Meditations For Breaking The Habit Of Being Yourself

New Edition Includes an introduction and new song.

These guided meditations are a part of Dr. Joe's four-week program discussed in his book, Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself. The meditations are designed to move you from the analytical Beta brain-wave state to the state of Alpha, and develop your ability to sustain coherent brain-wave patterns. By placing your awareness on different parts of your body in space and on the space around your body, as instructed by Dr. Dispenza, you are altering your brain so that you enter into the operating system of your subconscious mind where unwanted habits and programs exist. The first objective is to learn to stay present and make meditation a skill. It is then from this new present state that you will change something emotionally or physically about yourself or create new experiences in your life and therefore create the life you desire!

Mental Rehearsal: Building a New Neural Network. Although I have mapped out a suggested four-week program for you to learn the entire process, please take as much time as you need to practice each step until it becomes familiar. The best pace to set is one that is comfortable, so you never feel overwhelmed. Please take your time and build a strong foundation. When you can concentrate on what you're doing without letting your thoughts wander to any extraneous stimuli, you will come to a point when your body actually aligns with your mind. Now your new skill will become easier and easier to do. The ingredients of learning, attention, instruction, and practice will develop an associated neural network to reflect your intentions.

For further information regarding the purpose and benefits of these meditations, please refer to Chapter 9 13 in Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself: How to Lose Your Mind and Create a New One.

Meditation Directions: There are two meditations that you can choose from each day. You only need to do one per day. Dr. Joe has provided two different inductions so that you can vary your meditation routine. Each meditation is split into four sections so that you can become familiar with each step and then build on skill level from your previous week.

Please Note: You may want to first fast forward to the times listed below to familiarize yourself with what the bells sound like before listening to the meditation for the first time.

For the First Week: Start the meditation and continue until you hear a bell. Do this portion of the meditation every day for the first week.
Water Rising: 23:54
Body Parts - Space: 27:36

For the Second Week: Start at the beginning, continue through the first bell, and then continue until you hear the second bell and then stop at the second bell. Do this portion of the meditation every day for the second week.
Water Rising: 35:08
Body Parts Space: 38:56

For the Third Week: Start at the beginning, continue through the first bell, continue through the second bell, and then stop at the third bell. Do this portion of the meditation every day for the third week.
Water Rising: 47:52
Body Parts - Space: 51:28

For the Fourth Week: Start at the beginning, continue through the first bell, continue through the second bell, continue through the third bell, and then continue through to the end. Do this portion of the meditation every day for the fourth week.
Water Rising Total: 1 hr.10 min. Song: Bija by Todd Norian.
Body Parts - Space Total: 1 hr.14 min. Song: Celestial Abode by Todd Norian.

Santa and Magic Mushrooms

 Amanita muscaria by Rembrandt (AI)

Santa Claus Was a Psychedelic Mushroom
by Derek Bereson  December 23, 2020
https://psychedelicspotlight.com/santa-claus-was-a-psychedelic-mushroom/

Santa and Magic Mushrooms
The Shamanic Origins of Christmas Traditions
https://medium.com/@mustaphahitani/santa-was-a-magic-mushroom-d3065b05e76f

AI Sample: Love at First Sight

Exploring AI for generating text and images

DreamStudio
https://beta.dreamstudio.ai/dream
Prompt: Beautiful redhead oil painting by Hopper

ChatGPT
Prompt: Describe falling in love with a stranger who is a redhead in the style of  D. H. Lawrence

Ah, to fall in love with a stranger who is a redhead! It is a feeling like no other, a wildfire of emotion and desire that consumes the soul.

As I lay eyes on this fiery-haired beauty, I am struck by a sense of awe and wonder. Her locks, like flames, dance and shimmer in the light, drawing me in with their hypnotic glow. I am powerless to resist their siren call, and I find myself drawn closer, unable to look away.

As I approach, I am overwhelmed by the scent of her, a heady mixture of lavender and spice that tantalizes my senses and leaves me dizzy with desire. Her skin, like porcelain, is smooth and flawless, and I ache to touch it, to feel the warmth of her body against mine.

