WaveInTheOcean

One of his most profound speeches is imo this one (very long though):

You claim not to be enlightened, but still postulate that enlightenment = hell. You're on the transition. Sure the transition may be hell.

"Think about the idea of systematically destroying everything you hold to be true." Then think about, after that, actually experiencing absolute Truth. Not believing anything conceptually or intellectually, but directly seeing Truth. Become one with Truth. I'm not talking about "knowing truth", but about direct experience. You haven't experienced Truth. You have only conceptually/intellectually grasped it. You post reflect that you, sure, have gotten some insights that are relatively more true than most ordinary people have - like your soundbyte analogy etc. But you haven't experienced absolute Truth. "I realized that to be "ego-less" i.e. "enlightened" ... " Go investigate who the "I" is that has be "ego-less" in order to become enlightened. Enlightenment is not an ego-less state. It's just a self-realization/Truth state (of the ego itself) Look. Life is dualistic. On and off. Reality seems dualistic: on: Being seeing itself as ego. off: Ego seeing itself as Being. In both states ego remains. It's just what perspective ego has. Enlightened people are just people who have experienced both the 'on' and the 'off'-state. 99,999% people have only experienced the 'on'-state. Enlightened people have naturally not only experienced the 'on'-state but also seen the 'off'-state, and thus, by having directly experienced both states, one can see that both states are arbitrary and equally relatively true/non-true and that the on-state can't exist without the off-state. So thus by seeing this, one can directly see how the absolute Truth is a merging of the 'on' and 'off', a collapse of the illusionary reality/life into God/Absolute Truth/Non-Dualism. Enlightened people have directly experienced this. It's not something you can intellectualy, conceptually or logically grasp. Because intellect, concepts and logic all depend on that we believe dualism is the TRUTH (dualism = feeling of being a seperated self). My explanation here is just an analogy. You can only become it. EDIT: Beliefs, pain, memory, time, dimensions only exist in the 'on'-state. In the off-state these are gone, because Being is absolutely infinite and can't be constrained to relative, finite concepts such as time, dimensions, pain, memories, beliefs. Therefore, yes, you need to have a "will" to shake your beliefs in order to go from the on to the off-state. A "will" to be completely 'open'/empty. A will to empty your cup(=mind). An accept of not-knowing. Total surrender of all you hold dear, including the belief of being a seperated self/body-mind. Or just take psychedelics - 5-MeO should do the trick. Note: In the transition from the "on" to "off"-state you might experience complete terror/hell, no matter if you make the transition with or without 5-MeO.

There's nothing to find out.

"EVERYONE IS FULL OF SHIT" Everyone can't be full of shit:> For there to be someone who is full of shit there needs to be someone who isn't. See, my friend. That is logic.

Mellow, melodic, ambient, athmospheric, deeply layered music that takes you to other worlds:

"Why Was Life Given To Me?" asks the student. The teacher replies: "Given to who?" Student: "Me?!" Teacher: "Go figure out who that "me" is, then come back" Student takes 5-MeO, figures out that what he thought him self of was illusionary, and that what he really is, is existence/reality/awareness/absolute infinity/God. He then realises that meaning ("why why why") is created by the logical ego-mind (human-made) and that from God's (truth-perspective) 'meaning' does not exist but only being.

I would say, yes, at least to some extent.

Alan Watts of course.

So you're saying that the consciousness that you are right now, is not real? Oh well, if that's not real, then the world is not real. Look, I'm not saying anywhere that "something" has a separate existence. "Something" could be anything, an animal or a robot. An animal is real. An robot is real. You are real. What's not real, yes, is the ego. That's an illusion. I said that something, in order to be consciousness, must have the _SENSE_ of being an agent with free will. Even the highest enlightened people in this world, still react when someone say their name. This means that their ego is still running. Also of course they constantly have the sense of having free will, although this sense is an illusion, of course.

