Posts by Elizabeth Castillo87

Kenneth Cruz67 said:I remember reading in this book about warfare and its underlying causes (I can't recall the title or author off the top of my head, though I could probably look it up later!), that everything might actually boil down to chemistry—specifically oxytocin. It supposedly has this dual effect where it reinforces your own convictions while simultaneously ramping up your aversion to opposing views. I guess the more you love one thing, the more you end up hating anything different; it’s almost like one cannot exist without the other. So, if that's the case, maybe the only real solution would be total indifference. But then again, if we were all truly indifferent, I suppose even hatred wouldn't really be a big deal anymore.

Being indifferent might actually save us in toxic relationships.
But hate? Hate just makes things worse.

Have you ever even thought about throwing on some chill, low-key music?

Have you maybe been spending way too much time staring at a screen right before bed, scrolling through those endless threads from Sigmund Freud?

David Vaughn75 said:If there's no guru, then there's no lineage of disciples stretching back to Brahma, which would basically mean all that Vedic knowledge is just a total fabrication.

So, what are you getting at here? Are you actually suggesting we should spend our entire lives tethered to just one single teacher?

The closest I ever got to being a total guru disciple was when I took that Art of Living Sri Sri course led by Ravi Shankar. Look, I actually dug the hands-on stuff—the breathing exercises and the yoga were legit—but I absolutely couldn't stand the whole "worship the guru" vibe they try to push on you.
I mean, sure, he seems like a nice enough guy, but watching people parade him around like royalty or, god forbid, kissing his feet? Yeah, no thanks.
That was it for me. My career as a devoted follower ended right then and there.

Betty Myers6 said:

INTERVIEW: Goran Potkonjak - Death is just a new beginning, and this world is an illusion! (July 21, 2019)

☕

Honestly, I barely had the patience to sit through more than an hour of this. It leans pretty heavily into that whole Transurfing vibe. I finally had to bail once he started rambling about evolution.
By the way, did I miss the part where some suicidal person changes their mind after they've already kicked the bucket, or does that just not exist? Maybe I missed it because it happened in the first thirty minutes, but I didn't catch anything about someone actually having second thoughts after the fact.

driftingheron97 said:Has anyone actually figured out what’s lurking behind this whole illusion we call life?

Honestly, there's no single answer to that unless you're looking through someone's own lens, and let's face it, everyone sees things differently.
There are plenty of threads floating around this forum where people vent about their own wild experiences with this stuff.

Betty Myers6 said:What if you, say, decided to end it all—just out of pure curiosity...
And then, maybe two or three days later, you suddenly change your mind and actually want to live again?

Wait, are we talking about a failed attempt here?
Because I’m struggling to see how someone just "changes their mind" after they've actually succeeded.

silentcobra80 said:Could you go into a bit more detail? What exactly have these experiences been like for you both?

I actually did a deep dive on this exact topic a few years back—if you're interested, just search the "Visions" thread.
It won't exactly make you any wiser, but hey, there are some pretty wild stories in there.

Morgan Rodriguez40 said:No, it was more like waking up from a brief nap; I felt a bit groggy at first, but within two minutes, my head cleared and I was back on my feet perfectly fine.

Same thing happens to me. That split second right after waking up where it all makes sense, and then—poof—it just fades away.

Sean Mitchell said:Is it worth it? Or is it just a waste of time?

I can't help but wonder what's actually hiding "behind the curtain."

It’s not worth it.
From everything I’ve seen, you just wake up back at some previous point in your life and the whole cycle starts all over again—except you don't remember a damn thing, so you're just doomed to trip over the same stones twice.

Paul Rogers94 said:Look, this isn't some shallow "self-help" New age think-pink nonsense.

This isn't even really a discussion.
It was opened up just like several other threads—with a hidden missionary agenda, using Bible quotes as a way to prove why one *must* be Christian.
Intent defines results. Period.
So, if you're going to go there, say something about the mystical side of Christianity or Christian meditation.
Make Christianity actually look appealing for once.
Instead of immediately jumping to the tired "believers vs. atheists" cliché.
There’s Ignatius of Loyola’s meditations, Christian Gnosticism, early Christian mysticism...
Last summer, I hosted a priest from Rome—he stayed with me a few times. We’d sit outside on a bench, smoke some weed, watch the sunset, and talk about their techniques for direct experience, doctrinal differences, and all sorts of fascinating stuff.
Then you have Orthodox mystical traditions, Mount Athos, Gurdjieff, Solovyov...
...

