Posts by hiddenpuma75

Brian Young76 said:I suppose I should take a moment to express my sincere gratitude for this as well. 🙂

I recently picked up and started reading some of Bernadette Roberts' work in *The Real Christ*, and I have to say, what she’s laying out feels almost identical to how Jesus and Christ are portrayed in *A Course in Miracles*. It seems to me that Jesus was essentially an "ordinary" human being who achieved a total, profound realization of God, and through that process, he transitioned into Christ. In this sense, Christ isn't just a separate entity, but rather the specific state of consciousness and awareness that blossomed within him—a state that, I suspect, can (and perhaps even must!) be developed within every single one of us. It really points to the idea that we are all, in essence, the Son of God, existing together as one.

Everything she writes—and she’s certainly quite critical regarding the Catholic Church—really hits on the exact same points that bother me about the Catholic Church and its core theological tenets, which, I suppose, have ultimately rejected ACIM as being non-Christian literature.

But... I still find myself stuck on this one nagging question that's been hovering over me since the very moment I first picked up ACIM. It’s a question I haven't been able to truly resolve or find a satisfying answer to... so, who exactly was the author of this book?

Based on everything I can gather, ACIM was transcribed by Dr. Helen Schucman, an American psychologist who maintained that an inner voice dictated the entire book to her over the course of about seven years. It’s actually quite a fascinating anomaly when you compare it to almost any other "New Age" literature—which, for what it's worth, is how the Catholic Church tends to categorize ACIM. What makes it truly peculiar is that the author (or perhaps more accurately, the scribe?) didn't want her name publicly linked to the work as long as she was alive; it wasn't until after her passing that it was officially revealed that she was the one behind the transcription. From that perspective, it seems incredibly clear that her intentions weren't driven by a desire for financial gain or even a pursuit of fame. So, if that was the case, I suppose we have to wonder: what exactly was her goal?

*A Course in Miracles* is written in such a way that it addresses the reader directly in the first person, and it’s incredibly clear that the voice speaking to you is presenting itself as the risen Jesus. To my mind, *ACIM* is nothing short of a masterpiece from an artistic standpoint; it’s composed in iambic pentameter, featuring sentences so dense and words so heavy they feel like stone, which gives the entire text this almost hypnotic power. As I mentioned before, while I was working through one specific exercise, I actually had this sensation akin to being struck by lightning—perhaps a moment of temporary enlightenment? It was truly something I’ve never experienced with any other book, and I’ve certainly read quite a few. Normally, I can fly through a book pretty quickly, but I just can't do that with *ACIM*, whether it's reading fast or even trying to get through much at once. It usually takes me anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour just to digest four or five pages. For comparison, in that same amount of time, I could easily breeze through fifty to a hundred pages of a "standard" book—like when I was reading that first volume you recommended, *Kundalini Energy and Christian Spirituality*. With this text, though, I simply hit a wall; I have to stop and rest for a significant amount of time just to process it.

I am fully aware of how vital Buddha’s advice regarding the "raft" truly is—the idea that once you have successfully crossed to the other shore, there is absolutely no need to cling to the vessel that carried you there. However, I suppose I haven't quite reached that far shore just yet, so for the time being, I find myself still very much tethered to my boat. As for Bernadette Roberts... honestly, it is all so deeply confusing. No matter how much my rational mind struggles with the sheer impossibility of it, her book, *The Real Christ*, seems to point me toward a conclusion I can't quite shake: that the author of *A Course in Miracles* is indeed the one being presented there.

Well, let’s say for a moment that the identity of the author isn't actually all that vital. If I recall correctly, there is a section in ACIM where it suggests that the core purpose lies within the exercises themselves; it basically implies that if a reader doesn't care to dwell on how the author presents themselves, they shouldn't have to. One could simply focus on performing the exercises and then, perhaps, judge their own effectiveness based on those direct results. So, I suppose I will just keep moving forward with reading and practicing the lessons from ACIM, because, in my own experience, they clearly seem to be working.

That’s all I have to say for now; I think I might have rambled a bit too much today 🙂

First off,
You share the exact same flaw and virtue that defines my own ignorance: 😵
You absolutely adore knowledge, learning, and the simple joy of buying books.

I actually managed to amass a collection of about 2,800 volumes myself 😲 😵
It’s full-blown bibliomania—what you might call a "gentle madness." 😁

I actually had to stop about a year ago because our friend talking heads, who's currently self-banned, gave me a practical lesson in Advaita and pointed me toward a site where you can download about 90% of all spiritual books, old and new, for free without much hassle or tears.

That Borges's paradise is right here: https://1lib.eu/?regionChanged=&redirect=425&signAll=1

There's a daily limit of about 10 to 15 books depending on their "weight."

But if you chip in a small donation, you can download as much as you want until retirement.

Sandra Murphy33 said:So, if you aren't actually planning to go out there and live it, why just sit here playing philosopher? You're basically using your own half-baked logic to cloud the Truth from everyone else.

But honestly, where else can you actually "go" when everywhere is just... HERE?

And really, any given moment is a perfect opportunity to just stop and be..

Whether it's on this forum, scrolling through a PDF, lounging at the beach, dreaming, drifting through dreamless sleep, or even in that tiny gap between two thoughts... whether you're alone, with others, or navigating the chaos of major historical turning points like the Great Depression or modern crises..

By the way... this "ultimate truth" people keep talking about 🙄 they call it "socialist," which basically means it doesn't belong to me, or you, or anyone specifically. It’s more like
a fundamental human right that even the most aggressive capitalists couldn't possibly privatize 😁

Our own thoughts, emotions, desires, and constant planning tend to troll and spam our awareness, successfully masking that truth—it's not like hiddenpuma75 is doing it on purpose 😬

I'm half-tempted to suggest the new moderator should strictly limit everyone's word count and number of posts, always using the excuse that Buddha recommended it 😁

hiddeneagle98 said:Honestly, that sounds more like a pathology to me. Maybe
Buddha
actually had it right all along. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_...ered_questions

He was absolutely right, and it’s actually quite fascinating—that very link you shared even mentions the quote that Sigmund used to question the authenticity of.

