legendary

I spoke with Jan about Kundalini Shakti about such a case. Here's what he said: You probably had Kundalini arousal, and not awakening. Awakening is possible only when the knots in the subtle body are untied, either by hardcore practice or by Shaktipat. And Kundalini awakening doesn't gurantee bliss asap. It gurantees that awakened kundalini will guide you towards liberation. It's up to you to follow that guidance,

I just checked this guy's channel out. All his criticism of Actualized.org boils down to 3 things: This guy walked the same path as Leo 30 years ago, and based on his experience, Leo is wrong about neuroscience, Quantum Mechanics, etc. It's not science, but Leo who is making an epistemological blunder by buying into new-agey and woo-woo concepts. The brain is primary, subjectivity is secondary. Leo is solipsistic & nihilistic. This guy argues that there exists an external physical reality which will exist even without a conscious observer, which is in opposition to what Leo teaches (PFA) How do we know that he is correct? Because he has worked with his Kundalini for years and all his chakras are opened. If we could weigh his opinions against Leo's, we have a more objective way of determining who is correct and who isn't.

I'd say a three things are very important: Spiritual practices Tripping Responsibly Being open-minded and cross-referencing from various high quality sources. The reason why Leo is able to grow so quickly is because he does all three. Compare that to Dr. Martin Ball or Octavio Rettig. They have done more 5-MeO than anyone else on the planet, but still I wouldn't put them in the same category as Peter Ralston or Jan Esmann (although they are all Turquoise, and pioneers in their field). The 3rd point is vital. I see Martin Ball rejecting all spiritual teachings (chakras, kundalini, satvic diet, karma, etc.) and calling it just ego based stories. It can be an ineffective approach. Of course, Dr. Ball would say he is completely liberated. As Ralston says, "You are not conscious of what it is that you are not conscious of."

@Shir As a man, and a fellow self-actualizer, here's my honest assessment of this issue. I could be wrong, but it's just what I think. Of course, I only mean well. The need for marriage/security is something that you've taken on as a belief from our culture and people around you. It clearly doesn't align with what you truly want, and that's perfectly okay. Nothing in life will bring you more misery than being inauthentic. I don't think your depression is really depression at all. It is lack of feeling that flow of love that we all (especially people with a feminine essence) yearn for. You want a man to love you and cut through all the emotional eddies and turbulence that you get stuck in from time to time. Being attracted to a man who is already taken isn't uncommon for women. I guess this man is of a much higher caliber than the ones that you are surrounded by, or the ones that normally approach you. Let go of him. Instead, work on yourself so that you can attract such a man in your life. It's not easy, but here's a pointer: Read this book, and be open-minded: http://reality-my-view.com/DL.pdf Also, follow this guy and his wife on YouTube. They're good: Kids: One thing at a time. Kids are a choice. But I reckon once you are with the man you want, you might change your views on kids. All the best:)

I once saw this kid in India: partially handicapped, no clothes on his body, no shoes. But yet, he was happy & smiling while playing with his friends and running around on the field. When he grows up and finds out that kids in the first world countries have it so easy, he'll get mad at God and crave all the fancy clothes and toys that the rich kids have. That would be his suffering, not the fact that he was born poor. Didn't Buddha say that desire is the root cause of all suffering? The ego is the real prison. It would be incorrect to quantify the level of suffering based on the material amenities that one has. Secondly, I have come to the conclusion that there is some truth to the whole karma and reincarnation thing in the relativistic sense. So the best thing to do for people like us would be to not squander this opportunity to help the world and get Self-realized.

@Leo Gura this sounds very similar to the points made by Tom Campbell about our evolved Reality and the rule-set that governs it. The other point about Reality being the best possible outcome out of all possible permutations and combinations also aligns with his assertions about 'entropy reduction'. Lastly, he maintains that without suffering, there'd be no reason for humans to improve themselves, self-actualize and turn to spirituality, thereby contributing to the total Goodness (entropy reduction). Would you say that your direct experiences have led you to believe that there is truth to his Theory of Everything?

Based on my discussions with enlightened masters, there is some truth to past lives and reincarnation. But what's more important is your learning and growth, It does not matter whether it was a hallucination or a flashback, Contemplate on what you can learn from it and whether there's something you need to let go of.

