Brandon Nankivell's Blog, page 2

Why Trust a Guru over a Psychiatrist to Transform Insanity into Peace?

It is my understanding and direct experience that the single most important human endeavour, if the goal is to move from world insanity to world peace, is to…

Know thyself.
- Socrates

My Guru has said the same.

It’s not knowing the Ego-Self, which is illusion.

To know our True Self (or The Higher Self which, if I understand correctly, is a synonymous term Carl Jung uses).

Jung stresses that the Higher Self is paradoxical — and even contradictory — because it comprehends all the opposites.

As stated above, True Self is contradictory. It is what it is. It transcends rationality. You may not like it, but as you say, Truth doesn’t care about your feelings!

I see that the vast majority of humans do not know themselves. Their real selves, and therefore do not have peace.

The Ego-Self must die.

Author of The Immortality Key Brian Muraresku states,

There is a monastery on Mt. Athos in Greece, one of the most important sites of Orthodox spirituality, will come face-to-face with a beautiful Greek saying mounted on the wall of the reception area: “If you die before you die, you won’t die when you die.”

He goes on to say:

And right there, plain as can be, is the stated goal of every mystic or saint who has ever tried to put any of the world’s religions to the ultimate test. To die before you die. Or rather, to psychologically maim the ego — even for a brief instant — in order to be initiated into an understanding of what lies beneath all the thoughts, feelings, and memories that have gone into the lifetime construction of our false, or at the very least incomplete, sense of self. The little ego (Latin for “I”) that seems so firmly in control is just an elaborate illusion.

Humanity is Insane

The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.

— Henry David Thoreau

Thoreau highlights an observation I’ve made by interacting with countless people in my life.

The vast majority of humans live a life of chaos, whether they admit it or not. They are ignorant of their True Selves, and so are a slave to the ‘roller coaster of life’ oscillating between temporary highs and lows, instead of experiencing what The Buddha described as ‘equanimity’, or what I call it:

Peace.

I noticed growing up that those who live ‘The American Dream’ or the traditional, conditioned idea of ‘The Good Life’, if honest with themselves are living that life of quiet desperation as Thoreau put it.

It doesn’t take much to ‘crack someone open’ by asking them a few probing questions that poke their Ego, which results in anger.

Anger is far from peace.

In psychology, its well established that us humans are fantastic at self-deception, which is why a psychologist or therapist employs much time, effort, and tactfulness to attempt to dig through the patient’s self-deception and psychological defence mechanisms to get to the uncomfortable truths.

The patient, employing self-deception!

Like the patient hating themselves, the patient’s fear of death, the patient’s guilt about not taking proper care of the kids, grief over the death of a loved one, regret of not doing things when they are younger…

The list goes on…

This is not to dismiss the great moments people have in life. There is definitely much good, and I am not here with a pessimistic-dominant attitude.

Another message I love from one of my one of my favourite saints (some would call him a thinker or philosopher, but he is far from that):

It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.

— Jiddu Krishnmurti

Krishnamurti sees through the illusion of Ego-Self. From this vantage point, it is easy to see that society (which is made of individuals) is sick. Or insane as I put it.

Psychiatrists Don’t Know Themselves

Seeing a psychiatrist is not the optimal way for most people to emerge from insanity into peace.

Learning from a True Guru is better, since the True Guru knows themselves and lives in a state of peace. A True Guru understands the mind magnitudes more than a psychiatrist.

I recall an amusing scene from episode 166 in the classic TV show: Bewitched.

Dr Chomsky is a psychiatrist who keeps seeing Samantha everywhere he goes, and ends up questioning his sanity to the point he admits: “I need to psychiatrist…”

The obvious irony here is that he is a psychiatrist himself! Illustrating that even being a qualified psychiatrist who has a vast understanding of psychology and the brain, is not sufficient to maintain sanity.

An article that cites studies states ‘Psychiatrists have the highest suicide rate of any profession.’

Interesting!

Another sentiment I love:

…your psychologists, even the founders — Sigmund Freud, Carl Gustav Jung, Adler, Assagioli — even they knew nothing about themselves, so how can they help you to know yourself?

