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21May

Empowering Those Affected by PTSD

Categories: Everything Life Advice
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Harnessing Compassion and Strength to Support PTSD Sufferers

As a sufferer of PTSD, and a person who has spent years studying Mind Sciences and Consciousness Sciences, and Having Been a Buddhist Monk who practiced Mindfulness Meditation, i have gained insights over the years into the causes and solutions to one of Humanity’s greatest Traumatological conundrums, and unsolvable psychological illnesses like PTSD. I would therefore like to attempt to take us all on a transformative journey towards understanding and supporting our loved ones battling Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Today, we embark on a path of heartfelt compassion, recognizing both the resilience of those affected and the unwavering support of their closest allies. Together, we shall delve into the depths of this condition, explore ways to foster empathy, and equip ourselves with empowering knowledge to navigate the challenges that lie ahead.

Understanding the Unseen Battle: Decoding PTSD

Unveiling the Veil of Trauma

PTSD, a formidable mental health condition, arises as a result of traumatic experiences that shake the very foundation of one’s being. It can cast a haunting shadow over the lives of those affected, leaving them grappling with vivid nightmares, debilitating anxiety, and intrusive memories. The path to healing begins with comprehension—a deeper understanding of the symptoms and struggles that encompass this silent battle.

Nurturing a Safe Haven: Creating a Supportive Environment

  1. A Sanctuary of Serenity: In moments of crisis, ensure the physical surroundings provide solace and sanctuary. Seek out quiet spaces where tranquility reigns supreme, shielding the afflicted from potential triggers that may amplify their distress.
  2. Patience: The Anchor of Understanding: Amidst the tempest of emotions, let patience be our guiding light. Remember, dear readers, that time bends to the rhythms of healing, and impatience only fans the flames of unease.
  3. Validating Their Journey: Each step taken along the path of recovery is an arduous feat, deserving of recognition. Validate the experiences of those fighting this invisible battle, ensuring they feel seen, heard, and understood.

The Symphony of Compassion: Interacting with a PTSD Sufferer

  1. A Listening Ear: In the realm of healing, the power of compassionate listening knows no bounds. Offer an attentive ear, lending your unwavering presence as they recount their experiences. Resist the urge to interrupt or judge, embracing empathy instead.
  2. Respecting Boundaries: Understand that tender wounds may lie beneath the surface, waiting for the gentle caress of time to heal. Respect the boundaries set by those with PTSD, avoiding triggers and granting them the space they require.
  3. Support without Strings: Extend a hand of support, without attaching conditions or expectations. Guide them gently, encouraging them to seek professional help from therapists, psychologists, or psychiatrists specializing in trauma and PTSD.

Nurturing the Nurturers: Self-Care for the Allies

  1. An Oasis of Self-Care: Remember, dear readers, that to uplift others, we must first uplift ourselves. Engage in self-care practices, nurturing your own mental and emotional well-being. Seek solace in the embrace of supportive friends, family, and support groups who share your journey.
  2. Hope, the Eternal Flame: Within the hearts of both the afflicted and their allies, hope burns brighter than a thousand suns. Believe in the power of resilience, and ignite the flames of optimism. Remind them that the path to recovery may be winding, but it is paved with the potential for growth and transformation.

Unleashing the Unbreakable Spirit

As we draw our voyage to a close, let us reflect on the profound impact we can make in the lives of those affected by PTSD. Our journey has revealed the transformative power of compassion, understanding, and unwavering support.

Remember, the battle against PTSD is not fought alone. By fostering an environment of empathy, validation, and patience, we empower our loved ones to embrace their strength and embark on the path to healing. Let us be their anchors in the storm, guiding them towards a brighter future.

In our quest for knowledge, it is essential to consult credible sources that provide a comprehensive understanding of PTSD and its treatment. Here are some reputable resources that can further deepen your understanding:

  1. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): The NIMH offers a wealth of information on PTSD, including symptoms, treatments, and current research. Visit their website at www.nimh.nih.gov.
  2. American Psychological Association (APA): The APA provides valuable insights into PTSD, along with resources for individuals and their families. Explore their website at www.apa.org for a wealth of knowledge.
  3. National Center for PTSD: This organization is dedicated to advancing the understanding and treatment of PTSD. Their website, www.ptsd.va.gov, offers extensive resources for both sufferers and their loved ones.

Remember, dear readers, that knowledge is power, but it is the compassionate application of that knowledge that truly transforms lives. Together, we can create a world where those affected by PTSD find solace, support, and ultimately, healing.

