p.s. 🙂 meditation isn't about training yourself to think of nothing—if you try that, you'll just end up thinking of everything. it’s more about letting thoughts drift by without grabbing onto them. anything else is just suppressing stuff, which creates new friction and new baggage... instead of just exhausting the old patterns and finally meeting that endless inner world of yours.
I know exactly which images you mean. They’re just little subconscious flashes breaking through into your conscious mind. There isn't actually a difference between those flashes and the impressions you get during meditation—the imagery is the same. The only real distinction is your level of awareness or attitude toward them. During meditation, other repressed images can surface too... deeper collective ones, or personal ones that are just too uncomfortable. The conscious mind doesn't let those out easily because they'd disrupt everything. It's just human nature to cling to the good stuff and bury the painful parts.
The core difference lies in how you approach things while meditating. You don't identify with the thoughts as they arrive. You just let them pass. You observe. You recognize they belong to the past. Peace and stillness come from simply letting go. It's the same with negative thoughts. You just let them go, or you intuitively catch the link between your old conditioning and what you're suppressing. Don't let them pull you under... if you do, you're just daydreaming about the past. You won't gain any insight; you'll just be drifting aimlessly in the unconscious. Meditation requires willpower and "detachment" to make any real progress. The payoff is a healthier psyche and a freer personality—someone who isn't a slave to subconscious traumas or outdated, absurd patterns. We're raising our level of consciousness regarding ourselves and the world, which naturally changes our understanding.
And look, I'm not saying meditation is an instant fix. This process—this mindset and the actual practice—can take massive effort sometimes. Most of us are wired to daydream and live on autopilot. But that's just the path to self-improvement.
Formless energy? That’s getting into transcendental territory. It’s hard to pin down because it goes beyond our basic senses—we're just wired to perceive energy once it actually manifests. It isn't just about the heavy, obvious stuff, either. There are these finer, more subtle intuitive frequencies... everything is there if you have the awareness to pick up on it. I wouldn't be an expert on how great artists tap into this, but it seems like a way they channel and vent all that internal energy.
As for form—it’s infinite, yet somehow graspable. Like grass pushing through dirt or the sun beating down on the pavement. From fleeting thoughts to the flow of the Mississippi... form is just energy manifesting and shifting constantly. It's energy in motion, a natural consequence of the stuff itself. Whether you call it maya, shakti, or just this material world we're stuck in...
Herpes said:No, concentration just leads to one-pointedness. Once that mind lets go of the effort and starts quieting down the mental chatter, that's when you hit the result—meditation.
so they say, so they say 😁 😁
that's the meditation, or Patanjali's dhyana 😉 because you can't build a house without a foundation. Once we quiet the external noise, the first thing we run into in meditation is the internal noise of consciousness. After silencing that inner dialogue and those racing thoughts through intense focus, we face the waves of the subconscious... and that's where things get uncomfortable. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika suggests that our subconscious complexes, once suddenly unearthed, can strike like a venomous snake you accidentally stepped on while walking in your sleep. Facing those long-buried emotions and impressions is the first sign we've actually gone deep. Then come the collective symbols and visual visions... that's the second sign. Both are good. Once those accumulated subconscious energies clear out, our consciousness feels lighter, free from old conditioning. Spontaneous visualizations act like an internal magnet—a sign that the inner rivers have flowed and the bridges are built. Those symbols are basically a mirror of the outside world... which itself is just a reflection of the inside.