And then, as our eyes meet, I am lost. I am captured by her gaze, which burns with an intensity and passion that I have never before encountered. I am powerless to resist her charms, and I find myself falling head over heels, lost in the throes of love.

Yes, to fall in love with a stranger who is a redhead is to experience a depth of emotion and desire that is unparalleled. It is a journey of the heart and soul, one that is filled with wonder and delight, and one that I would not trade for anything in the world. So, I would say falling in love with a stranger who is a redhead is a wonderful and intense experience that can bring great joy and fulfillment to your life.

Stamets Stack (Stacking Lion’s Mane and Psilocybin)

Stamets Stack (Stacking Lion’s Mane and Psilocybin) Mushrooms)https://microdosinginstitute.com/microdosing-101/substances/lions-mane-stacking/

The Paul Stamets Stack or stacking Lion’s Mane has quickly gained popularity in the microdosing community. Stacking refers to combining various non-psychoactive substances with a psychoactive microdosing substance to increase the benefit related to microdosing. Since renowned mycologist Paul Stamets first mentioned this stacking combination, a large community of biohackers, microdosers and people looking to improve their brain health have adopted Stamets’ (now patented) microdosing stacking method.

What is the Stamets Stack?

The Paul Stamets Stack or stacking Lion’s Mane has quickly gained popularity in the microdosing community. Stacking refers to combining various non-psychoactive substances with a psychoactive microdosing substance to increase the benefit related to microdosing. Since renowned mycologist Paul Stamets first mentioned this stacking combination, a large community of biohackers, microdosers and people looking to improve their brain health have adopted Stamets’ (now patented) microdosing stacking method.

Read full article for details, precautions and recommendations.

Shadow Work

Best Single source on the topic I've seen:

A Definitive Guide to Jungian Shadow Work: How to Get to Know and Integrate Your Dark Side
https://scottjeffrey.com/shadow-work/

OVERVIEW: This guide explores the nature of the shadow and provides tips and exercises for daily shadow work.

Trauma & ADHD, Gabor Maté

[Ref: Gabor Maté CM (born January 6, 1944) is a Hungarian-Canadian physician and author. He has a background in family practice and a special interest in childhood development, trauma and potential lifelong impacts on physical and mental health including autoimmune disease, cancer, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), addictions and a wide range of other conditions.]

Anger, angry outbursts, overreactions to other's perceived intentions, ADHD & trauma, are they related? Yes, according to Gabor Maté. I have found his work profound and moving. Three short interviews and a deep dive  follow that explore his unique take on the origins and nature of ADHD and trauma.

Gabor Mate: The Truth About ADHD  (12:07 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itcD7f0H64A

The Secret To Healing Trauma | Dr. Gabor Mate   (6:32 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgJJDBNkoQ8

How Your Past Trauma Really Works, Dr. Gabor Maté   (10:53 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UI6C3ahHpnc

Deep Dive: 
Dr. Gabor Maté on Trauma, Addiction, Ayahuasca, and More | The Tim Ferriss Podcast (2hr 24 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9B5mYfBPlY&t=2s

Train your Brain: Lucid Dreaming

 I’m a lucid dream researcher – here’s how to train your brain to do it

https://theconversation.com/im-a-lucid-dream-researcher-heres-how-to-train-your-brain-to-do-it-118901#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20recent%20study,%2DBack%2Dto%2DBed.

Three techniques induce lucid dreams most successfully:

• Reality testing
• Mnemonic Induction Lucid Dreaming
• Wake-Back-to-Bed.

9 Proven Ways To Increase Gamma Brain Waves (Enter The Bliss State)
https://outliyr.com/increase-gamma-brain-waves

Can lucid dreaming help us understand consciousness?
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/nov/14/can-lucid-dreaming-help-us-understand-consciousness

How Long Do Lucid Dreams Last?

Lucid dreams can feel like they’re going on forever but only last from ten minutes to one hour. 

