Iodine, correcting false beliefs and growth

[sitting]

As part of the process I've understood more clearly the extent to which fear directed my life, my actions and decisions.

That's something I'm struggling with a lot - I'm afraid of so many things, and this fear often stops me in my tracks;

The above gives much deeper meaning to what C's have said -- regarding emotions that hinder vs. those that assist.

Our thoughts & emotions (I think) form the true basis for our spiritual development. Period. This from C's ... from Seth ... from Buddhism. All in direct & incisive commentary. At the end of the day, they're not really talking about much else.

(Specifically from Seth,) thoughts & emotions are the most potent energies we possess as humans. Perhaps to a scale we can't truly imagine. It's the guiding impetus for materialization (as in objects & events.) The energy behind the transformation of the ethereal into the physical. Our input into the mosaic. And our inherent right (and duty) -- to make timeline selections.

C's have given a partial list of what some negative emotions are. We all know them well. Greed, hate, anger, fear, attachment. Each of us can fill in the rest.

For Joe, fear runs dominant. For others ... something else. The results however are pretty much the same. A depressing feeling that life had run down the wrong track.

And when that realization hits home, it can really hurt. A hammer blow.

But when that negative emotion is finally understood and resolved ... you get a lightning bolt.

In Buddhist practice, ridding oneself of disturbing emotions falls under lojong. I've worked long and hard on all emotional fronts ... only to realize I've but just scratched the surface. But jealousy IS one place I've made progress.

I now truly rejoice at the good fortune of others. And what a liberating mental framework that has given me.

I could be wrong.

FWIW.

 

[Joe]

That's something I'm struggling with a lot - I'm afraid of so many things, and this fear often stops me in my tracks; I'm afraid of being attacked, afraid of 'getting out there', afraid to take a stand, even afraid of becoming successful. It's funny, in the past I always thought you guys are way past such thought-loops, but it seems it's not uncommon, that it is here to stay, and that 'the only way to it is through it', i.e. that we must constantly work on these things, acknowledge these fears, and to an extend learn to live with them.

I'm currently reading "Inviting a Monkey to Tea...", which really strikes a chord with me. I like the author's approach to befriend your monkey mind instead of battling it, a fight that we cannot win anyway I think. It's like, 'Oh, it's you again, welcome irrational fear! Ah, making me shake? Come one... Okay, do your thing already, I know that after a while, you will have enough...'

This is where I'm at currently, I try to learn to just live with this rollercoaster that is life with our little I's, the monkey mind. I try to just live through the episodes of fear, uncertainty, doubts, second-guessing myself and so on, and try to do what's in front of me anyway. Or use some strategies to help me endure them, like exercise, doing house work, change the setting, or if it's really bad, press myself to do one very small thing that requires some-willpower, and call it a day...

That's something I've just sort of realized myself, that it IS possible to handle these kind of emotions, that we DO have some control over them, we're not just victims of them, a victim mentality being pretty closely related to a fear mentality. So it's pretty liberating actually. There's a world of difference between feeling these negative emotions and thinking there's nothing we can do about them, and feeling them and realizing they don't have to rule us, that we can modulate and even change them with conscious effort.

So as far as thinking "us guys" would be past such things by now, the truth is probably that, while we're alive, we may never be past such things, and maybe for a very good reason: because the point is that we're meant to learn to handle them with 'impunity' or as close to that as possible, which I suppose means actively using them for our own progress rather than allowing them to hinder us.

 

[Joe]

The above gives much deeper meaning to what C's have said -- regarding emotions that hinder vs. those that assist.

It's interesting that so many things the Cs have said remain only as intellectual or theoretical constructs until you actually understand them (at least a little) from a personal, visceral perspective. 'Visceral' being a very appropriate word in this context because so many emotions (especially negative ones) are felt in the viscera (gut).

What are emotions that hinder? Not necessarily negative ones, but rather negative ones that are based on assumptions. I suppose there can be positive emotions based on assumptions that hinder also. The real problem seems to be the assumptions that go along with the emotions, or that create the emotions, that limit us in many ways, starting from how we feel and think, or think and then feel, and then how that influences us to act or not act.

