Consciousness Tools
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Consciousness Tools
I’m working with many consciousness tools, some that I have spent a long time studying, others that I did not connect with much and others are on my mind to study one day.
Here are some of the tools I tried in chronological order, made part of my life or plan on trying.
The fact that I experimented or learned the tools below does not mean I recommend them to anyone, I am just sharing some of my past experience here.
“There is no effort wasted on this path” (working on yourself) - Greg
Journaling
As I wrote on my post on morning pages I see journaling as a powerful knowledge tool about myself self therapy. Writing whatever comes to mind first thing in the morning is a view into your subconscious and a precious memory of how you felt in the past. It always gave me great learnings about myself.
Meditation
daily practice in our discord community
vipassana 10 day silent retreat in 2010
a few more silent retreats but outside of dhamma.org
8 days in silence over XMas and NYE in 2021 at Pachamama in Costa Rica
The “Red Road” of the Lakotas and Mayas (what is it?)
Learned to enjoy the Inipi or Temezcal (Mexican name) sweat lodge
Two vision quests in South Dakota at Bear Butte with Lakotas
One 4 day no food no water (dry fast) vision quest in Maya jungle near Bacalar, Mexico with Miguel
Three (dry fast, 4 days) Sundances in Bacalar, Mexico with Miguel
Therapy
Years of work on myself with two therapists (one after the next!) in the bay area after my divorce. It helped me at that time, then I learned to work by myself
Hoffman institute
group therapy work
worked for the first time by myself on my “shadows”
disliked it but I reckon it was useful in many ways
some aspects of it really bothered me (a bit cultish) this is why I generally do not recommend it spontaneously but never tell people not to do it either
Yoga
Tried many times to like it and “stick to it” but always gave up after a while, it did not “stick”
I have on my mind to resume one day…
Kundalini Yoga
It doesn’t have much to do with the Yoga as we understand it in the modern world, it feels much more mystical to me and makes me very curious
Did about a year every week at the Kundalini Yoga Center of San Francisco which is apparently now closed (seems to be online only) as I write this, I loved it and it helped me through tough times even though the teachers all white attire triggered me at the time… it would not today.
The community suffered immensely when their leader who took first to the west the “secret teachings”, Yogi Bhajan, was found leaving generations of followers sexually, emotionally and physically abused.
I have never participated in any “cultish events” there, only did the practice and I liked it, I often do some kundalini poses still, mostly Sat Kriya
I did almost daily Sat Kriya when I started the one year absolutely no sex dieta in the jungle and it helped me a lot
Eckhart Tolle
Read a few times his great book “The power of now”
Followed a course with him live online on “Manifestation” during COVID at SoundsTrue it was great
Amazon forest plant medicine and work with indigenous in Brazil
first plant ceremonies in Peru in October 2016 (legal in Peru and Brazil)
many, many, many ceremonies ever since mostly in Brazil (I gave up counting a long time ago)
4 stays at Yorenka Tasorentsi (10 days to 3 weeks) with Benki Piyako
Kambo dietas about five times so far, some of them 3 times 3 days in a row here are some reported biological effects I recommend the fascinating book “Sapo”
3 years+ “training” with the Yawanawà “Sacred village” (Nixiwaka and Putanny) in Brazil with these “dietas”
“kaisuma” Yawanawa dieta
naneuh “jenipapo” dieta (1st time) - fruit paint on the body and inside me
iuchi dieta (red hot chili pepper dieta)
kambo dieta (5 times, up to 3 days in a row)
“kaisuma 2” in preparation for Muka (so little food I fainted many times)
The longest and most challenging work I did is the 12 months Muka dieta (3 months isolation in the forest just barely enough food to stay alive, lost 25kg / one year total with no red meat, complete sex abstinence, no sugar, no fruits, no pure water (tea or water with manioc only), no sex and mostly isolated.
Physical modification of my throat to enhance my voice with pajé “Mana” (Koulina). Mana pushed on my throat so hard I thought he was going to break the bones, I could not speak for a few days then my voice changed.
Dieta on top of the Muka dieta with “Saku” during Muka to purify myself (the deepest healing I have ever received was from Saku) and enhance my voice. Saku is from the Maribu tribe.
Songs
Throughout a total of roughly one year staying with indigenous I learned to sing many songs and some guitar (which is still a challenge for me).
The indigenous songs are “keys” used to set a space, change moods, call visions and much more that words cannot describe.
Some songs are prayers and take permission and time to learn.
Tobacco
I used to smoke cigarettes (very much in French culture at the time) from age 18 to 30 and it was really hard to stop, never touched cigarettes ever again
In the Amazon jungle I learned to work with the “Kashimbo” (Ashaninka sacred pipe). It is individual and not to be shared.
The Red-Road path involves work with a pipe too, a long pipe that they share to the group in vision quest, sundance or other work.
I learned to work with rapé and wrote about it and some risks
Dreams
The Muka dieta opened in a complete new way the dream realms for me, I feel like I have another life in lucid dreams almost every night now.
Plants:
I tried Genipapo in a Yawanawà dieta that lasted 3 months, it opened my dreams to 3-5 dreams I could recall every night
I tried Mugwort and a mix in Dreamleaf years ago (all legal and easy to find), I did not like it much and stopped fast, now I don’t need that.
I have not tried but got recommended Calea Zacatechichi that some call “The Mexican Dream Herb”
Heard about the Flowers of Brugmansia (or Angel’s Trumpet) applied externally but never tried as they are extremely toxic.
Supporting The Moon Dance
This is an ancestral Maya tradition for women only. I had the privilege of being “man support” of a Moon Dance with hundreds of women (post, video) and I learned a lot
being of service to women
learning the tools we use to support (the fire…)
seeing them do their work and rituals was a privilege
The “Great Work”
Been working with a very impressive person who is very discrete, his name is nowhere to be found online (yet?). His first name is great. Some of what he talks about appeared in my writing (the 4 bodies, the end of the New Age era). More will appear as I process it.
”Greg” got me started again working on shadow work.
Osho
was really reluctant to hear or read anything from Osho when I watched “Wild Wild Country”
then I listened to The Secret of the secrets, The Secret of the Golden Flower 70 hour audiobook and started to really find that many things he says makes a lot of sense and sounds very true.
I am listening to “The Buddha said” and like it too
I don’t quote him much in my writing because he is so controversial but his words are often on my mind
Sadhguru
Did his “inner engineering course”
There are some videos of him that made me disconnect with his teachings
Saw he has some courses to learn to be closer to snakes. In the jungle I encountered and spent time with several snakes. I would like to train in the future (significance of Snakes in Mysticism, knowledge on snakes, the only way Cobra knows you…)
Who am I? -Sri Ramana Maharshi
Definitely the book (more like a pamphlet, reads really fast) that had the most impact on me. I have read it nearly 10 times and keep reading it again often as a reminder.
I wrote about it here.
Tools I am starting to look at but did not “dive in” yet
Founder Richard Rudd spoke at our first event Pawa Paris
got a basic initiation
just got the book Essential Reiki
I have learned in the Amazon forest many techniques that made me feel like learning Reiki further wasn’t a calling for me.
I have practiced a bit in the past and loved it
I am contemplating one day going to the “Five Immortals Temple” to learn some Taoism, Chinese medicine and Qi Gong when things reopen.
There are many consciousness tools I have never tried and that’s okay, I feel really good as I am right now, but I might go visit Africa indigenous tribes in the future as well as some buddhist teachers.