Violina

Alex, are you a single? If yes, do you consider to having a girlfriend, wife in the future? I ask just our of curiosity. I am curious if enlightened people feel need to be with someone. Did your parents, friends noticed your change? Can you still live, work like everyone? Very interesting topic BTW.

@Gabriel Antonio Great text! Are you still practicing this? I agree with everything, it's very important to have a great relation with our subconscious mind - inner child within us. Maybe that's why during our spiritual journey we feel sadness and emptiness. We observe our thoughts, feelings, but forget about inner child within us. Maybe our inner mind doesn't want to be ignored by observing? On the other side every conscious breath connects us with our subconscious mind...

Someone posted this link “It is important to note that all four styles of meditation will take a person to the final goal of Spiritual Enlightenment. No method is superior to the others. Different people will find different methods more harmonious with who they are. In addition, a person may find themselves naturally moving from one practice to another. But it is important that the chosing of meditation practices is not a decision of the thinking mind. The mind will continually jump from one practice method to the next and never will the person make deeper progress. This is why the person should feel/intuit which method is appropriate to practice or have their teacher select the appropriate method (only a qualified teacher can effectively chose the technique). Then the person should continue to practice this one method, and not be persuaded by the doubting thoughts in the mind” https://channelhigherself.com/blog/types-of-higher-self-meditation-practices/

How is your work? Writing to your inner child or using EFT is really helpful.

''When we do not indulge our thoughts and do not judge them, they do not re-enter the feedback loop system. When we stop feeding them, they stop growing, and will eventually shrivel and die. Since this is the source of Ego, the Ego will also shrivel and die, so long as Self Awareness is practised with sufficient diligence. The most important part of this practice is to NEVER JUDGE our thoughts since judgement is the gateway back into the feedback loop system'' (https://trainthemind.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-subconscious-mind.html) So I can't use the positive affirmations to motivate my subconscious mind to practice? (violin). So maybe it's better to keep Ego, don't allow it to die if I want to play, dance better?

It's not easy path. For me. Hopefully I will overcome obstacles.

You are absolutely right. How about following the dreams? I read that enlightened people don't really need dreams, and pursuing success. They are happy with themselves and we also should do that. However not everyone can or wants to leave everything what has already achieved and be the ''Buddha''.

I’m wondering if people who want to be enlightened can be successful in any fields? What if I want to be for example successful dancer? Should I still exercise my mind, be aware of my thoughts etc.? Do you guys have any goals which are not relate with enlightenment?

It's just concentration on chest? That's all? BTW I practice concentration on my breaths. It is not deep breathing exercise, but observing natural breaths.

@Solace Thank you for the link.

@str4 So what is the point if we feel worse than before? However I think it's too late to come back. On the one hand I don't want to come back because I used to get lost in my thoughts , on the other hand I don't want to feel dissatisfaction because I am more aware and probably bear in mind the negative thoughts. I didn't know that this path will be so tough....

Thank you for you all answers. I follow Vipassana, ''Observe your thoughts, do not cling to them, observe everything''. I really like idea to observe my breath and develop concentration, I like idea to see the thoughts and don't allow negative thoughts to stay in my mind, but because I also should not even allow to ''think'' positively, the reality loses colours. For example I can't be emotionless being in relationship. I liked when I used to be a happy person with no reason (and I don't have and no one in my family psychiatric problems). Hopefully. :-) You are probably right, however I found a lot of posts from the others about negative effects of meditation. Maybe they don't know this forum?

I am also deliberating that. Ok, I don't have to have any desires when I'm a single, alone. However what happens when we are in love, in relationship? We just hurt our partners.....?

From the guardian.com: ”One story in particular prompted Farias to look further into adverse effects. Louise, a woman in her 50s who had been practising yoga for 20 years, went away to a meditation retreat. While meditating, she felt dissociated from herself and became worried. Dismissing it as a routine side-effect of meditation, Louise continued with the exercises. The following day, after returning home, her body felt completely numb and she didn’t want to get out of bed. Her husband took her to the doctor, who referred her to a psychiatrist. For the next 15 years she was treated for psychotic depression”. ? I’m really worried now ?

@Prabhaker I dance a lot (and also perform), play the instruments, spend a lot of time outside with children. @cetus56 If I stop try to focus on now (I don’t do that all the time because it’s very very difficult), my thoughts will overwhelm me. @zoey101 Like I wrote before, I’m a very physically active person. Maybe because I try to observe my thoughts, I realise that there are a lot of negative thoughts and that’s why I feel sadness?