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Skepticism & Nonduality https://www.actualized.org/insights/skepticism-and-nonduality Skepticism in identity: Skeptics often pride themselves on their identity, seeking hard facts and avoiding superstitions. However, they may not realize that true skepticism involves questioning all aspects of reality, including the foundations of science and rationality, not just what is considered woo-woo or supernatural. Conflating spirituality with religion: Skeptics tend to dismiss spirituality along with religion due to their association with delusion and nonsense. This conflation leads to a misunderstanding of spirituality and non-duality, which are about deep inquiry rather than belief systems. Actualizing skepticism: True spirituality is the fruition of skepticism taken to its logical end, resulting in radical and comprehensive questioning. It implies doubting not only overt beliefs but the subtleties of our worldviews and assumed rationality. Relativity of reason: Reason is shown to be relative and culturally dependent, with the notion of rationality varying across time and cultures. Skeptics often overlook this and assume rationality is an objective yardstick for truth, which is a mistaken belief that self-identified skeptics rarely question. Systematic deconstruction: Leo emphasizes the importance of deconstructing all beliefs, questioning our reliance on physical reality, the workings of our brains, and even skepticism itself. This process is not just psychological but extends to the very nature of reality, challenging physical existence and the certainty of our perceptions. Consequences of radical skepticism: Total skepticism challenges the very nature of reality, suggesting that through such deep questioning, one could even dismantle physical reality itself. This level of skepticism is not just a curious intellectual exercise, but a life-threatening pursuit, as it can make one question the existence of everything, including the self. Transition to spirituality: When skepticism is pushed to its absolute limits, it paradoxically becomes a spiritual endeavor. By questioning the line between reality and fantasy to the utmost degree, the skeptic might experience a collapse of physical reality, leading to a profound encounter with the absolute truth or the divine, which is revealed to be the infinite. The ego's deception: The mind or ego adopts skepticism as a guise to prevent true inquiry. This self-deception is evident when skeptics hold onto the identity as a defense mechanism against enlightenment. The ego co-opts skepticism to ensure survival based on constructs, not the ultimate truth. Skepticism's historical roots and misunderstanding: Skepticism as a philosophy dates back to ancient Greece, specifically to Pyrrho of Elis. Although skepticism is intended to doubt everything, Western philosophy and society have often failed to embrace its full radical potential, holding on to constructive biases instead. Western philosophy's deviation from radical skepticism: Western philosophy, following the era of Pyrrho and Sextus Empiricus, shifted away from complete skepticism to constructing new philosophical systems, thus deviating from the pursuit of absolute truth. Constructive bias in science and society: Science's inherent bias towards constructing explanations and society's focus on survival over truth-seeking promote a constructive rather than deconstructive approach, influencing the investigation of reality and often overshadowing the pursuit of ultimate truth. Self-interest as a barrier to enlightenment: Many avoid the extremities of skepticism and the deconstructive path to enlightenment due to a fundamental selfishness and fear of losing one's life as it is known, despite having access to all the necessary information and teachings. The undoubtable nature of enlightenment: Enlightenment transcends thought, perception, and experience; it can't be doubted because it's the absence of all knowledge rather than an addition to it, and represents absolute truth after the destruction of all beliefs and constructs. The ego's role in skepticism: The ego, likened to the devil, uses skepticism selectively to distort reality and avoid truly questioning existence. It cherry-picks evidence to suit survival rather than truth and uses skepticism as a self-deception mechanism to prevent the realization of fundamental truths. Leap of faith in absolute skepticism: True skepticism requires a leap of faith, a willingness to question and potentially dismantle everything one knows and loves, ultimately leading to profound realizations about the nature of existence and the reasons behind all of existence. Confringo

Nonduality means that everything is the same substance, but that substance is divided infinitely. It is still one but it is many.

YES! Duality and nonduality are two conplementary sides of one and the same coin... nonduality implies duality and vice versa. Without duality, God could not become visible to itself! So the "illusion" of form serves a very crucial function: It turns consciousness into experience. Yin & Yang ftw!

