WelcometoReality

Well it's more of a poke than a smash, but poke at someones shoulder enough times and you'll get a big reaction. It might be at war with you, but you will meet it with acceptance.

Through inquiry. Ask yourself is this thought true, why is it true etc. Watch for egoic reactions in thought and feelings.

Yes exactly. A light bulb behind a tinted window which darkness we can control with the dimmers. The light bulb will always be on full light, the amount that shines through is depending on how much we have turned the dimmers.

An even more fitting analogy would be two dimmer switches. one is turned and turned until the light goes on, you then start to turn the other one to brighten the light.

Yes you could explain it like that.

It is both an on/off switch and a dimmer. The initial awakening from ego is a on/off switch and the surrendering of the ego that occurs after it is more of a dimmer switch.

Why will you get more motivated if there's less chance?

Ego resistance means you're on the right path. No way to enlightenment that I know of that doesn't require you to meet your fears.

Yes some beliefs are like that. Just seeing that they are beliefs are enough for them to dissipate. It's those at the very core of the ego that are the hardest.

Thoughts come and go, it's completely natural. Look for those thoughts you really believe and smash them.

The meditation I have found most useful is walking meditation. Preferebly in the woods or another quiet place. I did this whenever the mind was the most active. It really helped me distancing myself to the thoughts that came up. Focusing on what's real instead. Back then I didnt think of it as meditation but that's what it was.

Mindfulness is a technique that is learned. If you compare it to say, learning how to drive a car the first state is being totally unaware of how bad you are at driving a car (never new you were so focused on thoughts). When you start to learn to drive you become aware of how bad you are at driving (you notice how much of you life is revolving around thoughts). After a while you've learned to drive but you need to focus on everything you do when you drive, shifting gears, gas and break etc (you are more focused on reality, but you still need to focus on the mindfulness technique). After doing it a hundred times over you've learned to drive without any effort (Being in the present moment now has become the natural state).

Enlightened people still have beliefs. The difference is that they know it's just beliefs and not truths like most people think.

These experiences will come and go. They will get you closer to reality, just don't cling on to those experiences. Instead focus on that which is experiencing those experiences, just like you have been. What is it that's ever present in the midst of those experiences? The voice in your head is just a voice. It's not good or bad. Don't give it attention.

The survival mechanism are still there, They still move there hand from a burning stove etc. In life threatening situations the ego might panic and do nothing. An enlightened person might still feel fear, but not make up a story about it, and act in the moment to whatever is arising. It is easier to see others perspective and the absolute without the ego. They are not unbiased.

We cannot know if there is a meaning to our existence or if it's all total randomness. Both are beliefs. If you are seeking truth it is better to make it a spiritual question: why is this question important to me or to what is it important to. You can also just identify it as an activity of the mind and release it.