The question you brought up, specifically the one of if we're ever truly "individual" or just thoughtlessly mimicking our influences, reminded me of this phrase: "creativity never happens in a vacuum". When it comes to things like art in its many forms (whether it be music, drawing/painting, acting, or something else), people will always derive inspiration and techniques from the people who inspire them and who they look up to, both consciously and unconsciously. However, at the same time, they manage to incorporate their own unique way of expressing themselves through art: art is also heavily influenced by the artist's unique perception of the world through their own two eyes and imagination, and that's what truly makes the work "theirs". Using my own drawings as an example, I can almost always spot echoes of Jamie Hewlett, Miyazaki Hayao, JG Quintel, and all the other artists that have inspired me since I was a kid. But at the same time, the specific way I look at a reference photo I'm using, the process in which I draw the lines and shapes on paper, and the specific features I choose to emphasize and how they are placed are all things I taught myself. I don't think anyone is ever truly "individual " as we are a mix of both the things we pull from the people, environment, and information around us, AND the unique way in which we decide to filter and use that information in our minds and actions. Although we will inevitably absorb things happening around us, every human is still unique, and the ways we mentally filter those things and put them into practice is something that varies greatly from person to person. Is what I'm saying making sense? Do you see echoes of your influences in your own art as well?
As an autistic person and somebody who is therefore "wired differently" I have my own weird experiences with the thought process and how I decide to use the information around me. One thing from my neurodivergence that's definitely a blessing is the fact that I'm less likely to mindlessly follow trends or do what's "popular" just because a bunch of others seem to think it's right. I'll only participate in a trend or popular practice if it's something that actually appeals to me as a person, not just because I want the social status or external validation of strangers. I also don't get things like small talk and probably never will. One of the most irritating things about small talk, at least to me, is that when somebody asks you "how are you?" or "how are you doing?" they don't ACTUALLY want to know or have an honest answer, they just wanna hear a pre programmed socially acceptable "I'm fine, you?" or "I'm good, thanks". Like, what's the point of even asking the question in the first place if you just wanna hear a meaningless, socially pressured answer? That whole ritual is pointless...I don't understand it and doubt I ever will. I still don't get how my neurotypical peers automatically have these long lists of unspoken and arbitrary social rules stored in their minds. A lot of them just don't make sense.
At the end of the day, I don't think it's truly possible to be 100% "individual" because we as humans are social creatures and it's only natural that we learn from each other and adapt to our circumstances. But at the same time, the way that we process and apply that information is often something unique to every person's individual mind and how they work.
Thank you for sharing such an interesting, fascinating, and stimulating topic! Things like these are always fun to think about and discuss because the way that we work and function as humans is infinitely complex and multifaceted. By thinking on questions like these, we discover more about ourselves in the process.
I hope you and Sarah and the doggos are doing well. I miss you and the guys a lot and look forward to the next time I get to rock out with you! 💖 Sending hugs from rainy and cold Washington State, as always. 😺
Glad I'm not alone in that respect, haha. Seriously, asking a question and expecting an automated socially palatable answer feels pointless and I don't see how or why neurotypicals do it.
I usually pause awkwardly when asked that question. Firstly, it’s an inherently ineffable subject. From there I’ll *try* to put it into words, then when their eyes widen, I realize a line has been crossed, so I’ll back up and just say, “it’s a long story, how about you?”
Same! He always manages to bring forth and write down so many ideas that float around in the back of our heads. It’s like his posts are access points or a gates to thoughts we don’t always have the words for.
Thats what I always say to people who are so special like you Olivia, the world only has one of you and it needs all of you! Never let anyone tell you that you are too much or too little! Xoxo
When you first posed the question of how do I respond to "what do you think?" My first reaction was a dramatic sigh and muttering "don't fuckin worry about what I think." (Generalization, not you 😂). So I felt very seen when I read your later suggestions.
What do I think?
I think if people spent a little less time worrying about that and a little more time worrying about themselves and their own contributions to society, the world as we know it might be a completely different place.
I remembered an experience I had in a 10 days silence meditation center retreat called Vipassana. You’re not allowed carrying cell phone, books, sketchbooks, talking or communicating with your roommates. At the first days, I felt sick by the noise inside me, emerging during the meditation practice, I felt physically like an addicted to all screen/information/social media, but as the days were passing, I started to observe/hear this voice inside me, clean from all extern life, and clear. I was able to finally recognize this part of me, my - “self”. I didn’t want to leave that place after 10 days, I wanted to be there, but the hard lesson were trying to achieve this place outside Vipassana retreat. To be in this state of mind colliding with this strange world, this experience lead me into C. G. Jung, and since then I’m diving regularly with my Analist into my dreams, paintings, woodcuts, texts and anything that comes out of me. Each expression I express somehow, is a spoon digging myself into my “self”...
I’ve been reading The Dark Books from Jung, about his experiences with his Active Imagination technique. I see as a way to find your inner voice and observe what’s your self and what’s from collective unconscious x what’s you feel about it this dialogue.
Thanks Clarissa. I know Jung’s works offer a very in depth take on these and so many other matters. He seems to have been SO ahead of his time that our brightest minds are barely catching up to him and doing their best to offer quasi-translations of his ideas. I’d add any number of his works to my list for sure. Cheers!
There are a few books that shaped my perspective and changed me in a profound way but also helped me understand telepathy, the concept of unity via the collective conscious as well as how that collective consciousness shapes our world.
Meditation indeed has all the answers we seek in this realm. When we meditate we connect to that source of all that is and the answers are there if we are open to receive them.
The books we read many times validate what we already know deep in our soul. That resonance we feel when reading a book, I feel, is just our higher self saying “ahhhhh, I remember that!” Soul recognition of a blueprint we created from source.