That being said, if we want to defend philosophy, we have to admit it works perfectly fine on the level of reason.

The real issue with philosophy is that there exists a realm "beyond" reason, and that’s exactly what Buddha tended to avoid discussing.

Not because he didn't have the answers, but rather because

a) the Truth simply cannot be captured by language, since words are merely shadows of the Truth itself.

b) overthinking things doesn't actually lead to a reduction in suffering; instead, it just leads to confusion and an endless loop of mental clutter.

c) every individual needs to realize—or rather, personally experience—that INEFFABLE TRUTH for themselves.🙂

So, why am I even bringing all this up? Honestly, I just felt like sharing a few interesting tidbits about A Course in Miracles, since I know it's one of your favorites.

To answer your question directly: I don't actually know a whole lot about how much Advaita and A Course in Miracles overlap. I’m fairly certain there's a deep connection there, though—that they share a massive amount of common ground. If you ask me, nondualism is the single thread that weaves them both together.

So, I did a little digging on Google, and I actually stumbled upon this link about it. I’ve been spending some time with this video lately, and I honestly can't stop thinking about it. It touches on those deep, existential questions that we all grapple with at some point—the kind that make you pause and reconsider everything you thought you knew about reality. The way the speaker navigates the intersection of spirituality and our everyday experience is quite remarkable. There’s a certain weight to the arguments presented, yet they are delivered with a clarity that keeps you engaged rather than overwhelmed. It really makes you lean in. For me, the most striking part was how it bridges the gap between ancient wisdom and our modern psychological struggles. It isn't just abstract philosophy; it feels incredibly relevant to the actual lives we lead here in the States. If you've ever felt like there's a deeper layer to existence waiting to be uncovered, I think you'll find this deeply resonant. It’s definitely worth a watch if you have a quiet moment to sit with it.

To be honest, I’m still finding *A Course in Miracles* a bit fuzzy and hard to wrap my head around. But then again, maybe that's just because I haven't really rolled up my sleeves and dove into the actual exercises yet.

On the flip side, even though Advaita can be quite a heavy lift—both philosophically and in terms of actual practice—it comes with some truly incredible role models. I’m talking about legends like Ramana Maharshi and Nisargadatta Maharaj. When I dive into their teachings, their words, their dialogues, and those spontaneous exchanges, I find them incredibly clear and deeply inspiring. Honestly? They are nothing short of IMPRESSIVE. 🙏
On the other hand, I find *A Course in Miracles* to be quite a challenge; it’s definitely more philosophical and dense than what I usually dive into.

It occurred to me recently that *A Course in Miracles* doesn't really provide us with nearly as many heavy-hitting "realization" role models as you find in the world of Advaita.

Brian Young76 said:Just a little early morning reflection 🙂

Experience... is essentially a 'raft.' (I think I used the wrong word for boat in my previous post because the right term wouldn't come to mind—in English, we call it a 'raft,' something you construct from basic materials to float and carry you across water, and since I read almost exclusively in English, my brain just sort of locked up on the American equivalent 😁). It serves as a temporary means to reach the other side, much like books or any other material things. It’s basically Buddha's advice regarding non-attachment.

That's more or less what you were getting at, isn't it?

Well, would you mind elaborating a bit on this Advaita thing? I've read that ACIM is remarkably similar to it; I did some Googling and found various texts, but honestly, it all felt a little too complicated when I first looked into it. I was wondering if you might be interested in putting together a comparative analysis of the fundamental tenets of Advaita and ACIM? You take Advaita, and I'll take ACIM. I'm just purely curious, I guess.😉

Anyway, I'm off to do today's practice now. 🙂

1) Back somewhere between 1995 and 2000, I actually wrote to the ACIM Foundation, and they sent me a copy of A Course in Miracles for FREE.🙏 I'm not sure if they still do that nowadays.

2) I was in such a great headspace back then; I read through it, but I didn't really grasp much of it. I didn't even touch the exercises.

3) I picked up some other literature regarding ACIM, but it didn't help all that much. I ended up knowing quite a bit about the history of ACIM, yet I never actually practiced the lessons.

4) Around the year 2000, while I was in San Diego, I visited the famous Peter Vasiljevic with a moderator named Baphomet. He told us he was working on an American translation of ACIM at the time.😲

5) But that was just a side trip; we weren't there specifically for ACIM. Vasiljevic sold spiritual books very affordably, so we took advantage of the opportunity. If my memory serves me right, though, Baphomet was actually there to help him fix his computer.🤔

bluemason3 said:Philosophy became trendy, so now you feel the need to act all hysterical here? 😁

It’s pretty clear that I have a knack for helping people out; I tend to hit the nail right on the head every single time. Plus, I’ve gotten quite good at navigating those tricky, heavy questions without breaking a sweat. 😁

And people are actually being grateful to me for it.
This really gets to the heart of what this forum is all about—and more importantly, the very essence of how we all connect here. 🙂

But honestly, it’s just like you—always ready with another one of those dismissive little remarks about everything and everyone. It really doesn't amount to much.

It’s honestly a little sad, bluemason3—it feels like you've let this wave of negativity take over, and you've turned into a total Grinch. 😢

Aside from that, does it really matter whether there's a moderator somewhere or not?

bluemason3 used to be a moderator too, but he decided to step down. 👋 ...
hiddenpuma75 stayed. 😉
And once again, it will remain standing, outlasting any moderator you throw at it.

Moderators come and go, but the true writers, those gem-like posts, and this community? They’re what actually last. 😉

Moderators come and go, and honestly, they're just as incidental as bad writing or petty criticism.

Internet forums and their legendary gems truly live forever. 🙂

Brian Young76 said:I managed to buy via Kindle and I've already spent the last two hours flying through a good chunk of it—this is honestly EXACTLY what I needed right now. Thank you so much! 🙂 🙂 🙂

Even if I don't get any other advice from this thread, just finding this one thing made opening this topic totally worth it! 🙂

Just a few thoughts and some internal processing on my end...
Since I don't know anything about your personal life, this is really just my initial impression.