— Osho

Osho is a controversial Guru, and I don’t consider him a True Guru since he still engaged in the energies of greed, lust, and power, however — It is my observation that he has experienced states of no-self (no Ego-Self but not necessarily True Self) to a high degree and on a consistent basis.

He also grew up as a debating champion and has a highly intellectual predisposition, yet sees beyond the limits of rationality.

What’s more important here is the claim he makes about psychologists not knowing themselves, which I would extend to include psychiatrists, since they’ve just got extra training to prescribe medication.

Psychiatrists Are Brainwashed: The Corrupt Medical System

I’ve been involved in the medical system since I was a child, because my mother was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder.

I saw her oscillate between severe depression and mania. I saw the challenges she faced with her psychiatrist enforcing and changing medication plans which caused volatile and often violent effects in my mother’s mental well-being.

I developed the impression that many psychiatrists are just ‘throwing shit until something sticks’!

It doesn’t take much investigation into the corrupt industry of Big Pharma to realize that psychiatrists are brainwashed in the education system to prescribe medications for profit incentives of the drug companies, regardless of the potential effectiveness and relevance to the patient.

Medication notoriously over-prescribed, ignoring simply dietary and healthy lifestyle habits that are proven to help that patient, without taking drastic risks with side-effects.

Why trust a psychiatrist with our well-being?

Conclusion

Humanity is insane. To move into world peace, we need to know our True Self. It’s better for most people to learn from a True Guru then see a psychiatrist.

[image error]

The Opportunity Cost of Dismissing Unproven Mind-Manipulation Activities in Favour of Rational…

The Opportunity Cost of Dismissing Unproven Mind-Manipulation Activities in Favour of Rational Discourse

The risk of not partaking in a mind-manipulation activity that can’t be supported by a proven experimental framework (with a precise outcome and time-frame in which it can be achieved) could be greater than avoiding these activities altogether.

The risk is that you close your mind-off to unproven mind-manipulation activities that could greatly benefit you, and therefore stay married to proven mind-manipulation activities, but are limited in their ability to help you.

For example, if someone limits themselves to proven activities such as receiving cognitive behavioural therapy from a psychologist and running as a form of healthy exercise to improve ones life, that is all well and good, but one runs into limitation in terms of what it can do for their life.

If they remain fearful or nonchalantly dismiss unproven activities, then they pose an opportunity cost on themselves.

It’s well established in the field of psychology and can be observed in direct experience, that the human-mind craves certainty.

Yet, this craving for certainty is consistently not fulfilled, and hence the vast majority of humans suffer.

Around November 2017, I was sitting on a bus in Hawaii, listening to the audiobook, Waking Up by Sam Hariss. I recall hearing the following passage:

…if I knew that either of my daughters would eventually develop a fondness for methamphetamine or heroin, I might never sleep again. But if they don’t try a psychedelic like psilocybin or LSD at least once in their adult lives, I will wonder whether they had missed one of the most important rites of passage a human being can experience.

This is not to say that everyone should take psychedelics. As I will make clear below, these drugs pose certain dangers. Undoubtedly, some people cannot afford to give the anchor of sanity even the slightest tug. It has been many years since I took psychedelics myself, and my abstinence is born of a healthy respect for the risks involved. However, there was a period in my early twenties when I found psilocybin and LSD to be indispensable tools, and some of the most important hours of my life were spent under their influence. Without them, I might never have discovered that there was an inner landscape of mind worth exploring.

Like yourself, Sam acknowledges the risk of taking psychedelics, just like (if I understand your view correctly) you’d consider it stupid to get involved with them, unless there use fits a certain criteria within an experimental framework that satisfies your demands.

Sam doesn’t deny that everyone should take psychedelics, but he doesn’t say everyone shouldn’t either. His mind is open to himself and others experimenting with mind-manipulation methods such as taking psychedelics, in pursuit of discovering ‘an inner landscape of mind worth exploring’.

You don’t know what you don’t know, until you try something new and outside of your familiar mental framework. And what you discover, could be a breakthrough that revolutionizes your life, with little downside.

