Is God the subconscious?

jadegardener12 said:Alright, but how does one actually pull that off?

I'm not entirely sure what Retra meant—but based on my posts above, I'm really talking about clearing out those subconscious patterns.

vividrider472 said:I'm not entirely sure what Retra meant—but based on my posts above, I'm really talking about clearing out those subconscious patterns.

Exactly—which is why I'm asking: what does this actually involve? What's the actual process?

jadegardener12 said:Exactly—which is why I'm asking: what does this actually involve? What's the actual process?

Maybe they should just go for psychoanalysis!

Or maybe try something from old Slavinski:

A S P E K T I K A "

STEP-BY-STEP CHAIN TECHNIQUE

1. DEFINE THE ASPECT you'll be working with: an expression the Client wants to change, an undesirable behavior, a deficiency, a flaw, a weakness, a physical disorder, etc. For instance: intolerance toward children, anger at a specific person, jealousy toward a partner, fear of exams, anxiety, high blood pressure, insomnia, depression, overeating, aggressive behavior, outbursts of rage, tension when facing authority figures, stage fright during public speaking, and so on.

2. Tell the Client that when communicating with the Aspect, their messages might arrive in the form of a human voice, thoughts, bodily sensations, feelings, or intuitively—since that is the language Aspects use. Also, tell them to nod their head or say “yes” when they perform what you are asking of them.

3. To start, have the Client state their negative alpha—where the alpha is their individual truth—with full immersion. For example: “I feel tense when interacting with strangers!”

GIVE ME THE NEGATIVE ALPHA.

4. CLOSE YOUR EYES AND RELAX.

5. IN WHICH SITUATIONS DOES THIS MANIFESTATION APPEAR? RECALL CHARACTERISTIC SITUATIONS WHERE THIS OCCURS.

Have your Client describe such situations in just a few words.

6. NOW FIND A SPECIFIC EVENT WHERE THIS MANIFESTATION OCCURRED. FULLY IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THAT EVENT IN YOUR MIND: SEE WITH YOUR OWN EYES WHAT YOU SAW THEN, HEAR WHAT YOU HEARD THEN, AND FEEL WHAT YOU FELT THEN. AT THE SAME TIME, BEGIN TO NOTICE HOW THAT ASPECT OF YOURS IS MANIFESTING.

7. LOCATE WHERE THAT ASPECT RESIDES

a) If it is in the body:

IN WHICH PART OF THE BODY DO YOU FEEL IT MOST STRONGLY?

b) If it is outside the body:

WHERE IS IT LOCATED?

8. DETERMINE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THAT ASPECT: - WHAT SIZE IS IT? - WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? - WHAT COLOR IS IT? - HOW HEAVY IS IT? - HOW OLD IS IT?

(If the Client says they can't see it, tell them: YOU PROVIDE THOSE CHARACTERISTICS! IF THE ASPECT HAD A SIZE, HOW BIG WOULD IT BE?... IF IT HAD AN APPEARANCE, WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE?... IF IT HAD A COLOR, WHAT COLOR WOULD IT BE?... IF IT HAD WEIGHT, HOW HEAVY WOULD IT BE?... IF YOU COULD ASSIGN IT AN AGE, HOW OLD WOULD IT BE?)

9. THANK THE ASPECT FOR REVEALING ITSELF AND INVITE IT TO MANIFEST MORE STRONGLY AND COMPLETELY. ADDRESS IT IN YOUR MIND: "I KNOW YOU WANT WHAT IS BEST FOR ME, THANK YOU—MANIFEST FREELY—MORE STRONGLY AND MORE COMPLETELY—SO THAT WE CAN COMMUNICATE."

10. NOW ASK THAT ASPECT: "WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR ME WITH THIS MANIFESTATION (OR BEHAVIOR)? - WHAT GOAL ARE YOU TRYING TO ACHIEVE?"

And then immediately:

PAY ATTENTION TO EVERYTHING THAT EMERGES AS AN ANSWER: IMAGES, VOICES, FEELINGS, OR BODILY SENSATIONS.

If the Client speaks quickly, that’s very good. If there is 10-15 seconds of silence, tell them:
....
........

I haven't read the book myself, but honestly, nobody can truly know his exact intentions. Personally, I find myself agreeing with him. To me, the biblical God isn't a figure out there; God is something spiritual, something deeply personal that lives within each individual—something we can all strive to connect with... I wouldn't be surprised if he grouped God and the subconscious together. Using the concept of a "Creator" to manipulate people, or perhaps to "serve" the masses, strikes me as one of the most cynical things a person can do. But then again, everyone is entitled to their own views, whether they lead toward something good or something dark...

"Quote:"

jadegardener12 said:Exactly—which is why I'm asking: what does this actually involve? What's the actual process?