You are incredibly thorough, sincere, subtle, detailed, valuable, open, emotional, and all of those things are quite fascinating...

If I could offer one small word of caution, it would be this: try not to tether yourself too tightly to any specific experience.
That little warning comes from my background in Buddhist and Advaita training.
The core tenet of both systems is that we shouldn't cling too heavily to our emotions, ideas, or thoughts, as they are all transient, unstable, and ever-changing...

That said, you seem to be "predominantly" an emotional person/artist, and you lean toward Christianity, which is largely a Bhakti path.

Raman Maharshi wisely noted that eventually, both the Bhakti path (the path of the heart and "emotion") and the Jnana path (the path of the mind) converge at the peak of realization...

So, the goal is to find a way to BALANCE Bhakti (the heart) and Jnana (the mind) within yourself.

Ultimately, just be who you are and follow wherever your inner guide leads you.

I'm basically just rambling online and thinking out loud here. 😬

I am truly happy to see your progress and glad you found a theoretical framework that explains your practice and experiences.

My teacher always says that realization can be reached through both theory (Jnana) and action (Karma)...

Brian Young76 said:I managed to buy via Kindle and I've already spent the last two hours flying through a good chunk of it—this is honestly EXACTLY what I needed right now. Thank you so much! 🙂 🙂 🙂

Even if I don't get any other advice from this thread, just finding this one thing made opening this topic totally worth it! 🙂

1)
Go ahead and ask hiddenpuma75 🙂 and he’ll point you in the right direction. 😬
But remember, you're the one who actually has to walk the path!

2) Just listen to what both the omnipresent Kenji—aka bluemason3
—has to say. He actually knows quite a bit (though, let's be honest, he knows a little less than hiddenpuma75 🤣).

3) If bluemason3 has a flaw, it’s that he’s become hyper-critical, overly skeptical, and a total reductionist-verificationist at heart. 😲
Take a look here:

4) Beyond that, we’ve practically proven through pure philosophy that Blake has turned into a bit of an eccentric—basically a man without dimensions. 😲

Check this out:

Brian Young76 said:To begin, I suppose I should quote my own post from July 9, 2020, regarding the topic of Kundalini:

'To give a brief overview of my spiritual journey—I’ve been playing music for about 40 years now, out of my 47 years of life, and through music, I’ve experienced quite a few spiritual moments (specifically, those instances of deep inspiration where it felt as though the "little me"—the ego—simply vanished, which was an incredibly liberating and beautiful sensation). I experienced something somewhat similar when I would lose myself deeply in mathematics or physics; it felt like a moment of enlightenment where that "little me" just wasn't there anymore.'

I had some brief episodes where I read the Bible and a book on Buddhism, but nothing really struck a chord with me at first.

About seven or eight years ago, I felt this growing need to explore spirituality more profoundly. I started by picking up Houston Smith's 'World's Religions' (in English, which feels almost like my native tongue since I've been communicating primarily in writing and speech in English for the last 20 years or so) because I wanted a solid, high-quality overview of global faiths to hopefully find my own path. After that, I began reading the Bible more seriously and studying what the Catholic Church teaches, but I just couldn't connect with it. So, I moved on to reading the Quran, but that didn't quite sit right with me either. Then I turned to books on Buddhism, and for a while, I actually thought I might have found my way... I found so much to love there; Buddha and his teachings felt very dear and close to my heart. I spent two or three years meditating regularly, reading, and refining my practice... but as time went on, I kept getting this nagging sense that something was still missing. I even tried reading the Bhagavad Gita, which is truly a magnificent book, yet again, it didn't quite click. Finally, I kept searching and came across 'A Course in Miracles'—ACIM—and suddenly, everything just clicked. I won't go into too much detail about the book here since there's a separate thread for it, but for over a year now, my spiritual path has been centered on the teachings described in ACIM. In short, ACIM offers a spiritual path toward God by teaching and explaining how to view the world through Christ's eyes (and, according to the teaching, one who sees the world through Christ's eyes eventually becomes Christ themselves). That said, I have continued my breathwork meditation practices, as I've come to believe that meditation simply purifies and clears the mind; it isn't necessarily tied to one specific path.'

I’ve also continued playing music and reading physics texts, both of which remain integral parts of my spiritual walk. The latest findings in physics—things like dark energy, dark matter, string theory, and so on—are absolutely fascinating to me, and I see a profound spiritual connection in all of it, though I won't delve into the details here.

On a personal note, it's important to mention that for the last 20 years, I’ve been in a very harmonious marriage and we have three wonderful children, which provides me with a great deal of stability and happiness.

Ever since the whole pandemic situation kicked off back in mid-March, I've started meditating more intensely (for the last two or three months, I've been doing about four hours a day) and focusing on reading ACIM and practicing its exercises.

The reason I'm writing this now is... about three weeks ago (specifically, Saturday, June 27th), early in the morning as I sat down in a meditative posture, I felt this warmth and a sense of bliss in my lower back—a strange sensation that I might best describe as pure ecstasy. Since then, that feeling has intensified; I feel it throughout the day, and for the last three days, I've had episodes where this sensation of bliss completely overwhelms me, traveling up my entire spine and reaching my head. I haven't experienced any negative side effects (at least not yet), but I have noticed that I've started looking at the people around me with a certain "softness," characterized by more understanding and compassion. It’s not that I feel a need to convince anyone of anything, especially not through logic or verbal explanations. Also, in the last month or two, I don't recall ever being overcome by anger, greed, fear, or anything of that nature; whenever such a feeling did arise, I found myself able to observe it from a sufficient distance so that it would simply fade away on its own.'

Anyway, I became curious about this feeling of bliss, so I did some Googling and discovered that it is allegedly called Kundalini, and that it has connections to chakras and things like that... which is something I had never studied before and hadn't particularly been interested in.'

