Confused about Actual Freedom

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Brian K, modified 12 Years ago at 7/9/12 11:22 PM
Created 12 Years ago at 7/9/12 11:22 PM

Confused about Actual Freedom

Posts: 142 Join Date: 4/18/12 Recent Posts
Hey, sorry to be another guy posting something about AF here, i feel like every other post i see is something about it, but this is the only place i know where to get real knowledge from rational people on stuff like this. OK - so basically, i'm interested in AF, they seem to promise alot without really asking too much of you, you dont have to meditate or do this or that or take time away from "ordinary" life, or thats what ive gotten from it so far. This all sounds good, im in. But I'm still confused... on how its actually practiced. I know the whole "How am i experiencing this present moment of being alive"... or whatever, but, is that all there is to it? Mindfulness? The AF site kind of sucks and i'm finding alot of information describing some irrelevant stuff like intelligence and "happy and harmless" as well as plenty delusional meditation-bashing, and thats OK im not going to judge a method by the bias of its founder.. but I'm hoping someone can point me in a better direction of how to actually use Actualism for the goal of "actual freedom". apperception, enlightenment, whatever u want to call it.... thanks
Jason Lissel, modified 12 Years ago at 7/10/12 1:18 AM
Created 12 Years ago at 7/10/12 1:18 AM

RE: Confused about Actual Freedom

Posts: 105 Join Date: 8/11/10 Recent Posts
Gidday Brian,

This Moment of Being Alive

"Note: asking how one is experiencing this moment of being alive is not the actualism method; consistently enjoying and appreciating this moment of being alive is what the actualism method is. And this is because the actualism method is all about consciously and knowingly imitating life in the actual world. Also, by virtue of proceeding in this manner the means to the end – an ongoing enjoyment and appreciation – are no different to the end itself".
Felipe C, modified 12 Years ago at 7/10/12 12:17 PM
Created 12 Years ago at 7/10/12 12:17 PM

RE: Confused about Actual Freedom

Posts: 221 Join Date: 5/29/11 Recent Posts
Hey, Brian

Brian K:
Hey, sorry to be another guy posting something about AF here, i feel like every other post i see is something about it, but this is the only place i know where to get real knowledge from rational people on stuff like this


There is a Yahoo! group where you can discuss pure Actualism, without mixing with other practices: Virtual Convivium.

Brian K:
but I'm hoping someone can point me in a better direction of how to actually use Actualism for the goal of "actual freedom". apperception, enlightenment, whatever u want to call it


I recommend these two articles to have a better understanding of that how:

An Actualist’s Guide for the Wide and Wondrous Path

Attentiveness and Sensuousness and Apperceptiveness

Feel free to ask if you have a particular doubt.

Good luck!
Adam , modified 12 Years ago at 7/10/12 1:12 PM
Created 12 Years ago at 7/10/12 1:12 PM

RE: Confused about Actual Freedom

Posts: 613 Join Date: 3/20/12 Recent Posts
The actualism method is really simple, direct, and counterintuitive. Enjoy the moment continuously. Enjoying the moment for what it is is almost never intuitive, the actualism method is all about getting rid of those mechanisms that tell you that you should be
Irritated or worried at various times until the point where it always makes sense to enjoy the moment for what it is. As identity isn't necessary for enjoyment the identity just dissolves itself given really continuous enjoyment. So just recognize that your
Moments of non-enjoyment serve no real purpose over and over.
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Andrew , modified 12 Years ago at 7/10/12 11:16 PM
Created 12 Years ago at 7/10/12 7:48 PM

