Iodine, correcting false beliefs and growth

[theos]

Thanks for sharing what's going on with you, Joe. Also, thank you for sharing so much of yourself and your time with the articles you write and your radio presence. While it's tough to realize that none of that will change the world, you've certainly influenced and changed a lot of us on this forum and outside of it with your insight. So by touching so many people you did make a change, just not in a worldwide events kind of way.

Your post highlights the importance of doing just for the learning and sharing that goes along with the doing rather than having an expectation about the outcome of the doing.

 

[kalibex]

For as long as I can remember I had the 'belief' that life was a threatening place and I had to be 'on guard' all the time to ward off the inevitable bad stuff that was just waiting to pounce on me.

I suspect that's a real common issue around here these days - waiting for the proverbial hammer to fall. It's not at all unreasonable, given the circumstances. All that's left, then, may indeed be for people to help each other deal with that, best they can, perhaps via the development of faith (as more than just an intellectual concept).

Perhaps it was always going to be/have been an 'endurance race'/'lead by example' situation. That sense of "You can't possibly hope to win, yet you simply can not stop (trying)." Immovable Object, Irresistible Force. But of course 'win' itself is classic STS thinking. So there's no need to 'win' in the sense of somehow re-making local reality here as we'd prefer it to be... just to keep going.

 

[Joe]

Thanks for the replies guys. As you might have guessed, the purpose I had adopted for a long time was an investment in the idea that what we did WAS important, that the 'fight' had to be engaged with the world 'out there'. Now I'm having to fairly radically redefine or 'downsize' that purpose and reconfigure it on more realistic terms, and the process means feeling a bit anchor-less, so to speak, until I can establish a new (and hopefully more sturdy) one.

What if our role is to map reality as objectively as possible?

Comparing what's going on now with what went on before? And branching out across disciplines? There's so much yet to discover!

We inevitably come up against disgusting deeds and dynamics in the process, but maybe we shouldn't 'get pulled into them' for anything more than to understand their function in reality, then move on.

I think that's a good idea also, and something Laura has been doing consistently for many years. I think my problem was looking too closely and becoming too identified with stopping the evil. Now that I write that it's obvious that it really was a major faux pas, considering that I was very aware of the esoteric idea that everything has a right to exist, and trying to deny that right, even to evil, is a bad idea, as Oxajil mentioned in her post. Then again, knowing that intellectually is one thing, but my emotional drive to defeat the evil-doers, which was motivated I think by my own personal life experiences, (past and present) seemed to be running the show.

 

[Neil]

If I understood the Esoteric teachings and the C’s correctly than I have to assess that it was never our duty to save the world. Our only duty is to keep the school functional. Which in short translates in keeping the lighthouse alive for all those who are able to learn.

Hmm...yes, putting someone on the stair step behind you, as the Cassiopaeans put it. The Cassiopaeans are in the high level of reality assisting others, putting them on the step behind them. We are moving up to a higher step and putting others on the step behind us. That keeps the school functional at all it's myriad octaves and suboctaves. I think that is the purpose, come to think of it. It ties in very closely with the Law of 7 too.

 

[Joe]

For as long as I can remember I had the 'belief' that life was a threatening place and I had to be 'on guard' all the time to ward off the inevitable bad stuff that was just waiting to pounce on me.

I suspect that's a real common issue around here these days - waiting for the proverbial hammer to fall. It's not at all unreasonable, given the circumstances. All that's left, then, may indeed be for people to help each other deal with that, best they can, perhaps via the development of faith (as more than just an intellectual concept).

Perhaps it was always going to be/have been an 'endurance race'/'lead by example' situation. That sense of "You can't possibly hope to win, yet you simply can not stop (trying)." Immovable Object, Irresistible Force. But of course 'win' itself is classic STS thinking. So there's no need to 'win' in the sense of somehow re-making local reality here as we'd prefer it to be... just to keep going.

Very true, and something that bears repeating again and again: we're not trying to 'win' anything, just to assert our choice for something. And asserting that choice is a big enough job in itself, let alone trying to impose it on others who are not ready or inclined to make that same choice, or any choice other than the default 'go with the flow'.

For me, behind the belief of waiting for the hammer to fall was a basic lack of trust that life could or would deliver good things, or a faith in the idea that, even if bad things happen, it's not a judgment by anyone or anything, and you CAN pick yourself up, learn the lesson and move on. In being invested in 'defeating evil', I was really taking a pretty grandiose approach to the situation, getting WAY beyond my station, so to speak.

I mean, when you look at it, the extent of what we can do that is truly meaningful in this life is pretty limited, and involves learning and helping each other and making life a little more tolerable in that way. But realising that is pretty liberating (at least for me) because it removes the unfeasibly large and weighty responsibility of saving the world from evil (where's my superhero cape?! ) that I had misguidedly adopted for myself. A responsibility that was, in itself, the product of a faulty belief about life, the universe and everything.

 

[flashgordonv]

Thanks for the replies guys. As you might have guessed, the purpose I had adopted for a long time was an investment in the idea that what we did WAS important, that the 'fight' had to be engaged with the world 'out there'. Now I'm having to fairly radically redefine or 'downsize' that purpose and reconfigure it on more realistic terms, and the process means feeling a bit anchor-less, so to speak, until I can establish a new (and hopefully more sturdy) one.

