Personal environments; stuff, clutter, negative energies and Feng Shui

Voyageur

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I'm not sure if this is the correct category to start this thread, so it might be moved elsewhere if a moderator sees a better place. Nevertheless, I'm asking people how they deal with the influences of 'stuff' in their lives, things in their homes; clutter, and things you may have been given, purchased, things handed down from family - things you have attachments with and that you just can't get rid of and you're not sure why? Do these objects we have all around us have meaning, are they symbolic of something, do the hold memories, and why that might be so? Could they hold negative memories and have an unnoticed influence upon us? In this respect, I'm thinking of T. C. Lethbridge, whereby he discusses objects and memories (generally archeological objects), and some were heavy memories, according to T. C.

As a practical reason for this thread, how do people work to clean-up, or not, their individual environments in which they live? What tools do you use to create better Feng Shui (as some call it) in your space? This also relates to the inner cleaning of our machine and even the Crystal project (see May 2016 Session), which has influence and intentions if given.

Influence of stuff, of course, can be variegated due to whether or not we live alone or have partners and family (it gets hectic with the latter).

My example: I've too much stuff, either being handed down, bought, given - acquired via different family members etc. Some of it is practical; tools and such, yet other stuff sits there year after year, and being asleep to it, possibly to their very influences, I'm having a closer look.

On the outside environment; gardens, weeding, constructions etc., I'm more favorable to attending these things, while things inside build or remain in a type of static space. The kitchen I try and keep very clean and tidy, and bedrooms, bathrooms. My home office is not so great, nor my bookshelves and the shop/storage area that is a place that is easily forgotten and one on my list of things to do that keeps getting pushed down the list (consciously).

Another aspect might be the objects themselves (think Lethbridge), and if it is possible to revisit these for influence of one sort or another. What I mean here is that some things/objects have a certain negative feel; perhaps it is a subconscious feeling about them, not sure. A really quick example here is that when I was young (a pre teen in fact) there was an Inuit artist who was selling carved bones (Walrus/Caribou... not sure what). Anyway, I did not have much money and was attracted to what he was making and purchased a small example. Now there is something about this piece, not sure what it is, yet it later registered as having a bad feeling to it - an energy if you will. If it is true, was it the animals death, the artist or something else? Nonetheless, it has cross my mind to get rid of it on many occasions, yet it has perhaps this unconscious hold on me; so I threw it in a box and moved it out into the shop - I'm thinking I've had this now for 45 years. Now this is an extreme example of an object, and there are many other things that I don't need that found a place against a wall or are in a drawer that need looking at again - a new way of approaching to simplify e.g. why have two of something, or if you don't use it, look at it, or it is just something one decides to not deal with, then this is an opportunity to inventory stuff, rearrange or let it go. Finally, in this extreme example above, have you ever been given something, had it handed down and not felt quite right about it? Could it harbor a certain energy from another person and you might feel that it would not be right to get rid of it out of politeness; avoiding possible hurt feelings?

Just throwing this out there for people to add their thoughts and experiences.
 
I have great difficulty with moving objects on when I no longer have a use for them. I have a house full of them. However, I will soon be required to downsize in a major way and I will have to get very firm with myself regarding their disposal. Anything with a history is a problem. An example of this is a mirror (broken actually) the border of which has been made from 400 year old oak floorboards from a tannery. Whenever I come across this mirror I run my hands over the textures of this ancient wood and wonder how on earth I can throw it away. How many feet have walked over those floorboards and worn them down. I have often mused that I will remove the mirror glass and replace with a piece of artwork and hang the frame on a wall. Will it ever get done...who knows?

The other problem I have is "once it has gone, I want it back". Every time I have ever thrown stuff out I have invariably had a need or a want for that item back in my life again, and absolutely no way to get it back. This has frequently stopped me from clearing out stuff in the past. However, I do realise the need to become less attached to random "things". A work in progress I think.
 
Thanks for starting this thread, voyageur - I have had similar thoughts recently.

