Best Of
Re: Letting go of games
I think a major reason I did gravitate towards D&D was that, like you, I have a craving for some sort of game play. And playing computer games like WoW or Diablo create an addictive, isolating feeling inside. Its engrossing and rewarding while engaged but left me feeling worse.
D&D is an open, creative, social game, that lets you express whatever you like. I don't like the power fantasy, or wanton destruction. In the game I want to be able to explore and express parts of my own psychology I generally can't in the real world. Or try to get into the head of a psychology different than my own. In a more meta way, I wanted to socialize more, and doing so over an activity I feel comfortable with and people who share similar interests is more enjoyable than entering a space that I'm unfamiliar, disinterested in, or dislike because someone told me its superior. It allows me to engage with that interest in a way that is positive and additive to my life rather than subtractive.
Unlike other immersive games, you make of it what you want, you bring the goals and desires to the game, rather than it dictating them to you. You want to accumulate wealth and power, the game allows for that. You want to help make the game world a better place, the game allows for that too.
person
Re: Letting go of games
coincidentally I am listening to a podcast my doctor recommended to listen to. it talks about the brain's dopamine homeostasis balancing in the brain. It doesn't relate to the ethics of violent images but it is a great discussion of how (sadly) the fun part of games and other behaviors can get us into an addiction of sorts.
This week, we bring you the second part of our conversation on the perils of too much pleasure. Psychiatrist Anna Lembke explains the neuroscience behind compulsive consumption, and how it alters our brains. She also shares techniques she’s learned from her patients to overcome the lure of addictive substances and behaviors.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-brain/id1028908750?i=1000621434290
side note as I listen: the practice that many newbuddhists have been talking about of very cold showers is mentioned towards the end of the podcast. As pushing too much on the pleasure side can result in pain/addictions... So too pushing on the pain side (though not in excess) things like exercise or meditation or sitting in cold or even ice water pushing on this pain side of the brain can adjust the brain to generally tip the teeter totter back to a better feeling pleasure.
Jeffrey
Re: Letting go of games
It sounds like you are in tune with your feelings @Jeroen, and making decisions based on some clear-minded reflections.
One thing I notice meditation does very well is put me in touch with my feelings to a greater degree. I become much more sensitive to emotional shifts and how things make me feel compared to when I don't meditate. The area it appeared most notably for me was in netflix shows I'd watch. I lost much of the enjoyment I'd once found in the violence and gore. I just had no stomach for it any more. Instead of it drawing me in to the show I just kept thinking "Why am I watching this? It's making me feel bad." Also interesting is after stopping meditating for a while some of that sensitivity went away and a, albeit limited, taste for violence returned.
Re: Adyashanti retires
In the podcast he says he will retire from all face-to-face teaching, including on the internet, but will still be supporting his wife Mukti who will take on the head teacher role at their sangha, and may do some writing and developing of in-depth teachings.
Jeroen
Re: Letting go of games
@Jeroen said:
But it isn’t suited to my spiritual path, I don’t think… my inner senses are giving off warning signals that what I’m doing is not good for me.
The way I think it works:
If you continue down the path you are sensing is unwholesome, you will feel alright for a little while, but you are sure to experience suffering and be frustrated with yourself for a long while afterward.
If you discontinue going down the path you are sensing is unwholesome, you will feel frustrated and confused for a little while, but you will not experience suffering or frustration with yourself afterwards, and something else will fill the hole/energy/time previously filled by the former activity, hopefully and probably something better.
marcitko
Re: Buddhist remedy for stress tremors?
It’s best to take this response by surprise… the moment you think of making the difficult phone call, immediately do it, and don’t sit fretting about it. Or at least that was my method.
Jeroen
Re: Buddhist remedy for stress tremors?
The best resource that I've found so far on curing anxiety is the Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@anxiety_recovery
In addition to the YT channel, which includes many success interviews, they have a lively free Facebook group, as well as two paid Mentorships where the mentors are people who have cured their anxiety (or what they call "went back to living", free from anxiety).
The method, if I understand it correctly, is quite aligned with Buddhism, implementing awareness, acceptance, and right action. In the mindset part, there is much talk of self-compassion.
In the example of the stress tremors, one would respond with the "ALARM" method (which is used with all anxiety symptoms, since they are all taken to be just symptoms of the underlying cause which is anxiety, and not discrete symptoms needing a myriad solutions).
A - Acknowledge/Aware - One would acknowledge or become aware that one is experiencing stress tremors.
L - Label - One would label the stress tremors as just (a symptom of) anxiety.
A - Accept - One would accept the stress tremors to the best of their abilities. Not fight them, not try to suppress them, not try to do anything with them. Just accept and let the stress tremors be there. "What we resist, persists". The idea here is to send to the nervous system the message that there is nothing wrong, that there is no real danger, with the aim that the nervous system then over time "desensitizes" ie. that the symptoms go away gradually on their own as a result of us taking an attitude that there is nothing wrong, that there is no real danger, that these are just symptoms of anxiety.
R - Refocus - One would refocus on the next thing that one needs to or wants to do. I take refocusing to mean thinking about that next thing. In the example above, this might be the telephone call, or something else.
M - Move on - One would go through with doing the next thing one refocused on, ignoring completely (but not suppressing) the stress tremors, or just allowing them to be there, but focusing on that next thing.
marcitko
Re: Buddhist remedy for stress tremors?
I'm curious if there is any remedy to eradicating this particular physical response before it arises?
There's no quick fix (but when it is happening , grounding your self in the present moment by breathing, will help to reduce the impact)...
However...Thus have I heard for a more effective way... explore the Three Marks of Existence Anicca, Dukkha), and Anatta ...one then has a better understanding ( hopefully an experiential understanding) of how one ticks and in turn this knowledge should help to reduces the chances of becoming ticked off/triggered....
Shoshin1