Deconstructing The Myth Of Science - Part 3 https://youtu.be/FeOIuybpfgc "Systems, scientific and philosophic, come and go. Each method of limited understanding is at length exhausted. In its prime each system is a triumphant success: in its decay, it is an obstructive nuisance." - Alfred North Whitehead "The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence." - Nikola Tesla Potential misuse of deconstructing science: Leo Gura warns of the dangers associated with the deconstruction of science, cautioning that individuals with pre-rational perspectives might exploit his critique to justify science denial and conspiracy theories. He emphasizes that this undertaking's intention is not to affirm baseless ideologies but to advance intellectual progress through honest self-examination. Actualized.org as a process, not an ideology: Gura clarifies that Actualized.org is not pushing a specific philosophy or ideology but rather advocates for the mental deconstruction of all beliefs, including one's own. This process is intended to lead to freedom and liberation from all ideologies, not the establishment of a new one. Acknowledgment of visionary scientists: Leo acknowledges the presence of high-quality, visionary scientists who have transcended materialist and rationalist paradigms. However, he notes their rarity and lack of mainstream recognition due to prevailing institutional paradigms that do not favor post-rational science. Science and language are inseparable: Leo highlights the deep connection between science and language, emphasizing that modern science cannot operate without the linguistic labels and categories. He discusses the evolution of language in tandem with scientific progress, and how its constructive role may influence our understanding of reality. Subconscious and metaphysical baggage of language: Gura points out that every word, even seemingly straightforward terms like "rabbit," carries subconscious implications and implicit metaphysical baggage. He questions the taken-for-granted nature of words and their meaning in science, suggesting that our minds and language may be so intertwined that it becomes hard to distinguish their origins and influences on our perception of reality. Challenging the assumption of language's solely descriptive role: Gura argues against the notion that language is merely descriptive, instead proposing that it actively constructs our perception of reality. He suggests that language acts as an augmented reality system, overlaying and projecting onto raw phenomena. The possibility of experiencing reality without language: Leo challenges the audience to contemplate the potential of experiencing reality without language, highlighting the limitations that language can impose. He suggests that scientists' lack of awareness about meditative practices prevents them from exploring non-linguistic modes of experiencing reality, which could offer a more direct insight into its nature. Non-Linguistic Understanding of Reality: Linguistic approaches have dominated human perception of reality, but there may exist non-linguistic ways to approach and understand reality which have not been sufficiently explored or validated scientifically. Scientific Validation of Linguistic Modality: The scientific community has largely operated under the assumption that language is the best tool for understanding reality without thoroughly testing and validating this assumption against non-linguistic methods. Challenge to Scientists: Leo challenges scientists to experience reality for one minute without linguistic thought to reveal potential biases in their understanding, as constant linguistic thinking suggests an entanglement with a specific mode of perception. Inherent Duality of Language: Language intrinsically imposes a dualistic framework onto reality by creating categories and oppositional pairings, which may not align with nature’s potential nonduality. Methodological Bias of Science: Modern science is criticized for not realizing that its methodological reliance on dualistic categorization could be projecting unnatural divisions onto a fundamentally nondual reality. Critique of Common Scientific Terms: Leo urges scientists to deeply contemplate common scientific labels, such as "experience," "reality," and "existence," noting that these terms are often used without a full understanding of their implications and are products of the mind. Semantic Significance in Science: Every term used in scientific exploration shapes our understanding and must be deeply questioned; this is not merely semantic wordplay but affects how scientists, and society at large, conceptualize and interact with reality. The Map-Territory Distinction: Leo warns against confusing symbolic models and representations with reality itself, highlighting that while models are refined over time, they will never truly embody the complete truth of the territory they attempt to represent. Inherent bias towards symbolic representation in science: Leo Gura criticizes science for being heavily biased towards exploring reality through thinking, symbolism, and representation via modeling. He argues that this limits scientists to only one modality, overlooking direct methods of understanding reality that do not rely on thinking or symbolic mechanisms. Possibility of direct consciousness of reality: He suggests the potential for direct consciousness of reality—direct access to the absolute truth without the intermediaries of models or symbols. This method differs from the conventional scientific approach and is not yet taught or recognized within academia, which focuses primarily on symbolic representation. Definition of science and its future expansion: Leo challenges the current narrow definition of science and proposes that it should be expanded to include direct experiences and consciousness. He predicts that the perception