A book I was perusing recently 'The Mood Cure' has some good info, the first few pages talk about the difference between true emotions and false moods which I found useful:

True emotions Vs. False Moods

Some negative feelings are unavoidable and even beneficial. They're what I call "true emotions." These true, genuine responses to the real difficulties we encounter in life can be hard to take. They can even be unbearable at times, depending on the kinds of ordeals we face. But they can also be vitally important. True grief moves us through our losses, true fear warns us of danger, true anger can defend us from abuse, and true shame can teach us to grow and change. These true emotions typically pass, or diminish naturally, and even when they get repressed or misdirected, they can usually be relieved through counseling. But when we suffer for no justifiable reason; when the pain of a broken heart doesn't mend like a broken bone; when rest, psychotherapy, prayer, and meditation can make little impact-then we must suspect the emotional impostor, the meaningless biochemical error-the "false mood." Figuring out the difference between false moods and true emotions is the first step in your Mood Cure. Once you've mastered that, you can move on to eliminate the fraudulent feelings, such as depression, anxiety, sadness, and irritability, that are interfering with your natural capacity to enjoy life.

Learning to Spot a False Mood

When your boss cancels a long-scheduled vacation, you may get justifiably angry, and the next day you won't have any trouble remembering what triggered your anger. At other times, you just seem to "snap" when your child forgets to take out the garbage. Later you say, "I don't know what got into me." The first case is a genuine emotion, the second is a definite counterfeit.

* Thinking of a loved one who has died may make you teary, but if every sentimental TV commercial brings you to tears, you're in the grip of false pain.

* PMS is notorious for its bad moods. If you're reasonably even-tempered the rest of the month, but become teary and nasty before your period, you're experiencing a clear-cut case of hormonally disrupted emotional balance-a false mood.

* We all make mistakes and beat ourselves up from time to time. But if you are finding fault with your behavior or appearance almost every day, it's likely that false feelings of low self-esteem are responsible.

You shouldn't have to live with these kinds of distorted moods on a regular basis. It's like having an engine that sputters, preventing you from having a smooth emotional ride. When your brain's emotional equipment needs a tune-up, you get clues: you don't sleep well, you worry too much, you start feeling overwhelmed, you lose your enthusiasm or your ability to concentrate. You might also start depending on chocolate, wine, or marijuana to get some relief. If you experience these kinds of symptoms frequently, you may have just come to accept them, assuming them simply to be unfortunate features of your basic personality. But chances are you're wrong. Now you have an opportunity to discover your true emotional nature.

The Primary Cause of Your False Moods

Your brain is responsible for most of your feelings, both true and false. In concert with some surprisingly brainlike areas of your heart and gut, it transmits your feelings through four highly specialized and potent kinds of mood molecules. If it has plenty of all four, it keeps you as happy as you can possibly be, given your particular life circumstances. But if your brain runs low on these mood transmitters-whether because of a minor genetic miscue, because it's used them up coping with too much stress, or because you aren't eating the specific foods it needs-it stops producing normal emotions on a consistent basis. Instead, it starts hitting false emotional notes, like a piano out of tune.

As the Cs said:

"When you begin to separate limiting emotions based on assumptions from emotions that open one to unlimited possibilities, that means you are preparing for the next density."

I don't know if separating and dealing with emotions in this way prepares for "the next density", but I'm pretty sure it makes life a whole lot more tolerable and even enjoyable, and I reckon that's good enough reason to practice handling our thoughts and feelings in this kind of pro-active, conscious way.

 

[sitting]

It's interesting that so many things the Cs have said remain only as intellectual or theoretical constructs until you actually understand them (at least a little) from a personal, visceral perspective.

That is so true. And it is so important.

When feelings (pain, sadness, anger, joy, sorrow ...) are real, we all know it. And when it's not real (like phony -- in ourselves or others) we know that as well. The sad truth is, much of our lives are actually lived at that (phony) level.

Here we're talking real emotions. The true power source & pathway for spiritual development. And what you've so courageously exposed recently, was/ is so real that I can almost touch it. We ARE dealing with core issues here.

Apparently your emotions (iodine enhanced) had bent you over. And not by a little. Thankfully, love from family & friends sustained you. It's good to hear the darkness is fading. You're so vital to this endeavor.

