Posts by Amanda Roberts21

hiddenhound3 said:Do you want to know my one true grievance with the moderators? It is that they even bother to engage in debate with people like you in the first place.

Your arguments lack any substance, and you perpetually resort to whining and playing the victim.
If people conducted themselves with basic decency, moderators wouldn't even be necessary... take me, for instance. I have no need for moderation. When I encounter someone being difficult, I simply walk away (unless they send vulgar private messages—like these), rather than indulging in mindless, ego-driven bickering.

From my perspective as an objective observer, you appear to be someone who is merely running in place.

Furthermore, you cling to this forum so desperately that I am almost inclined to believe you harbor some sort of ulterior ambition.😁

Besides, why are these conflicts from the Philosophy Forum being imported here? You seem to seize upon every single opportunity to pick a fight with someone.

👍 florine

exactly....

casualtiger2—they appointed you as a representative of the owners to maintain order, assuming you’d actually do it right. This isn't some democratic town hall meeting where users elect you, so they have absolutely no right to whine or demand you serve them according to their whims.

Just stick to the rules, try to judge what’s most fair, follow your gut—you're a decent guy, so it shouldn't be hard—and once you've made a call, just stand by it without over-explaining yourself.

Don't get sucked into endless debates; otherwise, it looks like you're desperately defending your decisions. If you start over-defending, people will think you're insecure about them. And if they sense insecurity, they'll walk all over you. Pretty soon you'll be running for the exit, and you'll end up nuking the whole forum because you don't need this kind of stress in your life.

Look at someone like No One and Nothing—from what I can tell, he just does what he thinks is right, gives a brief explanation if anyone asks, and then shuts up. He shares his views on threads and engages in discussions using a different handle like any regular user. It's best to step in as a mod as rarely as possible and just quietly get the job done. It might drive some people crazy, but those people have issues with themselves, not with you.

My advice? Establish a healthy distance like that, and you'll have more authority—and more importantly, you'll actually have some peace and quiet. 🙂

Kenneth Peterson5 said:Because, if you ask me, it’s basically the biggest embarrassment on all of Reddit right now.

The whole drug thing is bad enough, but having you—a member of the Comet cult and a moderator that kids actually look up to as some kind of authority figure—involved? That’s just beyond the pale. It’s pathetic.

That's why.

Oh, come on, Kenneth Peterson5—I read what the admins had to say about those nasty little jabs you took at Gregory and his mentor.
Right here on

I have nothing more to add, and I completely agree with how that person assessed Gregory.

Just give the man a chance! Stop the gossip, stop dragging unverified rumors about his teacher into this, and just offer him a hand like everyone else does.

He’s a volunteer in this position—he’s giving up his own free time to try and do something good for others, all while exposing himself to the backlash from the very people he's trying to help. For that alone, he deserves some warmth—not to mention he’s proven himself to be a calm, level-headed, and decent guy with a real sense of integrity.

Kenneth Peterson5, girl—you are seriously intense when it comes to Alvin. It’s actually becoming fascinating to watch... Or maybe you’re just

a) head over heels
b) or you ARE Alvin

Honestly, I can't wrap my head around why you've gotten so worked up defending him and fighting his battles. Even he tried to distance himself from you—he actually mentioned in one of his posts that you're basically trying to hijack the moderator seat...

Just take a breath... this is JUST AN ONLINE FORUM. It's supposed to be fun and a distraction. If you, Alvin, and everyone else here vanished tomorrow, we'd all manage just fine without your crusade to save Alvin and bring him back to "philosophy." Actually, thinking about it—you probably underestimate spirituality if you think being here is such a waste of his time...

As for who is actually behind the screen and this whole "virtual identity disorder" thing—as Samantha put it—I am 100% with her on that. Look—what do you actually know about me? For all you know, I could be paralyzed and typing this while using a straw to drink. Maybe I weigh 280 pounds and need a crane just to get out of the house. Or maybe I'm a guy finally embracing who I am and using the digital world to feel like a woman... Or maybe I'm locked in a psych ward and they gave me a laptop and Wi-Fi just to keep me from losing it. How would you ever know? You don't know the person behind the handle, you only know the ideas being typed out—and THAT IS ALL.