Before my foray into reading books outside of fiction I meditated for years. I didn’t know what I was doing at the time. I just would sit in silence and just let my mind go from thought to thought. Eventually the space between thoughts expanded. I would meditate for hours not realizing it had been hours. (I had the time lol)
During that time I began to read some books recommended by friends. The books I read aligned to the information that came to me during my meditation practice. They were a confirmation of sorts of that interconnectedness we have as humans our origins, our powerful innate abilities, and the cyclical nature of earth and society.
The books that aligned were of course “1984” (which reminds me of the “Nose Dive” episode of Black Mirror ) but other books including “the holographic universe” by Michael Talbot, “the ancient secret of the flower of life” by Drunvalo Melchizadek, “Many lives many masters” by Dr. Brian Weiss “Atlantis, Aliens Visitation and Genetic Manipulation by Michael Tsarion, “Communion” by Whitley Streiber, “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” by Richard Bach, “the world according to Mister Rogers” by Fred Rogers, “Life Colors” by Pamala Oslie, “Glynis Has Your Number” by Glynis McCant, and of course, “the law of one” and “the emerald tablets.”
Books are crucial to not only confirming what we already know on a soul level but understanding and shaping who we are today. These books helped me understand and connect with others on a deep soulful and sometimes telepathic level. Sometimes I don’t even need to ask “how are you?” I already know. But asking opens a door to vulnerability. Whether someone walks through that door is for them to decide. But I leave the space open for them.
My YouTube channel would not exist if not for those amazing authors who put their thoughts onto paper. Dang, I’m grateful.
Late to the party as usual, but wanted to drop a title to check out “Hidden Reality: The BioGeometry Physics of Quality” by Ibrahim Karim. He goes into the robotic nature of being human and where the free will kicks in. So there are physical/ethereal forces at play which can govern our health/actions/reactions if we have energetic breaches. These can just be from exposure to media and electromagnetic influence. Another parallel here is that I’ve recently started ketamine infusion therapy for chronic pain and of course got a lot more than I bargained for on the mental plane of this experience. The first session was a pummeled-to-the-reef wake-up call how everything we/I say/do is in consideration of all the outside influences you mentioned. Cut the cord on cable feed years ago, but it’s inescapable in this society….until we habitually integrate this realization with tools of discernment. The BioGeometry realm is a new dig for me in that it seems to link concepts from the authors in your library above together to provide an ever-growing foundation of truth. Trying to remember the book about Owning your own mind… ah yes Napoleon Hill “How to Own Your Own Mind”.
About that other version of Earth, I had a dream in 2020 and posted it for my friends since it just seemed like and idealistic dream and nothing more. I received comments about a book called “A New Earth” by Ekhart Tolle” and that it apparently was a “thing” already envisioned or some believe they have already experienced it. So that freaked me out enough to investigate and see if perhaps my dream was more real than just a nice story from my subconscious. Can’t prove it yet, but when you experience something first-hand, maybe that’s the Yeti that tells us how little we really know. I’ll go find that dream again and post it here:
2/21/20
I had one of those surreal-but-oh-so-real dreams last night...I was chosen for a new world and when I arrived, it was like Disneyland, only better. Fruit trees everywhere, no parents yelling at their kids, and everyone seemed to be in sync somehow. I was on a "team" of some kind where I had a sort of mentor who would nudge me and help me along if I fell back into my old way of thinking. OK this is where it gets a little deep... There was an expectation of elevation above the old "human' way of being. It went beyond "to err is human; forgive, divine" and more like a common set of err's to permanently overcome. It was as if those things were a sign of someone who didn't mesh in the new world. Perhaps it's my own interpretation of the millennial hyper-vigilance or the social justice warrior mentality, but this was more respectful, as if it were just a common understanding that certain things were just not worth wasting time and energy on. So every now and then, I would "slip" and say something about needing to keep up with the Jones's and my mentor would give me a look that signified one of those common beliefs that weren't allowed. To clarify, it's not that they weren't allowed, it's that people in this new world just didn't bother with those kinds of thoughts. Come to think of it, maybe this dream was just a manifestation of my last yoga class... #DoMoreYoga
SciloVybin, never late. Always divine timing. 😉 Your input here really is confirmation of our interconnectedness as humans, as spirit, as beyond.
When I had my kundalini awakening/ spiritual awakening/ rebirth or whatever people are calling it these days I saw exactly what you are speaking of.
We were avatars being controlled by something outside of ourselves. At first fear took over and I thought it was some mind control thing going on which was partially true but after a meditation I realized the person controlling the avatar was in fact, myself. My highest version. At some point in my life I must have said “Jesus take the wheel” and meant it. Lol The relinquishing of fear and trusting the process was crucial during that time. And also being very mindful of what I ingested, mentally, spiritually, visually, physically, etc. That included releasing many of the “conspiracy theories” I held as truth. The truth for me was far greater than I could have ever imagined in my 3D existence. But much like your dream this was a world eerily similar to your dream. We didn’t speak in lack terms, no keeping up with the joneses either, everything was readily available to us and it was a world filled with love, abundance, compassion and empathy. Teamwork made the dream work. There was progress. There was telepathic connections and they were heart centered versus mind. I feel what I experienced during my awakening was this new Earth. Not a location but a frequency.
I‘ve had various dreams of new Earth, Yetis/ Sasquatches, and tsunamis before really knowing anything about them.
Here’s just a brief part of a post I wrote on Instagram back in October of 2019 about Sasquatches.
“The other day a posted a magazine cover of Bigfoot that came in the mail in my story and today I woke up to this email from #tut. “The legend of Bigfoot continues. Last known sighting was in San Bernardino CA”. I happened to be in San Bernardino when I opened that email. No coincidence. I have posted before about dreams I’ve had involving Sasquatches. I’ll post 1 again below for those that are interested.