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So, here is the post from July 14th:

I’ve decided that I’m going to start using this space to document my own experiences regarding this particular sensation—though, to be honest, I’m still quite unsure whether what I'm feeling is actually Kundalini, perhaps the Holy Spirit, or maybe something else entirely... I really don't know just yet. I suppose I'm doing this for two main reasons. First off, since this is all still incredibly new to me, I thought it might be helpful to connect with those who might be more experienced and would be willing to share their own insights. Secondly, I was thinking that, if I'm lucky, maybe my own reflections could somehow offer a bit of help or perspective to someone else navigating similar waters.

I’ve spent quite a bit of time reading through almost every single post on this thread, and I have to say, I’ve also combed through various texts online. One theme that seems to keep popping up everywhere—almost like a recurring warning—is the idea that Kundalini can be a dangerous force, and that one really ought to approach its awakening only under the watchful guidance of a legitimate teacher. As for myself, I don't currently have a physical teacher guiding my path—at least nothing in the flesh—though the spiritual principles I strive to live by are rooted in the teachings of Buddha and Christ. For the time being, I don't feel much of a need to seek out a formal mentor. What I have experienced, more or less continuously since that first sensation emerged back in June of 2020, is a gentle sense of warmth and pleasantness centered in my lower back. When I engage in spiritual practices or certain physical exercises, that feeling tends to expand, spreading upward through my entire spine and into my head. In my specific experience, it hasn't felt aggressive at all; there hasn't been a single instance where I felt overwhelmed or lost control of the sensation. So, I suppose I feel reasonably secure in where I am right now.

Over the weekend, my family and I headed out for a hike—something we tend to do quite frequently—and we ended up trekking for about five or six hours straight. Throughout the entire walk, I found myself staying deeply focused on that specific sensation, and I actually made a conscious effort to expand that feeling down into my legs as well. It was quite remarkable, really, because even after all that walking, I didn't experience that heavy, dragging exhaustion you'd typically expect to feel. Instead, I felt this sort of calm, steady surge of energy, almost as if I could have kept going indefinitely without any trouble at all—though, I suppose, I didn't want to push my luck too far or test exactly where my physical limits might lie.

Yesterday, I decided to spend a bit more time with my practice than I usually do—I spent about half an hour just really immersing myself in that sensation. It was quite something; the feeling seemed to ripple through my entire body multiple times, growing steadily more intense as I went along. Honestly, I’d say it was easily one of the most profound experiences I’ve ever had, perhaps even surpassing anything physical like a sexual orgasm. Since then, I’ve been carrying this gentle, lingering sense of bliss in two specific spots—one in my lower back and another right around the crown of my head. I haven't actually sat down to do the exercises to expand on it yet today, so I suppose we'll just have to see how things develop.

I guess I should mention that after finishing my exercises yesterday, I was left with this incredibly strange sensation—it felt as though my entire head had just... well, cleared out and become completely lucid. It was almost like a mental fog had suddenly lifted. Driven by this unexpected clarity, I decided to pick up a book on theoretical physics that I usually struggle with; it’s one of those dense, heavy texts that typically moves at a snail's pace because of all the complex formulas and technical jargon. But strangely enough, everything seemed to click into place almost effortlessly. It was as if, just for a little while, I had become significantly sharper—maybe even more intelligent? It was a profound sense of heightened cognition, though I suppose it was only temporary, as things eventually drifted back to my usual baseline.

It’s certainly an intriguing perspective to consider, all things considered.
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Pa post od 16.7.:

I was meditating yesterday evening, and I actually managed to hold a full lotus position for quite a while—about twenty minutes, which, if I’m being honest, felt like absolute science fiction to me just a week or two ago. It felt incredibly good for that specific Kundalini energy; I mean, where are you, Della? It just seemed to spread all the way down through my legs...

It’s honestly just hit me... there is no such thing as "mundane." The work I do, well, it’s actually entirely spiritual in nature; I’ve started to view it as something of a profound spiritual experiment. I suppose the only way to truly do a job correctly is to place spirituality right at the very heart of everything we do. I mean, how else could you possibly awaken all that latent creative energy within people? How else could you motivate them to truly give their absolute best, or foster that deep sense of mutual trust that is so vital for teamwork to even function? Without that trust, nothing works. I guess you have to ask yourself: how can you reach a point where every single person on the team—and I mean absolutely everyone—arrives at work feeling genuinely happy and fulfilled? Because if they feel that way, then, I imagine, those real, meaningful results will just naturally follow.

It’s pretty clear to me that I have an incredibly long road ahead of me, and honestly, if I’m being completely truthful, I don't even know what I've gotten myself into.

Something else just occurred to me... I’ve been reflecting on why exactly I find myself drawn to ACIM. I think there are three key reasons that stand out to me right now:
So, I’ve been thinking quite a bit about how we actually identify the fruits—you know, those tangible signs that indicate whether a tree is truly thriving or just putting on a show. In my own experience, if I look back at everything that has unfolded recently, I would say the results have been overwhelmingly positive. It’s showing up in almost every corner of my life, really. My relationships with my family—not just my immediate circle, but even my in-laws—seem to be in such a good place. Even my professional life feels more aligned, and on a much more personal level, I’ve been experiencing this deep sense of inner peace and genuine happiness. I’ve even noticed improvements in things like my physical fitness and my overall mental clarity, which feels like a significant win. And, perhaps most importantly, the awakening of the Kundalini—if that’s even the right way to describe it—feels like one of the most profound fruits of this entire journey.

I suppose ACIM suggests that there isn't such a thing as a single, universal theology, yet I feel that a universal experience is not only possible, but perhaps even absolutely necessary. It reminds me a bit of what Sri Ramakrishna used to say—he essentially arrived at God through Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam, believing that they all lead back to the same God. So, I think there is a profound value in showing complete respect for every possible theological path out there. However... I have to say that out of all the spiritual texts I’ve ever encountered, ACIM seems to be the only one that aligns perfectly with the findings of modern physics. Apparently, its foundations are rooted in something called Advaita Vedanta, which is something I haven't had the chance to study deeply just yet (I mean, there are only twenty-four hours in a day, right?). I might be able to explain how those pieces fit together if anyone is actually interested, but I won't go into it here since it would probably turn into quite a long-winded explanation.

