Paying attention to objective reality calmly and efficiently

[Andrey]

Hello.

I'm sure many of you are familiar with the following quote from the C's:

Life is religion. Life experiences reflect how one interacts with God. Those who are asleep are those of little faith in terms of their interaction with the creation. Some people think that the world exists for them to overcome or ignore or shut out. For those individuals, the worlds will cease. They will become exactly what they give to life. They will become merely a dream in the “past”. People who pay strict attention to objective reality right and left, become the reality of the “Future”.

I wanted to open up a thread discussing some of the intricacies involved in following the advice given in the above quote in a dynamic, flexible and efficient manner without losing your mind when paying attention to what's going on in the world in this day and age.

How can one go about paying attention to objective reality without feeling too sucked into the drama to the point it causes unnecessary suffering? What would be some ways of cultivating a more or less detached perspective? What sources of information or types of media should one look into for one's daily dose of current events and what sources or types of media should one avoid to prevent negative emotions from running rampant?

Unfortunately, paying attention to objective reality and not shutting oneself off from the world will inevitably lead to some shocks. However, going about it in a chaotic manner can cause extra unnecessary suffering for many or even more insidiously can lead to wrong conclusions or reactionary biases that can prevent oneself from really seeing the full picture. For example, following cultural trends too much like what's happening with the american neoliberal establishment and their followers can lead to extremely negative emotions. While it is certainly important to pay attention to phenomenon like this, I think it is also important to get the information from the right sources rather than chaotically clicking on youtube videos or social media trends that will just ruin your overall psychic hygiene. Unless you have done a good amount of Work on yourself, it's probably a good idea to go nowhere near channels like libs of tik tok or something similar. I've found that even watching videos of people debunking other people under the spell of rotten ideologies can lead to extremely negative emotions. IMO, it's best to avoid getting news about current events of what's going on culturally or politically from all the main social media sites including youtube. The algorithms anyway caters to what you want to see so it's not a good indicator of objective reality. A liberal's youtube feed is different from a conservatives, and I've found that the videos are extremely polarizing and unbalanced most of the time. I think it's a divide and conquer tactic where people aren't getting any nuanced perspectives. If you're not into feminism for example, you will get a bunch of sexist videos of men wanting women to make them sandwiches or something like that. If you ARE a feminist, your youtube feed will be full of videos about "toxic masculinity." This same thing is done politically, and objective reality is denied for the viewer. Even for myself for example, although I found myself agreeing with what was on my youtube feed (for example politically), eventually I realized I'm just seeing what I want to see and much of what I was seeing was an imbalanced non-objective POV bereft of nuance. These algorithms just end up producing echo chambers.

So this is just one example. Personally, I have no social media accounts, have no idea what's "trending," and I only go on youtube once in awhile for educational videos or music or whatever. I never click on any videos about politics or culture, and get my news from certain specific websites (like SOTT) I feel are as unbiased as possible or at least provide objective data. And I DEFINITELY don't ever watch CNN, MSNBC or FOX NEWS, or anything like that.

IMO paying attention to objective reality should be done in a graceful manner, with the least amount of unnecessary suffering. I made this thread because I used to watch all the clickbait videos and read all the comments and all the flame wars, etc., and I used to get worked up until my head exploded.

Also, what exactly does it mean to pay attention to objective reality? While following what's going on currently is an important factor, so is all knowledge; learning about the past and everything that has happened before that has lead up to what is happening currently. So study of history is one important factor, and so is knowledge acquisition in general.

So in closing, I am still working on organizing my knowledge input. I was trying to pay attention to "objective reality," and didn't realize it was far from objective, and after much stress, I shut myself off from everything for awhile. Life was certainly more peaceful. But not completely. Ignorance endangers. So now I'm going about paying attention in a more objective, less stressful manner. Anyways, felt like sharing. What are all of your thoughts on this topic?

Thanks for reading.

P.S.- Please share any good resources, websites, youtube channels and other types of media that cover current events without oversensationalizing, etc.

 

[axj]

How can one go about paying attention to objective reality without feeling too sucked into the drama to the point it causes unnecessary suffering? What would be some ways of cultivating a more or less detached perspective?

Hi Andrey, one of the most important things in the Work that helps in this is cultivating conscious Self-Remembering (Self-Presence) throughout the day as much as possible. It is similar to mindfulness or being present in the here and now moment, though it can also go much deeper when done in the way Gurdjieff or Ouspensky described it.

