Do you have a link? I could not find anything on AF. Maybe search is broken there (or was it removed?)

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ayahuasca? ick. I understand it is a strong purgative (both ends)

hence its lack of favor among recreational drug users :D

yeah - like many other such plants, it is not really recreational.
Thanks for the link. That experience is - well - amazing does not cut it. I mean, just reading this made me feel different. It sucked me in - in a way. And this at a time when I felt my emotional connection to all of this diminish in the daily stress. It is quite daring to use such a plant in a movie theatre but obviously this one was an incredible experience. The part on other people feeling something too is weird. The part on feeling to die and rebirth - I have read that this is indeed happening to many people who do this kind of experience.
So Seamus - I see that many of the views of the world described in that long post fit to what we have talked in our forum and in PM. Like the manifesting reality part and the part on fear :) - I can see what connects you to this experience described there.

My friend,

I have just had a visit with an old friend from many years ago. We are both on the same path, on the same page, even, though we have come through very different trials and tests.

He referred me to a woman by the name of Keisha Crowther. She is AMAZING. If you are at all interested in Tribalistic Spiritualism, Please do check out

YouTube - Return of the Ancestors - Pt 2 - Shaman, Kiesha Crowther 4/5

Normally, I'm not so into "indian" stuff, even though i am part indian (because they can sometimes get too into their own "traditions for tradition's sake") But she seems like the real deal.

S

I watched the video (was hard to find the part 1, though, as it is a several part video and you linked to some middle part). I liked the beginning. Especially the part on healing male and female consciousness. Very nice ritual that was described there. So despite my scepticism towards "metaphysical" explanations, I really liked it and I even had tears in my eyes a couple of times. What really threw me off however was the part towards the end though. She goes on to talk about indian ancient prophecies of aliens in flying disks coming to earth, crop circles and stars/planets appearing in the sky. I think, this is a bit too "fringe" for me. Also the prediction that this will happen in 2010 is lets say rather concrete. Some people have tried pinpointing such events to certain years or dates before her and up to now have failed ("year 2000" among them).
But watching this, I got a good idea in what direction (or from what direction) your writings on manifesting reality go. :)

If anyone needs help, would like someone to talk to, or just any advice, I'm here willing to help if you're willing to listen to me. I consider myself a success story in terms of PAD, and I offer my best advice to anyone who wants it. Feel free to PM me, or post here. I'm also on AF.

That goes for me too. And Caveman is not exaggerating in his claim. He really exemplifies the curiosity and dedication of a true seeker.

I consider myself successful for the opposite reason... I am happy again, but not at the expense of my feelings or understanding of how it's what some people want.

I want to repost something here I put on the equivalent thread on Avatar-Forums:

Part of the picture that occurs to me is a contrast with virtually every other popular movie today, which provides (over-)stimulation that creates a state of stress inside the viewer. I don't like action-oriented video games for the same reason: what they do to my physiology.

But what Avatar -- action sequences aside -- does is to take you into the quiet space inside where your soul grows. It gets your brain to shut up for a moment so you can experience the universal flow of energy that is the hallmark of life. For people that are used to a world where everything competes to overwhelm their attention and distract them from the tender beauty of simply being, the perfection of this glimpse of eternity fills their heart so much it feels as though it is breaking.

Not just the media but virtually the entire culture of the USA in particular now is fixated on creating or sustaining conflict and stress as a way of getting attention, and that separates us from our true selves. The frenzied angry posts that characterize what passes for discussion on 99% of the internet are the vain attempts of a population disconnected from its own humanity to find what it lost an increasingly long time ago. Depression from seeing Avatar may be the regret at having bought into that deception for so long.

Very well said Sempu.

I think this is why people tend to prefer the 'second act' of the film - where Jake is learning their ways, learning Pandora and most importantly, learning to see. It's the part of the film which is slowest, but also most peaceful - most calm and so most fulfilling to soul, body and mind.

I think we're all sick of living in a world where everything's a race, a competition. A competition where there are no trophies handed out at the end.