I would however suggest that a meditation is a safer and more well-studied mind-manipulation activity that not only can take you beyond merely what a psychedelic could give you in terms of a long-lasting and permanent positive impact in your perception of life, but is much less risky as well.

This meta-analysis may be of interest: Mindfulness-meditation: A research-proven way to reduce stress.

But whether it is well-studied or not is beside the point.

The main point is that:

Whether the meditation practice is well-studied or not, the risk of not partaking in a mind-manipulation activity that can’t be supported by a proven experimental framework, could be greater than avoiding these activities altogether.

A Critique of Rational Discourse

If the goal is to move from insanity to world peace, then establishing Truth must be the aim.

World peace starts in peace within the individual.

What’s more effective in establishing inner peace, an unproven meditation practice such as self-inquiry or rational discourse?

I will focus on the limitations of rational discourse since I have previously covered the benefit of diving into an unproven meditation practice.

Questions to carefully reflect on in sincerity:

Historically, how successful has rational discourse been in establishing peace within the individual?

Is recorded history an accurate representation of how peaceful a society was in the distant past?

If you look at your own life, and you engage in and value rational discourse, what is your honest assessment of how peaceful you have become as a result?

How do you know your assessment is accurate and not rooted in self-deception?

What’s the point of rational discourse if you aren’t peaceful?

Is your primary intention in rational discourse to prove your point to the other person for the pleasure of feeling self-righteous, or to expand your mind and learn?

Which is more important and why?

Messages to consider:

“Be silent or let thy words be worth more than silence.”
― Pythagoras

[image error]

You Are an Illusion

You are not your name.

My name is Brandon.

‘Brandon’ is a word.

I am not a word.

You are not your body.

Am I my left thumb?

Am I my head?

Am I my right foot?

If I am not any body part, then am I the whole body?

You are not your memories.

A memory is a thought that occurs in the present moment.

Recall a memory now.

Are you that memory?

If you are not, then does it make sense to say you are your memories?

Recall:

Can you recall what you did at 6:22pm on the 27th of March last year?

If not, then how do you know who you are?

Memory is dynamic:

New memories are always being created. If memories are always being created, then this is not a static process. It’s dynamic.

Memories can be forgotten, or modified involuntarily upon recall. This phenomenon is known as false memories.

Because memory is dynamic (constantly changing), how can we claim we are something that is in constant flux?

As soon as a claim is made that ‘I am X’ and X changes, then it becomes false.

The past is an illusion:

Is the past real?

If you say yes, how do you know?

Memories!

But memories are thoughts that occur in the present moment. Memories are not the actual event that apparently took place in the past.

Video evidence!

You watch videos in the present moment and assume the videos are a true representation of a past.

Therefore video evidence does not prove the existence of the past.

Because past is illusion, then memory is based on illusion, since memory refers to the past.

Therefore, if you say you are your memories, then you are saying you are an illusion.

You are not your senses.

When you get touched by someone, and feel the sensation of pressure on your skin, are you that pressure on your skin?

You are not your inner voice.

If the inner voice ever stopped speaking, you would disappear.

Thought Experiment

Consider your body.

Who’s body is it?

Mine.

Who does ‘mine’ refer to?

Me.

Who is ‘Me’?

Thought Experiment 2

Who tastes?

Who smells?

Who sees?

Who hears?

Who touches?

Who talks?

Who thinks?

Who remembers?

Who imagines?

Who experiences?

Who suffers?

Conclusion

If you are not your name, body, memories, senses, or inner voice, then who are you?

[image error]

You are an illusion.

You are not your name.

My name is Brandon.

‘Brandon’ is a word.

I am not a word.

You are not your body.

Am I my left thumb?

Am I my head?

Am I my right foot?

If I am not any body part, then am I the whole body?

You are not your memories.

A memory is a thought that occurs in the present moment.

Recall a memory now.

Are you that memory?

If you are not, then does it make sense to say you are your memories?

Recall:

Can you recall what you did at 6:22pm on the 27th of March last year?

If not, then how do you know who you are?

Memory is dynamic:

New memories are always being created. If memories are always being created, then this is not a static process. It’s dynamic.