Only after navigating all that does true meditation begin. All I can say is so they say. 😉
p.s. Herpes—sounds like you've heard of the Satyananda school... or is that still something people have to seek out?
ravana, yoga predates Hinduism. It’s non-Vedic. If we're using the Vedas as the foundation for Hinduism, then we have to call it that. Yoga is Tantric. You find the first traces of yoga in the mysterious civilization of Mohenjo-daro... where there are also traces of Shiva and Kali/Maha Devi. Shivaism, Vaishnavism, and Shaktism are actually originally Tantric traditions. The blending of Tantric and Vedic philosophy starts with the Upanishads and reaches its peak with the Bhagavad Gita. yoga is a system practiced independently of Hinduism. The thing about Hinduism is that it's very much about bhakti—it has heart. A lot of people gravitate toward yoga, kirtans, and bhajans because the traditional Christian approach feels cold. There's too little heart. Plus, the West has conditioned people to perceive Christianity through pure intellect and reason rather than feeling... which isn't really Jesus's way. On the other hand, bhakti and Hare Krishna offer warmth and love instead of sermons about sin, and people feel that. That connection exists in yoga, too. People need it. They need that touch of the heart. Especially here in the States, where people lead with their hearts. In some countries, Sai Baba is a total stranger, but those are colder places. People struggle to see that what they're looking for in Sai Baba is already present in Jesus... that it's the core of Jesus's teaching and something they can find right there. Yoga doesn't require Hinduism at all.
Yoga, much like yoga, is essentially a system of practical exercises designed to expand awareness. Occultism is just a tiny, insignificant sliver of the vast universe found within yoga... focusing solely on the occult is a dead end. It’s like obsessing over your external life without ever looking inward. Once you actually commit to the path of yoga, after reaching certain insights and experiences, occultism becomes nothing more than a mild 🙂
Kriya yoga, Kundalini yoga, Hatha yoga, Laya yoga, Nada yoga, Swara yoga, Jnana yoga, Bhakti yoga, Karma yoga, Raja yoga... Each one offers endless methods to broaden consciousness and layers of insight, uncovering entire worlds of meaning. They share so much in common because they all stem from a single, unifying system—yoga. It's a journey inward while simultaneously balancing the outer world. A difficult road... requires intense focus, energy, and self-discipline. Most people go the opposite way. They run from themselves and their own inner depths. That’s fine, I suppose. They just express that avoidance unconsciously through their daily lives in the material world. But the path of yoga offers something... something that forces a person to keep moving forward. 🙂
Jung really lived what he preached—that we have to navigate both our outer lives and our inner worlds at the same time. That’s how you find the middle ground, individuation, Zen. It's the core of most Eastern philosophies and practices too... Zen, Yoga, and especially the ancient ways of Tantra.
That whole concept of "balance" is baked right into the principles of Yin and Yang, Ida and Pingala, Shiva and Shakti, the Sun and the Moon... day and night, sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. You can either try to merge dualities or just swing between extremes. But usually, after a while, people start leaning toward... balance. 🙂
Living an outward life without being aware of our internal world? 😉 Just ignoring the reality of our inner selves—the longings, the fears, the desires. They're constantly screaming at us from the outside... "notice me, notice me!"
Enchantress said:Sedmica says: Jung claims joga isn't really suited for us Americans. Our unconscious works differently. He suggests we reach some semblance of balance by age 35... after that, joga often becomes a refuge for neurotics trying to fix their problems the wrong way.
Jung basically hopes we all find some stability by 35. After that, it gets harder. He’s speaking from experience, really. It means finding a center, a direction, before that threshold hits.
And what isn't a refuge for neurotics? Who isn't neurotic? Show me one person who isn't—socially or individually conditioned by their unconscious. It's just human nature to hold onto the good stuff and suppress the pain when we can't process it. Everyone does it, especially in those first five years. Then comes more socialization, more conditioning, more repression. It's standard psych mechanics. A "normal" psyche is a neurotic one. That's not inherently bad. The issue only arises when we notice our actions or behaviors—internal or external—just aren't clicking. Jung actually addressed the pros and cons of Eastern spiritual practices by observing universal symbols and introducing the "middle way" into Western psychology. You can only find the answer yourself. If you practice meditative techniques, you'll start seeing those universal symbols, from the Navaj to the culture of Mohenjatdar. Once you see that universality within ourselves, the question of whether Eastern techniques are "beneficial" stops being relevant. Instead, the focus shifts to how to integrate them into an American lifestyle to improve our quality of life. Best, 🙂
p.s. Jung was a bit wary of joga and tried to fit it into his own theory, which differs slightly from actual joga. But hey, you're entitled to your own interpretation and way of living. 🙂 Jung is a massive influence on me, but I don't follow him blindly. I don't take anything from his theories for granted. Everything, really, has to be understood through personal experience.
