Meditation, psy-time, OBEs, dream work

[Pinky]

I see the word "Newbie" by my name on the forum and think, yep, I feel like a newbie to the Seth materials, even though I read my first Seth books some 16 years ago.  On the Seth Intensive Course forum, I remember reading the experiences of other folks, how they feel the spacious moments, have amazing transcendental experiences, connect with the inner self, have OBEs and participate consciously in their dream reality.  I've yet to experience these connections except in small spurts and bits (wonderful as they are, but so fleeting).  But, by golly: every morning I sit in psy-time to connect with my soul.  At least I can leave the focus of the physical part way although the chatter of thoughts is really hard to escape.

May I ask you to share your connections to your inner self?  I would love the inspirations from your experiences -- dream work, OBEs, the spacious mind.  Maybe your stories will help jump start me.

Thank you......

[Deb]

Ha ha, maybe I need to change those default forum member group names to something more zen-like. Although I suppose we're almost all newbies until we get to the point of Rick or Lynda. That's why we're here.

I also marveled at some of the experiences of the people on the Intensive forum. I have had lucid dreams in the past, but can't have them on "command" with any consistency. The times I had a few in a row I started doing experiments while dreaming--experiments that I decided to do while I was still awake. They involved visual observations (I'm amazed at the detail I can see in my dreams, can read things and marvel at what my brain has created), taste, touch, smell, finding a mirror to see myself (both times, not me!). I've had two almost-out-of-body experiences in dreams and was disappointed that I didn't get any farther. And while awake, I can't say I've had any dramatic results but do get thought-messages once in a while that come from seemingly no where that provide me with knowledge or information that was not stored in my brain. For me it's more a matter of recognizing those times, they probably happen more than I realize.

Here's a little example from my childhood: I was about 6 years old and playing with a friend in the woods near my house. My friend (Jimmy) and I found a large tree blocking a path in the woods and decided to crawl under it to get to the other side. I made it through but he ended up scratching his back on the bark. It was bleeding a bit. I looked around in the brush and came up with some leaves to put on his back, positive that they would help. It wasn't until about 50 years later that I found out the leaves I'd used, plaintain, were used by the Indians to heal wounds! There is no reason I would know that, especially as a child, and was just following my impulses.

It's things like that, that get me excited and searching for more. Maybe take a little time to think over your life and your actions that may have been prompted by your spacious mind. You may surprise yourself. For so many years I'd brushed off experiences like that as women's intuition or educated guesses, but when I look closer there are some experiences that "education" had nothing to do with.

Here's another little experience. I sometimes paint, but mostly don't because I'm my own worst critic and want things to be perfect. One day I was learning how to use acrylics and painting a picture of my horse. I tend to over-control my hand when I paint and sometimes make it a frustrating and uncomfortable process. Which was happening with this painting. I finally said "fuck it, I give up" and just shut off my brain and let my hand stab away loosely at the canvas, not caring what was going to happen. I actually turned off my mind and let my body go on auto pilot. And-- it's one of my favorite paintings! I almost feel like I didn't paint it myself. But going back to the spontaneity conversation, my best experiences are always when I let go and get spontaneous.

[Pinky]

Deb, that is one helluva gorgeous painting of your horse.  Just beautiful.  Your experience reminds me deeply of my husband who played jazz guitar in his leisure time.  He practiced a lot, worked hard at it, desired so much to have the music come through him.  He realized that when he thought about the music too much, trying to play jazz perfectly (as though you could play it perfectly), it was too arduous, frustrating.  When he surrendered, it was like nirvana, flowing from his heart and soul.

Your experiences with lucid dreaming and OBEs, and your 6-year-old self are marvelous!!!

All my moments of transcendence, guidance, trusting, knowing, feeling, and clairvoyance too -- they've been magical and keep me on this path.  Seeing and realizing the intuitive connections have ramped up since opening myself up again to the Seth teachings.  I know it's like an unmarked trail in the woods you keep walking on, keep tamping the dirt underneath until it becomes more and more worn and familiar, but, dang, maybe I'm wishing for fireworks, that spacious moment when the sky opens up, the voices and faces smiling down at me, those conversations with my inner self!

But maybe I shouldn't expect my connections to be the way, say, Rick described psy-time or like the metaphysics and spaciousness experienced by many of the folks on the Seth Intensive forum.  I've had many magical moments -- maybe I should concentrate on those instead of concentrating on what I don't have??

