Posts by Elizabeth Castillo87

Benjamin Taylor6 said:Maybe the guy was just having some sort of intense, transcendental epiphany—you know, like he finally grasped the core essence of his own soul. Or maybe his third eye just popped open out of nowhere. Either way, it's a lovely bit of writing. The real tragedy is that life rarely actually works out that poetically.

I don't know. To me, it feels like once you actually catch a glimpse of the soul, you realize that my soul, an amoeba's soul, the soul of some caveman, and the soul of every single living thing are all one and the same. We're all interconnected.
So what are we even falling in love with then? Isn't "love" just a fancy word for a chemical surge in our hormones?

Yeah, that’s a hell of a story you got there. But when you say you actually fell in love with yourself... what part of you are we talking about here? What was it that caught your eye? And honestly, what does "being in love" even mean to you?

Matthew Robinson3 said:I’ve actually tried some of these methods before because I've been searching for answers long before I ever sought out advice like this. Some worked, some didn't, but I'm still putting in the effort, which is exactly why I decided to reopen a thread like this.

Joker, you sure you wouldn't get better pointers over at psychology?
Spirituality is one of those slippery concepts that's hard to pin down, but most people agree it's basically just deep inner work. At the end of the day, you can only really change what's happening inside yourself.
And let's be real—"inner work" isn't just sitting around wallowing or playing the victim.
Though, hey, we all go through those phases sometimes, don't we?🙂

Matthew Robinson3 said:I’ve read plenty of advice on here, and honestly, I’ve even tried some of it, but I haven't seen much movement. I try my best to be patient with the people around me, but every so often, I can't help but wonder if I'm just spinning my wheels for zero payoff. When those thoughts hit, I force myself to find a silver lining and just keep moving, though I'm starting to wonder how much longer I can sustain that. It isn't easy being the only one putting in the work, but I'm giving it everything I've got. I'm trying to offer support without attempting to overhaul the personalities of everyone around me—people who seem to miss the bigger picture entirely. Some have suggested I should just swap out my social circle for a new one, but something in me just won't allow that. It feels more like my purpose is to discover these deeper perspectives and then attempt to share them with others. It’s a great feeling when someone finally "gets it" after you help them see things differently, but it hurts even more when they ignore your input, dismiss your words, or worse, insult you by saying I "overthink things for my age." Personally, I don't think age has anything to do with finding a smoother path through life. I don't want to change anyone; I just wish my close friends and colleagues could see that there are much heavier burdens in this world than just heartbreak—that there are physical and spiritual struggles far beyond just drinking or other vices. I realize we aren't all built the same way, but I struggle to accept that the very people who come to me for guidance often meet my sincerity with resentment simply because I didn't give them the easy, shallow answer they were looking for.

Wait, you managed to test all of that in just twenty-four hours? What was on the checklist—changing your entire social circle, manifesting a new reality, practicing radical honesty, being super tolerant of everyone else, and finding total inner peace?
Man, you're moving fast. It took me years just to wrap my head around some of this stuff, and frankly, I'm still a work in progress.

Jacob Sanchez7 said:Dredg, Karnivool, Cynic, mus, Nine Inch Nails, Tool, Porcupine Tree. That’s the list. Straight to the point.

Honestly, I love this stuff. But let’s get one thing straight: we don't actually *need* music to find some kind of zen. You don't need it to "achieve" spirituality or whatever. Music is for pure, unadulterated enjoyment—and you can find joy in it in a million different ways.
As for everything else? That's where the silence comes in.

electrictinker26 said:The reality is that I still find myself drawn to certain things
that I personally recognize as negative. It’s just that those
energies pull at you because they’ve become familiar; essentially,
the ego has learned how to extract value from all sorts of situations.
In those moments, friends can feel like a great way to feed that ego.
But then I find myself sliding back into old patterns, and honestly,
I don't want that. I want to move forward, yet it feels wrong to tell
my friends, "I don't want to hang out with you anymore."
They are dear to me, even if, from my perspective,
they carry certain negative traits.

It isn't that I have an issue with them, or that
I consider myself superior, or more valuable, for that matter.
However, when it comes to certain specific circumstances, I know a bit
more about some things, while they certainly know things better than I do.