So, lady, please do not
get so swept up in your little
mission to protect Alvin.

Alvin is doing just fine without you...
Everyone is doing just fine without you playing cop.
The forum works perfectly well without you tilting at windmills.

casualtiger2 said:Whoa, hold up.
This isn't the "holidays and greetings" thread—though, thanks 😁, I appreciate it
. I’m looking for your honest, subjective takes here—give me the deep critiques and the creative sparks alike.
And don't be shy; I want at least half a page of actual substance.
I'm hunting for Shiva and Vishnu (Brahme is already spoken for 😬).
As bluemason3 would say—if we're short on guys, maybe throw in a Bozic...

The floor is yours.

If you're saying this isn't for greetings, then I guess it's too early for my first day in this new role to be considered undisciplined by greeting and praising you, because

you were cool before, but now that you're a moderator, you'll probably become a total snob. 😎

Definitely a solid choice: composed, quiet yet impactful, never gets into petty arguments, a long-time meditation practitioner, an expert in spirituality, polite, respects others' views, but not a pushover—just right... 👍 just don't let the power go to your head. 😁

Spirituality Forum is alright. I haven't voted yet, but I'll pick a positive option. It feels a bit stagnant since we split from organized religion and those various New Age trends, but whatever... I drop by every day, whether it's me, one of my clones, or all of us together 😁 ....🤣

I see this as a bit of fun and a unique chance to spout some wisdom publicly. The other reason is that there are beautiful people here who possess that spiritual dimension, which isn't exactly common. People are so wrapped up in materialism; finding someone who voluntarily dives into their inner self to seek answers to life's biggest questions is a rarity, and that's why they gather in one place, which is great. That’s why I regularly peek voyeuristically into their profiles, whereas I never bother with the profiles of people outside the spiritual sphere.

The arguing used to bother me at first, but not anymore, because as one of my favorite authors, Edward Flores4, beautifully put it regarding philosophy—people mistakenly identify with their usernames and then think that persona is a real person here that they have to defend. Basically, I'll just attach his text since it covers everything, so I won't improvise.

With posts like these, you're really shoving yourself into the same category that similar people fall into, a category informally known as "virtual identity disorder." Essentially, it involves people who conflate their online handle with their actual personal identity, leading them to interpret virtual events as if they were happening to them personally, which triggers a whole chain of issues. These individuals believe their "cyber nickname" carries the reputation, credibility, dignity, and authority of a physical human being. They constantly ignore the fact that on forums, most people are chatting with others they've never met—or at least don't know they've met—with only a few exceptions. They also ignore the reality that most members, who haven't abstracted their identity into a "cyber handle," cannot even grasp the concept of "proving dominance" of one non-existent identity over another non-existent identity.

Bottom line... this Spirituality Forum isn't real life, and it never will be an adequate substitute for it. People who fail to grasp that constantly end up spinning wild conspiracy theories about "moderator plots" against their "identity"—usually claiming we're just trying to "prove dominance"—or, in even more pathetic cases—like Alim—they actually believe everyone else is just threatened by their infinite wisdom and all-encompassing knowledge.

so after realizing this, I don't let it get under my skin anymore; if I do snap or lash out at someone, it’s purely a performance—I'm just playing a part...

Besides, the actual value of a forum like this is being able to voice an opinion just to have everyone tear it apart—then, if you're being honest while defending it, you can see exactly where you messed up, or better yet, realize you were dead right all along. It forces people to sharpen their arguments.

Furthermore, interacting here helps you develop a certain speed in spotting stupidity and inconsistencies—you even build an intuition for what kind of person you're actually dealing with—so this whole writing thing serves as a sort of mental exercise...

All in all, I'm satisfied. Except for those times when I catch myself sitting at the computer for hours on end—overdosing on typing until I'm rambling nonsense, feeling totally brain-fogged, acting all "edgy," and snapping at everyone in my actual life while hunting for logical fallacies in their arguments.😍 That’s my sign that my clones and I need to just shut the damn computer down.