I am a bit of a hoarder, but quite an organised one. But I do have a problem with books I inherited from my father. I have been lugging them around for close to 30 years without reading any of them. They are for the most part not very valuable, and they are all written in German - some complete editions of Tolstoi and from German or Swiss authors (Lessing, Schiller, Goethe, Keller etc.). Somehow I really want to get rid of them, they somehow annoy me - but I haven't been able to do so, and I am not sure why. So maybe it is as you say - they carry some energy (positive or negative, I don't know) and have some "hold" over me. But then again, they remind me of my father - not that this is something overly pleasant: He died when I was 15 years old, and that was a fairly traumatic experience, with fallout reaching up to today.

For the rest of my stuff, I also suffer from "once it has gone, I want it back" syndrome, like Tuulikki described. I recently had such an experience and was totally annoyed by it. When I worked in Switzerland 25 years ago, I had an earpiece for a stethoscope for kids specially moulded to my ear. But when I left that workplace, I didn't have the corresponding head to go with the ear piece. So recently I decided to buy such a piece - which cost me around 50 AUD. But then I couldn't find the ear piece anymore - until I remembered, that in a fit of "get-riditis" I had (finally!) thrown it away three months earlier.

This "once it has gone, I want it back" syndrome is quite an interesting thing, because on the face of it, it really doesn't matter much, that I don't have this stethoscope anymore. We hardly use this equipment today anymore. But it seems to trigger some angst, or fear, but I don't understand from what?

But I have made the decision - once home again - to start a major triage operation to sort out what I really need and what not. And I can already feel how this is going to be liberating. But somehow I would like to be much more radical, as I have been up to now, but there are definite barriers that I need to overcome.

So maybe we can find out together, what these barriers are ... :D
 
This is a good idea for the thread.
I guess that clutter in our living space is connected with negative energies and clutter inside us. I have feel that too.

My mother have a tendency to live in a cluttered space with things that she are not using for a long time.She have a clothing that she wore 20 years ago and she refuses to drop it or give it to someone.

If i mention that it sill be good to clear that up then she gets so upset like she has to give up some part of her.
Same with my father.He have suits from when i was little kid. And he keeps them in the closet. And you can't even talk with him about throwing them. HE cant wear them, they are too small but in a good condition.

And both of them have narcissistic characteristics.

I tend not to collect things that i dont use.So every year i make a cleaning to get rid of unnecessary things.
 
Hi voyageur,
Well, i, for one, am a very good 'thrower-away' of things. When i look around me there are always those who need or want my stuff more than i do. So i go through my house every month and always collect some stuff i can give away, whether it's books, jewelry, stones, clothes, food and what have you. For all to share. (That is also why my venture as jewelry designer/maker/seller was a flop commercially speaking: when i saw people very attracted to certain stones, i just wanted them and the stones to be together). I guess i am wired by nature (or program, hmmm) to have no attachments to objects, not even stuff from very dear but long dead close relatives. I find instead they sometimes visit in my dreams and get connected that way. I also am very conscious that i do not give because it would give me something in return, like a good feeling that you've done a good deed or so. I know that is a trap. I give away stuff because i do not need it, it is in my way and instead of throwing it out, why not share stuff with others, it's only stuff. Moreover, i make a connection between having a mind which sometimes gets loaded with way too many unwanted thoughts, dense stuff. When i then go through my house looking for stuff to shed, it always clears my head. Especially when i sing loudly while doing it! After such a round i feel lighter, more liberated like i have more room to swim in.

By experience i can state that negative as well as positive energies can be attached to objects. I kept a journal for 5 years about the reactions of people who got stones from me. There were many cases of people feeling better, more confident, more healthy, more loving towards others wearing (or carrying or sleeping near) stones that i had cleansed, purified and imbued with an energy similar to the beautiful Reiki energy (via the proper way) you feel pouring through the crown of your head when you do a self-treatment, even years after the acquiring. Only once did i really sense negativity in a pair of pearl earrings: i had picked them up at an auction house and had not touched them before i bought them. I couldn't even wear them! Even after cleansing etc did they not feel proper for me, so, me being me, someone came along who really wanted them and that was that. This is all very innocent but there are cases of houses and places with very negative attachments where your instincts will be screaming to leave upon your approach. An interesting book in this respect is 'When ghosts speak: understanding the world of earthbound spirits' by Mary Ann Winkowski

Well i hope this helps you a little bit and i hope you can enjoy your next cleansing-round around your house
 
I have trouble getting rid of stuff. I always think I might "need" it, or want to look at it, etc. Even when I collect stuff to get rid of, it will sit in the box waiting for me to take it somewhere or throw it away.