Hi Joe,

As far as I am concern, what you did was and is still important but there is no fight with the world out there. Our job is just telling the truth for those who want to hear it and know it and give them the possibility to choose a world in which they fit better.

We don't have to fix the Universe but we can help those who are looking to get out of the Matrix.

fwiw

Thanks Gandalf and Joe

Gandalf, I think your comment above summarises our situation perfectly. Couldn't have said it better.

 

[Zar]

Thanks for the replies guys. As you might have guessed, the purpose I had adopted for a long time was an investment in the idea that what we did WAS important, that the 'fight' had to be engaged with the world 'out there'. Now I'm having to fairly radically redefine or 'downsize' that purpose and reconfigure it on more realistic terms, and the process means feeling a bit anchor-less, so to speak, until I can establish a new (and hopefully more sturdy) one.

Hi Joe,

As far as I am concern, what you did was and is still important but there is no fight with the world out there. Our job is just telling the truth for those who want to ear it and know it and give them the possibility to choose a world in which they fit better.

We don't have to fix the Universe but we can help those who are looking to get out of the Matrix.

fwiw

Ditto, this is just one big school and nothing more.

 

[genero81]

Something else that might add to the discussion from The Matrix:

Agent Smith: Why, Mr. Anderson? Why do you do it? Why get up? Why keep fighting? Do you believe you're fighting for something? For more than your survival? Can you tell me what it is? Do you even know? Is it freedom? Or truth? Perhaps peace? Yes? No? Could it be for love? Illusions, Mr. Anderson. Vagaries of perception. The temporary constructs of a feeble human intellect trying desperately to justify an existence that is without meaning or purpose. And all of them as artificial as the Matrix itself, although only a human mind could invent something as insipid as love. You must be able to see it, Mr. Anderson. You must know it by now. You can't win. It's pointless to keep fighting. Why, Mr. Anderson? Why? Why do you persist?

Neo: Because I choose to.

I wish I had that piece about the mastery of awareness that Laura posted on another thread. We choose to see and it takes great sobriety to face the unknown and to keep in mind that most of what's out there is unknowable. It takes great sobriety just to see what is without flinching and to choose a path with heart anyway. OSIT

 

[Piotrek]

Thanks, Joe, for sharing your experiences.
Thank you, especially for the following two statements:

[quote author=Joe]
Also, I think it's useful to remind ourselves of the extent of what we can do and not stress what we can't do or change. I tend to get a little anxious or fearful about the 'future' and 'measuring up' or 'meeting a standard'. Whether or not any of that applies is sort of irrelevant, because we can't really know if it applies or not. All we really can do is focus on what is within our ability to do, and most of that involves learning as much as possible about ourselves and the world, caring for others and changing ourselves for the better.
[/quote]

[quote author=Joe]
As you might have guessed, the purpose I had adopted for a long time was an investment in the idea that what we did WAS important, that the 'fight' had to be engaged with the world 'out there'. Now I'm having to fairly radically redefine or 'downsize' that purpose and reconfigure it on more realistic terms, and the process means feeling a bit anchor-less, so to speak, until I can establish a new (and hopefully more sturdy) one.
[/quote]

I've been trying real hard to be the best at all the "roles" I get to play in this life and have found myself getting sick (flu, cold, stomach problems) more often than ever.
It seems that I simply may be getting burnt out and need to re-evaluate the way I am to BE...
Not an easy task, for sure.

Again, thanks.

 

[Approaching Infinity]

I mean, when you look at it, the extent of what we can do that is truly meaningful in this life is pretty limited, and involves learning and helping each other and making life a little more tolerable in that way. But realising that is pretty liberating (at least for me) because it removes the unfeasibly large and weighty responsibility of saving the world from evil (where's my superhero cape?! ) that I had misguidedly adopted for myself. A responsibility that was, in itself, the product of a faulty belief about life, the universe and everything.

Might be off base here, but I think it might help to do a bit of a 'redirect' on that previous belief of yours. The way I see it, what you (and others in this group) have done, and continue to do, or do a bit differently now, is pretty much fighting evil. Just not really in the terms in which you were thinking about it. The very act of learning and helping each other, making others' lives tolerable, AND researching and sharing the truth about the world, no matter how limited the audience, is a fight against evil. Paradoxically, these very 'small' acts are actually pretty grand, IMO. Just look at the world, how simple and yet how rare such things are.

In other words, there was a seed of truth in the original belief, even if it was maybe obscured by unrealistic expectations and other beliefs. The little stuff is really important. Not in the "do this or else you'll go to hell" sense, but more in the "do this because it is the right thing to do, and the only way to lead a truly fulfilling life" sense. FWIW!

 

[kalibex]

I mean, when you look at it, the extent of what we can do that is truly meaningful in this life is pretty limited, and involves learning and helping each other and making life a little more tolerable in that way. But realising that is pretty liberating (at least for me) because it removes the unfeasibly large and weighty responsibility of saving the world from evil (where's my superhero cape?! ) that I had misguidedly adopted for myself. A responsibility that was, in itself, the product of a faulty belief about life, the universe and everything.