Mind you, there are some truly wonderful, brilliant, and witty people here—talented writers, relentless debaters, intellectuals, educated folks, and total jerks... I applaud them all and hold no grudges against anyone or anything. Not against the moderator Nikoga (especially not him, he's 🙂), but seriously, everything is fine with me.

bluemason3 said:Yeah, I think we’re seeing an attempt to transplant an entire culture here—not just spirituality, but everything. In America, this isn't viewed as deep-rooted tradition like it is in India; it's treated as pure exoticism. That tends to attract people who are more lost than they are grounded. On the flip side, maybe that's how people actually find their way. They stumble through the chaos and eventually build a foundation that's actually healthier than those New Age types chasing "chakra alignment" or "instant enlightenment" without any real substance behind it.

Hare Krishna can honestly just shatter anyone who isn't mentally rock-solid.

Only truly powerful individuals can break free if they manage to exit at the right time.

Cults are incredibly, incredibly dangerous—not just for your spiritual journey, but for your mental health too.

Feel free to quote me if you want.

haug 😉

bluemason3 said:That's an exaggeration.

The whole concept of "enlightenment" is just a mindless Western myth. There are plenty of spiritual traditions, and most involve some kind of mystical experience. You’ll have yoginis and jnanis talking about different types of samadhi, bhakti, or bhavas, but none of them suddenly become free from biases, beliefs, or individual quirks overnight. This idea of "enlightenment" being some destination of absolute perfection? It's a myth. It doesn't exist.

As for his actual spiritual depth, I honestly don't know. Even someone like Saint Francis of Assisi, as much as I respect him, was essentially a fanatic who viewed everyone else—anyone non-Christian—as being in error. And yet, I'd call him a spiritual giant. Then you look at Adi Shankara and his exclusivity. Given that you're a woman, a non-brahmin, and a layperson, you wouldn't have any standing in his version of ultimate spirituality anyway.

So, while I agree that Prabhupada had more biases and limitations than some others, everyone has them. That shouldn't be used as a yardstick for spirituality.

Fine, maybe I went a bit overboard—admitting things were "sparse" was probably too much... 🙄

But honestly, my heart breaks for certain friends of mine who joined them—people I lost entirely because of this cult. I have watched whole families fall apart over Hare Krishna, seen brilliant, capable people lose all touch with reality, and witnessed mothers handing their children over to these guru-led schools that were nothing more than breeding grounds for predators. I've seen marriages end because of their rigid little rules, seen beautiful women turn themselves into miserable shadows just scavenging for cookie crumbs, and watched intellectuals humiliate themselves selling books just to fund those temples. It’s devastating to see smart, unhappy people stuck in this gray limbo—neither here nor there. I’ve seen it all firsthand, which is why I think the old man was dangerous—and yeah, maybe I get a little heated when it comes to this movement...

There is this one video of his on YouTube from a TV appearance where he makes several shallow statements, including:


you need to REALIZE God and TRY to love Him

That single sentence tells you everything you need to know about his mindset. To him, knowing God is just a matter of information—it's a mental exercise, a matter of KNOWLEDGE—whereas love is treated as a mere act of WILL. That is the entire movement in a nutshell: built entirely on HIS WORDS and His commands, pretending to LOVE while they actually despise anything that isn't them.

Andrew Sanchez572 said:Not quite
what about you?

What happened to all that "reverence" you have for Satan and his glorious light?

I'm genuinely curious—how do you even attempt to mentally reconcile a guru, Prabhupada, the Vedanta, chanting... and Satan?

🙂

bluemason3 said:Yeah... it's a pretty childish way to look at things. But I think part of it is because Srila Prabhupada was already quite elderly when he arrived. Unlike, say, a young CEO starting a company today, he wasn't trying to adapt spirituality to a foreign cultural context. Instead, he transplanted an entire culture into a different mindset. That creates a totally different dynamic than what you see with Indians drawn to Vaishnavism. It's probably similar to our conservative Christians here in the States—that traditionalist, theistic approach where everything is a pivot toward the past, from the clothes to the theology to the daily conduct. But once you move outside your own culture, those views stop being a lifestyle and start looking like exoticism or an escape, which tends to attract a very specific type of person.

An older man has already built and solidified his "inner structure," and he has less time to change his theses. When he passed, he left behind disciples who, judging by later events, clearly weren't ready.

