How did you change your life?

[autopilot]

Zephyr Nova's guide to happiness:

 

1. Find something you love to do, do it as much as possible.

2. Live for the present moment most of the time. It seems like a lot of people kill the fun they could be having by worrying about some other thing that hasn't happened yet, or dwelling on some shitty thing that already happened.

 

That's it, that's all I got.

 

That's pretty much the keys to the city right there. #2 is waaay more profound of a concept than your humble wording makes it out to be.

[Guest murphythecat8]

I think most people do. I used to. But now, when I eat a taco my sole life's purpose is eating that taco, and I enjoy the shit out of it. Actually, that was probably true even when I was full of dread and despair (and delicious taco). But dumb analogies aside, I really do think living in the present is key to being happy (unless your in the middle of a dentist appointment or something).

yeah, thats pretty much it, but there much more hapiness possible after that.

Once your in the present moment, what then?

you say about that when you eat teh taco, you concentrate totally yourself to the taste of the taco, and this is eactly what we have to do.

 

When you concentrate on the present moment, this is basically the premise of meditation.

 

If you let go of everything in the universe and concentrate yourself totally to one and only one object, like the breath for example, incredible bliss, unbelievable happiness is just around the corner. But you have to concentrate long enough and let go of everything else long enough for the joy and hapiness to build up and up and up and up and up, to unbelievable height. to joy so immense and so deep ect....

 

I believe that meditation is the key to hapiness, nothing else. Suffering is integral in every action we do sadly, we have to purify our thoughts, our actions, so we at least stop hurting our own self.

 

When you begin to meditate, you realize how much worry, stress, hatred, ect we have in our selve and that needs to be addressed asap for everyone of us

 

Anyways! lol

 

I'm out, I sound like a preacher

[autopilot]

Preach it, brother!

[Zephyr_Nova]

Cheers guys.

 

If you let go of everything in the universe and concentrate yourself totally to one and only one object

 

Yeah, see I've realized this is something I'm naturally inclined to just do. Like any time I'm working on a mix or composing music or playing an instrument, I am entirely absorbed by that and I really am not thinking of anything else. same thing when I'm eating a meal, or doing something I like, or even just responding to this message. I remember telling my friend about this waaay back, but I was actually venting about how my mind was abnormal which made it difficult to fit in with other people. I felt very alienated at the time, like I literally could not have a normal exchange with another person in a way that wasn't completely awkward. Like there was this unbreakable barrier between me and the rest of the world. Anyway... getting extremely sidetracked here. My point was that he responded by saying that the state of mind I was in naturally was the state that other people tried to get to through focused meditation. Of course, in my case it wasn't quite working out at the time, but that's because I was trying to figure out how to do the opposite. I was trying to kickstart my mind into being a million other places at once, to create this continual internal monologue that other people took for granted. (I didn't realize that it was abnormal to not have that until i reached my 20's, after which point all my previous difficulties with socializing made a lot of sense.) Anyway, I eventually did manage to kickstart that constant internal monologue, which eventually lead to mania (after this long depressive slump), which lead to an unbelievable bizarre series of events that I won't go into. Long story short, I came out of all of that I pretty well adjusted person. I can now see some of my "defects" as useful tools. Probably the most useful one is being able to stay in the present moment. But it is also a hindrance because I am practically unable to plan for the future in order to achieve long term goals. I also don't get excited about anything, though I can be ecstatic about great things that are happening as they happen. But like, if I'm going to see a show by a favorite artist, or going on some major trip to a new city, I feel almost no anticipation for it. Like I know intellectually that it's going to happen, and I'm glad about that, but I don't feel the excitement leading up to the event that most other people would. It's pretty funny actually...

[sheatheman]

But like, if I'm going to see a show by a favorite artist, or going on some major trip to a new city, I feel almost no anticipation for it. Like I know intellectually that it's going to happen, and I'm glad about that, but I don't feel the excitement leading up to the event that most other people would.

Me too. I'm going to japan in 2 weeks and I don't really think about it. Once I'm there I will know the deal for real.

[Cryptowen]

continual internal monologue that other people took for granted

wait wait

My brain, it's like a constant flux between the perception mind (oh there's a cloud there's a car sound there's a rain smell) and the conception mind (memories, ideas), & most of the time they blend together into this free association train of thought*, coloured by whatever I'm currently experiencing emotionally and physically.

