Ananta

I have read "Conversations with God" book 1, book 2 and book 3 a long time ago and thought they were amazing. It's not really my thing anymore, but for anyone interested, they are definitely worth reading. I also saw the movie...it was low budget, but about his life and what happened to him surrounding the time period of receiving the book downloads (had been homeless, jobless, etc).

@Natasha Bravo, I agree.

@Inliytened1 Your welcome.

Well thanks I'll comment on what you wrote. If that's okay. Yes, both are "within" the absolute/awareness. That's right. Essentially, yes, if I understand you right. So, I'll reword it in Vedanta "speak" to make sure. There is just awareness (unmanifest) and when awareness is conditioned by maya this manifests Isvara (God), which is pure potential existing "within" attributeless awareness. Correct. Isvara (God) creates via the gunas (energies) all things both subtle ( thoughts, feelings, emotions) and gross (material objects). Yes , it feels like free will from our perspective and essentially we need to treat it as such, but it's really not free will at all from God's perspective. God is the puppeteer and we as "apparent" persons, are the puppets. Ultimately, Isvara/God "is" awareness, but awareness "is not" Isvara/God, simply because awareness is the substratum/fundamental background of all things, including God. It's a subtle understanding. So, Anna1's self-inquiry does not include identifying AS God, but AS awareness Anna1's "true" nature. Although, Isvara/God created Anna1 subtle/gross aspects (body/mind). See?

@Preetom okay, no problem.

I "just" brought this up in another thread and instead of agreeing you said I was starting world War 3. What a hypocrite you are.

There is actually a subtle difference between awareness/absolute ...and God, but since @Preetom would consider further discussion on the topic to be "universal war" that's all I'll say. Too bad tho, because understand the difference is key to understanding this free-will vs no free will business. Anyway, carry on. Sorry for the distraction.

Ha! Your hilarious!

@NoSelfSelf ok, so, your God, then what will you be doing, saying, thinking tomorrow, since you are God the creator? My true nature is awareness.

Lol, to broaden your horizon. You don't have to say/believe what the other sheep being herded say.?

You experience as the apparen't person you "appear" to be. Your true nature though is awareness (or consciousness), which is the background/substratum of every-thing, including God. The action figure "Anna1" is an "aspect" of God (Isvara), the creator-sustainer-destroyer of the universe.

@Inder I don't watch Leo's videos, so I can't comment on them, sorry. My take is that what ppl consider "their" free will is actually the will of Isvara (or God). So, free will equals determinism, essentially. Not that things are planned ahead of time, no, but you do need to contemplate and do your best, because one doesn't know what's in store for them anymore then they know what will happen tomorrow. We are not the "apparent" persons we appear to be. So, how could we be the doer of action, thought, etc?

Are you aware and conscious?

@Dodo Glad to hear it!

No, they don't have an ego to transcend.

@Dodo Very nice! Have things turned around for you?

Not all ego's want to be the classic "best" ego. Some want to be the best at being the "worst" (criminals, addicts, etc), the most depressed, most "spiritual" or most, woe is me, "sick". Haven't you recognized ego's that get stuck in these groups? As long as the ego feels that it has a "strong identity", that's what's most important to it, even if it's miserable!

I don't think that was necessary... especially coming from a guy that is repeatedly talking about hot asian chicks, bananas and taking another man out to eat or being taken out to eat, all on open forum! So, perhaps taking your own advice is in order?

Interesting....addiction comes to mind, especially drugs and alcohol. Also, being involved with "hate" groups. Edit: I'm just referring to becoming more unconscious. I have no interest in S.D. stages

Well, sure sounds very much like a panic attack, except the part where resisting makes it disappear. Regardless of what you or I call it, it's causing you to be uncomfortable. So, although it goes away with resisting, it's obviously coming back. So how about you try not resisting next time? Put all your attention on it and deep breathe through it.... remind yourself your not going to die. You can't kill a thought (you can trancend it tho) and the physical body is just having a reaction, regardless of what we call it.

@WelcometoReality Well, regardless, put full attention upon it and breathe through it....Until its gone. It will hopefully take less and less time each time.

Ok, but once the fear is there, then what happens? Let's get into the nitty gritty of it.

Maybe you could elaborate on this? Are you distracting yourself while the fear (possible panic) persists or does it immediately dissipate when you run (what does this mean) from it?

Yes, usually I don't think it's for you or me to truly judge. I didn't say they were, I said, "sounds like..." I'd leave that to@WelcometoReality I was just giving my opinion and gave website he could look at the symptoms.

Sounds like panic attacks to me. "A panic attack is a sudden episode of intense fear that triggers severe physical reactions when there is no real danger or apparent cause. Panic attacks can be very frightening. When panic attacks occur, you might think you're losing control, having a heart attack or even dying." https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/panic-attacks/symptoms-causes/syc-20376021