On Purpose and Power

[Hindsight Man]

Well now,this is a topic that's been stewing in my head for some time and is something of a roadblock to me right now,preventing me from moving forward.I decided that if I'm gonna be serious about the Work,then that would mean being more ''intimate'' with this forum and opening myself to analysis and suggestions of it's members.And while this topic might seem silly or deluded,it's a very important issue for me (at least right now) so I'd very much appreciate critical analysis that this forum is so good at,analysis that I won't find anywhere else.Now to stop stalling and begin.

So the very thing that eventually brought me to this forum,namely my curiosity in the unusual (especially unusual abilities of people) has been a driving force in my life since I was first able to read.Tales of people levitating or lifting a car or anything of this sort inspired me to learn more about the world,it fueled me on my little quest.I wanted (and still do want) such abilities.I however am now able to understand that extraordinary abilities are in no way indication of spiritual development and a completely ponerised person is fully capable of having them just as a completely awake and aware person might lack them.I know that it is the development of the soul,the development of will that matters and the body is just a machine that needs to run at it's optimal capacity to help you fulfill that task.I know this,and yet as I continue to sate my endless curiosity,I come across tales of people who have bone density 8 times that of normal people or a story of a couple of biohackers that manage to make temporary night vision drops I feel something.I feel a pull in that direction,I want to study these things,to implement them in myself if possible.It feels so real,so achievable.But it also feels like I'm pursuing power for the sake of power and I don't want to be that kind of person.What is the end of such people?They are consumed by their desire.

So here I am at an impasse.Without this ''drive'' or purpose,I feel a complete lack of motivation to do anything.To live even.And yet,I don't want to follow that road if it takes me further away from this forum and the Work.The Work is a lifelong task,it spans the life of the soul itself.This drive I have is temporary,it will die with the body,whatever enhancements or modifications I manage to acquire will wither and die with it,reduced to an archaeological relic in the sands of time.I feel completely torn.I don't know what to do or think or feel and as a result am paralyzed in life.I know that sometimes as a result of the work people can acquire unusual abilities,but it's not a sure thing,while research in genetic engineering and the like feels to me as though it is.Perhaps I'm running programs from my childhood that stem from watching too many cartoons,but I can't for a moment think of something that drives me quite the way this does.

So I'll await your input,after all other people are better able to see the traps you set for yourself as well as a potential exit from this purgatorial situation.

 

[luke wilson]

I'm a big fan of the MCU... Marvel cinematic universe amongst others. There is a whole bunch of movies coming out over the next couple of months along this lines... Deadpool, superman v batman, Captain America: Civil War, Xmen etc... A whole bunch have been pouring out of Hollywood over the last couple of years and will continue to for the foreseeable future. On top of that, there is a whole bunch on TV as well, from supernatural shows, to ones with people displaying various abilities...

I think these shows and movies are popular because they tap into the imagination and sense of awe/wonder for many people.

A question to ask yourself is how much personal power do you feel you have? Power to control yourself or your environment? Does the world seem daunting, mundane, boring? Do you feel connected or do you feel adrift?

Another question, why do kids absolutely love superheroes? Is a part of the reason because being a kid means you are at the mercy of greater forces than you, that you have next to zero independence, that you have to rely on others? Is it because superheroes/superpowers hold a promise? A promise to a new world where you'll be free?

In summary, I think a huge part of why such things are so popular is because we feel innately weak and subjugated by the circumstances of our own lives. On the other hand, maybe you are just curious and your desire for such things isn't masking deeper stuff that you hope abilities would resolve.

 

[Psalehesost]

There is one 'power' that would be very helpful for us to research, experiment, and network further about, and that is brain power. It may not sound very fancy, but the better we figure out how to make the most of our brains - and there is a truly huge potential for improvement for all of us in this area - the better we can learn, be creative, and help both ourselves and others.

