TheAvatarState

@Hugo Ferraro Thank you for sharing your journey and insights! I'm also in my early journey myself, but I'd like to share my thoughts. First of all, nonduality is not a belief/paradigm. Of course the ego can treat it as one, so watch out for that. But that's only your projection of what you think nonduality is at this stage in your life. A paradigm is a limiting belief system because it takes certain aspects of reality for granted, and usually makes a distinction between "subjective" and "objective." That is not nonduality. Nonduality is the ultimate Truth because it recognizes, cooked deep into the core, that all perspectives are partial. It's not a belief because you can become directly conscious and aware of this truth through a mystical experience. All spirituality points to this. And of course, the Truth cannot be written, spoken, or proven. It cannot be grasped with the human mind, it can only be experienced. And why would you expect anything less from the Absolute? Language, in essence, is made up of symbols that only mean something in relation to each other. Language breaks down at nonduality because it cannot point to itself. It is itself. Try to grasp the significance of this. You're completely right that there's a strong faith component when starting out. It's necessary with any type of experimentation, scientific or spiritual, because you simply don't know unless you do the tests. There's no such thing as faith-free. However, you need to distinguish blind faith from pragmatic faith and finding the answers yourself. Notice that fundamentalist religion is blind faith, and true spirituality (what we're doing here) is pragmatic faith, where faith is a stepping stone to Truth. Also, I don't like to refer to my journey as one towards enlightenment. My journey doesn't end when I reach enlightenment. And more so than that, enlightenment is not a destination. It's right before your eyes, you're just not conscious of it yet. I'm aware that seeking enlightenment is a dangerous trap for the ego, because "seeking" entails an "I don't want to be here" component, or an escape, or a longing. THAT is ego. Be open to the possibility that your drive for enlightenment could be coming from the ego. Because if you truly understood enlightenment, you'd understand that it's right here. All spirituality is, is to work on becoming conscious of what's already here. Enlightenment itself is the end of suffering and longing; complete contentment and peace with what's here. So why do you think you need to search for it? Now I'm not saying this is the case for you, just warning you of a common trap. Good luck!

Kind of a revelation I had today: suffering ceases to exist when you become presently conscious and aware of what is happening. Of course we've all heard this before, from the likes of Ekhart Tolle and other various spiritual teachers. But today was different. I went from conceptually knowing and understanding to bringing it in my present experience. For example, I've recently started practicing Wim Hof's method of taking cold showers and doing a breathing technique. Up until now, I didn't really look forward to the showers because I could only anticipate the pain associated with it, and because of that, I found it really hard to actually do it. But today when I took the shower, I focused on being completely present and not resisting any pain that may come. I treated it like a meditation. So guess what? I STOPPED SUFFERING. I DIDN"T EVEN PERCEIVE IT AS "COLD," I ACTUALLY FUCKING ENJOYED IT!!! This was such a big revelation that I started laughing my ass off. Look around you. Where's the suffering? Point to it. Can you? No! It doesn't fucking exist guys, it's a mental construction where you remove yourself from the present moment to dwell on the change in state. That's what it boils down to. If you bring in the light of consciousness and full awareness, the suffering ceases to exist. Stop viewing pain as negative, that's bullshit. Make pain something to look forward to (because that's where the real change occurs), and you will stop experiencing pain negatively. You will actually feel more alive from it. More alive than you ever thought possible. I also watched some interviews from Impact Theory (great YouTube channel, check them out), and that's what really got me thinking about viewing pain differently. The man who was being interviewed, David Goggins, described how he used pain to flip his life on its head. It was THROUGH the pain of improving himself that he found his enjoyment. It was through the experience of running 120 miles through the desert that he found himself. His true self. His relationship with pain was so counter to mine that it simply blew me away. And of course, that's exactly why he's accomplished so many great things in his life. Pain stops becoming negative when you embrace it and bring awareness to your body in these moments. It's so counter-intuitive to grasp for the ego, because you think pain is inherently negative and you should be scared of it, and no matter how you view it it's still painful. The ego doesn't like to make the distinction between pain and suffering, and will try to disguise these as the same thing. But let me tell you, this may be one of the most important distinctions you could ever make. As I start adding more self-improvement practices, I'll be working to integrate this in my own life. It's an active skill that must be developed and formed into habit. I have no illusions about how difficult this will be... So bring on the ego backlashes! "Can't Hurt Me!"

HIGHLY unlikely a tab has that much, that would be really rare. That sounds like a dealer boasting unless he laid it himself. However, you don't know for sure, so you should try half a tab. 300ug is too much for a first time. If it's underwhelming, then do a full tab a couple weeks later. Your body builds an immediate tolerance, so you should wait the full 2 weeks. DO NOT add on more if you're not feeling anything after an hour. That will get you in deep trouble. Please DO NOT do that. If it's a light experience, accept that and enjoy and ride it out Things to do on acid? Music (for suggestions check out Leo's tripping music thread in the meditation/consciousness subforum). Safely going for a walk outside. Anything that fills you with wonder and excitement. Also bring up some deep existential questions and explore them. If you already practice yoga and meditation, try it here. Have healthy snacks ready. I swear, eating orange cuties is a spiritual experience. AVOID meat and cheese. Go plant-based. Good luck!

