Aware of Self

Amber Sun · Post by **Amber Sun** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 7:22 am

Themis;1145612 wrote: When did Man first recognise his own reflection of himself?

when I gaze into the stream I truly ponder...

LOL, Themis, I don't believe that humankind was ever so stupid as to not recognize his/her own reflection except as children of course. It's the same with puppies and kittens, birds etc. At first they are startled by their reflection thinking that it is another of their own kind and will try to swipe at it, bark etc. But as they grow older they recognize it as their own reflection. The baby in our family is 14 months old and enjoys looking at herself now in mirrors, the reflective surface of the washer and dryer etc.

mikeinie · Post by **mikeinie** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 8:05 am

Themis;1145756 wrote: Genesis deals with this event.. in the banishment of the Garden

Genesis 2 ends with the note that the man and woman were naked, and were not ashamed..

Genesis 3 The serpent tempts the woman to eat from the tree of knowledge, telling her that it will not lead to death; she succumbs, and gives the fruit to the man, who eats also, "and the eyes of the two of them were opened." Aware now of their nakedness, they make coverings of fig leaves,

They were not ashamed because they were hot...

The fig leaves were only because they were in fasion at the time..

Amber Sun · Post by **Amber Sun** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 9:18 pm

Themis;1145756 wrote: Genesis deals with this event.. in the banishment of the Garden

Genesis 2 ends with the note that the man and woman were naked, and were not ashamed..

Genesis 3 The serpent tempts the woman to eat from the tree of knowledge, telling her that it will not lead to death; she succumbs, and gives the fruit to the man, who eats also, "and the eyes of the two of them were opened." Aware now of their nakedness, they make coverings of fig leaves,

I'm confused Themis, what does 'reflection' have to do with 'awareness'?

Hamster · Post by **Hamster** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 12:11 am

And what does the bible have to do with philosophy?

Hamster's Knight · Post by **Hamster's Knight** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 12:15 am

Yup...dont think the bible has anything to do with the original question....but anyway...

I'd say pretty much immediately. may have taken a few seconds and a few double takes to figure it out, but i doubt it took long at all for the "first man" to recognize himself.

Hamster · Post by **Hamster** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 12:20 am

Amber Sun;1145719 wrote: LOL, Themis, I don't believe that humankind was ever so stupid as to not recognize his/her own reflection except as children of course. It's the same with puppies and kittens, birds etc. At first they are startled by their reflection thinking that it is another of their own kind and will try to swipe at it, bark etc. But as they grow older they recognize it as their own reflection. The baby in our family is 14 months old and enjoys looking at herself now in mirrors, the reflective surface of the washer and dryer etc.

But at first a baby will try to look behind the mirror to see where the "other" baby is. You must have missed this stage? There must have been a stage in human evolution (if you believe in Darwinian Theory of Evolution) where simple man would have recognised a reflection as a fellow man but not neccessarily as himself/herself.

Hamster's Knight · Post by **Hamster's Knight** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 12:27 am

Hamster;1146572 wrote: But at first a baby will try to look behind the mirror to see where the "other" baby is. You must have missed this stage? There must have been a stage in human evolution (if you believe in Darwinian Theory of Evolution) where simple man would have recognised a reflection as a fellow man but not neccessarily as himself/herself.

what you speak of is Cognitive Development and it's been tested over and over scientifically amongst many early age groups.

Nomad · Post by **Nomad** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 12:49 am

Amber Sun;1146524 wrote: I'm confused Themis, what does 'reflection' have to do with 'awareness'?

If you dont apply the definition of the word reflection literally I think the two words and their meanings are married.

Awareness is reflection. Reflection is truth.

Hamster · Post by **Hamster** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 4:16 am

Hamster's Knight;1146573 wrote: what you speak of is Cognitive Development and it's been tested over and over scientifically amongst many early age groups.

Thank you

Hamster · Post by **Hamster** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 4:17 am

Nomad;1146579 wrote: If you dont apply the definition of the word reflection literally I think the two words and their meanings are married.