I definitely feel better after discarding unused items, or cleaning up a space, but still I postpone doing it!
 
I try to move diferents stuff or furnitures like a experiment. But i think the first thing is the confort and a clean house. Sometimes mover the bed and wait 2 or 3 days to feel how i sleep. After all there will be diferentes books about that, but we have diferentes spaces in our house to do that.
 
In Session 23 January 2016, I wrote this reply:


The first book, "Creating a sacred space Feng Shui" is about the energy clean living space. The author recommends a physical cleaning, and cleaning with sound (she makes it to the bell, the priest from Bali) and dedicating with salt.
Obviously, loud singing is effective also. :)
Rudy said:
When i then go through my house looking for stuff to shed, it always clears my head. Especially when i sing loudly while doing it! After such a round i feel lighter, more liberated like i have more room to swim in.

This part of the physical cleaning has caused a great interest in people, and is the author wrote another book, "Clean your clutter Feng Shui". This is a relatively "small" book, and consists of concrete tips to choose (identify clutter), organize and put away the things of themselves, for those who have difficulty with that. Very useful and inspirational. These two books are very helpful to me.
 
I've also been wondering lately about 'cleaning house' of all the unnecessary clutter and things that could have negative energies attached to them, and how that could have a positive effect on our lives and mental states. I know that when I let clutter compile and don't do regular cleaning that my clarity of mind suffers.

I recently did a mini-purging and got rid of some old things that I'd never used, never planned on using, or hadn't used for a very long time but kept for a while as they held some sentimental value. For instance, I was given an old canner that my great-grandmother used to can veggies. I never used it and have a much sturdier one that I do use and I was too young at the time of her passing to remember my great-grandmother, so I didn't have any memories associated with it. But I did feel an obligation to keep it because it was a gift that had sentimental value attached to it by my family. Well, since I wasn't going to use it and didn't have any memories associated with it I thought it was silly for me to keep because of an imagined familial obligation, so I donated it in the hope that maybe someone will find a use for it.

Now I've got two boxes of old keep-sakes that I want to go through..

nicklebleu said:
But I have made the decision - once home again - to start a major triage operation to sort out what I really need and what not. And I can already feel how this is going to be liberating. But somehow I would like to be much more radical, as I have been up to now, but there are definite barriers that I need to overcome.

So maybe we can find out together, what these barriers are ... :D

Good luck on your purging project nicklebleu!
 
Thank you Voyageur for opening the thread. Interesting given the recent threads. I too have some challenges in some areas in decluttering or organizing.

Some time back, i got a dollar pocket book on organizing in the local store. _https://www.amazon.com/Organizing-Dummies-Eileen-Roth/dp/0764553003 It has some nice tips. One of it is , if your bill is one year old and you have not paid, junk it. Clothes not used donate it or throw out etc.

Since I live in a apartment and it is relatively small, I told my self to NOT to buy any thing unless it is essential. For me, most of stuff is books and some items that I used to use them before, but I am not using, but may use it some time in future. I stopped buying paper books, though I like to read on paper, I started buying kindle to avoid carrying books whenever I move. Other side, when power goes out, these e-books wont work. Any way, when power goes, Lot will change. I tried to scan all the documents which are old and store it in the backup hard disk and thrash it. I still have some work to do. Even backup's became multiple copies and it takes decent time to organize them.

For me biggest challenge is keeping track of financial documents. I have intense resistance to organize the financial documents. My father tend to keep documents thinking it may be useful one day for the frustration of my mother. Probably I got some resistance from him.

