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Posts by Rachel Williams18

31 posts shown.

Vedic Science in Spirituality ·
bluemason3 said:It’s not really an option. There's a massive debate over whether you can actually become Hindu if you weren't born into it. For many, it feels more like a cultural or ethnic identity rather than just a religious choice. Very few organizations actually facilitate formal conversions to Hinduism (mostly because much of what we see today stems from the Neo-Hindu movement, which tends to focus on bringing former Hindus back into the fold—often in entire communities that switched to other faiths like Islam, Christianity, or Buddhism due to various social or political pressures). Now, if you're looking at joining a specific sect within Hinduism, there are initiations and all that. You can certainly become part of a certain lineage or spiritual tradition, but it's debatable whether that makes you "Hindu" in the full sense. Most people wouldn't share that core cultural background or go through the standard life rituals an average American Hindu would.

With Christianity, you get baptized, usually after finishing some basic classes.

Converting to Judaism is one of the toughest paths out there; it takes serious work.

As for becoming a Freemason, you can only be accepted by specific lodges through their own initiation process.

Sure, maybe you could just call yourself an alchemist and leave it at that.😁
Becoming Muslim is relatively straightforward. Even becoming Buddhist isn't too much of a climb.


See, that’s exactly it! So you aren't "Hindu" unless you have the entire Vedas memorized? Or if you can translate them into one or more European languages? From that logic, every Hindu is basically genetically locked in, just like a Jew or a Mujahideen. That makes it a sociological or political definition first and foremost. And honestly, there's no room for that kind of stuff in true spirituality. I see Hinduism as the oldest, most universal spiritual practice and theory out there—it isn't limited by where you came from or your genetic tie to a specific nation. I perceive it as "knowledge"—a legacy meant for all possible incarnations, races, or whatever... basically a total spiritual and "scientific" heritage for every living being incarnating on this planet.

Based on what you're writing, it sounds like you can't be "Hindu" unless you were born an Indian in some isolated Brahmin community. To me, that mindset is basically just fascism, communism, or National Socialism in a spiritual mask. Either way, you're basically turning Hinduism into nothing more than elitist hermeticism, Gnosticism, or some occult secret society doctrine...

So, yeah, nothing new here. It’s always that same vibe: "We hold onto these secrets for centuries and it's not for everyone." If someone takes "that" away from us, or if "that" goes mainstream—then suddenly our elitist status is under threat.

In contrast to those elitist esoteric circles, our "knowledge" is hidden behind the ancient Sanskrit language. You have to be crazy enough to spend years mastering Sanskrit just to even have a chance at resonating with the Vedic texts. Because without resonating with the Vedas—there is no resonance with Hinduism.

But my take is totally different—it's more of a personal experience. I view Sanskrit and the Vedas generally as technology, not just a language. Like, an advanced vibrational technology that bypasses the consumer's linear-logical perception, which means the rhetorical importance of the Vedic script fades into the background. Instead, the main focus—in the spiritual, mental, and physical experience—becomes that fine internal structure we call the soul.
Vedic Science in Spirituality ·
darkcrane14 said:You have to understand that while the Vedas are indeed the foundational bedrock of Hinduism, they’ve become somewhat sidelined in modern discourse because contemporary beliefs have drifted so far from those ancient roots; see, today, the concept of reincarnation sits at the very heart of Hindu practice, yet if you actually dive into the oldest Vedic texts, you'll find mentions of heaven and hell, but not a single solitary word regarding the cycle of rebirth like we see now today

It really is quite a struggle to bridge that theological gap in our current era


Man, there are people on this forum who clearly vibe with Hinduism, but they all act so incredibly gatekeepy—like it’s some elite club that the "average Joe" isn't allowed to touch. It’s ridiculous! They don't seem to get that we're living in the freaking information age. Everything is just a couple of clicks away. These days, you can click through a website and suddenly you're into Hinduism, or Freemasonry, or Judaism, or Christianity, or even alchemy... it's all right there at your fingertips.
Vedic Science in Spirituality ·
goldeneagle2 said:The most authentic form of the Veda is still practiced in the Brahmin village where the famous American guru Kumar originally hails from...

