psychology

The Pause That Refreshes

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I’m always reading something, and of course some of that is about magic, mysticism, and so on. Currently it’s a mixture of Taoism, history, creativity, and Depressing Real World Stuff. As of late, I’ve added something else to my cycle – “philosophy refreshers.”

I have a large collection of Tao Te Ching translations (well over 20 and recently expanded). Though some are better than others, I find a reading of the Tao Te Ching is a good refresher to getting me in a healthy “Tao-oriented” mentality. As long as the translation is half-decent it helps me think of my life, the big picture, and what’s good for me and everyone.

So what I’ve decided to do? Every book or two I read, I then read a copy of the Tao Te Ching before reading something else. As it’s not a long book – sort of the Compact Car of religion and philosophy – I can do it in as short as an evening.

I got this idea after reading about a Taoist hermit who was obsessed with the Tao Te Ching. He was said to reread it constantly, and was considered a kind of holy or wise man. I’m not prone to reread something that much, but it did make me think “maybe reviewing this book that means so much to me is a good idea.”

I’ve found this has a number of benefits I’d like to share.

First, it’s a pause in whatever thing I’m currently focused on. I tend to go down rabbit holes now and then so it provides a break. This break is often relaxing, thought-provoking and even funny is even better.

Secondly, the Tao Te Ching for all its Deep Subject Matter, has a beautifully light feel to it. That means it’s also a great moment of rest from whatever Heavy Stuff my mind is on. A lot of Taoist stuff is like that – light yet deep.

Third, rereading something that is foundational to my ways of thinking keeps me grounded and refreshes me. Every week or two I get re-centered on who I am, how I think, how I’ve grown. I also get a good dose of translator notes and thought-provoking moments.

Also it gives me an excuse to buy even more translations. Taoist retail therapy, as it were, but I won’t count that in the list.

I’ve found this to be a real positive to my studies and readings and ruminations. As you can guess, I feel better, feel more grounded, fee more thoughtful, have more insights. I’m glad I gave this a try – and will continue to do it.

I invite you to consider “refreshers” like this in your own studies and readings. Reread a particular book, or a few chapters of a longer one so you complete it over time. Do something that helps you soak in the lessons important to you and take a break.

Let me know how that goes!

– Xenofact

Shock The Mystic

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Whatever occult, mystical, or religious experiences someone has – including me – I am more inclined to listen to it if it shocked the hell out of whoever was having it.

All mystical ventures involve the mind, and we all know how much our minds can lie to us. You don’t need to even imagine an occult experience to deceive yourself – a good anxiety attack will do that for you. The imagination can be easily turned to build entire worlds inside our head that we start to believe, moreso if we want to.

If you’ve engaged at all in the world of occultism, you’ve encountered self-deceiving people, and let’s face it, we’ve all deceived ourselves before. My guess is we can remember other people’s self-deceptions a bit more easily as our own, which is one hell of a warning to our own ability to make stuff up. To engage in meditation or magic is to know you’re walking into your own delusions.

. . . and it’s also to easily forget those delusions.

At the same time, we’ve all had those magical experiences where something was really going on. That dream, that voice, that synchronicity-chain that just couldn’t happen, or something more intense. Something is out there, but sometimes you have to wonder “did I make this shit up?”

Where I pay attention, where I take occult experiences seriously, is when they shock the person who experiences them. Something unexpected, something disturbing, something more powerful than expected. Whatever happened, when it is outside of expectations and part of a mystic experience then personal making-shit-up is less likely.

I mean yes, you may have made stuff up, but it’s less likely. It may not be a truly occult experience, but a least it’s different and worth study. But then there are those moments where both explanations don’t hold up and you have to sit with what happened.

I value the shock of my mystical efforts. That’s the time to listen.

– Xenofact

You’re So Lucky You’re Not Special

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You’re not the reincarnation of some famous historical figure.

You didn’t have a past life in non-existent Atlantis

You’re not a genetically engineered time-traveling super-soldier created to explore space and fight aliens.

You’re not a super-assassin secretly trained by the US government.

You’re not an alien Starseed here to save Earth.

You’re not touched by a bunch of suspiciously white-looking so-called “Ascended Masters” to Awaken Humanity.*

You’re none of those things.  Those things are just bullshit made up or hijacked by grifters to sell to you.  Their goal is to make you feel special by selling you a story that at best has a bare echo of truth, and at worse is made of whole cloth.  The internet has made this somehow worse.

The thing is the grifters, the opportunists, and their legions of followers are trying to sell you that you’re special just like them.  They sell a story of specialness you can all participate in, but not only is it a grift, it’s the same kind of specialness for all.  They’re not only deceiving you (and possibly themselves), but it’s not really specialness.

To make it somehow worse this kind of recycled bullshit and telephone-operator-con-games covers up the real wonders and horrors of reality.  It sells you a blueprint for destiny you can plug your own imagination into while you plug in your credit card number to buy yet another book.  It doesn’t encourage you to open your mind let alone your eyes or Third Eye, it just keeps feeding you more of the same.

You’re not special, not in their way.  What you are is unique because you’re you.  Whatever the gods, powers, destiny, or random chance has for you it’s yours.  You may well have been touched by supernatural forces or great opportunity or just plain luck, but it’s not going to be in any form that comfortably fits into a $199 two-hour online seminar.

And that’s great!  You get to choose how you deal with whatever kind of uniqueness you have.  Maybe you aren’t even that unique so you get even more choice and far less social pressure.

And who wants to be part of some great destiny or plan anyway?  Maybe you have your own ideas, your own life to lead, and you don’t need the pressure.  Take it from a professional Project Manager, a lot of plans fail or go off the rails anyway!

Go be the unique you.  That’s one destiny you can fulfill better than anyone.

– Xenofact

* SubGeniuses like myself DO have Yeti blood, but at this rate so does everyone else.  Also we’re just weirdos.  We’re more weird than special.