of what is considered science will evolve drastically over the next couple of centuries. Limitations of the scientific consensus: He foresees that mainstream academia is unlikely to accept his views in the short term because they defy entrenched worldviews and professional reputations. Change within science frequently follows the retirement or passing of older generations and the fresh perspectives brought by younger scientists. Scientists trapped in their models: Leo notes that scientists often become overly attached to their models, mistaking them for reality itself. This attachment becomes an obstacle to deeper understanding, as models are inherently simplified and limited representations of the complex and infinite nature of reality. The "Substance Problem" in scientific inquiry: Leo highlights a critical issue he dubs the "substance problem" in science, where science does not—and arguably cannot—explain the true essence of anything. Science can describe how entities behave but fails to address what they fundamentally are. Circular Definitions in Scientific Explanation: He critiques the use of circular definitions in scientific explanation, where terms are continuously redefined in terms of others without ever arriving at a fundamental understanding of what these terms actually signify. Symbolic representation's limitations in grasping substance: Leo asserts that symbolic representation cannot provide a direct understanding of the substance of entities. This realization undermines the belief that physics or any other field can truly get to the essence of what things are through their traditional methods. Philosophical dismissal as a defense against substance questions: He notes that many scientists dismiss philosophical inquiry into the substance of things as impractical or irrelevant, labeling it as a job for philosophers and not scientists. However, Leo argues that understanding the substance is not only possible but vital, requiring methods outside of current scientific practices. Misconception of Substance Questions in Science: Leo critiques the scientific community for disregarding substance questions as irrelevant or meaningless. He challenges scientists to become directly conscious of the substance of any aspect of reality, highlighting that traditional science avoids answering "what is" type questions, which he believes is a dogmatic limitation. Arthur Eddington's Perspective on Substance Questions: Leo shares a quote from physicist Arthur Eddington, who expressed skepticism about the ability of science to address substantial truths. Eddington's viewpoint suggests that scientific methods lead to a "shadow world of symbols" rather than to concrete reality, emphasizing the inability of physics to define the intrinsic nature of the atom. Image 1 Image 2 Image 3 Methodological Error in Science: Leo argues that a significant methodological error within science is the belief that reality can only be investigated through a network of pointer readings and symbolic models. He insists there is something profound beyond these symbols, which scientists miss due to dogmatism and close-mindedness. The Validity of Unconventional Scientific Methods: He posits that to validate any scientific claim, one must use the method prescribed by the claimant, not an alternative method. This principle is demonstrated through the necessity to use a telescope, not binoculars, to observe Jupiter's moons, asserting the right of the claimant to dictate the validation method. Contemplation as a Valid Scientific Method: Leo defends contemplation as a bona fide scientific method, arguing that refusing to accept it due to its unconventional nature is itself unscientific. He claims that deep contemplation can verify truths that cannot be found in books or nature. Empirical Claim of Identity and Consciousness: Leo makes an empirical claim that one is not truly human and can experience being an inanimate object. He introduces Salvia as a method for experimenting with consciousness, potentially demonstrating that personal identity can shift dramatically under its influence. Prejudgment and the Openness of Science: He criticizes the prejudgment of unconventional methods and claims without actual experimentation, emphasizing that true science requires open-mindedness and the willingness to personally test methods, even if they appear unorthodox. Inherent Dangers in Scientific Exploration: Leo recognizes the intrinsic dangers of scientific exploration, exemplified by the potential risks of using Salvia. He argues that danger does not invalidate science; instead, it often accompanies groundbreaking discoveries, as seen historically with pioneers of radiation. The Evolution of Science through Testing Beliefs: Leo suggests that science advances through the testing of beliefs, challenging listeners to personally experience and test his claims. He emphasizes that personal experience is necessary for validating scientific claims, regardless of whether the method of validation fits traditional scientific criteria. Fear and scientific truth: Many individuals claim to be interested in scientific truth but are actually more concerned with comfort, survival, and defending their belief systems, indicating a lack of genuine scientific pursuit. The "Black Hole Problem" in sharing radical discoveries: Scientists who experience radical shifts in understanding, such as finding out they're not actually human through psychedelic experiences, face the "black hole problem" where they cannot convey this to others who haven't shared the same experience. Direct experience as a requirement for paradigm shift: Convincing others of profound scientific discoveries often necessitates them having the same direct experiences, which they may be reluctant to have due to closed-mindedness towards unconventional methods. The softness of "hard sciences" and the