Consider how dumbed down most people and most of what they are involved in is nowadays. In some ways, people of past centuries seemed much smarter, and this has also been described e.g. in the books of John Taylor Gatto. Most people are so dumbed down that as a result, they cannot even begin to understand how dumbed down they really are. But the gap between the potential and how our brains currently work is even larger than this.

Our brains run largely according to the 'tracks' which form in them, and these are formed as a result of how we interact with our environment. (And this, in turn, depends on genes, body and biochemistry, existing brain wiring, soul, and external influences.) The forming of 'tracks' in our brains tend to follow the path of least resistance. And we 'copy' (with or without changes) the patterns which others have and which we are exposed to. These memes which people carry and which express themselves through them have in turn been the result of thousands of years of things following the flow (of entropic developments punctuated by occasional large-scale creative efforts).

Except for the rare person who gets off a bit luckier (and that is only relative), our brains are barely more efficient than they need to be to manage life in accordance with the status quo. And I'm convinced that, compared to how the human brain would ideally work, we really are like Neanderthals.

If we are to try to make a better future for ourselves and those after us, then certainly, the better our brains become, the more new doors open to new possibilities. Basically, whether sooner or later, I think some in this network are going to take on the role of creatively oriented mad scientists of the mind, because otherwise, we'd still largely be stuck with the old mold (which goes deep indeed) inhibiting our brains and consciousnesses.

The only current contribution I have when it comes to this kind of networking - figuring out how to use our brains and minds more efficiently - is a tiny one, a thread from 2012: "Some concepts of cognitive structures and learning"

Two relevant books, which cover some simple, practical basics when it comes to understanding our brains and minds, are:
- What Makes Your Brain Happy and Why You Should Do the Opposite
- Brain Changer

 

[kalibex]

In summary, I think a huge part of why such things are so popular is because we feel innately weak and subjugated by the circumstances of our own lives.

I tend to feel similarly - that whether we are indeed under the thumb of the (4D STS) 'Man' or not, a longing for developing less usual abilities derives from a desire to be 'special' (then again that's one of my 'issues', so I would think that). But as I currently see it, the desire to be 'special' springs from a certain lack of 'grounding', a lack of security in one's basic self (whether consciously acknowledged or not).

Part of my growing ambivalence regarding the still attractive notion of having 'powers' is that the concept is arguably very much in that STS paradigm, where the implication is that one has gained an additional tool to aid in the ongoing 'battle' against one's antagonist(s) - whomever they may be.

One encouraging concept I have become aware of while part of this group is the idea that gaining sufficient knowledge may allow one to stop playing that same old tired 'game' - of struggling to out-dominate the other (in this case, some Oppressor or other) - altogether. In other words, instead of 'outfighting' them...you may be able to 'outgrow' them.

It's the opposite of that deeply-embedded cultural fantasy: "Wouldn't it be nice to have powers? Wouldn't it be nice to be assured that you can (almost always) kick the baddies' behinds?" Or out-magic them or whatever...

Yet, really, when has developing a bigger stick (whether weapons or abilities that can be used to 'fight') ever really worked? Someone else with a bigger stick (4D STS?) always eventually comes along....

So the only really worthwhile 'power' to develop would be gathering (objective) knowledge. And we literally need nothing special to do that.

 

[obyvatel]

Hi Hindsight Man,

From a psychological perspective, the desire for developing special powers can fall under the category of "curative fantasy". In this sense, there is an underlying belief of "powerlessness" due to life experience and social conditioning. Powerlessness breeds discomfort. Developing super powers are implicitly believed to relieve this discomfort.

Curative fantasies often seem to act as motivating factors for what we do. You are certainly not alone in this regard. If this fantasy appears at present as the doorkeeper to stores of vital energy, trying to kill it by intellectual knowledge is likely to lead to a loss of vitality and even depression or some other form of "addiction". So here is one suggestion of how to deal with it.

