reblogging this because it perfectly captures everything i've been feeling
this year has been. a lot.
started as a skeptical philosophy grad student who thought shared dreaming was interesting but probably not real
now i'm someone who has to actively manage my "bandwidth" to stay grounded in physical reality
and both things are true: this is real AND i need better boundaries
going into 2012 with a commitment to:
- better safety practices
- reality checking
- not losing myself in the dream work
- remembering that physical life matters too
thanks to everyone in these communities for teaching me so much
and for the reality checks when i needed them
end of year reflection on being part of multiple consciousness communities
things i've learned:
we're all working with the same underlying phenomena, just with different frameworks and vocabulary
the frameworks MATTER though - "creating a tulpa" feels different from "accessing an entity" even if they might be the same thing
some combinations of practices/traits are HIGH RISK:
MDD + hyperphantasia + intensive dream work
trauma history + entity work + poor boundaries
isolation + immersive practice + reality shifting
the skeptics are both wrong and right
wrong: this is "just imagination" (it's clearly more than that)
right: we need better verification and safety protocols
community overlap is beautiful and dangerous
beautiful: knowledge sharing, technique cross-pollination, support
dangerous: vulnerable people getting into risky practices, cult recruitment, reality confusion
mental health and spiritual practice are not separate
you can have real experiences AND need therapy
"it's real" and "i need help managing it" are not contradictory
some people should not do these practices
if you can't maintain basic functioning
if you're losing touch with physical reality
if you have certain mental health vulnerabilities
and that's OKAY, there are other paths
the line between "skill" and "disorder" is about CONTROL
MDD is disorder when you can't stop
becomes skill when you can modulate it
same with any of these practices
we need better safety culture
harm reduction not abstinence
realistic about risks
supportive when things go wrong
less judgment, more practical help
this is all real and it's also okay to walk away
realms are real
entities are real (in some sense)
experiences are valid
AND you can choose not to engage
walking away doesn't mean you were wrong
it means you're choosing physical reality
and that's valid too
anyway. it's been a wild year.
grateful for all these communities even when they frustrate me.
going into 2012 trying to practice better bandwidth control and reality-checking.
stay safe out there everyone.