Wake up!

dustyskipper3 said:I mean, maybe you can help someone without them asking, but then you shouldn't be making such a huge production out of it. You know? Like, don't go ringing every bell in the house to announce "look at me, I helped," and then expect some kind of big thank you or a favor in return later on. 😉

True. I have to admit, though, I rarely run into people actually that selfless. Most of the time, I've felt like I had to be either incredibly grateful or completely submissive just to get by. That kind of dynamic is exactly what fuels the ego of the helper. They turn into emotional parasites. But there are still those rare, genuine people out there—it's just a shame they're so hard to find.

boldsailor32 said:"Time..."

If you want me to wake you up, I'm reaching out my hand right now. 🙂

Mad Season - Wake up 🙂

Before my passing, I once wrote this alongside Vladimir Devide: 'There is no helping a Tiger who is determined to die.' It’s the same with anyone else; you simply cannot help someone who refuses to be helped. It’s a two-way street. Anything else—trying to force help on someone who isn't asking for it—usually ends up being nothing more than violence and recklessness.

nimbleheron3 said:If the body is just an illusion, then everything it perceives has to be an illusion too, right? If I’m following that logic correctly—and I might be overthinking this—then the most vital part of waking up would be deep introspection and a total rejection of the world around us. So, first step: isolation?

Honestly, there’s nothing worse than isolation. You’ll just fall into a permanent sleep.

dustyskipper3 said:The soul is an eternal atman, the true self—so it really can't be "diseased." Or maybe I'm just running into a terminology issue here... I guess when we say soul (psyche), we actually mean the mind? Because the mind can certainly be unhealthy if it isn't "awakened," which is to say, if it’s cluttered with nonsense instead of dwelling within the self that everyone possesses. In that sense, everyone is technically "enlightened," though some people might not realize it simply because they haven't "awakened" yet. Yogis seem to think that aligning the soul with the body is a prerequisite, meaning one has to perform these integrated physical and mental exercises to make spiritual progress, to awaken, or to realize the self. But, I don't know, it seems to me that someone who is truly "awakened" wouldn't even need to worry about the body. I mean, where does the idea that the body even exists come from? It feels like an illusion of the mind, feeling trapped within its own physical shell. In reality, as atman, we are infinite space. ☕

That isn't quite right.

For some, nothing will remain but—dust.

What solace could possibly be found in worthlessness?

Since there was nothing in them to begin with...

...they can only weep within their own wretchedness.

The soul can definitely fall ill—that’s exactly why we even have a term for "mental illness" in the first place.

Gerald Taylor63 said:Is there any way to stay conscious while dreaming?

Anyone got any recipes for that?

Oh, you totally can... just tie your hair to the window frame. Every time you try to turn your head, that hair tie is going to yank you right back up! You'll be perpetually awake yet somehow still feeling half-asleep.
It’s a bit of a disaster if you don't have long hair, though.😂

dustyskipper3 said:The soul is an eternal atman, the true self—so it really can't be "diseased." Or maybe I'm just running into a terminology issue here... I guess when we say soul (psyche), we actually mean the mind? Because the mind can certainly be unhealthy if it isn't "awakened," which is to say, if it’s cluttered with nonsense instead of dwelling within the self that everyone possesses. In that sense, everyone is technically "enlightened," though some people might not realize it simply because they haven't "awakened" yet. Yogis seem to think that aligning the soul with the body is a prerequisite, meaning one has to perform these integrated physical and mental exercises to make spiritual progress, to awaken, or to realize the self. But, I don't know, it seems to me that someone who is truly "awakened" wouldn't even need to worry about the body. I mean, where does the idea that the body even exists come from? It feels like an illusion of the mind, feeling trapped within its own physical shell. In reality, as atman, we are infinite space. ☕

When Your body's asleep All Your thoughts ara awake
Travelling through stories that Your mind likes to make taka
Take a look around, enjoy that you feel

boldsailor32 said:
A Christian rock band???

That sounds about as good as non-alcoholic whiskey to me. 😱😱😱

🙂

🤣 yep...every single band member is Christian, singing about faith and spiritual experiences.😁

Regarding the taste—how can you judge something you've never actually tried?🙏

I actually quite like that song title, Awake & Alive...there’s something meaningful about being awake and alive, beyond just being a slogan on a Jehovah's Witness magazine cover.🙂

Susan Price30 said:🤣 yep...every single band member is Christian, singing about faith and spiritual experiences.😁

Regarding the taste—how can you judge something you've never actually tried?🙏

I actually quite like that song title, Awake & Alive...there’s something meaningful about being awake and alive, beyond just being a slogan on a Jehovah's Witness magazine cover.🙂

Honestly, those Jehovah's Witnesses can be so exhausting. Just yuck.
For me, they're one of those religions that—ugh, goodness me—even though they are Christians, I'm just not feeling it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jon3q...eature=related

How much work are you actually willing to put in to fill your body—and, uh, your soul—with actual love? Like, how open are you to really feeling the love that’s already tucked away inside you? And I’m not talking about some romantic stuff between a guy and a girl here. I mean that deep, spiritual love that lives within us, but stays so locked up we can't even get it out. We can't give it, and we sure as hell don't know how to receive it... why? Because it's being suffocated by hate, jealousy, selfishness, ego—all that junk. To me, that's a straight-up sickness of the soul. It's the kind of disease that kills our spiritual growth and leaves us completely blind.

