In Death Valley one can find a treasure buried deep within the soul, if one learns how to see.

"I walked through the valley of death and I fed the ravens. I traveled farther than I had journeyed in the past-- past the signs of discouragement, and past the tribulations of the unknown--and I found a paradise where the free reside, a place where the fearful and the cautious cannot know. I journeyed to the last safest place deep within the heart of courage and hope, to a shiny jewel of enlightenment--and it required little in return for the vast grandeur that it bestowed upon my soul.  And when I returned home I found that this place that enriched my spirit still saturates me with love and joy. I must keep it carefully hidden from the rampage of the masses, for if I could teach them how to appreciate the simple majesties that I have discovered I would soon become a worthy king and lose all my riches to sudden death"
~~carefulcarpenter

I believe we must employ forgiveness to free ourselves from the self-imposed slavery for which we find ourselves imprisoned. Thoughts do create barriers between ourselves and the "other". Possibly we have created these barriers because we have not known self-love to the depths of those mystics which we admire: Buddha, Jesus, Krishna, etc.

Blame is fear. Self-responsibility is love. Who teaches us not to trust?  And where do we find the true teacher that teaches us trust? Or is it possible that we have lost contact with the true source of truth, trust, and love--our higher self? It seems that the fear of death that people experience is nothing less than a fear of self-abandonment, a disconnect from our higher selves. Physical death itself seems like it would be a beautiful state of profound stillness. Not so scary as the fear of living in loneliness here on planet Earth; living here in the shadow of our own thoughts and projections.

Note: I am planning on spending some healing time this week in Death Valley California--the land of profound quiet and stillness.

to be completely literal,
love is a drug produced in the brain, like all emotions, and gives the body the feelings and effects of the drug. The drug gets tied to certain objects (people, animals, possessions, etc.) and when the person with the tie is associated with the object in any way, the drug is released and a physically "good" feeling occurs. Being in love is just being addicted to the drug and seeking out the object for more release of it.

The reductionist view doesn't make sense. How would a "drug" get released by association prior to the association existing (i.e. how do you first feel love)? In my experience, love can appear apparently without cause.

but I like the spiritual one more.. the drug produces a great amount of energy in the body which is the greatest "good" energy there is. To have an active control of love is a very powerful ability and can be used to help many people as well as yourself.

I only need one word to describe love. "Good" is just vague enough to describe the entire subject.

That seems to ring true to me. When you love you don't fear. This may not be rational; you may have reason to fear the one you love. But you don't. And if at least a part of your life is without fear... oh how wonderful. What a joy a relationship can be if the best of both of you can express freely. An intimation of heaven.

How do these set with you?

Sounds good to me.  I say, whatever works to initiate that deep sense of beingness and openness.

I have a list I started a few months back...

Joy
Peace
Happiness
Acceptance
Understanding
Appreciation
Gratitude
Bliss
Ecstasy
Adulation
Affection
Enjoyment
Delight
Rejoice -- feel joyful; be delighted; fill with joy; gladden
Merriment -- high-spirited fun and enjoyment, hilarity
Mirth -- gladness, especially when expressed by laughter
Exaltation -- excessive exhilaration
Exultation -- rejoicing greatly
Jubilance
Satisfaction
Blessedness
Cheerfulness
Contentment
Enchantment
Wonderment
Euphoria
Inspiration
Exhilaration
Exuberance

At the moment, I'm a bit drained from my slavery, er job.  But if further thoughts come I'll be sure to share.

I do see how the vacuum between sources of energy must be traveled by those of us who have a better grasp on truth and love. So few people understand why this is. I believe they perceive that love is an external source for which they "get something". We know the real source is abundant and inner.

Words I use to muster up these feelings and intuitions are:

Quality
Appreciation
Truth
Trust
Compassion
Acceptance
Curiosity
Abundance

How do these set with you?

I feel we must develope, or to use a more appropriate word, reveal, these qualities in ourselves before we can extend them into the world, whether consciously or otherwise. Love, truth, trust, fearlessness, compassion, etc. must exist substantially in our subjective awareness before they can permiate the vacuum of separation between us and the other. We fail when we close off our own resonance with the buffers which we have perceived between us by all the misinformation that our senses have filtered through the ego-mind.  Appreciation and acceptance of the other adds clarity to the otherwise obscure view we have. Like the earth with its atmosphere, I believe the ego is a shield which protects us from injury, yet can also cloud the view of deeper insight. When we peer into the night sky of the unknown, how much of what we see is really  little more than our own reflection?