Memories can be forgotten, or modified involuntarily upon recall. This phenomenon is known as false memories.

Because memory is dynamic (constantly changing), how can we claim we are something that is in constant flux?

As soon as a claim is made that ‘I am X’ and X changes, then it becomes false.

The past is an illusion:

Is the past real?

If you say yes, how do you know?

Memories!

But memories are thoughts that occur in the present moment. Memories are not the actual event that apparently took place in the past.

Video evidence!

You watch videos in the present moment and assume the videos are a true representation of a past.

Therefore video evidence does not prove the existence of the past.

Because past is illusion, then memory is based on illusion, since memory refers to the past.

Therefore, if you say you are your memories, then you are saying you are an illusion.

You are not your senses.

When you get touched by someone, and feel the sensation of pressure on your skin, are you that pressure on your skin?

You are not your inner voice.

If the inner voice ever stopped speaking, you would disappear.

Thought Experiment

Consider your body.

Who’s body is it?

Mine.

Who does ‘mine’ refer to?

Me.

Who is ‘Me’?

Thought Experiment 2

Who tastes?

Who smells?

Who sees?

Who hears?

Who touches?

Who talks?

Who thinks?

Who remembers?

Who imagines?

Who experiences?

Who suffers?

Conclusion

If you are not your name, body, memories, senses, or inner voice, then who are you?

[image error]

5 Things I’m Learning From

5 Things I’m Learning From 🐏

Dirty dishes don’t make me angry, I make me angry. It applies to everything that 'happens to me’. EVERYTHING. I had been unaware. I became aware of a backseat belief that says my anger is justified because it’s obvious that doing dishes is the right thing to do. So if I feel my anger is justified, why would I stop being angry? I also had a belief that the anger was biological and happened at lightning speed, therefore I had no control over it. Talk about deflecting responsibility! Since seeing the absurdity of not wanting to be angry but choosing to be angry, blowing a gasket has lessened.Listen to energy more than the words. I bring up a point to argue or an issue I am having and 🐏 often prompts me to 'have a look at it’. That is, my energy. Forget the words. No matter how logical or right I think I am, if there is negative energy behind my words, then I know that’s Ego speaking. And the major reason I interact with 🐏 is to learn how to become free of Ego. I see now that protesting for 'good' things like save the planet, go vegan, fight for freedom — have been backed with violent energy, even if it is subtle. It is manipulative, forceful, Hitleresque. “DO THIS, DON’T DO THAT, OR ELSE WE WILL… AND YOU ARE… 🤬” It doesn’t mean that I should or shouldn’t follow these initiatives, but if there is even a slither of violent energy in my actions, then conflict on the planet will ensue, no matter how much Kale I eat to save the animals. This one has taken alot of patience, open-mindedness, and consideration to unpack.Measurement keeps me on the hamster wheel. 🐏 often points out that I am measuring my spiritual progress. His demeanour nonchalant. I had always wondered why until I blew up at him the other day. Ego was not happy because it felt like an attack. I have been experiencing more peace and glimpses of the divine, and when I share my progress report, it feels like I get shot down, and that he is denying the reality that I’VE BEEN FEELING MORE PEACEFUL, DAMN IT! 🤷 I believe he is helping me understand that measuring where I was versus where I am now is a cunning tactic of the Ego to keep me chasing a mirage. “I was there but now I am not anymore, therefore I feel dissatisfied.”Be weary of helping others who don’t ask for it. Often I think I am helping when really I am dictating. Nobody likes being dictated to. The wifey trying to mould the frustrated hubby into her ideal is the epitome of examples. You should get this job, wear that shirt, clean this bench, watch this movie, eat this brocolli. Even if a broccoli would make hubby healthier, if he isn’t asking for health advice, then why try to force him to be any other way than he is? Is that love? It may not be seen as forcing, but if you have a look at the energy behind the words or thoughts in your mind, you’ll likely feel the energy of manipulation if you are honest with yourself. So as long as I manipulate, I can’t be whole. Focusing on my own brocolli with zero motive of influencing the other to eat brocolli, is ironically, the most pure way to influence the other to eat brocolli.What is my motive? Whether it is posting an Instagram or talking with a friend, 🐏 often asks me this. After much examination, I noticed many of my every day habits were littered with Ego-upholderingness. In conversations with a friend it’s “I am this and I can help you because I am awesome". And sharing life quotes on Instagram presents itself as humble service, but is often to win the admiration of nodding heads, or to show off my awesome wisdom.[image error]

And now, a minute of silence.