Very, very well said, both of you :)

i agree, or i do now, after reading :P

i wish the things didn't go like you just described Fkeu... sadly they do, nothing i can do about it, though i wish i could :)


again, well said guys

Yes, this is what stuck with me, what pulled me back to the cinema so many times... everything else is great, but this part is so beguiling and beautiful. I want it to be real, to be real for me. :(

Agreed. The winner of the rat race is still a rat.

That's part of it, but it really isn't the main message... Avatar would still have done very little without the actual action, the epicness, the very scale of it... There are millions of films there that tell 'your brain to shut up for a moment' but they don't do anything like Avatar does.
It's Pandora itself... it's Neytiri... it's the Na'vi... it's all that and more.

Well the Na'vi are supposed to be our higher selves, the human essence in all it's pure, uncorrupted beauty. Other movies have tried to bring out the human essence in a similar way before, it's just that none have ever hit the mark the same way Avatar has. :)

You can make it real, you just need to have the strength to fight for it. We've all seen what life has the potential to be, yet also what life has unfortunately become. We all see the chains that bind us, but we've also been given the strength to break them. It's time we take back our own lives from this evil, controlling world, and fight for the lives we truly want.

It's time for a brave new world, built by the power of our dreams, not the corrupt, enslaving wishes of the world. This is a spiritual war (as Tyler Durden says in my sig;)), between us and society, between a life of freedom and a life of societal servitude. Time to gather our forces, our hearts and souls. :) Avatar has given us the strength and vision, let's use it. ;)

Amen, ma tsmukan. :D

Yeah, I am still wondering what makes it so different. Other movies have actually hit the mark for me in some ways before, but none sucked me in that way. Part of it is certainly the community here, another part is the world of Pandora.
Its not just the things that HAPPEN in the movie, but more the things that are BEHIND it. I dont care so much about action scenes and fights. But Pandora itself, the network, the web of life, the plants and views, the luminescence and of course what we all see (though we only got a glimpse of their culture) in the NA'Vi - that is all going deeper.
Cameron said that he took the ideas and images from a dream and that is why I feel at home on Pandora as well, as it also is in my head somehow. It was there before Avatar and this is where this feeling of "returning home" comes from. It is this unexplainable connection, JC has found - to visualize something that was in the minds and dreams of people of this time - that is truely the amazing thing. Much more than an environmentalist story and a lovestory.

Indeed it is time. Though one thing I would differ - Avatar has woken people up and made them aware, it has given some strength or motivation, but it has only given a glimpse of a vision. The vision of each person who has seen the movie differs greatly!
Some speak of becoming more aware of nature, to communicate with it, even to live in a new way to reconnect at a deep level. Others have turned towards green technology and want to have a house with solar panels and electric cars. Some want to "go native" and live away from civilization. Some have been inspired to become researchers to engineer bioluminescent plants or Ikran or want to travel to space by advancing technology. Some actually look forward to virtual worlds in high resolution so that they could be :airquote:on Pandora at will. Some like me dream about flying and start doing that for real ;) - the point is, that while Avatar in generally has inspired vision, the vision itself is very much different in all people and some of the visions certainly contradict each other. I think people who would want to "live like the NA'Vi" in the wild would certainly disagree a lot with advancing technology at the cost of nature even further for the next decades so that people could spacetravel or develop genetics to a point at which making Ikran and glowing plants are possible.

So the movie was a strong impulse, but it was not targeted, so probably that is good, as people are inspired to follow their own path, but it also makes it far from easy to "gather our forces", as there is not really a single common goal for us all.

Greetings,
Aurora

This is why I still think some people still don't understand part of it.
Advancing technology is NOT mutually exclusive with nature. That's just Ludditism.
While I want to live more closely with nature, there is no reason to avoid technology based on that. Same with space travel, most people opposed to it are stuck in a flat-Earth mentality.

The message that often gets ignored is simply to take your own path in life, not to be told what to do and follow blindly, but to live as is right for yourself an to allow others to.

