duality discussions 3

Life as a school?

It would seem you are jealous of the complacency, it seems you are envious of the safe and predictable lives because you have a different brain chemistry that just needs intensity but at the same time you judge your experience as boring, unsatisfactory and unrewarding.
Really, as if someones appearance and fashion taste are divining, as if cursory outward details are a reliable signpost to whats under there, or in there or hanging around there?
Don't judge a book by it's cover, bookman. 
You forget I have psychic perception to a certain degree.
I don't like the word degree, I don't like the educational system, I thinks it totally fake.
Yesterday she said: it's your personality remember, always wanting to delve deeper and deeper, ever deeper for the core. You may have more thoughts in one day than your average human has in a year.
Can't you just accept that everyone is absolutely fine in their own way?
You compare yourself with people who are on a completely different trip. You claim you are on some kind of path that goes way beyond tolerance and yet you judge others without any regard for the tailored curriculum of the earth school.

duality discussions 2

Feeling like a fool, leaning towards the light, knowing that what I write will come into manifestation. Now I know that, well it's time to write about what I want from this life, and yes I have very high standards.
Something that has been approaching for ages has finally arrived: the confrontation with my beliefs about the duality.
My confusion is about the middle road again, the discussion is about my beliefs; are they valid?
Are my desires false? What about my intent? Is wanting to eliminate suffering from my life a fallacy of huge proportions? Are evil acts justified? Are my expectations naive and based around cognitive dissonance?
Fear, fear, fear. Done, done, done. Exhausted.
There are no true rewards for any behavior. It's like everyone knows this already except me, life can be fucked up but that's the fun part. Most people are having a total blast! It's fun out there!
craving=suffering
Me back on the cognitive grindstone and just all jaded about ethics.

Truth and falsity

Spinoza's notions of truth and falsity have to do with the relation between ideas and their objects. He thinks that:

Every idea that in us is absolute, or adequate and perfect, is true.

Falsity consists in the privation of knowledge which inadequate, or mutilated and confused, ideas involve.

"Good" and "Evil"

Spinoza gives the following definitions of "Good", and "Evil":

By good I shall understand what we certainly know to be useful to us.

By evil, however, I shall understand what we certainly know prevents us from being masters of some good.

 from wiki

notes on the shadow self

I think everything comes down to personal preferences.
Karma is not a moral dynamic, morality is a human creation, the universe does not judge.
Each experience that you have and will have upon the earth encourages the alignment of your personality with your soul.
If I let these words sink in then I can get a nice glimpse of the perfection of it all, the magnificently orchestrated.
My mind waits in anticipation of that moment when it will know all the answers but my heart already knows that it alone can comprehend the fathomless depths of this existance because of it all being somehow a unity.
We experience what we require.
A contrast between likes and dislikes can be good because it can allow us to know what we want in life and to show us what could be better.

I know when I experience something that leaves me feeling disconnected that there is room for improvement somewhere.

It is because of the shadow that we even know:
There is no fear when love is near.

There is no judgment here.

Love contains infinite possibilities and it cannot be contained.

There are no limits to the happiness available to me right now.

We are everything, all of it, we are the light, we are the dark, every part of it is who we are.

The so called issues I have are here because I am ready to handle them and learn from them.

Frequency can shift.

Vibrations will lift.

There is no such thing as 'stuck' or 'being stuck' only something that I don't want to look at, observe, be present with. 

stuck, sticky, blocked = interuption, frustration, distraction, boredom = not wanting to be present in the body, resisting the calm, an opportunity for growth and movement. 

Wisdom comes to us in the things we (our personalities) often believe we do not want.

Everyone has light!

All are divine!

Accept and love all shadow.

The shadow shows us what we need, it shows us how, it shows us our power.

Allow me to learn your language.

