The Tools of Distraction and Sleep

[Plenum]

in various places in the Ra material, there are hints that just about the worst thing you can do if you want to evolve spiritually is to not pay attention to what is going on in your life, ie not paying attention to catalyst and feedback from life.

and the best way to ignore catalyst is to distract oneself and be 'asleep'. And that asleep might be quite literal (the dulling of consciousness, so as to 'not think', not in the sense of intelligence, but in the sense of thinking about deeper matters).

this is Ra on the issue of tv (which might naturally extend to computing, gaming, smartphones today):

"Without ignoring the green-ray attempts of many to communicate via this medium such information, truth, and beauty as may be helpful, we must suggest that the sum effect of this gadget is that of distraction and sleep."

this is Ra on modern medicine, and using chemicals (pharmocology) to dull the feedback from the body (suppress catalyst of the body):

"In observing the allopathic concept of the body complex as the machine we may note the symptomology of a societal complex seemingly dedicated to the most intransigent desire for the distortions of distraction, anonymity, and sleep. This is the result rather than the cause of societal thinking upon your plane. In turn this mechanical concept of the body complex has created the continuing proliferation of distortions towards what you would call ill-health due to the strong chemicals used to control and hide bodily distortions."

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and this is Ra speaking on the topic of the unmanifested self (the self when alone, in your room, in your car driving, not socialising) interacting with various gadgets. For the most part, this 'isolation' and playing with 'toys' weakens orange and yellow ray activity, from what I read out of this passage, although it can have positive effects via the exploration of certain 'concepts'.

34.12 Questioner: I thought that that was correct, but I wasn’t sure. Can you give me the same type of information that we have been getting here with respect to the unmanifested self interacting between self and gadgets, toys, etc.— inventions?

Ra: I am Ra. In this particular instance we again concentrate for the most part in the orange and in the yellow energy centers. In a negative sense many of the gadgets among your peoples, that is what you call your communication devices and other distractions such as the less competitive games, may be seen to have the distortion of keeping the mind/body/spirit complex unactivated so that yellow- and orange-ray activity is much weakened thus carefully decreasing the possibility of eventual green-ray activation.

Others of your gadgets may be seen to be tools whereby the entity explores the capabilities of its physical or mental complexes and in some few cases, the spiritual complex, thus activating the orange ray in what you call your team sports and in other gadgets such as your modes of transport. These may be seen to be ways of investigating the feelings of power; more especially, power over others or a group power over another group of other-selves.

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so yeah, say no to distraction and sleep! lol

although *some* distraction and sleep can always be pleasant ... when done in a 'knowing' fashion.

but paying attention to one's life (and feedback and catalyst) is so so vital. Even if we stuff up, make grand mistakes, so long as we stay present with things (non-distracted) we can continue to learn and grow fully.

- -

some of my 'tools of distraction' (from the past):

* addiction to rss reader (google reader, now pleasantly defunct). Filled my mind with 'useless information', 'news', just 'data'; non-polarising inputs. Distraction in the fullest sense.

* addiction to fitness and running; because it made me 'feel good' and it was 'healthy' for me. Started in high school as a twice-weekly sport practice, and I turned it into a personal habit. Exercise is useful, but I didn't use it that way. It was a form of orange ray personal expression.

* my personal use of gaming to 'drop out of world and not deal with it' and to level and min-max my rpg characters. In the end it was all stats, and erased as quickly as deleting a save game file.

but yeah, I used many tools to distract myself and not fully connect with my life experience and other-selves. I've slowly become aware of those 'temptations' if you will, and am much better at staying 'present' these days.

but yes, awareness of why and what you do is so important to being able to process and recognise catalyst.

- -

thanks for reading

ps it should also be noted what once you become 'aware' enough, you can use almost any tool/experience as catalytic; it becomes like the raindrop on a leaf that awakens a monk to full knowledge. The connection between cause and effect becomes much more tenuous at that stage.

[Jerome]

Thanks for posting this Plenum. I hope you don't mind me combing through some of this as I am confused by these examples, particularly 34.12. I've been thinking about this passage for weeks.

