I think the more conscious you are

I just plain old fucking give up....

I have no clue what any of you are talking about, seems it isn't what the OP started the thread about (or what he says he changed it into, which is the same as it was...), or anything to do with what I have repeatedly said...

Why you insist on trying to explain to me how feelings are involved in feeling the moment, and completely ignoring my repeated responses where I TOTALLY AGREE with that, and then continue to argue the point anyway is beyond me...

Oh wait... I have a theory...

Apparently I am wrong... some people can get through life without thinking...

 

okay... another try at this...

You want to see what feelings without thought is, and determine just how many moments of joy are associated with that, compared to the moments of sadness and terror?

Go visit anybody in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's

Without our minds... Our thoughts... We are not a coherent 'person'. It is our minds that tell us the difference between pain and pleasure, and why those 'feelings' can be reversed, both temporarily and permanently in people...

Without our minds there to interpret the moment that we wish to feel and enjoy, we would have nothing to distinguish that moment from the one before or after...

 

Wasnt trying to counter your point as much as present some much needed info to this thread. There seemed to be some confusing of what living in the moment really entailed/implied. Just clearing the air is all. Keep in mind my original post in this thread said basically the same thing as your first post, aka I agree with you. But where's the debate in that? And good quote skip.

 

Well, I certainly feel better being informed of facts that have nothing to do with the discussion... I especially feel better about them being presented as the 'info' this thread needed...

 

Haha chirps Mcgee over here.

Totally wasn't even directed at you (although I may have quoted you, I can't remember) just figured I'd make the point that every thing you "feel" is a thought process, so there is no such thing as simply living "in" the moment. Its a small distinction but I think, an important one based on some of the early posts.

 

If you read back, you will see it was a direct response to me.

Besides that though, what you are talking about are the actual physical process of thinking and not anything to do with what I was talking about.

If a person's (as the OP stated) experience (living life) isn't about what you see, hear, do, think, smell or say but what you FEEL then they aren't experiencing ANYTHING...

What you feel, with none of your senses operating or your mind operarting is the EXACT SAME thing you would feel if you were in a sensory deprivation chamber...

How is that enjoying The Moment? Unless of course you ACTUALLY are in a SD tank...

The Moment is made up of ALL of your senses, both physical ones AND emotional ones...

 

That's exactly what I was trying to say :2thumbsup:

 

I meant what you feel and how it effects you. The information isn't as important as how it effects you. It's not what car you're in, but where you're going in it.

 

Really? It's not about the car you are in? So, there would be zero difference in your enjoyment of the moment during travel, if it was in a miata with 6 fat smelly guys, or if you were in a fully furnished and set up motorhome?

If there would be no difference, you are NOT enjoying the moment... you are enjoying a fantasy that you created around you...

Enjoying the moment involves experiencing that moment... something you can't do, if you are ignoring the experience.

 

You took the metaphor too literally man All I'm saying is that the causes and effects that something makes on you and everything around you are always more powerful than the thing itself.

 

How do you know what those causes and effects are when you aren't using any of your physical senses?

We're sitting around that campfire... enjoying the moment... to prove my point I grab your arm and stick your hand in the fire...

If enjoying the moment, has nothing to do with your physical senses, you should be perfectly capable of continuing to enjoy the moment...

 

Not enjoying, living. Not all of life is enjoyable. Living in the moment would be (if my hand was in the fire) feeling the pain or whatever, taking it out then forgetting about it completely when the pain stops and forgiving you for sticking people's hands in fire without thinking twice about it.

 

tom are you always this intense?

 

a) Not only did I think twice about it, I damn near pissed my pants laughing at the image...

b) You would likely find life to be much more enjoyable if you let your mind take an active part in your experiences.

c) the differentiation you are trying to make between living in and enjoying the moment... a thinking person doesn't try to live in the moment when it is not enjoyable... they think of a way to change their circumstances so they are enjoyable.

 

If you feel that this is intense, then you just haven't been paying attention to what I post...

I am being quite calm, rational and communicative in this thread so far...

If by that, you meant, When I choose to take my time to post in a thread, do I do so based on things I feel strongly about and speak as I feel? Then... yes... I am...

People advocating non-thinking (for any reason) is most definitely something I feel strongly about... The majority of the world can 'not think'... that doesn't mean they are capable of enjoying the moment...

 

Let the mind survey and extract, not control. You control the situation with yourself, not your mind.

I like to think of my mind as a big fun dimensional machine that can take me anywhere I want when I'm in standby mode.

 

Where did I say that your mind should control the situation? I said your mind must be involved.

 

I don't think anyone in this thread is advocating non-thinking. You are quite right; there are non-thinking individuals in this world who aren't neccessarily capable of enjoying the moment, but conversely there are intellectual humans who spend quite a lot of time thinking and contemplating life who can still stop every once in a while and let go of absolutely everything except what is right in front of them. That is what enjoying the moment is to me; its purely meditative. The ability to appreciate the moment doesn't automatically translate into a complete disregard for critical thinking. The two can live side by side; in fact I think the most well-rounded individuals are people who use the past to plan for the future but can still stop every once in a while and do nothing but observe and experience the present.

 

I never said you said that, I'm just telling you what I think for the sake of it :sunny: