seth tapper:
Thanks for the video. I like the production values in it!
I have often thought that what happens in my mind as I sit is freudian free association. My practice has been to just let the nervous system wind down and it seems to follow along my primitive understanding of both free association and catharthis. Narratives arise, if I let them they run their course and dissapear and then I get a big release of nervous tension. As this tension level decreases, happiness is more readily available and I act on emotional triggers less often. Does that match your own experience/expectations at all?
I also have the profound experiences of oneness and pleasure that seem to lie beyond the neurotic narrative mind. Is this the realm of Jung and William James, or did Freud write about it as well?
I'm just learning myself right now. I would say that Freud looks at the ideas popping up as related to survival (the pleasure principle) and aggression that comes up in response to frustrated desires (death instinct). Jung would look at dreams as pushing you towards individuation (my particular path) and that is about developing skills you've neglected thus far. This is of course related to survival. There are so many choices. You can develop concentration so the mind doesn't go all monkey mind on you in the meditative path. You can have the different voices in the dream have their say and see if there's something you can act on to make your life feel more whole.
For me, it is interesting that our thoughts can make us react emotionally, as much if not more, than real experiences. What you think about affects how you feel and then how you act. Learning to control our consciousness is where our standard of living is, if I'm paraphrasing Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi correctly.
For me right now it would be Jung's individuation mixed with the self-discipline of Buddhism. You want to achieve goals but you don't want to go after every dream strand in your mind. Certain goals are at the right level for us.
