I have a tendency to focus on the "horrible side"

[Ceejay]

I have a tendency to read about crime, accident stories and so on. I often find myself reading about the horrors of war, holocaust, extremism, addiction stories, disabled people, etc. Some of the books I tend to wind up reading even though it is picked up randomly (like Flanagan's Narrow Road to the Deep North) is about the Burmese Death Railway, which is a story about war crimes.

 

I no longer watch horror films, as I did saw many very disturbing films in my teens and it created PTSD later in my life after I started abusing marijuana, tobacco and alcohol. So I stay away from all visually/auditorily disturbing material.

 

Is it bad for me to spend more time exploring the horrible side of life?

Edited February 24 by Ceejay

[Ceejay]

I have heard someone say that according to a study/research, it is deduced that the brain overvalues negative information 5 times over positive/neutral information, as it is needed for survival. If our ancestors were so enchanted and amused by the beauty of the sunset and fails to recognize brown patch behind the bushes as a possible bear, we wouldn't be here... is the argument.

 

If this is true.. my behaviour could be motivated by this programming...

[Phil]

6 hours ago, Ceejay said:

Is it bad for me to spend more time exploring the horrible side of life?

This is admittedly a bold approach but with respect for well-being & really getting to what you’re here for without wasting any time - there just is no bad or horrible. There are the thoughts, assessments, opinions, that there is ‘bad for me’, but in reality, as wild as it may initially sound - there is literally no bad for you. 

 

Experientially, there is what’s healthy & conducive to the body. Drinking a vegan protein shake loaded with nutrients vs a glass of gasoline, while an extreme example is clarifying. Neither is actually good or bad nor bad for you, awareness, nondual goodness… but one is of course far more conducive to the well-being of the body, your interests and desired endeavors, goals and relationships, than the other. 

 

Likewise, content and mental well-being - and realizing alignment therein. What resonates and what does not isn’t what’s objectively bad and good, and has nothing to do with what anyone else thinks, believes, says or does. Alignment has only to do with what does and does not resonate - with you. 

 

There’s also nothing wrong. So there’s nothing wrong with the framing of ‘bad & good for me’. You, awareness, in truth, are untouchable, un-tarnishable, impenetrable and always remain pristine, absolute & pure in any and all situations & circumstances. 

 

 

While things like this might sound lovely & have a momentary reassuring, encouraging or perhaps even inspiring effect, at the same time of course the words are fleeting and just don’t add up to the real substance and real change you’re looking for, which is entirely possible for you. More aligned, inspired, effortless, enjoyable conscious focusing on what you are interested in & what resonates with you is not only possible, but is the journey or undergoing which makes all of This most worthwhile.

 

My two cents on how to approach this is different than what I’m hearing from society, yet, is based solely on reason, direct experience, liberation & truth. It’s going to sound very different than what you’re used to. Because the approach is based on direct experience, actuality or what is actual - this doesn’t include aspects which are referred to conceptually but aren’t and can’t be actually experienced, such as a subconscious, a past, a future, self help or improvement, or increasing consciousness.

 

The focus of actuality is a focus on - focus “itself”, on the present, on what is actually experienced presently such as thoughts, emotions & preferences, and the alignment of, with the actuality & truth of you. 

 

 

As emotions are acknowledged, welcomed, truly allowed, appreciated and felt - everything begins to change. Perception remains the same - yet interpretation in regard to sensation, perception, experience and who / what you really are - changes drastically in the orientation of alignment. That means while you, the real actual eternal true you does not change - the entirety of your experience can & will. 

 

What tends to happen as emotions are allowed and felt is an emptying of the body & mind of all discord & suffering. Without a foundation of bringing the mind to rest, or, peaceful mind… as this processing / emptying occurs, the mind is overwhelmed and ‘latches on’ to ‘the old’. 

 

With a foundation of meditation, letting go is a joy. Relief. Freedom. It’s very much like having innocently eaten food that everyone else is eating, being left with indigestion and a very upset stomach… and barfing it all up. The more resistance there is to the barfing, the more intense, challenging and difficult the ‘barfing up’ or emptying process is. The more meditative foundation & aligned diet there is, the less ‘latching’ or ‘clinging’ there is to the ‘barf’ as it empties - and the more beautiful, liberating, enjoyable, transformative and downright amazing the process is. 

 

 

So if any of this resonates and sounds like the way to go about this, I’d start with daily meditation and applying alignment to diet. Then I’d create a dreamboard and fill it with anything & everything that comes to mind that you want. That means, in large part, breaking from the pack mentally. Acknowleding anyone else can think for themself, make dreamboard for themself, and discover alignment for themself. Your dreamboard will contain what you want, and not what you think you should want or do, based on what society thus far or anyone else believes or thinks you or people in general should do. Down the road, this tends to be infectious in all the best ways. People wonder ‘what’s working for you’ and why you’re so damn happy, enthused & engaged as if you have some sort of secret, and you’ll be saying it’s just the power of alignment, nothing unique, just the power within aligned with & allowed into one’s life, endeavors and relationships. 

