Signs... a final farewell...

So, I've got this situation and felt like I had to share it here... wondering if any of you guys have dealt with stuff like this. Basically, my dad passed away about two months ago. We were close, but we didn't get to say a proper goodbye because everything just went south so fast... but I really think he came back to visit me. I mean, I don't just *think* it, I actually felt him.
I’m not usually the type to imagine things or be some religious fanatic—he wasn't either—but what happened to me honestly brought back my faith in God, or maybe something even bigger than that...
Anyway, here goes...
Ever since I was a kid, I've been terrified of wasps. On the actual day of the funeral, a wasp ended up inside my pants and stung my knee, which is crazy because I haven't been stung in years. I didn't take it as a sign right then, though. But three days after the funeral, I was getting ready for another service, and while I was lying down waiting to head out, I had this dream about two hornets attacking my whole family. I totally panicked, and in that moment, it hit me that my dad wasn't there to protect me anymore. Right then, I jolted awake because it felt like someone was lying on top of me, like they were hugging me and keeping me safe. I heard my mother's voice whispering my name in my ear, but at the same time, I could hear her in the background talking to the neighbor. Once I realized it wasn't my mom hugging me, I jerked away, and suddenly this voice started speaking in this weird language, and I felt this sensation like something was pulling me out of my body. It was an indescribable feeling. I felt, like, for sure, that we aren't just physical bodies—we have something else, a soul, or energy, I don't even know... It wasn't scary, though. I just knew it was Dad coming to tell me everything was fine and that he's still with me.🙂

I got out of bed and just started crying, but not because I was sad—more like I was happy because I actually felt it. My mom told me it was all just in my head, but I'm certain it wasn't...
The next evening, I went by the gravesite, and a hornet flew out from one of the wreaths, circled my head, and just left. I wasn't even scared. I took that as another sign too...

A month later, there was a memorial service for him. The night before, I'd messed up pretty bad and was basically in a trance, just obsessing over what he would say to me. In that half-asleep state, I heard this buzzing in my ears, but like, on a totally different frequency. Then I felt that energy being pulled out of my body again, and it felt like someone laid me in their lap and started stroking my hair. I open my eyes and see myself lying there, but at the exact same time, I feel like I'm being cradled and comforted. It was him. I figured he came to comfort me and let me know he isn't mad about the stupid mistakes I made. There were other signs too, but these were the ones that proved to me there's more to life than just this...
Anyone else ever deal with anything like this?

I’ve always felt like this universe has two distinct sides. One is the tangible stuff—you know, measurable laws of nature and all that. But the other? It’s mystical, filled with these subtle signs that show up whenever you're actually looking for them. I felt something like that myself back when my mother passed away; just a few hours before it happened, I caught this scent in the air that reminded me so much of her. It was strange. There are so many things and certain dates in my life where these weird, quiet coincidences just happen... almost like the universe is giving me the choice to believe, whether I want to or not.

Look, regardless of whether you think your experiences are actually "real" or just some trick of the mind, I personally still believe in that kind of stuff.😛

I honestly can only say one thing: you guys are incredibly lucky if you actually got to experience something like that. It's gotta be something truly special.

Hmm, let me see here.
If you actually understood how sensory perception works, things would be a lot clearer. You’d see how, amidst this massive flood of information—which most people just subconsciously block out because their emotional wiring is basically broken—you suddenly notice three specific trees (one or two of which you hadn't even registered until that exact moment) that serve as the perfect sample for whatever weird shock you're experiencing. But nah, you don't actually want to dig into the what, the how, or the why of it all; you're just hunting for an echo chamber.
Check? Check.
M'da, this isn't really about spirituality, it's more like some kind of Alternative, or maybe a session on a Psycho-couch...

Anyway, here's a little tangent of mine, something I've been sensing a "Sign" for (honestly, I've been "waiting" for the right moment for days now).
A long, long time ago, most people believed Earth was the Center of the Universe (physically speaking). Then a "revolution" happened, and ever since, the consensus is that Earth is just part of the Solar System, orbiting some massive black hole at the center of the galaxy, surrounded by countless other galaxies.

And a long, long time ago, most people believed "I am the Center of the World" (psychologically speaking). Despite all the revolutions in science, there hasn't been a single word or act to change that—I'm still the Center of the World (and honestly, that's exactly how I carry myself).

Here's a bonus question to chew on. Consider this a chance to earn some spiritual points. Whoever can correctly interpret why someone won't reincarnate as a worm, a frog, or a donkey, but instead as a human being, wins. You'll just have to take my word for it that I have the authority to hand out a few spiritual points (and look, I'm not asking for worship, money, land, an inheritance, or even hanging out with your pre-pubescent kids—I'm not even asking you to buy me a drink).

So, how does psychological restructuring actually fit into the whole spirituality thing?

I’ve gone through plenty of similar experiences following a tragedy
Those feelings are just... indescribable...
Forget all those scientific theories and their rigid explanations 😉
You have a real knack for telling what's reality and what's just an illusion
And honestly, it’s nothing out of the ordinary
It happens to so many people
Once you've lived through it, there's no "understanding" it, nor do you need to—it doesn't even matter 😉

Linda Walker37@: I totally get what you're saying. You can't really explain it to someone who hasn't felt it—that feeling that actually gives you the strength to keep going, like proof we aren't just a bunch of meat... and I know exactly what I felt. It was my dad... I don't care if some expert tries to tell me it's just my brain doing things, I know what I felt and how I feel now.

