Rasheed

What should I do then? I am reading these books by Freud, Jung, Carl Rogers, Friedrich Perls…basically from Ken Wilber’s recommendations…Most of these books are long winded, super impractical. Like mental gymnastics for no good reasons. P.S Sometimes I feel like I might read 100 books by psychologists such as Freud, Jung, Perls, Fromm, Carl Rogers and still not come out more developed than I started. Ken Wilber has 15+ books by Freud and Jung in his bibliography, I can’t imagine how he managed to actually read those.

Thank everyone for help, this for very useful.

How to practice Vipasanna meditation correctly? Is simply being present and mindful counts as Vipasanna? Is what I am doing (basically sitting down, being present, suspending all thought) a Vipasanna meditation? correct way to meditate? Anyone who read Daniel Ingram's book, what is the essence of the meditation he is advising in his book?

What is difference beetween Samatha vs Vipasanna meditation in Buddhism?

Yeah, I am doing the best I can to understand but when someone reading is intellectual stuff like I am for example, just taking that and applying it practically is not really an option. I feel like, thinking about, contemplating after reading is important in order to make insights stick. Writing can be helpful as well...

Nice. Thanks for help.

Cool. Do you advise taking notes on reading? I am reading psychology books... I am not taking notes, I only write down some profound ideas and principles but anything else I do note, is this a blunder?

Yeah but that is if reading practical books. Now I am reading more intellectual books such as for example Ernest Becker's 'Birth and Death of Meaning' or now I am reading Freud's "A General Introduction to Psychoanalysis". What then? Truth be told I asked this question because as a psychologist, I wanna go ahead and read 500 great psychology books but what then? What is the benefit if I go ahead and forgot the shit I read anyway...I read 500 page book about Gestalt Therapy read by F. Perls couple months ago, it was hard read, I don't remember exact stuff but I have a general idea. I mean, come on...

From what I've concluded Leo and Todd Valentine have same dating philosophy which focuses on becoming high-value man and cold approaching. I took Todd's courses and also watched Leo's series about dating, both of these resources are super powerful. There are many similarities in both resources but the main difference I found is that Todd and Leo think differently about online dating. Here's Todd V's perspective (he has other videos about it on his channel but this video I found to be the best one): If you are familiar with both resources, what do you think? Is online dating waste of time? or is there place for it like Todd Valentine says in this video?

Yes, I think so as well. This post must get locked.

Can one go to a nightclub like this: Basically fall asleep at 9 pm, wake up at 4 and around 5:30, 6 pm go to a nightclub and then doing cold approach session there for 4 hours? Is this a stupid idea? (Truth be told sounds stupid but still wanted to ask the question, maybe someone actually implements above action step successfully) This is like a way of getting good night sleep while also going to a club and growing in personal development...or maybe it is not...What you think?

Daniel Ingram seriously confused me. I read the book 'Core Teachings of the Buddha' and it was way different from other spiritual books I've read by Wilber, Osho, Om Swami, Eckhart Tolle, P. Ralston, etc... He says that key for enlightenment is 3 characteristics of existence which got outlined by Gautama Buddha. Also he has this very complex map which is kind of confused me. Meditation I do is what Ken Wilber teaches in picture down below (3 Factors of All Skillful Means). Wilber himself does not outline such a complex map like Ingram, he simply points to 4 levels: Gross, Subtle, Causal and Non-Dual. Ingram's maps can be found on his own website. Please help, I don't want to get stuck on what Ingram calls: Solidified in 1st Jhana. If anyone knowns how Ingram's map really works or Daniel Ingram's frameworks in general, I would be really grateful for help. P.S He also says that enlightenment does not lead to emotional, mental, behavioral perfection. He says he is enlightened but he also experience desire, fear, aversion etc...This is super counter-intuitive to all other spiritual teachings, what's your thoughts on that? All in all, I found it still useful read even though there were lot of things I did not get, that is why I am asking question here. Thank you.

Thing is his map confused. My question was: If I am doing a correct practice concerning Ingram's map and also how do I find where am I in a map because it feels like his stages overlap and are similar? Also, why most spiritual teachers do not use any maps such as Ingram's? Compare Ingram's book to someone like Ralston or Tolle, it 180 degree different... That is what confused me.

Yeah I want to know self-defense but sparring problem is, head damage. I seriously don't want to get head-kicked in the head, I am not an athlete, I am into knowledge work like Peter Drucker would say and getting head-kicked during training couple times per week would negatively impact my performance in my life purpose and career... So, what should I do? By the way thanks everyone for answers. Also, I wanted to ask: Is shadow boxing good for learning how to fight?

Probably, I got something wrong here. There people who told me that some clubs are open from 12 to 1 a.m. I don't know...That's why I asked, probably that's incorrect then...

I just want to know how to punch, kick, move for self-defense purposes. That's why I asked but at the same time I still want to know how to attack, I don't want it to be just defense-focused. (My understanding of combat sports is quite limited that's why my question and answer as well is quite silly) Thanks everyone for answers, it was really helpful.

