on occasion, i am temporarily enticed by this stuff, but then i realize it is kind of like the notion of ‘the shortcut’. almost never really faster, certainly not as thorough, and the process of bypassing the process of striving through, i think, misses that which would make the resulting change permanent and long-lasting (to the degree anything ever can be, mind you).
there is no doubt in my mind that these things actually do alter your mind. i’m just not sure that is such a good thing for the average person. i mean, if you haven’t made the effort to really get in touch with your mind, why would you think you can just go in and start moving the furniture around and find a positive outcome?
that’s like saying you can change a car’s engine and make it more efficient by using rubberbands and pullies to force it to do something it doesn’t yet have the ability to do naturally.
or like saying you can force yourself to do something without really, every having to understand why it is a thing you ought to be doing. ignoring your own fissures, rockslides, and roadblocks. i just do not think that’s such a good idea… after all, isn’t that where the learning lives?
there are those who use this to ‘explore’ themselves. i’m not sure i buy that. but there are similarities to focused meditation in it. so maybe. but most of my mind just keeps returning to the notion that dependency upon external stimuli is, at core, a distraction and illusion that cannot help but impede in every way… because one never truly accepts that the answers are coming from within, and not in any way shaped or affected by it.
i feel as if i’m not being as clear as i’d prefer. bleh. will try again later.