Alright, I'm ready—give me something substantial instead of just more questions... let's get down to business.☕
You remind me of Master John...

silvereagle6 said:Honestly, there’s nothing worse than isolation. You’ll just fall into a permanent sleep.

But why? How am I supposed to wake up when I'm constantly tethered to a world that feels like one big lie? Now—it’s just an assumption for now—but I'm operating under the idea that every single piece of this reality is an illusion.

nimbleheron3 said:But why? How am I supposed to wake up when I'm constantly tethered to a world that feels like one big lie? Now—it’s just an assumption for now—but I'm operating under the idea that every single piece of this reality is an illusion.

The world around us shouldn't be an absolute lie.
That's such a turoban sentiment to hold onto.
I really hope you've surrounded yourself with people you can actually trust—people who offer that absolute truth and love that you can then pass along to others.
If you find yourself isolated, try to adapt; you can't really blame the entire world for your own solitude. Honestly, there's a good chance we might be responsible for our own isolation.
Humans are social creatures by nature—that's really the only way we can truly find ourselves and thrive.

silvereagle6 said:The world around us shouldn't be an absolute lie.
That's such a turoban sentiment to hold onto.
I really hope you've surrounded yourself with people you can actually trust—people who offer that absolute truth and love that you can then pass along to others.
If you find yourself isolated, try to adapt; you can't really blame the entire world for your own solitude. Honestly, there's a good chance we might be responsible for our own isolation.
Humans are social creatures by nature—that's really the only way we can truly find ourselves and thrive.

Man, okay—let's reel it back in. I pulled this from a comment on a previous page where someone basically argued that the physical body is just a mental illusion. My logic was simple: if the body is an illusion, then the only thing it can perceive is also an illusion, you know? The idea just grabbed me—especially since there are so many "wake up" calls out there that don't actually say anything meaningful about the world we’re supposed to be waking up to. Don't worry, I'm not some hermit living in the woods—and even if I were, I wouldn't be bringing it up in this thread. Thanks for the kind words.

If you feel like sharing, I'd love to hear your take. How exactly can the body be perceived as an illusion?
To me, it’s just physical matter—I honestly struggle to wrap my head around seeing it any other way.🤷

silvereagle6 said:If you feel like sharing, I'd love to hear your take. How exactly can the body be perceived as an illusion?
To me, it’s just physical matter—I honestly struggle to wrap my head around seeing it any other way.🤷

Haha, let's put that theory to the test. If the soul—or the mind, or whatever label we use for our non-material essence—is what projects our physical body, which in turn projects the world around us, then we basically take that mental image as reality. Why wouldn't we? If I feel the texture of my keyboard under my fingers right now, then the "keyboard" definitely exists. But if the body is just a projection of the mind, it could theoretically take any shape the mind imagines—which would change the world itself. In principle, matter doesn't exist. It sounds absurd, maybe, but it certainly gives you something to chew on.

It’s not exactly the same thing, but it feels pretty similar to an astral projection experience.

silvereagle6 said:If you feel like sharing, I'd love to hear your take. How exactly can the body be perceived as an illusion?
To me, it’s just physical matter—I honestly struggle to wrap my head around seeing it any other way.🤷

nimbleheron3 said:Haha, let's put that theory to the test. If the soul—or the mind, or whatever label we use for our non-material essence—is what projects our physical body, which in turn projects the world around us, then we basically take that mental image as reality. Why wouldn't we? If I feel the texture of my keyboard under my fingers right now, then the "keyboard" definitely exists. But if the body is just a projection of the mind, it could theoretically take any shape the mind imagines—which would change the world itself. In principle, matter doesn't exist. It sounds absurd, maybe, but it certainly gives you something to chew on.

They say the body is mostly just energy anyway. Think about it: mass is concentrated in that tiny atomic nucleus, which accounts for 99.98% of an atom's mass while occupying a radius that's basically one hundred-thousandth of the total atom. Most of what we call "substance" is just vast, empty space between the nucleus and the electrons. Those electrons zip around the nucleus at near light speed, and it's really just that constant motion that makes a body feel solid. If you look at it through that lens, matter is practically non-existent—it's almost entirely energy. Something like that, at least.