Tim R

Wow, this is pretty impressive... Thank you for sharing your story with us!!

Why are you here then? "Potential" entails "actualized". "Higher" is just a metaphor for "aware of more". Don't get hung up on words.

You are thinking in terms of "attractive" and "best", as in relation to "unattractive" and "worst". This is dualistic thinking. Love means unconditional Love, so forget ideas like "infinite love is the best place" as opposed to every other place, which in turn would obviously not be the best place. Unconditional means shedding the dualistic separations between good and bad. Infinite Love means embracing EVERYTHING, since it's unconditional; no conditions, no "if" attached. All that you call "bad", all that you'd label to not be "the best/ the most attractive place to be". So, get rid of all of that, it doesn't serve you any good in pursuit of Love. Stop calling any place something other than the perfect place, because that's what unconditional Love entails. Even better, don't call it that either, just accept and embrace it as it is, no matter what. And lastly, thinking that it is somewhere else where you could arrive some day is foolish thinking, too. That is NOT to say, that pursuing unconditional Love is a fallacy, but it's a fallacy to ultimately assume, that it is reached at some point in the future, since the future doesn't exist and hence will NEVER come.

No. When there's pure Consciousness (which requires no human or anything else), there's no need to realize anything, because it's pure awareness which simply IS and which is everything. A human being is limited, like a wave seems to be limited in relation to the ocean (it actually is the whole ocean as well). The ocean doesn't have to be a wave in order to be the ocean.

Any thoughts? I think he has some valid points. (I think he might've been referring to Leo at https://youtu.be/AAHNxHgc8EI?t=597 )

A few minutes into my meditation practice, I see a white light which seems to fill my entire skull. It becomes brighter and brighter, but as soon as my mind shines attention on this phenomenon, it starts to dim again. It only occurs at a certain "meditative depth"; it won't come on right at the beginning. The faster and deeper I can get into the meditative state, the faster and brighter this light will appear. Does anybody know what this is?

Yeah well, in Germany we are (as basically all Western people) the inheritors of this medieval myth of God. A royal, male grand-papa with a white beard, who's sitting on his heavenly throne and who has created the world and all its lousy creatures in it, just to judge and if necessary condemn them, yet loving and merciful towards those who proselytize and recognize the one and only true lord and savior, his son Jesus Christ. Most of the German population is protestant, but in the southern part (Bavaria) people are still more conservative and tend to be around Stage Blue, hence Catholicism is the prevalent christian denomination.

@Naturalist Really?? How could it be luminous if it has to be the "Nothing" which can be aware of light? Or how did you mean this?

@Yog Yes, I have noticed the same. Actively using your eyes naturally breaks the all-inclusive, non-specific awareness (which we're trying to cultivate/recognize). People tend to locate their Ego behind the eyes, and I think eye movement is therefore what creates the sense of a limited awareness, bound to (the space behind) the eyes.

For those among you, who have access to Netflix: check out "Wild Wild Country", if you haven't yet. It's a documentary series about Osho's community trying to create a city in Oregon in early 80's, which went kinda crazy. Gives you a whole new perspective on Osho, really...

Why do so many spiritual teachers tell you that there is absolutely nothing to do in order to become enlightened? I mean, I get it; you don't have anything to do in order to be the infinite, all-inclusive awareness that is the ground of the entire universe which you already are, but: doing nothing won't exactly lead to the realization that this is so. So, why do they do this?

I'm not sure if this is the proper way to do psychedelics... Sounds like merely using them for escape... Yeah, in a sense, entering God consciousness would basically solve all problems that could ever exist, but is this really the proper way?

The Universe as God's game. Nothing is meaningful, hence everything is its own, intrinsic meaning and the point of Being is BEING, just like (or shall we say "as") the point of playing is PLAYING. Has @Leo Gura covered this idea in one of his videos? He explains what everything is and why it can't be any other way, so I thought: doesn't the idea of the Universe/God playing and doing all that it does for its own sake align perfectly with all those explanations? Children know this very well I think... The birds sing, bugs crawl and plants grow, just for fun, without any further meaning whatsoever. Something like this, isn't it? Who of you knew that Alan was also a crazy musician? Glorious Nonsense? Or can the point of Being actually be something else, if it's infinite?

