teacher and encourages them to teach more. The seeking never ends and therefore neither does the teacher. The ego remains intact although wearing a different mask ....

 

Well, who is a spiritual teacher and who's a student?  It's a belief system that there is something to learn. But then a lot of people come into spirituality because of some type of problem or sense of lack.  

 

Teach: originally from Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ  “to show”.

Educate: from Latin ēducō  “lead out, draw out; to raise up, erect” 

 

So teaching is where the teacher demonstrates with their own actions what enlightenment is like. Education is where the awakening is drawn out within the student. 

 

Yes we need to go beyond thought to get to the actual spiritual teaching, but getting past that barrier takes time.  The last time I considered myself a 'spiritual student' was when I was into Zen, which used that concept, to be a Zen student.  But it's not like being a college or uni student.  There'd be talks from the teacher (Zen master) but then going into an interview with them (dokusan or sanzen) is a different experience, that's something beyond words, perhaps like the Indian Darshan. Hard to describe, but starting off in silence until I could bear the intensity no longer, and something would burst out from within me.  For someone who gets anxiety anyway that's not very long  

[Mr H]

I don't know if this helps anybody..

 

But for years I've been chasing stuff. Recently I kinda stopped and started celebrating what I do have rather than getting stressed about what I don't have.

 

Feels good

[Bombadil]

13 hours ago, Mr H said:

I don't know if this helps anybody..

 

But for years I've been chasing stuff. Recently I kinda stopped and started celebrating what I do have rather than getting stressed about what I don't have.

 

Feels good

Go with the flow. Sounds good. 

[Mr H]

1 hour ago, Bombadil said:

Go with the flow. Sounds good. 

It was a bit more like, cultivate, nurture take care and appreciate what you have, rather than chase, wish.for what you don't have.

 

It's amazing how much expansion and joy can come from what you already have. Similarly it's amazing how deliberating and miserable it can make you, wanting and wishing for things you don't have.....

[Origin]

We possess nothing. We are witnessing what was never ours.

[Bombadil]

17 hours ago, Mr H said:

It was a bit more like, cultivate, nurture take care and appreciate what you have, rather than chase, wish.for what you don't have.

 

It's amazing how much expansion and joy can come from what you already have. Similarly it's amazing how deliberating and miserable it can make you, wanting and wishing for things you don't have.....

It’s true. The powers that be teach us to chase the next thing. That we always need more. After I travelled to India for seven months about thirty years ago I came back and found that owning too much stuff held me back.

[Mr H]

42 minutes ago, Bombadil said:

It’s true. The powers that be teach us to chase the next thing. That we always need more. After I travelled to India for seven months about thirty years ago I came back and found that owning too much stuff held me back.

Me too. I went traveling for while recently and realized I didn't need much of my stuff so sold pretty much all of it. Feels better

[Mr H]

Investigation into rejection. Something I was looking into recently.

 

This is what I found. Maybe it's applicable to others too?

 

When you look at it. There is no logical reason to feel bad or sad about rejection. A girl/ boy rejects you, or at an interview. There are literally billions or thousands of alternative options. There is nothing to feel bad about really. Just move onto the next option. This is how a healthy adult brain should treat the situation. Yet many of us feel sad or depressed about it or go into a shell. Why?

 

My suggestion is that it triggers memories and emotions of a younger version of you who didn't have a fully grown adult brain, particularly the left brain hemisphere. The means of processing information was largely at this age done in the emotional right brained hemisphere. For many who were rejected when they were young, this experience is relived again as an adult.

 

Solution: invite the inner child up. Speak to them. What do you need? Give it to them. Tell them u love them unconditionally and it's going to be ok.