Let's take a look:

Ra: I am Ra. In this particular instance we again concentrate for the most part in the orange and in the yellow energy centers. In a negative sense many of the gadgets among your peoples, that is what you call your communication devices and other distractions such as the less competitive games, may be seen to have the distortion of keeping the mind/body/spirit complex unactivated so that yellow- and orange-ray activity is much weakened thus carefully decreasing the possibility of eventual green-ray activation.

Ra's language here suggests this issue isn't cut and dry. What of the more competitive games? I interpret this passage as saying: playing tic tac toe and snakes and ladders may dull your 2/3, playing chess and becoming a test pilot may activate 2/3.
The second part of the passage seems to back up this interpretation. Let's unpack it in sections:

Others of your gadgets may be seen to be tools whereby the entity explores the capabilities of its physical or mental complexes and in some few cases, the spiritual complex(,)

Nothing negative here. Sounds like chess and aircraft may be helpful to some. I cut off the passage at the comma because I'm not certain it should be a comma. If it were a period, does the import of what follows change? Could this punctuation be sensible?

[T]hus[,] activating the orange ray in what you call your team sports and in other gadgets such as your modes of transport[,] [t]hese may be seen to be ways of investigating the feelings of power; more especially, power over others or a group power over another group of other-selves.

This is very difficult, this last part. It has a negative sound to it, but if we couple it with other knowledge, is it truly negative?
We're "investigating" (neutral term) the "feelings of power" (neutral term); "more especially" (not exclusively)... the next part is feels quite negative - "power over others or a group power over another group of other-selves".

Taking an example, imagine any sport at the highest level - almost every high performer possesses high regard for their competitors. Fans usually don't - they haven't investigated their feelings of power the way the competitors have. Ra has stated elsewhere unequivocally, that repressing desire is to be avoided and I think this comes into play when viewing a fan against a top professional. In this light, these activities that seem negative end up resulting in positive polarization. How else could Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed have become best friends?

As for video games, I have house mates right now that play Warcraft often. At first this seemed to me like a waste of time but then I realized that they are making real friends online, people they know intimately that they never would have known otherwise. Further, its easy to find studies that strongly suggest those who play difficult video games can assimilate information much better than non-gamers and such complex mental activity reduces dementia and other mental disease.

Certainly these activities can be used to sleep and avoid life and to perhaps polarize negatively, but I see nothing in Ra's analysis nor in life that suggests this is a rule, so long as we are keen to open and balance the heart with these experiences.

Thoughts?

[Plenum]

Certainly these activities can be used to sleep and avoid life and to perhaps polarize negatively, but I see nothing in Ra's analysis nor in life that suggests this is a rule, so long as we are keen to open and balance the heart with these experiences.

hiya Jerome! thanks for your thoughts again, and the effort invested in elucidating them. Always welcome.

umm. I think it best to look at passage 34.12 in full. It comes in two parts ostensibly. Part one points to the 'dulling' effects of 'many' of our gadgets ... and the second paragraph points to the more 'experimental' and possibly activating aspects of certain gadgets. Nothing is absolutely cut and dried in the sense that 'all gadgets are bad' and create a dependency; rather the general thrust of the three quotes I posted suggests that it is all in 'how we use things' that determine their effect.

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re: WoW, yes the whole end-game raiding and associated guild-management (personality management, skill management) I've heard has extreme possibility for developing social management skills; which are applicable and transferrable to the 'what they say' real-world.

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re: less competitive games ... yah, that sounds like board games doesn't it? (and ironically 'bored games' lol). Games you play when you are bored lol.

perhaps I was a little too harsh in presenting the overall theme (that of sleep and distraction), and should have emphasised, instead, the individual utility of such gadgets. (like I did in another post)

in general, though, Ra is making observations as to the current (1980's current) overall trend of unawakened and unengaged humans ... and ... "note the symptomology of a societal complex seemingly dedicated to the most intransigent desire for the distortions of distraction, anonymity, and sleep" which leads to the low harvest ratio, and the non-perception of the manifold opportunities for progress, self-development, and, to be honest, enlightenment in the moment.

it is also a keen case of self-reflection to see how one has used one's time in the past (perhaps unwisely?) and offer forgiveness for the missed opportunities, and the ignored catalyst that we ourselves have engaged in.

as always, my posts are more comments on my general, on-the-spot frame of mind, rather than any direct attack or commentary on others or society

peace brother; we seek in very similiar ways Jerome. Thanks for the springboard for my thoughts.

blessings.