And now, a minute of silence.

For the soldiers who defended your country.

Growing up, I always thought this was strange.

600 people.

At school assembly.

Standing.

In silence.

For what?

For the soldiers who defended our country?

Or for firing missiles at one another because they were looked down upon if they didn’t?

Perhaps both.

Either way, I can’t help but see that defending your country by firing missiles at others is akin to throwing the baby out with the bath water.

I have little interest in a long-winded justification that goes something like,

Well if they didn’t put their lives on the line to defend our country, you wouldn’t be here!

You can’t fight fire with fire.

Well, you can.

But not if you want peace.

Most people don’t want peace.

THEY’RE FIRING MISSILES AT US.

QUICK, FIRE MISSILES AT THEM!!

Surely then, we will find peace at last.

This guy murdered that guy.

Send him to the guillotine!

Do you see the madness?

[image error]

This Is Not Poetry.

“Nice poetry.”

Said my friend, upon reading What Walking Barefoot Feels Like.

This is not poetry!

This is the fingers dancing!

Effortlessly!

When the soul is singing, it writes!

What comes out, is what comes out.

Perhaps this is poetry after all.

But see.

Right there.

Labels!

Humans love labelling things!

And that’s how you miss it!

Logicifying everthing.

Ha!

Poetry is an accident.

Trying to do poetry is like trying not to think of the purple elephant.

Don’t think about it.

Don’t think about the purple elephant.

Don’t think about the purple elephant.

Don’t think about the purple elephant.

Are you thinking about the purple elephant?

Ha!

Roses are red.

Violets are blue.

This is following a system.

It doesn’t come from you.

So spread those wings!

Write what’s true.

Only for you.

Let it spill out.

Forget the clout.

If the rhymes ain’t comin, let it be!

There ain’t no rules here.

Rules are for fools.

In school they taught me about stanzas.

Life taught me that stanzas can be forgotten.

What’s a stanza?

Heck if I know!

Poetry.

Ah, yes…

You know?

It just comes out.

Convincing seems silly.

You just write.

The song is sung.

The sung is song.

Ahh….

Sing song sing song wong.

Ding.

Dong.

Donkey Kong.

64.

Margerie Door!

Lists and steps and tuts and orders.

I’d rather it without all the borders.

Art and music and paint and fun!

What more could I want?

A hot cross BUN!

To the reader I consider that this is more than a yidder.

What I feel is not for sale even to the highest bidder.

An auction for feeling?

I don’t think so.

But a free sharing for all is the way I must go.

It’s not an option, it’s a flowing flow-flow.

Flow it must!

Flow it might!

Have a taste of vegemite!

The joy is here.

The joy is there.

The next line is obvious.

The joy is everywhere!

How did we get here?

We just wrote.

We wrote and we wrote until we didn’t.

What It Feels Like to Enjoy Your Own Company

The other day I was asked:

What does your ideal day look like?

“This is pretty good.”

I responded, as I sat underneath a tree by the ocean with my new friends.

It’s a question I used to ask alot.

Journal about it.

Etc.

These days it has less relevance since my inner life is typically one of peace.

Enivronment plays a part, but it’s small.

I live a simple life.

Typically stick to myself.

Don’t interact with too many people.

A day out in nature is more than enough.

Could it be better?

Sure.

It seems things can always be better.

Enough is pretty damn awesome though.

I’ve spent plenty of time feeling like things are not enough, like most people.

And that’s a garbage way to live.

Is what it is, until it isn’t.

Do things.

Grow.

Get better.

Work through traumas and stuff.

Improve your life.

Sweet Pete.

There’s not much to say about what it feels like being with myself.