 

1 hour ago, Ceejay said:

I have heard someone say that according to a study/research, it is deduced that the brain overvalues negative information 5 times over positive/neutral information, as it is needed for survival. If our ancestors were so enchanted and amused by the beauty of the sunset and fails to recognize brown patch behind the bushes as a possible bear, we wouldn't be here... is the argument.

 

If this is true.. my behaviour could be motivated by this programming...

Having said all that… you’re right on. That take on reality is indicative of programming, from those who’ve not really looked into the actuality of reality / being. It’s all conceptual justification & rationalization. Entirely nonsense as in, it simply does not resonate, and is not conducive to consciously creating. 

[Ceejay]

@Phil Everything you mentioned above resonated. I don't understand how you are able to write the way you write. Possibly because you are in alignment.

 

I don't have a dream board, haven't done any journaling, and haven't tried the emotional scale technique. I'm hoping to find all the adequate information I need regarding that in your website, and in this forum.

 

I have started meditation and yoga, but I need to make some changes in my diet and stop eating much after nightfall.

 

4 hours ago, Phil said:

Because the approach is based on direct experience, actuality or what is actual - this doesn’t include aspects which are referred to conceptually but aren’t and can’t be actually experienced, such as a subconscious, a past, a future, self help or improvement, or increasing consciousness.

Interesting.

 

4 hours ago, Phil said:

While things like this might sound lovely & have a momentary reassuring, encouraging or perhaps even inspiring effect, at the same time of course the words are fleeting and just don’t add up to the real substance and real change you’re looking for, which is entirely possible for you. More aligned, inspired, effortless, enjoyable conscious focusing on what you are interested in & what resonates with you is not only possible, but is the journey or undergoing which makes all of This most worthwhile.

So this kind of "conscious focusing" is related to the teachings of LOA?

 

4 hours ago, Phil said:

 

As emotions are acknowledged, welcomed, truly allowed, appreciated and felt - everything begins to change

So your approach is emotional? I was able to release some deep ill-will and aversion and all that when I listened to "healing music" and such music penetrates into the deepest recesses and could work magic to open up one's heart.

 

4 hours ago, Phil said:

With a foundation of meditation, letting go is a joy

I have this foundation in meditation. What I think I need work with is deprogramming many of my limiting beliefs and notions.

 

5 hours ago, Phil said:

That means, in large part, breaking from the pack mentally.

You meant breaking from the herd (of consensus reality folk)?

 

5 hours ago, Phil said:

Your dreamboard will contain what you want, and not what you think you should want or do, based on what society thus far or anyone else believes or thinks you or people in general should do

Okay, but what about dreams that might be unrealistic? Like day dream stuff. Being in a Cast Away like situation with a girl friend and enjoying it rather.. such fantasies?

[Ceejay]

5 hours ago, Phil said:

That take on reality is indicative of programming, from those who’ve not really looked into the actuality of reality / being. It’s all conceptual justification & rationalization. Entirely nonsense as in, it simply does not resonate, and is not conducive to consciously creating. 

The thing is I came from a different school/teaching... which sees everything in darwinian/neuroscientific logic system... the problem with these is that it tends to be atheistic and that tends to be problematic for me.

[Phil]

6 hours ago, Ceejay said:

I don't have a dream board, haven't done any journaling, and haven't tried the emotional scale technique. I'm hoping to find all the adequate information I need regarding that in your website, and in this forum.

Those three components will very much help with filling up with the true nature. 

 

6 hours ago, Ceejay said:

 

I have started meditation and yoga, but I need to make some changes in my diet and stop eating much after nightfall

That’s great to hear!

 

6 hours ago, Ceejay said:

So this kind of "conscious focusing" is related to the teachings of LOA?

Yes. Essentially, writing what’s wanted on the dreamboard, and as it’s unfolding using the emotional scale for shadow work / de-programming /  alignment. The consciously of consciously creating refers to as consciousness. 

 

6 hours ago, Ceejay said:

So your approach is emotional?

Inclusive of emotions, yes. 

 

6 hours ago, Ceejay said:

I was able to release some deep ill-will and aversion and all that when I listened to "healing music" and such music penetrates into the deepest recesses and could work magic to open up one's heart.

Perfect. 🙂

 

6 hours ago, Ceejay said:

You meant breaking from the herd (of consensus reality folk)?

From the mentality… conditioning / conditional thinking / limited beliefs / mistaken identity.

 

6 hours ago, Ceejay said:

Okay, but what about dreams that might be unrealistic? Like day dream stuff. Being in a Cast Away like situation with a girl friend and enjoying it rather.. such fantasies?

Whatever it is you want. In part that’s the point, to dream big. When’s starting out with the dreamboard look for whatever is sincerely realistic to you as far as the synchronicity. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ceejay]

@Phil Thanks.