[xise]

Jerome, I think you raise some good points. There are tons of different types of games.

I can't stand the "average" game these days. It's like just braindraining in front of reality tv. Nothing interesting about them. I can't stand average television either. But I do game, and I do watch television (netflix!)

I think there are three important factors to considering play games:
(1) The intent when you play them.
(2) The nature of the game itself.
(3) How you play the game.

The intent when you play them
If you play games to escape your real life problems, and do it a lot, it can become something that hinders you. If you play for other reasons, such as to socialize with friends, to be creative, explore themes of duality, to play competitively, then it is less so, and this leads to the second point.

The nature of the game itself
Games like Tetris versus let's say World of Warcraft, Civilization, Dragon Age, or Battlefield.
Tetris: This game, while it has mental aspects, is very simple and I believe, mostly a time pass distraction, and there's nothing wrong with this in moderation.
World of Warcraft: This game has intense social dynamics, and involves much interaction with other-selves.
Civilization: You can play this game very creative, and try to build empires focusing on certain types of governments or technology. Plenum, regardless of your intent when you min-max'ed your RPG characters, there'd be a great bit of creativity in what you came up with I bet.
Dragon Age: This game is heavy on themes of duality, shades of grey morale decision making, it can really get you thinking about right and wrong.
Battlefield: This game is meant to be played online, and competitively in clans. Plenty of social drama, and power struggles among clans and within clans based on skill.

How you play the game
However, the nature of the game itself does not define what you can get from it, because you can play any of these games in a mind-numbing way, without real thinking. You can play world of warcraft without social interaction, just soloing quests. You can play Dragon Age where you select moral choices randomly and quickly just to get to the fight scenes without a care. You can play Battlefield online, without getting involved in clans, without ever chatting to another individual.

At the end of the day, I guarantee you that anyone on this forum employs devices such as television and games in a very different manner than the average person out. I think the key thing is, to make sure you are doing these things for the right reasons.

This analogy easily extends to Marijuana which Ra says is more of sleep. I agree, that for the general population, weed definitely helps most of them sleep and numb the pain. However, you definitely can use marijuana spiritually, in moderation, for spiritual purposes. My spiritual journey definitely involved weed in the past.

At the end of the day, examine your usage of these tools, whether television, games, or substances. You know, deep inside of you, whether you are using these things to escape from catalyst or whether you do them in moderation and whether large amounts are useful in your journey. And that being said, I think it's totally ok to braindrain from time to time, as long as it's not a habit...but to be honest, meditation is much better!

[ChickenInSpace]

I'm just waiting for an awesome post from Not Sure on this subject.

Many games have come to encompass spiritual tenents or ideas of late. I think this trend is one among many which will eventually lift the great mass out of the more mindless games.

One of the first non-competitive game which gave spiritual views a more active role was Black & White. I still think of it, on and off =).

[Unbound]

Black and White is a rad game!

I have been a gamer pretty much my whole life starting with the NES and my main passion throughout high school was to write stories and to design video games (which I did go to college for, for a couple of months).

I have always viewed games more or less in this way:

This is correct in the same way that a simple children’s story is an allegory for physical/philosophical/social complex distortion/understanding.

[Wai]

I must admit that I did used channeled information (including LOO) as an escape from 3D life. There was a period when I was so engrossed with channeled information and matters relating to Ascension that I withdrew partially from 3D life. I did less work, turned down assignments and have less interactions with friends so that I can concentrate on studying metaphysics and esoteric works.

What "hurts" is that many of my friends who say I am "nuts" for spending so much time on channeled information are now seemingly richer and happier.

[Unbound]

Studying doesn't count as part of 3D life? Aha

[Parsons]

I think games are a double edged sword. I have found them to be quite helpful in terms of presenting certain catalyses that wouldn't normally be presented 'in real life'. These are almost exclusively in story driven RPGs, however. I have noticed that they cease to be useful once the catalyst has been digsted.

So, in short, I find certain games helpful in the awakening process and occasionally after being awakened in lieu of 'real life' catalyst which would most likely be much more harsh. However, once the lesson has been learned, it only serves to distract and provides an 'escape' similar to drugs or alcohol.

