silent thunder

no substitute for pure experience of life realization

from smallest to largest ripples flow ever outward and inward from intention both from one one in all

Money is a great allegory for consciousness... It is the shared idea of a subjective experience. Cash is the idea of value manifested as an object.

Recently I've been incorporating my cultivation practices into the dream state. The catalyst for starting was encountering this book: Tibetan Yoga of Dreaming and Sleep http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&ved=0CEQQFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.holybooks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2FTenzin-Wangyal-Rinpoche-The-Tibetan-Yogas-Of-Dream-And-Sleep.pdf&ei=CM0cUoWNIaGTiQKA04CAAQ&usg=AFQjCNHHOKC242rU3NC_NiI3UpoMBf9ztA&bvm=bv.51156542,d.cGE&cad=rja. One of the stronger experiences came early on when I intended to run the MCO in the dream state. I became lucid inside a dream where I was a human, merged into a tree, running MCO in an egg shape inside the trunk. I've let this intention go recently, but reading about your experience has reinvested me with motivation to get this going again. Thanks for sharing. Changing up sleep patterns/times is a great way to help trigger lucidity in the dream state. I also use sleep fast/binge cycles to help trigger the 'big dreams'. /|\

I love the Big Dreams! I've experienced those deep, purging tears of realization in the dream state and they are so healing. Sounds like you were very close to having a conscious OBE as well, with the sleep paralysis and the onset of the vibrational state. What an amazing experience! I've been Lucid Dreaming since the age of four and reconciling the effects of the memories of those experiences has been instrumental in my transition to become more aware of the illusionary/fluid nature of 'waking consciousness', or 'real life'. I've had so many dream experiences that are more vivid and impacting on my awareness/memory/experience of truth, than so called events in 'real life', that I came to the realization that any experience in any state of consciousness is equal to any other in its ability to impact my reality and convey truth experience.

The one set free in forgiveness is my self. Aside from the breath of life, this is one of the greatest gifts of my life.

Looking for answers to deep metaphysical questions is like chewing on bones. For me it's all about process, not result. Often lots of work, with the only tangible reward being, spending some time thinking/talking about some potentially very cool ideas. I've heard that Buddha would never answer such questions, or responded only with silence when asked. For easily, I can spend my entire awareness on the 'what ifs' and I guess for some, the implication is that time spent on this is a waste as any answer I give is as good as any answer anyone else gives, or no answer at all. But even if there no answer, the process and the play is answer enough for me and following these trails has on occasion led to realizations of real worth. One of my favorite things to do, is spend hours late in the evening, smoking, drinking and talking about the what ifs with an equally curious, deep minded fool such as myself.

So it started with me paying close attention to my closest friends and family. Those people I know the deepest and most intimately. One day it dawned on me, that there is no such thing as a normal person. Not one of my dearest, most admired, respected and trusted friends or family were anything close to normal. So I made a little mental box for me to add anyone who proved to be normal. My box is still empty. I'm 44. I'm left with the obvious fact that was staring at me 20 some odd years ago... there is no normal, there is no me, there is no them.

oh... so special... definitely special...

Well this thread has inspired me. It's tea time. Walked away from coffee and caffeine a couple years ago and tea went with it. Time to integrate tea into my life again. Now where to start.... mmmm

I haven't experienced the ability to 'pack energy' into any dt. I don't get the sense that I am a bucket or a battery that can be full or empty. I have the very definite sense that I am a series of hoses and channels through which energy flows. Constriction and blockage are the issues to be opened and cleansed. For me there is no full or empty, only varying degrees of open.

I'm with steve on this... give yourself some love. You spent time with people who obviously meant a lot to you in the recent past. While there, you may have noticed some things that no longer serve you. But that in no means is an indication that everything was a process of destruction or loss. I'd bet you shared a few awesome laughs and some great stories. In my opinion, the energetic response generated in a moment between people who are genuinely sharing, is part of the alchemy that the Tao talks of so succinctly. Don't underestimate either, the impact you could have had on them. The center is everywhere. Even in the midst of an all out beer bash/hash fest. Live openly, Love fully.

Agreed. There are times, not just when the system is taxed and recovering that I take a break. It works like a system reboot on the computer. Few times a year, I'll also alter my sleep pattern with a sleep fast, followed a few days later by a binge. Recalibration.

Cookie related issue, clear cookies and you should be fine.

Great encounter.

Every year around this time, the leopard sharks come into the shallows of La Jolla Cove. I love swimming with them. There are hundreds and once they settle down and get used to you, you can swim right among them and they just cruise along. I love their eyes. Gold in color and slightly rectangular iris. Stunning.

I remember when I first encountered the Tao, I was struck by how similar its core concepts were to druidic cosmology.

One Source.

The best form to start out with is the one that resonates with you and the one that drives you to practice every day. Some books are amazing and have really augmented my understanding and experience of practice. Nothing beats a real teacher in my opinion, but that is not always an option and some books are very well written. Some books that have great info and really added depth to my practice and understanding: The Root of Chinese Qigong: Dr Yang, Jwing-Ming (great for theory, proper breathing as well as history of qigong) Complete Book of Chinese Health and Healing: Daniel Reid (incredible amount of info on creating and sustaining health, including very easy to follow illustrations of simple qigong forms to get you started) Daoist Neigong and The Dragon Dao-Yin Exercises: Damo Mitchell (a bit more advanced)

My dragon pearl was one of about 3 dozen that were successfully spirited out of China by a monk. It was one of the fall off chunks from the big sphere made from one of the last deposits found in the 1980's. The monk who got these stones out gifted several to one of my teachers and I picked it up after a Nei Gong workshop in LA. It was worth every penny and will be in my family for generations. My first intention work with it was intense. I told it to send all my surplus Qi to the LDT after practice one evening. Instantly my ldt began a magnetic pulsation that was so intense, (borderline between pleasure and nausea), that it was hard to concentrate on anything else. This lasted for a solid 45 minutes until I lay down to go to sleep. The moment I was prone for sleep, the pulsing faded. It's quite responsive. When not being worn, it prefers to hang off the eaves of my house, or rarely into the silk, it really dislikes to be set down on anything. People are really drawn to it. I've seen it summon energy sensitive strangers from across the street in broad daylight. We're still getting to know each other, but he's like a wise old man with a good sense of humor.

Yea, studying with Zhou had a massive impact on my quality of life.

I had the good fortune to acquire a Ye Ming Zhu. Extremely rare form of flourite that absorbs and radiates Qi. Found in China. Charge it for an hour in sunlight and it will emanate light and heat throughout the night. I've had mine for about two years now. It's like a direct line to the Pillar of Light. The connection is vibrant and two way.