@Quantum_fluctuations What is suffering? Get to the root.

@Beeflamb Lol. Have you watched any of his recent videos? He literally tells you to not believe a fucking word he says and to derive it yourself in your direct experience. That's the opposite of a cult. It's self-impowering information because that's the message behind every video. The reasons why a low-consciousness person would demonize Leo should be very obvious to you. If not, then you need more work to do.

@Tony 845 Expand your understanding to take this seriously. At the precise moment you reach a full enlightenment, ie a non-dual state, you'll realize you created every "neuron" in your brain using infinite intelligence to keep the illusion, and that there is no difference or distinction between your brain and your meditation cushion. You see, your physical neurons rewiring doesn't cause the perception changes. Your consciousness elevates and you'll rewire your neurons whenever a neuroscientist brain scans you, just to fit the bill. Did your neurons actually rewire unless you directly perceived it? Think of how radical that is. Our bodies are direct projections of our consciousness. Not the other way around...

Correct. We were just using different definitions for "enlightenment." I was thinking more along the lines of your first "enlightenment experience," which is almost never fully-realized. The point I was trying to make is that you cannot stop identifying with the mind FULLY without first having an enlightenment/awakening experience, which involved complete ego death/dissociation and surrender to the present moment. The early path to enlightenment is ego-driven, as it must. Only after you awaken can you understand how to let go and why that's important. I'm using terms loosely, but I think we mostly agree

No, you're not getting it. "Letting go of human thinking and attachments to life as a human being" is quite a process, and actually lies FARTHER down the path than a Samadhi or enlightenment experience. What you're describing as the beginning is the embodiment of years of work and many enlightenment experiences. If this is still unclear, I recommend watching Leo's recent video on the 10 Ox-herding pictures.

@Dodo you're comparing apples to oranges. War and peace are active states, one dissonant, one harmonious, and confusing the two will lead to disfunction. Ignorance (unconsciousness) and strength, while admittedly not the best examples, would lead to dysfunction if confused for eachother. The pauper and the prince are illusions, identities, masks that hide the Truth that we are all one consciousness. You can't make the same argument for war and peace, because in a non-dual state, the duality collapses and all you're left with is peace. Non duality is harmonious. The concepts that are dissonant are complete illusions. The prince and the pauper both disappear into one in the non-dual. Both are illusions. Do you see the difference?

@Tony 845 brains do not exist.

@Amanaki Answer me this: why would a normal person (ego-centered) be interested in enlightenment? Because the loss of self arises OUT OF enlightenment, is enlightenment, what would be the motivation to get there in the first place?

??? Jesus Christ! Please die so I don't have to suffer anymore. /s On a serious note, I've also had a similar experience on acid. It's all ego my friend. Because ultimately, if there is no self, WHO is the one feeling responsible? It's closer to Truth in the sense that you ARE those suffering people, as it serves to expand identity and therefore empathy for others. But the notion of "responsibility" and the ensuing fear--that's delusion. Definitely a shocking experience to be sure.

@Charlotte oh yes, I made sure to do it in the most iconic and other- worldly natural location I could find. Nature trips are sublime.

@Charlotte @Nahm You guys trolling me? ??

@Charlotte wow that's early! I did LSD for the first time in Moab, UT, (Canyonlands NP) when I was 20 (only a few short years ago), and it was the most profound and beautiful experience of my life up until that point. I remember every detail vividly--better than anything else I've ever remembered. I affectionately refer to it as "the awakening." You simply haven't experienced up until that point. Nothing could prepare you... @Wisebaxter yes, exactly! I went for a long time without meeting anyone else on my same frequency (except that close friend). This forum is so supportive and amazing!

LOL. I never took them in a party setting thankfully, it was with a close friend for consciousness work. Except I didn't really know what that was at the time, I just wanted to experience other states of consciousness and to find Truth. And yes, going in mostly blind, it led me here. Exactly where I'm meant to be... I couldn't more happier. And I'm really happy for YOU! Psychedelics are blessings. Good luck and keep us updated!

@Wisebaxter You're actually in a really good spot. See, I STARTED my journey with psychedelics, long before I learned about Leo's channel, spirituality, meditation, etc. Psychedelics are powerful to take a list, egoic mind straight to absolute truth, but the road is pretty fucking rocky and startling. You won't have any of those problems

Bingo! Yahtzee! Is that your final answer? Our survey says... God! Bing bing bing bing bing! Well, it was nice to meet you, God. Thank you for the Grand Canyon, and good luck with the Apocalypse. Oh, and by the way, you SUCK!