3) I've always felt that ACIM is structured quite perfectly into three distinct segments: a) the theoretical foundation, b) the practical exercises, and c) the guidance intended for teachers. It’s truly a self-contained system, which means you don't necessarily need any other books or even a formal teacher to get started. However, I can't stress enough how vital those practical exercises are; without them, I suppose all that deep theory just turns into dry, academic philosophizing. As someone who has been playing music for forty years, the necessity of daily practice is basically hardwired into my subconscious. I've actually tested this principle across all sorts of disciplines—whether it was diving into physics, sketching, sports, or even when I tried some specific exercises to improve my sex life (and honestly, they really do work)—and the results have consistently proven me right. While having a mentor is certainly convenient, it isn't strictly essential. If someone, say, starting at age 40, picked up an instrument and committed to practicing ten hours every single day, I'd bet anything that in ten or twenty years, they would be a world-class musician. Ultimately, I think it all boils down to one's own desire and willpower.
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Since you have those Christian roots but also love diving deep into all sorts of different spiritual paths, I’d actually recommend something that hits right in that sweet spot for you.

Honestly, I really think this book is exactly what you need right now. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...api_tkin_p1_i1

As a Catholic scholar, I found myself caught completely off guard when I experienced a spontaneous Kundalini awakening. Honestly, I had no idea what was happening to me at first, but once the dust settled, I dove headfirst into a deep investigation of the experience. I eventually decided to pull everything I learned together and share that journey with all of you in my book.

2)

This is such an informative, insightful spiritual forum covering just about everything under the sun.

You’ll find plenty of discussions on this page centered around Kundalini, all viewed through a Christian lens. 😉

http://shalomplace.org/eve/forums/a/frm/f/25010765

3) Ahead of those fifteen pages of intense debate under that title you came up with...
The relationship between Kundalini and the Holy Spirit is such a fascinating, deeply layered topic. When you start looking at how these two forces interact within the human experience, it really opens up a whole new dimension of spiritual understanding. It’s not just about one or the other; it’s about how they weave together to create a complete picture of awakening. http://shalomplace.org/eve/forums/a/...765/m/68310806

I actually came across this author because I personally knew him; he used to attend retreats led by Bernadetta Roberts, who is quite literally the only female genius I’ve encountered on my spiritual journey. He wrote about her quite extensively—offering plenty of praise, though he wasn't afraid to voice his criticisms, too.
I find myself being called out on the forum quite often for my lack of knowledge, too.

I’ve been thinking quite a bit about our recent discussions regarding the nature of reality versus what we perceive through our senses. It feels like we often get caught up in the "noise" of daily life, forgetting that the physical world is essentially just a projection. I was reading some thoughts on how we can bridge that gap—how to move from being reactive participants in this material drama to becoming more conscious observers. It’s not always easy; I certainly find myself tripping over my own ego more often than I’d like to admit! But there is something profoundly liberating about the idea that our internal state dictates our external experience. A few people have mentioned different approaches to this, and while I don't necessarily agree with every perspective, I think the common thread is the need for deep, intentional inner work. Whether you lean toward certain meditative practices or follow a path like *A Course in Miracles*, the goal remains the same: finding that center where the noise fades away. What do you all think? Are we actually capable of shifting our perception so radically, or are we just kidding ourselves? I'm curious to hear your honest take on whether this kind of mental restructuring is truly attainable for the average person.

rowdyangler said:So your argument against hijacking someone else's topic is—what, they're my topics too? 😁 Are you kidding me? 🙂

Fine, I'm done playing defense for you; clearly, you can handle yourself.

Go ahead and ban him.

1) No! That isn't my argument at all. You've completely misconstrued what I said to make me look bad.

The core issue here is the "hijacking" of a topic. It's such a gray area that you couldn't even measure it accurately in a court of law.
One judge might rule a question from the prosecution or defense as totally relevant to the case, while another would toss it out immediately. 😉

Those are the classic subjective issues of 😉judgment.

One moderator might see something as trolling, while another sees nothing wrong with it.
As we all know, it usually just depends on whether the moderator leans left, right, or is just some total nutjob. 😁

2) Thank you for being principled enough to argue that banning hiddenpuma75 is going too far.👍

It’s incredibly intellectually dishonest to go after someone for how they handle a forum thread based on ideology. It seems that even though you aren't exactly my biggest fan, you still hold onto Volter's principle more than your own personal biases.😉
I tip my hat to you for that!👍

3) Look, it's perfectly fine if you have critiques of me.
But you misrepresented me in that quote! What I meant to say was that others are free to write as well, and that over at Samerhil on Philosophy and Anderson, they don't currently see it as an unacceptable problem.

4) My point was simply that because there's a shortage of moderators on the Philosophy board, most threads eventually drift into casual chat and tangents.

5) Here is how I see it: If we had enough moderators, those tangents would probably only account for maybe 10 to 20% depending on who is running the show.

6) Right now, the threads consist of about 60 to 70% quality content, with the remaining 30% to 49.99% max being tangents and general chat.

The exaggerated and false accusation made by Neo and Volter was that ONLY AND MOSTLY hiddenpuma75 drifts off-topic—which simply isn't true, as my own ignorance and other witnesses can attest.

7) We've established that behind this accusation lies pure ideology—basically, personal or worldview intolerance.😉

Their case is most effectively dismantled by looking at the permanently banned user Adis Sabovic; the reason no one complained about him is because he was playing on their team. 😉

8)
So, a wise judge would realize that Neo and Volter have ulterior motives for their complaint (their hearts just aren't in the right place) and would simply "dismiss the case."

rowdyangler said:Look, if you decide to jump into a thread that someone else started with genuine intent—someone who actually cares about the topic and isn't just treating it like some playground game—then showing up with that "let's just play around" attitude can be incredibly grating. If I'm reading you right, your little invitation to "play" might come off as a provocation, trolling, or straight-up disrespect to the person who opened the discussion. Even if that wasn't your intention, it feels like you're mocking them. 😁 But that’s exactly how things can end up playing out.

