Mastral

@Azrael hm... what would that prove? I think what was described as end of experience makes perfect sense.

Good karmic roots

I will tell you what my problem was. For a long time I was just counting breaths and trying to calm the mind. Now I have incorporated more contemplation type of work and expecting the results to be more promising in terms of Enlightment. Which brings me to the conclusion that I just don't think most people meditate to achieve Enlightenment. Someone told them it will do them good so they sit. NB my "daily" meditation is not always daily but you get the gist

@RossE thanks for taking the time to write! I've been meditating for a year now but sometimes it's difficult to see the benefits so I enjoyed reading it.

@Revolutionary Think Why create a world where all sentient beings are driven by suffering, and constantly new and largely unfulfilled wants and needs? (Look at the - 19:30 cheetah chasing and viciously killing its pray... )

Maybe* ... but for what? So many confused beings chasing success and fulfillment that never comes *i.e. not gonna happen. We are on the course for man-made extinction and if not shit happens (asteroids, climate shifts etc.)

I have started experiencing this problem where I keep falling asleep when doing bineural beats meditation (Hemi-Sync). The problem is that you are meant to be doing them lying down so that your body can fall asleep with mind staying awake. Do you have any ideas of what might help? I thought about taking a small dose of caffeine.

That scares me. Just like the thought that I can be a "brain in a jar" or be living in a simulation.

This will not be a how to lose weight type of advise when you're told to have calorific deficit and exercise. To make you realise how grand this is search for "terror management theory" on Wikipedia. As @Zephyr mentioned welcome fellow traveler. Some postulate that fear of death has been shaping civilizations since first humans realised they will die. In terms of practical stuff that helps: enlightenment and realisation that self is illusory Astral Projection and OOBE - people who experienced these understandably report diminished fear of death Buddhism think of it as deep sleep - you do not mind this state at all and you have been in that state for billions of years Hope it help now it's time to ace life! And check out Leo's video about contemplation of death to stay motivated for life

This is not how I see it. The experience ends just like when you fall asleep into a dreamless slumber. A way to see this is that no one has ever woke up and said "it was terrible his state of no-experience I had to endure for last 8 hours". Likewise all these years before I was born were not bad so whatever happens after his life cannot be bad too. One thing that actually scares me are ideas of Nietzsche's eternal recurrence or endless reincarnations. That could get tiring real quick!

As it stands sentient life is suffering. We want a lot all the time, then we get it and it feels nice and it all gets better for a bit but we get bored funny creatures you would say but it makes us active hence this is what evolution favored. If there is some non-physical afterlife it would be pretty cool but if not... well I haven't heard about anyone who's asleep and missing being awake or I don't remember missing being conscious before I was born. In any case, life is short and is for everyone to enjoy as much as we can. Whether it is through hedonism or building something or connecting to being via seeking Truth is a different discussion altogether.

Determinism. Every time I think about no free-will it makes me realise that there is no doer which would have free will and my thoughts and actions are a function of the environment and the past.

As in the title/ I really need to inject some fun into this consciousness/enlightenment work! I.e. could do with something more interesting than meditation and Hemi-Sync I'm currently doing... If you have any good ones either for no-self experience or OBE/AP please share! (please... as strong as the urge may be please refrain from critique like "it's not meant to be entertaining", "there is nothing to seek"... etc. )

See above. But yes... a partner can be somewhat of an obstacle on the path. Just like many other things

Can you share the link to your article about Science and Enlightenment again? Thx!