Awareness is reflection. Reflection is truth.

As in a kind of assessment of self?

Amber Sun · Post by **Amber Sun** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 8:16 am

Hamster;1146572 wrote: But at first a baby will try to look behind the mirror to see where the "other" baby is. You must have missed this stage? There must have been a stage in human evolution (if you believe in Darwinian Theory of Evolution) where simple man would have recognised a reflection as a fellow man but not neccessarily as himself/herself.

Noooo....I don't believe I missed anything. What I did state is essentially the same thing as 'looking behind the mirror'. But what Themis had originally mentioned was water.

LOL, Themis, I don't believe that humankind was ever so stupid as to not recognize his/her own reflection except as children of course. It's the same with puppies and kittens, birds etc. At first they are startled by their reflection thinking that it is another of their own kind and will try to swipe at it, bark etc. But as they grow older they recognize it as their own reflection. The baby in our family is 14 months old and enjoys looking at herself now in mirrors, the reflective surface of the washer and dryer etc.

Amber Sun · Post by **Amber Sun** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 8:21 am

Nomad;1146579 wrote: If you dont apply the definition of the word reflection literally I think the two words and their meanings are married.

Awareness is reflection. Reflection is truth.

Thanks Nomad. When I read the words;

When did Man first recognise his own reflection of himself?

when I gaze into the stream I truly ponder

I very naturally put the words 'recognize', 'reflection', and 'stream' together. Like when you look into the water you see your own reflection.

:-6

guppy · Post by **guppy** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 8:38 am

Is this any different than as adults many of us look to others to see the reflection of ourselves..not our true selves but what is reflected back at us from others?

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 8:44 am

Is this any different than as adults many of us look to others to see the reflection of ourselves..not our true selves but what is reflected back at us from others?

...and then, in my case, run screaming!:wah:

guppy · Post by **guppy** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 8:53 am

Clodhopper;1146898 wrote: ...and then, in my case, run screaming!:wah:

:p:wah::p

Hamster · Post by **Hamster** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 9:11 am

Amber Sun;1146871 wrote: Noooo....I don't believe I missed anything. What I did state is essentially the same thing as 'looking behind the mirror'. But what Themis had originally mentioned was water.

LOL, Themis, I don't believe that humankind was ever so stupid as to not recognize his/her own reflection except as children of course. It's the same with puppies and kittens, birds etc. At first they are startled by their reflection thinking that it is another of their own kind and will try to swipe at it, bark etc. But as they grow older they recognize it as their own reflection. The baby in our family is 14 months old and enjoys looking at herself now in mirrors, the reflective surface of the washer and dryer etc.

My mistake Amber, sorry

Nomad · Post by **Nomad** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 9:11 pm

Hamster;1146662 wrote: As in a kind of assessment of self?

Yes. Self awareness is an absolute nessecity necessity **** I hate that word. Ive looked it up a hundred times.

Growth and evolution are impossible without assessing ones progress or lack of it.

Hamster · Post by **Hamster** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 10:30 pm

Nomad;1147441 wrote: Yes. Self awareness is an absolute nessecity necessity **** I hate that word. Ive looked it up a hundred times.

Growth and evolution are impossible without assessing ones progress or lack of it.

Yes, thank you.

Daniyal · Post by **Daniyal** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 2:23 pm

There are various methods for realizing the Saelf , All are based on the removal of limiting ideas in regard to Oneself and the universe . Just as a container creates the illusion that the space inside it is separate and smaller , So the Mind creates its own walls , And hence , the illusion of separation from the Self . '' Not This , Not This '' , is a method of analysis by negation or denial

. It is a means of approach . By finding out what a particular subject is not like , one can move towards an Overstanding of what it is like . Through this process of negation , one can approach an Overstanding of real happiness . By realizing that it does not lie in Wealth , Power , Fame , or any other object of Worldly Pursuit .

