purging the subconscious

[sleeper]

hallo peeps

we have been meditating for a long time collectively and also sometimes individually. i am convinced that many of the bizzarre things that happen to us are the result of subconscious thoughts. for instance, if one were to watch a horror movie tonight before bed, then they might have similar nightmares during sleep

most people's minds are populated with popular thoughts from modern life. you know, entertainment movies, video games, public education, magazines, etc. people stuff it in, but do we do anything to remove those thoughts?

Q. did meditation practice over the years increase your awareness of subconscious things (in your own mind)? does this awareness only occur during meditation, or does it have a lasting effect (all day or all week, for instance)?

manifestation works at least in part by guiding the powerful subconscious to do our bidding.

what (if anything) have you done as part of your manifestation programme, to remove old/bad/unwanted thoughts from your subconscious?

thanks

dale

[ButterflyWoman]

Q. did meditation practice over the years increase your awareness of subconscious things (in your own mind)?

Hard to say, because the increasing awareness was going on before I took up meditation in a serious way. My instinct is to say yes, but it's kind of a chicken and egg thing with me.

does this awareness only occur during meditation, or does it have a lasting effect (all day or all week, for instance)?

The increase in clarity and awareness of subconscious symbols and so forth is with me all the time now. Again, I can't say absolutely that it's due to mediation, because so many other things have also been evolving. I think it's probably related, though.

manifestation works at least in part by guiding the powerful subconscious to do our bidding.

Yes. Or, I find, by changing the subconscious so as to allow reality to be shaped in different ways. (Like the attachment on a pasta maker; it squirts out whatever kind of pasta the shape allows, and if you change the attachment, you get a different kind of pasta).

what (if anything) have you done as part of your manifestation programme, to remove old/bad/unwanted thoughts from your subconscious?

Intention plus surrender. That's the only thing that consistently works for me. I just went through a quite deep energetic/emotional purge, effortlessly (though it was uncomfortable, it wasn't painful), and it all just unfolded due to intention and surrendering to the process that arose.

[Beekeeper]

we have been meditating for a long time collectively and also sometimes individually. i am convinced that many of the bizzarre things that happen to us are the result of subconscious thoughts. for instance, if one were to watch a horror movie tonight before bed, then they might have similar nightmares during sleep

I'm with you. Actually, even watching a junky movie can do that. In fact, even momentary experiences and minor thoughts can get into your dream experiences.

most people's minds are populated with popular thoughts from modern life. you know, entertainment movies, video games, public education, magazines, etc. people stuff it in, but do we do anything to remove those thoughts?

Actually, yes, I do. I know the argument that by actively concentrating on removing it, you're giving it your attention, but I do choose to remove unsavoury imagery and attitudes that are inevitable part of our contemporary lives. I also contemplate them and what they show us about the world we live in and some of the people who inhabit it but they usually happens at the time of exposure.

Q. did meditation practice over the years increase your awareness of subconscious things (in your own mind)? does this awareness only occur during meditation, or does it have a lasting effect (all day or all week, for instance)?

I'm sure it does but even as a small child I recall being very introspective, very into meta-cognition. It is in my nature.

manifestation works at least in part by guiding the powerful subconscious to do our bidding.

what (if anything) have you done as part of your manifestation programme, to remove old/bad/unwanted thoughts from your subconscious?

I try to actively place good, wanted thoughts there. I do this with exposure to elevating texts and, as much as possible, positive, compassionate, decent people. I’m lucky that in my job I’m able to read good literature and watch good videos and discuss these with the kids in my care and my colleagues. I also think dream journaling is a great way to know what is going on within your psyche and alert you to trends.

The rest is discipline. I know what I want and I know that if I ruminate on certain thoughts that I won’t achieve the states of consciousness I desire. This usually works, it depends a lot on bio-chemical conditions. Life will present challenges and I'm flawed. Sometimes I indulge myself a bit and then pull myself together again.

If we’re talking material manifestation, I’m very good at that. I’m not just talking about hard work but also about considerable material luck. I’m not sure where this originates because my background wasn’t wealthy and my mother constantly harped on about how poor we were, though I think I knew even then that we weren’t poor like the truly poor. When my children were little, I always said how lucky we were, that we always had everything we needed.