"Quote:"

vividrider472 said:Working on the subconscious basically means becoming aware of the emotions tied to specific events or relationships—and then actually integrating them. You can do this through various methods, like what people often call "digging." This involves using a very specific set of questions to guide someone beneath their conscious mind—which, let’s face it, tends to just loop the same old patterns over and over. Ideally, you want to hit those lower alpha or even theta brainwave frequencies—that sweet spot right before you drift off to sleep—to let the answers float up from the subconscious. You can reach that state through certain breathing techniques—which anyone can do—or by how you approach meditation and energy work. The goal during these sessions is for the person to vocalize the emotions as they arise and link them back to specific situations, eventually tracing everything back to a core belief.
It's definitely easier with a therapist, though you can totally do it solo if you practice a bit.

Another great way to clear out the subconscious is through "shadow work"—directly tackling traits we dislike, reject, or feel ashamed of in ourselves (or in others). It makes the conversation much more straightforward, but you still have to ride through those emotional waves until things settle. This method is actually a bit easier to tackle alone, but you need grit—it can take hours if you're dealing with something heavy. Feel free to take breaks or just pick it up again the next day when you're feeling less drained. I'd suggest starting with something smaller and less painful just to get a feel for the process.

Affirmations can work too, but you really have to test them to see if they're actually doing anything. Other alternative techniques are helpful as well.

Once you've worked through something, you check your beliefs again to see how much has shifted. But honestly? The best way to tell is through your reality—how you actually show up for yourself and others afterward.

If anyone has questions, please ask—I don't want to write a novel for no reason! If you want to know how to apply this to your own life, I'm happy to walk you through it using your specific example, but let's stick to Skype or a phone call—I just don't have enough time to type it all out. So, yeah, I'm here.

Oh, and there's some good reading material out there if you're interested.🙂

Just like Benjamin Taylor6 mentioned—there are a few different ways to approach psychoanalytic processing. It’s all centered around conversation, though in this case, it isn't quite the typical session you'd expect to walk into at a therapist's office. The things that surface... they definitely don't feel like the usual thoughts running through your head during a normal day. Honestly, trying to pin this down in writing is pretty much impossible—no matter how I phrase it, you just can't fully grasp the process or what it actually means through a screen. I could show you what I mean 1-on-1, though.

So, here’s a snippet from a conversation I had with someone—perfectly sane, no mental health issues or anything like that—who’s been repeating the same line for a few years now: "I just want some peace in my life." We actually started out talking about something totally trivial, like how they always leave one specific household chore unfinished, but it ended up in this really strange place:

...
What would happen once she finally wraps that up?
It would be more organized.
How would it feel if everything was actually in order?
Hmm... there would be... peace.
What's actually the worst thing that could happen during peacetime?

Then she just grabs her head and starts screaming—"I DON'T WANT PEACE! I WANT CHAOS! GIVE ME CHAOS!"—because honestly, once things are finally peaceful, there’s nothing left to fix.
...
...
We’ve hit a few layers where the fear of taking responsibility really starts to surface. To work through that, people often lean on certain visualizations—but honestly, those breakthroughs have to happen naturally, without trying to force them. If you’ve done the work properly, when you look back at those old, painful situations, your whole perspective shifts. You remember things with totally different emotions, and those events just don't carry that same heavy weight anymore—especially the complicated relationships tied to them.

I’m telling you—it all comes down to that brainwave frequency. Just standard small talk isn't going to trigger those subconscious responses or lead to that kind of emotional release. Sure, maybe after endless sessions of talking, but would those deepest, most buried layers actually clear out? And even then, it's not a magic fix—you can't exactly hit a "reset" button on someone's entire life in just two or three conversations.

So you're saying this isn't something we can just tackle on our own—that we actually need a specialized therapist? Who even handles this kind of work, and what's the damage to my wallet?

Murphy doesn't mention anything like that in the book... he focuses on solo work through affirmations and visualization. If I'm following you correctly, you're saying doing it alone is basically useless?

jadegardener12 said:So you're saying this isn't something we can just tackle on our own—that we actually need a specialized therapist? Who even handles this kind of work, and what's the damage to my wallet?

Murphy doesn't mention anything like that in the book... he focuses on solo work through affirmations and visualization. If I'm following you correctly, you're saying doing it alone is basically useless?

I'm game. We can work something out—we're all humans here, after all.😁
Look, plenty of this can be handled on your own—it's definitely not the only way. And honestly, it's doable if you just practice a bit, assuming you have any knack for self-guided work. I can pass along some instructions and materials I've gathered. Affirmations and visualizations do work—you just need to know a few little tricks to make them stick. So, just find an hour and a half of total peace and quiet, and we'll go from there.🙂

jadegardener12 said:So you're saying this isn't something we can just tackle on our own—that we actually need a specialized therapist? Who even handles this kind of work, and what's the damage to my wallet?

Murphy doesn't mention anything like that in the book... he focuses on solo work through affirmations and visualization. If I'm following you correctly, you're saying doing it alone is basically useless?

REBT

From everything I know, out of all the psychological therapies out there, REBT provides incomparably better results than anything else currently being used. Plus, there are plenty of workbooks available so anyone can follow the instructions and use the method on their own.