Is this some kind of total joke or what...? 🤔
Vedic Science in Spirituality ·
bluemason3 said:Just Google it 😁

It’s gone. Vedic religion is basically extinct. You might find a few Brahmin groups tucked away in some rural villages that still cling to that specific stage of development, or maybe a handful of organizations that claim inspiration from the Vedas.

Most of what people talk about in the West is just modern Neo-Hinduism—a 19th-century invention built by stitching together Puranic Hinduism and other traditions that were already post-Vedic (dating back to the Middle Ages).

The Krishna followers are a slight exception; they follow one of those Puranic sects from the late Middle Ages, though they've been heavily reformed and adapted over time. Even they don't have much to do with the actual Vedas or the original Vedic religion, despite their obsession with slapping the label "Vedic" on everything under the sun.

If you actually want to study this seriously, you're better off enrolling in an Indology program rather than joining some local spiritual group.

Could you maybe be a little more specific here? Like, which exact areas, villages, or groups are we even talking about?...
The mystery of life itself in Off-topic ·
Quote:Listen,
Richard Ward69 says:
Hell yeah, man, I’ve been waiting for you to drop this 😉

Honestly, what a thread. Looking at the big picture—evolutionarily speaking—we basically leveled up way too fast. Like, our brains pretty much doubled in size in a blink of an eye. But the catch? Nature didn't give us a freaking manual on how to actually handle all that extra processing power. So now we’re just out here trying to patch the holes ourselves with endless degrees, seminars, and constant learning. At the end of the day, we're all basically running the same code—just drifting through consciousness and emotions. We're mostly just repeating the same patterns over and over. Is there a Source or some kind of God or whatever? There are hints, sure, but if you actually want to get even a glimpse of that stuff, you gotta 😉

Cheers 🙂

I can't help but feel like evolution isn't just a one-way street. It feels more like life goes through these evolutionary and devolutionary cycles—these massive waves of change that we aren't even wired to perceive. It's like that old mystical teaching says: "We came from minerals, and to minerals we return." We go from a mineral state back toward human form, and then back again... it's just an infinite loop, forever and ever.

And personally? I think the whole idea of "inanimate matter" is total nonsense. How can a rock or a boulder be "dead"? They were born from molten lava—which is basically just the Earth's guts leaking out! Is there even such a thing as a "dead planet"? Everything is constantly reacting at the subatomic level. There are intense nuclear forces happening everywhere. Isn't energy itself, fundamentally, alive?

Why did we narrow down the entire concept of birth, life, and death to just biological systems that eat and breed? Because that’s the only version of reality our species can wrap its head around. It's convenient.

So, in a way that's incredibly selfish and honestly pretty naive, we've taken the massive mystery of existence and energy and shoved it into this tiny, cramped perception of a lower reality. We basically formed an exclusive club for "life and survival," and we only let in the candidates who look like us—the ones who eat, consume, have sex, and reproduce.

But whether I'm looking through a microscope or staring through a telescope, I see the exact same principles playing out: birth, life, death, the struggle to exist. I see the clash of love versus hate, order versus chaos, creation versus destruction.

It doesn't matter if it's a subatomic particle or a massive galaxy. Or a human being standing right on that fuzzy line between micro and macro existence, between mere survival and some "divine manifestation." It’s all like a symbol, or a clue to some incredibly complex algorithm or mystical formula...

Like it's right there. Inside me and outside me, always and forever. Man, there’s this deep, gut-level intuition that the ultimate answer—the final truth and pure realization—is just around the corner. Just past the next deep thought or the next meditation session. It feels like it's shyly hiding behind every city block I walk down or every street corner I turn. Like it's hovering just beyond my next thought or action. And then...

Instead of that big, beautiful epiphany I’m craving, I just get handed another cryptic symbol, another riddle. Another puzzle piece I have to try and jam into this abstract construction of spiritual growth. And it's been going on for years. Honestly, it's been going on since the moment I became self-aware. It’s a blessing and a curse at the exact same time. A reward and a punishment wrapped into one single package.
The mystery of life itself in Off-topic ·
Jacob Cooper5 said:Solid questions.
So, what have you actually done to try and find these answers?
Biology? Chemistry? Anthropology? Psychology? Sociology?
Let me guess—you've spent years digging through existing databases and still came up empty-handed, so now you're just venting on an American message board because you're frustrated?