I hope others will have a comment.

If there was to be one Truth I would have to name it Infinite, or Love, or One.  I think that's what you are reaching for in your words.  That ineffible feeling of knowingness without thought.  I don't see anything wrong with labelling that Infinite Love...as Truth.  As long as one accepts all other parts of the One as truth, also.  To deny, or disallow even in thought, any part of the whole seems to be (to me) denying an aspect of the infinite creator.  It would be putting a limit on what is limitless.  For with infinity why not allow everything to exist and everyone to explore whatever it is they wish to.  That's the way I see it anyway.  It's not the easiest thing to put into application given our human programs we were entrained with from birth, but I do try my best.

I do see "appreciation" as coming closer to that spiritual level of love.  The words I used were kind of the order I see it progressing into.  Allowance and acceptance seem to be close to the same in this context.  After which you would gain understanding because you have allowed that something else to exist within you.  That understanding would then lead to appreciation.  After that it basically becomes apart of you and no longer appears as separate.  You would own that which before appeared separate.  It may be someone's personality or someone's personal truth.  That doesn't mean it's the 'right' thing for you in the moment but you still have allowed it thus expanding yourself.

Maybe the feeling of Love would be the feeling of that ever expanding self that wishes to include all that one comes into contact with.

To answer your last question I would say Yes, sort of.  Unfortunately, it's a lonely road.  As for being shared, there are few that wish to be at that level of allowance of all that one experiences.  Who I trully am is rarely accepted by others.  I have to basically go to whatever point someone else is at in order for them to see me as a friend.  When I am trully myself it seems a vacuum is created between me and another person.  I have to be the one to transverse that vacuum to where they are.  I suppose they do appreciate the effort.  It seems though, that is as far as it usually goes on their part.

Not sure if I actually addressed your questions.  It's quite an ambigious topic when attempting to define it with our words.

1+1=1

The Mind is infinite.  There is nothing the Mind cannot dream of.  Of course, it is infinite in potential but infinite none-the-less.

The Universe is infinite.  There is nothing that cannot exist.  Of course, it is in potential but still infinite.

If two things are infinite then what is the difference?

(1 + 1 = 1) = (∞ + ∞ = ∞) = All is One

Love is the unconditional allowance, acceptance, understanding, and appreciation of all that was, is, and will be.

Love the infinite, eternally.  Love the eternal, infinitely.

Nice way of putting it.   Infinite; eternal.

Can you feel a relationship between truth and love? I know that this can be taken from many points of reference. In the formula there appears to be a relationship outside of time--a timelessness.

The term 'god' is so subjective. Many labels can be used here. I used 'god' because of the subjective nature to the term. I could have used 'it', etc.  Mostly I believe it stands for a subjective perception of love; each individual relating by one's own experience of it.  To a mathmetician it may imply one thing; to a philosopher another; to a poet... etc. I cannot define 'truth' or 'god' or 'love' for anyone, because words defy the sense of what is trying to be understood. I have a hard time putting words to any of this, yet I feel the greater TRUTH.

Any help you can add is appreciated. Maybe 'appreciation' is a term that conveys some of the meaning here. Can we appreciate love and truth in any shared way in the human condition?

1+1=1

The Mind is infinite.  There is nothing the Mind cannot dream of.  Of course, it is infinite in potential but infinite none-the-less.

The Universe is infinite.  There is nothing that cannot exist.  Of course, it is in potential but still infinite.

If two things are infinite then what is the difference?

(1 + 1 = 1) = (∞ + ∞ = ∞) = All is One

Love is the unconditional allowance, acceptance, understanding, and appreciation of all that was, is, and will be.

Love the infinite, eternally.  Love the eternal, infinitely.

Sowelu wrote:

My mistake, starling, apologies. If that's how you see it... then that's how it is. It's all good.

Sowelu, no apols necessary. Maybe you've evolved to where you can be a pure source. Super.

Titmouse_, maybe you'll have another dream that'll explain.

Yes starling, I believe Sowelu has evolved. I prefer the term awakened, myself.

I think back to the dream that revealed this formula and I have pondered and read for 4 years to discover the relarionship between truth and love. I have presented the argument for 1+1=1 on another website where college age people discuss spirituality and philosophy. No one could comprehend the concept of Oneness. I hope some here on this board can comment.

I believe 1+1=1 represents wholeness. Kind of a no-brainer, I suppose.

Please comment.