2012 so far

Expansion, clearing and cleansing of blokkages in the energy field. Anxiety at the speed of the transformative waves of energy but a thrill to be alive is there too. There is a will to focus on inner balance, purity of thought and speech, insight and awareness into one's core motivations. More feelings of lightness in the body because of a pure and whole diet, a respect for all beings because of increasing compassion. Feeling of spinning and vibrating, periods of intense peace and relaxation, the calm. Negativity seen for what it is, on all levels the duality on full display, pressure for a few days and then suddenly release, rollercoaster energy patterns. Final testing. Detachment and grounding easier, everything is getting easier to aquire through mental/spiritual approach. Visualization greatly enhanced. Experience of time is all different now.

new iNFJ

You're future-oriented, and direct your insight and inspiration towards understanding yourself and thereby, human nature...your work mirrors your integrity....reflects your inner ideals...solitude and a chance to concentrate thoroughly on what counts most is important to you...http://infj.tribe.net/

style of resolution

The style of resolution of inner conflicts is one of the strongest features of personality.
D.R.H
the mind's i

psy

An expanded model of the human psyche offers the possibility of deeper understanding and assistance for those who need it.

- Christina Grof

extra-sensory

I am more aware of projection now, the projecting of personal traits onto others and yet at the same time I am also more clear-cut with perceptions. It would often be the case that I would perceive something but linger too long and absorb some of the emotions, I would also translate and internalize other people’s problems and lifestyles believing them to somehow be my own.

Really I made them my own but detached later.

Now I have perceptions and insights but I can separate easier, less absorption, less confusion, less comparisons. Marijuana can have something to do with the heightened perception but also with the intake of vibrations. The fact is that subtle matter can linger in the aura and weaken it or provide a boost and strengthen the aura, allowing expansion.

Be aware, know when enough is enough.

The NF Empathy Shift

Why I (INFJ) sometimes feel so restless, why I sometimes feel like people are sucking me dry, clinging to me, hooked on to me and why sometimes people have such high expectations of me?
This piece of writing explains why!

Although NFs (intuitive feeling) especially the male NF, become restless if others (including mates, children, or parents) are dependant, NFs have in their own personalities characteristics that promote this dependancy. They pride themselves on being sensitive to others and caring about them. It is almost impossible for NFs to be unaware of others psychological needs. Yet the NF becomes restless when these ties begin to bind, as they do when the amount of emotional input becomes a psychological overload for the NF. At this point the NF can seem cruel, insisting unexpectedly that the other "stand on his own two feet." This shift in attitude is usually abrubt and the person who heretofore believed that he was very special in the eyes of the NF now finds himself apparently rejected. The NF does not mean to be unkind; he or she is simply disconnecting a relationship which can no longer be handled - in spite of the reality that the NF created this dependant relationship through expressions of empathy and unique understanding. Building empathic relationships is second nature to this temperament, a master of the art of intimacy. But as those around the NF want more and more attention, more and more expressions of this unusual appreciation, more and more signals of deep affection, the NF becomes restless and resentful of pressures to deliver what had seemed promised: the ideal love, the perfect friendship, complete understanding, and total acceptance.

The NF is vulnerable to this kind of misunderstanding because of his extraordinary capabilities to introject. He can take into himself the point of view, the emotions, and the psychological state of another so completely that the other feels totally recieved. The other person may not realize that the NF does this in most relationships, and may be hurt on discovering that he is not valued as uniquely as he first thought. When the NF leaves each person, the NF no longer resonates to that person but relates to the person now present.

The Apollonian (NF) Mate

Please Understand Me - Character and Temperament Types - David Keirsey and Marilyn Bates

there is something quite wrong upstairs now

08-06-08

I am in the ‘waiting room’. I feel disconnected from the usual things, estranged from the usual worldliness, now inspired by the leaving behind of those people that once seemed so glorious and fulfilling, the land that seemed so bewitching, enticing, glamour-drama.

I would want to be alone if that meant not being in confusion or anxiety, I would like to be solitary if that meant not having to fit in, I would like to be lost if that meant not having to conform and be disappointed.

I know that I am meant to be surrounded by all these people all the time and live in this world, live in this city, throw off the self-pity and acclaim the right to be who I am even if it is irregular, never before displayed around here, never before heard of in this place.

I dream about leaving and starting anew in a foreign place, in a far wilderness. Today these have been my thoughts, slowly gaining enthusiasm and sometimes contemplating the end; the termination. God though gives me determination; I read the bible and prayed. I know that even a wretch like me can be saved.