The thing is, we struggle to spot those signs because life moves way too fast, you know? We're always rushing, stressed out, never just *being*... it makes it impossible. But when something like this hits you, you realize nothing else matters except you and your family. Work, money, whatever—it's all noise. You gotta live for the moment. I guess I realized that too late, and there's so much I could've done differently... so many missed chances. But hey, at least I have the memories and the knowledge that he's still there watching over me. I felt him reach out, and honestly? No scientist or shrink in the US is gonna talk me out of it.

Karen Alvarez4 said:Linda Walker37@: I totally get what you're saying. You can't really explain it to someone who hasn't felt it—that feeling that actually gives you the strength to keep going, like proof we aren't just a bunch of meat... and I know exactly what I felt. It was my dad... I don't care if some expert tries to tell me it's just my brain doing things, I know what I felt and how I feel now.

The thing is, we struggle to spot those signs because life moves way too fast, you know? We're always rushing, stressed out, never just *being*... it makes it impossible. But when something like this hits you, you realize nothing else matters except you and your family. Work, money, whatever—it's all noise. You gotta live for the moment. I guess I realized that too late, and there's so much I could've done differently... so many missed chances. But hey, at least I have the memories and the knowledge that he's still there watching over me. I felt him reach out, and honestly? No scientist or shrink in the US is gonna talk me out of it.

Well said. 🙂

Karen Alvarez4 said:So, I've got this situation and felt like I had to share it here... wondering if any of you guys have dealt with stuff like this. Basically, my dad passed away about two months ago. We were close, but we didn't get to say a proper goodbye because everything just went south so fast... but I really think he came back to visit me. I mean, I don't just *think* it, I actually felt him.
I’m not usually the type to imagine things or be some religious fanatic—he wasn't either—but what happened to me honestly brought back my faith in God, or maybe something even bigger than that...
Anyway, here goes...
Ever since I was a kid, I've been terrified of wasps. On the actual day of the funeral, a wasp ended up inside my pants and stung my knee, which is crazy because I haven't been stung in years. I didn't take it as a sign right then, though. But three days after the funeral, I was getting ready for another service, and while I was lying down waiting to head out, I had this dream about two hornets attacking my whole family. I totally panicked, and in that moment, it hit me that my dad wasn't there to protect me anymore. Right then, I jolted awake because it felt like someone was lying on top of me, like they were hugging me and keeping me safe. I heard my mother's voice whispering my name in my ear, but at the same time, I could hear her in the background talking to the neighbor. Once I realized it wasn't my mom hugging me, I jerked away, and suddenly this voice started speaking in this weird language, and I felt this sensation like something was pulling me out of my body. It was an indescribable feeling. I felt, like, for sure, that we aren't just physical bodies—we have something else, a soul, or energy, I don't even know... It wasn't scary, though. I just knew it was Dad coming to tell me everything was fine and that he's still with me.🙂

I got out of bed and just started crying, but not because I was sad—more like I was happy because I actually felt it. My mom told me it was all just in my head, but I'm certain it wasn't...
The next evening, I went by the gravesite, and a hornet flew out from one of the wreaths, circled my head, and just left. I wasn't even scared. I took that as another sign too...

A month later, there was a memorial service for him. The night before, I'd messed up pretty bad and was basically in a trance, just obsessing over what he would say to me. In that half-asleep state, I heard this buzzing in my ears, but like, on a totally different frequency. Then I felt that energy being pulled out of my body again, and it felt like someone laid me in their lap and started stroking my hair. I open my eyes and see myself lying there, but at the exact same time, I feel like I'm being cradled and comforted. It was him. I figured he came to comfort me and let me know he isn't mad about the stupid mistakes I made. There were other signs too, but these were the ones that proved to me there's more to life than just this...
Anyone else ever deal with anything like this?

Astral projection. They say we can actually talk to the dead while in the astral plane.

That whole thing with the hornets is pretty wild. I read in *Soul Journeys* that souls of the departed send signals to the living just to let them know everything is okay.

Karen Alvarez4 said:Linda Walker37@: I totally get what you're saying. You can't really explain it to someone who hasn't felt it—that feeling that actually gives you the strength to keep going, like proof we aren't just a bunch of meat... and I know exactly what I felt. It was my dad... I don't care if some expert tries to tell me it's just my brain doing things, I know what I felt and how I feel now.

The thing is, we struggle to spot those signs because life moves way too fast, you know? We're always rushing, stressed out, never just *being*... it makes it impossible. But when something like this hits you, you realize nothing else matters except you and your family. Work, money, whatever—it's all noise. You gotta live for the moment. I guess I realized that too late, and there's so much I could've done differently... so many missed chances. But hey, at least I have the memories and the knowledge that he's still there watching over me. I felt him reach out, and honestly? No scientist or shrink in the US is gonna talk me out of it.

You can try to deny it all you want, but honestly, every single time you post, you’re just proving my point. 🙂 Look, you’re getting way too emotionally invested in this, and honestly, it’s totally messing with your ability to actually process anything rationally.