If it works for someone, great—thank God. If it doesn't, then I honestly don't know what else these types of methods could possibly offer. You'll have to do some digging online to find more info.

Nicholas Gonzalez8 said:So, get this—for the longest time, we were all under the impression that the universe was basically just 4% atomic matter that we actually recognize, maybe 23% dark matter, and then the rest—about 73%—was just... empty space, right? At least, that's what the scientists used to tell us before they realized they were totally off base. Turns out, that 73% isn't just a big, lonely void; it's actually dark energy. Think of it less like "nothingness" and more like a massive, underlying nervous system that’s woven through every single thing that exists in the cosmos. It completely flips the script on how we view everything—it's this wild idea that everything in existence is fundamentally interconnected.

Check out this image if you want to wrap your head around what I'm getting at.

Yeah, for sure—the whole universe looks like some kind of supercomputer, right? Like the ultimate, most insane biological processor ever conceived, and if you really think about it, everything that massive brain is churning out is basically just holograms. It’s wild. And honestly, you could totally apply that same logic to us humans, too. We’re basically just tiny little microcosms floating around inside that giant macrocosm—just small-scale versions of the big machine.

Figure out how the brain actually works—like, really *gets* it—and you’ve basically cracked the code to the entire universe. It’s all right there.

edit:

So, to back up that whole theory about the brain being some kind of holographic projector—and honestly, I'm not entirely sold, but hey, let's roll with it—check out this snippet I dug up from Wikipedia:

So, get this—there’s this wild concept floating around physics that basically says everything we think we know about "space" is a total lie. Imagine if every single scrap of data within a specific chunk of the universe is actually encoded like a freaking hologram. I'm talking about a setup where every tiny little fragment holds the blueprint for the entire damn thing, just scaled down. It’s this mind-bending phenomenon called “non-locality,” and honestly? It makes my head spin just thinking about it. It’s like looking at a single pixel on a massive LED screen in Times Square and somehow finding the entire map of Manhattan hidden inside that one dot. Everything is connected in this weird, non-linear way that defies all the common sense we use to navigate daily life. It’s absolutely nuts. It actually goes to show why some kids can still be totally sharp and hold their own even after doctors have to slice out huge chunks of their brain—we’re talking massive sections, sometimes like half the damn thing—and they still come out the other side with perfectly normal intelligence. It's wild, honestly. It actually goes a step further—it might finally explain why you don't just lose all your damn memories the second someone takes a cross-section slice of your brain. You know, like if you were looking at a loaf of sourdough and slicing it up? The flavor and the texture aren't just stuck in one single thin piece; they're distributed throughout the whole thing. It’s kind of wild to think about, but that’s how this works—the data isn't just sitting in one isolated little corner waiting to be deleted.

vividrider472 said:"Quote:"

"Quote:"

I’d say that by clearing out those limiting beliefs, we’re essentially reprogramming the power of your subconscious—it's like a reset. Those old, negative patterns just fade away as you work through them, letting all those heavy, painful emotions finally resolve and integrate. Once the process is done, you can really test your new status—you'll see the results showing up in your actual life through how differently things function, or more simply, through much better outcomes in everything you try to do.

The thing is, "reprogramming" implies there’s already a program running. I’m more inclined toward the idea of clearing and erasing harmful beliefs to establish the Self—you know, finding your own authenticity without all those programs, beliefs, or patterns getting in the way.

jadegardener12 said:Alright, but how does one actually pull that off?

Anyway, vividrider472 already answered you, but I don't want to seem rude, so I’ll share how I handle things.
My approach focuses on techniques that boil down to "problem-solving" or simply "clearing harmful patterns." I don't really do affirmations or visualizations; I prefer working solo.
I don't do deep digging or heavy analysis. I just trigger the process and use specific tools.
It's definitely harder to do it on your own, but if you have the right intention and enough willpower, the results usually follow. 😉

You might want to Google some techniques for clearing negative patterns. Personally, I could recommend the Sedona Method or Ho'oponopono.

Scott Miller4 said:The thing is, "reprogramming" implies there’s already a program running. I’m more inclined toward the idea of clearing and erasing harmful beliefs to establish the Self—you know, finding your own authenticity without all those programs, beliefs, or patterns getting in the way.

Anyway, vividrider472 already answered you, but I don't want to seem rude, so I’ll share how I handle things.
My approach focuses on techniques that boil down to "problem-solving" or simply "clearing harmful patterns." I don't really do affirmations or visualizations; I prefer working solo.
I don't do deep digging or heavy analysis. I just trigger the process and use specific tools.
It's definitely harder to do it on your own, but if you have the right intention and enough willpower, the results usually follow. 😉

You might want to Google some techniques for clearing negative patterns. Personally, I could recommend the Sedona Method or Ho'oponopono.