But I believe certain “mythical” creatures/beings begin to appear to you depending on your level of consciousness and awareness.
Usually when I’m vibing beyond 3D, Sasquatches and yetis tend to manifest in different forms around me.
I’ve had many tidal wave dreams in my life and in the first one, Sasquatches made their appearance.
In the dream an apocalyptic tidal wave was nearing the valley, I was living in Burbank CA at the time and Sasquatches came down from the mountains to lead some of us to safety. Once we were safely at the top of the mountain we watched as Los Angeles was submerged underwater.
“I think, looking at a great many legends, folk-tales, and things of that nature, it is possible to vibrate at different rates. And if you vibrate at a different rate, you are not seen. You are not tangible. And, then, when your vibration changes, you are seen, and you are tangible. Maybe this has something to do with Bigfoot appearing and disappearing in a strange fashion”. -N. Redfern “”
Thank you for sharing your experience. And let me tell you, absolutely, #domoreyoga ! lol
I’m *still* learning to meditate, but I suspect I was very good at it when I was a kid as I remember being on another plane of existence. Until now, I just brushed it off as my robust imagination, but with events like my dream being confirmed as mutual experience by others, I could no longer attribute it to my Disney-filled upbringing…..or maybe Disney was also in this awareness…
With regard to seeing the beings, I remember sightings of lights/small creatures in the backyard much like the wisps seen by Merida in Brave.
I went blind for about a year from a car accident. The blindness fell in line with several of the scenarios described in Oliver Sack’s work, and for the first time in my adult life, I woke up “seeing” a morphing slideshow behind closed eyes of smiling faces, seemingly all female, and either all blonde or it was just a black and white or rather, luminescent white and light grey that gave them that appearance. Only once did that happen and shortly afterward I had surgery in one eye, absolutely nothing since then. Modern psychology calls these pathological hallucinations….
You’re so very welcome. If you are into cryptozoology and the origins of many “myths” as much as I am you’ll really Dig Michael Tsarion’s work. He’s very well respected in his field.
And if by chance any of those books I recommended sparks some inspiration I’m sure everyone here would love to hear your insights. Maybe even start your very own Oprah’s book club? 🤔 Lol
Thank you, B. I appreciate your last bit about picking and choosing battles and the picking whether it’s worth dying upon said hill.
Felt like I needed to hear this in a sense. I was told last weekend that my ex wife is starting to go to a new church. No big deal I thought, having my 6-year-old child exposed to non-denominational faith is no big deal. She’ll grow out of it eventually. I then do some more digging on the name of the church (Hungry Generation) and I found it to be an evangelistic extremist cult that says things like, “be willing to surrender your lives,” and “you should be begging to give.” And then they also have 1+ hour long videos on YouTube where they supposedly cast out demons from people. Did I mention that this church is the one to diagnose their congregation with demons which requires a church-sponsored “deliverance” (I guess it’s a southern way of saying exorcism lol). If you are gay, it’s a demon! If you complain or ask questions of the pastor, it’s a demon/or the devil. Then they say things like “don’t worry about being financially poor for you are spiritually rich”. Total fucking cult mind control shit.
Anyways, I’ve mentally fought hard this week about insisting on my child not needing any sort of garbage being indoctrinated on her without her consent, yet there are no powers or limits that be that currently exist to do so. It’s a bummer but with time hopefully it is just a phase.
Look at it not as a battle, but a call to action to fill her toolbox. She’s still on that leading edge of all-knowing that we as adults have lost connection to. So your job now is to make the time for eye-to-eye, smile-to-smile conversations about trusting in yourself/herself and giving her counterbalancing experiences to put that nonsense in perspective.
A young child is still developing sense of self and is so innocent and easily persuaded by outside forces. I would have a hard time exposing my child to fear based shame, hatred and basically a bunch of gobbly goop hogwash. This world is hard enough to explain to kids without the fear of damnation to top it off, my answer is still no.
Damn. That was deeeep. I’m spinning. Talk about a mind fuck. Holy bananas. I need to re-read this about 5 more times at least. I’ve really got nothing of substance to add or suggest. That was a big takeaway for me. Do I always need to contribute to the conversation? Does what I have to say add value? Man. Wow. Head popped off.
Mindfulness is something I continuously work on within myself particularly in my communication within my relationships. I concur with meditation as a way to quiet the mind and dig deep within oneself. Neither are simple or easy. I’m definitely not always successful at either. But ya keep trying, right?!
Man. I’m still reeling over here in thought. Deep thoughts by Jack Handy. Ha! Thanks for a provocative post. ✌️
Where’s the lmao emoji for this comment, lol….Jack Handy 🤣. On a serious note, a lot of this sounds like my inner dialogue, but I’ve read several of the books listed and perhaps if you dive into those, these words/concepts will become your “language” too 😎
Lol. Thanks. I’ve only read one of the books on the list so far. Once I’m done with grad school I’ll be able to read for fun again. Sigh. In the meantime, these bursts are about as much as I can muster. 😉
I recently wrote this one which alligns with yours in some ways. It was sparked by an increasing no of substack writers claiming that people are ripping off their ideas- I pose some possible reasons for many people having similar conclusions because they are working with similar input and have similar goals.
I wholeheartedly subscribe to the morphic resonance theory on this accidental copycatism. Rupert Sheldrake is one proponent, but many more are getting onboard the unseen energy train these days.
Heavy. Heavy stuff man. Three (or more)’s a crowd if you know what I’m saying. But it’s inspiring to know that someone that could be considered an “influencer”, in this day and age, could question his own individuality. I think so many of us struggle with this same sentiment. As someone who has always embraced individuality, it hasn’t always been so easy to avoid the status quo. In my youth, I tried to fit and blend in with everyone else. I went to school and church and blindly followed what I was taught. It wasn’t until my late teens that I even began to question anything. I was always labeled “different, eclectic, eccentric etc..” So there was always a sense of self that I wasn’t like everyone else. It wasn’t until my 20s that I began to embark on the journey to discover who I really was.