 

There'll be moments of hyper-awareness (oh shit oh fuck almost fell down the stairs), & moments of total detachment from reality (daydreaming), but generally speaking it's this interplay of the two. And in moments of deep meditation or stonedness the distinction between the two becomes very clear & you can do all sorts of neat shit with it

 

*is that the "internal monologue" of which you speak?

 

Anyways that head stuff is hard to properly describe in words. Weird because everyone's experiencing it.

My eating once every 72 hours experiment is starting to kick in. Colours are sharper, food tastes better - it may be a side effect of my body eating itself but I feel like I've been on a mild high all week

[usagi]

My eating once every 72 hours experiment

 

dude...

[Zephyr_Nova]

 

continual internal monologue that other people took for granted

wait wait

My brain, it's like a constant flux between the perception mind (oh there's a cloud there's a car sound there's a rain smell) and the conception mind (memories, ideas), & most of the time they blend together into this free association train of thought*, coloured by whatever I'm currently experiencing emotionally and physically.

 

There'll be moments of hyper-awareness (oh shit oh fuck almost fell down the stairs), & moments of total detachment from reality (daydreaming), but generally speaking it's this interplay of the two. And in moments of deep meditation or stonedness the distinction between the two becomes very clear & you can do all sorts of neat shit with it

 

*is that the "internal monologue" of which you speak?

 

That's certainly part of it. Specifically I am referring to a sort of verbal narration occurring in a person's head. A lot of the time, I don't have that. Like I'm aware of what's going on, and I can be performing certain tasks quite capably, but more often than not there is no inner conversation taking place as I'm doing these things. If someone asks me what I'm thinking about, I won't know what to tell them. This is one reason I think I took to music as easily as I did, because the creation of it requires no language whatsoever. You can just think in rhythms, melodies, chordal structures etc. But switching from that mode to social interaction mode requires quite a considerable shift in how I'm using my brain. Like if I go from spending 8 hours of thinking entirely in melody/rhythm/EQ to having a conversation, it might take a great deal of effort to convey ideas in language since I've been out of that mode for so long. Pretty much from grade 5 until the end of high school, that was my main state of being --thinking without language except when necessary, like working on a writing assignment or whatever. Conversation was like the most alien, uncomfortable situation for me back then. The frustrating thing was that if I wrote something, I could convey ideas very clearly, and other people would find it interesting, but I seldom could apply those same skills to basic human interaction. Which sounds sad... and it was. But towards the end of highschool I found some people who could see past that, which helped me break out of my shell a bit and develop more of a regular persona (albeit a very awkward one... humor was my saving grace. I could make people laugh, so I used that to connect with others a lot of the time). Anyway, i'm going way off on a tangent here. Point is, I discovered at some point in there that most other people have a constant stream of narrative going through their heads that they can't shut off, unless they concentrate really hard, if even then. I had the reverse problem. But once I knew that, I made a concentrated effort to get an inner monologue going, which made having conversations a lot easier since it was more an extension of my own internal thought process. I still struggle to convey a lot of ideas I have in language that will make sense to other people... there are too many different ways to interpret one message. I'm sure lots of people reading this won't have a clue what I'm on about, and that's less a fault of theirs and more due to a clumsy use of language on my part.

[autopilot]

Dude you basically started out zen an undid it to fit in with the western world.

[Zephyr_Nova]

*shrug*

It's hard to get anywhere in this society in that frame of mind. I've been fired from almost every job I've ever had. Luckily I've got my music production skills up to a point where people will pay me for it. I get by being self employed, but just barely!

[autopilot]

Yeah I've been unemployed for 2 years now which not-so-strangely directly correlates with my fucking with psychedelics and meditation. It's all good tho, we're needed elsewhere, and I'll take being content over having a career any day.

[Zephyr_Nova]

Yeah... if it were feasible for me to just work on my own projects and not have to do something for money, I'd probably do that. But Victoria is expensive as fuck, and every now and then I need new gear. That and I think working for other people actually does keep me grounded. If i just worked on my own shit all the time I'd just disappear up my own ass. Hmm... that last sentence was unintentionally appropriate.

[Adieu]

Yeah I've been unemployed for 2 years now which not-so-strangely directly correlates with my fucking with psychedelics and meditation. It's all good tho, we're needed elsewhere, and I'll take being content over having a career any day.

 

Do you live in a commune or something?

[autopilot]

Something like that.

[Adieu]

Something like that.

 

Are y'all financially independent?

[peace 7]

 

Once your [sic] in the present moment, what then?

For anyone wondering the answer to this with regards to meditation or high consciousness living, just wanted to chime in...