I don't really use the word "reprogramming" myself—when you look at the actual meaning, it’s more about how clearing those negative beliefs inevitably reveals your true Self. You're just removing the barriers—the programs and patterns—that block it. If clearing a belief like "I DON'T love myself" results in an actual state of self-love, then saying "I DO love myself" isn't adding a new program... it's just the technical way of expressing that the Self has finally surfaced.

vividrider472 said:I don't really use the word "reprogramming" myself—when you look at the actual meaning, it’s more about how clearing those negative beliefs inevitably reveals your true Self. You're just removing the barriers—the programs and patterns—that block it. If clearing a belief like "I DON'T love myself" results in an actual state of self-love, then saying "I DO love myself" isn't adding a new program... it's just the technical way of expressing that the Self has finally surfaced.

Meaning follows expression. 😉
Subconscious reprogramming and cleansing the subconscious of harmful beliefs aren't quite the same thing, I suppose.

A program is basically an external installation, and as such, it gets in the way of your own authenticity. It doesn't really matter if that program is "I don't love myself" or "I do love myself."

Scott Miller4 said:Meaning follows expression. 😉
Subconscious reprogramming and cleansing the subconscious of harmful beliefs aren't quite the same thing, I suppose.

A program is basically an external installation, and as such, it gets in the way of your own authenticity. It doesn't really matter if that program is "I don't love myself" or "I do love myself."

They are synonyms. Period. If you're stripping away a toxic program, a positive one naturally takes its place. Even if you don't consciously plug in a specific replacement, those old emotional triggers—those "programs" everyone talks about—get swapped out for something fundamentally different... otherwise, no real clearing actually happened.
And honestly, neither stage of this process messes with your authenticity—not that you could even "lose" it if you tried, right?

You could try to get all theoretical about some "void" left behind after a program is deleted, but that's like trying to use a radar to spot thin air. You send out the signal and just sit there waiting for a return that’s never coming.
Everything we actually know about the subconscious comes from the feedback it gives us. If it wasn't feeding us info, we wouldn't even know it was there in the first place...

Jacob Cooper5 said:They are synonyms. Period. If you're stripping away a toxic program, a positive one naturally takes its place. Even if you don't consciously plug in a specific replacement, those old emotional triggers—those "programs" everyone talks about—get swapped out for something fundamentally different... otherwise, no real clearing actually happened.
And honestly, neither stage of this process messes with your authenticity—not that you could even "lose" it if you tried, right?

You could try to get all theoretical about some "void" left behind after a program is deleted, but that's like trying to use a radar to spot thin air. You send out the signal and just sit there waiting for a return that’s never coming.
Everything we actually know about the subconscious comes from the feedback it gives us. If it wasn't feeding us info, we wouldn't even know it was there in the first place...

So, is reinstalling Windows on a PC the same thing as wiping a chalkboard?
They aren't synonyms.

Clearing techniques—not reprogramming—actually rely on that empty space (the tabula rasa, the void, the gap). That emptiness is the actual platform where authenticity shows up.

And where are you getting this idea about losing authenticity? You aren't losing anything; you're just removing the distractions (the programs, the beliefs, the patterns).

I’m talking about the mechanics of the system I use. What you wrote is just your own take on it, and it doesn't really align with how it works.

Scott Miller4 said:So, is reinstalling Windows on a PC the same thing as wiping a chalkboard?
They aren't synonyms.

Clearing techniques—not reprogramming—actually rely on that empty space (the tabula rasa, the void, the gap). That emptiness is the actual platform where authenticity shows up.

And where are you getting this idea about losing authenticity? You aren't losing anything; you're just removing the distractions (the programs, the beliefs, the patterns).

I’m talking about the mechanics of the system I use. What you wrote is just your own take on it, and it doesn't really align with how it works.

Look, you can play around with this "void" concept all you want, right up until the moment you're forced to face the same circumstances that wrote those "deleted" programs into your subconscious in the first place. That's when you have to find an answer—an answer from both your subconscious and your conscious mind—and that answer is entirely dictated by those very programs.
If there’s no answer, your subconscious is just going to write it back in based on the next experience you have. And let's be real: we rarely pay attention to positive responses because we don't feel the need to work on things that are already working fine—there's nothing to "fix"—so it's incredibly easy to get confused and mistake that for reaching a state of emptiness. You can actually test if that "emptiness" is real just by asking the right questions.
A blank space is useless on its own. It only gains purpose once you actually fill it with something meaningful.

What even is this "authentic emptiness" you're talking about? Do you actually know anyone who is "authentically empty"?😁

Look, you’ve gotta find some balance. You need to clear out all that mental clutter—all those useless, nagging thoughts that just take up space—and once you actually empty your head, you'll start noticing the stuff that actually matters. Plus, you'll be able to think about things a hell of a lot clearer.

