Sugarcoat

That’s so smart I didn’t think of that!

No. Only a little math in chemistry Noting when you get confused is important if you didn’t find a moment to ask directly by raising hand Yes. Writing at least something, forces you to think about the info you are writing down. So it helps focus in that way Its then a matter of what you write down, preferably facts that aren’t on the slides That’s a good tip! Writing shortly makes it so you don’t loose ability to listen too much, while still retaining the most important info I’m gonna study nutrition (I start on Monday officially)

That’s the biggest benefit of writing on paper I think

Great response! I def see your point and I’ve thought the same By having the attitude of seeing different mental states as qualities of consciousness instead of as “bad” , it can reduce our suffering if we ever experience them (for example being curious about one’s dpdr instead of freaking out) I have too! The difference being that I felt my entire body get bigger and like it felt “hard” . I have found that sensation interesting! We can sometimes change how we relate to things Its called “Alice in the wonderland syndrome” It’s interesting that it occurs mostly during relaxation, the brain changes how it experiences the body , the felt border of the body gets bigger

You mean like a temporary increase in body awareness?

That’s how I feel with contemplation lol, it needs to be supported by a process beyond concept to work kinda

Funny that you understood 😆 Kudos to you for doing vipassana it sounds very hard! That’s cool you were able to shut down that mechanism in the mind. Maybe you accessed something deeper in the bodily sensation by removing the mental barrier, like what Leo talked about in his video about “actuality”. The actuality of reality vs concept

Lmao here we go again Honestly maybe we just function differently Also if you have a strong sense of self , you might feel strongly identified with your actions , and it feels like you’re doing it all, you’re thinking your thoughts etc. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a process beyond you that influences or sometimes controls it. Like people who severely binge eat: yes they’re the ones grabbing the food but the binging can be driven by desires that overwhelm the self, caused by deep genetic wiring and the reward system Sometimes taking control can be an action of willpower, and willpower is a limited source for most unless you’re someone like David Goggins. So it can indeed be like a war of different aspects within yourself

Nevermind me

Cool sharing

It seems to me a realization of the absolute has the tendency to calm down neurosis so someone could realize it while “insane” and maybe their problems would calm down , after the ego backlash has ran its course (Like some non dualists speak of the effect of enlightenment on the character )

Hmm interesting I can correlate it a little to my own experience. In moments of it seeming like there’s less self the visuals can be extra crisp. Things seem kinda empty like they lack that solid substance…. So maybe you are onto something. But you could still investigate something the conventional route (doctor) IF it’s causing you a problem physically, just to rule it out… If there is any anxiety present (which could occur in spiritual happenings) it could contribute to physical symptoms. But you didn’t mention any anxiety so maybe not. The self/mind has a kind of effect on the body. When we maintain our sense of self, it can cause stress and tension (because it relies on impermanent things). So when the self lessens it can feel like a “loosening” /release of tension in the body. For me it has always felt good. But who knows maybe it could cause some other symptoms 🤔

Like do people think the self is gonna stay perfectly stable all their life? Especially considering it might be an illusion, if something is illusory it makes sense there would be cracks in it sometimes. But conventionally it’s seen as mental illness

Could you describe more mentally how those “less self states” are, how do you know it’s less self? I have experienced energies in my body, but they’ve never had a negative effect on the body, quite the opposite , it has felt freeing and like it’s “cleansing”. I’m guessing that’s usually the trend if you are releasing something stored. If it has a negative effect; might be possible but might be something else

Takes a great deal of self awareness to notice this

I actually agree with you in a way because a deviation from the normal sense of realness about yourself and the world is seen as mental illness by convention but in a way it could sometimes be closer to the truth of no self/world… like a sneak peak

Extra points if you confuse your dpdr for spiritual awakening

Me too

From absolute perspective you could say god is already doing its best by allowing and embracing everything that exists (everything?) just as it is From a more relative perspective which is the human one and I guess you’re still there in your every day life. You could look at the world and think, what’s the biggest problem right now, and try to better it

I agree, i.find you don’t chose your desires! You must kill the part of you that desires it to get rid of it. To create new desires or emotions for that matter is something I haven’t found out how to. Yea I agree one way that humans get closer to truth is that self deception and lies come with suffering so it’s a matter of time before the person stops having the energy to maintain those ego games .

I see He gives like a simply conceptual framework of non duality and the self, and he’s like speaking from a place of no self so it’s cool

I’d agree. Ill just add , theory and practice kinda intertwine when it comes to how you use your mind. When we shift attention and or focus on something (for example the self, or a body sensation) I have pondered if the mind is involved in that. One of the ways I noticed this is if I close my eyes and focus on let’s say the sensation in my feet, I almost cannot help it but to simultaneously visualize my feet in relation to me, even if it’s extremely subtle. So directing attention might be a practice- but it’s also kinda theoretical because you may be using your conceptual mind while you do it. Also this applies to the self image (in my experience) when doing self inquiry it can be kinda self centered instead and enhance the self by focusing on it, one aspect of focus being the mind imagining what it’s focusing on: contributing to creating the very self image Or it’s just yet another of my weird experiences 😅

Thanks I don’t know the context, but maybe saying “I’m alive and I am real” is supposed to be a kind of grounding technique to bring you back into the body, into the physical realness. And bring you back to yourself if you feel ungrounded. I like non dualist Jim Newman . He speaks very smooth, spontaneous and clear. I’m almost fully sure he’s some kind of enlightened. He mentions how the self seeming real and the world seeming real is illusion

More people than we think feel weird about themselves The vast majority feel absolutely real so to question that sounds stupid to them. Even if they consider it , it doesn’t “shake” the realness of their sense of self so they just keep going about their day. Human play is about survival, of both body and mental identity, of pleasure and avoiding pain. It’s not designed to find “the truth of reality”. I have a very very loose theory that the self is in a very very slow process of dissolution for everyone- because it requires a certain energy and activity to be maintained - it’s like law of physics how all things are slowly being destroyed (mountains for example) So in that way we may be designed to ultimately find truth but it can take lifetimes I think at the end of the day desire is one of the most powerful things , if you just have strong enough desire you’ll increase your chances of success a lot (in getting enlightened for example). I lack in that area I have had desire for other things in life. I don’t know how to strongly desire the wisest things to desire

Recently the forum has been laggy as hell It can make it less desirable to use, we can be impatient sometimes But I just realized that every moment it lags its opportunity to meditate To take a deep breath . To allow that little swirly thingy going around in circles to put you in a trance To return your attention from being immersed in the world of form back to the observer To deepen your presence in this very moment. So next time it lags, you can take the opportunity . 🧘🏻‍♀️ #zenlife #hippie 😂