So, I was talking to this guy the other day—someone I know who’s always preaching about his "perfect" dating strategy—and honestly, I started wondering if he’s been spending way too much time at a local church or something. He goes on and on about how meticulously organized his entire life is. It’s wild. He basically loves it when people do all the heavy lifting for him; he just sits back, lets others do the thinking, and delegates his own responsibilities like it's his job, all just to hit some sort of fake sense of balance in his head. His little defense mechanism is working pretty damn well for him, wouldn't you say?

I know exactly what I felt, okay? And I know, deep down in my bones, that it was my dad... I don't care how much anyone tries to explain it away or tell me it’s just some glitch in my brain or some chemical reaction happening up top, they can talk all they want. I know what that sensation was, and I know exactly how I feel now that it's happened. It wasn't just "science" or whatever—it was him.

Actually, no, you really don't get what's going on here. You’re just so desperate for it to have been your father that you've completely lost the plot. You want this version of him so badly that you're shutting down anyone who tries to tell you otherwise, and honestly, you won't even embrace the silence when things get heavy, which might actually be the only thing that makes sense right now.

Look, I don't care if you throw a PhD at me, drag some shrink out of their office, or bring in the entire scientific community—nobody is ever going to talk me out of this. It’s settled. Period.

It’s just you against the whole damn world, but honestly, why? Like, what is actually driving you to need that so badly? Why does it have to be this way?

So, I stumbled across this one article the other day, and it got me digging through my own stash of notes—you know, the stuff I actually bother to keep around. I figured I’d just dump them all here for you, so maybe you can educate yourself a little bit and start connecting the dots between the pieces of the story, including your own. Honestly, if you do that, you might just manage to heal yourself...

I was sitting in this lecture hall today, just staring at the back of some senior’s head, and it hit me like a freight train: most college upperclassmen are still absolutely clueless when it comes to actual scientific reasoning. Like, you’d think after three or four years of grinding through labs and staring at data sets, they’d have developed even a shred of critical thinking, but nope. It’s like they’ve spent all that time just memorizing formulas to pass a midterm instead of actually learning how to think. They can recite the textbook word-for-word, sure, but the second you throw a real-world variable at them or ask them to interpret a messy graph without a guided worksheet, their brains just totally short-circuit. It’s honestly kind of depressing to watch. You see these kids walking around acting like they’re ready to go out and change the world with their degrees, but they can’t even distinguish between correlation and causation if their lives depended on it. It makes me wonder if we're even teaching science anymore, or if we're just teaching people how to play pretend in a lab coat. It’s a mess, man. Just a total, disorganized mess.

It’s honestly kind of wild how we keep acting like a college degree is some sort of magical certificate that automatically upgrades your brain, because from where I’m sitting, a lot of seniors out there are still completely tripping over the basics of scientific reasoning. You’d think after three or four years of being shoved under the nose of professors and drowning in lab reports, people would finally grasp how to actually process logic without getting their feelings hurt or jumping to massive, unearned conclusions, but nope—it’s like they’ve spent all that time just memorizing definitions to pass a midterm rather than actually learning how to think. It’s this weird, frustrating cycle where you see these students who are practically halfway out the door toward graduation, yet they still fall for every single logical fallacy thrown their way, treating anecdotal evidence like it’s some kind of holy gospel instead of just... well, an anecdote. They get so caught up in their own preconceived notions that the second you present them with actual data that contradicts their little worldview, they just shut down or start throwing around buzzwords they don't even understand just to sound smart. It’s almost comical, really, if it wasn't so incredibly exhausting to witness, seeing this massive gap between "having information" and actually possessing the cognitive tools to analyze it properly. says:
Look, if we’re being honest here, science education basically has one massive job: it has to drag people kicking and screaming away from their own gut instincts. I mean, sure, intuition feels great and it's handy when you're deciding which cereal to buy at Safeway, but if you actually want a clear, unvarnished look at how the world really works, your "gut feeling" is usually just a liar. We’ve all been there—thinking we know exactly how gravity or time or reality functions, only to find out our brains are just playing tricks on us. If we want anyone to actually grasp the mechanics of the universe, we have to teach them that their first instinct is almost always wrong.

Carla Hannaford's Smart Moves said:Honestly, when you really sit down and chew on it, it feels like all our emotional and cognitive processing is just basic biochemistry playing out in real-time. Like, you encounter some situation, and boom—your brain starts firing off specific neurotransmitters left and right. If you look at it from a purely objective standpoint, for both the body and the mind, every single experience is just one isolated event. But then we go and decide how to perceive that event, painting it with all these different emotional colors, and that’s what dictates our reaction and whether or not we actually learn anything from it. I mean, at least 80 percent of what we actually "see" in life is just stuff being constructed inside our own heads, depending entirely on where we choose to point our focus. It makes me think that if we could just shift the direction of our attention, we might actually be able to reshape our reality.

Carla Hannaford Smart Moves The user said:Look, this isn't just some isolated case of learned helplessness; it’s actually a perfect blueprint for how crappy pedagogical strategies basically sacrifice long-term growth just to chase these cheap, shallow wins in the short term. A textbook example of this mess is the way we obsess over testing low-level skills—you know, that mindless rote memorization and those repetitive, mechanical drills where kids are forced to race against a clock two or three times a week throughout their entire school career. Honestly, rote learning is such a linear, shallow process; it doesn't require any actual depth of understanding because it never forces the brain to fully engage or activate its full potential. To put it bluntly, memorizing facts doesn't actually require anyone to *think*. These constant tests just breed learned helplessness by training kids to only care about passing the next exam, leaving them stuck in a cycle of perpetual anxiety and chronic stress because they're constantly living in fear of the next grade.