There’s nothing to "do" here, man, because this isn't some business venture or a startup thing. There’s no prize, no cherry on top, no reward waiting at the finish line. Honestly, there isn't even a slice of cake expected. It’s just the heavy burden of realization and self-discovery, which gives you these tiny little hints and half-answers to those eternal questions...

Most of the time, when I feel like starting a thread, it’s because of the various alkaloids I’m consuming or those asymmetrical neural connections that flash during a state of total intoxication—just pure chemical imbalance in my brain, you know?...

So yeah, addiction, alcoholism, perversions, whatever... if you really want to know what motivates me, that's the list. Not that it has anything to do with the topic, though.

The actual topic is the mystery of existence—how things persist, and the whole weird mystery of how subtle forms somehow manage to find their way into a living, breathing biological body.
The mystery of life itself in Off-topic ·
Look, I’m a creative guy through and through—designer by trade—so my brain just works in pictures. I visualize everything. Seriously. Everything from the most random daily bullshit and how I’m feeling, to actual face-to-face chats, even deep dives on these forums... all the way up to massive geopolitical drama unfolding globally. It’s constant.😁

I can't even remember a single night where I didn't drift off while mentally replaying every single thing that hit my brain during the day. Just a non-stop movie loop in my head.

But lately—for like the last year or so—this one specific image has been crashing the party. It’s like this spontaneous "final vision" that keeps forcing itself into my head over and over again... people kissing. No matter what else I’m trying to meditate on or focus on, there it is.

And before anyone starts thinking this is some weird, creepy thing—it isn't. It’s not negative at all. It feels more like... I don't know, an ultimate realization? Like this profound insight into the mystery of existence, the sheer essence of how fleeting life on Earth is, and this grander purpose we’re all supposedly part of... if you catch my drift.
The mystery of life itself in Off-topic ·
Does that heavy, existential weight ever just crawl up your spine? You know—that timeless, out-of-body sensation where everything feels like one massive, unsolvable cosmic riddle...?

I’m kind of everything—but I'm definitely not all of it!
I’m everything—yet I’m nothing at all!


It's like being double, triple...
One single person—but also two-faced, three-faced, totally multi-layered...
Just perfectly functional and completely screwed up—all at once.

Sometimes I'm good, sometimes I'm bad, sometimes I'm straight-up evil...

But man, this mystery of just *existing*... it won't let me go.
Why am I even looking?
And what the hell am I actually seeing?

I see you guys living in my world
And I see myself drifting through yours.

Same raw matter, same old fears, the same gut feelings, thoughts, cravings, emotions...
It's like the whole damn human race is woven right into me—and I'm stitched right into it.
Vedic Science in Spirituality ·
bluemason3 said:Pretty much everything has been translated into English for ages, and well enough at that. Besides, plenty of people understand Sanskrit. You even have decent Indology programs in places like NYC where studying Sanskrit is a core focus.

Blavatsky was just spinning yarns that had little to do with the Vedas, selling her own narratives and interpretations that don't exist in the original texts. Just your typical romanticizing occultist peddler.


So yeah, I'm with you on that—the Madam definitely twisted a huge chunk of it just to fit the political and social vibes of her era.

Wait, are you seriously claiming that Theosophists, in general, are just manipulators of Vedism? I mean, come on... she had a massive influence on how Freemasonry, the Rosicrucians, the OTO, even those Nazi mystic groups developed—hell, she even touched on Darwinian thought and science back then...

Got any links or books for English or American translations of the Vedas?

Look, maybe I'm full of it, but she did provide some really exhaustive accounts and an understanding of the Vedas. At least, in my eyes... though she definitely leaned too hard into the political and social climate of Germany, or rather, Europe. I've read most of the Theosophical books, and there’s some seriously competent thought and ideas in there.
Not that I can fully wrap my head around it without being an expert on the Vedas myself, obviously...

Drop some links for Veda translations, either in ENG or American.

In your opinion, are there any actual, relevant Vedic communities in the US, specifically in Washington, D.C.? Like, anyone actually practicing the original Vedic knowledge?
Vedic Science in Spirituality ·
So, what even is this whole "Veda science" thing?