 

There is no "then" (future), because the future does not exist, nor will it ever exist. The future is an illusion based on expectations and hopes and dreams. The past does not exist either. Both past and future are illusory constructs designed as elements to play the game of Life with, but mostly, these illusions limit people from achieving what they want to.

 

This Universe has always been the Infinite Now.

 

Where people get lost in the illusions of time, is thinking that past/future have effect on the present, which they do not; nor can they. People use memories to limit themselves, when the "past" cannot affect present. People use dreams or dependencies of the non-existent "future", which again causes decisions based on things that cannot affect the present, which skews efficiency of action. But living in the present does not mean living as if it's your last day on Earth, saying bye to friends and snorting coke and shit. With regards to living and action (as opposed to just perceiving), it's very important to realize just what is in the present-- just what elements one has to work with, and then 100%, one should act upon the present conditions for best results. Because the future never comes. Nothing is going to be made for you. If one constantly monitors the present and acts upon it, they will eventually end up where they want to be; creating the "future" by creating the present. A question might be: "If there is no future, what do we base our actions upon?" A simple example: If one wants to get signed to Planet Mu or whatever, the actual feeling being experienced IS NOT "I want to one day in the future be signed to Planet Mu", what is actually being felt with that sentiment is "Now, I want to be signed to Planet Mu." All our true "future" dreams and hopes, are actually things we want NOW.

 

Everything is now, and by realizing this, one can accomplish the most. Beware the illusion of past or future, which will never exist in the now-- as such, never let the illusions of either dictate the present. Act upon what you want NOW, and experience the NOW, and you will fully realize the highest potential of the only time that you will ever live in.

[MadameChaos]

1. Take time out

It feels impossible to think clearly when you’re flooded with fear or anxiety. A racing heart, sweating palms and feeling panicky and confused are the result of adrenalin. So, the first thing to do is take time out so you can physically calm down.

Distract yourself from the worry for 15 minutes by walking around the block, making a cup of tea or having a bath. When you’ve physically calmed down, you’ll feel better able to decide on the best way to cope.

2. What’s the worst that can happen?

When you're anxious about something, be it work, a relationship or an exam, it can help to think through what the worst end result could be. Even if a presentation, a call or a conversation goes horribly wrong, chances are that you and the world will survive. Sometimes the worst that can happen is a panic attack.

If you start to get a faster heartbeat or sweating palms, the best thing is not to fight it. Stay where you are and simply feel the panic without trying to distract yourself. Placing the palm of your hand on your stomach and breathing slowly and deeply (no more than 12 breaths a minute) helps soothe the body.

It may take up to an hour, but eventually the panic will go away on its own. The goal is to help the mind get used to coping with panic, which takes the fear of fear away.

3. Expose yourself to the fear

Avoiding fears only makes them scarier. If you panic one day getting into a lift, it’s best to get back into a lift the next day. Stand in the lift and feel the fear until it goes away. Whatever your fear, if you face it, it should start to fade.

4. Welcome the worst

Each time fears are embraced, it makes them easier to cope with the next time they strike, until in the end they are no longer a problem. Try imagining the worst thing that can happen – perhaps it’s panicking and having a heart attack. Then try to think yourself into having a heart attack. It’s just not possible. The fear will run away the more you chase it.

5. Get real

Fears tend to be much worse than reality. Often, people who have been attacked can’t help thinking they’re going to be attacked again every time they walk down a dark alley. But the chance that an attack will happen again is actually very low.

Similarly, people sometimes tell themselves they're a failure because they blush when they feel self-conscious. This then makes them more upset. But blushing in stressful situations is normal. By remembering this, the anxiety goes away.

6. Don’t expect perfection

Black-and-white perfectionist thinking such as, "If I’m not the best mum in the world, I’m a failure," or, "My DVDs aren’t all facing in the same direction, so my life is a mess," are unrealistic and only set us up for anxiety.

Life is full of stresses, yet many of us feel that our lives must be perfect. Bad days and setbacks will always happen, and it’s essential to remember that life is messy.

7. Visualise

Take a moment to close your eyes and imagine a place of safety and calm: it could be a picture of you walking on a beautiful beach, or snuggled up in bed with the cat next to you or a happy memory from childhood. Let the positive feelings soothe you until you feel more relaxed.

8. Talk about it

Sharing fears takes away a lot of their scariness. If you can’t talk to a partner, friend or family member, call a helpline such as the Samaritans (08457 90 90 90, open 24 hours a day). And if your fears aren’t going away, ask your GP for help. GPs can refer people for counselling, psychotherapy or online help through a new online service called FearFighter.