Look, given how things are going right now, there’s just zero time or room left to actually dig into what these concepts mean. We aren't exactly sitting around testing out new ideas through discussions or writing assignments, and don't even get me started on developing any actual deductive reasoning skills. Honestly, the long-term fallout from this kind of schooling is about as predictable as it is depressing. The National Science Foundation actually took a look at the six most common standardized tests used across the country, along with the assessments tied to the four biggest math and science textbooks used for middle school and high schoolers, and the results are pretty grim.

So, I was digging into this, and it turns out these standardized tests are basically just glorified memory drills—nothing more than rote memorization and plugging numbers into basic formulas. It’s honestly kind of a joke because they completely miss the mark on actual problem-solving or critical thinking, which is exactly what every expert in the field says should be the whole damn point of education. But get this: the research also found that these tests are accidentally dictating how teachers spend their entire lives. Since the federal government uses these scores to rank schools and decide who gets promoted or even hired, teachers are basically forced to teach to the test just to survive. It’s a total mess.

So, I was digging into some research by Herman Epstein, and honestly, it’s kind of a gut punch once you actually sit with it. He basically laid out how our entire American education system is failing at the most fundamental level because the way we teach kids just doesn't do anything to encourage actual formal reasoning. It’s not even about being smart; it's about the framework we give them, which is clearly broken. He found that when kids hit eleven, only a measly five percent of the population can actually engage in formal thinking. Like, five percent. That's it. Then, by the time they're fourteen, you've only bumped that up to a quarter of the group. And if you look at adults? It gets even more depressing. He discovered that only about half of grown adults are even capable of fully functional, formal-logical reasoning. We're basically walking around with half-baked logic skills, and it's all because the school system isn't even trying to build those mental muscles. It's wild, really.

I was just sitting here thinking about how Susan Blackmore’s book basically treats our entire reality like some kind of massive, glitchy meme machine, and honestly, it’s a lot to wrap your head around when you're just trying to get through your day. It’s wild to think that everything we perceive might just be this endless loop of information spinning through the universe, almost like we're trapped inside some giant, cosmic social media feed where nothing is actually "real" in the way we want it to be. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love a good deep dive, but sometimes you just want to exist without feeling like you're part of a programmed sequence, you know? It's heavy stuff, definitely makes you question if there's any actual substance behind the curtain or if we're all just riding the wave of some infinite digital echo. says:
If you really want to wrap your head around what an alien abduction actually entails, you’ve gotta look at the whole sleep paralysis phenomenon. It's wild, honestly. When we're deep in a dream, our brains basically pull the plug on most of our muscle movement so we don't go physically acting out our dreams and smashing ourselves into the furniture, right? Usually, by the time you wake up, that paralysis has already faded away and you don't even realize it was happening—unless, of course, some researchers decide to mess with the process. But sometimes, the mechanism that separates being awake from dreaming just... glitches. This happens a lot with people working crazy shift jobs or anyone whose sleep schedule is a total wreck. You can find yourself wide awake, looking around the room, thinking perfectly clearly, yet you're completely stuck, unable to move a single muscle. It's terrifying. Along with that physical freeze, people often report this intense buzzing or rushing noise, or this weird sensation like the bed itself is vibrating under you. There's also that heavy, unmistakable feeling that someone—or something—is standing right there in the room with you, or seeing these strange lights floating around. And since, let's be real, sexual arousal is a pretty common part of dreaming, that can show up too. People describe feeling touched, pulled, or even like they're being lifted right out of their own bodies. Look, if you ever recognize these symptoms, my best advice is to just stay cool. Don't freak out. If you can manage to stay calm and just relax, the paralysis usually breaks in a minute or two. If you try to fight it or panic, you're only going to make the whole experience way worse.

Linda Walker37 said:I’ve gone through plenty of similar experiences following a tragedy
Those feelings are just... indescribable...
Forget all those scientific theories and their rigid explanations 😉
You have a real knack for telling what's reality and what's just an illusion
And honestly, it’s nothing out of the ordinary
It happens to so many people
Once you've lived through it, there's no "understanding" it, nor do you need to—it doesn't even matter 😉

Alright, since you're so fond of those cheap little tricks of yours, I’ve actually got a quote for you too. Honestly, just read it and maybe you can finally heal yourself... if that's even possible.

I was just sitting here thinking about how Susan Blackmore’s book basically treats the whole damn thing like some kind of massive meme machine, and honestly, it gets me spiraling a little bit. It’s one of those ideas that just sticks in your brain and won't let go, you know? Like, once you start looking at the universe through that lens, everything feels a bit more chaotic and interconnected in a way that’s almost hard to wrap your head around. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love a good deep dive, but sometimes I feel like my brain is just spinning its wheels trying to catch up with these concepts. It’s a lot to process when you're just trying to exist, but hey, that's what makes life interesting, right? Or maybe it just makes me more tired. Who knows. says:
So, this is how we end up stumbling into that pretty awkward "discount hunting" concept—where you basically hand out breaks to people who desperately need them just because it ramps up their sense of debt toward you. It’s a weirdly tactical way to look at things, honestly. You could even argue it's a way to force certain moral values onto people, since there’s actually a payoff in punishing the cheaters—and maybe even a payoff in being lenient with those who fail to call out the cheaters.
Honestly, if you look at all the psychological studies out there, they pretty much all point to the same thing: we’re incredibly easy to sway when it comes to the people we actually give a damn about. It turns out that if someone you truly care about—someone close to your heart—tries to push an idea on you or convince you of something, you're way more likely to just swallow it whole. It’s like our brains are hardwired to let our guard down around our inner circle, making us super vulnerable to whatever influence they’re throwing our way.