Many times I observed that if I doesn't clean my desk or vacuum the house, I tend to get depressed. Once it is done, depression magically disappears. But, time is always the issue and I should consistently give organizing high priority, instead of doing when I am fedup with myself. My todo list sheet tend to become cluttered so much, I don't feel like looking it at. Reorganizing and reprinting the todo list tend to lighten up for me. I tend to sit infront of my computer after coming from home and tend to loose time for 2 or 3 hours thus leaving every thing on table. Sort of disassociation doing one thing or other, some useful and some disassociation and wonder where the heck time went and get irritated with myself. Writing the activities list and religiously following tend to feels great, but it is always a challenge to stop and update the list.

Some time back I bought Feng Shui book hoping to read, but it went down in priority list after little read. I haven't yet got the compass yet to use it. There is so much diverse information on Feng Shui information, I some how got confused and left it like that. It will be interesting to know how people are using Feng Shui.
 
Some interesting recounting here. Thanks.

Here is something that may explain our influences to objects: http://journal.sjdm.org/8613/jdm8613.html

The power of touch: An examination of the effect of duration of physical contact on the valuation of objects
James R. Wolf*
School of Information Technology
Illinois State University

Hal R. Arkes
Department of Psychology
Ohio State University

Waleed A. Muhanna
Dept. of Accounting and MIS, Fisher College of Business
Ohio State University

{snip}The duration of ownership has been shown to increase the valuation of items that people currently own as well as items they have owned in the past, a phenomenon termed the “length-of-ownership effect.” We hypothesize that the duration of exposure to an item will foster increased pre-ownership attachment to an item and increased valuations in a manner similar to duration of actual ownership. We examine this effect in two experiments, both variations of the classic mug experiment. To induce different levels of exposure, we varied the amount of time that participants examined the auctioned item (i.e., coffee mugs) prior to participating in real dollar auctions. In the first study, participants bid in online English open bid auctions. In the second study, participants bid in first-price sealed bid auctions. In both cases of duration of physical contact positively influenced valuations (i.e., bid levels)....

There are a few different experiments offered here, with some of them as a basis for marketing, knowing how people react to objects and "ownership". Much more can be read here.

Also, I recall other articles whereby if shopping and having physical contact with an item; feeling the cloth lets say, might result in purchasing. So things we have, our physical and memory relationship with them, might act in the same way. I've a closet with clothes that really need attention, and I've done this before, culling out clothes that are not needed, yet there always seems to be particular items that stays put, even though they need to go. This seems to be related to a memory attachment, and I'll need to explore this more each time there is reluctance to box it up and move it out - explore the pull of not doing so and why that might be.

Another thing that has come up is when looking to buy something online, these insidious bot type programs flash up the items I once looked at on websites - I know there is blocking applications for this, yet it seems prevalent and bothersome, like remember me, this object you were looking at, I'm still here. This also acts to bury brand names in our minds, or so it seems. But this is marketing, and people here understand that.
 
voyageur said:
Do these objects we have all around us have meaning, are they symbolic of something, do the hold memories, and why that might be so? Could they hold negative memories and have an unnoticed influence upon us?

I think that may be so. Not sure exactly how that works, a combination of factors I guess, but it is definitely noticeable the effect of 'cleaning house' in every sense.

I think objects, keepsakes and mementos, general clutter and the state of our living arrangements very much reflects reflects on the outside what we can find in ourselves on the inside, only sometimes it’s difficult to see what is with so much internal clutter in the way! Its like the external material objects form a cushion or buffer against acknowledging the reality of our inner world. As such they form barriers, so maybe the question then rather than "I need to keep this because of such and so justification" should be "what is it in me that stops me from letting this go?".

The "I need to keep this because of such and so justification" line leads us to identify with both the object in question and whatever it represents. So the barrier to letting go can be in failing to see that we are in a state of identification and that it is that which needs letting go. The wish for inner freedom should become stronger than the pull of the objects.

For example, many years ago I had a whole bunch of personal letters, some notebooks of poetry (god awful stuff in reality but at the time of writing it I thought otherwise. But I was not that person any longer, time to let it go), and some sketchbooks that represented a certain time. Though I didn’t know about the concept of identification at the time, and though a part of me did not want to let these things go, it seemed a good idea to let the energy of it go, or at least I represented it to myself that way, of setting the energy contained in them free to become something else, a way to release and heal the past and those connected with it.