ADHD Coaching Progress Tracking

River of Change 

Oil Painting by Kathy Symonds

ADHD Coaching, Started: May 31, 2022 (once per week)

Initial Goals:  Emotional Control, Act on Goals & Desires, Financial Independence by Helping Others

Cut & Paste for Daily Journal Entries

Working On: 

Sleep   In Bed:  Wake:   

Meditation:

Cussing: 

Productivity: 

Moving/Ex:  

Weight: 

BP: 

Alcohol:

Pain Meds:

Notes: 

Wed, Sept 21

Working On: Sleep/Waking, Meditation cursing frustration level, weight/fitness

Sleep   In Bed: 11:30p  Wake: 7:15a (out of bed) 

Meditation:  20 min

Cussing: close to zero

Productivity: minimal

Moving/Ex: 2 miles rocky

Weight:

BP: 140/76 am 

Alcohol: 3 beer/cider

Pain Meds: 1 dose after strenuous walk

Notes: trying (thinking about)  putting better eating habits in place. Drank 3 beers/cider ate cookies.

Sep 20, 2022

Working On: Sleep/Waking, Meditation cursing frustration level, weight/fitness

Sleep   In Bed:   Midnight Wake: 8:20a

Meditation: none (last three days)

Cussing: 2 major outbursts. (1 $$ other?) in last couple of days

Productivity: In 3 day trade show, excellent.

Moving/Ex: walked one out of three days.

Weight: 213.2lbs

BP: 139/81  (117/? yesterday at Docs!)

Alcohol: None

Pain Meds: 1 dose.

Notes: Stressed and restless, mostly about $$ but lack of intimacy very present. Major focus on weight/fitness with recent establishment of solid relationship with cardiologist and internal med doc (they are friends and neighbors). No logs in a month says a lot.

Aug 18, 2022

Working On:Sleep, meditation, cussing/frustration level

Sleep   Wake 8  In Bed:

Meditation:

Cussing: 

Productivity: 

Moving/Ex:

Weight:

BP: 197/92 (M)

Alcohol:

Pain Meds: Not yet

Aug 17, 2022

Working On:: Sleep, meditate, cussing/frustration level

Sleep   11:00 to bed, wake at 5:30a Up until 7:00a, back to sleep until 9ish

Meditation: Listened to Dr Joe Dispenza YouTube in meditative state ~20min

Cussing:  Yes 9am! Start again for the day.

Moving/Ex: Short dog walks

Weight: 212 lbs (M)

BP: 184/85

Alcohol: None in 3 days+

Pain Meds: None in 24 hrs

Notes: BP read 121/84, obvious mistake, but that is what I need to visualize.

drjoedispenza    Practice, Persistence, and Patience

https://youtu.be/3_4E5ubG20E

"She was in the river of change"

Aug 16, 2022

Sleep  Wake: 6:30a w/alarm In Bed: 10:00p

Meditation: not yet

Moving/Ex: Not, yet but no pain meds so far.

Weight: 

BP: 215/90 (M) 152/84 (E)

Cussing: Yes+

Working on:  Sleep, meditate, cussing/frustration level
Notes: Handled stress early, got worse as day went on. Worried about $$ & BP. Work going well.

Aug 13, 2022

Wake Up: 7:30 am

Meditation:

Moving/Ex:

Weight: 215.5 lbs (E)

BP:

Cussing:

Current Change focus: Wake Up, Meditation, Cussing

Aug 11, 2022

Meditation: M 20min

Moving: PTx2, Gym w/3mi Bike ride

Weight: 215ish lbs

BP:  200/90

Cussing: Yes 3+

Annamarie

Mantra to start the day to prevent cursing. Do this right after meditation

Start timer since last time cussing after meditation, unless still running from the previous day.

• Anger is not my friend
• Anger fogges my perception
• Focus is my superpower

Notes on keeping life goals present:

Loving, Loved      Inhale, Exhale

Healthy, Wealthy     Inhale, Exhale

Cogs, Dogs          Inhale, Exhale

Each word is said as taking a breath. 