9. Go back to basics

A good sleep, a wholesome meal and a walk are often the best cures for anxiety. The easiest way to fall asleep when worries are spiralling through the mind can be to stop trying to nod off. Instead, try to stay awake.

Many people turn to alcohol or drugs to self-treat anxiety, with the idea that it will make them feel better, but these only make nervousness worse. On the other hand, eating well will make you feel great physically and mentally.

10. Reward yourself

Finally, give yourself a treat. When you’ve picked up that spider or made that call you’ve been dreading, reinforce your success by treating yourself to a candlelit bath, a massage, a country walk, a concert, a meal out, a book, a DVD or whatever little gift makes you happy.

(from the NHS)

[MadameChaos]

to summarise, make sure all your DVDs are facing the right direction, and pick up spiders.

[Guest pafr]

I love you, MadameChaos.

[autopilot]

 

 

Once your [sic] in the present moment, what then?

For anyone wondering the answer to this with regards to meditation or high consciousness living, just wanted to chime in...

 

There is no "then" (future), because the future does not exist, nor will it ever exist. The future is an illusion based on expectations and hopes and dreams. The past does not exist either. Both past and future are illusory constructs designed as elements to play the game of Life with, but mostly, these illusions limit people from achieving what they want to.

 

This Universe has always been the Infinite Now.

 

Where people get lost in the illusions of time, is thinking that past/future have effect on the present, which they do not; nor can they. People use memories to limit themselves, when the "past" cannot affect present. People use dreams or dependencies of the non-existent "future", which again causes decisions based on things that cannot affect the present, which skews efficiency of action. But living in the present does not mean living as if it's your last day on Earth, saying bye to friends and snorting coke and shit. With regards to living and action (as opposed to just perceiving), it's very important to realize just what is in the present-- just what elements one has to work with, and then 100%, one should act upon the present conditions for best results. Because the future never comes. Nothing is going to be made for you. If one constantly monitors the present and acts upon it, they will eventually end up where they want to be; creating the "future" by creating the present. A question might be: "If there is no future, what do we base our actions upon?" A simple example: If one wants to get signed to Planet Mu or whatever, the actual feeling being experienced IS NOT "I want to one day in the future be signed to Planet Mu", what is actually being felt with that sentiment is "Now, I want to be signed to Planet Mu." All our true "future" dreams and hopes, are actually things we want NOW.

 

Everything is now, and by realizing this, one can accomplish the most. Beware the illusion of past or future, which will never exist in the now-- as such, never let the illusions of either dictate the present. Act upon what you want NOW, and experience the NOW, and you will fully realize the highest potential of the only time that you will ever live in.

 

 

fuck yea!

 

• Interests:Consciousness

[autopilot]

 

Something like that.

 

Are y'all financially independent?

 

I make enough money doing what I do to afford everything I need to be me. I've been doing the couchsurfing vagrant thing up & down the east coast for a minute so I haven't had to pay rent/bills.

[Cryptowen]

 

 

If one wants to get signed to Planet Mu or whatever, the actual feeling being experienced IS NOT "I want to one day in the future be signed to Planet Mu", what is actually being felt with that sentiment is "Now, I want to be signed to Planet Mu."

to further the music angle - I find (at least for me) going into any sort of creative endeavour with a firm plan or end goal more often than not results in roadblocks. Focusing on the act of making the track is what gets results for me - not trying to capture a specific sound, or even "i want to make a good track". Seeing where the sound naturally leads me (or, moving beyond pure techno, letting the current emotional state come out unfiltered by expectation)

 

regards finances: i generally work less than six months a year, at minimum wage jobs, because I do everything I want to for less than $600/m (rent included). I bought some undeveloped land a few years ago, so realistically I could go rent-free for at least five months of the year.

 

basically, you don't need to make a lot of money if you aren't interested in stuff & were born middle class, in a first world country, with no debilitating physical aliments.

[usagi]

regards finances: i generally work less than six months a year, at minimum wage jobs, because I do everything I want to for less than $600/m (rent included). I bought some undeveloped land a few years ago, so realistically I could go rent-free for at least five months of the year.

 

cool

[lifeforce]

How did I change my life ?

 

1. I cut out smoking weed, completely after 20 years of almost daily smoking.

2. I learned to meditate.

3. I learned Chinese qigong.

[Npoess]

Stopped taking krokoldil