There are a few symbolic objects I do keep around the place, from family or places. But they are kept not because of a sense of obligation but because I feel happy to have them around the place as little reminders (but not in a mawkish way).

voyageur said:
As a practical reason for this thread, how do people work to clean-up, or not, their individual environments in which they live? What tools do you use to create better Feng Shui (as some call it) in your space? This also relates to the inner cleaning of our machine and even the Crystal project (see May 2016 Session), which has influence and intentions if given.

I’ve moved house a couple of times in the last few years, and the first thing I did before unpacking everything into the new rooms was to go around and clean everything. Again, I don't know exactly what if any the actual mechanism is of "energies" to be able to say 'oh yes it’s this, so do that', but on a personal psychological and emotional level it felt right and good to go around the whole house and deep clean it before beginning to live there.

Now this might just be me (and here I should admit to having maybe just a teeny weeny smidgen of OCD :whistle:), but as well as the literal physical action of cleaning and dusting everything down (and I mean, everything, walls, floors, doors, carpets, cupboards, paintwork, windows), I kind of saw it as 'saying hello' to the house too by touching every inch of it, a way of getting to know it as well as clearing out whatever else was there before. Not seeing that aspect in a magical way though, more a practical moving on kind of attitude to it.

As for Feng Shui, I did have a phase of using it extensively quite a few years back, even down to colour coding clothes and rooms (I did look like a children's television presenter for a while, it was a bit, um, bright shall we say :-[). A lot of it is common sense I think when you boil it down and think in terms of 'energy flows'. There’s a lot to be said for intention and the art of placement too. A few items intentionally well placed (and that can include keepsakes etc) creates a very different impression and environment than a collection of random objects that have gathered together by accident. A mantelpiece or shelf can become a 'shrine' as such, though without the overtly religious gloss or wishful thinking.

voyageur said:
Influence of stuff, of course, can be variegated due to whether or not we live alone or have partners and family (it gets hectic with the latter).

Yes, external consideration would be a must. And sometimes circumstances simply don’t allow. It's when wahtever circumstances have long passed and we're still living the same way that we ought to take positive action I think.

voyageur said:
On the outside environment; gardens, weeding, constructions etc., I'm more favorable to attending these things, while things inside build or remain in a type of static space. The kitchen I try and keep very clean and tidy, and bedrooms, bathrooms. My home office is not so great, nor my bookshelves and the shop/storage area that is a place that is easily forgotten and one on my list of things to do that keeps getting pushed down the list (consciously).

Maybe you learn to think of the internal space in a similar way as the external, as an active energy system. The more we can look after and nurture our space, the better the conditions for all round general growth.

voyageur said:
Another aspect might be the objects themselves (think Lethbridge), and if it is possible to revisit these for influence of one sort or another. What I mean here is that some things/objects have a certain negative feel; perhaps it is a subconscious feeling about them, not sure.

I think there’s something going on there. I’ve wondered for a long time about the energy of dust, it amazes me when you vacuum clean the whole house just how much dust there is collected, even when the house looks superficially clean. I don't mean in terms of 'oh my god this place is dirty!' more wondering in terms of what kind of energy a big bag of grey dust is holding on to.

I remember a couple of years ago I hired a carpet cleaner and did all the fitted carpets in the house, when my daughter next came over to visit she stopped at the threshold to the living room and remarked "somethings different" but she couldn’t make out what it was. Nothing else had changed, everything was back where it had always been and it wasn't as if the carpet was shocking bad to begin with, so it seemed as if she may picked up on something else.

I don"t know for sure about the above, but there is the whole emotional/psychological aspect to consider. I’ve long considered cleaning and arranging as a practical and healthy way to nurture positive emotion. Both for general maintenance and well being, but most especially useful when we find ourselves blocked, or when negative emotional energy is flowing and needs to be channeled, or you just feel down sometimes and need a lift. Pouring that energy into an hour or two of sorting, clearing and cleaning definitely has a very noticeable positive effect whenever I feel like that.
 
