Me.

[Pathless]

Hello everyone,

I figured it was about time I introduced myself officialy. I've been making posts on this forum for the past two weeks or so, so some of you may be somewhat familiar with me. I thought I'd go ahead and share with you a bit about my spiritual approach and history, some of which may be evident or hinted at in my posts.

At this point I would classify myself as eclectic in regards to my approach to God. I choose to use the word 'God' because I think it is a simple way to describe the ultimate reality and can be understood across different faiths. My view of God is entirely benevolent.

I was raised in a Christian household, but as I grew up, was drawn to Eastern thought and meditation, with a brief detour into magick, which I never really practiced beyond playing with tarot cards. I was more interested in the systematic and organizational approach that I found in the writings of Aleister Crowley, of all people. I was especially interested in the Hebrew Qabalah and the Tree of Life for a couple years, although I approached it from the perspective of Western 'Magick' and not the Jewish one. After a while on this path, I started meditating again and was quickly caught up in it. I began practicing mediation and yoga regularly and, from my perspective now, obsessively, because of the positive results I found. My practice was a repetitious crash-and-burn cycle, though, and I would invariably burn myself out on the strict routine and then reject the entire system for a while. After a few weeks or months, I would be back at it. I am realizing as I write this that it sounds like I was smoking crack rather than meditating.

Which brings me to where I am now. I still meditate, but am concentrating more on being in tune with my human desires and inclinations, taking them as the promptings of my individual, inner Guru in its attempts to keep me centered in the great Self, or God.

My apologies if this post comes across as self-indulgent autobiographical blabber, but in a way that's what it is. Part of my purpose in it is to kind of blog out my current approach.


Peace.

 

[Vajradhara]

Namaste pathless,

welcome to the forum!

enjoy your stay.

 

[iBrian]

Heh, no problem, pathless - I enjoyed reading it. Especially interesting when you can connect with specific experiences of other people.

An offical welcome to the forums: welcome to CR, pathless.

 

[juantoo3]

Kindest Regards, Pathless!

 

[Susma Rio Sep]

Pathless writes:

After a while on this path, I started meditating again and was quickly caught up in it. I began practicing mediation and yoga regularly and, from my perspective now, obsessively, because of the positive results I found. My practice was a repetitious crash-and-burn cycle, though, and I would invariably burn myself out on the strict routine and then reject the entire system for a while. After a few weeks or months, I would be back at it. I am realizing as I write this that it sounds like I was smoking crack rather than meditating.

I began practicing mediation and yoga regularly and, from my perspective now, obsessively, because of the positive results I found.

May I ask what are these positive results, if you may name some in concrete terms, like what physiological or emotional mental effects you experience, for example, do you sleep more soundly from the yoga meditation, do you have better attention, solve problems better?

I am realizing as I write this that it sounds like I was smoking crack rather than meditating.

That's amazing, a very legal way to enjoy crack and not suffer any physical or neurological harms in the process. Maybe I should go into yoga meditation also. But I will find it boring for its posture and mental impassivity...

Susma Rio Sep

 

[Pathless]

May I ask what are these positive results, if you may name some in concrete terms, like what physiological or emotional mental effects you experience, for example, do you sleep more soundly from the yoga meditation, do you have better attention, solve problems better?
Susma Rio Sep

Yes, Susma, you may ask, and, yes, sleep is affected. I did notice that when I was in the full swing of my yoga and meditaiton routine, I slept more soundly, didn't have as many restless dreams, and also the amount of sleep I needed decreased from over eight hours to about six. One interesting sidenote: although I am no longer practicing as intensely as I once was, I still need less sleep than I did before I began doing meditation earnestly.

As far as the better attention and problem solving, again, "Yes." I think those things come with the calmer mind and level of contentment that comes from doing meditation. Another result I've found is increased self-confidence. Also, a higher energy level, but you have to weigh that one against the fact that, at times when I was most seriously and actively practicing, I would spend four or five hours a day in my spiritual practices, so there's that amount of time gone from utilizing energy to do work. On the other hand, like I said before, I also needed less sleep, so I gained some of the time back.

 

[Susma Rio Sep]

Quid pro quo

Pathless writes:

Also, a higher energy level, but you have to weigh that one against the fact that, at times when I was most seriously and actively practicing, I would spend four or five hours a day in my spiritual practices, so there's that amount of time gone from utilizing energy to do work. On the other hand, like I said before, I also needed less sleep, so I gained some of the time back.

Four to five hours a day on yoga meditation, and I can't sit still for ten minutes. No, I am not destined for the benefits of yoga meditation.

On the other hand, you get the change in return with one hour saved from sleep. Congratulations.

God doesn't play dice with the universe, but He does favor some more than others, consider the yoga meditation practitioners for example.

Susma Rio Sep

 

[Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine]

"Official"

Zdrastvuitsye, hola, shalom, salaam, Dia dhuit, namastar ji, hej, konbanwa, squeak, meow, :wave: Pathless.

Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine

 

[Susma Rio Sep]

Active vs passive meditation

What I remember about meditation in my Catholic university days when I was one of the more devout denizens in the campus, I can now divide into the active kind and the passive kind. The active kind involves use of all intellectual faculties. The passive kind consists in keeping quiet in your mind and waiting for insights to occur. I think now most meditation methods from the Hindu tradition school, like Yoga and Buddhist meditation, are essentially of the passive kind. Susma Rio Sep (Can't make the paragraph return work.... some virus again...?)