Beyond those "misunderstandings," I think there were a few genuinely wrong stances taken. Still, despite all that, he brought an aspect of Hinduism to the West that people wouldn't have known otherwise—even though devotion and bhakti are much more common in India itself than the yoga that Westerners often mistake for the entirety of Indian spirituality.🙂

So what if he was old? HE WASN'T ENLIGHTENED.

He was just some limited old man with an insane amount of willpower.

The guy was a fanatic on a mission.

That's exactly why those poor souls who fall into that cult are lost causes—the more years they waste in there, the more certain it is that they'll be mentally scarred for the rest of their lives.

silentcyclist3 said:Here is how I see it:

People keep diving into these spiritual and psychological topics. Some just do it to stir the pot, mostly because they get a kick out of provoking people who think they’re smarter than everyone else—people who claim to see things others supposedly miss.

-Then there are those searching for a kindred spirit, someone to speak their "spiritual language," just so they can feel validated while arguing with everyone else.

-And we have these self-proclaimed "spiritualists" and "scientists" who basically spend their entire lives theorizing until it reaches a point of absurdity... it honestly becomes embarrassing for them.

I get the ones who make it obvious they're just here for the attention, using vulgarity to trigger reactions. But I don't quite understand the ones who present themselves as being so level-headed, only to immediately discredit themselves by engaging in cheap bickering with "their own kind" or anyone on the "other side."

Is it possible to imagine a scenario where people discussing spirituality would simply ignore those trying to grab attention through infantile outbursts?
Would that say something about the maturity of that group?

Maybe these "spiritualists" are just stuck in this loop of fighting with "us" versus "them" because it feels more exciting than actually caring about other people's experiences.

What does the "Spirituality" PDF actually represent?

SOMETHING LIKE THIS? - sometimes that "expert" tone can get pretty offensive 😉

Don't let the innocence of this little poem distract you from the grim reality it represents. If you actually know the story—and I mean really *know* it—you'll see exactly what I'm getting at...

Joshua Carter97 said:🙂
I've actually read that book myself (in English, obviously).
I was wondering, how did you personally incorporate it into your practice?

I just downloaded it online recently—only because I'd just finished a book by Swami Satyananda and wanted more from him—so right now I’m just chipping away at it on my computer.

I actually picked up Yoga Nidra at a workshop once. Honestly, the instructor was from overseas and marketed it like it was some proprietary technique of theirs, but later on, I realized what I was actually doing all along.

The key is being able to relax deeply enough to achieve pratyahara—that's where you pull your senses inward (except for hearing)—which is the most vital part. But you can't drift off *too* far, or you'll just fall asleep.

Sometimes, if I'm just not in the mood to sit for meditation, I'll just run through some techniques to unwind—and then I'll lie down for Yoga Nidra (since it's done in Savasana anyway) and the relaxation just flows naturally.🙂

Look, I'm telling you—if you check three posts up, there’s a RapidShare link right there where you can grab Swami Satyanada’s book on Yoga Nidra. If you actually want to deepen your understanding and stop fumbling through the technique, this is what you need. 🙂

wiredmaker18 said:Just a little something, though it was quite a while ago. I’m planning on diving back into his work this summer. I’ve read plenty over the years—stuff from Sai baba, Meher baba, Babajia, and the like—but it’s been ages since I really sat down with it. There’s some interesting thought there, even if I prefer keeping my distance so I don't end up following anyone blindly like a mindless drone...

I read him a long time ago, but what you're saying really reminds me of his journeys into other realities.

Beyond that, it brings to mind those hypnagogic states—you know, when you're drifting off to sleep or waking up from a nonsensical dream where you're lucid, and suddenly thoughts, visions, and sensations become weirdly, even bizarrely, intertwined.

Plus, I'm honestly not even sure what "reality" is anymore. Are we just conditioned to see things the way we do because society and our upbringing—with their careful selection of impressions—have dictated what we should look at, how we should look at it, and how we should experience everything?

I was reading recently about how at birth, a child has the highest number of neural connections in their entire life. As we grow through conditioning and upbringing, most of those connections snap, leaving only the ones that get heavily reinforced through repetition and training. Think about that—it means we start with infinite potential, only to spend our whole lives narrowing it down. We aren't just limiting our opportunities; we're shrinking our very perception of reality. In a sense, we're just regressing as we age.