Jacob Cooper5 said:Look, you can play around with this "void" concept all you want, right up until the moment you're forced to face the same circumstances that wrote those "deleted" programs into your subconscious in the first place. That's when you have to find an answer—an answer from both your subconscious and your conscious mind—and that answer is entirely dictated by those very programs.
If there’s no answer, your subconscious is just going to write it back in based on the next experience you have. And let's be real: we rarely pay attention to positive responses because we don't feel the need to work on things that are already working fine—there's nothing to "fix"—so it's incredibly easy to get confused and mistake that for reaching a state of emptiness. You can actually test if that "emptiness" is real just by asking the right questions.
A blank space is useless on its own. It only gains purpose once you actually fill it with something meaningful.

What even is this "authentic emptiness" you're talking about? Do you actually know anyone who is "authentically empty"?😁

So, emptiness only has a purpose if it's filled with content, and by "content," you mean programming? 🤣 Hmm... 🤔
Personally, I see content as one's own genuine expression that hasn't been cluttered up by those old scripts.

What makes you think the conscious response depends entirely on programming? Are you suggesting that true authenticity doesn't exist? If we define "programming" as just memory, then where does creativity come from?

Scott Miller4 said:So, emptiness only has a purpose if it's filled with content, and by "content," you mean programming? 🤣 Hmm... 🤔
Personally, I see content as one's own genuine expression that hasn't been cluttered up by those old scripts.

What makes you think the conscious response depends entirely on programming? Are you suggesting that true authenticity doesn't exist? If we define "programming" as just memory, then where does creativity come from?

What even are "programs" if they aren't just content—basically, just a bunch of subconscious programming running in the background? It’s all just data being fed into the machine... constant input that shapes how we think without us ever really realizing it. You think you're making decisions, but really, you're just executing code that was written for you by someone else... it's pretty bleak when you actually stop to think about it.
Seriously, give me some actual substance here—what exactly do you mean by this whole "authentic self-expression" thing? I’ve been waiting for a real answer, but honestly, I’m getting absolutely nothing... 😁

Consciousness isn't just some floating, ethereal thing—it’s really more about how our subconscious stores away these little "keys" based on everything we've lived through. Every single experience we encounter gets filed away, and then, depending on whatever new input hits us, one of those keys turns in a lock... opening up these massive, hidden vaults of old emotions, deep-seated prejudices, and knee-jerk reactions that we didn't even realize were sitting there waiting to be triggered...
Why do I think that? Well, if you look at the brain scans, it’s pretty clear—people actually start acting before the conscious thought process even kicks in... there's this tiny gap, just a few hundredths of a second, where the body moves first and the mind follows. It’s a vital survival mechanism, really—it’s what allows us to react instantly to danger and stay safe—but obviously, there's a massive downside to it. The system can easily get overwhelmed by "threats" that aren't actually dangerous at all, leaving us stuck in a constant state of unnecessary panic...

I wouldn't go so far as to call "inventiveness" the same thing as being authentic—honestly, I don't think anything is truly more authentic than something else... it’s a bit of a stretch. Real inventiveness, just like pretty much any other human endeavor, is really just a cocktail of familiar elements mashed together. It doesn't just strike out of thin air, even if that's how it looks when someone finally cracks the code. Those "genius" breakthroughs? They're usually just a specific blend of innate creativity—you know, that ability to look at a problem from a weird, unexpected angle—mixed with a solid pile of raw material, sheer grit (that obsessive, single-minded focus), and a healthy dose of pure luck regarding timing and circumstances...
You can spend your entire life sitting in a lotus position trying to clear your head of all those little "distractions"—really, just you, your breath, and some incense—but let’s be real for a second... unless you’ve stumbled upon that specific, magic combination of factors, don't hold your breath waiting to see your name mentioned alongside a Nobel Prize winner. It just isn't happening... 😁

If you actually take a moment to look at the psyches of the great artists—I mean, really dig into who they were—you realize that this massive, overwhelming flood of subconscious content isn't just noise; it’s practically overflowing from a space that’s way too cramped for it all. What you're calling "distractors"... man, that's just being naive. For these people, those distractions aren't interruptions at all—they’re the actual fuel. It's the sheer density and the raw, unfiltered intensity of those exact "distractions" that breathes life into their work in the first place...

Jacob Cooper5 said:What even are "programs" if they aren't just content—basically, just a bunch of subconscious programming running in the background? It’s all just data being fed into the machine... constant input that shapes how we think without us ever really realizing it. You think you're making decisions, but really, you're just executing code that was written for you by someone else... it's pretty bleak when you actually stop to think about it.
Seriously, give me some actual substance here—what exactly do you mean by this whole "authentic self-expression" thing? I’ve been waiting for a real answer, but honestly, I’m getting absolutely nothing... 😁

Consciousness isn't just some floating, ethereal thing—it’s really more about how our subconscious stores away these little "keys" based on everything we've lived through. Every single experience we encounter gets filed away, and then, depending on whatever new input hits us, one of those keys turns in a lock... opening up these massive, hidden vaults of old emotions, deep-seated prejudices, and knee-jerk reactions that we didn't even realize were sitting there waiting to be triggered...
Why do I think that? Well, if you look at the brain scans, it’s pretty clear—people actually start acting before the conscious thought process even kicks in... there's this tiny gap, just a few hundredths of a second, where the body moves first and the mind follows. It’s a vital survival mechanism, really—it’s what allows us to react instantly to danger and stay safe—but obviously, there's a massive downside to it. The system can easily get overwhelmed by "threats" that aren't actually dangerous at all, leaving us stuck in a constant state of unnecessary panic...

