How do you navigate your own mind?

You know those escape the room games? Imagine being in one of those, but you can't actually see anything, and that the rooms have different psychological motifs which influence you in a particular manner...

Welcome to what I call consciousness where every room is a different feeling, the only one of which I can readily access is sadness. Ideas are like bursts of light in the darkness, love and rebuke of friends and family is like a light shining through...

Yet how does one grab onto light? Seeing, one can yet remain unconvinced, remaining firmly in illusion despite literally the best of his self. How does one overcome insanity? How does one assert their will over themselves?

These questions I ask because I literally feel as if I am crawling along in the dark seeing wonderful visions yet not being fully convinced of them because I'm so used to the darkness and in fact have become too comfortable, to set in inertia, to actually move or do anything.

What cuts deepest to my core is that I esteem creativity and love yet I only ever embody them when it suits or benefits me, and so easily and often leave them hanging to dry, knowing that for what my soul cries out for I need to make them my second skin... And not doing it even when that very same creativity is channeled into getting me out of the situation because I ignore that too...

Nd it is such an incredibly subtle art to focus oneself on doing something in order to do it... Meta physics indeed... Physics is governed by metaphysics, though the latter presupposes the former, and I feel lost amidst the sea of philosophy with no oar, only a makeshift raft and a net. Wonderful things, I find, I feel, I see. And yet...

With no way to be, other than to become;
for one lost in stagnation it's hard to overcome
The battle is never lost, remember this
All you ever do is your best
Just remember to try
Always, and you will fly

I write things crafted from my heart to myself and I ignore them... I say now I will try, and like every time I do have every intention. It is the worst kind of pain, especially when you see that same love shining into you from others and you fail them too...

My question for you is, like it says in the title, How do you navigate your own mind? Is there different techniques? I read in a fantasy book once a most intriguing concept which wasn't elaborated upon, of mental geometries. Like I kid you not, I have a hard time searching my own memories at times.

Google Maps.

a reply to: LucidWarrior

I generally work myself physically
to near exhaustion, then shower off
the salts and impurities of sweat.
Then I cloth my body in white cotton/muslin,
and hit the hay.

At that point, the natural endorphins
help me navigate my mind to the
"eyes wide closed" room.
From there, navigation of the mind
is easily eternal and infinite.

In the morning, I like pineapple juice,
and repeat.

And another thing, I will have a cold Budvar with anyone,
but I refrain from any drugs of any kind.
Except aspirin. Here is why, I had an old friend who lived to a ripe
old age. He earned a purple heart flying a secret mission across enemy
lines in a glider, and was at Normandy among'st other missions.
He recommended that I consume
One Half of an aspirin a day. He said that this helped his method of
a long and heroic life and state of mind.

Ah yes, one of the benefits of Salicaceae is blood flow to the brain.

a reply to: LucidWarrior
I've never told anyone this before. No reason why. It's just never came up conversationally.

I picked up some meditation techniques from some random book many years ago some of it stuck with me.

The idea is to picture a house. You start outside and go into the house. The rooms inside can be used to either represent events, things, people or time periods or whatever, even abstracts that have no defined meaning to you yet. It's your house, it's up to you what feels most "right".

But every time you do it you are more solidifying this concept. It was recommended to try keeping the same structure and meanings to the rooms / floor plan to help with that.

Depending on your meditation routine you can get to a point where you're already mostly on autopilot by then. That's pretty cool stuff.

Sometimes in rough times it's dark and stormy outside, other times it's a bright Spring day. My house is mostly a large Victorian type but has appeared looking like a stereotypical "haunted house" that I had reoccurring dreams about for a while.

I don't properly meditate much more these days but it's something I still do sometimes when falling asleep or needing to work through a particular problem or series of memories that I've... ah, repressed isn't quite the right word but something like that. Haven't dealt with yet?

I experimented with locking up some really bad things that happened to me when I was a kid. That didn't go so well so I don't recommend anything like that. If you have some heavy problems, try to work through them instead.

Anyways I hope that helps if you try it.

a reply to: Wildmanimal

I am amazed. That affords a ton of insight into so called 'primitive' cultures. Thank you ever so much for these your words! I will certainly be trying it

a reply to: Noncents

Hey thanks for stopping by! It sounds like a good idea I just think I'd get caught up in building the house haha! I will certainly get around to trying it.

a reply to: LucidWarrior
No problem. I found it easier to start off than I thought it would be at first. But like any meditation it gets easier over time.

I'm interested in seeing what other people do as well. Good idea for a thread.

a reply to: LucidWarrior

Amazed?
You, my ATS friend are suffering from electronic
over-stimulation.

There is nothing "primitive" about it.
Unless, you consider yourself suffering from test results
like modern day lab monkey.

Experiments on Humans and Primates are current.
I can tell you that. You are clearly proof of that.
HooHaa!

a reply to: LucidWarrior

Hi Lucid. Sorry to see you having some rough moments. This too shall pass.

Was happily surprised by Noncents' post: since have a somewhat similar procedure. (Way to go Noncents!)

Another concept is to imagine a constant presence with you, of the most loving and caring entity you can imagine.
Like a Loving, caring parent of a young child. Always encouraging you, telling you not to worry, and just telling you that you are a wonderful and amazing person. In a way that's never false, but always potentially real. Gently.