challenge of "soft sciences": Contrary to popular belief, "hard sciences" like physics avoid addressing fundamental questions about reality, making them less concrete than typically assumed. "Soft sciences" like psychology are inherently more difficult due to their complex, holistic nature. The artificial hierarchy between sciences and bias towards reductionism: The belief that hard sciences are more tangible and important than soft sciences is debunked as reductionist bias. All aspects of reality, including the softer, more emotional elements, are equally valid and should not be artificially ranked. Relativity of terms 'natural', 'supernatural', and 'paranormal': What is considered to be 'supernatural' or 'paranormal' today may, with time and scientific development, be reclassified as 'natural', illustrating the shifting nature of these terms, and suggesting they're largely arbitrary labels. Challenge against false distinctions in science definitions: Leo Gura criticizes the distinctions between science and pseudoscience, and natural and supernatural, as being abstract barriers created by current scientific paradigms rather than grounded in the actual investigation of phenomena. Science and Magic as Interchangeable: Leo Gura explains that what we currently see as technology might have been perceived as magic in the past, and advanced future technology, if presented today, would seem magical to us. This suggests that the boundary between science and magic is porous and based on familiarity and understanding, not on absolute differences. Relativity of Scientific Terms: Leo emphasizes the relativity of terms such as 'natural,' 'physical,' and 'normal' within science, pointing out that these are context-dependent and change with time as our collective understanding evolves. Misunderstanding of Objectivity and Subjectivity: He criticizes science's misunderstanding of objectivity and subjectivity, showing that the very process of doing science is subjective, as it occurs within human consciousness, which is inherently subjective. Consciousness as the Foundation of Reality: Leo contests the scientific marginalization of consciousness, arguing that it is the most fundamental component of reality. He contends that everything in science occurs within consciousness and there is nothing beyond it, asserting that the current scientific paradigm is incapable of understanding consciousness. Science as Relative to Human Neurology: Leo claims that science is not studying an external reality but is essentially mapping the neurology of human consciousness. If human neurology were to change, the entirety of science as we know it would change. The Self-Reference Problem of Science: He discusses the issue where science tries to explain itself using tools incapable of such introspection, likening it to an eyeball trying to look at itself or a snake trying to eat its own tail. Science as a Perception: Leo posits that science is ultimately just a perception, with the material world, brain, and reality all being perceptions. Hence, science itself is a perception within a perception, leading to the conclusion that all of science could be a hallucination. Circularity of Scientific Substance: He challenges scientists to explain the substance of science itself, demonstrating the circularity of scientific explanations that rely on concepts like atoms, quarks, and strings, which ultimately trace back to thoughts or perceptions. Imagination as the Basis of Science: Leo states that all of science is nothing but imagination, putting forward the notion that scientific concepts and the material world are as imaginary as unicorns or Santa Claus. Map vs. Territory in Understanding Science: He distinguishes between the map (theories and ideas about science provided in his lecture) and the territory (the actual empirical understanding of reality), urging listeners to move beyond the map to arrive at the territory themselves. State of Consciousness Dictates Scientific Truths: Leo explains that scientific truths are valid only within a certain state of consciousness. Different states, such as drunkenness or dreaming, can negate the relevance of scientific truths, indicating their dependency on our normal state of consciousness. Subjectivity of States of Consciousness: Leo Gura questions the special status of our ordinary waking state of consciousness, suggesting that it's only one among thousands. Through experiences such as dreaming, being intoxicated, or taking psychedelics, our state of consciousness can radically shift, causing the entirety of scientific understanding to 'fly out the window.' Science's Bias Towards Demystification: Leo criticizes the methodological bias in science that aims to demystify reality, cautioning against the notion that mystery is a problem to be solved. He suggests that the fundamental nature of reality may be intrinsically mystical and that the relentless drive to demystify could be a result of cultural brainwashing rather than empirical necessity. Mistakes in Science vs. Religion: Leo points out the double standard in how society forgives scientific errors while harshly judging religious mistakes. He argues that while scientific errors are often dismissed as part of the scientific process, religious missteps are never excused, even though religion evolves or improves its perspectives. Evolution and Openness of Religion: Leo discusses the evolution of religious institutions like the Catholic Church, showing that they, too, can evolve over time to integrate progressive values and scientific facts. He underlines the unfairness in how critics permanently attribute old errors to religious institutions but allow science the flexibility to evolve and correct itself. Science's Historical Mistakes: Leo brings to light forgotten historical errors made by scientists, such as the initial disbelief in heavier-than-air flight