I wouldn't go so far as to call "inventiveness" the same thing as being authentic—honestly, I don't think anything is truly more authentic than something else... it’s a bit of a stretch. Real inventiveness, just like pretty much any other human endeavor, is really just a cocktail of familiar elements mashed together. It doesn't just strike out of thin air, even if that's how it looks when someone finally cracks the code. Those "genius" breakthroughs? They're usually just a specific blend of innate creativity—you know, that ability to look at a problem from a weird, unexpected angle—mixed with a solid pile of raw material, sheer grit (that obsessive, single-minded focus), and a healthy dose of pure luck regarding timing and circumstances...
You can spend your entire life sitting in a lotus position trying to clear your head of all those little "distractions"—really, just you, your breath, and some incense—but let’s be real for a second... unless you’ve stumbled upon that specific, magic combination of factors, don't hold your breath waiting to see your name mentioned alongside a Nobel Prize winner. It just isn't happening... 😁

If you actually take a moment to look at the psyches of the great artists—I mean, really dig into who they were—you realize that this massive, overwhelming flood of subconscious content isn't just noise; it’s practically overflowing from a space that’s way too cramped for it all. What you're calling "distractors"... man, that's just being naive. For these people, those distractions aren't interruptions at all—they’re the actual fuel. It's the sheer density and the raw, unfiltered intensity of those exact "distractions" that breathes life into their work in the first place...

Well, programs are subconscious content, and so is authenticity.
I'm not sure how you aren't getting an answer. I feel like I've been hammering this point home the whole time. 😲😁
You. Everything about you that exists beneath those external layers you've picked up along the way.

Jacob Cooper5 said:What even are "programs" if they aren't just content—basically, just a bunch of subconscious programming running in the background? It’s all just data being fed into the machine... constant input that shapes how we think without us ever really realizing it. You think you're making decisions, but really, you're just executing code that was written for you by someone else... it's pretty bleak when you actually stop to think about it.
Seriously, give me some actual substance here—what exactly do you mean by this whole "authentic self-expression" thing? I’ve been waiting for a real answer, but honestly, I’m getting absolutely nothing... 😁

Consciousness isn't just some floating, ethereal thing—it’s really more about how our subconscious stores away these little "keys" based on everything we've lived through. Every single experience we encounter gets filed away, and then, depending on whatever new input hits us, one of those keys turns in a lock... opening up these massive, hidden vaults of old emotions, deep-seated prejudices, and knee-jerk reactions that we didn't even realize were sitting there waiting to be triggered...
Why do I think that? Well, if you look at the brain scans, it’s pretty clear—people actually start acting before the conscious thought process even kicks in... there's this tiny gap, just a few hundredths of a second, where the body moves first and the mind follows. It’s a vital survival mechanism, really—it’s what allows us to react instantly to danger and stay safe—but obviously, there's a massive downside to it. The system can easily get overwhelmed by "threats" that aren't actually dangerous at all, leaving us stuck in a constant state of unnecessary panic...

I wouldn't go so far as to call "inventiveness" the same thing as being authentic—honestly, I don't think anything is truly more authentic than something else... it’s a bit of a stretch. Real inventiveness, just like pretty much any other human endeavor, is really just a cocktail of familiar elements mashed together. It doesn't just strike out of thin air, even if that's how it looks when someone finally cracks the code. Those "genius" breakthroughs? They're usually just a specific blend of innate creativity—you know, that ability to look at a problem from a weird, unexpected angle—mixed with a solid pile of raw material, sheer grit (that obsessive, single-minded focus), and a healthy dose of pure luck regarding timing and circumstances...
You can spend your entire life sitting in a lotus position trying to clear your head of all those little "distractions"—really, just you, your breath, and some incense—but let’s be real for a second... unless you’ve stumbled upon that specific, magic combination of factors, don't hold your breath waiting to see your name mentioned alongside a Nobel Prize winner. It just isn't happening... 😁

If you actually take a moment to look at the psyches of the great artists—I mean, really dig into who they were—you realize that this massive, overwhelming flood of subconscious content isn't just noise; it’s practically overflowing from a space that’s way too cramped for it all. What you're calling "distractors"... man, that's just being naive. For these people, those distractions aren't interruptions at all—they’re the actual fuel. It's the sheer density and the raw, unfiltered intensity of those exact "distractions" that breathes life into their work in the first place...

Yeah. Every perception or action seems to be preceded by a subconscious impulse. In that light, the idea that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" feels like more than just a cliché. It suggests the world we see is mostly just our own projection. I guess you might agree that's a plausible way to look at it? If you can, we can keep going. If not, there's probably no point.