Alada said:
I think objects, keepsakes and mementos, general clutter and the state of our living arrangements very much reflects reflects on the outside what we can find in ourselves on the inside, only sometimes it’s difficult to see what is with so much internal clutter in the way! Its like the external material objects form a cushion or buffer against acknowledging the reality of our inner world. As such they form barriers, so maybe the question then rather than "I need to keep this because of such and so justification" should be "what is it in me that stops me from letting this go?".

The "I need to keep this because of such and so justification" line leads us to identify with both the object in question and whatever it represents. So the barrier to letting go can be in failing to see that we are in a state of identification and that it is that which needs letting go. The wish for inner freedom should become stronger than the pull of the objects.

For example, many years ago I had a whole bunch of personal letters, some notebooks of poetry (god awful stuff in reality but at the time of writing it I thought otherwise. But I was not that person any longer, time to let it go), and some sketchbooks that represented a certain time. Though I didn’t know about the concept of identification at the time, and though a part of me did not want to let these things go, it seemed a good idea to let the energy of it go, or at least I represented it to myself that way, of setting the energy contained in them free to become something else, a way to release and heal the past and those connected with it.

Sorry for bringing up my (darned) books again ... but I have asked myself the same question I bolded above many times. In fact, every time I see the books, this inner "question-turmoil" pops up again.

Superficially there are "good" reasons to keep them - the books are classics, they are complete works, some quite old, but still not very valuable, etc. But then I guess there is a part of guilt involved - throwing them away feels like throwing away part of the memories about my father - which are not overly good, not because he was a particularly bad person, but more because he "checked out" early and left us behind in a mess. So maybe I should just throw them away, but the resistance is HUGE ... which I find quite interesting.

Speaking of books, when I moved to Australia, I threw away about half of my books. Most of them were not worth keeping. But over the years I have come to regret throwing out a part of those. And some I have even bought again, which to the hoarder is the "perfect storm" and excuse to keep everything as is.
 
nicklebleu said:
Sorry for bringing up my (darned) books again ... but I have asked myself the same question I bolded above many times. In fact, every time I see the books, this inner "question-turmoil" pops up again.

Superficially there are "good" reasons to keep them - the books are classics, they are complete works, some quite old, but still not very valuable, etc. But then I guess there is a part of guilt involved - throwing them away feels like throwing away part of the memories about my father - which are not overly good, not because he was a particularly bad person, but more because he "checked out" early and left us behind in a mess. So maybe I should just throw them away, but the resistance is HUGE ... which I find quite interesting.

I can understand the problem, that in a way it feels like throwing away a part of your father, even dishonoring his memory. Maybe keep a few that you find particularly special to you, or that you know were to him, and then find a way to hand the others on to someone else who can benefit from them? Donate them to charity so that it’s not so much 'throwing them away'. Then the few that you keep become symbolic of the whole collection, but you keep them by choice.

Maybe it’s a question of scale too, if you’re talking about keeping a lot of books for that reason, that’s something to consider. But I don't think we have to go the whole hog of removing absolutely everything!
 
Alada said:
nicklebleu said:
Sorry for bringing up my (darned) books again ... but I have asked myself the same question I bolded above many times. In fact, every time I see the books, this inner "question-turmoil" pops up again.

Superficially there are "good" reasons to keep them - the books are classics, they are complete works, some quite old, but still not very valuable, etc. But then I guess there is a part of guilt involved - throwing them away feels like throwing away part of the memories about my father - which are not overly good, not because he was a particularly bad person, but more because he "checked out" early and left us behind in a mess. So maybe I should just throw them away, but the resistance is HUGE ... which I find quite interesting.

I can understand the problem, that in a way it feels like throwing away a part of your father, even dishonoring his memory. Maybe keep a few that you find particularly special to you, or that you know were to him, and then find a way to hand the others on to someone else who can benefit from them? Donate them to charity so that it’s not so much 'throwing them away'. Then the few that you keep become symbolic of the whole collection, but you keep them by choice.

Maybe it’s a question of scale too, if you’re talking about keeping a lot of books for that reason, that’s something to consider. But I don't think we have to go the whole hog of removing absolutely everything!

I think that's an excellent idea ... although not sure if I can donate these books here, as they are all in German. Not a widely spoken language around here. But I'll see, maybe I'll find someone interested. Thanks for your thoughts, Alada.
 

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