Of course. That's why I lie and manipulate. Becaus I want to survive at all costs. In my experience, we are all vulnerable, which is why we put on a front. I'm more authentic than what I used to be, so I'm not going to lie about not liking a person, a movie or some task. But when I take time off work for a solo retreat, I'll probably end up lying that I'm going on a vacation or something. If I trip on some mushrooms on the weekend, I'll definitely not mention that to my family. 100% honesty at all times, at least to me, is counterproductive.

MDMA isn't really innocuous. It can fuck up your brain chemistry, leading to serotonin crash which may last for months. I recommend 2C-B instead.

Let's say 150 people view this thread and contemplate about their actions, and out of those, say 20 people stop buying clothes from sweatshops. Looks like Leo's act proved to be Good afterall. God works in mysterious ways ?

Well, how else would the poor woman in Bangladesh keep her job? Unless we improve the economy of that country and the literacy rate, people like her will have to work at sweatshops in order to support their families. Their very livelihood is predicated on the difference in the value of a dollar and a taka. Maybe you'll improve things in the long run, but today, one person will have to go to bed hungry, because you wanted Leo to be nice, hurray!

Contemplate some more. If it leads you to the same conclusion, email Ralston and explain your views succinctly. He personally reads all emails and will answer if he sees fit. It's crazy how convenient modern life is.

The spiral is meant to be an analogy for the structure of the DNA. Just as DNA is fundamental to an individual, the psychocultural memes are fundamental to the culture and society. These MEMEs are the basis of various spiral dynamics stages.

Well, the backdrop of Bhagavad Gita is a literal battlefield, where Arjun was reluctant to fight & kill his relatives. Yet, that is what he was advised to do. Ramayana, they say, was written by a man, who previously made a living by killing & robbing people. It ain't black and white at all.

I wouldn't be surprised if Peter has lumped all forms of yoga in the same category as hatha yoga, since those western yoga teachers talk about kundalini as well.

@Arhattobe thanks. I'll read more about this.

Could you please elaborate? What signs are these?

Thanks @Nahm?

@FoxFoxFox yes. But it's not a magic bullet. He advised me to meditate every day and pray to God. He said that full enlightenment is not possible unless you are engulfed in a burning desire for God, which takes over your entire life. That is not the case for me. Not even close.

I fail at that. Would you give Leo the same advice? After all, he did get bored during his meditation retreat.

I met Jan Esmann last month, and he says that the Hugging Amma is at a level of consciousness higher than his. He even carries a photo of her with him. He calls that level Shiva Consciousness and identifies it as being beyond Sahaja samadhi. But Jan is highly Self-realized nonetheless. You can look into his eyes and sense deep love and compassion. Another saint is Mother Meera. People say she was born as an enlightened being. I'll visit her in April, let's see. Of the ones I haven't met, I'd say, Peter Ralston, Ramana Maharshi, and even Jesus and Buddha. But that's just my opinion.

Well, that's because we all want to avoid all forms of pain and suffering. If we were conscious of the fact that we are in heaven and that everything is Good, we would be able to enjoy the journey. But then, there would be no need to embark on the journey. Paradoxical

I think it is. I met an enlightened master, who, for a few years, could not function as a human because he could not relate to anything/anyone else as separate from the Self that he was. But he said he grew past that, to a level where he is a vehicle for God's will. He relates to objects and people as separate from the individuated self, but at the same time, is conscious of the fact that it is the Self. That's why Sahaja Samadhi is the highest level of samadhi, I guess.

@Leo Gura thanks for answering. I agree with you. Is it possible that there are literally infinite degrees of awakening, and that there is no end to it? Or are you sure that there is a stage where you will have learnt and embodied everything, resulting in liberation?

@Leo Gura in the video, you said that a very small fraction of the 'woke' spiritual masters are actually liberated. Do you have a certain litmus test for the masters you meet to gauge whether they are not fully woke or whether they are and are just underselling enlightenment? Can you name a contemporary master or two so that we can see what you are pointing to? Every spiritual teacher I have met claimed that they were fully enlightened, even the ones who later were caught in a sex scandal or something equivalent. A few of them had a radiant presence and exuded love. But I'd like to know what you think. Cheers!