[sleeper]

Hard to say, because the increasing awareness was going on before I took up meditation in a serious way. My instinct is to say yes, but it's kind of a chicken and egg thing with me.

interesting - i want to think about that some more. thank you for sharing.

The increase in clarity and awareness of subconscious symbols and so forth is with me all the time now. Again, I can't say absolutely that it's due to mediation, because so many other things have also been evolving. I think it's probably related, though.

hmm

Yes. Or, I find, by changing the subconscious so as to allow reality to be shaped in different ways. (Like the attachment on a pasta maker; it squirts out whatever kind of pasta the shape allows, and if you change the attachment, you get a different kind of pasta).

hmm

Intention plus surrender. That's the only thing that consistently works for me. I just went through a quite deep energetic/emotional purge, effortlessly (though it was uncomfortable, it wasn't painful), and it all just unfolded due to intention and surrendering to the process that arose.

i feel that if we interact with our emotional release then we often are pulled back into the same emotional cycle but if we surrender with detached awareness then we are released from those emotions.

thanks for sharing!

[sleeper]

I'm with you. Actually, even watching a junky movie can do that. In fact, even momentary experiences and minor thoughts can get into your dream experiences.

very few people notice this. do you have much commentary on why that is?

Actually, yes, I do. I know the argument that by actively concentrating on removing it, you're giving it your attention, but I do choose to remove unsavory imagery and attitudes that are inevitable part of our contemporary lives. I also contemplate them and what they show us about the world we live in and some of the people who inhabit it but they usually happens at the time of exposure.

do you think that doing that at the time of exposure prevents us from having to deal with that 'thought' later?

I'm sure it does but even as a small child I recall being very introspective, very into meta-cognition. It is in my nature.

what differences are there between your childhood introspection and your current introspection? what differences do you attribute to maturity, to your nature, to the effects of spiritual practice, etc.?

I try to actively place good, wanted thoughts there. I do this with exposure to elevating texts and, as much as possible, positive, compassionate, decent people. I’m lucky that in my job I’m able to read good literature and watch good videos and discuss these with the kids in my care and my colleagues. I also think dream journaling is a great way to know what is going on within your psyche and alert you to trends.

i am interested in the concept of psyche trends. what other commentary do you have about that? please don't' limit it to the context of this thread.

The rest is discipline. I know what I want and I know that if I ruminate on certain thoughts that I won’t achieve the states of consciousness I desire. This usually works, it depends a lot on bio-chemical conditions. Life will present challenges and I'm flawed. Sometimes I indulge myself a bit and then pull myself together again.

well, we don't always get what we want. but we do get what we manifest, in a sense, more or less.

If we’re talking material manifestation, I’m very good at that. I’m not just talking about hard work but also about considerable material luck. I’m not sure where this originates because my background wasn’t wealthy and my mother constantly harped on about how poor we were, though I think I knew even then that we weren’t poor like the truly poor. When my children were little, I always said how lucky we were, that we always had everything we needed.

i wonder whether you became a positive influence because of you relationship with your mom, or if you were positive because of your nature or character that you incarnated with. what are your thoughts on that?

[ButterflyWoman]

i feel that if we interact with our emotional release then we often are pulled back into the same emotional cycle but if we surrender with detached awareness then we are released from those emotions.

I just intend the change (whatever it is) and then surrender to whatever process comes up. I can generally recognise when it's the manifestation of my intention, so I just go with it, whatever "it" is. When I do that, it's usually painless, though it might be intense, and it's effortless, meaning, I don't "do" anything, other than just allow (i.e., surrender).

[sleeper]

I just intend the change (whatever it is) and then surrender to whatever process comes up. I can generally recognise when it's the manifestation of my intention, so I just go with it, whatever "it" is. When I do that, it's usually painless, though it might be intense, and it's effortless, meaning, I don't "do" anything, other than just allow (i.e., surrender).

that is much more difficult to do than you make it sound. did you learn to do that slowly over time? were you influenced by teachers or anything?