RE: Confused about Actual Freedom

Posts: 336 Join Date: 5/23/11 Recent Posts
Hi Brian K,

I spent all of last year being 'mindful' in a Buddhist sense (or at least trying to be based on what I could grok of it) and i can assure that since understanding the basics of the Actual Freedom method (it is not a 'practice'- this will trip you up to think of it as something you can practice*) it is nothing like 'mindfulness'. Mindfulness doesn't have the active, forthright, contemplative, verbal nature of of the HAIETMOBA method. Mindfulness encourages you to 'see what is happening based on the three characteristics', HAIETMOBA encourages you to understand and explore what is going on emotionally that is standing in the way of you be 'happy and harmless' and return you to an active sensate appreciation of this amazing universe. (that is something you will not find in Buddhist instructions, that this universe is infact amazing and wasting a moment lost in 'you' is a travesty)

*On the topic of 'practice' vs 'method', actualism method is verbal and analytical, you are not trying to see predetermined 'truths' about anything but simply pre-agree that there is only this moment in which you are alive and spending it accepting anything less than 'happy and harmless' is silly. this is the backbone of the method and it's touchstone.

I say that to encourage you not to do what I did and that is try and assimulate the actual freedom method into existing ideas of buddhist technology.

To summarize it is better thought of as a 'a fun conversation you have with yourself', an ongoing investigation of your emotional reality with the express purpose of critiquing that reality.'

questions go back and forth in this conversation until one senses that they have found the 'heart' of the matter. One then goes back to attentiveness of this actual universe unfolding all around us.

for example i've been dealing with boredom for a long time, and yesterday had some success in seeing the reasons this arises, seeing these reasons is enough to return me to sensate attention of this wonderful universe. I don't have to seek to be 'not bored', I simply understand it enough to confidently dismiss it as a viable way to spend this moment of being alive.

i found Vineetos writings very clear on this especially since I have no 'enlightenment' on my resume and the discussions from richard and peter are quite focused on that. Vineeto seems to be the better source of what the conversation you have will looks like.

http://actualfreedom.com.au/actualism/vineeto/selected-writings/investigatefeelings.htm

It take a while to grasp as it runs opposite to what you think it should be. It took me 8 months and making alot of noise (which amounted to playing to the crowd i've since realised) for me to understand it. it wasn't even honest noise as the whole time there was this thought 'why am i objecting to something I would have jumped at if told to me by a friend? I've jumped at less?'

here is a hint though; imagine you are at a party and are have the most brilliant conversation with someone you just met. the conversation itself is immensely enjoyable as it ranges over topics from the universe to the ridiculous ways people spend their time. This is what the conversation you have with yourself will feel like, if not (if you remain glum and despondent), you are doing it wrong. Good conversations get somewhere, they build, go back and forth in mutual respect of the shear enjoyment of discovering something new about the world.

The actualism method is more about a pre-defined starting point, (it is silly to spend this moment of being alive anything less that happy and harmless) and delivers the fruit of freedom through the duration of that conversation. (the conversation will be peppered with words like 'wow! that's amazing, haha why would i do that?!' and 'you don't say?!, hahaha that is a silly a clown at undertaker convention'.**


The current confusion about all of this is those who have had the first successes with this method where mostly enlightened in some traditional way first. Hence most, like me, wrongly read it to be a prerequisite. the Actual Freedom Trust doesn't help much in that it (an actual freedom from the human condition) is described as 'surpassing spiritual enlightenment'. I would describe it as 'surpassing existential boredom' but then again I am not there yet (i have confidence this does not have to take long though) and i am not enlightened.

all the best and keep your own counsel, if you like what is described keep reading, unfortunately is isn't something that 'just makes sense' until it does!

**apologies to clowns and undertakers, no offence intended, especially to clowns who are also undertakers and undertakers who are also clowns***. emoticon

***obviously there is nothing silly about being a clown/understaker at the relevant convention as long as one remembers which convention one is dressing up for. a little like the actualist/buddhist debate really- don't mix them up, take them at face value, simple as that.
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Brian K, modified 12 Years ago at 7/12/12 12:44 PM
Created 12 Years ago at 7/12/12 12:44 PM

RE: Confused about Actual Freedom

Posts: 142 Join Date: 4/18/12 Recent Posts
Thanks guys, very appreciated !