It has become harder the past few years because now it seems like all I ever do is think. Sometimes in our thoughts there’s no where to hide, no hole to crawl into and just die. You kind of have to face the man in the mirror so to speak. Listening to this voice and that voice and learning which ones to tune out and which ones to tune into can become a vicious cycle of sorts. I want to shut it all out but that can be a lot easier said than done. I have most recently, however, learned to choose happiness. It’s a totally conscious and aware process that doesn’t happen so naturally to someone with depression or anyone for that matter. But becoming a positive role model for myself has been challenging. Especially when I’m harder on myself than anyone else.( It’s mind blowing that being nice to myself and truly loving myself was something I had to do intentionally.) But actively deciding to choose a happier mindset can be affected by the outside world. I can let negativity throw me down the rabbit hole or I can decide that in this moment I am happy. I choose the latter. I’ve spent far too much time crying but I won’t let my tears fall in vain.
I think we could all learn from one another. What would the world look like if we all thought for ourselves? If we all questioned our own individuality? It’s crazy to think that in an instance your physical being could be somewhere but internally you’re somewhere else entirely wondering “is this me?”. It’s an out of body experience in itself. You’re objectively taking a step back and witnessing yourself from another point of view.
Thank you for always being so vulnerable and open and using your platform to connect with us here. I’m learning a lot about myself and the world around me. This brings me back to our discussion about being present a while back. Our thoughts can become a prison if we allow them to. So I think it’s important that each person determine for themselves how to move forward accordingly. I’m still learning about who the voice in my head is and maybe one day we’ll know one another more intimately(or not). But there’s much to be discovered and explored that can’t be overlooked. But if I’m a voice in anyone’s head I’m sure they fucking hate me lol. I do sometimes miss when I mindlessly did things without a single thought. Now there’s always some kind of internal dialogue or “buzzing” as you like to put it. As unsettling as it seems, I guess ignorance IS bliss. Returning to a simpler state of mind may be out of the question but progression is not. I enjoy this kind of thought provoking conversation.
My son and I used to call them parrot zombies. It’s so frustrating! But also, how do we have compassion? We realize that certainty feels better than uncertainty. We also become aware of our own parrot zombieness and strive to do better.  Also, learn to ask better questions. Such as, what does it mean to know?  When asked what I think, I sometimes respond with “ I don’t know enough about it to feel qualified to have an opinion”. You know, try to lead the way. Get everyone to question their own assumptions. Like you always do for us Brandon, thank you 🙏🏼
Well that was a whole lot of brainpower I just used running on 4 hours of sleep, I may have just short circuited. Ultimately there is really not a lot of hills left for me to die on. I have spent most of my life with high emotions, a very stressful job and some very tumultuous relationships. Ever heard of adrenal fatigue? Lol I think the hardest thing to do in life is to keep your mouth shut. People dont know how to do that very well. There just arent things that carry enough worth to argue about. I appreciate all of your deep thoughts, you always make me think, even when it hurts :) xoxo
I'd also like to add to this pseudo-book club list, "In Praise of Slowness: Challenging the Cult of Speed" by Carl Honore and "How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy" by Jenny Odell. Like "The Shallows," "In Praise of Slowness" was written in what now seems like a slower time to me (2004) but so many of the topics it touches on have just become more pressing.
I find I'm more likely to have my own thoughts and opinions when I take some time to digest things mentally. Otherwise, I'm likely to default to the easiest or most top-of-mind thing, which is inevitably something an algorithm has suggested to me. So many of these books are about taking a breather... It's funny that having a lazy Sunday in can be a rebellious act.
I love this question. How often is our response clouded by thoughts like:
What will they think of me if I answer honestly?
Will my answer hurt someone's feelings?
What if their thoughts are totally different to mine?
What if their thoughts are totally opposed to mine?
Will it affect our friendship?
Will it jeopardise my job?
And yet, most of the time I have been very honest about what I think, because it makes life easier. I've always had a guiding philosophy of if you are always honest, you don't have to remember what you said. The skill then is more related to the delivery.
Wish I didn't have to buy 10 day pass to see the talk at South by Southwest. This is why Texans despise it. :( I did stock up on Madonna original and Tiny Dancer. Also, Solar Gate.
I'm leaving my lover because we don't speak the same music and art. I ordered a few pieces from Moonlight and am going to leave from ATX and head back to Costa Rica and open my yoga studio close to Playa Hermosa. Never left a good man and searched for a lifetime with someone else. Not everybody speaks your music and they want to Anna Moly Jedi mind f-ck you w sh-tty country music. I wanted to go to Boston for John Mayer but the solo concerts do become lonely. Can't stand having to pay for peoples tickets. My boyfriend can't afford me. My family saw it, I lied to myself. I ignored all the signs. He doesn't know Chris Cornell or Incubus?? Deal Breaker. Where all the songs come from, Isadore. Oshun
This is were self aware comes in to play: know thyself. This is also were compassion and forgiveness comes in to play: it's ok to be wrong. It's ok to change your opinion. Frankly, I hope to always ask "What's on your mind?" And god dammit, I hope I'm always asked, "What's on your mind?"
