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PaperclipPerfector  1mo ago (text post)   2724 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for March 10, 2024

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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How does one find purpose/meaning? That is, what gives you a "reason to get out of the bed in the morning"? Particularly when "the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" seem particularly aimed your way.

(More specifically, with neither the usual standbys of "faith and family," and while being too anhedonic for hedonism?)

Edit: to put it more simply, how do I find a reason to keep struggling through another 30+ years of miserable, pointless, futile existence, rather than just skipping to the end?

Look into awakening, and you can start with /r/streamentry, which is a mostly secular approach. By awakening, the idea is that you have a visceral experience of how your mind actually operates, in a way that will reduce suffering the remainder of your life. It’s also called enlightenment in popular culture, but that word is so loaded it’s not a great idea to use it.

Sometimes people use psychedelics as a window to this experience, but it’s helpfulness/harmfulness is somewhat debated.

Any of the dharmic traditions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, etc.) hold some approximation of this experience to be a major (if not ultimate) aim of human life.

This “new awareness” which follows this awakening is described as free from delusion and often times hugely relaxing. It’s usually entered through the paths of meditation, devotion, service to others, or self knowledge, depending on the specific path you follow. While details differ from tradition to tradition, the idea is that your “self” concept and related thought-baggage are the source of much misery, and when it takes a backseat through practice and reflection, peace and bliss will follow. Life becomes a piece of art unfolding, instead of a mundane and bitter slog. Though this is easier said than done, hence why the paths and practice.

Michael Singer’s two books, The Untethered Soul and Surrender Experiment, are a clear and approachable starting point to the concepts above, imho.

Edit: also should add /r/streamentry might be overkill if you are unfamiliar with meditation (in fact it’s not what I practice myself, though it opened many interesting concepts for me early on). I would recommend the Singer books to get started.

Sometimes people use psychedelics as a window to this experience, but it’s helpfulness/harmfulness is somewhat debated.

Any of the dharmic traditions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, etc.) hold some approximation of this experience to be a major (if not ultimate) aim of human life.

Like I've said to others, this sort of thing is all strongly warned against when you're schizophrenic, because it's pretty much guaranteed to make the schizophrenia worse.

Yes, the spiritual traditions are usually against the use of substances for this purpose, for anybody really, regardless of mental issues. I just bring it up because it seems like a common entry point among a number of Western followers of these paths.

Not just substances — any kind of "meditation experience" is contraindicated.

True, which is why there are other paths like bhagti and karma that would likely yield better results.

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