Be careful with the castaneda stuff. Take small doses, go slow... don't end up blowing a fuse or something. 😉

wiredmaker18 said:What's going on here, people? Another thread died? Figures. Nothing good ever lasts long enough... I was actually looking forward to reading more about those folks who are stuck in limbo—knowing they aren't what they claim to be, wishing they could be something else, but just being unable to make the jump. What an absolute mess of words. Honestly, the devil is in the details. All these weird vibes you guys are putting out are starting to rub off on me. Oops.

Have you ever read Castaneda?

lonegardener said:Is there such a thing as a "different" kind of family? 😲 🤣

All jokes aside... seriously though, I think you could find traces of what he’s talking about pretty much anywhere, whether it's subtle or glaringly obvious. At least, that's my take on it. 😲

Exactly... what Americans would call a "knee-jerk reaction." I just can't resist that kind of hollow philosophizing. At the end of the day, it all boils down to a handful of recurring motives circling the drain: motivation, selfishness, purpose, meaning... just endless combinations and variations of the same thing. Throw in a little politics and sociology, and wow—what a massive, messy pile of nonsense you get! 😠

Honestly, I always love the actual process of philosophizing—it’s great while it's happening—but that "after-taste" is just awful. You end up feeling like you haven't actually become any smarter, nor have you helped anyone else in the slightest. Though, I suppose if enough time passes, maybe it eventually becomes useful.

Exactly. That whole identity crisis issue 😢 ... IBM, when I remember high school, back when they had those psychology classes talking about an 'identity crisis'—it felt so ridiculous. What kind of dark crisis was that? Seriously, WTF? 🙄 😍

So, what would you say instead? Who or what are you, really?

IBM.. but this sounds a bit 'too good to be true,' almost overly positive. For instance, how would you answer these:
1. Are you certain that's actually the case, or rather, how can you possibly know?
2. How do I know you truly believe that, and aren't just trying to comfort yourself by repeating it because maybe you're dealing with the exact same thing?
3. Even if I assume you know and that it really is true—in that scenario, what is my center versus my periphery, and how do I tell them apart? 😕

1. I know. I've lived it.
2. You can't.
3. Your center is you—your own consciousness, that raw sense of "I am." The periphery is merely the mind identifying itself with whatever your senses happen to touch. The first part is always constant; the second is in a state of perpetual flux.

Samuel Miller21 said:👍

I find myself hoping that it remains just as volatile. When I reflect on it, I begin to suspect that this might be the very essence of all destructiveness—the desperate urge to tear down a flawed periphery.

The idea that everything on the fringe is at fault 🙂
is actually FALSE.

☕
It makes you wonder
why anyone even bothers trying to change anything.

It feels like enough to just
REFUSE TO BELIEVE
all this constant finger-pointing.

🙂

lonegardener said:Yeah, I’ve chewed on that idea before, but eventually, it just started getting under my skin. 😍

Seriously though—when a person undergoes a change (and I mean an intentional shift, not the kind that happens to you against your will through life experience), what exactly is the part of us driving that transformation? And can THAT specific thing—whatever it may be—ever actually change?

To me, it feels like the core stays the same. Even when you're evolving, there's this underlying "self" that wants the change in the first place, and that part seems pretty fixed. Or am I totally missing the mark here?

That thing that stays CONSTANT and cannot be CHANGED
isn't the SOURCE of your frustration.

That is your CENTER.

It's the PERIPHERY that gets to you.

You don't need to fix the periphery—it’s so inherently unstable that it’ll change on its own eventually. Just make sure you don't TRUST it in the meantime.🙂

wiredmaker18 said:It’s not hallucinations. It’s more like this sensation... thoughts constantly clashing over something massive yet somehow tiny at the same time. Like this quiet voice that manages to be piercingly loud, almost screaming at me, wrapped up in this underlying fear. Then there's the feeling of sliding through something perfectly smooth and level, only to slam straight into chaos—a nightmare of jagged edges and sharp points—and I'm moving through it all at high speed.