State of Being

Things I am working on...

Hsbits:

Sleeping: 12am-6am good

Exercise:  No walk, no gym, poor

Medetation: 12min in am, good

Cussing: 1 in 24 hrs improving

Working: 1 hrs, poor 

Financials: behind, not critical

Notrs:

Been walking 5xweek, 2-4 miles each time. Started physical therapy, not doing homework yet. Struggling with DTE Calls, little dog training.

Assesment:

Haven't  turned corner. Ficus on sleep, meditation and cursing. Keep focused for remainder of week.

Annamarie

I need the foundation of solid sleep & and early start. To reset my sleep clock; get tired, get to bed on time, wake early (6:00ish). NO NAPS! When getting tired:

• Get physical
• Stay actively engaged 
• Stay on my Feet

When learning to reduce reactivity/anger...Use DTE dog training methodology

Don't focus on the reactivity, create environment for success.

1. Establish who's in charge/Human
2. Obedience/Discipline
3. Job to do/Relieve pressure of being in charge

Using same approach for me:

1. Establish who's in charge/Pneuma/Calm Observer
2. Discipline: Meditation, Ego subservient to Calm Observer
3. Job to do: Observe, Let anger go. Be Here Now

Definition of pneuma:

1. in theology : Soul, Spirit specifically Holy Spirit: The adherents of these movements believe that the pneuma—Holy Spirit—plays a central role in their lives and their communities …— David Maxwell

2. in classical medicine : an invisible liquid or vapor held to travel throughout the body and to be necessary to and associated with life Pneuma, according to ancient Greeks and Romans, was a driving force in the body, necessary for maintaining bodily functions.— Judy Duchan

3. in Stoicism : a mixture of air and fire held to be the divine organizing principle of the universe.

Of the four elements, the Stoics identify two as active (fire and air) and two as passive (water and earth). The active elements, or at least the principles of hot and cold, combine to form breath or pneuma. Pneuma, in turn, is the 'sustaining cause' … of all existing bodies and guides the growth and development of animate bodies.— Dirk Baltzly 

The distinctive contribution of Stoicism, at any rate by the time of Chrysippus, was to extend the explanatory role of pneuma beyond individual animal life, and to make it the vital power of the world as a whole. … Pneuma is the vehicle of the divine 'reason' (logos) which pervades and governs the entire world …— David Sedley

Note: Also great song by Tool.

Shit Show

Morning Routine, Completed at 6:30pm. Better late than never.

Trying to get on track with meditation. Took bath 1st, bad idea. While in the tub, knock on the door. Got called down stairs, Rory made huge poop in the house, went to clean it up, sink slow...on and on. Moral of the story.. Do meditation 1st thing while still in the room, do it early. Seriously resisting change, got a beer at 4pm to get things back on track, after meditating for 10 minutes.

Can't complain, rough, but going forward. Need to: Take care of bills/paperwork. Pull Synchronicity sigh off the truck? (Paul suggested)

Wheel of Life

From ADHD Coaching

Document in Google Drive.

Annamarie June 15

1. Meditate 1st thing upon waking, Text emoji.
2. Set reminder when waking up (Ganesh bedside, got it)
3. Pick meditation type (Sarah text, got it!)
4. Introduced idea of Metanoia (see below) Annamarie thinks of this as teaching yourself to listen
5. Mediation/Day debrief in evening (log here)
6. Reinstitute 5 morning rituals (put on calendar)  https://tim.blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/5-morning-rituals-that-help-me-win-the-day-july2018.pd (see below)
7.  Do surveys , Character Strength & Wheel of Life
8. Make reminder w/# mail goals,,

 Emotional Control

 Act on Goals & Desires

 Financial sustainability by helping others

(Created poster/Reminder)

#1—MAKE MY BED

#2—MEDITATE

#3—DO 5 TO 10 REPS OF SOMETHING (Jump Start)

#4—PREPARE “TITANIUM TEA”

#5—MORNING PAGES OR 5-MINUTE JOURNAL

How to meditate: Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation

https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/meditate

Sitting meditation is very healing. We realize we can just be with whatever is within us–our pain, anger, and irritation, or our joy, love, and peace. We are with whatever is there without being carried away by it. Let it come, let it stay, then let it go. No need to push, to oppress, or to pretend our thoughts are not there. Observe the thoughts and images of our mind with an accepting and loving eye. We are free to be still and calm despite the storms that might arise in us.