Let us stand shoulder to shoulder, unwavering in our commitment to understanding, tolerance, and empowerment. May our voices resound with compassion, lighting the way for those who may feel lost in the darkness. Together, we can unleash the unbreakable spirit that resides within each one of us.

With hearts aflame and hope ablaze, let us champion the cause of those affected by PTSD. For in our unity lies the power to ignite change, restore lives, and weave a tapestry of resilience.

Until we meet again on the shores of empowerment, continue to nurture compassion, for it is the catalyst for transformation. Farewell for now, but let the echoes of our shared journey reverberate through the corridors of time, reminding us of the unyielding power of empathy and love.

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7Mar

Introspection with ADHD and PTSD Using Vipassana

Categories: Ashram Talks Buddhism Everything Life Advice
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Introspection with Vippassana Kammathana Mindfulness

Dhamma Diary

( Discovering How to Reverse Engineer Afflictive Emotions – Quantum Dhamma Diary #1)

Sharing Experiences, both those which i have mastered, (and those which i have not, in the hope that even if i cannot master the teaching, perhaps another listener can master it, even if i can’t)

Introspection as a Practitioner of Vipassana, and Ex Bhikkhu, who suffers with ADHD, and PTSD, and practices Vipassana Kammathana; The results from personal experience and study of not only the inner experience in Meditative Contemplation, but also to peruse the Chemical Molecular Formulas, which are sent into the Nervous System, and cause various ’emotional’ states, which we know as a formless, and think of as a spiritual experience, called ’emotion’.  We see things wrongly because of false views and belief in a self that does not truly exist in the unchanging manner we imagine (Sakaaya Dhitti)

Picture; Little Prince by Anuk on deviant art. Source; http://deviantart.com/anuk/art/Le-Petit-Prince-740681883

But in fact, emotions, be they afflictive or pleasant, are not only temporary (Anijja), dis-satisfactory (Dhukkha), and not self (Anatta), as stated by the Lord Buddha, but are also natural physical reactions, due to chemicals released by the brain into the nervous system, based on what one is thinking.

solitude brings insight and self befriendment

What one is thinking is conditioned, and will cause the brain to send chemicals into the nervous system. One unconscious process we can notice consciously which reflects when we are feeling stressed, is the breath.

Controlling the breath, and noticing if it is agitated, or not, is a key to reverse-engineering the chemicals within the nervous system, which causes stress, and agitated breathing, to douse out, or to change the nature of those chemicals, and create a peaceful physical feeling, and hence, a peaceful mind and emotion.

Inner Vision through Introspective Contemplation

The anger, stress, sadness, loneliness, and other afflictive emotions are not sinful. Sin is not the meaning of ‘Defilement’. Defilement is more like a stain that was conditioned as we grew up, and society conditions us, as do human cultural habits and traditions, and which can be ‘polished off’ leaving the consciousness void of impurity, and liberated from afflictive emotions (Dhukkha Vedhana).

Note; Just because I may be able to explain a technique, does not necessarily mean that i myself have mastered it in my own applied practice and manifested it into my life. Watch the Teachings, Not the Teacher.

The Buddha taught that the skandhas were dukkha.

The idea of the body being directly related with the overcoming of inner suffering may be strange to many Buddhists, but in fact, the sutras state more or less the following (taken from Wikipedia);

Vedanā (Pāli; Sanskrit) is a Buddhist term traditionally translated as either “feeling” or “sensation.” In general, vedanā refers to the pleasant, unpleasant and neutral sensations that occur when our internal sense organs come into contact with external sense objects and the associated consciousness.

Vedanā is identified within the Buddhist teaching as follows:

  • One of the seven universal mental factors in the Theravāda Abhidharma.
  • One of the five universal mental factors in the Mahāyāna Abhidharma.
  • One of the twelve links of dependent origination (in both Theravāda and Mahāyāna traditions).
  • One of the five skandas (in both Theravāda and Mahāyāna traditions).
  • One of the objects of focus within the four foundations of mindfulness practice.

5 khandas

In the context of the twelve links, craving for and attachment to vedanā leads to suffering; reciprocally, concentrated awareness and clear comprehension of vedanā can lead to Enlightenment and the extinction of the causes of suffering.

Heaven is in Your Mind

Heaven is in Your Mind

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29Mar

The Destroyer 1 – How Did Humanity End Up Like This?