So I was sitting around thinking about Susan Blackmore’s book and how she talks about that whole meme machine concept, and honestly, it just gets me wired. It's like, you start looking at how ideas spread through the culture—not just as bits of info, but as these living, breathing things that jump from brain to brain—and suddenly the whole world feels like one giant, chaotic meme machine. It's kind of overwhelming if you dwell on it too long, but man, it really changes how you view everything we consume. You can't help but feel like we're all just caught up in this massive, swirling cycle of mental contagion, and once you see the gears turning, there's no going back to being blissfully ignorant. says:
Look, if you're the type of person who wants to coast on everyone else's kindness—you know, just soaking up all that generosity like a sponge without ever actually giving anything back—well, there's a little trick you can try. If you really don't want to pay the price of actually being a decent human being, you could always just try acting the part. Just pretend you're some kind of saintly, generous soul, and maybe people will fall for it. It's basically just playing a role, honestly.

I was just sitting here thinking about how much of a trip Susan Blackmore’s work is, especially when you start diving into that whole meme machine concept she talks about. It's one of those things that really makes you question everything if you stare at it long enough, you know? Like, we think we're so in control, but then you realize we might just be biological vessels for these little pieces of information hopping from brain to brain like some kind of cosmic virus. It’s wild. I mean, honestly, the more you read, the more you feel like you're losing your grip on what's actually "real" versus what's just an idea running its course through the collective consciousness. It's a lot to wrap your head around while you're just trying to grab a coffee and get through the day. says:
Look, it’s pretty simple: people are way more likely to fall under the spell of someone they actually like, and once that connection is made, they’ll practically jump through hoops just to do what that person wants or buy whatever they’re peddling. It’s basic human nature, really. If you want to know what makes someone tick in that "likable" department, it usually boils down to a few things—physical attractiveness, having stuff in common, being willing to play ball, or even just that weird little psychological trick where you genuinely believe the other person thinks you're cool. Once that vibe is set, the game is basically over.

So, I was sitting around thinking about that whole Susan Blackmore thing again, specifically her take on the meme machine, and man, it just gets me spiraling. You know how it is when you start pulling at one thread and suddenly the whole sweater is unravelling in your hands? That's basically my brain every time I dive into this stuff. It’s like, she’s laying out this framework, this idea of how information jumps from head to head, and it feels so much more visceral than just some dry academic theory. It’s almost like we're all just walking, talking processors in this massive, chaotic biological network, constantly feeding the machine. I mean, honestly, sometimes I feel like I'm just a glitch in the system myself, just stumbling through the day trying to make sense of the sheer randomness of it all. But then you look at the way ideas actually spread—how they infect us, how they change our entire perspective without us even realizing it—and it’s kind of terrifying, isn't it? It makes you wonder if we ever truly own an original thought, or if we're just being piloted by these little bursts of data passing through us. It's heavy, I know, and I'm probably just rambling now, but I can't shake the feeling that once you see the mechanism, you can't unsee it. says:
It’s one of those things you pick up pretty quick in social psychology—this whole weird, built-in glitch where people feel like they absolutely have to pay back any little kindness thrown their way. It’s like this heavy, nagging sense of obligation that just sits there in the back of your mind if you don't return the favor immediately. Honestly, it’s kind of exhausting how much we're wired to feel indebted to everyone for basically nothing.

So, I was thinking about Susan Blackmore's book again—you know, that whole deep dive into how ideas spread like viruses—and it honestly feels like we’re all just living inside some massive, glitchy meme machine. It’s wild when you really sit with it. Like, you think you’re making these big, conscious decisions, but then you realize you're just reacting to whatever cultural virus happened to infect your brain this morning. It’s kind of heavy if you dwell on it too long, but also just incredibly absurd. We're basically walking, talking hard drives being overwritten by random bits of digital nonsense every single day. The user says:
So, what I'm getting at is that Meg isn't just catching feelings for Janet because she was being nice or whatever; it's more about the fact that by siding with her, Meg basically settled the score. Like, Janet probably did her a solid—maybe offered a hand or even just treated her to a coffee—and by jumping on the same page, Meg’s effectively paid her back. Now there's no lingering sense of owing her anything, you know? It's like the slate is clean.

Karen Alvarez4 said:Linda Walker37@: I totally get what you're saying. You can't really explain it to someone who hasn't felt it—that feeling that actually gives you the strength to keep going, like proof we aren't just a bunch of meat... and I know exactly what I felt. It was my dad... I don't care if some expert tries to tell me it's just my brain doing things, I know what I felt and how I feel now.