Dad called me this morning with encouragement, it helped because I was feeling guilty and shamed.

I still have very dark, hopeless thoughts about myself and my future, so insecure at times. I desire to be the same, I desire to be heterosexual, I desire to be loved, I desire to be secure but these things are keeping me down.

Acceptance is still difficult when not stoned or drunk or abusing some other chemical. There is this forever plaguing sexual confusion and now twisted terrible thoughts assault me, I can only believe in God to lead me. I am like a blind beggar on a crowded boulevard, stumbling without a stick, mumbling without a tongue. I am hungry for meditation (medication) and my former ease, my former numbness to these things.

Closing my eyes to rest can cause distress, lying in on a Sunday morning can cause sin. I define sin as cruelty to self. Meditation now causes me to be fearful when before it was my tranquilizer, my work-out, my spiritual battery recharging mechanism. I cannot do that anymore.

I went jogging today and it felt good, it felt like a drug, I am really coming to appreciate the endorphin release. This must become my new substance.

Thank you for the music, thanks to all those praying for me, again I cannot comprehend this love from all these people, some unseen, many unknown. This must be the new love. My brain is close to being fixed, near to being restored to balance and rest. Today was not inside or outside, it was disconnected but not so bad. Tomorrow back to work, I am not thinking about the new job or this one I am leaving.

I still keep thinking that I don’t need anti-depressants because I sometimes feel o.k., sometimes I feel good and content for long periods of time. I am starting to accept that there is something quite wrong upstairs now, something needing repair.

????=God

Source: journal of my recent burn-out/psycho/depression/anxiety disorder /rediscovering God trip

The utterances of the heart— unlike those of the discriminating intellect— always relate to the whole. - Carl Jung

Thought Entities

Humans are far from the only aware beings in this reality. As individuals we reside in multiple realms, obviously our body occupies the physical realm, whilst the mind has the ability to exist across numerous realms simultaneously, many of which we access without even realising. Affording abilities such as intuition, prescience, telepathy - which on however small a level, most of us have experienced. Some of those other realms our mind wanders, are “spirit” worlds which can be accessed through meditative techniques or via other means such as taking shamanistic vines like Ayahuasca. Beyond this however, our mind is also a realm unto itself.

Within that individual realm reside all manner of non-physical manifestations. In that place - thoughts, when given sufficient power give birth to beings - these thoughts become “entities” in and of themselves. They reside within our minds, sometimes hidden and at other times they rise to the fore and can momentarily posses us. Influencing a decision or an action; “I can’t understand why I did that!” we say. The more power we feed such beings, the more potential influence they can have over us - until eventually our every waking moment is occupied by thoughts that are not our own. Such beings have the ability to transcend individual mind-spaces, crossing over to another individual. How many times have you had an infuriating moment with someone - only to later find their words (or thoughts?) playing over and over in your mind. This is how those entities attempt to take root.

Read the rest of this article here, source: The Thoughts.

psyche

The gigantic catastophes that threaten us today are not elemental happenings of a physical or biological order, but psychic events. To a quite terrifying degree we are threatened by wars and revolutions which are nothing other than psychic epidemics. At any moment several millions of human beings may be smitten with a new madness, and then we will have another world war or devastating revolution. Instead of being at the mercy of wild beasts, earthquakes, landslides, and inundations, modern man is battered by the elemental forces of his own psyche.

Carl Jung

Character is Fate

Repression does not work

When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate.

Carl Jung

Aspirational Vision

INFJs are often a Holder of Aspirational Vision - Being a "stand" for what is possible and evoking the best of what people can be. This requires a respectful yet direct form of challenging people, with support, and contradiction of obsolete behaviors, while offering validation for people being and doing the best that they are capable of and supporting breakthroughs in the face of obstacles that often prevent progress toward successful outcomes. It is about being a clear, consistent, and focused space where people can continuously create a desired future of their choosing and empowering them to invest in what they are passionately invested in by aligning their choices with what has meaning and is deeply purposeful to them. It also demands bold accountability to the highest intentions and aspirations that those you serve seek to discover.