Through negation of everything that can be known via the senses , One exhaustions ; And find the Answer within . Ultimately , direct experience is necessary , For it is not a matter of Intellectual Overstanding . A human is not his or her house , Nor is He or She , His or Her job . For these are subject to change . But a Human remains the same . It is useless to identify with clothing or hairstyle , Yet all are subject to this form of illusion from time to time . The real you , which is sometimes called the Self is one's essential nature , It meither Boy or Senses ; The Body and Senses are mere external qualities of the Self .

The serious Spiritual person negates identification with all things of this world that are not real . The Human negates the Mind by saying . '' I'm Not This Personality , I'm Not These Desires , I'm Not These Fears , '' Until eventually , all things within worldly experince are negated , And nothing remains but the Self . In this kind of Meditation union with the absolute is achieved by denial of body . Mind , Name , Form , Intellect , Senses , And all limiting adjucts . The true '' I '' remains , Which is absolute existence , knowldge , bliss . One should observe the play of life as though He or She were watching a movie . But again , does idenrify with in .

Whaever situation one experiences , His or Her reaction should be , '' I'am Not Involved , I am Only Watching It Happen , '' This entails introspection , And close awareness , The Mind does not want to be watched , And will soon slow down its activities , But it does not give up without a struggle . In many ways it will deceive and persuade one to stop watching it . It is such a powerful force that it is capable of dragging the attention wherever it goes , Unless extreme watchfulness is practiced . Many , many times it will divert the attention from its focus . One must observe this with patience , Then firmly return to the witness state , Taking care not to fight the Mind , But Only to Gently Guide It .

Daniyal · Post by **Daniyal** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 6:23 pm

Themis;1148748 wrote: The Big Five. Carl Jung.

The Big Five are the Persona, the Ego, the Shadow, the Anima/Animus, and the Self .

The Persona

The Persona is that which we present to the outside world. It isn't really our selves, though there is a danger we can identify too much with it and believe it to be so. It is a mask. It's not a bad thing to have, in fact it's necessary for getting along with others. Jung seems to talk about it in the singular, but I suspect that a well adjusted person has several masks and is adept at juggling them and knowing which one is appropriate when and just how opaque it needs to be. In any event, singular or plural, it's a fact of life. Ask a doctor what he does and he won't say, "I do medicine", he's unlikely even to say, "I practice medicine". What you'll likely hear is "I'm a doctor". Occupation isn't the only shelf where masks are pulled from. Religion, sexual orientation, politics, the social sciences....

The Ego

The ego is the centre of consciousness. It is identity. It is 'I'. But it is not the totality of the psyche. Being the king of consciousness amounts to dominion over a small but important land surrounded by a wide world of terra incognita. The more aware the King is of lands beyond his domain the more secure he will be on his throne, but he must not be tempted to open the borders to it all. In Jungian theory the unconscious is far too vast to ever be made fully conscious, poking about in it is not without danger, yet ignoring it is also a mistake since it leads to a brittle fixedness which at best impedes growth, at worst can break when under the pressure of the 'threat' of change.

The Shadow

I was a couple of sentences in on Anima/Animus, before I noticed that I had forgotten the Shadow. That is the nature of this archetype, it is the receptacle for all of that which we have for one reason or another disowned. There seems to be a movement on to 'redeem' the Shadow, as evidenced by such books as Your Golden Shadow, but in truth there's a great deal that's very, very unpleasant here, since we have good reason for wanting to disown our darker natures. The avenue for an attempted redemption of the Shadow lies in the belief that everything disowned winds up here. A person who grew up in a family where level headedness prevailed and such things as art making were not given much value may discover some artistic aptitude hiding out in their shadow. There are treasures here, but they are buried in stinking muck.

The Anima/Animus

The Anima is the female soul image of a man, the Animus the male soul image of a woman. That is the most simple definition, and one which many struggle with, since Jung seems quite absolute in defining a person's soul image as gender opposite.