When my husband was about ready to transition (and when he was heavily drugged per the hospice's way of keeping him pain free) he said to me one night, "Look for the gold pick."  Couldn't ask him what he meant because he was kind of in-and-out by then.  I knew he was referring to his guitar picks.  Months later, I kept thinking about what he said, even as I gathered all the hundreds of picks that were in our music studio.  But it wasn't until almost a year later when I noticed one of his gold picks on the floor of my bedroom.  I swear, I thought of every permutation of how that gold pick could have landed on the floor in physical reality, but it just couldn't have landed there any other way except for Julian placing it there.  This particular gold pick also had his fingerprint embedded on it because he'd used it often.  I'm holding this event close and tight to my heart, and thanking him for coming through.

Big deep breaths.  Your reply to my searchings reminded me of what I DO have in my connections to my inner self....thank you!

[Pinky]

Been thinking more on my desire for transcendent events as "proof" that I'm realizing spiritual awakening.  I think in the Seth Intensive, when Rick talked about the 4 triggers and came to the part about emotionally knowing that we create our own reality with the help of psy-time, dream work, and OBEs, I was grappling with feeling unsuccessful.  Well, more like inadequate because I couldn't seem to connect through any of those methods in a fireworks kind of way.  And it seemed like a lot of people on the forum could easily feel the spacious mind, have lucid dreams and play outside their bodies.

Deb, your stories here and then watching the Tuning In video that Dae posted in which Bashar talked about synchronicity is telling me that it doesn't HAVE to be anything dramatic to affirm that I'm connecting with spirit on an emotional level.  Been getting closer to realizing that, especially with the synchronicity that is abounding in my life.  And hey, I get to hypnotize myself with new beliefs, too--like a belief and trust that the synchronicity is coming from my changing thoughts and emotions.

Those are my current thoughts in a rather changing landscape.....

P.S., truly, the painting of your horse is stunning.  You are an amazing artist!

[Deb]

Going back to your January 2 post, " I've had many magical moments -- maybe I should concentrate on those instead of concentrating on what I don't have??"  I think you've hit the nail on the head with that one, that whole law of attraction thing (I don't think Seth called it that) but all the advice is to keep focused on what IS going right for us, otherwise we're focused on the lack which is counter-productive.

I've always wanted these bigger than life spiritual experiences like other's talk about, and so far it hasn't happened. But I do have small experiences here and there that can't be explained away. But considering my lifetime of skepticism it's amazing I have any at all. Who knows how many things I've missed or rationalized away. But Seth has helped open my mind a bit more, so baby steps.

Thank you so much for the nice comments on my painting. Funny, when I gave my horse away Aug 2013 I was so  distressed over how things ended up with him that I nearly threw that painting out. I would really love to do something "more" with painting, I just need to get over my fear of disappointing myself. I guess it really means a lot to me because I don't think there's anything else that I hesitate to take on.

[Bumblebee]

Deb, your painting is really gorgeous!

I draw, but my style is a bit more naive or mosaic. I will try to find the time to do one and post it with an explanation of what I was feeling or thinking shortly before. I am also limited by my beliefs that I am not talented enough. But once I pick those pastels, I go into a sort of trance. I never know what I will draw before I do. I just let my hand guide the pen. It looks like just a jumble of black lines. Then I add colors and often something just comes out, a pumpkin, a dancer, a bird, or a landscape. I really enjoy creating these although it takes lots of time( I work on big sheets). I always do it in one shot. I will work until 3am to finish it when I start.

[Pinky]

Nathalie, your description of how the painting comes from you onto the canvas is really magical.  I look forward to seeing the posting of your artwork and what you were feeling at the time.....

[Stella Wong]

That is a beautiful drawing Deb, and I am related to what you talked about the process of it. As you know I love writing calligraphy, but I always have similar situation, when I want to work on it seriously on a piece of decent paper, it always turns out looking uglier than what I done in those practice sheets. Usually when I have a theme to do, I practice couples of times or doodle in different styles, then I pick the best and do it seriously once again, but it's all different as I tend to follow what I did on the previous practice and think too much, so instead of letting my hand going spontaneously, the stroke just goes out with stress. And especially when I need to write for others, my striving for perfection really kills me. It's a self torturing!
Recently I wrote for a freind's tattoo, again I found what I did on the practice sheet is better, and because it's a tattoo layout and doesn't need decent paper, so I simply pick two from the practice sheets and let him choose one. When he asked me about my choice, I examined every single letter of the sentence in detail and tried to find one close to perfect or say less flaws. Then out of my expectation, he chose the other one and said he just like the way it is....
Have you heard about Enso drawing? The Japanese monks draw a circle with ink and brush in a single stroke everyday, it is a form of zen meditation, drawing the circle spontaneously without any thought, let the stroke flow, every Enso is different, as u will never draw the same circle, as every moment is a unique moment, then every Enso represents that moment of u drawing it, the circle simply tells what u were at that drawing moment. I really love this concept and I draw Enso a few times (times to draw more , the point isn't whether I can draw a beautiful or perfect circle in a single stroke, but what I can learn about myself from that stroke. This is really great to apply on our lives, let go, be spontaneous, and appreciate!
Seems a bit out of topic, but just hope to share my thought when I read the above!
Cheers 😊

[Pinky]

Wow, Stella--what you wrote about your art and about Enso really moved me....what we can learn about ourselves from that stroke, letting go, being spontaneous, appreciating....thanks so much for sharing this.....