And when something is triggered within us, such as an emotional charge or pain or a mental program, it also helps to be in the I AM (Self-Remembering), as well as applying meditations to resolve or heal whatever came up. In the case of emotional wounding that we all have it is usually about finding the feeling or energy of love, acceptance or approval, which you bring to the hurting part within yourself and hold it there.

Also, what exactly does it mean to pay attention to objective reality?

To perceive things more objectively, it is necessary to be able to see things from different perspectives - staying open and seeing alternative explanations, possibilities and such without necessarily believing in any of them.

In other words, it is about allowing one's awareness to become more "fluid" and to expand, instead of being stuck in a narrow point of view or belief system. Recognizing and examining one's beliefs, holy cows, etc. also helps in that.

In the system described by Carlos Castaneda and others, this is called "moving the assemblage point" which usually becomes stuck in one place or one set of perceptions for most people. Moving the assemblage point gives clarity or a more objective perception of reality, both inside and outside ourselves.

 

[BHelmet]

Hi Andrey

1. It sounds like you are equating objective reality with world events, but, objective reality includes your immediate surroundings, day-to-day situations, and relationships. Perhaps focusing on external happenings on the other side of the globe is a way to avoid those things right in your face? Perhaps the process of striving for objectivity is best served by prioritizing and noticing the dance between you and your immediate surroundings and the people in your life (which includes your 'machine')?

2. It also sounds like you are battling with being triggered by things and having your emotions and thoughts run away with you. Perhaps the magnetic fusion has not occurred and there is no unified "you" that can stand apart from the internal reactions? IOW, perhaps there is work to do before any real objectivity can possibly occur?

Of course, this assumes that objectivity is possible, which is a whole different can of worms. Anyway, start by recognizing where you are and who you seem to be and those around you, first - your own microcosm.

 

[Andrey]

Yeah for some reason I interpreted the message of paying attention to objective reality strictly in relation to keeping up to date with world events. I didn't think of it on a microcosmic level. That's even tougher for me! I go out of my way to shut myself off from all people places and things due to psychological complications among other things.

I have a lot of work to do!

 

[wilfried]

I read "i am" from Nisarghadata Maharaj these days; here is his quote to the question what is a fact? a perception with no desire and no fear.

Self-remembering is also explain by him with this kind of mantra: i'm not the mental and i'm not the body.; i'm the witness of these percepts.

And this advice: watch the "mental" like you watch a rubber. end of quote. I think gradualy this work help you to forge your real self.

For the news from the events in the world, this is a question of balance; looking to the right and to the left and return to your own microcosm essentialy so that your center is remaining your refuge.

The Work IMO is the most important and it will last the time of our present life.

as i'm french i know only french site and this forum, with sott too but you can follow the link of the article in sott to fullfill the information that are not share, for exemple the saker wich is in english first ( in the links of the article)

Le Saker Francophone | Le chaos du monde ne naît pas de l'âme des peuples, des races ou des religions, mais de l'insatiable appétit des puissants. Les humbles veillent.

lesakerfrancophone.fr

 

[Ben]

I agree with what others have said, the Work is the priority. Rather than try to avoid information sources which trigger us emotionally we should try to get better at not identifying with those emotional states. A lot of people these days are relying on social media to curate their feed down to a set of sources which confirm their existing perspective, rather than challenge them. A good way to develop critical thinking is to consider that you might be wrong, and be open to allowing someone to show you that you are wrong.

I also think it's useful to have at least some awareness of what message mainstream media are being used to deliver to people, I check sites like BBC most days. I don't spend a lot of time reading there or expect much in the way of useful analysis. What I do get are some useful, verified facts and some understanding of what everyone around me is being exposed to in terms of propaganda or perspective. I only use X to help boost the signal of information that I think is true, not to inform myself personally. For that I rely on SoTT and many of the alternative media sources which the editors pick from.

As for videos on geopolitics I rate the Duran quite highly but always with the caveat that, like pretty much all sources, they have their own biases and gaps in awareness of key issues such as ponerology. The New Atlas (Brian Berletic) is excellent, thoroughly referenced critical analysis with a deliberate focus on avoiding emotional attachment to events.

NewsReal, of course, can't be beaten for all these things

 

[Ulysses]

I agree with Ben: “consider that you might be wrong.” For me, surveying the “news” has become a probabilistic exercise, where many things or aspects of things might be true, partially true, erroneous, or intentionally fabricated. I have to hold in mind all of these possibilities, leaving truth (or something close to it) to gradually gain substance as more information is sourced. We’re put in the position of intelligence analysts, dealing with a deskful of facts, opinions, gossip, and lies, and using what context and knowledge we have to attempt to sort out a useful point of view. All I know most days is that I know (with real certainty) very little.