Well - At least some or many perceive it that way, so that was mostly what I wanted to say, that people have different visions after the movie that may not be compatible (or people dont think they are compatible) as you also said:
So that basically is it - everyone is encouraged to develop an own vision and realize it. That is basically a great idea. The key is however that others should be allowed to do likewise. So basically "do what you want to do as long as you dont harm others (or inhibit them in their own doings".

My personal opinion is this: Of course that principle is a bit complicated when it comes to a planet of 7 billion people and a civilization that is encompassing almost everyone as it means that developing and using a technology would only be ok, if it does not harm people. And as sad as I am as a scientist who is quite interested in technology I see the vast majority of technologies as not following that principle. Even many of the more benign looking ones sadly contribute to harming people or harming the ecology - which in itself is bad - and thereby also harming people. I am interested in how you view that - what do you propose? What is your vision for yourself and for combining he visions of the people that have developed by people after Avatar? Have you maybe described it in another thread? (not to clutter this one full of debate ;)

Yes, I agree.

I believe what makes Pandora, the Na'vi, Neytiri, and Avatar in general so beautiful is the feeling, the sensation of having something - adventure, romance, connection to nature etc. They are very basic aspects that touch deep - they have a natural calling in all humans. Curing depression comes from finding these things, using Avatar as an example for creating a better life for yourself. It's about turning something depressing into something motivational. Like many have experienced, Avatar was more inspiration than anything.

Dawn of the age of dreamers.


I think it's how these fundamental aspects to life were presented. Like I said above - adventure, romance, a feeling of "I belong here", or "I have that one thing worth fighting for". These are natural things that our spirits call for. Avatar was an answer to that call.

That is true, but still it is not quite. I mean there were definitely earthbound movies before that had these elements in them. Actually Adventure, romance and something to fight for are very common storytelling themes present in I daresay most good movies and even many bad ones. The part about connecting to nature is also not that uncommon and Avatar has been compared to other movies that have all these elements.

I think what makes a difference is the feeling of something special, something that feels like home and that I think comes from bringing dreams, actual dreams to the screen. Why we recognize these dreams I dont know - why do I feel at home under a sky with a big red planet and with blue plants and floating mountains I cannot explain...

But the major thing is the mythology and symbolism in the movie. It is breathtaking once one starts to think about it. It has so many mythological aspects that it just blows you away. Of course there is the Pantheism thing, the circle of life, the "everything is connected", Gaiaism and "the spirit that flows through all things". Then there is the whole mythology about connecting individuals to each other by tsaheylu, the mythology of an afterlife at the tree of voices and the one of of deep bonding between individuals. There is a mythology in taming powerful dragons (Ikran, Toruk), soul transfer and rebirth in a new body. There is a saviour mythology with Jake riding Toruk and an apocalypse with the invasion and war of the sky people. There is a constant and reoccuring reference to dreaming and the world of dreams. The phrases "wake up" are repeated many times, the whole Avatar program is like lucid dreaming and also has elements of rebirth. There are also signs and premonitions with the woodsprites landing on Jake.

There also is a powerful symbolism involved. The colors are not arbitrary, the sky people world is grey, the outside is colorful, blue, a calming and mystical color is prevalent in the NA'Vi and their healing rituals, power is presented as a red Toruk, clean and pure white is the color of the souls, the trees of voices and souls and their seeds.

These are all powerful myths, fundamental myths that we recognize from our own life, our culture, other cultures and from something deep within us. And I think that mythology is what really makes a huge difference, as it touches us so deeply in a spot that has in the past decades been quite neglected or even exploited. Avatar is at its core a spiritual movie in that respect and has a similar effect on people as trance-dreams, psychedelics or religious experiences in a way. You can see that in how people react also, they feel PAD, they have to sit down outside the cinema after the movie is over, they change their lives, describe the experience as lifechangin, or awakening, or mind-opening and go and see it over and over again.

That was longer as I thought ;) I hope it makes sense

That makes a lot of sense. :)

What you said is...perfect. There were so many things I connected with, that I probably didn't even realize.

