Grateful Dead

Haha yeah, I think the historical Jesus himself would cause quite a stir in much of what Christianity has become today. Still, I usually find some good common ground for deeper conversations even with traditional Christians, like those belonging to a church. You're right, I don't actively forget the illusions in the sense of erasing them from memory. It’s more that I see through their falsity, and then they simply lose their reality for me. In that way, they naturally fade from awareness. So in a sense, it’s a form of forgetting, but as a result of seeing clearly. And yes, I also see it very much like a via negativa. It's not about adopting new beliefs, but about letting go of what is false, unlearning rather than learning, until only what is real remains. It’s very simple in that sense: truth is; everything else isn’t. I know A Course in Miracles was channeled, but I haven’t really looked into channeling otherwise. I'll do some research into it, thanks! Yes, that’s probably true. As long as we’re here and have an ego, doubts will come and go. What I find most interesting is that when I'm in contact with @puporing (they/them), it feels very similar to my inner dialogue with my higher self or Jesus. Our views largely align, maybe even completely, but I have the impression that they understand it on a deeper level. I doubt the claims, which I haven't verified myself, namely that they are in the same state as Jesus and that he has been fully resurrected in them. I can acknowledge it as a possibility, but for my remaining doubts to disappear, it would have to happen to me in the same way. Yes, the historical Jesus was like everyone else, though probably much more spiritually advanced. I think it’s easier to worship someone else as the “Son of God” than to accept it about oneself hehe One theory of mine is that Jesus was the first to truly awaken, and from there began developing the teachings that first appear in the New Testament and later in A Course in Miracles. And it still seems to be evolving. I’m not sure if I understand you correctly. Do you mean because at first I thought I was speaking to someone else, like Jesus as a teacher and over time I realized that he was actually leading me back to my true Christ Self, which is Him? Yeah and it sounds like you have some idea of what it takes to get here Interesting that you mention Friend of the Devil, because lately I often return to that song. It’s one of the few where I haven’t yet fully recognized the deeper wisdom behind it. I like your approach, thanks for sharing. And I completely agree, the deepest forgiveness comes through Grace. And since you mentioned it, I play in a band and also write my own songs. And honestly, it seems impossible for me to write songs that aren’t somehow related to the path. I wish I could write something less spiritual sometimes lol. Robert Hunter truly had a genius for telling these stories in a way that didn’t seem overtly spiritual. Thank you, brother. I appreciate your openness, it's always refreshing to have a sincere exchange.

Yes, when you return to the ultimate reality, no trace remains. There is just boundless freedom – perfect peace. The illusion of the world goes beyond your individual experience. A part of the whole can return to the source, while the remaining fragments are still lost in ignorance.

Before I started my thesis, I asked a friend who was very knowledgeable about it for some advice, and he told me that this kind of work is 90% about making decisions. It might help you, too.

Yes. Lol yeah you know, once in a while you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right Yes, the process feels very much like becoming conscious and letting go. But I would describe it more as a process of forgetting illusions and remembering the truth, as the Course frames it. I can try but it will sound crazy lol. Shortly after I began reading the Course, I had like a paranormal experience, in which Jesus introduced himself to me, and a kind of inner dialogue began. At first, I honestly thought I was going psychotic. But my doubts mostly faded as time went on and he told me things about the “outside world” that turned out to be true every time. Then also Miracles started to happened through me regulary, which had a direct impact on the people around me. Also I got answers to most of the questions I had and was shown things I needed/wanted to see, like what seemed to be past lifes etc. I also received specific instructions for deepening my awakening, and they worked. Like what I used to reach mostly through psychedelics or intense meditation became natural and normal. However, I still had doubts about who I was really in contact with, and part of me still thought that maybe I was just crazy and imagining it all (which is true in a way). So eventually, he revealed to me that he is like a reflection of my higher self, and that I just wasn't quite ready to accept that yet. And to some degree, I still haven't. Another user of this forum(@puporing), who was sadly banned by Leo, claims to have completely merged with the mind of Jesus. Although I am still skeptical of such claims, I can no longer dismiss them based on my own experiences. I've come to see Christ as our true Self, the shared identity beyond the ego. Jesus, as a man, remembered this completely. He rejoined the awareness of Christ fully, and now he lives from that awareness. He remains in that consciousness and, in my experience, tries to lead me and also everyone else back to it. I think Jesus was saying that he realized what was being communicated to them in their sacred law, and that they could realize it too, based on the very law they claimed to believe in. Ah yes… it’s been a long, strange trip. And now, I’ve kind of settled down, enjoying the stillness of my nature. Dude, finally another one here who appreciates the Grateful Dead.