or the dangers of high speed. He asserts that science is just as fallible as religion, but it is treated as if it's a flawless repository of knowledge. Contradictions Within Science: Leo delivers an extensive list of contradictions inherent in the scientific process. These range from the scientific claim that all perceptions are generated by the brain to the inability of science to prove foundational concepts like the existence of an objective external world, self, and mind. Dismissal of Unorthodox Scientific Claims: He criticizes science for dismissing unorthodox ideas that don't come from established sources, emphasizing that this is essentially an appeal to authority—which is ironically, what science accuses religion of doing. Double Standards of Science and Open-Mindedness: Leo notes the hypocrisy in science’s self-representation as open-minded when it often rejects methods and worldviews that fall outside its established norms, branding them pseudoscience. Science's Claim to Practicality versus Objectivity: Leo questions science's simultaneous claims to practicality and as the pinnacle of cultural truth. While science is often pragmatic, it also claims to hold objective truth, except when other worldviews provide practical solutions—these, however, are not afforded the same status of truth. Emphasizing the Importance of Evolving Science: Leo suggests that science will evolve to include understandings currently deemed mystical or supernatural, revolutionizing our approach to the natural world. This echoes the advancement of science in history, leading to the acceptance of phenomena once considered paranormal. The "Science and Responsibility" Conundrum: Leo points out the double standard in attributing the consequences of scientific advancements. He notes that harmful outcomes, such as nuclear bombings or opioid overdose deaths, are often attributed to politics or business rather than science, whereas religion is directly blamed for its negative impacts. This, he argues, demonstrates a significant hypocrisy in how science is critiqued compared to religion. The Intelligence Fallacy in Science: Leo criticizes the assumption within science that the universe cannot possess intelligence, contrasting it with the recognized intelligence of humans, who are a part of the universe. He explains this as a flawed separation between humans and the universe, emphasizing that human intelligence is essentially a manifestation of universal intelligence. The Limitations of Logic in Science: Leo argues that science relies heavily on logic, which in turn depends on the validity of its premises. However, logic cannot prove the truth of its foundational premises, making it insufficient to ground scientific inquiry entirely, revealing a fundamental limitation in the scientific method from a logical standpoint. Science and the John Stuart Mill Paradox: Paraphrasing John Stuart Mill, Leo highlights the ironic situation where both religion and science have been destructive forces historically, despite their contributions to hope and progress. He critically addresses the hypocrisy and double standards displayed by some atheists and rationalists when evaluating the historical impact of science versus religion. Image 4 Image 5 The Unacknowledged Harms of Science: Leo discusses the unintentional yet significant harms caused by scientific progress, such as drug abuse and weaponry. He argues that the scientific community often distances itself from the negative applications of its discoveries, thus refusing to accept responsibility for the repercussions of scientific advancements, which impacts society and various aspects of reality. Science's Role in Social and Cultural Dynamics: Leo emphasizes that science cannot exist in isolation from society and culture, including government funding, universities, and the overall wellness of society. He stresses that scientific development is intertwined with the healthiness of communities and the dissemination of information, such as on social media. Leo's Definitions of Science: He offers a multifaceted view of science by presenting multiple definitions, including science as an imaginary scheme, a projection of the mind, a human invention, a shared cultural belief, an epistemology and metaphysics, trial and error, symbolic representation, an ideology, a state of consciousness, survival mechanism, linguistic structure, sense-making activity, and a hallucination within the Universal Mind. The Importance of Internalizing the Definition of Science: He concludes by urging the audience to spend years contemplating what science is, understanding its vast implications, perspectives, and connections to reality—an exploration that he asserts should expand beyond academic and laboratory confines to personal, everyday experiential learning. Application of Science in Daily Life: Leo Gura illustrates science as a natural part of everyday life, like searching for lost car keys. This process is a fundamental practice of science — observing, hypothesizing, and experimenting. He emphasizes the importance of keeping an open mind to all possibilities, which is essential in scientific endeavors and life in general. Inner Science: Gura encourages the study of one's own emotions and subjective experiences, viewing this introspection as a legitimate form of science. He advocates for recognizing the scientific merit in understanding personal phenomena such as anger, joy, or sadness and the effects these have on one's life. Personal Responsibility for Science: Leo underscores the importance of taking personal responsibility for exploring and understanding one's own life scientifically. He wants people to actively engage in this "inner science" rather than passively accepting knowledge from external authorities like scientists or gurus. Practical Critiques of Modern Science: Gura offers a list of areas where he