@MisterNoodle When you start diving deeper into this shit, synchronicities will go through the roof. I have experienced so many hundreds of mind blowing ones that the proof is all there... You manifest your environment. No other way around it. You're living in a "real" world with "dreamtime" metaphysics, aka, you're in a dream. 100% fact. The evidence is all around you. When you start regularly becoming conscious that you're in a dream, events will start warping around you in "unexplainable" ways. Don't freak out, that's normal. At this point, it's all too easy to think you're the only person in this dream and you're making everyone else up. No, that's not true. In a sense it is because you're literally everyone else. You are God. But they are all equally valid parts of God, trapped in little egos running around. And other people will unconsciously pick up on your thoughts (thinking that they are their own) and energy. So you as the higher-conscious person can literally "bend" reality around you by influencing other energies, which turn into action through complicated processes. I believe that's the basic metaphysics of it. You can even brain couple to someone hundreds of miles away and feel their emotions and intuit their thoughts. These are all very real phenomena I've personally experienced. Look up remote viewing. You have access to all of reality at the tip of your fingers... You've just spent your entire life led to believe you're a physical human being. Freeing the mind to do these things takes a lot of practice and time to rewire.

@Wisebaxter 150ug is a perfect first time dose. Absolutely nothing to be afraid of! It WILL blow your mind in all the right ways tho... ? I have an album suggestion for you: Valtari by Sigur Rós. Try it at the peak or just coming off of it... Think of it as a little experiment. Please let me know how it goes! Safe travels

Wrong. 12 days to come down to baseline tolerance. A lot more to come to baseline mental tolerance/effects. LSD is not a magic pill to thrust you into these states of Consciousness. 5-meo? Maybe. But definitely not lsd. You have been warned. Give more space. And there's honestly only so far you can go with L. It sounds like you had a pretty peak experience already.

@Annoynymous patience. You can't jump to solving them until you understand the inner workings. There is no cut and dry "method" because each person is different, and these problems must be solved by the individual. They can be "band-aided" by external sources, but the person will unconsciouslly fall back into those patterns without doing the inner work. Let me make another thing clear. You can't "solve" the ego. Think of it as a constantly evolving Maze that constantly seeks to delude you. "The tunnels are changing." Now this Maze sets new traps in predictable ways and patterns, but only to someone that completely understands how it works and what its motives are. This is not a small task, for you are trying to work through this Maze while still trapped inside. Consciousness is the key. Notice how your worry about the consequences of ego backlash is itself an egoic delusion. Where does worry come from? Fear of the future. Fear is illusion. The future only lives within the mind. In fact, the paradox is that worrying about this shit and trying to "solve" it will create the biggest backlash of all. Your job at this stage is to study the ego intensely, but do not try to resist it. It cannot be changed. There's nothing to hate or fear about it, it is a perfect machine that consciousness created in order to have this experience. In short, raise your consciousness and your suffering will start to fade away.

@Annoynymous the answer to your question will become clear when you understand the ego better. I HIGHLY suggest watching Leo's Self-Deception videos (parts 1-3). An ego backlash occurs when you do or think something that goes against the ego. Your accumulated body of habits and neuroses. When you study the ego, these will become very predictable. And these are very normal/OK. You can't force yourself to stop an ego backlash, you can only train yourself to observe them and not let them steer you into negative thought patterns.

@111111 Do not trip every week. Not only will you body's tolerance physically hinder you, but if you try to suck too much out of the experience, you WILL start having lesser or even nightmare trips. I speak from vast experience with this substance... Please respect it and allow time to integrate. So your body takes about 12 days to fully rid of its tolerance to LSD. So if you were to trip again in 7 days, you'd need to take at least 200ug to have a similar trip, and believe me, it still wouldn't be close. Although you may not be aware of it, your brain will need several weeks/months to fully accept and integrate that beautiful experience you just had. So add some more good habits, self inquiry, start trying to occupy that headspace more often. Of beauty and rapture. I know how tempting it is to dive back in every two weeks... But you're going to end up shooting yourself in the foot. Please please please respect this substance. I know how nasty it can get if you ask too much of it over too long a period. It's a TOOL for consciousness work, and it honestly sounds like you've got your plate full for a while. Sit back and relax my friend. Enjoy what you have!

OK, a little backstory. I feel like I'm in a really deep rut that I can't seem to pull myself out of. I'm in my early 20's and extremely addicted to suffering. Of all kinds, you name it: league of legends, PMO, vaping, a low-consciousness job I abhor, not reading, etc. My brain feels like it has turned to mush over the past few years, and because of all these bad habits, I have an inability to concentrate or create good habits. My self-esteem is at the floor. And yet, because of my journey with psychedelics, discoving Leo's channel, and doing quite a bit of Consciousness work on the side lately, I find myself in a very interesting position. I'm awakened, I've had many enlightenment experiences, and through much self-inquiry I've discovered so much about myself and about the world. I'm completely on board with Leo's teachings. And yes, I have made great strides lately that I'm proud of, but it's not nearly enough. I can t seem to lift off! I have the conceptual knowledge and understanding that I need to make the changes I want in my life, but I don't have the willpower or mental framework in order to embody them. I feel like I'm drowning still. The other issue that makes this difficult is that there's no one around me that understands the path I'm trying to take. My environment is pretty low-consciousness. Do you guys maybe have any tips in order to slowly form the habits I need? I've tried the all-in approach several times and it doesn't work. I'm too far deep in a hole to do that. Any words of advice would be much appreciated.