WelcometoReality

@faith That's a great question to contemplate! Can you actually do it?

@How to be wise The ego will be trancended at first so that will not matter, but before it is trancended wouldn't you rather have high self esteem than low self esteem?

@Mert The love is always there. You just need to listen. This is where the mind wants to ask "how do I listen?". But it can never listen. All it does is produce noise and one always listen to that noise because it is the loudest. I started to listen to bhajans which a menber here posted to me. The mind was really critical to that "cult like" expression of love but it really did wonders to me.

@Not a shaolin monk You are free to do anything you want!!! And it's all predetermined...

@Emre Observing something is distancing yourself from it. It's me over here observing something over there. It's separation. So observing is not the end goal. It's a step toward not identifying with thoughts and feelings but there is more.

Careful. Mind really likes to grasp these experiences and create stories around them. Best to see them for what they are. A story. It's all new to you so of course it is frightening, no need to worry. You will get accostumed to it eventually. And about the "forgetting" part. It's good to have daily meditation practice to "ground" yourself in 'being'. Preferebly in the morning. 20 minutes or so is enough. The pendulum between the personal state and the non-personal state is totally normal. Just let it happen.

@oysterman you are going in the right direction. Go further.

@Joseph Maynor Yes indeed I am. I don't think he was clear, his post is mostly about how he got enlightened but not what he means by it. @AleksM please look at this video. And was there any side effects after the realization occured?

@AleksM what do you mean when you say that you are enlightened?

@Noname For how long has it been this way? Might be some effects of an awakening but they should pass.

What does your day to day practice look like?

@Dino D It's easy to get caught up in black and white reasoning. Maybe don't set a goal of becoming enlightened. Do the practice because you enjoy it. See that it will increase your life quality whether you'll become enlightened or not. Take any successful athlete or musician. They wouldn't be where they are unless they enjoyed the day to day practice.

I don't think you've gone to far with the do nothing technique. I'd continue with it and try to not distract yourself from the empty feeling instead try to embrace it as much as possible, surrender to it.

@onacloudynight Did you have an experience of realizing your true self recently? Or if you will an awakening, enlightenment experience, an experience of oneness or emptyness?

@harisankartj You are on the right track. Keep going.

It's your choice which ones you let influence your life. Just let these decisions be conscious decisions. There are many unconscious decisions we make based on past conditioning. These pop up as beliefs of what we should or shouldn't do and what reality should or shouldn't be. Good/bad, right/wrong you get the point. Not everything you do is a product of past conditioning. How much it influence your decisions depend on how awake you are. Every decision and every reaction you make hold information to you belief structure. Become conscious of why you make these decisions and you will become free of it's shackles.

@Veggies Shinzen Young talk about some of the downsides here: https://youtu.be/qoAbCgmhqdM

@electroBeam Yeah the phase your going through is quite disorienting. No will direct you where to go. I don't think you should quit university or your job because it can be helpful to have some reasons to drag yourself out of bed in the morning. It will be easier to choose direction in life if it hasn't fallen apart completely. But yeah it's really tempting to just move out in a cabin in the woods and cut all the connections with society. If I didn't have a family that's probably what I would have done. There is really no next step to take. Let yourself fall away and things will sort out itself. I found these Adyashantis videos on the subject which was helpful to me.

@Martin123 It's been happening in this order (I think). Mind, gut and heart. And if it's a competition you've got to throw in some cool prizes!

@pedro23 There is nothing wrong with getting your foot of the gas pedal once in a while. Having convulsions may be the bodies way of saying stop. And if you don't want to stop completely switch to another technique. Take care of yourself and enjoy.

@Taavi A teacher isn't necessary. The only thing you need to prioritize is truth. Put that before your needs and your be well on your way. You had a moment. A beautiful experience. Now you need to let it go because you will never get that experience back. No matter how hard you'll try. And if you try to get back there you will miss the truth in this moment. What is true now? Right now! Yes you will have a hard time to adapt yourself to society after the experience. You will have alot of judgements about people who are still in the dream state. Those who have no clue. See those judgments for what they are. They reflect something within yourself. You have a hard time with them because you are not fully awake. Those judgements are the key to unhook from yourself (ego). In every moment that you're not content with what is lies a belief that it should't be that way. Find that belief and release it. And if you find yourself struggling we are here to help you with any questions. Enjoy! ?

@tarek1945 There is no next step. You are already here. Look at how the mind reacts when you read these words. It will come up with all kinds of excuses like that's not really helpful. I have to do something etc etc. But the next step is really the biggest illusion and also the most subtle one. Sit down and watch the thoughts. And let the sensations in the body come and go. Your already here. This is it..

@Mike Bison Are you getting hooked on the terminology? Unconscious means that you believe that the thought is true. Conscious is being aware that the thought is JUST a thought. That it holds no value of TRUE or FALSE. It's just a thought being experienced.

@How to be wise Yes, unattaching from thoughts will cause an awakening from mind and that is a part of the 'journey' to enlightenment.

@username I get the sense you are searching for something outside yourself. Searching rather hides the realization. You are already that which you are seeking so no seeking is needed. To me it was realized when I was to exhausted to seek and no effort was being made. I just watched every thought and feeling appear and disappear. When you meditate do you have the goal to awaken? That goal will put a subtle emphasis on the future and that future will never come. You will not find yourself but everything experienced, be that feelings in the body, sights and sounds, is not you so detach from those and just let them come and go. The mindset 'should' be that anything can happen. That you can't force your way to the realization rather than ok, I'm gonna awaken this time, come on on let's do this!