And I wouldn't say that "better" and "worse" simply don't exist.
There is such a thing as a well-made pie and a poorly made pie.
There is a well-sung song and a poorly sung song.
One person might have a sense of style while another doesn't.
That doesn't make someone a worse person, but you have to admit
that most people gravitate toward quality, and I personally love doing quality work.
I understand that people play roles and that there is a logic to it all.
But looking at my own growth, I am feeling a bit ambitious. 🙂

My ultimate goal is to reach a point where nothing can sway me.
Of course, that hasn't been the case until now. And it sounds almost
too simple. If someone tells me they can listen to heavy metal
and feel good afterward, what does that mean? Would they need to be
raised to react the exact same way to everything? I wasn't
raised that way, and it actually has nothing to do with upbringing. Because if
I heard a song by an artist like Metallica when I was six and enjoyed it,
that isn't about how I was raised; it's about recognizing
love within certain things, and seeing where it is missing elsewhere.
I'm not sure what purpose negativity serves; perhaps it's just there
so we can identify it and cast it aside. I see no other use for it.

Now, look, I enjoy having a drink and I love to joke around. I can
easily choose not to drink or joke, and I'll still have a great time. It makes no difference
to me. But I have friends I've been close with for a long time—
probably fifteen years now—where traditions have formed and
many situations are emotionally tied to that history. In those moments,
I see scenarios that used to cause me problems, but now they don't.
I've shared my insights with many of them, and they haven't taken offense.
But it isn't easy work. 🙂 I will accept them as they are,
but when I am with them, I am reminded of those
old negativities. I suppose this is a lesson I have to
go through so I can learn to transform negativity into positivity.
And that approach has worked for me before.
It just saddens me when I find myself in a situation where
I see that there is nothing there, yet everyone else thinks there is.

Look, Yeeeah, I get it—I love metal too. And honestly? It doesn't leave me feeling like garbage.
But hey, I’m also a huge fan of Oliver. Every genre has its moment where it just fits perfectly, right? Sure, everyone's got their own thing, but if we all insist on being stuck in our own little bubbles of "taste," aren't we just letting our preferences run the whole show?

Aaron Cruz58 said:I suggest finding your tribe online. If your friends aren't going through the exact same things you are, they simply won't get it. It’s impossible.
For instance, how could politicians swimming in taxpayer money ever truly understand the struggles of everyday Americans just trying to make ends meet?

Look, when we actually make the effort to see things from someone else's perspective, usually that energy gets sent right back at us. You don't have to agree with everything a person says to actually understand where they're coming from.
But when we start feeling like the whole world is ignoring us, shouldn't we stop and ask ourselves why it feels that way?

silvermason2 said:Kudos to you for taking this path. 🙂

I totally get where you're coming from. I went through the exact same thing. Getting into spirituality changes you fast, and you quickly hit this wall where you feel like you don't belong with the people you used to be comfortable with. It doesn't seem like you're judging them; you've just become aware of a reality that can be pretty heavy and depressing sometimes (at least it was for me). My advice? Don't try to open their eyes. You won't win that fight. When they're ready to learn, it'll happen naturally. You can't force spirituality down someone's throat.

That doesn't mean you can't hang out or function in society, but I know plenty of people (myself included) who eventually had to change their entire social circle because being around "unawakened" people became absolutely unbearable. For anyone who wants to jump down my throat right now—I'm not attacking anyone. Those of you who've gone through sudden spiritual shifts will know exactly what I mean. Some people even cut themselves off from the world entirely for a while because it just felt right. That's fine. If you need time to tie up all the loose ends, take it. Don't ignore the need for solitude if it shows up.

As for the booze... Look, you don't have to quit if you don't want to, but cutting back might help if you're serious about moving forward. For me, it just happened. As I progressed, my body naturally started rejecting vices. I used to get brutal hangovers even from five beers, so I scaled my drinking back to once a month. Same with cigarettes—I never had an issue with them, smoked for five years straight, but suddenly they felt suffocating and I had to kick the habit. Your body will send you signals. Just listen to them and don't force it.

🙏
Hats off to you. Seriously. Even back when I was in my absolute prime, five beers would have absolutely wrecked me.