That reminds me of:

Jane walked on to the oasis, wrestling with the problem of hoping, while not hoping for any particularity.

A burning sense of mission was a great help in keeping a person going; she felt pain at the idea of relinquishing it, but knew what vanity it was to think that she could have ever saved the world. But there were plenty of useful things to do, still. There must be.

Understanding a great deal less than she ever had before, but with great futures stirring within her, Jane Saint just kept walking, and hoped.

--from Jane Saint's Travails by Josephine Saxon

 

[Aliana]

Joe, Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and what you have been going through. I want to reiterate what others have said about your work and how your writings have given us so much insight and information. Your willingness to share the difficulties you have been facing is inspirational as well.

Your articulation of the process has been more helpful than you can know for all us experiencing this gloom. So thank you again for this timely reminder to keep doing what we can every day, not because of the desire to save anyone but because there are still those who are genuinely looking for a ray of hope and some truth; and this Forum and SOTT are one of the very few places those can still be found.

I hope you continue to get better and the depression lifts.

 

[herondancer]

Thanks for the replies guys. As you might have guessed, the purpose I had adopted for a long time was an investment in the idea that what we did WAS important, that the 'fight' had to be engaged with the world 'out there'. Now I'm having to fairly radically redefine or 'downsize' that purpose and reconfigure it on more realistic terms, and the process means feeling a bit anchor-less, so to speak, until I can establish a new (and hopefully more sturdy) one.

Downsizing the vision you have of yourself or of your purpose really is painful. But I hope you won't diss yourself for holding it. It gave you focus and drive. Look at all you've done and how many people have been helped. It may not have changed the world at large, but it's changed the world of so many individuals. That's special. As you work through things, a new way of anchoring will appear, truly. Fwiw, I had a similar experience (on a microscopic scale compared to yours) It was really difficult. But eventually accepting the reality of that much smaller scale and working within it did bring back some balance and even peace. I know you'll find it.

 

[Ruth]

If we consider that iodine not only has a general cellular 'detox' effect and also an energizing effect on the cells, then these experiences are to be expected. When we throw in the idea that iodine 'cleans out' the glands/endocrine system that may be linked to 'chakras' etc. then that accounts for the more emotional/psychological effects many have reported also.

Kind of reminds me of that mind/body/spirit triad that humans are (supposed?) to have. Maybe it connects these three things together in a much stronger way? Even if the process isn't all that gentle for a lot of people and could even be quite dangerous if done too quickly.

I've decided to try iodine too. Initially, I found that was a brief increase in mood, then back down again to scowly, angry Ruth, mentally a bit sharper which only seemed to improve my ability to rant and rave about stuff. I found doing that in private actually quite therapeutic. But, I need to engage in more relaxation and breathing exercises in order to 'treat' the over abundance of emotions.

Initially, about an hour after taking the iodine, I felt quite 'spacy', now it feels like glands in my neck are 'activated', almost like how one feels when coming down with a virus. I have an ongoing issue with throat infections btw, something I have been controlling with vitamin C. My experiment with iodine, or even life, is not as disciplined as many people involved in the forum, I might add. My diet is poor and there are many toxins in my body.

Long ago the Cs made it clear that the goal is not to change this world. It is, after all, a place specifically designed for specific lessons to be learned. So my investment in changing it for the better was always destined to go nowhere and eventually burn me out in the process. It seems that point of 'burn out' happened to me last Dec. with the help of iodine.

Perhaps you are changing the world? But not in the ways you expected, or hoped for, or to the degree that you wanted to? Maybe with not as much control over the process as you would have liked? That doesn't mean it's not changing and that you haven't had an impact, and will continue to do so.

 

[loreta]

Thanks Joe for this. I love your articles because of your vitriolic view on what is happening, and your sense of humor also, ironic, cynic at times with this sort of fury that is very strong. I learn of this reality a lot thanks to you.

Gandalf is right:

As far as I am concern, what you did was and is still important but there is no fight with the world out there. Our job is just telling the truth for those who want to ear it and know it and give them the possibility to choose a world in which they fit better.

We don't have to fix the Universe but we can help those who are looking to get out of the Matrix.

This world is a mess. We can not change it. It is, I think so, impossible. But we can try to understand this mess, play in it, . Like trying to untangle a ball of wool.

I think what iodine is doing is making us accepting as we are, so messy sometimes, like this planet. And accepting this, trying to untangle our being, we accepted what is out of us, the others and this planet. In this mess, inside as outside, there is beauty, jewels, gifts, horror, terror. Everything is there, in and out. Iodine makes me accept myself, all my errors, little by little. It is not easy. I accept more and more the others as they are and finally I will accept this world as it is. It is so interesting!

We need companions in this. And this forum is this company, hopefully.

Hope is this light inside us that give us energy. But we need to be careful, not be like Icarus that was so sure of himself and burned his wings. Humility and listen to the elders with their experience are very important.

Thanks Joe. Your crisis was very hard, like all crisis and you are becoming a real fighter, and are an example for all of us.