The thing is, we struggle to spot those signs because life moves way too fast, you know? We're always rushing, stressed out, never just *being*... it makes it impossible. But when something like this hits you, you realize nothing else matters except you and your family. Work, money, whatever—it's all noise. You gotta live for the moment. I guess I realized that too late, and there's so much I could've done differently... so many missed chances. But hey, at least I have the memories and the knowledge that he's still there watching over me. I felt him reach out, and honestly? No scientist or shrink in the US is gonna talk me out of it.

Why would you? I hope you don't let anyone convince you otherwise when you face a reality that isn't even on their official list. Nobody has the right to judge, dismiss, or validate your raw experience using their version of "expert" or "legal" reality.
It's funny how much nonsense people invent just to fit into a predictable, linear world. People seek refuge in logic, but they often just end up drowning in their own systems, trying to irrigate what they call "common sense."
Reality isn't reducible. What you observe is something no one else can truly perceive but you.
There is so little respect for one's own consciousness from those who try to steer others away from their own experiences. This obsession with learning a single "truth" has turned humanity into robots who are afraid to claim their own reality or experiences, opting instead for "sanctioned" versions of existence.
They love to preach about the supremacy of mechanics over consciousness, all while claiming to act in the interest of consciousness itself. Common sense is just a tool used to flip things upside down and plunge them headfirst into the mud.
If they won't even acknowledge their own experiences, what's left to ground them?
Here's yet another incomprehensible post about methods of darkness.
Don't let yourself be crushed. Affection builds magnificent bridges; you've seen that. The darkness tries to shove that into the mechanical reality of a human-like robot, because that's what it wants us to be.
Sure, mental obsession exists, and "human robots" exist, but they never stand behind their own experiences. They are always hiding behind or ahead of common sense.
All my similar experiences—those that break the boundaries of worlds—are irreplaceable guides in this search.
Words couldn't guide any more strongly, provide more tension, or offer more beauty.
Let every insight from an event that falls outside of "prescribed reality" simply be.
Yes, we aren't just physical beings; we have experiences and layers... and not just those layers.

Larry Wilson5 said:Why would you? I hope you don't let anyone convince you otherwise when you face a reality that isn't even on their official list. Nobody has the right to judge, dismiss, or validate your raw experience using their version of "expert" or "legal" reality.
It's funny how much nonsense people invent just to fit into a predictable, linear world. People seek refuge in logic, but they often just end up drowning in their own systems, trying to irrigate what they call "common sense."
Reality isn't reducible. What you observe is something no one else can truly perceive but you.
There is so little respect for one's own consciousness from those who try to steer others away from their own experiences. This obsession with learning a single "truth" has turned humanity into robots who are afraid to claim their own reality or experiences, opting instead for "sanctioned" versions of existence.
They love to preach about the supremacy of mechanics over consciousness, all while claiming to act in the interest of consciousness itself. Common sense is just a tool used to flip things upside down and plunge them headfirst into the mud.
If they won't even acknowledge their own experiences, what's left to ground them?
Here's yet another incomprehensible post about methods of darkness.
Don't let yourself be crushed. Affection builds magnificent bridges; you've seen that. The darkness tries to shove that into the mechanical reality of a human-like robot, because that's what it wants us to be.
Sure, mental obsession exists, and "human robots" exist, but they never stand behind their own experiences. They are always hiding behind or ahead of common sense.
All my similar experiences—those that break the boundaries of worlds—are irreplaceable guides in this search.
Words couldn't guide any more strongly, provide more tension, or offer more beauty.
Let every insight from an event that falls outside of "prescribed reality" simply be.
Yes, we aren't just physical beings; we have experiences and layers... and not just those layers.

.......what a tonic for the Soul......

And haters
(hater 4333 up, 640 down
A person that simply cannot be happy for another person's success. So rather than be happy they make a point of exposing a flaw in that person.

Hating, the result of being a hater, is not exactly jealousy. The hater doesn't really want to be the person he or she hates; instead, they just want to drag someone else down a peg.
Susan: You know, Kevin from accounting is doing very well. He just bought a house in a very nice part of town.

Jane (hater): If he is doing so well, why is he driving that old '89 Taurus?

....those are creatures born from the sludge..... those dark things that smell like rot, made of the same oily muck they absolutely adore.

Pure water is like incense to the devil.
They’d always rather trade birdsong for the static of a radio.
The chirp of a cricket gets drowned out by the roar of a lawnmower.
The scent of summer is replaced by the stench of some cheap new lotion.

Rainbow colors just look like shades of gray to them.
They run away from the sunlight
because the belt of the engine is just too tight.

The wind bothers them because it carries away the stench,
and their little patch of sludge is their entire world.

Then you've got the ones who tell you you're crazy just because you're walking down the street with a smile on your face.
The ones who stand at a party like statues (while lurking in their favorite dive bars), mocking people who actually came out to relax and let loose.

To them, the local gym is a temple of "fitness," and a shiny car is a status symbol,
polished and gleaming, but it isn't for everyone.

The phonies, the losers, and all the other fakes...