The question you brought up, specifically the one of if we're ever truly "individual" or just thoughtlessly mimicking our influences, reminded me of this phrase: "creativity never happens in a vacuum". When it comes to things like art in its many forms (whether it be music, drawing/painting, acting, or something else), people will always derive inspiration and techniques from the people who inspire them and who they look up to, both consciously and unconsciously. However, at the same time, they manage to incorporate their own unique way of expressing themselves through art: art is also heavily influenced by the artist's unique perception of the world through their own two eyes and imagination, and that's what truly makes the work "theirs". Using my own drawings as an example, I can almost always spot echoes of Jamie Hewlett, Miyazaki Hayao, JG Quintel, and all the other artists that have inspired me since I was a kid. But at the same time, the specific way I look at a reference photo I'm using, the process in which I draw the lines and shapes on paper, and the specific features I choose to emphasize and how they are placed are all things I taught myself. I don't think anyone is ever truly "individual " as we are a mix of both the things we pull from the people, environment, and information around us, AND the unique way in which we decide to filter and use that information in our minds and actions. Although we will inevitably absorb things happening around us, every human is still unique, and the ways we mentally filter those things and put them into practice is something that varies greatly from person to person. Is what I'm saying making sense? Do you see echoes of your influences in your own art as well?
As an autistic person and somebody who is therefore "wired differently" I have my own weird experiences with the thought process and how I decide to use the information around me. One thing from my neurodivergence that's definitely a blessing is the fact that I'm less likely to mindlessly follow trends or do what's "popular" just because a bunch of others seem to think it's right. I'll only participate in a trend or popular practice if it's something that actually appeals to me as a person, not just because I want the social status or external validation of strangers. I also don't get things like small talk and probably never will. One of the most irritating things about small talk, at least to me, is that when somebody asks you "how are you?" or "how are you doing?" they don't ACTUALLY want to know or have an honest answer, they just wanna hear a pre programmed socially acceptable "I'm fine, you?" or "I'm good, thanks". Like, what's the point of even asking the question in the first place if you just wanna hear a meaningless, socially pressured answer? That whole ritual is pointless...I don't understand it and doubt I ever will. I still don't get how my neurotypical peers automatically have these long lists of unspoken and arbitrary social rules stored in their minds. A lot of them just don't make sense.
At the end of the day, I don't think it's truly possible to be 100% "individual" because we as humans are social creatures and it's only natural that we learn from each other and adapt to our circumstances. But at the same time, the way that we process and apply that information is often something unique to every person's individual mind and how they work.
Thank you for sharing such an interesting, fascinating, and stimulating topic! Things like these are always fun to think about and discuss because the way that we work and function as humans is infinitely complex and multifaceted. By thinking on questions like these, we discover more about ourselves in the process.
I hope you and Sarah and the doggos are doing well. I miss you and the guys a lot and look forward to the next time I get to rock out with you! 💖 Sending hugs from rainy and cold Washington State, as always. 😺
I immediately went to the "how are you" question and my internal answer "do you really wanna know?" as well ☺️
Glad I'm not alone in that respect, haha. Seriously, asking a question and expecting an automated socially palatable answer feels pointless and I don't see how or why neurotypicals do it.
I usually pause awkwardly when asked that question. Firstly, it’s an inherently ineffable subject. From there I’ll *try* to put it into words, then when their eyes widen, I realize a line has been crossed, so I’ll back up and just say, “it’s a long story, how about you?”
I just always love your comments so much! 💕
Right back at you, Mal! Brandon's writing always has a way of getting me to think about things and go down an interesting mental rabbit hole 😺
Same! He always manages to bring forth and write down so many ideas that float around in the back of our heads. It’s like his posts are access points or a gates to thoughts we don’t always have the words for.
Thats what I always say to people who are so special like you Olivia, the world only has one of you and it needs all of you! Never let anyone tell you that you are too much or too little! Xoxo
Awh, you're gonna make me happy cry...thank you so so much 💖
When you first posed the question of how do I respond to "what do you think?" My first reaction was a dramatic sigh and muttering "don't fuckin worry about what I think." (Generalization, not you 😂). So I felt very seen when I read your later suggestions.
What do I think?
I think if people spent a little less time worrying about that and a little more time worrying about themselves and their own contributions to society, the world as we know it might be a completely different place.
Lofty? Maybe. Oh well.
🖤🖤🖤
I remembered an experience I had in a 10 days silence meditation center retreat called Vipassana. You’re not allowed carrying cell phone, books, sketchbooks, talking or communicating with your roommates. At the first days, I felt sick by the noise inside me, emerging during the meditation practice, I felt physically like an addicted to all screen/information/social media, but as the days were passing, I started to observe/hear this voice inside me, clean from all extern life, and clear. I was able to finally recognize this part of me, my - “self”. I didn’t want to leave that place after 10 days, I wanted to be there, but the hard lesson were trying to achieve this place outside Vipassana retreat. To be in this state of mind colliding with this strange world, this experience lead me into C. G. Jung, and since then I’m diving regularly with my Analist into my dreams, paintings, woodcuts, texts and anything that comes out of me. Each expression I express somehow, is a spoon digging myself into my “self”...
I’ve been reading The Dark Books from Jung, about his experiences with his Active Imagination technique. I see as a way to find your inner voice and observe what’s your self and what’s from collective unconscious x what’s you feel about it this dialogue.
Thank you
Thanks Clarissa. I know Jung’s works offer a very in depth take on these and so many other matters. He seems to have been SO ahead of his time that our brightest minds are barely catching up to him and doing their best to offer quasi-translations of his ideas. I’d add any number of his works to my list for sure. Cheers!
There are a few books that shaped my perspective and changed me in a profound way but also helped me understand telepathy, the concept of unity via the collective conscious as well as how that collective consciousness shapes our world.
Meditation indeed has all the answers we seek in this realm. When we meditate we connect to that source of all that is and the answers are there if we are open to receive them.
The books we read many times validate what we already know deep in our soul. That resonance we feel when reading a book, I feel, is just our higher self saying “ahhhhh, I remember that!” Soul recognition of a blueprint we created from source.