If I may be so bold, your responsibility should really be to stop messing around with topics that the thread starter clearly stated were off-limits.

If you keep insisting—despite all the warnings and pleas—that life, the universe, this forum, and everything else is nothing more than your own personal playground, and you just keep playing your games regardless, then you better be ready for the fallout. You have to be prepared for someone to come along, yank that swing out from under you, and watch you hit the ground hard.
Then maybe you shouldn't be starting those PŽK threads just because you feel like they won't "let you play," which is exactly what you're always doing, from what I've noticed.
In this lawless game you’re playing, someone is bound to snatch your toy right out from under you. After all, there aren't any rules to stop them.
It’s honestly pretty pointless trying to hunt for justice around here.

Let me repeat myself: you're out here looking for a game without rules, but you're completely ignoring the fact that a game without rules usually ends in a total loss—and more often than not, that's exactly how it plays out.
Just because there aren't any rules doesn't mean there won't be consequences; if anything, it's actually worse.
Look, you can say whatever you want—complaining about the PZK is just part of the game. It clearly is.
Look, it's you. But let's get one thing straight: you aren't the center of the universe, you aren't the center of the world, and you sure as hell aren't the center of this forum. My bad.

And just like that, everything gets crammed into a single post. 🙂

You’re reducing everything down to a single, reductive common denominator—just "the game"—and in doing so, you've created a total narrative fallacy. 😉

You’re overlooking two pretty vital points there—but then again, you don't exactly spend all your time studying philosophy.

Look, even if my friends Sigmund and the chat’s resident troll, flying, along with the rest of the crowd, decide to derail my threads, I’m not going to go around threatening people with bans. I actually demonstrated that mindset quite clearly during the discussion on philosophy—I just kept my mouth shut and took it. 😉

Besides just playing around, I’m ready to dive into some more serious topics now.. 😉 Way to go, hiddenpuma75! 😁
I pour everything I have into my work—translating, reading, and sharing every bit of knowledge I can muster. Because of that, my topics don't just sit there; they truly come alive and evolve. 👋

Well, then.

I’m working on blending a Holodeck-style game with a novel—it’s this mix of pure creativity paired with some really intense, serious research and heavy lifting. 😉

Don't go forgetting that, and please, don't underestimate it either. 🙂

Kenneth Cruz67 said:Exactly my thoughts.

Though, if I'm being honest, what irritates me most is the sheer laziness and lack of imagination shown by those who try to get rid of you. Their whole approach seems to be nothing more than brute force. And, no offense intended, but you strike me as someone who could easily be subtly manipulated or baited until you end up driving yourself straight into a permanent ban.

Personally, I've always been against rewarding laziness.👍

Look.
I actually lived through this myself when I went into hibernation one day.

At first, I thought their "coordinated criminal forum conspiracy" 😁 had actually worked—or at least that's what some of my fans, like flying 😁

thought. I figured the novel was over and that the author of this forum-novel had finally killed me off, 😲 marking the start of a brand-new chapter in my life.

I wasn't even all that sad about it. HONESTLY, I FELT RELIEVED. 🙂
MAN, THINK OF ALL THE TIME THIS WILL OPEN UP FOR OTHER THINGS! 🎉

Still, at the SAME TIME, I felt bad that such injustices and organized malice actually succeed. Their purge worked. Kudos to them. They’re basically practicing their own version of communism here. BACK IN THE DAY, THEY WOULD HAVE KILLED ME or sent me to a labor camp, but NOW THEY JUST BANNED ME.
Progress!

I was wondering why I hadn't received a notification from the moderators... 😲

Then, while digging through the search function, I stumbled upon the notice: I was only banned for a single day for spamming, which meant I couldn't even use the search tool.

That's when it hit me—the story continues. I'm still going to be chatting away with my dear flying friend, and I have to keep playing my part wherever she leads me. 😁

It really brings to mind that old metaphysical proverb...

No matter how much you turn around, your backside is still behind you. ...😁

6) Honestly, I don't care about the people on this forum as individuals, any more than I’d care about characters in a novel. 😲
I wish everyone nothing but the best in life, truly, but whether they sense it intuitively or see it plainly, some users realize I'm not interested in them as "people" or social cliques. What fascinates me is their ideas, our dialogues, and seeing where this novel—which we are collectively writing and calling this forum—is actually headed.

7) At the end of the day, people are mostly concerned with themselves, aren't they? They care about their own identity far more than they care about abstract ideas or some random guy like hiddenpuma75 who happens to get under their skin, leading them to hunt for ways to write him out of the story entirely. 😉

8) People can always tell when someone doesn't care about them PERSONALLY—when that person treats them like mere NPCs in a simulation, which inevitably throws them off balance. 😲

But they seem to forget that hiddenpuma75 is also just part of the SIMULATION ! 😉

And if that person dares to challenge their WORLDVIEW, they start retaliating in every way possible.

9) It's a messy web of emotions: a war of ideologies, a clash of personalities, different levels of reality... it's like a Holodeck program gone wild.

10) So, essentially, I am having a wonderful time here. 🎉 I'm learning. I'm giving and taking.
I'm exploring. I'm playing. I'm writing a novel. I am living the novel.

And that drives some people absolutely crazy. They go looking for any way—legal or otherwise—to stop my good time and my fun. To halt it. To destroy it. To erase it!