I mean, how much of it actually makes it over to us Americans? How much of it has even been decently translated into ENG? Take Blavatsky, for instance—it feels like she’s basically the only one who called out the West for mishandling Veda knowledge, and because of that mess, it ended up in the hands of 19th-century occultists and Nazi fanatics... just a total tragicomedy...
Am I too selfish? in Psychology ·
briskranger5 said:Let’s be honest: the title here is nonsense. We aren't talking about something normal, are we?

I won't drone on forever, so I'll try to make my point concisely, though I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.

I see it all around me—and maybe I’m guilty of it too—people who grew up with nothing and spent their entire lives grinding just to build something substantial. They sacrificed everything to get there. But then they hit this certain age where their children are well-off, their grandkids are comfortable... yet they haven't changed one bit. They still obsess over every single cent, treating a cheap bottle of Jack Daniel's like it's some grand luxury.🙂

And I’m not even talking about your average retiree. I’m talking about the people who actually built something through sweat and grit on construction sites or in tough trades.

Some might argue it’s just a generational thing, but I see plenty of examples of this happening right now.

Personally, I can be pretty frugal, but I’m not so sure I could ever go to such extremes, even for my own flesh and blood.

What about you?

What a load of crap!

Today we’re gonna feast on prosciutto, lobster, and fine wine, sipping on fresh-squeezed OJ, and tomorrow...
it'll be the exact same thing—because I'll figure it out somehow. Same goes for paying the bills. I was never the type to stress about the future; I just live for today or, okay, maybe tomorrow. As absurd as it sounds, I feel like we live in a world of absolute abundance. There's air, there's water, there's food. I drove everything from a beat-up old Ford to a shiny new Chevy—just a kid at heart. My kid had a Nokia 3310 or an iPhone—doesn't matter, still just a kid. It's all just status and social snobbery.

Honestly, I’m a huge spender. If it weren't for my wife—she watches every single dollar—I’d blow my entire paycheck in two weeks flat.
Show us your setups (keep comments in a separate thread!) in Hobbies & Leisure ·
Alright, here’s another one for the books. So, I’m 37 years old, and for the last 16 months, I’ve been absolutely obsessed with everything bodybuilding. Like, I am deep in the trenches here. Over these past 14 months—man, I can’t even tell you how much sweat I've poured into this... just that incredible muscle pump and that total "zen" headspace you get after a killer session. About 14 months ago, I was basically a total pig—and I mean that in every sense of the word. I was 6'1", 255 lbs, carrying a massive gut and just... way too much body fat.

image
Show us your setups (keep comments in a separate thread!) in Hobbies & Leisure ·
So, I’ve been on this crazy "macro-counting" kick for like, 30 days now... and honestly? It’s basically just me slamming protein shakes and chugging gallons of water all day long🙂.

imagefree photo upload
Show us your setups (keep comments in a separate thread!) in Hobbies & Leisure ·
Alright, so after twelve solid months of this absolute peasant-style training—just grinding away like a blue-collar worker—I’m finally making the call to hit a cutting phase. Going straight into a calorie deficit... strictly business now. But man, I swear, my own damn lack of discipline is killing me—too much smoking, way too much drinking... if I actually had some self-control, I’d be shredded by now. Just... ugh.

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Show us your setups (keep comments in a separate thread!) in Hobbies & Leisure ·
Honestly, looking at all your photos... I don't even know what I'm doing here😁.
But man, I really feel like I finally beat my own damn self🙏.

I'm 37 years old
. Been hitting the gym hard for about 11 months now
.
Standing at 6'1"
.
Back when I started 11 months ago—before I ever stepped foot in a gym—I was sitting at 250 lbs
. Now I'm hovering somewhere between 220 and 227 lbs (probably just water weight... or whatever those supplements 😁 do to you)
. Dropped a ton of fat and definitely packed on some muscle mass
.
I wasn't even following a strict bulk or cut or anything specific like that. I've just been obsessively reading up on bodybuilding and nutrition for a long time now
. The plan is to go full beast mode on a planned bulk next year, then maybe shred down later, and we'll just see where life takes me
.
So yeah, hit me with your recommendations, comments... whatever you got, I'm all ears
.
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imageupload picture
What's your biggest motivation in life? in Psychology ·
Jeffrey Ramos4 said:👍

Most people never get it. They stay stuck in the material stuff, the sex, the romance... most people never truly know themselves, they just follow the crowd. They exist—breathing, drinking, eating, defecating, and eventually dying. That's it.
But regardless of all that, everyone has the right to choose their own path, their own motives, their own goals, whatever they want.