If you like reading about anomalous phenomena, read about them in addition to reading about other things. If you find a "power" particularly enticing along with a purported method to develop such a power, imagine for the moment that you already have that power and then ask yourself the question "then what?" To answer that question as thoroughly as possible, investigate the lives of those who have had such powers. How did they actually use the power in real life? What effect did the power have on the possessor as well as others? Did it help others? Look at areas of life of the powerful person which were not touched by the power - in other words did the power help him/her deal with all the different trials and tribulations of life? Be as thorough as you can be in this investigation. Then reconsider the appeal of this power.

 

[Buddy]

Hi Hindsight Man. I can't find the right keywords to locate a particular post or article I'm looking for, so I'll just paraphrase the idea in my own words. On an esoteric path, it is said to be possible to reach various plateaus, any one of which has its own peril in terms of trapping you. Gaining some kind of power or special ability as a result of a deliberate search might be part of that, though I don't know.

I would think that if there are any such powers or abilities available, they would occur naturally as you start and progress on a path that's immensely more practical - such as what forum members here can be seen to be doing and achieving. When and if you "get there" you probably wouldn't think that it was anything special and you might even ignore them due to maybe seeing through their superficial appeal.

At any rate, I like obyvatel's suggestion for an exercise to figure out exactly why you want to do special stuff.

The way it sounds from your post, the visceral sensation of the pull from these mysteries is stronger than a mere intellectual inhibition, which might only be temporary. Who is to say that as soon as you think you see evidence of a special ability by someone is not being consumed by a desire for power, that you won't change your mind and run off in that direction again? Is what you are feeling really a pull in that direction or is that simply the only direction that's not repelling you ATM?

Balance is something to think about. Maybe your Work at this point in your life, should be finding a way to balance a desire for power with every other desire in your life or with building and recognizing your own personal power or your personal gifts, whatever that or those might be.

 

[Hindsight Man]

Thanks for the replies guys,I'll formulate individual replies as soon as I can articulate them properly,but I just wanted to add that the reason I brought it up here is because I stopped telling myself narratives about it.I realized that it's not for curing any diseases or helping people (though if i was successful in this endeavor I'd certainly be happy to share with others) but it's a purely selfish act.It's something that I wanted (want) and that's it.I also often think about the end goal of such a journey.I honestly don't have any ''after'' plans for it.Nor do I want to be any kind of superhero (they're ineffective anyway,attacking the symptoms rather than the causes of social disease i.e. pathocracy).

 

[T.C.]

I can't find the right keywords to locate a particular post or article I'm looking for, so I'll just paraphrase the idea in my own words.

It's from The Wave, http://cassiopaea.xmystic.com/en/cass/wave12e.htm

Our reality is masked as a medium for growth. And what we are growing is our Will which, when aligned with a given Thought Center, allows that Thought Center to manifest its Will in our reality to the extent we are in alignment and can be amplified! To be in alignment with the STO Thought Centers results in an increase of Spiritual consciousness and a diminishment of the "sleeping" consciousness of matter. To align with the STS Thought Centers, as we ARE, results in an increase of the "sleeping consciousness," or "Wishful Thinking" of matter, and a diminishment of Spiritual Consciousness.

Karl von Eckartshausen tells the tale of the Path to the Temple of Secrets:

The Temple of Secrets is located on a high mountain, and everywhere thorns are covering the path leading to the Temple. The inconceivable, mysterious height of the mountain is the reason why many people doubt the existence of the Temple of Secrets. Some think of it as a Fairy Tale, some consider it an old Myth and others believe it to be the Truth.

At the entrance of the narrow path stands IGNORANCE, with her sisters STUPIDITY and LAZINESS, and they tell awful tales to the travelers and of horrible adventures the travelers will encounter if they set foot on this path. That is how lazy Human Beings and fearful Human Beings can easily be persuaded to turn back.

There are a few Human Beings on which ignorance attempts her deceptions in vain. They climb up the first part of the thorny steep path, and when they are about half way up the mountain, they reach a plateau on which they find the Temple of Self-Love. Next to this Temple stands Self-Conceit, Pride and Know it-All and they offer the traveler a cup, out of which he drinks his own Self in great gulps and thereby becomes intoxicated with himself, with his own "I."

