Doubt following visit to Tms dr

[TG957]

TG, I adore Reggie Ray. I first encountered him on a Sounds True podcast where he spoke about dark retreats. These are seriously hardcore practices which involve total isolation with no sensory stimulus at all for days on end. I'm aware such things exist within shamanic traditions too but his description was so raw and human it made a huge impression on me. Dharma Ocean is a great oasis of wisdom. There is something utterly sublime about the Tibatan tradition. I don't know it well but I very much appreciate my trysts with it.

I also adore your presence on the forum my dear. You a possess a refreshing and fierce compassion that cuts to the core of the issue in a clean, precise manner. Little wonder you enjoy Reggie Ray so much. His path is absolutely not for the feint of heart.

Plum, my best wishes to your Mom (or Mum as you say in England)! You need peace of mind that she is doing well... Also, thank you for the kind words - admiration is mutual. Your words of wisdom and kindness have uplifted many people from their lows.

If you are into Reggie Ray (I am so excited I found company here!), check out Tarthang Tulku, he represents another lineage of Tibetan Buddhist thought but stemming from the same root of knowledge. He is quite prolific and has tons of stuff on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_pg_1?rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3ATarthang+Tulku&keywords=Tarthang+Tulku&ie=UTF8&qid=1474052209 (Amazon.com: Tarthang Tulku).

There is also something called Vipassana meditation which seems similar to dark retreats. I find it remarkable that those who have gone through Vipassana retreats report severe physical pains in the entire body at some point in the 10-day of meditation, after which they experience an exceptional clarity of mind and senses.

A techie by professional background, a skeptic and agnostic by nature, I find myself more and more drawn to the unmeasurable, intangible, mysterious in the mindbody connection. As Reggie would probably say, my karma led me into my illness but it also took me onto the spiritual and intellectual path that I find more and more magnetic. Our hyperactive, gadget-hungry, desperate for sensory stimulation culture hit the wall of chronic illnesses, drug abuse, violence - all resulting from the same neglect of who we are: mammals and creatures of nature. Taken out of our natural habitat, we are like fish out of water, except we don't realize it until it is too late...

With love,

TG

 

[ellie freegan]

Ellie, to plum's point (and she is one of the wisest people on this site), my impression is that there are no two identical cases of TMS. It is not a trivial cold or flu to run the course same way through most of the bodies. I can see how people are trying various things and keep what works for them. Some find journaling the best, others work with therapists, many meditate, others just start working their muscles while ignoring pain - you name it. Try everything and find what works for you - you are unique and what works for others may not exactly work for you.

What you're saying makes sense but i'm not sure how long to do things before I decide they don't work, so far nothing has really worked. For example I've been trying visualisations for many months with no result. I tend to remember times that I could do things like use a computer without pain then imagine myself doing it again. I know it can take a long time to recondition the subconscious but am beginning to wonder if it's worth continuing with. Thank you all for your input and advice.

 

[TG957]

What you're saying makes sense but i'm not sure how long to do things before I decide they don't work, so far nothing has really worked. For example I've been trying visualisations for many months with no result. I tend to remember times that I could do things like use a computer without pain then imagine myself doing it again. I know it can take a long time to recondition the subconscious but am beginning to wonder if it's worth continuing with. Thank you all for your input and advice.

That's a tough question. If I knew the answer, I would have not been on TMS forum :=).

To paraphrase Steve Ozanich, if the person feels good about their approach (he actually talks about therapists) they are more likely to resolve their problems, it didn't matter what technique was used. I try something and when I get a feeling that it is not taking me anywhere, I move on. At some point, you get to know your mindbody enough that you feel confident making your decisions. I can tell you that there are days when I feel confident about my treatment plan, but there are days when I am not ...... The only thing I know is that there is nowhere else to go for me. My Kaiser doctors gave up on me without even trying. In all fairness, I refused steroids, opiates and surgery. They had nothing else to offer.

 

[Nattycakes]

The power of the mind is amazing.. Belief is a huge part of TMS healing. It sounds like the doctor thought it could work.. And it has worked for many many people! Just like surgery works for some people too.. But then guess what happens... The symptom imperative. It goes to something else. Neck pain, anxiety, cancer..

To me, I don't see physical OR psychological ailments as being any different. Don't let ANY doctor tell you what will and what won't work for you. What do you believe in your heart? What type of thoughts do you need to stop thinking? What changes do you need to make in your life? What type of dark emotions do you need to feel and embrace and fully process?

I suggest you show that Doctor wrong. Let this be the catalyst to finally know what you need to do. I also suggest seeing a TMS therapist.. Not just reading a book to help you through your journey. Worth. Every. Penny.