Admittedly, I still partake in competitive games with little or no valuable catalyst on a daily basis to try to escape the near constant catalyses of 3D Terra. I try to offset this by listening to changelings at the same time. I also attempt to balance this with digestion of sufficient useful catalyst and meditation, the goal being weening myself off such useless activities entirely at some point. I am at least aware of my vices and don't try to deny their nature.

---

Marijuana has been extremely similar in nature to games and TV shows for me. As a tool for impetus for seeking, I have found it the most helpful of all. However, at this point in my journey, it is merely a crutch as it only helps me seek further which I can do on my own.

[Jade]

Many games have come to encompass spiritual tenents or ideas of late. I think this trend is one among many which will eventually lift the great mass out of the more mindless games.

I think this is true, video games were really the ultimate catalyst for my awakening. Once I became totally bored with the stimulus, I started thinking about why it is that I play games. Being so attracted to the idea of a magical reality, I explored the idea in 3D and experienced a million ahas in a month.

Parsons, I empathize entirely with your feelings on marijuana. I had a post typed for the other thread that I lost with a browser user error, and I've felt dishonest not participating because it's something that I am involved with in my life. I've been examining the catalyst with serious intent.

[zenmaster]

Bring4th.org: a tool of distraction and sleep

[Philosoraptor]

Bring4th.org: a tool of distraction and sleep

The Raptor is inclined to back up the Monkey here.

[xise]

Bring4th.org: a tool of distraction and sleep

The Raptor is inclined to back up the Monkey here.

Gentlemen, I sincerely request for each of you to elaborate on your comments at length, so that those of us who may wish to see your commentary as catalyst may more effectively do so.

[Ankh]

Bring4th has been a tool of distraction to me, if you can see joy as a disctraction. I've made many wonderful friends here, and in some cases, these freindships have felt as unions with dear, old friends that I haven't seen in a very long time. Sure, it's been distracting me a lot from my third density life, but it brought joy.

But above all, Bring4th has been a tool for me for accelerated learning/teaching of the Ra material. I don't think that I would learn so quickly and so intensively if it wouldn't be for all the wonderful people here. Language in this material is difficult, and although it does feel like a most beautiful melody to me, even this melody can sometimes be too "advanced" so to speak by picking it up right away by myself.

But sleep? This is a forum designed for studies of the Ra material, above all else. It tries to offer a roof for everyone, but no matter that, it is still a forum for these studies. So, no matter where you go here, you will see and read threads and posts on subjects which are the opposite to sleep. Also, there are many people here to try to offer love, which is the main reason to why we are here in the first place.

[Marc]

I think it's up to the individual to decide if the forum is making them sleep or seek. I've had both experiences on this forum, but the interactions with wise other-selves has been an unimaginable outpouring of love for me.

[AnthroHeart]

The forum helps me to seek. Members have comforted me when I've felt down. It's helped me open up to reason.

[Spaced]

I tend to agree with zenny because while I have learned a lot from the people here I also have a habit of spending way too much time here compulsively checking for new posts. It's a little sobering to click on my profile and look at the "time spent online" number. I feel like sometimes that time could be better used searching for answers within rather than without.

That said, I do love it here and I guess it's better than if I spent all that time watching TV .

[zenmaster]

Look, I'm not implying that people do not find value here, but the general motivation behind most posts here is value from distractions provided by comfort and entertainment seeking. Not to say all seeking here is of that nature, but the vast majority is oriented toward distraction and sleep which is not surprising due to difficulty individuating from the collective mind/meme. There is a lack of guidance in the newly encountered subjective (time/space) realm of experience and so we pathologically exaggerate and impetuously fantasize about its meaning in a manner which entertains and distracts on the whole.

[Plenum]

Look, I'm not implying that people do not find value here, but the general motivation behind most posts here is value from distractions provided by comfort and entertainment seeking. Not to say all seeking here is of that nature, but the vast majority is oriented toward distraction and sleep which is not surprising due to difficulty individuating from the collective mind/meme. There is a lack of guidance in the newly encountered subjective (time/space) realm of experience and so we pathologically exaggerate and impetuously fantasize about its meaning in a manner which entertains and distracts on the whole.

that's a good general observation.