These travelers then become so intoxicated with themselves that they imagine that their Temple, the Temple of Self-Love is the Temple of Secrets and there is nothing, but nothing, above them. The inscription on this temple, the Temple of Self-Love, reads as follows: The Sanctuary of the Wisdom of the World.

Desires, passions and wantonness are the servants of these priests. However, those whose heart searches for the truth will not find any satisfaction with this and they will keep on searching.

A few thousand steps from this Temple you will find a very secluded little hut, inhabited by a hermit, with the following inscription above the door: The Residence of Humility.

The man who lives here guides the strangers to the residence of humility, which in turn leads them to Self-Recognition. This Divine Beauty becomes the traveler's companion, and with her, he conquers the inaccessible mountain. Whosoever tries to reach the Temple of Secrets without this Divine Beauty can very easily be misled by his Self-Love, and as a result, will follow the wrong path. His greed for knowledge will lead him to the Temple of Curiosity. The inhabitants of this Temple are: fraud, seduction and deception, the founders of most of the secret societies, and those Human Beings who , in search for the Truth and for the Temple of Secrets will, if they join these Secret Societies, be robbed of the ability to see with their Soul. They are then led to the top of the mountain, where they fall into the abyss or into the labyrinth or maze, in which they will walk in circles for eternity without finding the Truth.

Humility alone is the best guide. This alone will lead the seeker to the Master of Teachers of all secrets. This Master Teacher is the PURE WILL.

This pure will becomes the friend of the highest of knowledge and they enter into a bond of eternal union.

The knowledge of the effects of the Eternal Light of godliness in all created beings is True Magic in Theory.

The conception of this Light, or the transition from the intellect to the will, is True Magic in Practice. [Von Eckarthausen, Magic: The Principles of Higher Knowledge, 1788]

Now, note the sequence above; those who align with the Thought Centers of STS manifest IGNORANCE, STUPIDITY and LAZINESS in the sense that they believe awful tales and horrible adventures of travelers, and they are easily be persuaded to turn back. That is to say that they are persuaded that knowledge will bring them to grief, or that "asking questions" is a manifestation of "lack of faith," which will earn them condemnation at best, and a quick ticket to Hell at worst. The comparison between this analogy and the Parable of the Talents in which the servant who buried his talent because he was afraid and was cast into outer darkness are interesting especially when we consider the end result of the STS alignment, which is to recycle into primal matter. I would suggest that such as these are "eaten" rather quickly just as the seeds that fell by the wayside were immediately consumed by the birds in the Parable of the Sower.

Then, we have another class of STS alignment. They aren't easily put off by terror tactics, so special deceptions are set up for them. They DO reach the "plateau on which they find the Temple of Self-Love. Next to this Temple stands Self-Conceit, Pride and Know it-All and they offer the traveler a cup, out of which he drinks his own Self in great gulps and thereby becomes intoxicated with himself, with his own "I." We can see that these are the ones that achieve the higher levels of STS orientation. The key in the analogy is that they "become so intoxicated with themselves that they imagine that their Temple, the Temple of Self-Love is the Temple of Secrets and there is nothing, but nothing, above them." This is what the Cassiopaeans have described as "Ultimate in Wishful Thinking." And, of course, these are the purveyors of most of the deceptions in our world today because, one of the things that these individuals most Wishfully Think is that they are the purveyors of the Wisdom of the World!

Von Eckartshausen tell us that "Desires, passions and wantonness are the servants of these priests." And we know from this that these individuals may be very high in the STS Hierarchy themselves. And they use the "Predator's Mind" which is the nature of Hunger within humanity to do their will.

 

[Hindsight Man]

I'm a big fan of the MCU... Marvel cinematic universe amongst others. There is a whole bunch of movies coming out over the next couple of months along this lines... Deadpool, superman v batman, Captain America: Civil War, Xmen etc... A whole bunch have been pouring out of Hollywood over the last couple of years and will continue to for the foreseeable future. On top of that, there is a whole bunch on TV as well, from supernatural shows, to ones with people displaying various abilities...