Peter Phillips32 - I was actually planning to transcribe this specific section from Blackmore's book, "meme machine," and post it over in that thread Florine started a while back—you know, the one about those "incubus" things that sit on your chest or whatever they call them. But then I went ahead and returned the book to the library:

One of the main keys to understanding alien abductions is the phenomenon of sleep paralysis. While we're dreaming, most of our muscles are essentially paralyzed so we don't actually act out our dreams in real life. Usually, by the time we wake up, that paralysis has already faded away, and we aren't even aware it ever happened (unless, of course, some experimenters interfere). However, the mechanism that separates waking from dreaming can occasionally glitch, especially in people who work irregular shifts or deal with really fragmented sleep. Sometimes a person will wake up, able to look around and think clearly, yet find themselves completely unable to move a single muscle. Along with this type of paralysis, you'll often experience buzzing or humming sounds, a sensation that your body or your bed is vibrating, a heavy feeling that someone or something is present in the room, or even seeing strange floating lights. Since sexual arousal is a common part of dreaming, that can be present too. Occasionally, people feel as though they're being touched, pulled, or even lifted right out of their bodies. If you recognize these symptoms and manage to stay calm, the best thing to do is just relax and wait; the paralysis usually lets up within a minute or two. If you try to fight against it, you'll only make things worse.

The Memplex of alien abductions. 😁

I’ve met so many people who claim they were "abducted by aliens." Honestly, it was such a letdown when I finally realized they were all actually just experiencing sleep paralysis... 😢 😁.

Drew Flores3 said:.......what a tonic for the Soul......

And haters
(hater 4333 up, 640 down
A person that simply cannot be happy for another person's success. So rather than be happy they make a point of exposing a flaw in that person.

Hating, the result of being a hater, is not exactly jealousy. The hater doesn't really want to be the person he or she hates; instead, they just want to drag someone else down a peg.
Susan: You know, Kevin from accounting is doing very well. He just bought a house in a very nice part of town.

Jane (hater): If he is doing so well, why is he driving that old '89 Taurus?

....those are creatures born from the sludge..... those dark things that smell like rot, made of the same oily muck they absolutely adore.

Pure water is like incense to the devil.
They’d always rather trade birdsong for the static of a radio.
The chirp of a cricket gets drowned out by the roar of a lawnmower.
The scent of summer is replaced by the stench of some cheap new lotion.

Rainbow colors just look like shades of gray to them.
They run away from the sunlight
because the belt of the engine is just too tight.

The wind bothers them because it carries away the stench,
and their little patch of sludge is their entire world.

Then you've got the ones who tell you you're crazy just because you're walking down the street with a smile on your face.
The ones who stand at a party like statues (while lurking in their favorite dive bars), mocking people who actually came out to relax and let loose.

To them, the local gym is a temple of "fitness," and a shiny car is a status symbol,
polished and gleaming, but it isn't for everyone.

The phonies, the losers, and all the other fakes...

Hold on a second—so now Peter Phillips32 is being labeled a Hater just because he doesn't buy into all this "supernatural" stuff? Or is it that anyone who stays skeptical about everything they read gets tossed into that category? Man, that's a stretch...

mistyscout2 said:Hold on a second—so now Peter Phillips32 is being labeled a Hater just because he doesn't buy into all this "supernatural" stuff? Or is it that anyone who stays skeptical about everything they read gets tossed into that category? Man, that's a stretch...

The "supernatural" simply isn't real.

I'm a skeptic through and through. I question everything, especially any system built on dogma. In today's world, "science" often leads the pack when it comes to being dogmatic, and people do all sorts of things in the name of this "sacred science."

And you're just a Hater because you're fine with Peter Phillips32, so you both get to "enjoy" struggling through the mud
and whatever else you two are up to there 🤷 , especially once your little samurai buddy joins in

mistyscout2 said:Hold on a second—so now Peter Phillips32 is being labeled a Hater just because he doesn't buy into all this "supernatural" stuff? Or is it that anyone who stays skeptical about everything they read gets tossed into that category? Man, that's a stretch...

No, if I may observe, he actually suggested the author should just heal herself. Calling him a Hater doesn't quite capture his obsession with being the arbiter of common sense. He might as well suggest brainwashing or a sophisticated pill-based lobotomy just to ensure a world of uniform reality. This hardly qualifies as constructive debate; it’s more like a crude interpretation of reality served up by academic psychologists working for the establishment. Every flicker of light gets swallowed by the dark. It seems to justify his dismissal of someone else's experience—his refusal to accept any reality outside his own narrow view. Before which authorities does he stand, so certain of his own sanity, that he feels entitled—aside from the moderators—to label the author mentally ill?
Whether one believes or not, why bother? If we choose to accept a specific version of the truth, what purpose does it serve? How does it help anyone survive their current situation?
Sobriety, I suppose. It’s about looking at your own circumstances. As for alien abductions—where witnesses describe states of dreaming, a detachment from daily life, memory loss, or hypnosis used as a way to remember—I’m only interested in the lived experience. I care about questioning the direction of one's perspective, not some objective "truth" regarding a hallucination. Where we are, whether awake or dreaming, and what we perceive, is the only reality available to us. In our own time, we are there. We choose to be there. We survive there.
What else is there to do with someone else's experiences besides respect them? Just leave them be.
Don't believe in anything, yet maintain faith. Even I believe I'll succeed, and I believe the author will too. Peter Phillips32, you, and everyone else should just preserve your own little worlds. Forcing a chosen or imposed reality on others isn't helpful. The spirit doesn't bypass anyone.
So, perhaps "PDF spirituality" is a bit backwards. Or maybe I shouldn't go so far and say it's backward in relation to the spirit itself.
Taboo realities are defined, quarantined, and handled with surgical gloves,
dissected like they're a threat to "palatable" reality. They are watched like a President, surrounded by bodyguards, journalists, and watchful eyes. All serving a purpose...
But where is the realization of one's own power in all this?