The more sources you have—sound ones, hopefully—and the more diverse the viewpoints, the easier it is to blunt the triggers and overly emotional takes. But I havent eliminated them entirely. Who can look at Gaza with equanimity? Not me. Who can calmly regard Kiev’s pointless sacrifice of its own country and people in a cause long lost (or so it seems)? And, on another level, am I being relentless in not allowing myself to believe lies? I hope so.

I am daily learning more about myself as I sort through my reactions to all this. I’m improving in my ability to be analytical and detached, but not without some sadness.

 

[Expedition26]

How can one go about paying attention to objective reality without feeling too sucked into the drama to the point it causes unnecessary suffering? What would be some ways of cultivating a more or less detached perspective? What sources of information or types of media should one look into for one's daily dose of current events and what sources or types of media should one avoid to prevent negative emotions from running rampant?

It’s easy to have tunnel vision focused on the news, especially global news. It’s more difficult to be aware of what’s going on and yet persevere and turn your focus on to improving yourself and helping others.

I think it’s important to be aware of what’s going on locally and globally, but unless you are working towards changing global politics it’s sort of pointless to be so invested. Jordan Peterson has said something to the effect of make sure your life is in order before you venture out to change the world.

This is my blunt advice: learn some new skills and teach them to other people. Get some hobbies. If you keep yourself busy and keep learning you are interacting with the divine and becoming someone who will be able to help others in the coming dark times.

It’s easy to get depressed when all you think about is what’s going on in the world and how little control you have.

 

[Tristan]

Lately, I've been missing out on the news, or not beingLately, I've been missing out on the news, or not being too attentive. Sometimes, being too attentive serves as a pretense for not taking care of certain more proximate issues, self-work, etc. Either way, now it's like living with a sense of what's going to happen next in the world. It doesn't seem like it's going to be anything good, although that's anticipating future events, not a good idea. Worry may also influence how random events unfold.
It may be better to maintain a happy-go-lucky attitude and be surprised by "good news" that will happen at some point. Even if everything seems to be falling apart. Keep the faith and cultivate patience.

 

[msasa79]

Either way, now it's like living with a sense of what's going to happen next in the world. It doesn't seem like it's going to be anything good, although that's anticipating future events, not a good idea. Worry may also influence how random events unfold.
It may be better to maintain a happy-go-lucky attitude and be surprised by "good news" that will happen at some point. Even if everything seems to be falling apart. Keep the faith and cultivate patience.

There's a saying in this region of the world which translates to English as "Expect/anticipate the worst, hope for the best".

If anticipation works in such a way as to decrease the probability of anticipated event to actually happen, then maybe it's not a bad idea to anticipate the worst that can happen by actively preparing for it. If it still happens, at least the awareness will be there how to potentially deal with the situation.

The C's said best not to worry, and that sounds like a good advice of itself, nothing to add there.

Regarding the "always present" hope, well, if kept in sort of undefinable form, i.e. no exact and strict outcome presupposed, it might keep the spirit up and further develop the trust in the Universe to bring about what's really the best for All. FWIW.

 

[Mari]

Yes, we are doing the Work - but we are not robots. And we have feelings and it´s better to express what we feel in a healthy way than to suppress emotions. If you are feeling sad - cry, if you feel righteous anger - be angry. Just don´t let it consume you and get stuck in the thought loops.

We can only change ourselves and share the truth and the ones who resonate will pick up on that. And just maybe, there will be enough people who will pick it up and good things will start to happen.

IMO, what we can do is:

• Level the emotions with EE and pray.
• Read romance novels as per the thread Laura started back in 2020. Many discard that one, but note that the title of the thread is "Romantic Fiction, Reality Shaping and The Work" - and as per the quotes below, here we work on "dealing with karmic and simple understandings" and also working on becoming the best possible versions of ourselves and that includes dealing with emotions. Especially suppressed emotions.

...if people weren’t just escaping into such literature, but rather LEARNING from it, and putting some of what they learned into practice, a very different result would be obtained than just going off into la-la land. Because, it sure appeared to me that many of the problems that were set up as the plot of the stories were problems that many people deal with in one way or another, and a few of the authors were darned good psychologists with excellent insight.

...

It was later when I was pondering the emotional engagement that I made the connection with “hyperkinetic sensate” which was how the C’s described the Wave’s effects on human beings. I began to wonder what if people were engaged in stimulating the RIGHT emotions during this process? And thus, my reference to the books in the last session.