You’ve really stepped it up, and honestly, it looks great. Just one more little push and you’re going to realize that everyone’s actually on your side—you aren't some lone wolf drifting through life unless you choose to be. It all comes down to you. 😍

Anyway, I’m gonna go crack open a cold Budweiser or maybe pour myself a decent bourbon and just soak it all in. There’s nothing quite like it.😁

Benjamin Taylor6 said:CELIBACY?!
I haven't personally tried that specific method of spiritual growth—at least, not by choice. 😁

What I mean is the kind of celibacy described in this joke at the end. Let's call it "winding" celibacy:
A guy walks into his doctor's office and says:
- Doc, my wife is pregnant.
The doctor replies: - Well, that's great news.
- I know, but what's my sex life going to look like for the next nine months?
- Well, for the first three months, you can do things just like you always have. For the next three months...
you're stuck with doggy style, and for the final three months, it's strictly the wolf position.
- Thanks, doc. I'm just not sure what the "wolf position" actually entails.
- Oh, that's easy. You sit next to the hole and howl.

But honestly, I know people who actually attempted true celibacy and ended up failing quite miserably. To make matters worse, they usually end up getting beaten up and spending the night in a psych ward. Take my cousin, for instance—this Hare Krishna fellow who used to cause absolute chaos in our neighborhood. People eventually had to give him a good thrashing and call the police just to lock up the frustrated lunatic. Nowadays, he's just pumping iron at the gym, so he isn't out destroying everyone else's property anymore.
And the man actually holds a PhD. All those years of academic study didn't amount to much in certain respects. It took a solid ten years before God or Krishna finally decided to enlighten his brain.

Maybe he'll listen to you and then finally help me out.😁

Actually, maybe I should just find a crew and pay them to pray for me. 😁 Rent-a-Prayerhttp://www.forum.hr/showpost.php?p=3...&postcount=336

But how are you supposed to know if it’s actually your thing if you don't try it? It feels a little judgmental to just write off certain practices before even giving them a shot, doesn't it?

Benjamin Taylor6 said:Hare Krishna? Look, I’m not Indian, but I am Christian. Whenever I head out fishing by myself—just me and the water—I find myself humming this one specific hymn, though I usually just stick to a single verse:
Come, Holy Spirit, enlighten us from heaven with the power of Your grace!
Come, Holy Spirit, enlighten us from heaven with the power of Your grace!
Come, Holy Spirit, enlighten us from heaven with the power of Your grace!
Come, Holy Spirit, enlighten us from heaven with the power of Your grace!

It feels fundamentally the same as
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare

Oh, nice dodge! Talk about a quick exit strategy. I wasn't even talking about Hare Krishna—I was talking about celibacy.

Benjamin Taylor6 said:I personally know quite a few people who are young, strong, and deeply spiritual. But here's the kicker: they renounce every single earthly pleasure for the sake of the heavenly kingdom. They follow their Krishna blindly, thinking that by practicing celibacy, they'll somehow grab God by the beard a little faster. In the end, from what I can see, they haven't grabbed anyone by the beard—they just ended up missing out on all the good stuff in life.😢😲😁

So, have you actually given this method a shot yourself? Seriously, I’m dying to know if it actually works or if it's just more hype.

Not me. Honestly, now I’m feeling a little awkward about the whole thing.

Thanks!

Well, here I go again! I was trying to clear out my sent folder to finally get some breathing room in my inbox, but instead, I managed to accidentally wipe out all my received messages. Is there any way to undo this disaster?

Thanks.

Quote:

loneraven25 says: ...can you just grab a screenshot so we can actually see what you're talking about?

http://i49.tinypic.com/bi33hj.jpg

They aren't even in a larger font, and there isn't a single damn picture to be found. Honestly, I noticed the exact same glitch happening over on the Religion section when I scrolled down to page five One Love, Two Faiths.

jadetrucker43 said:Maybe they just used a bigger font size? 🤷

Nope, not even that. They’ve just been scaled up so much they’re bleeding right off the edges of the screen. Honestly, I haven't quite figured out why the hell it's doing that yet.

Hey everyone, quick question—can someone explain why some of my DMs show up looking totally normal while others come through in this weird, oversized format? Did I mess something up in my settings or something?
I’m honestly struggling to navigate these giant messages, and I have zero clue how to shrink them back down to size.