Can Ken Wilber be considered as contemporary underappreciated genius? Truth be told Ken Wilber basically accomplished lifetimes of work and his work stands out from every single other psychologist, philosopher and I consider him to be one of the greatest western intellectuals of all time. He is probably the greatest western psychologist of all time, period. I haven't read all major western psychologists books yet but which ones I read, they do not come even close, including Freud and Jung. I am asking this question because compared to J. Peterson, S. Harris, Ken Wilber is not popular like them though Ken Wilber is 10x more developed and conscious than them...No disrespect to any of these intellectuals. psychologists and philosophers but still, they don't even come close to Wilber, probably I am biased but I am trying to remain as objective as I can and I still think that. Maybe I am wrong, Idk. What do you think?

Can meditation actually answer life’s deepest questions? Questions such as:Why am I here? What is meaning of life? What’s the point of life? When Osho got asked this type of questions, he basically answered that all philosophy and questioms are for fools and all questions are from ego and to stop thinking, drop the mind…. Truth be told I cannot take that for an answer. Stopping thought is great but I still want answer to deep questions and is really stopping all conceptualization actual answer? ????

Thank you. That was a truly beautiful and inspiring answer. I am really grateful and appreciative of your help and feedback.

Can meditation lead to getting ultimate answers? And if yes, how? Most spiritual teachers such as Osho, Krishnamurti say to drop all questions and just meditate and be silent but thing is I still want answers to ultimate questions…I feel like that kind of answer is avoidance…

I get what you are saying but Listening Krishnamurti and most spiritual teachers, most people will drop the question before it is answered

Actually most eastern spiritual teachers and gurus including Osho give that answer about deep life, philosophical questions. And I just can't buy it. That is why I asked the question. But I don't want question to disappear, I want question to get answered. I get it, when I stop thinking, I have no questions but still I do not consider that to be an answer. At the same time about fear or desire, Daniel Ingram says that he got enlightened (Buddhist type of sense, enlightened) and he still experiences lust and desire. Basically that model of emotional perfection does not last...Truth be told, I don't know..

I read Sam Harris's book 'Waking Up' and one thing hit me as of right now: Non-dual motherfuckers aka teachers are not saying anything special. Osho, Eckhart Tolle, Zen Masters, Shinzen Young, etc...ain't saying anything special when they are saying that there is no self. Seriously, Ken Wilber and Ramana Maharshi ain't saying anything special when they are asking to inquire Who am I? Seriously, what's special about Ramana Maharshi? One does not need to sit in a cave for rest of once's life to realize that there is no self, all sensations are impermanent and dissatisfactory. Seriously, when I am writing this, I am conscious of the fact that there is no self and all sensations are impermanent. And then question arises: - SO FUCKING WHAT, THAT'S IT???????????????????????? These motherfuckers ain't saying anything special. That was my impression after reading all these spiritual books and meditating hour after hour and impression after stopping all thought and dualistic conceptualization. I hope I am wrong and closed-minded.

Yeah, I of course agree that there is so much more to become conscious of and awaken to, but I am talking about non-dual teachers and no-self insight. Ramana lived in a cave for all his life...All of this makes me think, what is potential of meditation? Sam Harris himself has done thousands of hours of meditation because he was basically living on retreats, meditating 10+ hours a day 3-6 months in a row. Obviously, he is not Ramana level, living in a cave mystic but at the same time, I don't consider him to be shallow like Oprah Winfrey, Mindvalley spirituality and hippy bear, feel-good spirituality because of the amount of meditation he has done. Of course it is relative but still... I don't wanna put 10,000 hours into meditation and then realize be like: "That's it? This is it? No-self, and what?" Sam Harris writes exactly about that in his book. I agree that my no-self realization is ain't deep enough, I am going to go deeper but still, I can't believe that's it for spirituality and transpersonal psychology. Seriously, there has to be more and I am glad actualized.org is pointing to that because I think this is only resource which does that. At the same time, I realized that there is no self but all the same desires, suffering, pain is still there. My relationship to it is different but all those desires of lower levels of Maslow's hierarchy still stays the same. Also, what makes me worried about that is many spiritual gurus are famous for their misconduct which basically tells me they also had those desires even though they realized insight of no-self...Sam Harris writes about that as well. Also, I am 100% confident that what you call God-realization is not the same as what non-dual teachers call no-self. That is why I must do 5-MeO to validate that for myself.

Cool. Thanks Maybe I got no-self realization as a concept...I don't know. basically, when I meditate, I know how to stop thinking, basically all conceptualization stops and then I experience that all sensations are impermanent and there is no self. Is not that what no-self insight about? or I got that wrong as well? 4 hours of meditating per day + mindfulness throughout the day, I still got that wrong somehow... I definitely should do 5-Meo-DMT. But as of right now I am not talking about God-Realization, I am discussing non-dual teachings and no-self teachings, that's why I asked. Sam Harris discussing no-self and non-duality as well, not what you call God-realization...He is also familiar with Ramana Maharishi and his self-inquiry...