Temperament Theory

Temperament theory describes four organizing patterns of personality and is based in descriptions of behavior that go back over twenty-five centuries. It tells us the "why" of behavior, our motivators, and sources of deep psychological stress. Knowing our temperament patterns tells us our core needs and values as well as the talents we are more likely to be drawn to develop.

History of the Four Temperaments

The human community can be regarded as a system, holistic in nature, seeking survival. Throughout the ages, observers of human behavior have repeatedly identified four major patterns or configurations of behavior. Such holistic sorting of behavior patterns has been recorded for at least twenty-five centuries.

In 450 B.C., Hippocrates described four such dispositions he called temperaments—a choleric temperament with an ease of emotional arousal and sensitivity; a phlegmatic temperament with cool detachment and impassivity; a melancholic temperament with a very serious, dour, and downcast nature; and a sanguine temperament full of impulsivity, excitability, and quick reactivity. During the Middle Ages, Philippus Paracelsus described four natures whose behaviors were said to be influenced by four kinds of spirits: nymphs, sylphs, gnomes, and salamanders.

Most twentieth-century psychologists abandoned holistic observation of human behavior for a microscopic examination of parts, fragments, traits, and so on. To them, all human beings were basically alike, and individual differences were due to chance or conditioning.

Two German psychologists, Ernst Kretschmer and Eduard Spränger, were among the few to continue to view individuals holistically in terms of patterns. Inspired by their work, a modern psychologist, David Keirsey, noted common themes in the various observations and the consistent tendency of human behavior to sort itself into four similar patterns. These four major patterns are referred to as temperaments. They describe the ways human personality interacts with the environment to satisfy its needs. Linda Berens continues to expand our understanding of these four temperaments through her unique contributions; including the core needs, values, talents, and behaviors of the four temperament patterns.

more on Temperament

Typeinsights.com

Conscious Archetypes

Archetypes are patterns of energy that are easily recognizable and resonant to human beings, and become the unconscious frameworks that determine how/why people think and react. The name comes from Greek archetypos, "original pattern." Archetypes are universally familiar characters or situations that transcend time, place, culture, gender, and age. They represent eternal truths.

We identify and relate to archetypes as primary characters or personalities of the human condition. They are the "givens" in our psychological makeup, the patterns that shape our perceptions of the world—an unlearned tendency to experience things in a certain way. Some archetypes include the Mother, the Father, and the Child. Many archetypes are story characters. Probably best known is the Hero, usually engaged in fighting the "shadow" in the form of dragons and other monsters. Then there is the Witch who controls, manipulates, and casts spells—destroying connection with other people and with oneself. Or there is the Trickster, often represented by a clown or a magician, whose role is to hamper progress and generally make trouble.

To quote Jung:

"All the most powerful ideas in history go back to archetypes. This is particularly true of religious ideas, but the central concepts of science, philosophy, and ethics are no exception to this rule. In their present form they are variants of archetypal ideas, created by consciously applying and adapting these ideas to reality. For it is the function of consciousness not only to recognize and assimilate the external world through the gateway of the senses, but to translate into visible reality the world within us."

—"The Structure of the Psyche" (1927), in Collected Works Vol. 8.

Thus, self-realization (sometimes called individuation) is partly instinctual. When you intersect with an archetype, you connect with an energy that mirrors your own energy. People contact their archetypes without even knowing they have. When we talk about someone "pushing our buttons" or "love at first sight," we enter the realm of archetype. When we hear inner voices, or our friends say, "that isn't like you," we are displaying an archetype. When we are beside ourselves with rage, or when we notice ourselves looking exactly like mom or dad, when we speak words we do not intend to say, or goof ourselves up in any number of ways, we are exhibiting an archetype. Jung says that when you are in the grips of the archetype, you don't have it—it has you. Jung further believed that “archetypes were, and still are, psychic forces that demand to be taken seriously, and they have a strange way of making sure of their effect.”

By exploring the archetypal figures you manifest, you can develop a more complete, whole sense of self. Archetypes are powerful for helping you notice what you are doing with your energy—or even to make your life a bit more exciting or relaxing, once you choose to manifest them consciously.