On an average day, there’s barely any impediments or stressors.

What’s left is this kind of calm neutrality.

Floating acceptance.

It’s cloud 8.

Other days are cloud 9 where things are divine.

Wrote that because it rhymed.

I like slime.

Back to the point — cloud 9 is when love, joy, or bliss are rampant.

Cloud 8 is the calm neutrality.

A light pleasantness.

Swiftness.

Breezey.

No hatred toward myself.

Doesn’t cross my mind.

Sometimes undesirable thoughts arise.

When they do, I accept them.

Maybe make a short action plan.

Then continue on with life.

What Joy Feels Like

Joy is a rainbow.

It’s frollicking in the pot of gold at the end of that rainbow.

It’s sliding down that rainbow with hands in the air like we don’t care!

Joy is like a friend named Roy who likes fishing for Coy.

https://medium.com/media/11e1a6ed981206deb85053a6e4d44499/href

Joy to the world, the world is good.

Joy is like the extroverted version of peace and unconditional love.

Joy is skipping instead of walking.

Joy is splashing around like a happy smiling Magikarp!

Joy is energeous!

Joy is making up your own words on the spot!

Joy is exclamation marks!!!

Joy is sparky!

Joy is YES YES YES!!!

Joy…

Joy is jumping up and down!

Joy is doing a tumble on the grass.

Joy is the funny stick bug from bug’s life.

Joy is fluffy.

Joy is cloud 9!

Joy is jovial!

Joy is jubilant!

Joy is jelly welly!

Joy is what splurts out without thinking.

Joy is unconcerned with refined edges.

Joy is unconcerned with straightness.

Joy is unconcerned with the destination.

Joy is a pretty damn good feeling to feel.

Joy is a flowering.

Joy is ya boi.

Joy is Ronald Weasley ordering Bertie Bots every flavoured beans.

Joy is singing Christmas songs when it isn’t Christmas.

Joy is singing in the shower.

Joy is humming.

Joy is magic.

Joy is Jeremiahhhh was a bullfrog! He was a goooood friend of miiiiine…

https://medium.com/media/88aeaf734fe4cb946819b26a4fcba3c0/href

What Walking Barefoot Feels Like

“Smell that?”

Yeah.

“Know what that is?”

Fish.

“It’s freedom.”

No it’s fish.

“It’s freedom and it’s money.”

Okay, okay. It’s freedom.

“Come on, let’s go before someone sees us.”

…And it’s fish.

Harry was right.

It’s freedom.

Mum would always tell me, “PUT YOUR SHOES ON!”

I’d bring back dirty feet.

I’d bring back dirty socks.

It’s weird how people wear shoes everywhere.

According to shoe-sters,

Shoes:

Protect your feet from stepping on legosSupport your feetKeep your feet warmMake you look good

Let’s methodically disect and destroy each apparent benefit without referencing “THE SCIENCE!”.

“Protect your feet from stepping on legos.”

Nah.

Your feet are shoes.

You just haven’t stepped on enough legos to give them a chance to grow.

Your feet grow calluses.

They’re typically seen as a bad thing but it’s millions of years of intelligent evolution that’s designed it.

David Choe on The Joe Rogan experience describes his visit with the Hanza tribe and how they run through nature, stepping on a liquorice-all-sorts of ‘legos’ without batting an eye.

“Support your feet.”

Debateable.

“Keep your feet warm.”

Pshhh.

These days we live under the heaters in winter.

There’s nothing new about cold adaption.

Spend more time in the cold and you’ll barely feel the cold.

I frequently get comments from elderly ladies about my feet when I’m walking in the evening.

“ArEn’T YoU CoLd!?”

To be fair, the elderly naturally get colder, but can aclimatize if they want to.

“The cold is my teacher.” -Wim Hof

“Make you look good.”

Yes!

Lookin’ good my man.

Let’s finish on the actual utility of shoes.

Vermin Supreme, take us away!

Vermin Supreme demonstrates the proper utility of shoes. The shoe depicted is called a ‘gum boot’ which is commonly used by shoe-sters for fending off H20 from making contact with skin on the foot.