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Icelander
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Psychology
#11358859 - 10/31/09 05:20 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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The goal of understanding personal psychology IMO is to be as happy and healthy as possible.
I think that the techniques are there for doing it to some degree for everyone too. It's difficult work at times however because lets face it, our basic early programming was often fear based and dealing with that reality can be painful.
I really believe that if people were healthy psychologically then spirituality would be a non issue. In fact all of the spiritual teachings that I agree with are based in psychology. For instance the Buddha's recognition of suffering being caused by attachment. Attachment is actually neurosis and most every human is neurotic. Most likely all. The more neurotic the more suffering. The Buddha saw that but so did the Greek philosophers.
I think it's much more difficult and frightening to think about and look at our psychology then it is to look at "spirituality" for the answers to our unhappiness or longings. Most think rightly or not that spirituality is out there somewhere waiting to happen to us. Psychology is right inside of us and looks back from the mirror every morning.
I used to consider myself a very spiritual person. But now I don't think that word has any concrete meaning for me. I don't think we are spiritual beings. I think we are animals with psychological issues that inhibit our happiness. And another difference between psychology and spirituality is that Spirituality promises the possibility of total enlightenment. Psychology only promises an understanding of the self with all our flaws and only the promise of a balance of happiness and all the other emotions that this primate is prone to. No total freedom, no absolute salvation.
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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rebus_minus
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Re: Psychology *DELETED* [Re: Icelander]
#11358891 - 10/31/09 05:26 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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Post deleted by rebus_minus
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Icelander
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What does "spiritual" mean to you.
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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Ahimsa
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The amygdala can operate separate from the rational part of our brain. It stores strong emotional memories not know to the rational brain. New situations trigger a reaction of comparison in the amygdala. But it's association saren't always correct. Thus it creates reactions that are related to old memories and not alwys to the present situations.
All this translates in the techniques of denial we've developed in order to avoid overwhelming emotional stress in our early life.
Resolving these paterns of behaviour, that have more or less become 'hardwired' in our brain, is a step towards mental health and thus enlightenment.
Don't take my word for it...
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Icelander
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Re: Psychology [Re: Ahimsa]
#11358939 - 10/31/09 05:34 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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Right. Especially if by enlightenment you mean the understanding of who we are as material beings in a material experience.
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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Ahimsa
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Quote:
Icelander said: Right. Especially if by enlightenment you mean the understanding of who we are as material beings in a material experience.
I don't know about that. By enlightenment i mean it quite literally 'enlighten- ment', thus making life lighter. In the same way you say 'enlarge-ment' meaning to enlarge, well you get my drift...
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Icelander
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Re: Psychology [Re: Ahimsa]
#11358997 - 10/31/09 05:44 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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That works too although it's quite vague as to what you mean exactly.
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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rebus_minus
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Re: Psychology *DELETED* [Re: Icelander]
#11359020 - 10/31/09 05:48 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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Post deleted by rebus_minus
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Icelander
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Spiritual work is the work of freeing the mind or building an essence that opens up for unconstricted expansive living interplay between 'material' forces. Or staying fluid if you will. Sometimes you are heavy, sometimes you are light. The river flows etc.
Sounds like psychology to me. What's the difference?
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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rebus_minus
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Re: Psychology *DELETED* [Re: Icelander]
#11359079 - 10/31/09 05:57 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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Post deleted by rebus_minus
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Icelander
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What do you base that belief on?
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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Ahimsa
µdose
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Quote:
Icelander said: That works too although it's quite vague as to what you mean exactly.
To enlighten means: To remove all unnecessary pains and sorrows. To remove the causes of conflict and distress. To bring together what is separated. To bring harmony in what is in discord. To release from bondage and set free what needs to be free. To express the absolute through the relative. To retain your integrity while acting in the world. And to learn what loving is...
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Icelander
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Re: Psychology [Re: Ahimsa]
#11359131 - 10/31/09 06:04 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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Do you know what loving is?
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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rebus_minus
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Re: Psychology *DELETED* [Re: Icelander]
#11359138 - 10/31/09 06:05 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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Post deleted by rebus_minus
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Icelander
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That's a little vague.
sometimes? What about all the times it doesn't?
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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rebus_minus
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Re: Psychology *DELETED* [Re: Icelander]
#11359174 - 10/31/09 06:10 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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Post deleted by rebus_minus
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Icelander
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No explain it to me.
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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Ahimsa
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Quote:
Icelander said: Do you know what loving is?
It is being true to yourself and others. It is to persevere trying to understand why people are the way they are. It is not compromising about your set goals. It is opening up yourself and daring to feel. It is welcoming the song of little birds in the morning. It is being in awe about the beauty and the mystery of this place we call earth. It is always changing who you are because you find yourself in how you change. It is trying to explain to others how you see life the way it is. It is being able to find peace within yourself. It is at the same time the space within your mind and its activities. It is being careful not to get carried away by the stream of conflict but to flow along and use the force of the river instead of going against it. It is about finding out what is all about. It is about forgiving everyone for doing what they couldn't prevent themselves from doing because they too were wounded from the start. It is to be great of heart and open of mind. It is to seek clarity. It is being able to wonder about the ant in soil and the dew on a blade of grass. It is being a soul explorer and a traveler in space and time. It is fully embracing life and accepting death, even if it came right now. It is being patient because you know every one has to learn what loving is. It is to find out who you (not me) are.
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Icelander
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Re: Psychology [Re: Ahimsa]
#11359291 - 10/31/09 06:33 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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Hallmark?
Am I right?
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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Ahimsa
µdose
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Quote:
Icelander said: Hallmark?
Am I right?
My experience.
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