(L) I have started this thread "Using Books to Imagine a New Reality" (Using Books to Imagine a New Reality) about my reading materials. I hesitated to even bring it up because it's something that can so easily be misunderstood - and apparently it WAS misunderstood almost immediately by some people. However, I have speculated a little bit on the thread about the effects of reading particular literature. Am I on the right track with this?

A: Yes indeed!

Q: (L) Okay. Is there anything you would suggest further about this thread?

A: The books you suggest ought to be priority.

Q: (L) Is it as we were saying earlier in our discussion that dealing with karmic and simple understandings is the key? I wrote a post about it on the romance novel thread today [New title: Romantic Fiction, Reality Shaping and The Work] Is this one of the ways that can really help with that? It can take you through multiple processes by engaging in this reading project, thinking about it, and sharing with others what you are experiencing and learning?

A: Yes. True for nearly everyone.

Q: (L) Some of the people in the project thought that they could read 2 or 3 books and that'd do the job. My view of it is that it could take 100 books.

A: Yes

Q: (L) And that's because you can't find everything about your particular situation, plus you're dealing with processing out past life stuff too. So, it takes a lot of reading and going through different scenarios in order to learn these things.

A: Yes

• Then, next what people might do is to re-read the Wave (or any of the recommended books). It often happens that when I re-read some chapter from the Wave, I´m surprised at how much I missed or I didn´t understand the previous time I read it.
• Join FOTCM online workshops - there is EE workshop and a reading workshop, so join one or both.
• Find a hobby - paint, draw, write, take long walks, make pottery, restore a kitchen cupboard, do gardening...
• Exercise.
• Do something that would help others; i.e. if you know some foreign language (or English is not your mother language but you speak and write it) join the translation team
• ...

The reality we are in is as it is and there are many tools on the forum we can "use" to keep our minds clear, not to lose our hearts and minds, repel the soul-smashing influences, and to cope with the horrors and pathology that surround us.

 

[BHelmet]

Yeah, the trick related to the work with emotions is to express them in a responsible way without dramatizing them and sending psychic energetic bazooka blasts at other people. The usual modus is to blame others for our feelings and use that as an excuse to vent on those we blame for why we are feeling negative emotions.

First you have to identify and name the emotion and basically own it. Separate from the cause that removes you from being responsible for how you feel. (“It’s Trump’s/me mum’s fault I feel this way…damn them!” Uh, no, your feelings are yours and the more you blame others for your feelings, the more you are stuck with those feelings!)

Like: I feel X which my mind thinks was caused by Y which I blame on Q (for ironically reflecting back my own shadow!) (which also is just a triggering of an earlier trauma)

That’s it people! The viscous cycle. So the trick is you have to “see it” for yourself and then not make it wrong in order to defuse it.

It just is what is, and in a very important sense, it doesn’t mean anything! The more you lock into “it means Z about me that I feel this way” the more you are hooked into your lower earthly human self.

It’s a bit of a pisser, but 9 times out of 10 this is exactly what’s going on. So, in terms of the work, It’s wise to always consider this dynamic as a possibility whenever you get triggered. It has the added benefit of providing a doorway into self-observation too.

 

[Tristan]

There's a saying in this region of the world which translates to English as "Expect/anticipate the worst, hope for the best".

If anticipation works in such a way as to decrease the probability of anticipated event to actually happen, then maybe it's not a bad idea to anticipate the worst that can happen by actively preparing for it. If it still happens, at least the awareness will be there how to potentially deal with the situation.

The C's said best not to worry, and that sounds like a good advice of itself, nothing to add there.

Regarding the "always present" hope, well, if kept in sort of undefinable form, i.e. no exact and strict outcome presupposed, it might keep the spirit up and further develop the trust in the Universe to bring about what's really the best

In this sense there is a stoic exercise of negative visualization (premeditatio malorum) to prepare for worst-case scenarios. It is a mental exercise that can serve as a pacifier for worries, anxieties and so on. It could be very useful to prepare for any eventuality, at least emotionally. FWIW.