There may be no overcoming insanity, as we all seem to be insane, to some degree.

Have painfully discovered that: "asserting your will over yourself", only leads to tears and frustration.
What if it wasn't necessary? What is the origin of that "will" thing? Is it really your friend?

Wish for you Peace and blessings.

a reply to: Wildmanimal

Much like Google maps guy I don't think condescension is called for. Notice the apostroohes around primitive, meaning to say, "so called" in the way that people who do suffer from overstimulation call our ancestors primitive because they worked directly for their survival and didn't have the technology we have... Yet these people weren't primitive at all like you misunderstood me as saying, they were simply focused on the more important things in the manner which you described... Which was the source of my amazement.

a reply to: Nothin

Ah, I have recently begun to try that very method, in the form of my Muse. But as you saw in despondent resolve, I despair if failing even her...

Aye, we are all insane but there's a difference between workable insane, and not haha. The origin of the will thing is percieving things one way yet having my actions consciously and subconsciously fall short leaving me feeling like I'm hitting the gas but the wires are disconnected, except its just that I don't do what I believe I should/must

originally posted by: LucidWarrior
a reply to: Nothin

Ah, I have recently begun to try that very method, in the form of my Muse. But as you saw in despondent resolve, I despair if failing even her...

Aye, we are all insane but there's a difference between workable insane, and not haha. The origin of the will thing is percieving things one way yet having my actions consciously and subconsciously fall short leaving me feeling like I'm hitting the gas but the wires are disconnected, except its just that I don't do what I believe I should/must

Perhaps you can modify your Muse, to be all accepting of you? Because you ARE worthy of the purest Love.

Workable insanity eh? It does seem to require some sort of balancing act.

Hear you about the spinning tires, but the question of the origin is still unseen underneath the "should/must".
Where does that : "should/must" come from, and why do we give it more importance than the way we truly feel, in any given moment?

a reply to: Nothin

I'm aware the pain I see in her eyes is my own, it is not her love that fails it is my, it is mine! When I spurning even that most purest of love I can imagine... Which is literally in itself a failure.

The should/must is how I truly feel, like how the purest love is how I truly feel and yet there is a certain. Distance between me and it that seems unfathomable though my mind and everyone else agree it's just an inch.

How disgusting it is to write about oneself like this, even! My only way out is by navigating my mental faculties, by organizing my perceptions so where my focus and activity at least mentally is preoccupied with where I should wish to go so that out of sheer necessity I will go where I should wish...

My Muse even speaks to me and I do not follow though my heart listens and my soul leaps and my fingers dance

a reply to: LucidWarrior

I am not trying to insult you,
I am just stating a fact.
E-pollution is interfering with you.

Apologies if I offended you with my crass humor.
Honestly,
Wildmanimal

a reply to: LucidWarrior

Seems we are both in the same realm of wanting, unknowing, and ultimate indifference. For so long I've felt this mask I wear for different people to entertain different situations, is falling off, and revealing me. But what is that?

What is it to be able to navigate our own mind and be a thing? when it is fleeting and random, seemingly, for any occasion.

the sadness I continually feel for the things I have failed to do, failed to be, and have become in times of dire loss, wrecks me.

If you get an answer beyond trolls, please let me know. Seems the demon drink is the only thing that people see me as, it sets my sights, but not where I ever want to be... a miserable soul, lost in the wilderness, rudderless, insane...

a reply to: Noncents

That is awesome. a mnemonic subset for thoughts. I'll try this. I find guided meditation helps, but it's hard to do when the storms are wailing...

a reply to: LucidWarrior

There may be a chasm, between the: "should/must", and your exterior behavior, but you are gaining insight.

Focusing on the chasm: will not help.

To build a bridge: one needs to thoroughly investigate the two solid bases, on either side.
To dig deep and get to the rock-bottom origin of both sides.

Imagine you have a: "Ronnie-Rational; Larry-Logical; Pete-Pragmatist; Ernie-Engineer" hat, that you could put-on, and thusly investigate a particular concept within.

Then we can look objectively, and clearly at this underlying "should/must", and this perceived need to assert will.
Then we can look objectively, and clearly at this current behavior, without the harsh eye of the inner-critic.


(PS: That was another way to navigate one's mind).

originally posted by: badw0lf
a reply to: LucidWarrior
...the sadness I continually feel for the things I have failed to do, failed to be, and have become in times of dire loss, wrecks me...

What can one possibly do about the past? Does anyone have the ability to affect the past?

The only sense that rings true: is right-here, right-now.

I might have more to say after I've gotten some sleep. For now I can only say that I take one day at a time.
There are many of us who have been through too much for too long and those things tend to haunt us, even if in a subconscious state. Meditation works sometimes, but usually my mind needs an off button or a pause button which I have yet to find.

Do you have depression and or anxiety? Do you have a good friend you can spend time with and have deep and interesting conversations with? Do you use diversions to keep your mind off the negativity like watching a great movie or reading a great book?

The light is always inside you, even if at times it is dim. Hold on to that light and nurture it. Find time out in nature to restore your spirit.

I will be reading this thread with great interest.

When all else fails, enter The Shed.

www.abovetopsecret.com...