The Archetypes

Typeinsights.com

i know where i've been

To become aware of our history is to become aware of our singularity. It is a moment of reflective repose before we devote ourselves to action again. “When we dream that we are dreaming,” Novalis wrote, “the moment of awakening is at hand.” It does not matter, then, if the answers we give to our questions must be corrected by time. The adolescent is ignorant of the future changes that will affect the countenance he sees in the water.

The mask of an old man is as indecipherable at first glance as a sacred stone covered with occult symbols: it is the history of various amorphous features that only take shape, slowly and vaguely, after the profoundest contemplation. Eventually these features are seen as a face, and later as a mask, a meaning, a history.

Octavio Paz – The Labyrinth Of Solitude

Bring out the faith in me

I sometimes find it hard to express myself and I find this quite frustrating. I sometimes think that people have the same perception as me and the same view on things. Obviously this is madness (hence my out-of-control mad states) because everyone has their own individual insight and that is an amazing thing.

I have a strange perception (personality INFJ) often clairvoyant, this can be rather freaky at times, I am also pretty introverted and this results in frustration at others not being on the same frequency, this can also result in me being rather demanding of others. I have to be very carefull what I share with others and be responsible with my mindstate.

Although there are many people very close to me that have no idea what's going on inside me and if I told them would only be worse off, I cannot ignore the fact that I have been blessed with a group of fantastic people. I have some quality friends, they are all kind of crazy, but I know that they care about me. They keep me alive while I'm dealing with my issues and healing my hurts and they are often the ones that bring out the faith in me. This post is for them. Peace.

Here's Osho:

Choose for thy friend, the friend of virtue; yield to his gentle counsels, profit by his life, and for a trifling grievance never leave him.…

Friendship has also disappeared from the world. What you call friendship has nothing to do with the ancient idea of friendship. Your friendship is just accidental. You work in the same office, so you have become friendly. Or you study in the same college, so you become friendly. This is not real friendship.

Pythagoras says: Choose for thy friend . You cannot choose your father, you cannot choose your mother, you cannot choose your family -- but you can choose your friend. You can choose your woman, you can choose your man -- that too is an extension of friendship.

Choose for thy friend, the friend of virtue….

...One who has some grace, who has some flowering, who has some quality around him, who has an energy field of virtue. By "virtue" is not meant the righteous, no. Not the holier-than-thou, no. By "virtue" is meant one in whose company you suddenly start feeling a tremendous well-being; in whose company, in whose vibe, something starts dancing in you; whose presence helps you to soar high.

Choose a friend, and then ultimately you will be able to choose a Master -- because the Master is the ultimate friend. If you cannot choose friends you will not be able to choose the Master either. Choose good friends, and then one day you will be able to choose the ultimate friend. Yield to his gentle counsels, profit by his life….

And when you choose a friend, listen to his counsels. He will not enforce them -- they will be gentle whisperings. He will not be very loud. He will not argue, he will not command -- he will only suggest, he will only hint, he will only indicate. And that is the case with the ultimate friend, the Master.

Buddha says: buddhas only point the way. They don't make it very loud because they don't want to be violent. They don't want to drag you according to themselves; they have no desire to dominate you. They simply express whatsoever they have known and understood -- now it is up to you to follow or not to follow.

And learn from his life, be profited by his life -- not only his words, but see the way the friend lives. See his actual life and watch it. This is the only way to learn in life. People are scriptures -- you have to learn how to read the language. People are great secrets, each person is carrying a great secret. If you know how to listen to it you will be tremendously benefited.

Osho, Philosophia Perennis, Volume 1, Number 1

The Archetypes

HERO

The word hero is Greek, from a root that means "to protect and to serve".

A Hero is someone who is willing to sacrifice his own needs on behalf of others, like a shepherd who will sacrifice to protect and serve his flock. At the root of the idea of Hero is connected with self-sacrifice.

MENTOR: WISE OLD MAN OR WOMAN

An archetype found frequently in dreams, myths, and stories is the Mentor, usually a positive figure who aids or trains the hero. Campbell's name for this force is the Wise Old Man or Wise Old Woman. This archetype is expressed in all those characters who teach and protect heroes and give them gifts. Whether it's God walking with Adam in the Garden of Eden, Merlin guiding King Arthur, the Fairy Godmother helping Cinderella, or a veteran sergeant giving advice to rookie cop, the relationship between hero and Mentor is one of the richest sources of entertainment in literature and film.