Jacob Cooper5 said:What even are "programs" if they aren't just content—basically, just a bunch of subconscious programming running in the background? It’s all just data being fed into the machine... constant input that shapes how we think without us ever really realizing it. You think you're making decisions, but really, you're just executing code that was written for you by someone else... it's pretty bleak when you actually stop to think about it.
Seriously, give me some actual substance here—what exactly do you mean by this whole "authentic self-expression" thing? I’ve been waiting for a real answer, but honestly, I’m getting absolutely nothing... 😁

Consciousness isn't just some floating, ethereal thing—it’s really more about how our subconscious stores away these little "keys" based on everything we've lived through. Every single experience we encounter gets filed away, and then, depending on whatever new input hits us, one of those keys turns in a lock... opening up these massive, hidden vaults of old emotions, deep-seated prejudices, and knee-jerk reactions that we didn't even realize were sitting there waiting to be triggered...
Why do I think that? Well, if you look at the brain scans, it’s pretty clear—people actually start acting before the conscious thought process even kicks in... there's this tiny gap, just a few hundredths of a second, where the body moves first and the mind follows. It’s a vital survival mechanism, really—it’s what allows us to react instantly to danger and stay safe—but obviously, there's a massive downside to it. The system can easily get overwhelmed by "threats" that aren't actually dangerous at all, leaving us stuck in a constant state of unnecessary panic...

I wouldn't go so far as to call "inventiveness" the same thing as being authentic—honestly, I don't think anything is truly more authentic than something else... it’s a bit of a stretch. Real inventiveness, just like pretty much any other human endeavor, is really just a cocktail of familiar elements mashed together. It doesn't just strike out of thin air, even if that's how it looks when someone finally cracks the code. Those "genius" breakthroughs? They're usually just a specific blend of innate creativity—you know, that ability to look at a problem from a weird, unexpected angle—mixed with a solid pile of raw material, sheer grit (that obsessive, single-minded focus), and a healthy dose of pure luck regarding timing and circumstances...
You can spend your entire life sitting in a lotus position trying to clear your head of all those little "distractions"—really, just you, your breath, and some incense—but let’s be real for a second... unless you’ve stumbled upon that specific, magic combination of factors, don't hold your breath waiting to see your name mentioned alongside a Nobel Prize winner. It just isn't happening... 😁

If you actually take a moment to look at the psyches of the great artists—I mean, really dig into who they were—you realize that this massive, overwhelming flood of subconscious content isn't just noise; it’s practically overflowing from a space that’s way too cramped for it all. What you're calling "distractors"... man, that's just being naive. For these people, those distractions aren't interruptions at all—they’re the actual fuel. It's the sheer density and the raw, unfiltered intensity of those exact "distractions" that breathes life into their work in the first place...

I don't know, I disagree. Haven't you ever heard of someone just having an idea pop into their head or dreaming it up, without any heavy lifting afterward?
I guess I'veseen/it? 🤣

Jacob Cooper5 said:What even are "programs" if they aren't just content—basically, just a bunch of subconscious programming running in the background? It’s all just data being fed into the machine... constant input that shapes how we think without us ever really realizing it. You think you're making decisions, but really, you're just executing code that was written for you by someone else... it's pretty bleak when you actually stop to think about it.
Seriously, give me some actual substance here—what exactly do you mean by this whole "authentic self-expression" thing? I’ve been waiting for a real answer, but honestly, I’m getting absolutely nothing... 😁

Consciousness isn't just some floating, ethereal thing—it’s really more about how our subconscious stores away these little "keys" based on everything we've lived through. Every single experience we encounter gets filed away, and then, depending on whatever new input hits us, one of those keys turns in a lock... opening up these massive, hidden vaults of old emotions, deep-seated prejudices, and knee-jerk reactions that we didn't even realize were sitting there waiting to be triggered...
Why do I think that? Well, if you look at the brain scans, it’s pretty clear—people actually start acting before the conscious thought process even kicks in... there's this tiny gap, just a few hundredths of a second, where the body moves first and the mind follows. It’s a vital survival mechanism, really—it’s what allows us to react instantly to danger and stay safe—but obviously, there's a massive downside to it. The system can easily get overwhelmed by "threats" that aren't actually dangerous at all, leaving us stuck in a constant state of unnecessary panic...