The Stoic Art of Negative Visualization

A CEO calls her staff into the conference room on the eve of the launch of a major new initiative. They file in and take their seats around the table. She calls the meeting to attention and begins, “I have bad news. The project has failed spectacularly. What went wrong?” The team is perplexed...

dailystoic.com

 

[SlipNet]

I hear you @Andrey, the current challenge in this world is to deal with the tumult of negative emotions that are getting stirred from truly seeing things as they objectively are. I've been reading Sott for 20 years and it never gets any easier to deal with. I've also learned to do "weeding" as I read various books and articles. No one source is gonna be a comprehensive source of objective data, we have to sift through the written work and slowly build up the picture ourselves. In university we used to call this "reader response criticism", and it's a good stimulus for the brain to organise one's thoughts from multiple sources, slowly putting your understandings together.

And then? Then comes the emotional impact, when you eventually have to face up to a civilisation in collapse, emerging new global powers, and of course also the implications for us and our countrymen, wherever we may hail from. For example, we in the west will surely be reaping some grim karma for "our" role in the global pathocratic systems. When I think about the crop circle phenomenon in the UK I get a sickly feeling in my gut. We need a true cosmological model to definitively come to terms with our global estate, where we stand in the bigger picture, and what we need to do to ensure we not only survive but thrive also as sovereign beings. And this is just for starters! We've got a lot on our plates that's for sure. And I tend to see the crop circles as a kind of stern warning from the reality of the future, telling us that "You are not so special, and you need to awaken to your true place in the cosmos before it's too late!". And time is running out I feel also. I think either @Laura or the C's said something about how in times of great stress, trauma or upheaval, there is a "quickening" of the cosmos in response. I've felt this on a few occasions. That nagging suspicion in the back of my mind that suggests that I perhaps ought to be doing more. It spurs me on to not get complacent. So, although time doesn't really exist, we are nevertheless running out of time, an ambiguous head-scratcher, but it also acts as a handy alarm clock to keep us sharp and alert.

Watching the international political scene is revealing too. I look at the global players now and can see that there has been a remarkable decline in the intelligence level of our politicians since, say, the 1960s. It's good that you don't bother with the MSM news sources, it's mechanical crap that neither informs nor entertains. Sott and Unz Review is all I read nowadays, those 2 sites cover all my bases. I can consolidate my understanding by checking in on those sites and never be missing out on crucial info. I follow a number of good channels on Rumble and YouTube and they keep me reliably informed, and also it's a real blessing to have this forum too.

I'm still learning how to be a good Obyvatel in many aspects of life. And I always try to keep my feet planted firmly on the ground, and always remain watchful of any ego and such. Yes there is a prospect of a shift to 4d in the future, but we will "never know the hour or the day", so these times we live in are a kind of act of grace by the DCM, giving us these crucial days to come to terms with our wounds, our programming, our cognitive biases etc. I think after 20 years of study on my part, I am slowly getting better (recovering schizophrenic) after some tough years where I was a little lost to be honest, and I had to go back to basics again, figure out who I was and what I wanted from this life. I hope that makes sense. Over a 6 year period since 2017 I have methodically re-evaluated my interests in all fields of endeavour and kinda whittled myself down to the bare essentials. I read less than I used to, but I understand more, which suggests that a period where my "being" needed to catch up with my "knowledge" was needed. I'm still in this process to this day.

In closing, I also feel so grateful for the great artistic work I have enjoyed in this life. I write, keep an online journal, draw, and play rudimentary lo-fi music in my spare time, of which I have plenty. The great artistic figures of history continue to enthral and inspire me to continue pushing myself and to challenge the complacent orthodoxy which is leading us to the edge of a cliff, culturally speaking. I've always been a loner intellectually. I think being an autodidact is my one true talent. Sure, I learn from others, particularly here on this forum, but I teach myself too.

Recovering from trauma makes me appreciate my life so much more now, plus it also motivates me to share what I can. The life lessons will never end, and thank God for that. I don't fancy non-existence, just a little refresher every now and then. Great art can heal a wounded soul, and it can also aid in purging negative emotional build-up. Catharsis, we all need it. And of course knowing that you are never alone in what you think and feel can be a great comfort in these troubled times. The birthing of a new reality will surprise us all I think, so we all need to stay calm, watch carefully, and most importantly take notes on what we see. I think that's the best we can do now.

 

[SlipNet]

Regarding good news sources, I'd recommend searching for Katie Halper, Aaron Mate, Max Blumenthal, Jimmy Dore, Max Igan, Novara Media, Electronic Intifada, The Grayzone, Redacted, Norman Finkelstein, Richard Dolan, Project Unity. The list is literally endless, we are living in a plentiful age for knowledge dispersal in so many respects. It wasn't so good 10 years ago that's for sure.

You should be able to find all the above names on YouTube or Rumble, if I recall any others I'll note them down too.