I like how you compare Avatar to dreams. That is very true. It also deeply touches to our inner child and our childhood imagination that has long been forgotten. To mix the two, Avatar is the perfect children's dream.

On another note, lately, I've had some longings for Pandora. Their short-lived, usually replaced with a great sense of love and excitement. But strangely enough, I've also been longing for...Spyro. The playstation (1) game, my first true love. It took you to a beautiful world full of magic and wonder, which come to think of it, is not surprise why I relate it so well to Pandora.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...1t:429,r:4,s:0

(There's been a lot of great posts here in the past few days, I enjoy reading everyone's wisdom and props to you all for sharing it. :) )

Do you mind sharing your story? I am interested to hear how you were able to deal with it so well.

Well, the world is hugely overpopulated - really, the population should be allowed to drop to a sustainable level (it IS possible to support a population like that, but requires technology that doesn't exist yet and won't for at least a couple of decades).
I seethe majority of technology as neutral - it's how you use it, how you apply the knowledge gained, what you do with the ability that matters. Not what is developed.

Sorry, I'm going to have to reply... what he did may well have worked for him, but personally, I really don't think it's am amazing idea... For me, it's a red pill/blue pill situation - you can either embrace the change Avatar brings and change your life, make the decisions, or you can forget everything and go back to how you were, to lose what you had that was worth fighting for.

There are still too many people who misinterpret feelings around Avatar as depression - it is not 'depression' in the sense some describe it... it's awakening. Longing. Seeing something worth living for and fighting for. Wanting something different to all the billions who just do what they're told and follow the others.
That is why I consider the changes a good thing.

Certainly. But just to clear something up first...

You have a completely skewed vision of my transformation. I don't know how you got those ideas about my life, but they are wrong.

I shall tell my story for Layzie, and hopefully this will clear things up for everyone.

Before Avatar, my life was fairly empty. Well, it was recently "dumped down the drain" I guess you could say, because at one point my life was great. Around late fall, I was living in the prime of my life. I had passion, energy, a sense of greater purpose, everything I needed to be happy - and I felt happy. But my dreams and hopes were met with some soul-crushing experiences (that I'd rather not share). They weren't anything extreme, but they left me in emotional turmoil and I had an overwhelming sense of failure and disappointment in myself leading into winter.

These emotions bottled heavily inside, but went unnoticed. I had life problems that needed to be sorted out, and it looked like I might be coming around, but then I saw Avatar.

Pandora is the perfect escape. This was a place not only to get away from the struggling world around me, but to also escape myself, if that makes sense.

I connected with the movie quite well. Everything from barefoot running (which I often did), to feeling a flow of energy through all things (which I did) - all touched deep into my heart. This place was my home, but then the movie ended.

And that's when all those bottled emotions poured out. All at once. And while I couldn't get to Pandora, I was stuck in the cold of winter with a sudden rush of "you suck" and "this wasn't supposed to happen" going through my head. I became very depressed.

I tried ignoring the emotions after a couple weeks. I thought "I just have to snap out of it". As a matter of fact, you can see my last post on AvatarForums before I "left for good":

Ways to cope with the depression of the dream of Pandora being intangible. Part 4

Of course, ignoring those feelings didn't work:

Ways to cope with the depression of the dream of Pandora being intangible. Part 4

I came back looking for help. I needed help. God knows where I'd be if I didn't.

Over much discussion on the depression thread, I realized a few things about the depression. First, my longing for Pandora was more... spiritual than anything. It was the emotions, the sense of freedom, the feeling of excitement and joy. The reason I italicized these words (emotion, sense, feeling, joy) is because these all heavily rely on the mind and the heart. They are internal factors.

I realized, if I want to be happy, I need to focus on my inside. I had deep problems inside me, I needed to fix those. Avatar was an awakening, a beginning to a spiritual journey of the self. At the time, I was a lonely, scared and weak coward; I needed to become more like a Jake Sully.

So slowly, I realized that Pandora is tangible. But not in the way you would think. In this life, we may never step foot on Pandora, but we can put Pandora in our hearts. We can change ourselves to be more passionate, compassionate, loving, caring and open-minded people.