Before my foray into reading books outside of fiction I meditated for years. I didn’t know what I was doing at the time. I just would sit in silence and just let my mind go from thought to thought. Eventually the space between thoughts expanded. I would meditate for hours not realizing it had been hours. (I had the time lol)
During that time I began to read some books recommended by friends. The books I read aligned to the information that came to me during my meditation practice. They were a confirmation of sorts of that interconnectedness we have as humans our origins, our powerful innate abilities, and the cyclical nature of earth and society.
The books that aligned were of course “1984” (which reminds me of the “Nose Dive” episode of Black Mirror ) but other books including “the holographic universe” by Michael Talbot, “the ancient secret of the flower of life” by Drunvalo Melchizadek, “Many lives many masters” by Dr. Brian Weiss “Atlantis, Aliens Visitation and Genetic Manipulation by Michael Tsarion, “Communion” by Whitley Streiber, “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” by Richard Bach, “the world according to Mister Rogers” by Fred Rogers, “Life Colors” by Pamala Oslie, “Glynis Has Your Number” by Glynis McCant, and of course, “the law of one” and “the emerald tablets.”
Books are crucial to not only confirming what we already know on a soul level but understanding and shaping who we are today. These books helped me understand and connect with others on a deep soulful and sometimes telepathic level. Sometimes I don’t even need to ask “how are you?” I already know. But asking opens a door to vulnerability. Whether someone walks through that door is for them to decide. But I leave the space open for them.
My YouTube channel would not exist if not for those amazing authors who put their thoughts onto paper. Dang, I’m grateful.
These are wonderful recommendations! Most of which I’ve also read but there are a few I’ll delightfully dig into soon. Thanks.
Late to the party as usual, but wanted to drop a title to check out “Hidden Reality: The BioGeometry Physics of Quality” by Ibrahim Karim. He goes into the robotic nature of being human and where the free will kicks in. So there are physical/ethereal forces at play which can govern our health/actions/reactions if we have energetic breaches. These can just be from exposure to media and electromagnetic influence. Another parallel here is that I’ve recently started ketamine infusion therapy for chronic pain and of course got a lot more than I bargained for on the mental plane of this experience. The first session was a pummeled-to-the-reef wake-up call how everything we/I say/do is in consideration of all the outside influences you mentioned. Cut the cord on cable feed years ago, but it’s inescapable in this society….until we habitually integrate this realization with tools of discernment. The BioGeometry realm is a new dig for me in that it seems to link concepts from the authors in your library above together to provide an ever-growing foundation of truth. Trying to remember the book about Owning your own mind… ah yes Napoleon Hill “How to Own Your Own Mind”.
About that other version of Earth, I had a dream in 2020 and posted it for my friends since it just seemed like and idealistic dream and nothing more. I received comments about a book called “A New Earth” by Ekhart Tolle” and that it apparently was a “thing” already envisioned or some believe they have already experienced it. So that freaked me out enough to investigate and see if perhaps my dream was more real than just a nice story from my subconscious. Can’t prove it yet, but when you experience something first-hand, maybe that’s the Yeti that tells us how little we really know. I’ll go find that dream again and post it here:
2/21/20
I had one of those surreal-but-oh-so-real dreams last night...I was chosen for a new world and when I arrived, it was like Disneyland, only better. Fruit trees everywhere, no parents yelling at their kids, and everyone seemed to be in sync somehow. I was on a "team" of some kind where I had a sort of mentor who would nudge me and help me along if I fell back into my old way of thinking. OK this is where it gets a little deep... There was an expectation of elevation above the old "human' way of being. It went beyond "to err is human; forgive, divine" and more like a common set of err's to permanently overcome. It was as if those things were a sign of someone who didn't mesh in the new world. Perhaps it's my own interpretation of the millennial hyper-vigilance or the social justice warrior mentality, but this was more respectful, as if it were just a common understanding that certain things were just not worth wasting time and energy on. So every now and then, I would "slip" and say something about needing to keep up with the Jones's and my mentor would give me a look that signified one of those common beliefs that weren't allowed. To clarify, it's not that they weren't allowed, it's that people in this new world just didn't bother with those kinds of thoughts. Come to think of it, maybe this dream was just a manifestation of my last yoga class... #DoMoreYoga
SciloVybin, never late. Always divine timing. 😉 Your input here really is confirmation of our interconnectedness as humans, as spirit, as beyond.
When I had my kundalini awakening/ spiritual awakening/ rebirth or whatever people are calling it these days I saw exactly what you are speaking of.
We were avatars being controlled by something outside of ourselves. At first fear took over and I thought it was some mind control thing going on which was partially true but after a meditation I realized the person controlling the avatar was in fact, myself. My highest version. At some point in my life I must have said “Jesus take the wheel” and meant it. Lol The relinquishing of fear and trusting the process was crucial during that time. And also being very mindful of what I ingested, mentally, spiritually, visually, physically, etc. That included releasing many of the “conspiracy theories” I held as truth. The truth for me was far greater than I could have ever imagined in my 3D existence. But much like your dream this was a world eerily similar to your dream. We didn’t speak in lack terms, no keeping up with the joneses either, everything was readily available to us and it was a world filled with love, abundance, compassion and empathy. Teamwork made the dream work. There was progress. There was telepathic connections and they were heart centered versus mind. I feel what I experienced during my awakening was this new Earth. Not a location but a frequency.
I‘ve had various dreams of new Earth, Yetis/ Sasquatches, and tsunamis before really knowing anything about them.
Here’s just a brief part of a post I wrote on Instagram back in October of 2019 about Sasquatches.
“The other day a posted a magazine cover of Bigfoot that came in the mail in my story and today I woke up to this email from #tut. “The legend of Bigfoot continues. Last known sighting was in San Bernardino CA”. I happened to be in San Bernardino when I opened that email. No coincidence. I have posted before about dreams I’ve had involving Sasquatches. I’ll post 1 again below for those that are interested.
