WelcometoReality

@Martin123 The way i see it is that there are three types of awakenings. And all awakenings that are in between. A deep awakening. In this one the ego won't matter, it will mostly fall of without effort. A shallow awakening. Here ego will matter because one still have to unhook alot of attachments and a healthy ego will suffer less. A gradual awakening. This is without any awakening experiences. It will sort of sneak up on you and one day you realize that you lost yourself on the way. No suffering is created by the ego from this type of awakening so healthy and unhealthy ego won't matter. To clarify, healthy-unhealthy ego is not black and white but a gray scale. The different types of awakenings are not black and white but a gray scale. You can't choose which type of awakening you will get so work on your ego. It won't hurt and it will maybe make the awakening process easier. To seek enlightenment before one has a healthy ego? That is for each one to decide, there probably isn't a general rule.

@art Enlightenment is a subjective truth. It cannot be shown in science and that is why direct experience is key. Science does have it's uses but it is simply a tool, a tool one uses in ones direct experience. Everything one has experienced is within ones direct experience. So there is no science vs direct experience. Without direct experience there would be no science.

@Deepak sadhwani That is what minds do. No need to resist these thoughts, just let them come and go. The excitement comes from the attachment to the thought, believing that it's true. Just recognize this attachment. There must also be an attachment to the thought "there is somethong wrong with having thoughts about the future". Recognize the attachment to thought and meditate to practice letting them come and go. SDS is a good meditation technique to practice this.

@Emerald Wilkins @NutellaTC I don't have much experience of this myself so my knowledge is just theoretical, so excuse me for questioning you. Aren't you suppose to unlock blockages in the lower chakras first before moving up to the higher chakras?

@Empty Thank you for sharing this. @Aware It is isn't it. Up 'til the stage I am at, it is very on point.

You are talking about self development. And I agree with what your saying but that is not what I am talking about, I guess you would call it level of awareness. I agree with this except for the assumptions you seem to be making about me.

Well put, I always like to emphasize that it is best not to BELIEVE what any teacher says. Always ground it in your own experience. Be open minded about what is being said, meaning don't make any conclusions about it being 'true' or 'untrue'.

You are right. I misspoke, maybe human development is a better term. There is a time to remove ignorance, but the next step is to see through all knowledge based outside your own experience. And any "problem" is only an illusion.

@kurt I see, so what do you think is so right with it? In my opinion Clare Graves work fit in well with the development of consciousness at least in my own experience. Which theory do you find describe it best?

What is it in spiral dynamics and integral spirituality you think is false?

You contemplate about what is true or not. Every topic of contemplation is attacked at various angels, new perspectives until you have a close approximation of what is true. Being open minded helps because you will not be stuck in a certain perspective. And no single perspective is true. There are some level of truth in many different perspectives. How can you value truth more? Well it's truth or TV and cheetos. Your choice. (I just had to)

@Ramu To have ego taking credit for enlightenment is a common trap, one that I have fallen into myself. Adyashanti says that it occur more often than not, so if there is something that is worth repeating it is that. When someone writes that they have awaken I usually post this video to them, just to make them aware of the trap. Although I agree that some take this to far. It's ok to use I, you, we. They are just words and as long as we see through the illusion of these words they won't do any harm.

@Arman

@Epiphany_Inspired The best way to diminish fear is to move through the fear and that is by desire. When this desire becomes greater than the fear you will do that which you are fearful of and when you put yourself in fearful situations this fear will lessen.

@ULFBERHT Sounds to me that you for the first time are uncertain of what you are and that uncertainty makes you feel uncomfortable. It might feel like one step back but it is actually progress.

After the realization it's easy to forget about the ego. It wants your attention, it can feel rejected and this is why all these negative feelings come up. So listen to what it wants and by that I don't mean do what it says. Just sit and listen to it. By doing that the negative energy will lessen and the ego will integrate.

In your experience can these things give you an everlasting happiness? Has things given you everlasting happiness before? To me there was a deep curiosity to what truth was so that was my main priority. What do you feel deep down?

These doubts are natural, they come and they go. Continue with the inquiry and the answer will come.

That's like paddling a canoe down a river and asking someone why your not at the end of the river yet. It's not important why your not there. What is important is where you are and how you can get further down stream, by taking one stroke after another. And watch out for the rocks! Good question. It must have a great sense of humour.

You need to see through those beliefs to see the truth. When you say "my body" what is this I you are refering to? Ask yourself who's body is this. Mind is likely going to answer: Mine! That is a thought but can that thought be the right answer? I'm sure you heard about self inquiry before so I won't go into the details of this. But this me, you are referring to, does not exist. It is a thought. When this belief is seen through this identification with the body mind will dissipate. Sure there is a body there which the senses, sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell and thought are experienced through but the body doesn't belong to anyone. So what's left when there is no me? Existence, which is nothing and everything.

I'm glad you liked it and I hope it helps.

You can try to see things in a different perspective than that thought. See the quote for examples. I have had alot of mind activity in the past and started to go for a walk. All the sensory inputs created some distance to all those thoughts and was a great way to get a little perspective.

@Afonso Is it the pain itself that makes it hell or is it the thoughts that is arising when feeling pain?

@Martin123 I would say that what hinders the flow state is the resistance to whatever comes up. That resistance comes from thought and there needs to be an attachment to that thought (believing that it is true). Those thoughts doesn't need to dissolve, they can still come but there is no attachment to those thoughts.

@Egoisego I often say don't trust what anyone is saying. Check if it is true in you own experience, anything else will just add a belief. What someone else is experiencing might not be true for you. And many are hindering their own spiritual development by doing just this, believing what their spiritual teacher says.