Well... look, that’s fine too, I guess, provided the person actually has some self-awareness. Like, if they realize that hedonism is (only) just a trigger—something that hits those glandular mechanisms first (you know, activating those subtle centers at a finer level)—which then basically
floods the system with all that "good chemistry"...

I mean, you can build it that way... starting from the physical body (pleasure), moving through the mental, and up to the subtle body. But man, those are some seriously intense techniques. You need a solid theoretical foundation and a damn good mentor to guide you. And honestly, this PDF isn't the place for that. Not even in the USA (props to the few who get it), because if you mention something like that to a "regular Joe," they'll immediately label you a "Satanist, an occultist, whatever..."
That "black hat" influence out there is just too strong. People are totally oblivious. It's hard to wipe that influence away from someone when it's been shoved into their archetypes for centuries...

Real satisfaction? You can't force it through pure hedonism. Not without understanding who you actually are... as, like, an essential, spiritual being.
Otherwise, you're just committing physical terror against yourself...

Sure, you might be able to... (slightly) inflate the ego that way. But in the end, it's gonna backfire.
The person will just end up further away from the actual goal... the one we're all really chasing anyway.
In other words; you're heading straight into the abyss again.

And yeah, I'm a hedonist (always have been).
But indulging—or let's call it what it is, being a slave to those animalistic urges—won't give you any
real benefits unless you've established a strict hierarchy, based on the principle of spirit -> mind -> body. Anything else is just a waste. The subtle level doesn't "drive" motives. The subtle level *is* the creator of motives. To put it another way;
If you've neglected your spiritual body—you're never gonna have that primal, powerful motivation.

And that kind of motivation is the only thing, for sure, that actually leads to the goal!
What's your biggest motivation in life? in Psychology ·
ironrider11 said:it's just like they say... as above, so below...

man...
That’s getting a little deep for a simple PDF, don't you think?

But... honestly? Yeah, that’s exactly it!
It’s just... how many people living in this stereotypical American bubble actually have the guts—the actual time and mental strength—to realize that all that external stuff we chase is really just a reflection of what's going on inside us?
It took me like 30 years to finally wrap my head around that... and then another few years just to start seeing the payoff...
What's your biggest motivation in life? in Psychology ·
I’m just done with motivation. Honestly, I’ve moved way past it—it’s all an illusion, really, and honestly? It’s just regressive for anyone trying to actually be human.
My life has basically been a series of different phases, kind of looking like this:

Ages 16-20; Sex, romance, chasing feelings... (not that I regret it, that's just biology at work, you know?😍)
Ages 20-30; Money, survival, hoarding every useless thing I could get my hands on... (yeah, I actually regret this one. Total waste of years...👎)
Ages 30-37; Personal growth, self-improvement, finally ditching all those fake societal standards everyone tries to force on you... (hands down the best years of my life.🙂

But once I finally, *finally* let go of all those "motives" and "goals," everything changed. Like, drastically. Physically, mentally, spiritually—everything.
The stress? Gone. I basically reconnected with that inner kid. Just pure curiosity, playfulness, living for the moment... right here, right now. And funny enough, it's actually manifesting itself in a weird way,
where all those old "goals and motives" from my younger years are actually happening anyway. Everything feels accessible now. Sex, romance, cash, material junk, "social status"... it's all just there.

Still, I've lived enough to know it's all just ego traps. And the ego? It always tries to drag you back down (but not anymore). My ego used to run the show, but today? No chance in hell against my true core,
which I think I've built up to its absolute limit—with a little help along the way. And it's not just my spirit; my mind and my body are right there with it. I'm finally whole, finally full...
I don't even know where I'm headed, but frankly, who cares?

It's about the journey—not the destination.
It's about the way you live—not the motive.
Genius Mind in Psychology ·
Old soul, Indigo...
Are you guys for real? in Economy ·
Yeah, I definitely inherited something from my granddad.
The old man was actually pretty loaded. He had three houses—two of them were right on the beachfront—plus two jet skis, a massive boat, a bakery, a cafe, some land, vineyards, and a retail shop.
After all that, what did I get from his estate? Just a lifetime supply of varicose veins in my legs😁.