Categories: Anthropology Everything
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Faces in the Crowd - Life Out of Rhythm

Welcome to Part One of the Destroyer Podcast Series – This is one of my Freestyle Explanations of how on earth we came to find ourselves living as we do, in Human Society as it is, and why we assume that the Monetary System, Education System, Rule and Governance, and Economics are the only way forward for Humanity to Evolve as a Civilisation. it begins with revealing how Governments are Merely the Surviving Systems once formed by Armed Gangs of Barbarians, and how badly they behave and criminal they can be to each other.

Evolutionary Sciences are growing and changing all the time, as new discoveries and technologies permit us to understand the evolutionary process which underlies all creation (the Material and Immaterial Universe)

Genetic Evolution, Social Evolution, Political Evolution, Cultural Evolution, Scientific Evolution…. as to natural Selection and the Human Species, we have not stopped Evolving, nor has our Society stopped evolving.

Humanity has been in Serfdom since well before Feudal Times, in fact since around the time of the law of Hammurabi or before, we have been bullied and ruled and controlled, taxed (robbed) and punished, even executed (often for things which are neither unethical nor sinful, such as having a different belief)

Since international flights became cheaper, we have much more inter-racial marriages and children resulting from this, we eat foods from all around the world. The food we ate in our respective environments in olden days changed how our skin bones and body resistances evolved. Now we are eating everything from Pizza to raw Sushi, and we still do not know how this will affect our genetic evolution.

evolution of human physicality diet is uncertain, but if we study how diet has caused various races on various continents to evolve, we may be able to predict to some extent how we may evolve through international diet

The Evolution of Diet – National Geographic Article

Evolution currently has 5 facets to the ‘science’, namely Natural Selection, Mutation, Genetic Drift, Punctual Equilibria, and Lateral gene Transfer. However, this is in reference to the process of Evolution within the Physical Living Body

Evolution is a process similar to Machine Learning in Computing Artificial Intelligence Algorhithms, the Program learns from Experiencem, and Builds new Versions based on those Experiences.

Humans no longer understand how Machine Learning works nor how an A.I. Algorithm makes its decisions, just as we do not understand how Nature (Evolution), makes its decisions to Evolve into the next Phase.

The use of GPS  devices causes us to focus more on certain parts of the brain and to neglect other parts, which we had to use before for orientation. The use of technology is also influencing which parts of our brain we use, and which we cease to use, and Evolution will adapt to that situation. Our Orientation abilities are hence changing without us knowing what the results will be in the far future.

And so on, there are so many influential factors as to how we ended up in this mess, but Evolution is the force which drives everything, be it the Human greed and Desire for Power that causes Rogue Nations to arise, Empires to be Built, or the Monetary System and Education-Employment system which enslaves and robs us of our children, and makes the population of the world into employees instead of the inheritors of their family’s business/trade.

Evolution is a self learning automated algorithm designed to improve upon itself, just like Google Deep Mind learns from itself.

The series ‘The Destroyer’ will continue soon with a second episode.. the talks fly all over the place, because the world is a complex thing to explain.. but if you can intuit what underlies what i am saying, you may see behind the veils of this Matrix of Control that is both Orwellian and Dystopian, and which needs a great effort on a mass scale to disentangle oneself from.

This is not about Spiritual Enlightenment, it is about Worldly Enlightenment

The next Podcast i record in this series will deal with how Economics, Law, Rule and Government control how Human Civilisation Evolves, and how Economics is the main focal hub of the whole system. A system which is Ruled by Rich Families of Economists, who Own Multinational Corporations, which are much richer and more powerful and influential, than any single Government, or even Governments in Unison.

Peasants and Vassals

Peasants and Vassals

Governments hardly ever work in true Unison Anyway, due to the current ‘Us and Them’ stage of Human Consciousness, which causes us to still require the preservatiobn of individual nations and Cultures, who see each other as strangers, and potential enemies. Each Nation Looks After its Own Interests, and uses its resources to Bully or Extort Trade Deals and benefits from other Nations.

One should listen to the tales of an ex Economic Hitman, to understand properly the things i speak of, and will continue to speak of

Let the ‘Us and Them’ Consciousness’ Mindset end in this Era, and let the World Federation of Ethically Minded Humans begin. Imagine no countries, differences, religions, arguments, wars….

Imagine there’s no heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people living for today
Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace, you
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope some day you’ll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people sharing all the world, you
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope some day you’ll join us
And the world will be as one

Bad Governments Links

Criticism of the United Nations

In January 2017, Kuwait carried out its first executions since 2013, hanging seven people.

How the United States Interfered with Nicaragua

British Government Poisoned its Own People in secret Chemical Warfare tests 

Singapore’s Shocking Human Rights Record

Human Rights in Singapore

Human Rights Watch Report 2017 Singapore

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