It’s that primal human impulse—

as if they could trample all over me and this persona I play on the forum, even though they couldn't care less about whether I'm happy or enjoying myself. 😠

NOT ON MY WATCH, YOU BANDITS! 😠

rowdyangler said:Yeah, you were splitting your posts up for no reason. You used to do that all the time with those lists of ten or more items—writing 1, 2, 3 in one post, then 4, 5 in the next, and 6, 7, 8 in another... just making things way more complicated than they needed to be.
That’s a direct violation of the rules. And look, I'll say it again: if you’ve been a member of this forum for twenty years and you still haven't bothered to adopt the basic standards of being a member here, then I really have to wonder—why haven't you?

And here we go again. Every time the moderator lays down a rule, you just claim it doesn't apply to you, acting like we shouldn't follow the rules or the law like some bunch of drunks. 🤦

I notice it too, and despite all that nonsense, I’m not saying you should be banned from the forum.
Look, your behavior is making it impossible for me to defend you. After hearing the same thing over and over again, I’m starting to wonder if you actually want a solution to this at all.

Do you actually see any issue with how you carry yourself on this forum, or anything that would bother the other members here? Aside from your obvious grudge against Josip Broz Marshall, obviously.

The issue I am fully aware of is this: it’s simply the price one pays for the good stuff I find on this forum.

1) Occasionally, or even quite often, I write "provocatively" by intentionally praising Parsifal.😬

I know that rubs people the wrong way, so I'm curious to see how they react.
People just don't like folks who brag too much.🤣
I certainly don't act like that in my actual life.😉

2) But since I'm anonymous, I figured it was fair game. I'm not selling anything, I'm not running ads, and I'm certainly not trying to threaten anyone's standing or push them off the forum.

3) Then there's the deeper philosophical and spiritual challenge. I've written about this in more detail over in the philosophy section, so I'll risk being brief and potentially misunderstood here.

4) For me, life—and especially this forum—feels like a dream and a playground.
It's like an interactive novel, half reality and half dream, where I am simultaneously the writer, the character, and the audience.😲
It's my own creative workshop.

5) I'm sure many users here are making friends, looking to meet people, or keeping in touch privately. For most people, both the forum and their lives feel incredibly, deeply, intensely REAL. It's a blend of the private and the public.

rowdyangler said:Yeah, you were splitting your posts up for no reason. You used to do that all the time with those lists of ten or more items—writing 1, 2, 3 in one post, then 4, 5 in the next, and 6, 7, 8 in another... just making things way more complicated than they needed to be.
That’s a direct violation of the rules. And look, I'll say it again: if you’ve been a member of this forum for twenty years and you still haven't bothered to adopt the basic standards of being a member here, then I really have to wonder—why haven't you?

And here we go again. Every time the moderator lays down a rule, you just claim it doesn't apply to you, acting like we shouldn't follow the rules or the law like some bunch of drunks. 🤦

I notice it too, and despite all that nonsense, I’m not saying you should be banned from the forum.
Look, your behavior is making it impossible for me to defend you. After hearing the same thing over and over again, I’m starting to wonder if you actually want a solution to this at all.

Do you actually see any issue with how you carry yourself on this forum, or anything that would bother the other members here? Aside from your obvious grudge against Josip Broz Marshall, obviously.

I don't see any major issues at all.
The PDF philosophy section has basically turned into a free association PDF.
Samerhil.
It’s essentially a random experiment with its fair share of pros and cons.😉

I suspect that because I tend to post more than others, some people assume I'm trolling more than anyone else.😁

In the process, people seem to forget

a) that we're all trolling and going off on tangents from time to time.

b) that hiddenpuma75 starts the MOST creative and engaging threads.👍 (way to go, hiddenpuma75 😁)

c) that Volter, Neo, and flying haven't even managed to open four threads together in two years—meaning they barely post or contribute—yet, miraculously,

hiddenpuma75's Herculean effort🙂 somehow manages to be an issue.

rowdyangler said:Yeah, you were splitting your posts up for no reason. You used to do that all the time with those lists of ten or more items—writing 1, 2, 3 in one post, then 4, 5 in the next, and 6, 7, 8 in another... just making things way more complicated than they needed to be.
That’s a direct violation of the rules. And look, I'll say it again: if you’ve been a member of this forum for twenty years and you still haven't bothered to adopt the basic standards of being a member here, then I really have to wonder—why haven't you?

And here we go again. Every time the moderator lays down a rule, you just claim it doesn't apply to you, acting like we shouldn't follow the rules or the law like some bunch of drunks. 🤦

I notice it too, and despite all that nonsense, I’m not saying you should be banned from the forum.
Look, your behavior is making it impossible for me to defend you. After hearing the same thing over and over again, I’m starting to wonder if you actually want a solution to this at all.

Do you actually see any issue with how you carry yourself on this forum, or anything that would bother the other members here? Aside from your obvious grudge against Josip Broz Marshall, obviously.

I believe I explained myself clearly enough that Nice mentioned my approach is occasionally acceptable when providing more detailed responses, and I made sure to emphasize that point.

I never said, nor did I ever intend to imply, that I was allowed to
write 10 sentences as if they were 10 separate posts.

I completely understand that.

I agree that breaking up 12 sentences into three separate posts of four sentences each is controversial and unnecessary.

Again, while I was doing it, I truly didn't think I was doing anything that would bother anyone else or violate any actual rules.

rowdyangler said:Trolls like you, you mean? I'll give you that.

Your whole "contribution" to this thread can basically be boiled down to suggesting an ignore, claiming Parsifal needs to be "driven out," and finally insisting the forum "has bigger problems."

With all three points, you didn't just miss the mark—you missed the entire stadium.
In the end, you actually managed to get under my skin enough to make me deal with your pathetic presence on this board.

My apologies to Parsifal for getting off track. But yeah, there are definitely users here who need a permanent ban much more than he does, if that makes you feel any better. 😁

I want everyone to know this.

In all my twenty years on this forum, I haven't felt the need to put a single person on my ignore list.😲

I have never once gone out of my way to report someone or actively push for anyone to be banned from this forum. Honestly, the idea just feels wrong to me. 😲

I was only ever complaining about the moderators' conduct during standard procedures—or, if we’re talking about a clash of perspectives, I was addressing the ideas being thrown around by other members when they misinterpreted my own thoughts and actions.