After practicing sitting meditation, we often practice indoor walking meditation (sometimes called Kinh Hanh). We take one step with each in-breath and one step with each out-breath. Aware of the sangha around us, we feel in harmony with the larger body. Everybody is moving together slowly and mindfully.

Metanoia

In Christian theology, metanoia is commonly understood as "a transformative change of heart; especially: a spiritual conversion." The term suggests repudiation, change of mind, repentance, and atonement; but "conversion" and "reformation" may best approximate its connotation. 

Metanoia has been used in psychology since at least the time of American philosopher/psychologist William James to describe a process of fundamental change in the human personality.

William James used the term metanoia to refer to a fundamental and stable change in an individual's life-orientation.[1] Carl Gustav Jung developed the usage to indicate a spontaneous attempt of the psyche to heal itself of unbearable conflict by melting down and then being reborn in a more adaptive form – a form of self healing often associated with the mid-life crisis and psychotic breakdown, which can be viewed as a potentially productive process.[2] Jung considered that psychotic episodes in particular could be understood as an existential crisis which might be an attempt at self-reparation: in such instances metanoia could represent a shift in the balance of the personality away from the persona towards the shadow and the self.[3]

Jung's concept of metanoia was an influence on R.D. Laing and his emphasis on the dissolution and replacement of everyday ego consciousness.[4] Laing's colleague, David Cooper, considered that "metanoia means change from the depths of oneself upwards into the superficies of one's social appearance" – a process that in the second of its three stages "generates the 'signs' of depression and mourning".[5] Similarly influenced was the therapeutic community movement. Ideally, it aimed to support people whilst they broke down and went through spontaneous healing, rather than thwarting such efforts at self-repair by strengthening a person's existing character defences and thereby maintaining the underlying conflict.

The Dutch psychiatrist Jan Foudraine wrote extensively about it, tracing its history through the work of Jung and Laing, and eventually considering it “a permanent change in gestalt.” He cites an example where one sees a black vase, then one blinks, and instead one sees two white faces in profile opposite each other (the Rubin vase).[6]

In transactional analysis, metanoia is used to describe the experience of abandoning an old scripted self or false self for a more open one: a process which may be marked by a mixture of intensity, despair, self-surrender, and an encounter with the inner void.[7]

Meditation/Debrief: 10 minutes in car w/dogs. Not perfect, but better than expected.

Walked 2+ milesish for 3rd day in a row.

ADK Moment

Finally exiting the highway I get onto the two lane that is returning me to the Adirondacks. It has been a couple of months and I am again reminded of the painful beauty of this place. The sun is reduced to a glowing orange orb bouncing along a ridgeline to my left, west.  An all too perfect line of naked trees form a picket fence along the ridge line. Nature has formed a zoetrope animating the glowing orb's  movement behind the fence slats. My truck's passage north provides the movement.  Most would call this an optical illusion. For me this is as real as it gets.

Wow, Lots of Changes

Saranac Lake to Carrboro

Carrboro to Salt Lake City, stayed two weeks

Drove back to Carrboro

Started Dog Trading Elite with Cindy

Rough start...getting better.

Could be worse

The Blessing of Being Fired

 I was fired one week ago Friday,  I am now pursuing,,,

Becoming a substitute teacher (short term)

Becoming a Fidelity remote customer support person (1-3 months)

Becoming an ADHD coach (long term), year+)

From

To

Quote from God "Go for it"

Jimmy asked God for me, if pursuing ADHD Coaching was a good idea for me. That was yesterday...we just spoke. "The Lord God, your creator says, It's a good fit, for you David; Go for it!"

Well, that was easy...