The list of disturbing emotions is long. But all are not needed. It takes just ONE to mess up a life. This has been an incredible realization for me.

In my extended family, jealousy (on part of some) was the ONE. To the point of almost wrecking families. (It's all the more bizarre -- as the combined financial resources were beyond wealthy.) Yet jealousy dominated relationships. And events spiraled out of control.

In simple (but accurate terms,) it boiled down to:

"You care more about your brother than you do me."
and
"you care more about your own parents than me and mine."

These two simple sounding sentiments (driving a chain of events) nearly put two previously healthy lives to an end. I simply had not known such despair prior. Thankfully all survived. When I talk of disturbing emotions (and their effects,) I know what I speakth. As does Joe.

FWIW.

 

[HifromGrace]

Joe, that's one of the most beautiful posts I've read in years - thank you.

(I'm referencing the opening statements of this thread)

 

[Martina]

''Just go and do what you were born to do.'' I just heard that on Birdman my sister's watching. I was never good at expressing myself properly, but I understand what other people are trying to say and I get you and it means a lot to me to read you. :)

What I want to say is: Joe you are simply awesome. I've never read anything so beautiful as some of your articles and I totally appreciate* and admire you. And thank you so much for being you. The simple fact that you and people like you exist makes our world, our lessens much livable and understandable.Thank you.


*I know that we think we (generally speaking) have higher emotions which might not yet posses, that's maybe why moi myself don't feel real, but I deeply, deeply decided to be/become real, consistent, objective and finding the truth. I don't care if it will take me few lives longer than you :), I'm really happy deep inside that in this lifetime I was somehow marginally as your member into this stuff. Cosmic Mind thank You for that.

 

[Charade]

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.

I whole heartedly agree... The world scene may not be changing for the better as we would like and nor is it our right to change it. But you are changing those of us that are seeking truth. I consider you further down the path of knowledge (as many others here are) than I am. Your insights have been invaluable to me.

I thank you for your efforts. They reach and affect us much more than you might realize. May you always have the strength to carry on.

 

[Ennio]

Joe, just wanted to add that in being so honest and sharing your challenges and the process of your working on it - you have given others here, myself included, another useful way to approach our own difficulties. What seems most valuable is the mere fact of acknowledging those difficulties and being so open about their existence in the way that you have. It also seems to communicate that: Even if it sometimes feels (for whatever reason) like we are only inching forward against an onslaught, its ok. What we're working on here is a process and a journey after all. And its a very good thing to keep searching, sharing and doing even - or especially when - we're in the thick of a struggle.

As for your realization about fighting evil, I think its important to consider that that intention of yours is a big part of what has motivated and mobilized you to do as much as you have. Its no small thing and has also brought you to this point you are at right now.

 

[T.C.]

Even if it sometimes feels (for whatever reason) like we are only inching forward against an onslaught, its ok. What we're working on here is a process and a journey after all. And its a very good thing to keep searching, sharing and doing even - or especially when - we're in the thick of a struggle.

This was on my mind yesterday. It was in the context of "Should I be 'heading' somewhere?" "Where am I going?" "What am I achieving?" etc...

I was viewing it through the lens of certain C's sessions where Laura was asking things like, "What are we supposed to be doing?"

The quote/response that came to mind was, "You're doing just fine thank you very much!"

I came to realise the meaning of some of the things the C's and Laura have said about 'Building your power centre'. That by "Doing all we can" each day and living by what we think is right based on what we know and our level of awareness (while always trying to expand those) we're building something that we can't see: We're building our 'Power Centre'; we're building our 'Ark' for when the flood comes. As such, we ARE heading somewhere, going somewhere, even if we feel like we're in the same place today as we were yesterday and the day before.

As for your realization about fighting evil, I think its important to consider that that intention of yours is a big part of what has motivated and mobilized you to do as much as you have. Its no small thing and has also brought you to this point you are at right now.

I agree. Taking it to a personal, symbolic, subconscious level. It seems to me like how some Alchemists said that the actual physical experiments were a necessary part of the inner Work. I think that your gargantuan battle with the dark forces 'out there' were probably training in strategy and perspective, measure of control and influence vs. acceptance, on the darker forces within yourself.