At its core, the Course teaches how to unlearn fear through forgiveness, and remember love as the only truth. It opens with the line: "Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God." That captures the essence of the Course quite well. What I found was an inner framework that helped me shift my perception and, as a result, transform my mind. It doesn’t really offer a new belief system; rather, it helps to undo the old egoic one. At first, I didn’t believe in Jesus or that the teachings were truly his. But as you said, I knew I wanted to let go of the self, I just didn’t really know how. And in the Course, I immediately recognized a path that actually made it possible for me. Jesus then began to reveal himself quite quickly, as a kind of inner guide or higher self. But it took me a long time to accept him and begin to understand what he is really about. And I still haven’t fully grasped how this mind works, so my understanding keeps deepening.

Well, Jesus guided me and, through his teachings, showed me a way to open my heart to love. I think one should give credit where it's due – to each saint his candle. Of course, everyone is free to find their own way to overcome the ego. But without such an effective approach, it would have taken me forever.

If you want to know more, you'll have to ask more specifically. In short, after a long spiritual quest, I came across The Course in Miracles (Jesus's teachings), and with it, I was able to piece everything together and end my search.

I haven't watched the videos, but I guess I'm one of those people. Before I was caught up in it myself, I thought, like most people here, that anyone on such a path was simply deluded. But then the teachings of Jesus spoke to me and touched me like nothing else. So I trusted the path and followed Jesus, and through that, I was able to correct and transform my mind.

Maybe not in the conventional sense, but I've followed the teachings of Jesus and know myself as Christ, if that's what you mean. In my view, God didn't create this world. Rather, I see it as a "collective" dream of the ego, in which we seem to have lost ourselves and now appear to be "trapped" and are largely seperated from God or our true self. So to me, God is that which doesn't change, the eternal reality. And what changes is an illusion, not real, and therefore, not of God.

If I remember correctly, Frankl did not find joy there, but rather meaning, compassion and inner freedom. @Hojo @Oppositionless Lol, I guess whatever you have to tell yourselves to enjoy a comfy live in ignorance of what’s actually happening here.

The world is ass, once you know the reality. Like what about the people who live miserable lives? Imagine being born in the Middle East and sold as a child into sex slavery. Do you think these people enjoy their time here? God has nothing to do with this seemingly complex mess.

Very unpleasant to watch. Aubrey is another false prophet hiding his sick ego behind a spiritual facade. I'm almost a little embarrassed that I only realized this a few years ago and fell for his game for a while. But the podcast is at least very revealing; I hope it helps many people realize what a fraud he is. This has nothing to do with spirituality. These are merely selfish needs and fantasies being acted out, which actually block spiritual progress. Thats just my opinion and personally I have no problem with someone wanting to live a polyamorous life, but selling it as spiritual in this way disgusts me. Just yesterday I saw a video about Osho's cult in which a woman talks about how she was abused there when she was 12 years old and how it was justified through spirituality.

It's difficult to argue with solipsism because it's true in the sense that the world we perceive is an illusion, and there is only one Self. The problem is that the concept creates the impression that the individual self (the ego) is all that exists. But the ego can be dissolved, sometimes temporarily, sometimes for longer, and when it does, it's as if the personal self never existed. What remains is vast, limitless Being, the Source, which cannot be grasped from within the framework of the individual mind. If the truth terrifies you, know that this fear is only the ego trying to "understand" what it can never comprehend. The full realization of truth is not terrifying at all. It is so good, so complete, that words can only diminish it. Enlightenment is incomprehensible to the mind. It is therefore the downfall of the ego, because it renders it irrelevant. When someone claims to have realized God but still operates from a place of superiority or separateness, it’s often just the ego in disguise, trying to play the role of God. From there, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking you’ve “got it,” as if awakening were a personal achievement. According to the solipsistic way of thinking, the illusion of the world would cease once you have fully realized your Self. But here is the problem: even when you're so awake that the world holds no reality for you, the dream may still appear to persist. “Others”, or other parts of your mind still perceiving through the ego and continue to project the dream. Awakening isn’t personal. It’s shared. No one wakes up alone. Until the entire mind, or all of us, as expressions of the one awareness remembers itself, the dream will seem to continue. Any belief that I am awake while you are not is just another form of separation. In the end, solipsism is just another ego trick, the idea that you can awaken apart from the whole, and still be whole...