This exact thing has been happening to me since I was a kid. It only hits occasionally, so I never really gave it much thought, but reading this definitely caught me off guard.
Usually, when it happens, I first see something incredibly pure, white, and completely smooth. Then comes the dark stuff—crinkled, rough, and sharp. After that, it's images of things that are impossibly huge followed by things that are microscopically small, or a mix of both. Like seeing something massive and heavy standing right on top of something tiny and distant. That whiteness and purity before the rough, crumpled part sometimes gets even thinner, paler, and finer, just before hitting that jagged mess. And there's never an emotion attached to it, like sadness or joy. Just a sensation...

I used to experience that as a little girl too, mostly whenever I had a fever.

Huge, then tiny—but really huge, then just miniscule.
Crumpled and smooth, and then it would pulse. But there was this bubble
then I'd pass through it.

Just some sort of abstract sensation.

It never scared me, but it was strange.

But if you're hearing voices... I don't know...😕 you should probably discuss that with a psychiatrist.

My routine mostly revolves around Kriya Yoga and So Ham breath meditation. I also incorporate third eye meditations and sessions focused on listening to the inner sound. Once the meditation wraps up, I don't force anything—I just sit there and soak in the silence.

I used to do tarot energy work myself, but lately, I’ve stepped away from it. Between the third eye sessions, whenever I pose a question, these images just surge up from the darkness on my internal screen, and then I start connecting the dots. Honestly, give it a shot—you might be more ready than you realize.🙂

nimbleviper75 said:Ladies, does everyone actually have a best friend?

I don't know what the deal is, but in my 20-plus years, I haven't managed to land a single best friend. I had one back in elementary school, but she just decided one day that we weren't hanging out anymore. She never even told me why.

Then there was another towards the end of grade school, but that friendship fell apart after I told her that her boyfriend kissed me—on the cheek, mind you, and without me wanting him to!

And then another one in middle school who basically just phased me out of her life.

I'm not a drama seeker. I'm loyal, I can keep a secret, I'm a great listener, I would literally give any of them a kidney, and I actually have a sense of humor. None of those three people above had a legitimate reason to stop being friends with me (I stand by that 100%). Maybe I just bored them or something, I don't know. Or maybe I'm just looking for friends in all the wrong places. Ugh, I get the dilemmas men face. What is it that women actually want?!

I am totally willing to work on my flaws, but I honestly can't figure out where I went wrong. The only thing I can think of that might have hurt a friendship is that I'm relatively guarded. But is that really enough to ruin a whole friendship?
Am I messing up somewhere else? Or is "best friendship" just a myth and we've all been lied to?

Please, don't turn this into some "girls' night" chat. I'm looking for some more serious answers here.
Men are more than welcome to weigh in too.

I have two absolute best girlfriends and one perfect male friend.
And honestly—I feel incredibly wealthy because finding people like that is nearly impossible.
When I say "real," I mean the kind of women who accept me unconditionally, no matter what—and I do the same for them. It’s true sisterhood—something much deeper than just being friends.

There aren't any rules for this kind of connection; I truly feel blessed to have found them. They are soulmates—parts of my own essence—as if we inhabit the same spirit. We have this almost telepathic bond. We can go days without talking, and then just as I'm reaching for my phone to call, her text pops up.

Beyond that, when they're struggling, I can sense it immediately—I just know to call and ask what's wrong. Plus, it turns out we're often reading the exact same books or tackling the same life problems in the same way.

But let's be real—making female friends is tough. Personally, I find men to be much easier to deal with as friends—provided they aren't secretly pining after you, of course. With women, there’s often this weird competition, then jealousy creeps in, or some become obsessive and won't stop calling—not to mention the tendency for gossip. My philosophy? Just focus on being the best friend possible. It might not pay off immediately, but in the long run, it does. You eventually attract exactly what you put out into the world.

True,
a broader perspective really puts things into context—showing what actually matters and what's just noise.
The sheer scale of eternity and this infinite expanse we’ve suddenly appeared in is... honestly, it's overwhelming. It makes even a tiny speck of consciousness stop and ask: where did I come from, where am I headed, and what is the point of any of this?

We’re just living a single, fleeting moment within this tiny little vessel we call a body.
When you look at it that way—really look—you can't help but be stunned. You have to drop the weapons you've been using to fight life, just shut up, and start LOVING and EMBRACING every single second. From that viewpoint, anything else is just pointless.

Despair, sadness, depression... they all just become a mindless waste of precious time.