But I believe certain “mythical” creatures/beings begin to appear to you depending on your level of consciousness and awareness.
Usually when I’m vibing beyond 3D, Sasquatches and yetis tend to manifest in different forms around me.
I’ve had many tidal wave dreams in my life and in the first one, Sasquatches made their appearance.
In the dream an apocalyptic tidal wave was nearing the valley, I was living in Burbank CA at the time and Sasquatches came down from the mountains to lead some of us to safety. Once we were safely at the top of the mountain we watched as Los Angeles was submerged underwater.
“I think, looking at a great many legends, folk-tales, and things of that nature, it is possible to vibrate at different rates. And if you vibrate at a different rate, you are not seen. You are not tangible. And, then, when your vibration changes, you are seen, and you are tangible. Maybe this has something to do with Bigfoot appearing and disappearing in a strange fashion”. -N. Redfern “”
Thank you for sharing your experience. And let me tell you, absolutely, #domoreyoga ! lol
By the way, how are you both? 🤗
I’m *still* learning to meditate, but I suspect I was very good at it when I was a kid as I remember being on another plane of existence. Until now, I just brushed it off as my robust imagination, but with events like my dream being confirmed as mutual experience by others, I could no longer attribute it to my Disney-filled upbringing…..or maybe Disney was also in this awareness…
With regard to seeing the beings, I remember sightings of lights/small creatures in the backyard much like the wisps seen by Merida in Brave.
I went blind for about a year from a car accident. The blindness fell in line with several of the scenarios described in Oliver Sack’s work, and for the first time in my adult life, I woke up “seeing” a morphing slideshow behind closed eyes of smiling faces, seemingly all female, and either all blonde or it was just a black and white or rather, luminescent white and light grey that gave them that appearance. Only once did that happen and shortly afterward I had surgery in one eye, absolutely nothing since then. Modern psychology calls these pathological hallucinations….
You’re so very welcome. If you are into cryptozoology and the origins of many “myths” as much as I am you’ll really Dig Michael Tsarion’s work. He’s very well respected in his field.
And if by chance any of those books I recommended sparks some inspiration I’m sure everyone here would love to hear your insights. Maybe even start your very own Oprah’s book club? 🤔 Lol
Have an awesome week! 🐸🦆🍄🌀♾🪲🐊🦜🦚🧩🎯🌋💎
Thank you, B. I appreciate your last bit about picking and choosing battles and the picking whether it’s worth dying upon said hill.
Felt like I needed to hear this in a sense. I was told last weekend that my ex wife is starting to go to a new church. No big deal I thought, having my 6-year-old child exposed to non-denominational faith is no big deal. She’ll grow out of it eventually. I then do some more digging on the name of the church (Hungry Generation) and I found it to be an evangelistic extremist cult that says things like, “be willing to surrender your lives,” and “you should be begging to give.” And then they also have 1+ hour long videos on YouTube where they supposedly cast out demons from people. Did I mention that this church is the one to diagnose their congregation with demons which requires a church-sponsored “deliverance” (I guess it’s a southern way of saying exorcism lol). If you are gay, it’s a demon! If you complain or ask questions of the pastor, it’s a demon/or the devil. Then they say things like “don’t worry about being financially poor for you are spiritually rich”. Total fucking cult mind control shit.
Anyways, I’ve mentally fought hard this week about insisting on my child not needing any sort of garbage being indoctrinated on her without her consent, yet there are no powers or limits that be that currently exist to do so. It’s a bummer but with time hopefully it is just a phase.
Look at it not as a battle, but a call to action to fill her toolbox. She’s still on that leading edge of all-knowing that we as adults have lost connection to. So your job now is to make the time for eye-to-eye, smile-to-smile conversations about trusting in yourself/herself and giving her counterbalancing experiences to put that nonsense in perspective.
A young child is still developing sense of self and is so innocent and easily persuaded by outside forces. I would have a hard time exposing my child to fear based shame, hatred and basically a bunch of gobbly goop hogwash. This world is hard enough to explain to kids without the fear of damnation to top it off, my answer is still no.
As a mother to a 7 year old child, all im gonna say is hellllll to the NO!! no no no omg no (not that you asked what I thought lol)
Damn. That was deeeep. I’m spinning. Talk about a mind fuck. Holy bananas. I need to re-read this about 5 more times at least. I’ve really got nothing of substance to add or suggest. That was a big takeaway for me. Do I always need to contribute to the conversation? Does what I have to say add value? Man. Wow. Head popped off.
Mindfulness is something I continuously work on within myself particularly in my communication within my relationships. I concur with meditation as a way to quiet the mind and dig deep within oneself. Neither are simple or easy. I’m definitely not always successful at either. But ya keep trying, right?!
Man. I’m still reeling over here in thought. Deep thoughts by Jack Handy. Ha! Thanks for a provocative post. ✌️
Where’s the lmao emoji for this comment, lol….Jack Handy 🤣. On a serious note, a lot of this sounds like my inner dialogue, but I’ve read several of the books listed and perhaps if you dive into those, these words/concepts will become your “language” too 😎
Lol. Thanks. I’ve only read one of the books on the list so far. Once I’m done with grad school I’ll be able to read for fun again. Sigh. In the meantime, these bursts are about as much as I can muster. 😉
Great article thanks Brandon.
I recently wrote this one which alligns with yours in some ways. It was sparked by an increasing no of substack writers claiming that people are ripping off their ideas- I pose some possible reasons for many people having similar conclusions because they are working with similar input and have similar goals.
https://justindaws.substack.com/p/this-is-a-copy-right
I wholeheartedly subscribe to the morphic resonance theory on this accidental copycatism. Rupert Sheldrake is one proponent, but many more are getting onboard the unseen energy train these days.