I think these shows and movies are popular because they tap into the imagination and sense of awe/wonder for many people.

A question to ask yourself is how much personal power do you feel you have? Power to control yourself or your environment? Does the world seem daunting, mundane, boring? Do you feel connected or do you feel adrift?

Another question, why do kids absolutely love superheroes? Is a part of the reason because being a kid means you are at the mercy of greater forces than you, that you have next to zero independence, that you have to rely on others? Is it because superheroes/superpowers hold a promise? A promise to a new world where you'll be free?

In summary, I think a huge part of why such things are so popular is because we feel innately weak and subjugated by the circumstances of our own lives. On the other hand, maybe you are just curious and your desire for such things isn't masking deeper stuff that you hope abilities would resolve.

I don't for a moment think that the world is mundane or boring,it's so vast,so full of strange and interesting things,most of which I am incapable of comprehending.The mainstream culture certainly is dull.Everyone acts like they already know everything even if they hide that opinion behind the scientific method.There is little in the way of spirituality in modern religions and little knowledge in modern science.However,even that little can go a long way if properly applied.That said,it is daunting to constantly look at all the horror wrought by psychopaths and not being able to do much about it.On a conscious level at least,I don't think these abilities will ''save'' me in any way,but the path on the way to them might bring me closer to my real self.

I do feel adrift in today's world,because everywhere I look i see the effects of ponerisation.There are divisions either being sown or already fully matured in every aspect of society.It touches every club,every group.I volunteer at my local wildlife preserve and even there you can observe a divide between people who want to help animals and eat meat and people who are hardcore vegans and say that you can't be a conservationist while eating it.I'm still young,but I can't find my place in society.It feels as though whatever direction i choose it's foreign to me.I can't ''embody'' anything if that makes sense.I want to feel a genuine connection to an idea,something that,when I wake up in the morning, would be the thing that makes me get up and get to work.This chase for power (just saying it feels wrong) is the closest,aside from this forum/sott.But while hopping on sott or checking the forum every morning is nice,I would like a direction to work in when I switch off the computer or close the books.Yes I understand that self work is continuous,but i need to actually be doing something to observe myself in.

Another thing that peaked my interest was a while back I met a 40 year old chinese man who,over a period of ten years developed his chi to fairly impressive degree.Even though he doesn't look a day over 20 and carries himself lightly,he doesn't have much in the way of bulk or muscle structure.I'm effectively twice his size.However he is at least twice as strong as I am,which I gleaned from some arm wrestling and a tiny bit of sparring .After a few conversations I gleaned from him that he also practices self observation at least to some degree,though he puts an over emphasis on chi.To him chi is the be all and end all.He even tries to avoid getting blisters because he says it ''prevents chi flow''

 

[bjorb]

[quote author=luke wilson]I'm a big fan of the MCU... Marvel cinematic universe amongst others.[/quote]

The franchise Spiderman is from Marvel right? I remember from the movies that uncle Ben told Peter Parker (Spiderman) that with great power, comes great responsibility. I thought that it was wisely and well said.

That’s all what power in its essence implies and means, responsibility. Nothing more. The Purpose of Power is to be able to protect others. To carry responsibility.

 

[Alfisti]

Generally speaking, we rarely realise the power we already have. The power to choose our actions and our words.
This power can mean all the difference in the world.

In a cruel world, the power of a kind word or a humble action can make heroes of us all.

David Bowie was right.

 

[Buddy]

I do feel adrift in today's world,because everywhere I look i see the effects of ponerisation.There are divisions either being sown or already fully matured in every aspect of society.It touches every club,every group.I volunteer at my local wildlife preserve and even there you can observe a divide between people who want to help animals and eat meat and people who are hardcore vegans and say that you can't be a conservationist while eating it.I'm still young,but I can't find my place in society.It feels as though whatever direction i choose it's foreign to me.I can't ''embody'' anything if that makes sense.I want to feel a genuine connection to an idea,something that,when I wake up in the morning, would be the thing that makes me get up and get to work.This chase for power (just saying it feels wrong) is the closest,aside from this forum/sott.