The whole idea behind my approach to depression is to focus on the inside. Use Avatar as a source for inspiration, a reason to be happy. Something to celebrate and share with the world. There are so many problems out there pollution, corruption, poverty, so many bad things. But they are also opportunities for people like us to bring good into the world. And we have a great source for that kind of inspiration - Avatar.

So HNM's example of me taking the blue or red pill or whatever pill it is - is wrong. I didn't accept the empty life that was laid out before me - that's not what dreamers do. I took Avatar and used it as a source for change and happiness, not depression. I should add, that when I say depression, I mean sitting around all day wishing you were dead - that kind of depression. I wouldn't want that for anyone. Sure, I totally agree, the depression is an awakening. But my point is you should do something with that awakening, using Avatar as a source for inspiration.

I didn't chose to blindly accept a fake and empty societal life. What I did accept however, is that I am not going to Pandora any time soon, and that isn't a reason to be depressed. I accepted that I live in a messed up world, but that can be a good thing in some ways - it gives me reason to live and dreams, hopes, and something worth fighting for. Avatar truly changed me for the better. I didn't ignore those feelings, I used them to their fullest potential. Honestly I have no idea, HNM, where you get these ideas about me.

I think it's maybe because you emphasize internalization so much, that maybe you come across as ignoring the external world a bit? You might feel freedom, joy, and excitement inside, but on the outside you might just be an everyday worker/consumer, and simply changing your mindset without making physical lifestyle changes might come across as a bit blue pillish. Though I know from other posts of yours that you are trying to buck the consumer/worker lifestyle, too, like most of us here. Maybe you could emphasize that a bit more? To show that you aren't rejecting your physical reality.

Just my theory.

Ok I can see where you're coming from. Thank you.

I have always promoted that level of internalization, but physical factors are important as well. I don't want people getting the notion that I think "Well, if we all think we're happy, then we'll be happy, even if our lives are really terrible." No, that's not what I'm promoting. Sorry if it sounds like that.

EDIT: TM, you know I hate "the man". Just because I'm happy doesn't mean I accept a lot of the BS that runs around. But I don't let that get me down. I look at it as opportunity, and I am happy and grateful for the challenges and journeys that lie ahead.

Physical aspects are important, but change comes from the heart.

You have to remember that when someone is depressed, they might not feel like doing anything. When I was depressed, all I wanted to do was lie around and die away. The advice I'm giving is for people who are genuinely depressed. Internal change is meant to help people find the strength to get out of bed. Then use that same strength to do something constructive in the real world. You follow?

I know you were talking to Caveman here but this is an interesting point. I tend to focus on the internals here because we are, after all, in a thread about internal (emotional) effects of Avatar, and it is those internal effects that bind us together.

I think also we have seen how talking about actions in the external world is where we start to draw apart, and disagree about what to do. This has been a problem for movements of all kinds. Look at, for instance, the huge rifts in the civil rights movement, even though they were all agreed that they wanted a world without prejudice. So those of us seeking bonding and commonality gravitate towards the watering hole of discussing emotional states.

But, point taken that internalization without external action is like pissing in dark pants. (Assuming that's the point you were making.) That's probably fodder for a different thread, though.

I disagree. Yes, while many of the emotions brought up by Avatar can be dealt with internally, some do require external changes. For example, if Avatar made somebody long for adventure, or want to be free from being a worker/consumer, that would require somebody to change their lifestyle externally. Someone could try to supress these emotions, but there will likely always be a little voice in the back of their minds nagging them about that longing for adventure or a freer life. Now that I would consider taking the blue pill.

No, that works pretty well. :P I mean, if all we needed to do to be happy and fulfilled was simply change our mindsets, and nothing external, then we'd probably be living in Oceania right now.