Heavy. Heavy stuff man. Three (or more)’s a crowd if you know what I’m saying. But it’s inspiring to know that someone that could be considered an “influencer”, in this day and age, could question his own individuality. I think so many of us struggle with this same sentiment. As someone who has always embraced individuality, it hasn’t always been so easy to avoid the status quo. In my youth, I tried to fit and blend in with everyone else. I went to school and church and blindly followed what I was taught. It wasn’t until my late teens that I even began to question anything. I was always labeled “different, eclectic, eccentric etc..” So there was always a sense of self that I wasn’t like everyone else. It wasn’t until my 20s that I began to embark on the journey to discover who I really was.
It has become harder the past few years because now it seems like all I ever do is think. Sometimes in our thoughts there’s no where to hide, no hole to crawl into and just die. You kind of have to face the man in the mirror so to speak. Listening to this voice and that voice and learning which ones to tune out and which ones to tune into can become a vicious cycle of sorts. I want to shut it all out but that can be a lot easier said than done. I have most recently, however, learned to choose happiness. It’s a totally conscious and aware process that doesn’t happen so naturally to someone with depression or anyone for that matter. But becoming a positive role model for myself has been challenging. Especially when I’m harder on myself than anyone else.( It’s mind blowing that being nice to myself and truly loving myself was something I had to do intentionally.) But actively deciding to choose a happier mindset can be affected by the outside world. I can let negativity throw me down the rabbit hole or I can decide that in this moment I am happy. I choose the latter. I’ve spent far too much time crying but I won’t let my tears fall in vain.
I think we could all learn from one another. What would the world look like if we all thought for ourselves? If we all questioned our own individuality? It’s crazy to think that in an instance your physical being could be somewhere but internally you’re somewhere else entirely wondering “is this me?”. It’s an out of body experience in itself. You’re objectively taking a step back and witnessing yourself from another point of view.
Thank you for always being so vulnerable and open and using your platform to connect with us here. I’m learning a lot about myself and the world around me. This brings me back to our discussion about being present a while back. Our thoughts can become a prison if we allow them to. So I think it’s important that each person determine for themselves how to move forward accordingly. I’m still learning about who the voice in my head is and maybe one day we’ll know one another more intimately(or not). But there’s much to be discovered and explored that can’t be overlooked. But if I’m a voice in anyone’s head I’m sure they fucking hate me lol. I do sometimes miss when I mindlessly did things without a single thought. Now there’s always some kind of internal dialogue or “buzzing” as you like to put it. As unsettling as it seems, I guess ignorance IS bliss. Returning to a simpler state of mind may be out of the question but progression is not. I enjoy this kind of thought provoking conversation.
XOXO
Btw look at that BUTT! 🩰
My son and I used to call them parrot zombies. It’s so frustrating! But also, how do we have compassion? We realize that certainty feels better than uncertainty. We also become aware of our own parrot zombieness and strive to do better.  Also, learn to ask better questions. Such as, what does it mean to know?  When asked what I think, I sometimes respond with “ I don’t know enough about it to feel qualified to have an opinion”. You know, try to lead the way. Get everyone to question their own assumptions. Like you always do for us Brandon, thank you 🙏🏼
Well that was a whole lot of brainpower I just used running on 4 hours of sleep, I may have just short circuited. Ultimately there is really not a lot of hills left for me to die on. I have spent most of my life with high emotions, a very stressful job and some very tumultuous relationships. Ever heard of adrenal fatigue? Lol I think the hardest thing to do in life is to keep your mouth shut. People dont know how to do that very well. There just arent things that carry enough worth to argue about. I appreciate all of your deep thoughts, you always make me think, even when it hurts :) xoxo
"To each, their own."
I'd also like to add to this pseudo-book club list, "In Praise of Slowness: Challenging the Cult of Speed" by Carl Honore and "How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy" by Jenny Odell. Like "The Shallows," "In Praise of Slowness" was written in what now seems like a slower time to me (2004) but so many of the topics it touches on have just become more pressing.
I find I'm more likely to have my own thoughts and opinions when I take some time to digest things mentally. Otherwise, I'm likely to default to the easiest or most top-of-mind thing, which is inevitably something an algorithm has suggested to me. So many of these books are about taking a breather... It's funny that having a lazy Sunday in can be a rebellious act.
I love this question. How often is our response clouded by thoughts like:
What will they think of me if I answer honestly?
Will my answer hurt someone's feelings?
What if their thoughts are totally different to mine?
What if their thoughts are totally opposed to mine?
Will it affect our friendship?
Will it jeopardise my job?
And yet, most of the time I have been very honest about what I think, because it makes life easier. I've always had a guiding philosophy of if you are always honest, you don't have to remember what you said. The skill then is more related to the delivery.
Brandon, you have a way of writing that is moving…so elegant. Thank you for being YOU!!
Wish I didn't have to buy 10 day pass to see the talk at South by Southwest. This is why Texans despise it. :( I did stock up on Madonna original and Tiny Dancer. Also, Solar Gate.
I'm leaving my lover because we don't speak the same music and art. I ordered a few pieces from Moonlight and am going to leave from ATX and head back to Costa Rica and open my yoga studio close to Playa Hermosa. Never left a good man and searched for a lifetime with someone else. Not everybody speaks your music and they want to Anna Moly Jedi mind f-ck you w sh-tty country music. I wanted to go to Boston for John Mayer but the solo concerts do become lonely. Can't stand having to pay for peoples tickets. My boyfriend can't afford me. My family saw it, I lied to myself. I ignored all the signs. He doesn't know Chris Cornell or Incubus?? Deal Breaker. Where all the songs come from, Isadore. Oshun
This is were self aware comes in to play: know thyself. This is also were compassion and forgiveness comes in to play: it's ok to be wrong. It's ok to change your opinion. Frankly, I hope to always ask "What's on your mind?" And god dammit, I hope I'm always asked, "What's on your mind?"