4) I’ve honestly never been one to go around clicking that little red warning triangle to report posts.
I honestly wasn't quite sure how this all worked, where it was heading, or even what I actually needed to get out of it. 🤔

In my twenty years on this forum, I have never encountered behavior quite as frustrating as what we’ve seen from Adis Sabovic lately. Over the last two or three months, he has been absolutely spiraling, popping up under all sorts of different usernames just to spout his frantic nonsense across various threads. It's honestly been some of the most exhausting behavior I've had to witness here.

It’s actually quite easy to see how I might have even come across as friendly toward him. In fact, I was practically coaching him to lean into that "villain" persona—telling him he needs to play the part just as much as we all have to put up with him.

Honestly, the guy is just completely unhinged. He’s been going after the women he used to date with this totally unpredictable, aggressive style—using everything from verbal attacks to outright threats. It's wild. 😲 It’s the kind of behavior that psychiatry students just can't help but notice. My colleague Neo actually found Adis Sabovic's behavior quite charming, and she wasn't shy about saying so out loud. 😲

That kind of guy didn't bother our Nice, and Voltaire just kept his mouth shut. 😉

It’s just more proof that, at the end of the day, we’re about 80% emotional or even just plain irrational beings.

If someone truly loves you, they’ll find a way to rationalize about 80% of your shadows and all your mess.

11. If someone just happens to rub them the wrong way—take hiddenpuma75, for instance—they’ll end up dismissing about 80% of his work on philosophy as nothing more than spam. Or, they'll go full Neo and try to claim there's some kind of pornography hidden in it.

Casey Bennett said:True, though not because of spamming.

hiddenpuma75, here you go.

Post flooding happens when a user drops several posts in a row—two or more, specifically—that are so short they really should have just been consolidated into one. We're talking about a window of maybe a few minutes; if you wait a few hours or a day, you've probably moved on to a completely different thought anyway.

Some users, mostly the newcomers, tend to dump every single sentence into a brand-new post, resulting in multiple consecutive online posts that actually need to be read as a single cohesive unit. Additionally, many forum members don't quite grasp how to use the multi-quote feature, so instead they quote one post with a tiny reply, then quote a second with another tiny reply, then a third... that qualifies as flooding too.

It isn't an issue if the posts are distinct or aren't directly linked (which is a bit tricky to explain; say, if a topic is complex and a user addresses various points over several sentences), but it becomes a total mess when someone writes every single sentence as a separate post that requires stitching together to make sense, or when we end up with a wall of quotes where every line of text is followed by a tiny response. It's especially egregious when someone quotes fifty lines of text just to reply to one tiny part (by the way, please only include the specific portion of the quote you are responding to, otherwise it's impossible to tell what your comment is even referring to amidst all that text).

Many subforums explicitly state in their rules that this shouldn't happen, requiring that anything intended to be written in one sitting—or within a few minutes—be kept in a single post. This prevents the page from being choked by endless quotes with minimal replies, or a stream of short, disconnected posts that look like they should have been one entry.

Thanks for looking into this.
👍
I’ve read through everything carefully, and honestly, I don't think I'm in the wrong here. My situation doesn't actually fall under Nicin's rule or how she interprets it.
😲
What Nice is mostly addressing are the beginners who spam multiple quotes within a single new post.

She's talking about people who blast out a series of tiny, one-sentence posts in a row.

In my case, my lack of experience just meant I took one loooong post and split it into, say, three slightly shorter ones.
But I wasn't out there posting ten separate, one-sentence snippets as individual entries.

In fact, Nice actually allows for this "Parsifal-style manipulation" right here:😁

Just look at what she says:

'It isn't an issue if your posts are more specific or aren't strictly tied to one another (which is a bit harder to explain; if a topic is complex and you find yourself touching on various points over more than two sentences), but it becomes unreadable if you start putting every single sentence into its own new post.'

rowdyangler said:It does.
What you think makes things more readable actually makes it harder for me as a reader to follow along.

Plus, it's a pain to skip over someone's content when they drop five posts in a row; habit makes you scroll from post to post, not from one username to the next.😁

So, yeah, the answer is yes—it bothers me. Can you change how you do it?

I’ll try to keep my posts a bit shorter 😁, though not necessarily just to please you, but because I'm convinced people don't actually read long posts any more than I do😬

I'm genuinely curious if there's an actual rule stating you can't split an 1,800-character post into three 600-character chunks. This is the first time I've ever run into that.😲 Could someone please dig this up and provide a link or the specific wording? 😁

I'm still holding out hope that this falls into a gray area regarding how we interpret spam—basically, hoping there isn't an explicit rule against it somewhere.😲

Casey Bennett said:Why on earth would anyone need to put him on ignore? Just because someone finds the constant spamming annoying doesn't mean they aren't interested in the actual content being shared.
One simply needs to adhere to the basic standards of conduct for a public medium like this forum and stop flooding threads with repetitive posts. If you want a perfect example of how absolutely *not* to behave on a forum, hiddenpuma75 provided one right here in this thread.

I think we’re looking at two different definitions of "spam."
Your definition seems more about technical rules, whereas mine is more about the actual substance.

To me, spamming means posting things that have nothing to do with the topic—just dropping short, repetitive posts of maybe 150 characters each. Snippets. Fragmented sentences.
The worst kind of spam is when someone jumps in immediately after another person just to interrupt them.

So, when I posted four times in a row, I did it purely for the sake of readability.
I wrote one very, very 😁 long response that followed a logical, chronological flow, and then I simply broke it down into three or four smaller sections.

My intention wasn't malicious; it was purely about the visual layout. 😉

Personally, I find it much easier and more enjoyable to read four separate entries of 500 characters rather than one massive wall of 2,000 characters with no paragraph breaks or chapters.

Besides, while I was doing it, I had no idea I was breaking any rules.
(I’d love for someone who is particularly devoted to the rulebook to point out exactly where it says I can't split an 1,800-character post into three 600-character ones.