All you people know is the "Our Father."
So say something then.
Even if it sounds stupid.

I have no idea what made you think I'm a Christian. I don't feel like I belong to any religion or sect, but, besides meditation, I do enjoy prayer sometimes. I have my own prayers and mantras; I don't believe in using "sacred languages," so my prayers and mantras are in my native tongue. Even standard formal language feels too stiff for me.

loneskipper10 said:How does any of that actually relate to the title of this thread?

Honestly, I’m asking myself the same thing.
That said, this topic is actually pretty interesting.
In my book, any kind of spiritual practice—if you're actually doing it sincerely—is going to lead you toward some mental peace. And once you find that inner calm, your tolerance levels go up, and you start handling conflict in a way that doesn't involve losing your mind.

I honestly don't think there’s any real way to quiet the mind other than through meditation and deep contemplation.
Now, I should probably clarify—I'm not even getting hung up on how absolutely necessary it is to shut your brain up in the first place.

Thomas Nelson25 said:My Way

It’s such a damn shame this comment doesn't come with its own soundtrack.

Paul Rogers94 said:Generalizing isn't even an option here—this whole thing is just a grotesque fantasy about salvation and redemption through suffering. Everywhere you look, there’s someone nailed to a Cross, bleeding out and staring you down with this accusatory gaze: "It's your fault; I'm here because of your sins." I don't recall ever volunteering to be crucified for anyone else's mistakes, let alone having them save me from anything. I have zero need for salvation, nor do I feel the need to be "rescued" from anything—I certainly don't consider myself born in sin or inherently sinful in any capacity. (The tactic is simple: convince you that you're guilty, then offer to bail you out.) Everyone is guilty just for being born; everyone should be ashamed of existing, scattering ashes, and humbly begging for forgiveness from a bunch of ancient, sleazy old bastards. An American Catholic will forgive anything except someone else's pleasure. Generations of sheep have been raised to have every ounce of joy castrated out of them—Catholics feel guilty at the slightest hint of happiness and immediately bolt to church for penance. Consequently, they won't allow anyone else any form of joy or enjoyment because they've been stripped of it themselves. That’s why all that repressed joy and pleasure leaks out in such twisted ways from the darkest corners of the subconscious—manifesting as a sort of sadistic pedophilia that serves as the invisible foundation of the entire structure. If that weren't the case, the whole system would collapse instantly; Catholicism would tear at the seams and simply cease to exist.

Generalizing again, huh? I know plenty of Catholics who are absolute life-of-the-party types. It’s a shame you’ve only ever had bad experiences.

Paul Rogers94 said:Oh yeah? Which part exactly was an exaggeration?

Pure generalization.

You’re laying it on a bit thick, don't you think? You're totally overgeneralizing here.

casualtiger2 said:The ego—it’s basically just a container, a shape, a structure where pure consciousness gets molded into something specific.
Then you have the functional ego—that part of us responsible for actually navigating life, keeping us oriented in time and space so we don't spend our days trying to walk through brick walls.
Then there’s the status ego—this imaginary persona. It’s loosely tied to who we really are, but it’s essentially a fake center of self-awareness that constantly tries to force its way through a wall
(whether it's our own or someone else's).
Once we become aware of how fleeting everything is—our own mortality—this part of our personality tries to grab onto the whole world out of pure fear, thinking maybe it can finally feel secure. It's a lost cause.

Since spirituality is really about finding your true Self, it naturally leads to freedom from that status-seeking ego.
That particular slice of the ego is definitely a problem, and it’s responsible for a huge chunk of the suffering in this world.
By "problem," I mean it stalls our evolution—even if, at some point early on, it was actually the thing driving us forward.

A functional ego—incorporating all those physical, emotional, intellectual, and willpower qualities—is necessary for anyone. In fact, a spiritual person should, in theory, be working to develop that side of themselves as much as possible.

Yeah, getting rid of that status ego is an uphill battle since it's been drilled into us since we were kids in elementary school.
Does it ever feel to you like you're just speaking gibberish?

Based on everything you've posted before, I know you’re a total skeptic when it comes to meditation and all that zen stuff, though honestly, I think it might actually do you some good.
Have you even thought about reaching out to a professional for some help?

So, when did this whole thing actually start happening to you?