Posts by Michael Castillo

David Ross3 said:Anyone ever messed around with this "technique"? If you have, how often are we talking—and did it actually work to manifest what you wanted by just acting like you already had it? Esther Hicks has a bunch of videos on this under the "telling a new story" vibe... She says the universe doesn't care if you physically have the thing yet or not; it’s all about getting that vibration to line up... 🤔
She also mentions that writing about your desires in the present tense is just as solid a way to create.

Anyway, I'm curious to hear what you guys think about all this. 🙂

I know plenty of people who used this method and ended up completely broke.
Basically, they lived like they were loaded when they actually weren't.

Just change the subforum already—for crying out loud.

Man, that deleted post of yours was pretty mindless.

There’s a pinned notice somewhere saying it’s broken—though it promised a fix "soon," which clearly hasn't happened.

It would be nice if they actually posted updates—you know, something like, "Hey everyone, we tried fixing it again today but hit a snag," or "We're doing everything we can, but..." Just something to let people know the issue isn't forgotten and is still being worked on.

Is everyone really going to just ignore this complaint?
I’m being serious.—really.

So why does it say "find all posts" when I can only see 250?
What's the deal with that?
Can we please just get a way to search everything—pretty please?

Thomas Nelson25 said:So, you're saying he's irrelevant as psychotherapy?! Not for art, culture, life, or philosophy, obviously. (In my book, other psych branches are just training neurotics... analysis goes much deeper... Jungian is the deepest)

It doesn't even have to be about a disorder (though it usually is—if you judge by the "normal" majority)—maybe it's about creative solitude, which is essential for a creator... and that's where Mr. Q comes in, saying sublimation is the best defense against nerves... and we're also interested in the psychotics here (forgetting how most spiritual seekers hide that fact like a snake hides its tail—even though without psychoanalytic therapy, there's no real spiritual growth)... can we even have great literature (imagination and the life of the "other") or philosophy without it? (the so-called "madness")

Solitude can come from sadness or trauma, but honestly, I don't care about that—I'm assuming we're staying on the topic of spirituality here... and that's about the soul... the solitude of the soul. Why do people run to the mountains to find themselves, or travel everywhere because they were lonely?

Now, closeness—for anyone who's actually gained any wisdom—is clearly mostly driven by interest (like what they call "heavenly" people). It can be a preference based on projections and stuff, leading us to like one person and not another. For instance, closeness ruins objectivity and truth... unless it's erotic, then it's right in its own way, even if it's often just an illusion—of the soul, I guess.

Exactly.

bluemason3 said:In modern psychology, Freud has long since become an irrelevant anachronism—useful for history buffs, cultural theorists, or philosophers, but that's about it.

But if we're talking strictly about psychodiagnostics, my experience with different personality profiles suggests it varies wildly from person to person.

I've met people with traits more aligned with the autism spectrum who, based on our conversations, truly have no desire for social contact.

Then there are those with traits linked to affective disorders or social anxiety (think avoidant or schizoid types). They might develop certain behaviors as a coping mechanism, potentially fantasizing about much higher levels of social interaction than they can actually manage in reality. That's usually not the case for the first group.

Obviously, I'm not trying to diagnose every possible human behavior here. It doesn't make sense to label all introversion, just as it makes no sense to assume all extroverts are manic, dependent, narcissistic, or whatever else.

I just wanted to illustrate that the need for closeness isn't always present in every case; sometimes it's just expressed differently. I think it’s entirely possible for that drive to be "hardwired" at a lower level.

Fair enough, but where do the people in this thread actually fit?
(The ones who seem totally outgoing and socially adept to everyone else, yet subjectively feel completely alone?)

Gerald Hill said:From what I understand about life, it isn't just limited to humanity; it encompasses all living creatures in nature. To me, such a stance seems entirely nonsensical. As for those anti-human nihilists who harbor nothing but hatred for mankind, I would quite gladly assist in their disappearance.🙂.