"Soul image" sounds very pretty, but the Anima/Animus is not without a negative pole as well. Jung's anima whispered to him that what he was doing was "art". He rejected this and pushed ahead as a 'scientist' which was much better in a society which regards science as 'serious' and art as less so.

If one is on good terms with one's Anima/Animus he/she can prove a valuable messenger between the unconscious and the conscious, a connecting link - a veritable Hermes.

The Self

The Self is simply the centre and the totality of the entire psyche. It is the archetype which contains all the other archetypes and around which they orbit. It's something of a paradox, and extremely difficult for the conscious ego to accept.

Good post

Daniyal · Post by **Daniyal** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 9:12 am

Scroll Four

Health And Relaxation

( 19 x 3 = 38 )

Lo ! Oh my children , what I must impart upon your minds in the importance of A healthy ( 1 ) . Mind , ( 2 ) . Body , ( 3 ) . Soul , and proper relaxation . Remember My Nubian Sister's & Brother's the very words healthy and Health begin with the word ( Heal ) . To heal one's self is step one . To heal one's mind will heal one's whole body , Relaxation is simply to learn to relax , What ye must always remember is ; By taking proper care of your physical body you are protecting your inner Spirit .

And by poisoning your physical body , Be it through Drugs / Alcohol / Cigarettes / Junk Food , Sugars or Salts , And I can go on and on , You are doing serious harm to your Spirit , and it becomes weaker and weaker . Through the teachings of the Masonic Order , Shrine Eastern Star , and Shriner Ladies , You will be taught on how to nourish your body as well as you soul . Know ye that proper exercise , Proper breathing ( read the book ; The Breath ) , Proper relaxation , Proper diet , An intake of much water , and positive think-ing are the requisite attendant that lead to a healthy , dynamic , and effective existence

Proper relaxation is needed to maintain mental , spiritual , and physical health . Many of ye think that relaxation involves leaving home for some exotic place . Where the mind and body are ceaselessly pumped with stimulants and depressants ; And A Full Range Of Other Danaging Delights True Relaxtion Comes From Removing The Stimulivisual Edible And Otherwise ;And Tuning Into The Inner Awareness .

Like Any Piece Of Study Machinery , Human Being's Physical And Mental Bodies Can Quite A Bit Of Abuse Before Giveing Any Signs Of Protest . Unfortunately , In Western Thinking It Has Become A Practice To Ignore The Basic Rules Of Health , And To Think That A Pill Here Or There Which Relieves SymptomsWill Actually Bring About Well-Being . QuiteThe Opposite Is True . Pain In The Body Is A Warning Like A Red Light On The Instrument Panel Of A Car . Talking This Or That Compound Of Chemicals To Remove The Symptoms Are The Same As Taking A Hammer And Breaking The Light ,

It Does Nothing To Solve The Problem , And In Fact May Make It Worse While Only Giving The Apperarance Of Helping . Many Chemicals Ingested Are Not Useful To The Body , And Cannot Be Eliminated And Are These-fore Merely Stored . The Medicines Accumulate , Along With The Food Additives That Are Eaten In Such Abundance , On The Average If 25 Pound Per Person Per Year , And They Combine With Each Other To Literally Poison The System . The Effects May Not Be Felt For Many Years . This Does Not Mean That There Is No Need For Modern Medicine ,

Yet Herbs Of Your Own Are Much Better , But , Often Doctors Are Considered To Have Some Form Of Absolute Knowledge . Too Often , Frequent Visits To The GP ( General Practitioners ) Specialist , Or Psychologist Are Substinuted For Living A Healthy Life , Most Of The Diseases Of The Mind And Body Can Be Eliminated By Following The Five Basic Points .

( 1 ) . Proper Exercise .

( 2 ) . Proper Breathing

( 3 ) Proper Relaxation

( 4 ) . Proper Diet With Much Water .

( 5 ) . Positive Thinking Prayer And Meditation .

( Mind Your Mind For The Jewels Of Your Soul )

By The Grand Al Mufti '' Divan

Novle ; Rev . Dr . Malachi Zodok York - El 33 / 720