Well, I think external changes START with internal changes. I know some people who out of impulse and with shortsight prioritized action over thinking and this ususally does not work well in the long run. You get results fast, but soon realize that this is not what you wanted and then you try other actions and so on, some of these actions may even be harmful to others or your own future.
So I think it is quite a good idea to at least clean out the worst patches of the mess inside as a priority. This of course does not mean, one cannot also at the same time be active on the outside, but this action is inevitably less structured or directed as the momentum behind it is still forming inside and the direction still sways back and forth.

I agree with the last definition of depression here - depression is a state of emotional numbness. I had severe depressions in my life and the state one is in at that time is one of not caring. Emotional stressors are blocked out, one cannot feel happy, but one also cannot feel sad. From that comes then a melancholy that roots in the feeling of helplessness and hopelessness and the conclusion is of course to ask, why not die now if this is the state of beeing forever. Now, for me to break out of these was usually painful and it involved sadness. Basically you have to confront the sadness and dispair first befor you can access the whole spectrum of emotions again. So after beeing truely depressed, feeling utterly sad and cry your heart out and feel a strong longing and lonliness and all that is actually a good sign. It means breaking out of the numbness.
So - Avatar - when I first saw it, I felt touched, moved and I felt the sadness welling up at the destruction of hometree etc. But I was still a bit caught, also by me going there with friends. Second time I downright cried with Mo'at at the destruction of the tree and felt the horror of the war and so on, so I had strong negative emotions, but at the same time I felt a longing for Pandora and the NA'Vi for their state of beeing. Still, even thinking of Pandora made me sad, as I knew it is fiction, I cant go there, this is so sad... Of course this feeling is still there a bit, but what happened later on was, that by opening up to negative emotions, I also opened up to the positive ones. For the first time in a while I would feel surges of happiness when sitting alone at a river or in the forest. And the last time I saw Avatar I noticed the difference. I did not just cry and weep, but I also laughed out loud many times.

So baseline - and basically what I think may be the misunderstanding between HMN and caveman here: True depression is a state of emotional numbness. Feeling sad about not beeing on Pandora is a strong emotion that actually has the ability to break out of it. It opens the way to beeing more happy and positive. But of course you cannot have only positive thoughts, there is no light without darkness, so both will be present at some time - happiness and sadness. So in a sense, to keep a longing for Pandora in your heart, also with the negative emotions attached to the realization that you cant go there, is a counterbalance for feeling happy at other times. To feel both extremes of emotions means to become one again.

And not to something completely different ;)

This definitely is off topic, so I answered here: http://www.tree-of-souls.com/debate/...html#post96688

Greetings

Ah, we have a confusion around the word "bind." I should have been less poetic. I meant that the internal effects, the emotions from Avatar, are what we on this forum have in common. That's what my sentence was saying.

mhm, very true, this is what brought us all together in the first place. To know there are others out there who share the same feelings towards this beautiful universe.

That was a good post, thank you.

Avatar gave many people inspiration and lead to many life changes. It started as something sad, feeling depressed, but soon that grew into something beautiful. Many of us came here originally because we were depressed, but now we stay because we are happy. That is a beautiful thing. I'm glad I didn't ignore the emotions I had in February. I would have missed out on an incredible journey, and it's only just beginning.

Exactly what happened to me. What is still there, I guess.

Interesting, I think I get more where you are coming from now. I really don't think you've ever understood my feelings on this though, especially considering some of what you've said to me before.

This is where we differ. For me, it is EVERY kind. 'spiritual' is not a good description, but physically, certainly, as well as just a deep feeling that this IS my home, I've never truly belonged here and I always kind of knew it, even if I never admitted it. Even before Avatar I used to think about my home, where it is, what it would be like, but I could never find it. After Avatar for the first time, it took me a while to work out what it all means, but the answer was:
I have found my home.

Again, we differ here... I would guess it's because I still did have the strength to face it myself, to understand it and to embrace my feelings rather than hide.

That is not Pandora.
It's the best I can do while I'm stuck here, certainly, but that in itself isn't a reason to live, to keep going on...

I respect you for that. In a way, I TRY to do the same. But it's not the only thing that would make me happy. It's not enough in itself.

I still long for home. Nobody can take that from me and I wouldn't want them to.