[CFTraveler]

Prob. a day late and a dollar short, but here's mine anyway:

hallo peeps

we have been meditating for a long time collectively and also sometimes individually. i am convinced that many of the bizzarre things that happen to us are the result of subconscious thoughts. for instance, if one were to watch a horror movie tonight before bed, then they might have similar nightmares during sleep

most people's minds are populated with popular thoughts from modern life. you know, entertainment movies, video games, public education, magazines, etc. people stuff it in, but do we do anything to remove those thoughts?

Hmm, I agree that a lot of what's in the subconscious is 'outwardly influenced- not just by media and culture, but also by upbringing. But I don't think it's necessary to 'remove' anything- just to be aware of where these things come from is enough.
I do think that we need the color and interest that images give us- whether it's a 'fairytale princess', 'centaur', or 'monster'- all of these are cultural expressions of archetypal energy and useful for descriptive purposes. Even scumbag politicians serve a purpose.

Q. did meditation practice over the years increase your awareness of subconscious things (in your own mind)? does this awareness only occur during meditation, or does it have a lasting effect (all day or all week, for instance)?

Like CW, it's a 'chicken/egg' situation- I always had that awareness of memory influences in my thinking- but what meditating to trance did for me was to experience objectively these subconscious influences- instead of trying to figure out why I do 'x' or 'y' thing, I can meditate and 'look' at it as a spectator and then decide what to do with it.

what (if anything) have you done as part of your manifestation programme, to remove old/bad/unwanted thoughts from your subconscious?

First I identify the program itself, then find out where it came from, then I debunk it. The act of shedding light on where it came from does the debunking, but if necessary, I analyze it for logical flaws, and usually that does it for me.

thanks

dale

You're welcome, C.

[ButterflyWoman]

that is much more difficult to do than you make it sound. did you learn to do that slowly over time? were you influenced by teachers or anything?

I suppose it's difficult to learn. But the thing is, a strongly set intention is going to manifest, full stop. You CAN stand in the way of your own manifesting intention if you really want to fight it and resist it, but it's just going to make it more difficult and more painful. Hence the surrender.

I did learn it slowly, because I kept resisting, because I didn't really understand the intention-manifestation process. I intended change, and when it started to happen, I'd panic, and fight it, and it was just made that much worse. I kept doing that for a long time, under quite intense conditions, until I got too tired to fight any more, and then, voila, the moment I stopped fighting, stuff started to flow and fall into place and manifestation came to maturity. So, basically, I just had to struggle until I couldn't any more, and when I was still, stuff worked so much better and unfolded effortlessly. It's kind of a no-brainer to stop fighting it, once you experience that sort of thing.

I've never had any teachers to speak of. I've always been pretty much on my own. I have read a fair bit of spirituality and manifestation type material now, but it's more intellectual than anything else. I'm a true empiricist, and I really have to have direct experiential knowledge of something before I can consider it valid.

[sleeper]

I suppose it's difficult to learn. But the thing is, a strongly set intention is going to manifest, full stop. You CAN stand in the way of your own manifesting intention if you really want to fight it and resist it, but it's just going to make it more difficult and more painful. Hence the surrender.

I did learn it slowly, because I kept resisting, because I didn't really understand the intention-manifestation process. I intended change, and when it started to happen, I'd panic, and fight it, and it was just made that much worse. I kept doing that for a long time, under quite intense conditions, until I got too tired to fight any more, and then, voila, the moment I stopped fighting, stuff started to flow and fall into place and manifestation came to maturity. So, basically, I just had to struggle until I couldn't any more, and when I was still, stuff worked so much better and unfolded effortlessly. It's kind of a no-brainer to stop fighting it, once you experience that sort of thing.

I've never had any teachers to speak of. I've always been pretty much on my own. I have read a fair bit of spirituality and manifestation type material now, but it's more intellectual than anything else. I'm a true empiricist, and I really have to have direct experiential knowledge of something before I can consider it valid.

well one of the reasons that i ask is because you went through it and learned from it, but how can you teach someone like that? there's no substitute for experience, imho, however i still care for others who are going through hard times.