Question about fear in MCTB

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fivebells , modified 13 Years ago at 3/10/11 9:50 AM
Created 13 Years ago at 3/10/11 9:50 AM

Question about fear in MCTB

Posts: 563 Join Date: 2/25/11 Recent Posts
In "How the Maps Help", it says
...the fundamental increases and shifts in perceptual thresholds are extremely hard to fake, particularly if you have access to a map that goes into the extensive details presented here... For example, if you recently saw very fine vibrations that changed frequency with the breath, then had a big zap-through, spaced out for a while, and now feel paranoid with some steady 5-7 Hz stuff that quickly leads to chaotic, edgy vibrations with complex harmonics, that’s very likely the insight stage Fear.
What in the book makes it clear that these specific perceptual thresholds specifically relate to fear? The only relevant part of the chapter on Fear seems to be that the vibrational frequency will no longer change with the phase of the breath.
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Beoman Claudiu Dragon Emu Fire Golem, modified 13 Years ago at 3/10/11 10:06 AM
Created 13 Years ago at 3/10/11 10:06 AM

RE: Question about fear in MCTB

Posts: 2227 Join Date: 10/27/10 Recent Posts
fivebells .:
In "How the Maps Help", it says
...the fundamental increases and shifts in perceptual thresholds are extremely hard to fake, particularly if you have access to a map that goes into the extensive details presented here... For example, if you recently saw very fine vibrations that changed frequency with the breath, then had a big zap-through, spaced out for a while, and now feel paranoid with some steady 5-7 Hz stuff that quickly leads to chaotic, edgy vibrations with complex harmonics, that’s very likely the insight stage Fear.
What in the book makes it clear that these specific perceptual thresholds specifically relate to fear? The only relevant part of the chapter on Fear seems to be that the vibrational frequency will no longer change with the phase of the breath.


In Chapter 5 he says:
MCTB:

There are two basic patterns of vibrations in the Dark Night, and they are actually the Dark Night’s defining characteristics. One may get overwhelmed by the descriptions of emotional difficulties, but keep these patterns in mind and try to stay on that level. One is fairly slow, somewhat regular and chunky, at perhaps 5-7 Hz, with not much else going on. It’s an early Dark Night thing and it tends to feel like a shamanic drum beat. The later pattern is fairly fast, perhaps 10-18+ Hz, a bit more irregular, and has faster and slower harmonics in the background and around the periphery of our attention. It tends to make us feel very buzzy and edgy. The fact that the background is beginning to shake is a good sign of progress, as this needs to happen for the cycle to be completed. On the other hand, it is exactly the fact that the background has begun to shake and crumble that can cause people to freak out.


From there we get that the 5-7 Hz thing is an early dark night thing. From the quote you gave:

MCTB:
For example, if you recently saw very fine vibrations that changed frequency with the breath [A&P], then had a big zap-through [A&P Event], spaced out for a while [Dissolution], and now feel paranoid with some steady 5-7 Hz stuff that quickly leads to chaotic, edgy vibrations with complex harmonics, that’s very likely the insight stage Fear.


So the only thing about Fear he wrote there was that you "feel paranoid" and have some "steady 5-7 Hz stuff that quickly leads to chaotic, edgy vibrations with complex harmonics". It's a combination of the progression (A&P and Dissolution), what is currently happening (feeling paranoid), the fact that the fear didn't pass and now you feel miserable or disgusted or whatever (those would be later stages), and that it's an early dark night thing (5-7 Hz with complex hard-to-perceive vibrations) that leads one to conclude it's Fear.

Helpful?
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fivebells , modified 13 Years ago at 3/10/11 11:52 AM
Created 13 Years ago at 3/10/11 11:52 AM

RE: Question about fear in MCTB

Posts: 563 Join Date: 2/25/11 Recent Posts
Yes, I missed that the earlier parts of his description referred to earlier stages of the process. Thanks for clarifying that.

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