You misunderstood it.

Gerald Hill said:Essentially, you are arguing that we ought to cease procreating so that life itself eventually vanishes from the face of the earth😁.

Presumably humanity—not life as a whole.

unknown

Dennis Bennett28 said:From an astrological perspective, the ruler of my first house—the one that defines my core personality and natural inclinations—is Pluto in Scorpio, sitting right in the twelfth house, which is basically the "prison" zone or the house of isolation. Because of that placement, I find a lot of peace in being alone, even though I can definitely hold my own and have a great time when I'm out with others. It’s just not something I do very often or for very long. 😁

I like to think of it this way: lone wolves tend to spend much more time exploring their own subconscious than the rest of the pack does. 😁

Yeah, that too.

Justin Garcia7 said:When people hear the term "lone wolf," they usually think of social outcasts—people who struggle to make friends, feel disconnected, or just can't navigate a crowd. They picture the emotionally wounded or the extreme introverts.

But that’s not what I’m talking about here. I’m referring to people who actually have plenty of friends, love going out, and are totally approachable and outgoing. They aren't oddballs; they just happen to prefer their own company most of the time because they genuinely enjoy being alone.

I’ve met a few people like this, and they all describe themselves as old souls. They aren't particularly interested in worldly pursuits and tend to view themselves as spiritual people.

This ties back to the concept of introversion versus extroversion. There’s a common misconception that personality is defined by these labels, but I read somewhere that it’s really about where you draw your energy—from being around others or from being by yourself. For instance, a colleague of mine is incredibly talkative and social; she makes friends effortlessly and screams "extrovert" to anyone watching. Yet, she describes herself as a lone wolf who finds her greatest peace in solitude. On the flip side, I know so many people who can't stand being alone. They feel bored without distraction, constantly inviting people over, and often admit they feel empty when they aren't in someone's company.

I’m one of them myself. Instead of heading out tonight, I’d much rather meditate, dive into a book, contemplate, observe, build my inner world, or work on writing.😁 I find that being alone is the only way I can truly "center" myself, returning to that point of calm and balance before I head back out to face the world again.

To be clear, I know plenty of people with actual social struggles or emotional baggage who call themselves "old souls" or "spiritual" simply because they don't know how to connect with others or lack a support system. This post isn't about them. It's about emotionally mature, well-adjusted individuals who have everything they need, yet choose solitude as their primary source of energy.

I’d argue that these true lone wolves are more deeply connected to their authentic selves. What do you all think?

Exactly.

unknown:

This ties back into the whole introversion vs. extroversion thing. There's this misconception that someone's core character is dictated by whether they're an introvert or an extrovert.

The whole intro/extro debate is interesting to me—people who actually know me see me as a total extrovert, yet my test results say I'm mostly an introvert.

unknown:

Take a coworker of mine, for example. She’s the life of the party, incredibly social, makes friends effortlessly, and her entire vibe screams "extrovert"—yet she tells me she's a lone wolf who finds the most peace being by herself.

Yeah, that sounds like me.

Apemant used to toss around the VHEMT "why breed" list quite often:

http://www.vhemt.org/whybreed.pdf

rapidmason22 said:I’ll just stick to the thread title for this one.

In my opinion, being an introvert is closely linked to misanthropy. Honestly, I think introversion is a direct predisposition for it. Not that there's anything wrong with that—at least not in my book.

Funny thing is, I know a few misanthropes who are total extroverts—mostly just narcissists, really.

Not saying that's a universal rule, obviously—just calling out your assumption.

urbanraven69 said:Hey everyone!

So, I kind of stumbled upon this subforum today—just browsing, you know?—and I decided to finally sign up and just... vent. I guess? I’ve been struggling with some stuff on my own for a while now, and honestly, I’m not even sure what I’m looking for here. Maybe just hearing someone else’s take or knowing if anyone else has felt this way might help a little.