"The exact relationship between consciousness and the brain is not known." True, but what is known, however, is that it's the electric activity in the brain that 'creates' the mind/consciousness. "But it's clear that the standard scientific model which says that consciousness is simply a collection of neurons is woefully inadequate." No scientists say this. They say that consciousness arises from the flow of energy in your 100 billion neural cells in your brain. Of course consciousness doesn't arise just from neurons alone, no, the neurons are 'merely' vessels for the energy that flows. Not only vessels, but the 100 billion neurons also create an extremely complex low-entropy structure. "Science has not been able to reconcile the ultimate question: what is the relationship between mind and matter?" It's true that we don't understand in details how the 100 billion neurons - and the energy constantly flowing between them (when you're alive that is) - creates the mind. But we do know - in simple terms - that this is what's going on. To believe anything else, like "the mind is something else than transfer of energy between matter" is being religious. Because we do for a fact know, that the consciousness is estabilshed from the transfer of electric energy between the 100 billion neurons in your brain. What is energy? Well, it's hard to describe what energy is, it can be many things. One way is to say that energy is something that is capable of making matter do work. Obviously energy, when controlled in an extremely complex low-entropy way, is also capable of creating consciousness. Now, 100 billion neruons, that's as many galaxies as there are in the entire Universe. It's hell of a lot. And these neurons are structured inside our brain in such an immensely, highly-ordered complex way, that it'll probably take 100s of years from now before we fully understand how it works. There are an estimated of 1000 synapses (that is connections between neurons) for each neuron in the brain. That gives an unbeliveable number of 100 trillion connections in the brain. Anyway, E=MC2, so in the deepest sense energy and matter is two sides of the same coin.

Truth spoken here.

The goal for you is to be completly aware of your 'wet dreams' when you meditate and not to dwell into these dreams, but just 'note' them. Be aware of the fact that they are present in your mind. Don't TRY to ignore them. If you TRY to ignore them, that is to control the thoughts, then it will only get worse! If I say to you: "Do not think of a pink elephant!" What do you do? You think of a pink elephant. In the same way, if you say to your self "I must not think about these things", then you will naturally think about them. Meditation is about maximum awareness. Be completetly aware that these thoughts are arising in your mind, but don't do anything about it. Just let them be there. If you just let them be there, then they will naturally vanish after some time. They only stay in your mind if you try to do anything about them. I hope this helps. You must realize that you truly are not in control of your thoughts. They happen randomly (to some extent based on previous events in your life of course). If you try to control your thoughts, then it'll only get worse.

It actually doesn't take much work. Go jump out of a window (high enough) and the ego will be completely gone for ever after a few seconds. Joking aside (it's actually not a joke though lol) it sure does take som serious work to get rid of the ego while still being consciousness. I don't think it's possible in everyday life to completely get rid of the ego while still being consciousness. Yes it's possible during meditation. But during everyday life if you are consciousness without having the sense of being an ego, then you wouldn't react when a person says "Leo!". Right? So you can't completely get rid of the ego during everyday life - that's totally impossible. You can supress it to some extent of course. I guess. But what I think your goal truly is, is not to eliminate the ego completely (as that's impossible during everyday life, but possible during meditation of course) but rather to get a very deep, true, intellectual understanding of the ego (your self). In other words, your goal is to get your ego (your self) to fully realize it's an illusion during everyday life. To always have the sense/understanding/awareness of knowing that the ego/the personality is an illusion, and that your true self is not the ego, but rather everything/nothing/the universe it self.

Animals, IMO, does have the sense of the ego. They just don't think about it. Human's property of advanced thoughts are also just survival instincts, though more complex than what we normally call instincts. An amoebe tries to avoid death, yes, in the same way the Sun tries to create energy. In order for something to be truly consciousness it must have the sense of being an ego. An agent with free will. So yes, basically consciousness = sense of being an ego. Ego-death (through meditation or psychedelics) doesn't strictly means that the ego dies, it just means that everything that creates your normal ego is destroyed (death). What is left is an unfluenced ego/consciousness that sees things/nature without a filter, seeing things for what they really are (that is yourself, the true ego (nature)). So when I look at a tree in the forest on a daily basis, I feel that I'm seeing the three. Such a beautiful tree If I meditate while looking at it, however, I realize that what I am right now is the tree (and much more). But still the "I" that realizes this a consciousness (an ego). So being consciousness = sense of being an agent with free will (an ego). So being consciousness is real, that's not an illusion. The sense of being an agent with free will (an ego) is real too, THE SENSE of it. However, to actually believe that the sense of being an agent with free will equals being an ego with free will.., now that's an illusion. Ego-death is a strange phenonemen. I mean you are still consciousness when it happens, and the sense of being something is still there. I think you could say consciousness during ego-death equals the sense of being everything. So to summarize. being consciousness = sense of being something Normally this equals the sense of being an ego. During ego-death it equals the sense of being everything (nothing/reality/nature).