The word "Mentor" comes to us from The Odyssey. A character named Mentor guides the young hero, Telemachus, on his Hero's journey. In fact it's the goddess Athena who helps Telemachus, by assuming the form of Mentor. Mentor's often speak in the voice of a god, or are inspired by divine wisdom. Good teachers and Mentors are enthused, in the original sense of the word. "Enthusiasm" is from the Greek en theos, meaning god-inspired, having a god in you, or being in the presence of a god.

THRESHOLD GUARDIAN

All heroes encounter obstacles on the road to adventure. At each gateway to a new world there are powerful guardians at the threshold, placed to keep the unworthy from entering. They present a menacing face to the hero, but if properly understood, they can be overcome, bypassed, or even turned into allies. Many heroes (and many writers) encounter Threshold Guardians, and understanding their nature can help determine how to handle them.

Threshold Guardians are usually not the main villains or antagonists in stories. Often they will be lieutenants of the villain, lesser thugs or mercenaries hired to guard access to the chief's headquarters. They may also be neutral figures who are simply part of the landscape of the special world. In rare cases they may be secret helpers placed in the hero's path to test her willingness and skill.

HERALD

Often a new force will appear in Act One to bring a challenge to the hero. This is the energy of the Herald archetype. Like the heralds of medieval chivalry, Herald characters issue challenges and announce the coming of significant change.

Typically, in the opening phase of a story, heroes have "gotten by" somehow. They have handled an imbalanced life through a series of defenses or coping mechanisms. Then all at once some new energy enters the story that makes it impossible for the hero to simply get by any longer. A new person, condition, or information shifts the hero's balance, and nothing will ever be the same. A decision must be made, action taken, the conflict faced. A Call to Adventure has been delivered, often by a character who manifests the archetype of the Herald.

SHAPESHIFTER

People often have trouble grasping the elusive archetype of the Shapeshifter, perhaps because its very nature is to be shifting and unstable. Its appearance and characteristics change as soon as you examine it closely. Nonetheless, the Shapeshifter is a powerful archetype and understanding its way can be helpful in storytelling and life.

Heroes frequently encounter figures, often of the opposite sex, whose primary characteristic is that they appear to change constantly from the hero's point of view. Often the hero's love interest or romantic partner will manifest the qualities of a Shapeshifter. We have all experienced relationships in which our partner is fickle, two-faced or bewilderingly changeable.

Shapeshifters change appearance or mood, and are difficult for the hero and the audience to pin down. They may mislead the hero or keep her guessing, and their loyalty or sincerity is often in question. An Ally or friend of the same sex as the hero may also act as a Shapeshifter in a buddy comedy or adventure. Wizards, witches, and ogres are traditional Shapeshifters in the world of fairy tales.

SHADOW

The archetype known as the Shadow represents the energy of the dark side, the unexpressed, unrealized, or rejected aspects of something. Often it's the home of the suppressed monsters of our inner world. Shadows can be all the things we don't like about ourselves, all the dark secrets we can't admit, even to ourselves. The qualities we have renounced and tried to root out still lurk within, operating in the Shadow world of the unconscious. The Shadow can also shelter positive qualities that are in hiding or that we have rejected for some reason.

The negative face of the Shadow in stories is projected onto characters called villains, antagonists, or enemies. Villains and enemies are usually dedicated to the death, destruction or defeat of the hero. Antagonists may not be quite so hostile---they may be Allies who are after the same goal but who disagree with hero's tactics. Antagonists and heroes in conflict are like horses in a team pulling in different directions, while villains and heroes in conflict are like trains on a head-on collision course.

TRICKSTER

The Trickster archetype embodies the energies of mischief and desire for change. All the characters in stories who are primarily clowns or comical sidekicks express this archetype. The specialized form called the Trickster Hero is the leading figure in many myths and is very popular in folklore and fairy tales.

Source: Words of Wisdom