Anyway, here’s the deal..
I don't even know where to start, really. I keep trying to give myself some kind of "diagnosis," but I am just totally lost.
Ever since I can remember, I’ve been incredibly shy—like, painfully shy. I turn bright red at lightning speed. If someone asks me a question and I actually have to make eye contact and talk, I start sweating, my hands go everywhere, I get so anxious... I just want to bolt. It’s hard to explain how much my social life has suffered because of it. But, I mean, when I *did* manage to pull it off, I tried everything—self-help books, confidence workshops, you name it. And sometimes, they actually worked.
But then the years just sort of bleed together. I find myself turning down invites to go out in the city because I just don't know how I'll handle it. Sometimes I’ll say yes and it turns out okay, but other times it’s just awful. Time keeps moving, though. I’m past 25 now, and I still haven't found that footing, you know? I can't stop overanalyzing everything. I can't just hang out without all this internal drama going on in my head. I have a tiny circle of friends I see regularly—people I actually feel relaxed around—but anything beyond that just feels like this massive weight. It's hard to put into words how many movies I play in my head, or how much I tend to catastrophize things that other people just do naturally.

On top of being super shy, lately, I’ve started having these panic attacks. My heart just starts racing out of nowhere, and I feel this desperate need to just get out of the room immediately.
I’ve also started pulling away from my inner circle. Dealing with everyday situations is getting harder and harder. I’m avoiding people so much that I almost feel like I’ve started to hate them. That sounds terrible, I know, but that’s how it feels. I find flaws in everyone, nobody seems to click with me, I don't want to go anywhere... honestly, I’d rather just be alone all day.
My interaction with my family has basically dropped to zero. I don't want to talk to my parents; I've become blunt, almost dismissive. It’s actually scary seeing myself like this.
I’ve lost interest in everything. Nothing brings me joy anymore. It feels like there’s nothing in the world that could actually make me happy right now.
All sorts of dark thoughts are creeping in, and I just... I don't have the will or the strength to keep pushing. I feel so incredibly lost.
I’ve even started sneaking sleep aids here and there. They just numb me out—it's the only way I can stop thinking.
I’m losing myself completely. And I know I'm hurting the people around me too.
Up until recently, I was a practicing Catholic—someone who truly believed there was something higher up there looking out for us. But lately, I don't believe, I don't pray, I don't do anything.

I'm not the person I used to be. I stopped being just "the shy girl." Now, it's worse. I'm shy, but I'm also antisocial and I can't stand any kind of human contact.

This isn't me. I don't want my life to just pass me by like this. I need help, advice, an opinion, anything at all...

That sounds like depression, not just being an introvert.
An introvert who isn't depressed can sometimes even come across as an extrovert.
I'm an introvert, but I wasn't depressed before—so I know the difference between being an introvert and being an introvert dealing with depression. Neither one should cause you to generally hate people.

Don't start self-medicating with pills; go see a doctor.

How exactly are you defining that?

Buy me a beer when you finally make it out to this side of the country 😁

I can't find it on any torrent site to save my life—even though I'm looking for it constantly. 🤔

Casey Gomez said:Then there’s the matter of faith acting as a projection of desire toward the future. Essentially, faith in what is to come. Whether you call the mediator God, the quantum field, or whatever else suits your worldview, it all boils down to being subservient to the will. I am the manifestation of that will; I act and create as such. I am constantly reinventing myself and influencing my surroundings. That is the essence of existence. When I become conscious of the very fabric of my being, I find true satisfaction in the process—the way we find joy in play when we are children, and in creation once we mature. It's found in labor and in simplicity. It is achieved through a gaze that remains unburdened by worry.

Damn, I actually like this. Really like it.
I assume you'll mock me since I'm admitting I like it and because I don't have a more profound comment than "this is good"—but honestly, who cares?
I like it.

What exactly constitutes our existential duty toward one another?