I mean on a everyday purpose everyone, including me, Leo, you etc. have the sensation that we are ego's with free will. Some people, like Leo, have just realised that this sensation is an illusion. But who have realised it? The ego it self. So the illusion realises it's an illusion. That's deep, only humans are capable of this. (On this Earth at least ... let's see what technology in computer-programming brings).

The ego-illusion is the illusion that the body and mind is just a 'vessel' for 'me' (the ego). ie. I exist inside my body. If my body dies, then "I" will keep on living in total darkness for the rest of the Universe. That's not a nice feeling. This is where religion comes into play. Religion says that "you" (The ego) will be teleported into heaven/Paradise if you've been a good person, or into hell, if you've been bad. Anyway, I don't know what you mean with "objective purpose". There exists no such thing as an objective purpose in life. The subjective purpose though is: Live life as you want. After all, life is just a theatre play - Nature taking on masks (ego's) and observing it self. Animals also have the ego-illusion of course. They just don't think about like humans do. Yes, animals react only by instincts, but in the deepest sense, so do we as humans. We, as a species, have just developed a brain that is capable of thinking on a more complex level than other animals. But thinking, in its deepest sense, is also an instinct. So the ego-illusion is wired together with the free will-illusion, naturally. I think that in order for something to be truly consciousness, it has to have the illusion of having free will. I mean, all animals have the illusion of having free will. Of course they do. They just don't THINK about it, like we do. We humans have the ability to think about ourselves. Most people have taken the bait and believe fully in this illusion of the ego and free will. They don't see these 'things' for what they truly are; illusions. But computer-programmers... If they want to create a consciousness AI, they must find out how they can create algoritms that make the AI believe it has free will. Only then can we call the AI truly consciousness.

"i can only see drugs reinforcing what you already are." You have much to learn my friend. You are so prejudiced that it almost hurts my eyes reading this. Go research on psychedelics like LSD, DMT, mushrooms. Both on a scientific level (you will find out that they physically harmless and completely non-addictive) and on a subjective level (reach "trip"-rapports from people on various forums). Best thing to do is of course try it once for your self. They will not reinforce what you are, but they will destroy your ego if taken in the right way. Cheers. EDIT: Of course there are "bad" drugs, like cocaine, alcohol, heroine, nicotine, meth etc.. These drugs are not expanding your consciousness. I'm basically only talking about psychedelics which have immense potential. Study-source: http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/2/4/e000774 Also here are three, relatively new, studies on psychedelics: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150121093544.htm Title: Classic psychedelic use protective with regard to psychological distress and suicidality http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/03/150309174507.htm Title: Psychedelic drug use could reduce psychological distress, suicidal thinking, study suggests http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130819185302.htm Title: LSD and other psychedelics not linked with mental health problems, analysis suggests

It makes sense that nature has created the illusion of the ego. From an evolutionary perspective that is. Just for example think about surviving. If the ego-illusion did not exist, why should I run away from a tiger in the jungle?

"artificial intoxicants." Well, you can call everything artifical intoxicants if you want. Coffee, food, water. I'm not saying weed is good nor bad, but I really don't get how you can just label it "aritifical shit" when you have never personally tried it? Weed is pretty harmless, yes it can be misused as seen in this thread, but that doesn't mean it's a useless "substance". If you smoke weed a few times per month to relax/enjoy music/have a good time with friends etc it is basically harmless. It even has potential as cancer and pain treatment. But if you're a busy man 24/7 then yes, weed is not good, as it temporarily hurts your short-memory a bit. But Leo, seriously, if you ever have some spare time where you have nothing to do, other than relaxing and meditating, you should really try weed - calling it a aritifical intoxicant is being prejudiced IMO.