[Stella Wong]

Thanks Pinky, I guess this can be a way to connect with inner-self too 

[Deb]

Stella, thanks so much for the info on Enso drawing. I'd never heard of that before and will try it. It reminded me of learning how to draw on large pieces of paper, on an easel. Drawing from the shoulder, rather than drawing from the hand which is what we do when working on a small piece of paper. Putting the whole body into the circles, horizontal lines, etc. It's almost like a dance.

It also reminds me of a technique (sort of) that I was taught to loosen up and get into my right brain, making the left brain back off for a while. I think it was called blind contour drawing, where you have paper and pencil or pen and draw without looking at the paper. You focus on an object: a tree, table, a lamp, your hand, whatever, and very slowly and deliberately draw the contour what what you are seeing, without ever lifting your pencil and without looking at your drawing until it's done. It makes one concentrate on all the details, become one with the object, instead of that pesky left brain telling you to make a tree look like a tree and let's get on with the next thing.

I read a book many years ago, The Zen of Drawing, and a quote from it has always stuck with me: "I have not truly seen what I have not drawn." (or something like that) Yep.

[Deb]

Bumblebee, I'm really looking forward to seeing one of your drawings. It sounds a little bit to me like the contour drawing I just described, but with more intention than that. I understand that trance-like feeling, I've been there. I used to have head phones that I would put on (usually Enya or Andreas Vollenweider) and just zone out for  hours. I really love chalk pastels, my favorite, and after a few hours there would be a painting but with a pile of chalk dust below. LOL. I need to get those pastels out again.

[kelly dipucchio]

What a beautiful painting of your horse, Deb!!  I had a Palomino quarter horse growing up and I loved her so much.  I love that you were able to create some of your best work by letting go.  I believe the best art does originate in other realms and we just bring it here, through us.  It's very similar to channeling, in fact, you could call it channeling.  So cool.

I've been trying to get caught up on some of the posts.  I don't know about you guys but I have a hard time reading large amounts of text on a computer screen. I A.D.D. out and it's hard for me to focus.    I hope everyone is doing well.  Much love to all!   

[Deb]

Thanks Kelly! I gave my horse up a year ago, he's a Missouri Foxtrotter and was quite an experience. But he broke the bank after 3 months of being seriously ill the summer before last. I made sure he was back to health before the handoff and now he looks better than ever. Tomorrow's my birthday and I've decided to take the day off and PAINT, I haven't done that for months. No work, no taxes, no phone calls. Sigh. Maybe I should visit my ex-horse, he was given to me a week before my birthday 4 years ago (it was coincidental).

I know what you mean about reading, I get all posts in my email and read the long ones in parts sometimes. I don't know if you've checked the Attachments and other options below the posting box, but you can get notices of replies that will come to your email. I'm not sure if you can make that a universal setting in your account, I'm still getting familiar with this forum software.

[kelly dipucchio]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEB!!!    What a wonderful way to spend the day! 

I'm not sure what you mean about the email. I get an email notification when a reply has been posted to a topic, but the actual post is not embedded in the email.  Is that what you're talking about? 

I just wrote a long response to the thread about meat and when I hit the post button, I had timed out and I lost the whole thing!!  LOL!  Ugh!

[Deb]

Thank you! 

OMG I'm sorry you timed out. I did that a couple of times in the beginning but it seems like when I did that I could hit my browser's back button and my post would be sitting there so I could copy it before logging back in. But now I check the Always Stay Logged In button. It took me a couple of times to remember.

Anyway, I think you can go into your Profile (button at top) and on the left side will be bunch of links under Modify Profile. Go to Notifications and you may be able to change the settings so that you get the text from the posts. Since I'm Admin I don't know if I have other options than everyone else. I'm attaching a screen capture of my settings.

Love the baby!

[Bumblebee]

Happy birthday Deb!!!  Hope you enjoyed your painting day!

[Deb]

Well Bumblebee, I didn't end up painting but I managed to pull out some half-finished canvases and paint so hopefully soon... My favorite medium is chalk pastel, I should start something new with them. I'm learning oil and acrylic and it just doesn't flow for me.  But thanks for the birthday wishes!

[Pinky]

Kelly, I got a belly laugh at the baby bemoaning the return to earth--CRAP!  LOL!