This formula makes a lot of sense to me, but from my experience I’m finding that changing a habit or a contradictory intent works by replacing or reframing said habit/intent rather than removing it.

I agree totally. I hope I didn’t create any impressions to the contrary.

Furthermore, I find that before I can reform a contradictory intent it helps to understand it first. All intentional states serve some purpose. For me personally I find I have to acknowledge that purpose and then I have to either decide that I no longer need some purpose to be served, or, find a new way to serve the same old purpose, that will not contradict my magickal intentionality going forward.

So for example, a big reason why I was a physicalist to begin with, is the sense of rock-solid stability and predictability I would feel about myself and the world. So let’s say I want more flexibility, but I still want stability. Then I can’t just blindly throw away physicalism. I have to find new sources of stability first. Then I have to gradually lean on those sources and see if they’re reliable. If yes, I can begin relaxing around my prior physicalism.

So it’s a gradual process and one with a lot of self-respect instead of self-bashing. So even though I recognize I was doing things in a substandard way in the past, I should realize that those old ways still had a reason and I wasn’t a complete idiot in the past. :) Just somewhat foolish, or maybe even not so foolish. Maybe my priorities have changed and now I need a new worldview that better suits those priorities.

So for me it’s a process of gradual understanding of oneself that I believe allows one to relax around the old patterns and reform those patterns into some more suitable newer ones.

Contradictory intentionality can be tricky because so much of it is below the level of consciousness, so before I can understand it, I have to be aware of it to begin with. So much of my own effort is directed at becoming maximally aware of all the activity in my own mind. In this it’s been my experience that it helps to combine passive observation with playful experimentation. This is where the magick comes in. Just sitting quietly and observing I will not learn all there is to know about myself. I have to observe myself in action, during striving, and not just when I am passive or relaxing. It’s particularly instructive when I am striving in some unconventional or beyond-conventional manner too. Again, magick.

We might be saying the same thing here with different syntax.

It’s starting to look that way.

And as concise as you think you are sometimes it’s not enough and these discussions help dispel that.

I agree. What I say is not perfect. I mean, I myself find problems with my earlier articles (especially if they’re really old). Plus, I have a tendency to assume everyone is on the same page as me, so I speak in a kind of shorthand that often assumes too much. On the other hand, I have to speak imperfectly, because if I start to explain every last element of the surrounding context I won’t even get to say anything.

So I say something that’s not 100% right, then you say something else, then I reply, and eventually something emerges that’s better compared to if you didn’t say anything.

I am glad for your replies. I think you’re speaking in a very constructive and helpful way.

Originally commented by u/mindseal on 2016-11-11 14:35:36 (d9vdbmb)