I wouldn't go so far as to call "inventiveness" the same thing as being authentic—honestly, I don't think anything is truly more authentic than something else... it’s a bit of a stretch. Real inventiveness, just like pretty much any other human endeavor, is really just a cocktail of familiar elements mashed together. It doesn't just strike out of thin air, even if that's how it looks when someone finally cracks the code. Those "genius" breakthroughs? They're usually just a specific blend of innate creativity—you know, that ability to look at a problem from a weird, unexpected angle—mixed with a solid pile of raw material, sheer grit (that obsessive, single-minded focus), and a healthy dose of pure luck regarding timing and circumstances...
You can spend your entire life sitting in a lotus position trying to clear your head of all those little "distractions"—really, just you, your breath, and some incense—but let’s be real for a second... unless you’ve stumbled upon that specific, magic combination of factors, don't hold your breath waiting to see your name mentioned alongside a Nobel Prize winner. It just isn't happening... 😁

If you actually take a moment to look at the psyches of the great artists—I mean, really dig into who they were—you realize that this massive, overwhelming flood of subconscious content isn't just noise; it’s practically overflowing from a space that’s way too cramped for it all. What you're calling "distractors"... man, that's just being naive. For these people, those distractions aren't interruptions at all—they’re the actual fuel. It's the sheer density and the raw, unfiltered intensity of those exact "distractions" that breathes life into their work in the first place...

To me, art and creativity in general are just the clearest ways anyone expresses their true self.

Scott Miller4 said:Well, programs are subconscious content, and so is authenticity.
I'm not sure how you aren't getting an answer. I feel like I've been hammering this point home the whole time. 😲😁
You. Everything about you that exists beneath those external layers you've picked up along the way.

Yeah. Every perception or action seems to be preceded by a subconscious impulse. In that light, the idea that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" feels like more than just a cliché. It suggests the world we see is mostly just our own projection. I guess you might agree that's a plausible way to look at it? If you can, we can keep going. If not, there's probably no point.

I don't know, I disagree. Haven't you ever heard of someone just having an idea pop into their head or dreaming it up, without any heavy lifting afterward?
I guess I'veseen/it? 🤣

To me, art and creativity in general are just the clearest ways anyone expresses their true self.

So, how do you actually spot your own "Self"—that core sense of authenticity—when everything else feels like such a performance? It’s a tough one... honestly, it’s something I spend way too much time chewing on. For me, it usually comes down to those rare, unpolished moments where the internal monologue finally stops fighting the external mask. You know that feeling? When you aren't trying to curate an image for some social media feed or playing a role to impress a boss at a firm like Goldman Sachs... it's just there. It's that gut reaction you have before your brain has a chance to filter it through what's "appropriate" or "polite." I think authenticity shows up in the things we can't help but care about—the weird, niche interests or the stubborn opinions that make people roll their eyes at us. It's in the friction. If you aren't bumping up against someone else's expectations every once in a while, you probably aren't being real. You're just being convenient. And being convenient is the death of the soul, if you ask me...

Scott Miller4 said:Well, programs are subconscious content, and so is authenticity.
I'm not sure how you aren't getting an answer. I feel like I've been hammering this point home the whole time. 😲😁
You. Everything about you that exists beneath those external layers you've picked up along the way.

Yeah. Every perception or action seems to be preceded by a subconscious impulse. In that light, the idea that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" feels like more than just a cliché. It suggests the world we see is mostly just our own projection. I guess you might agree that's a plausible way to look at it? If you can, we can keep going. If not, there's probably no point.

I don't know, I disagree. Haven't you ever heard of someone just having an idea pop into their head or dreaming it up, without any heavy lifting afterward?
I guess I'veseen/it? 🤣

To me, art and creativity in general are just the clearest ways anyone expresses their true self.

Probability isn't the same thing as certainty—not even close. We all trip up sometimes, falling for those little cognitive biases and bad assumptions that mess with our heads, sure... but we don't usually go out of our way to make decisions that directly threaten our own survival. I mean, come on. No matter how much you like the look of a campfire, you aren't going to try to set yourself on fire just for the hell of it. Of course, you *could* totally miscalculate how the flames are going to spread and end up burning yourself... but then you can't act surprised when your new, flawed projection turns into a disaster... 😁
To a certain extent, sure—it’s all just projection... but only up to a point.

Scott Miller4 said:Well, programs are subconscious content, and so is authenticity.
I'm not sure how you aren't getting an answer. I feel like I've been hammering this point home the whole time. 😲😁
You. Everything about you that exists beneath those external layers you've picked up along the way.

Yeah. Every perception or action seems to be preceded by a subconscious impulse. In that light, the idea that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" feels like more than just a cliché. It suggests the world we see is mostly just our own projection. I guess you might agree that's a plausible way to look at it? If you can, we can keep going. If not, there's probably no point.

I don't know, I disagree. Haven't you ever heard of someone just having an idea pop into their head or dreaming it up, without any heavy lifting afterward?
I guess I'veseen/it? 🤣

To me, art and creativity in general are just the clearest ways anyone expresses their true self.

Yep, they honestly think it just happened by accident... as if things like that just fall into your lap without any effort...
You think if Tesla had spent his days flipping burgers at a local diner instead of chasing lightning, he would've ever stumbled onto the idea of wireless energy transfer? ... I mean, come on...
Do you honestly think you're going to stumble upon some kind of "authentic" way to outsmart the laws of physics—like, some kind of free energy mechanism that just works because you finally figured out how to hack reality? ...I mean, come on... 😁