Old Friends, Gardening and Hypnosis

An old friend dropped by today, and we discussed how, in getting older, the nature of the challenge shifts ---more towards an ability to experience the events to come with equanimity. Serenity. To gain control of the negativity of the mind in the face of adverse circumstance, which becomes more important than worldly gain, status or security. Obviously this challenge may start earlier for some, and I'm grateful we're just now getting there, and even that we have made it to the point where it becomes a consideration.

We riffed on a favorite quote by Nietzsche: "Woe to the thinker who is not the gardener but only the soil of the plants that grow in him." The gardener controls what seeds are planted, and weeds out those that yield no produce, or strangle the resources of the good seeds around them.

We talked about thoughts which held value, and how they differ from the thoughts of day to day concerns. He was interested in exploring the sowing of seeds with hypnosis to help counter what he was finding difficult or impossible to do with conscious intent and will. The mind is a resistant mule: prone to habit, and laziness of thought which it scores as an efficiency. I think hypnosis will work for him, for some things. I am glad to see people searching for what is truly of value, beyond our immediate survival, which is guaranteed to end. On this plane anyway.

I know religions have pat answers for this, for what is of value, so it requires no thought or meditation. But thought and meditation can complement these beliefs, and even inform them, by taking a more critical assessment of what's important in our lives. Moment to moment. Day to day. Year to year. And to realize that we are infinitely distracted from, and infinitely forgetful of, that which is more important to us than just passing priorities at any given time. It was a good talk, with much to ponder going forward.

 It did re-spark an off and on passion I've had with hypnosis since childhood. And I've been using this download to good effect recently.

Be More Centered. From Hypnosis Downloads. It's been subtly beneficial in some nonspecific ways these last couple of days.