In my opinion, you still completely misunderstand 'PAD' - you focus on that ugly little word 'depression' - which is completely inaccurate as a description for the feelings Avatar awakens.

I'm happy for you that you found something that works for you, but it is not an answer. Nobody has a true answer for this.

That is not the case... I have felt both, and the numbness is far worse than depression. It brought be close to giving up, to losing everything I had gained in the months before
I doubt it's something you'd ever be able to get an insight into just from explanation unfortunately - but I truthfully wouldn't wish it on anyone. Even without emotions, it was the worst I'd felt in my life and I'm sure the worst I ever will.

Don't get me wrong, I can still appreciate things here. Things do still make me smile, I can still feel happy with my true friends... It's just not the best feeling, because something is still missing. I'm far happier with myself as a person now than I was before, when I didn't even know what was missing. I have true friends now, I have something that gives me meaning, I've achieved more that matters TO ME than I ever did before.

I've felt both. What most people call 'depression' was years ago, but I managed to solve it myself. I value that independence more than I can properly explain. The numbness, that came from other people who didn't really understand, and it took me a long time to solve that and I nearly lost it, I came close to the edge several times.

Sorry, but I find people who have convinced themselves they are happy to be one of the most depressing things in existence. Real happiness comes form coming to terms with your feelings and acting upon them for what is right for you, not suppressing things. I tried that for a LONG time. I've had enough problems and challenges, I overcame them, but I was unaware of my true feelings and as a result, something was always missing.
This is the best thing you've said in that entire post... You just need to apply that to the rest of what you say.

Fair enough. You only can learn so much about someone from a few posts. But I think it's also fair to say you've misinterpreted some of my posts.

Ok. Well, could you see how my advice might appeal to someone who was depressed? And again, when I offer advice about depression, I mean depression. The restricting kind. The kind that makes you sit around all day feeling worthless. That's what the advice is intended for - not to tell people who to be or anything - just help people be comfortable with themselves so they can enjoy the emotions, not feel flustered and confused by them.

I don't see where you get these ideas about me from. I didn't hide from my feelings. If you look at the post above, you'll see two links. The first is to a page where I claimed to leave Avatarforums, thinking I could just run away from my troubles. The second link is to the post I made when I came back. Running away didn't solve anything. I had to confront these feelings, just like you or anyone else did. And when I did, I turned everything around into something liberating.

It's interesting how you mention "facing your emotions" and "embracing your feelings". It's an awful lot like what I'm proposing for others - don't run from the emotions, learn from them, let them be a guide to a new way of life.


Ok. Well again, could you see how this would help someone else who's considering suicide because they can't be on Pandora? It's not a reason to live, sure, those emotions are the wake of something greater.


I wasn't planning on taking that away from you. I don't know where you get these assumptions from. Anyways, please keep in mind that these posts aren't necessarily directed towards you. Some of them are, usually if that's the case there will be quotes boxes. But when someone says "I'm really sad. I want to go to Pandora and my life feels meaningless.", then I'm going to encourage the idea that something good can come from the depression. So...

...I do focus on the depression in PAD. I try helping people turning the D into E (Elation). I try to help people see the good that can come from those emotions. I agree, it is an awakening, but it might not seem that way for someone who is truly depressed. In that case, all they might feel is depression, which is useless without ever getting to the E. I think we are on the same page with this, you are just misinterpreting my intentions. I don't want people to give up their emotions. I want them to build on them, embrace them, and allow them to make the person happy and motivated. Maybe our definitions aren't agreeing. But I think we share the same intention. Again, I don't know where you get some of the thoughts about me. These thoughts that I want to take away your individuality and make you a slave to society - are false. I hope we become more clear on that. I don't like debating over what's a better way to deal with emotions.

Possibly, but why think about a situation that doesn't exist? (except to thse ayskxawng at CNN... :angry: )

Understandable I guess... I just still feel like my home is elsewhere and that will never change. I don't want it to. It doesn't mean there's nothing for me here, just that it isn't what I want from life.