@Leo Gura That's an odd thing to say for you... Addiction is primarily psychological with Cannabis. It can greatly aid the mind to think in a much more implicit way, that's what I discovered when I used to smoke it. And of course the potential for creativity-enhancement, which is probably important for your work (not trying to sell you on it). It is a great substance if used properly and conscientiously. And as it goes for every drug; it is not in and of itself addictive.

Thank you!

@Leo Gura Who of all the commonly known spiritual teachers would you say is closest to Truth, God, infinite Love etc. ? Many are obviously awake, but even when you disregard their style of teaching, I think you can recognize different levels of appreciation for the aforementioned aspects of the Truth. I don't mean this in the sense of "who's the best teacher of them all?", or "all teachers except for this on are charlatans and don't actually know what they're talking about", none of that, I love them all, I'm just asking for an honest, personal appreciation of yours for a teacher (or of course more than one, if they seem to have reached similar levels).

Yes, I considered that, too. I am en extremely calm person and I don't get triggered by anything. No matter how "bad" the news.

@Carl-Richard I feel that I still lack a bit of compassion, social interest (might actually just be part of yellow) and a proper valuing of and connection to my emotions.

There's no difference between "the two". Furthermore it depends on the situation.

Rumi Mohammed Mahavira Shinzen Young

Dalai Lama Thich Nhat Hanh Rupert Sheldrake Terence McKenna Ajan Brahm Ravi Shankar

Ram Dass Mooji H. W. L. Poonja Ramana Maharshi Sadhguru J. Krishnamurti Deepak Chopra

Buddha Shakyamuni Lao Tsu Alan Watts Osho Eckhart Tolle Shunyamurti Huineng Jesus D. T. Suzuki Dogen

I disagree very much. It's not the people you interact with, who will affect your consciousness. It always boils down to YOU. It's always and everywhere up to you how mindful/conscious your modus operandi is. It has nothing whatsoever to do with them. If they decide to crack a beer, it's up to you wether you'll join them or not. If they talk about "unconscious" things, it's up to you, wether you engage or not. Your consciousness is shaped by your actions and reactions. Having become conscious of certain things, you won't again become unconscious of them, unless YOU decide to let your consciousness become murky and dull. And you don't even have to be around anyone to accomplish that. So, you don't lose your attained state of consciousness because of other people. You lose it because of yourself. And if you think that no one understands you because you're at such a high level of consciousness, it is this narcissism which prevents you from connecting to people, because if you are actually at such a high level of consciousness, you'd be able to connect with almost every person AND you wouldn't be lonely anymore. Do not blame the cause of your loneliness on other people, it's not their fault. If you think they drag you down, then that's a cheap excuse for you not being able to properly connect with them. You can be a perfectly enlightened person and drink beer with a bunch of friends who don't even know about spirituality, and nothing would be sacrificed. They didn't drag you anywhere, you decided to go with them. Yes, to self-actualize it is very helpful to be utterly alone (which is not necessarily the same as being lonely!), but that is once again: your decision.

We all know Alan Watts and some of us were introduced to spirituality through him. I think he never claimed to be enlightened or anything along those lines, but - I suppose he was. However, he had a problem with alcohol. In his book "Tao - The Watercourse Way" (which is a great book) there is a passage which took me somewhat by surprise: ''He (Alan) revealed the crux of this tragedy shared by most men in this unbalanced time by admitting ""But I don't like myself when I'm sober"", as he surrendered to another shot of vodka at a time when he knew he need not and should not rely on it any more." So, he had a drinking problem (and he smoked, a lot). He died at the age of 58 due to a cardiac insufficiency (which by the way isn't necessarily related to his alcohol consumption; alcohol(ism) is only in about 20% of all the cases of heart insufficiency the cause!) Does this somehow influence his work? Can one be an alcoholic or and addict and yet be enlightened? Do we have to re-evaluate his teachings? I'll be forever grateful for his teachings...