It's starting to sound less like a chase for power and more like a desire to extricate self from the ponerized web of the commonly shared structure of mind which seems everywhere based on separating or dividing and nowhere based on unifying and sharing. Like a fly caught in a spider web, as soon as we feel caught, our natural reaction is to struggle which seems to entangle us even more and maybe drive us deep into depressing thoughts.

The key may be to fight the natural urge to struggle against the problem. Examine things with a thoughtful mind and somewhat scientific curiosity. Really listen to how people IRL banter and exchange otherwise empty thoughts on just about everything. They're repeating what's been said before, what they've read somewhere or rearranged with their own additions or subtractions. Mimics for the most part with no real investment in the truth or falsity about important issues except where it's important to them to have a specific image of themselves.

And enemies...don't forget the somewhat hostile ones. All these folks are teachers for us and should be thought of with respect for that reason within certain limits, perhaps. I refer here to the gH (guest-host) protocol. Once we learn how to successfully negotiate each encounter with whatever's required for growth and maybe plant a seed or enlighten someone with the smallest tidbit of useful information, then I think we've done something good and have a right to feel good about it if we do. A warrior always has to stay sharp and his spirit tempered, IMO.

Try to figure out what it means to be in the world but not of it if you've not thought much about it in the context of Work. You're passing through on your own little adventure, learning and helping where and how you can. We can get more practical whenever you want, but just contemplating these ideas might help a little.

As an aside: I think Tai chi is a worthwhile activity. At least it's a gentle way to deal with stress and any way that deals healthily with the bad stress can only be a good thing, I think.

 

[luke wilson]

[quote author=luke wilson]I'm a big fan of the MCU... Marvel cinematic universe amongst others.

The franchise Spiderman is from Marvel right? I remember from the movies that uncle Ben told Peter Parker (Spiderman) that with great power, comes great responsibility. I thought that it was wisely and well said.

That’s all what power in its essence implies and means, responsibility. Nothing more. The Purpose of Power is to be able to protect others. To carry responsibility.
[/quote]

Yeah, it's from Marvel but Sony own the rights now which Marvel sold to stave off bankruptcy, same as the rights to the Xmen and Fantastic 4 amongst others. However, Spiderman will be making an appearance in the New Capt America: Civil war movie, as per Sony's agreement with Marvel. Civil war in the comics as per my understanding is to do with differences between superheroes regarding registration i.e. unmasking themselves, compared to mutant registration in the X-men franchise.. spider-man steps forward to remove the mask and reveal he is peter parker.

Anyways, yeah, with great power comes great responsibility. Compare to the tag line of the new Deadpool movie, with great power comes great irresponsibility... signs of the times, not that the year 2002 was any better (when the original quote was penned in the spiderman movie with Tobey Maguire).

Hindsight, this article may be of interest regarding the draw to such things as power

http://www.sott.net/article/311544-Amazed-by-the-media-The-importance-of-awe-and-why-its-manipulated

Psychologists refer to awe as an intense emotional experience that overwhelms individuals with a sense of vastness or greatness. It often transforms individuals' sense of what is possible.

Although they can be laced with fear, and thus may evoke an avoidance reaction, experiences of awe invariably also fascinate. People often seek awe experiences, and remember them vividly and powerfully. In fact, an emerging body of psychological research reveals that awe encourages a sense of personal well-being and promotes various prosocial acts.

Historically, the most significant sources of awe have come from religion and nature. However, other people also have the potential to inspire us with their skill in various domains. Furthermore, as technology has become more powerful, new sources of awe have become available, blending virtual reality with human ingenuity.

It is potentially enlightening to recognize how much the emotion of awe is involved with mass media sensations.