ooo... raising awareness and expanding what we perceive is really just step one in most Eastern practices. being aware of "yourself"—your conditioning, those habitual patterns, and then going deeper—into the subconscious psychological stuff, the samskaras, all that "unfinished business." you have to recognize it. you have to learn how to let go of those energy blocks that bleed from the subconscious right into your conscious mind. being aware of those repetitive behaviors that stop us from acting properly or differently when things happen... knowing how to watch them without getting attached, like a neutral observer, a "witness"... that’s what makes us feel freer, more whole. it's something everyone has to navigate on their own path toward growth—personality, expression, behavior—and everyone does it in their own way. ;
shadowgardener12 said:You're right. After years of being sidelined, I’m finally remembering what it feels like to crush a loop around Central Park (3.7 miles)... to sprint up four flights of stairs without losing my breath... when the body actually feels like a coiled spring. Everything light. Bouncy. Yeah. I forgot about that. Just realizing now how much I missed it.
So that's why you started this thread! 😁
Try trail running in the woods. It's tougher! (Like out on the Appalachian Trail! 😉)
Anyway, I think looking after yourself requires a healthy body. Around 25, people usually start burning through their peak energy reserves. After that, either your levels drop, or they've already been depleted from overdoing it earlier 😁, so people start making changes—if they've learned anything. If not, they just keep pushing until they realize something's wrong and try to chase ghosts to get some relief 😁 😍 or they just ignore self-care entirely, going all-in on "spirituality" while letting their physical health fall apart due to neglect.
I mean... what I'm trying to say is we waste way too much energy dealing with physical tension. Life just feels better, easier, when your body isn't fighting itself. When you're clean on the inside... 😉 😍
I’ve got nothing on Conan. I’m more like Red Sonja, just with a few masculine adjectives thrown in 😁 😍 Running hills, swimming constantly... eating very little. It's all just internal energy. I've been vibing with those Wire lyrics for a long time, even before I got into yoga
and remember making the body such that it was nothing but enough for ahead
Red meat puts a massive strain on your liver. Alcohol is just straight-up poison for it. Having a glass of red wine after dinner won't make much difference. Anything easy is better. Steamed veggies and stuff like that... good for you.
Since it looks like you're focused on your blood work, try eating plenty of fresh leafy greens—lettuce, chives, whatever. Then check your bilirubin levels again. It should help.
The numbers you listed aren't really liver markers. Maybe bilirubin, sure, but elevated lymphocytes usually point toward inflammation or something similar...
Most of the time, my bilirubin stays high—right on the edge or above—even though my other liver tests are totally fine. Since everything else looks good, my doctors told me it’s nothing to worry about and can stay at that level. Those blood work ranges are basically just averages used as benchmarks.
It's the bilirubin that turns you yellow when you get jaundice.😉
My levels spike whenever I'm stressed out or pushing myself too hard physically. I'm pretty active, so maybe it's just my body reacting to that. For you, it could be something else entirely...
hehehe... PsihomodoPop. On legendary number one album? Not a single track of theirs on there. Some are credited to specific writers, while others are just left vague enough to imply they could be... who knows...😁 😁 Total joke for GOP. You can't make anything happen in life. 😁 Man gets to this age and now he’s stuck drawing pictures 😁
redcrane28 said:Yeah, you already have me pictured as some hairy, overweight mess 😉 But honestly... maybe it's better not to look. I was pretty crushed when I realized Kevin Chavez3 doesn't actually look anything like his profile pic.