I haven't watched the entire video yet, but I'm already hearing that they have a rather theoretical background. From my point of view, the blog post contains many misconceptions, but I'll only address the most important ones for me. There seems to be an assumption that Christian or Buddhist teachings are limiting. But that's not true once you know how to apply them; it's like psychedelics. The teachings themselves are merely a tool to free the mind. Once that has happend, you can go infinitely deeper; from then on, no specific teachings are really necessary because you know the path and what you need to do to deepen your realisation. It also sounds like there's no real understanding of what Christ or Buddha stand for, perhaps because it hasn't been recognized through those teachings. Christ is God, Buddha is God. When Christians identify with Christ, it's the same as identifying with God himself—just a different way of saying it. ("I and the Father are one."—John 10:30). The same applies to Buddha, at least that's my view. And by the way, I also believe that a specific teaching isn't absolutely necessary to truly awaken and maintain that state permanently. But that seems to happen very rarely from what I've seen. I haven't studied Ramana Maharshi very deeply, but it seems to me that he, for example, didn't need specific teachings to achieve it. If someone sees themselves at that level, fine, then just follow yourself. I appreciate that Leo says at the end that he has no real interest in full enlightenment. I think that's what many people expect when they follow him, at least that's what I did for a while, so thanks for that clarification! I also admit, my need to understand reality is limited. Since understanding the core of the matter, it's much more important to me to deepen my awakening and to live and embody it; that's what truly satisfies me. I still enjoy deepening my understanding, but it's more of a side effect.

That's not true at all. It's about the exact opposite: forgetting the world (survival) and finding the Kingdom of God within ourselves. Just think of the story of Jesus. The main character literally gave his life for God and allowed himself to be crucified. And afterward, many martyrs died for their faith. However, this only applies to the masses who, as already mentioned, are not really interested in true spirituality.

I don't quite understand your argument. So, is Christianity bad just because it's popular with many people, but most have no interest in the truth and are unable to truly understand and live its teachings? I think Christianity has great appeal for many because it answers deep existential questions and offers a strong spiritual, moral, and communal dimension. There's a lot more to it, but that's it for the majority, I guess.

Why do you think brainwashing children is a better representation of Christianity than people who discovered it on their own later in life? Seems ridiculous to be honest.. Much has already been said in this thread. If you want to gain deeper insight, look into the book "A Course in Miracles", which is an advanced Christian teaching. It's available for free online and contains many tools for gaining direct experience.

That depends, for someone like you I would say that cannabis is a good support for your development in meditation as long as you feel it has a benefit for you.

No, you are right. If you have a brilliant therapist, this is definitely better than ChatGPT. But then it could still be a useful complement.

You seemed like a good example. But I shouldn't have made it personal, I let my ego act out there for a moment. I removed it from my post.

Sounds like you've built a solid life for yourself. Cannabis increases your state of consciousness. It served me well for a long time, too. I've found that advanced meditation skills are even better. They take quite a while to develop, but then you're also no longer dependent on external factors to alter your state. And I think that the cannabis high requires more maintenance to remain stable.

Yes, that's understandable, it's best to continue with your medication while you look for other solutions. It's about changing your behavior, thoughts, and emotions through targeted techniques. In short, conditioning. I don't want to give specific recommendations right now, as these life situations are usually complex. However, if you don't have the opportunity to work with a good behavioral therapist, I would recommend ChatGPT. Describe your situation and your problems to the AI as precisely as possible, and then let it suggest behavioral therapy measures. I've tested ChatGPT in this regard and am really impressed. For people who can work with it, I think it's better than a mediocre therapist. Yeah, get checked. It is better to know if something is wrong, then you can take action against it.

With all the medication, I imagine it's hard to get out of bed. And all of this "just" for anxiety and panic attacks, I honestly think it's excessive, but I don't really want to question your psychiatrist's treatment; he certainly knows your situation better. But have you tried other non-medicinal forms of therapy too? For example, various behavioral therapy techniques? That seems more appropriate for your situation. And do you exercise? I think that would definitely be helpful for recovering from the side effects of smoking for so long. It might also help a bit with your anxiety and panic.

I'm sorry if my answer was a bit unclear, but it's also difficult to assess a situation like this just online. When I read your texts, it seems to me that you're at a point where, as you say yourself, you can trust your intuition fairly well. It's best to let love guide you, but you should still always be careful to be honest with yourself. To put it a little more clearly, it sounds to me like you're on the path to healing and are really beginning to open up. And since many people here write that you're overdoing it, if I were to tell someone what I've done along the way, they'd think I was suicidal and didn't care about the consequences. Once psychedelics served their purpose for me, I simply put them behind me, and it hasn't had any negative effects on my life, even though I used them very regularly for a long time. I still take them sometimes and the experience is profound, but now it's more for fun at concerts or something.

Sorry, I didn't see the question before. I've only used anchor points when there was to much fear to handle my experiences. I think it's important not to get so afraid that you don't continue with the practice. But if you're reasonably comfortable dissolving into your surroundings, just let it happen and go beyond it.