The topic has been derailed; instead of spirituality, we've opened the doors to a psych ward.
Still, the author courageously values her own experiences with her heart, much to the chagrin of all the rationalists.

Drew Flores3 said:The "supernatural" simply isn't real.

I'm a skeptic through and through. I question everything, especially any system built on dogma. In today's world, "science" often leads the pack when it comes to being dogmatic, and people do all sorts of things in the name of this "sacred science."

And you're just a Hater because you're fine with Peter Phillips32, so you both get to "enjoy" struggling through the mud
and whatever else you two are up to there 🤷 , especially once your little samurai buddy joins in

I know that. That’s exactly why I used the term "so-called" and put quotes around the word in my previous post. Take another look at what I actually wrote.

Drew Flores3 said:The "supernatural" simply isn't real.

I'm a skeptic through and through. I question everything, especially any system built on dogma. In today's world, "science" often leads the pack when it comes to being dogmatic, and people do all sorts of things in the name of this "sacred science."

And you're just a Hater because you're fine with Peter Phillips32, so you both get to "enjoy" struggling through the mud
and whatever else you two are up to there 🤷 , especially once your little samurai buddy joins in

Could you maybe give me an example of a scientific dogma? It would help me wrap my head around your point... honestly, "scientific dogma" sounds about as oxymoronic to me as "intelligent Nazi."😁.

If you’re truly a skeptic, why is your skepticism so selective? If that's how you feel, you should probably be just as skeptical about things that are way less reliable than science.

Drew Flores3 said:The "supernatural" simply isn't real.

I'm a skeptic through and through. I question everything, especially any system built on dogma. In today's world, "science" often leads the pack when it comes to being dogmatic, and people do all sorts of things in the name of this "sacred science."

And you're just a Hater because you're fine with Peter Phillips32, so you both get to "enjoy" struggling through the mud
and whatever else you two are up to there 🤷 , especially once your little samurai buddy joins in

I'm "fine" with Peter Phillips32? Where on earth are you getting that from? I don't even know the guy. But I certainly don't hate him. And I don't hate you, either. Lol, if I'm being honest, I don't really hate anyone when I take a step back and think about it...😂 In fact, I feel like your post actually carries a lot more resentment than mine. And calling someone "colleague samurai"? What does that even mean? Are we colleagues because of "rationalism"? What box are you trying to shove me into just to make your own cognitive gears turn a little smoother?

And now you're insulting me by calling me a Hater. It wouldn't even cross my mind to lash out at someone like that without reason, especially when they haven't directly or intentionally insulted me first. I haven't insulted you, so sorry.

Larry Wilson5 said:No, if I may observe, he actually suggested the author should just heal herself. Calling him a Hater doesn't quite capture his obsession with being the arbiter of common sense. He might as well suggest brainwashing or a sophisticated pill-based lobotomy just to ensure a world of uniform reality. This hardly qualifies as constructive debate; it’s more like a crude interpretation of reality served up by academic psychologists working for the establishment. Every flicker of light gets swallowed by the dark. It seems to justify his dismissal of someone else's experience—his refusal to accept any reality outside his own narrow view. Before which authorities does he stand, so certain of his own sanity, that he feels entitled—aside from the moderators—to label the author mentally ill?
Whether one believes or not, why bother? If we choose to accept a specific version of the truth, what purpose does it serve? How does it help anyone survive their current situation?
Sobriety, I suppose. It’s about looking at your own circumstances. As for alien abductions—where witnesses describe states of dreaming, a detachment from daily life, memory loss, or hypnosis used as a way to remember—I’m only interested in the lived experience. I care about questioning the direction of one's perspective, not some objective "truth" regarding a hallucination. Where we are, whether awake or dreaming, and what we perceive, is the only reality available to us. In our own time, we are there. We choose to be there. We survive there.
What else is there to do with someone else's experiences besides respect them? Just leave them be.
Don't believe in anything, yet maintain faith. Even I believe I'll succeed, and I believe the author will too. Peter Phillips32, you, and everyone else should just preserve your own little worlds. Forcing a chosen or imposed reality on others isn't helpful. The spirit doesn't bypass anyone.
So, perhaps "PDF spirituality" is a bit backwards. Or maybe I shouldn't go so far and say it's backward in relation to the spirit itself.
Taboo realities are defined, quarantined, and handled with surgical gloves,
dissected like they're a threat to "palatable" reality. They are watched like a President, surrounded by bodyguards, journalists, and watchful eyes. All serving a purpose...
But where is the realization of one's own power in all this?

The topic has been derailed; instead of spirituality, we've opened the doors to a psych ward.
Still, the author courageously values her own experiences with her heart, much to the chagrin of all the rationalists.

I find myself agreeing with most of what you've said. My only hesitation is that you might be overreaching a bit when you used the term "servant psychologists." Why assume she's a servant, and how can we truly know that? At the end of the day, she's just another traveler searching for knowledge, no better or worse than you or me... And I have a feeling you know that deep down, too...

Yeah, those kinds of signs definitely exist. They’re just... signs.