believes modern science is fundamentally mistaken, including misconceptions about materialism, realism, objectivity, Western medicine, perception, consciousness, psychedelics, rationality, the existence of paranormal phenomena, mystical experiences, birth and death, and the nature of immortality. Misunderstandings in Core Scientific Concepts: He argues that science's current understanding of God, infinity, nothingness, artificial intelligence, the Planck length, evolutionary mechanics, and the Big Bang is flawed. He claims these views will evolve radically in the future as science advances. Epistemic Questions for Contemplation: Leo Gura presents a list of fundamental epistemological questions about the nature, function, and underlying assumptions of science, inviting listeners to explore these for a deeper understanding of scientific practice. Metaphor of Knowledge and Limitations of Science: Gura uses the metaphor of a carpet in a house to depict the vastness of the universe's knowledge compared to the minuscule portion humans comprehend through science. He envisions a future where science includes the mystical and paranormal and recognizes the reality as infinite love. Philosophical Inquiry into the Nature of Science: Leo Gura raises profound inquiries into the nature of science, challenging the very foundations and assumptions upon which scientific knowledge is built. He advocates for an open-minded approach that encompasses a broad spectrum of human experience and consciousness. Future Outlook of Science: Anticipating revolutionary changes in the scientific field, Gura predicts that future generations will have an expanded understanding of phenomena currently dismissed as pseudoscience, leading to a more comprehensive and profound grasp of reality. Call for a Deeper Exploration of Reality: Leo challenges listeners to dive deeper into the exploration of reality, emphasizing the profound impact this can have on the richness and depth of their lives. He urges people to take a more serious and inquisitive approach to life. Role of Actualized.org: Gura clarifies the purpose of Actualized.org as a platform that encourages independent exploration and growth, rather than providing conclusive enlightenment. It serves as a guide for individuals on their journey of personal and philosophical discovery. Infinity of Universal Consciousness: Leo Gura draws a comparison between the universe as an infinite carpet and human scientific knowledge as a single fiber within it. He asserts that even a million years of scientific advancement will only reveal a minuscule part of the vastness of the universe, emphasizing the limitations of science in comprehending infinity. Nature of Infinity: Leo illustrates how any finite method, including science, will always fall infinitely short of truly understanding the infinite nature of reality. This intrinsic characteristic of infinity positions science's capabilities as profoundly limited when it comes to grasping the full extent of the universe. Fisherman Analogy: A fisherman hooking the bottom of the ocean serves as an analogy for scientists who believe they understand a portion of the universe but unknowingly are dealing with the totality of it. Gura points out scientists often falsely believe they've captured a significant truth when, in reality, they've barely scratched the surface of understanding. Revolutionary Changes in Science: Predicting significant evolutionary changes in scientific understanding, Gura suggests that future generations will view current scientific practices as archaic. Pseudoscience and spiritual concepts such as non-duality, God, and immortality will be integrated into mainstream scientific thought. Role of Individual Responsibility: Emphasizing the power of individual initiative, Gura argues that the evolution of science depends on each person's willingness to entertain unconventional ideas and methodologies. He attributes societal collective consciousness and openness to shaping the future of scientific progress. Integration of Science and Spirituality: Foreseeing a future where science and spirituality merge, Gura envisions the acknowledgment and realization of the infinite nature of reality and love within the domain of science, moving beyond the confines of materialism and realism. Call for Self-Exploration: Leo Gura advocates for personal exploration and inner science, stressing the profound importance of self-study and deeply understanding one's own existence as the ultimate science. Conclusion and Quotes: Concluding his points, Gura shares quotes that sum up the notion of science as both a limited and profound human pursuit that intertwines closely with our intuitions and fundamental beliefs about the nature of reality. Image 6 Image 7 Image 8 Seriousness in Exploring Reality: Leo calls for a more earnest and deep approach to life and reality, urging listeners to transform their lives into a pursuit of extraordinary discovery and understanding, challenging the status quo and venturing into the mysteries of existence. Bombarda

I don't know. In any case, I'd refrain from judging one's consciousness based on a belief system (nonduality, et al.) One might directly know his nature, or not. Assessing the presence and "degree" of such consciousness in others is made yet the more difficult without one's self-realization. Intuition might serve here if you're able to pay close attention; ultimately, though, who knows? Unless you've been in the presence of an enlightened individual and can perhaps sense something "unusual", all we've got to evaluate are their communications. In the end, we might be limited to our own assessment of their authenticity.

Maybe I got the wrong end of the stick. Aren't enlightenment and awakening the same thing? Either way, winding up chasing experiences and giving up on lasting change sounds like a bad advert for the psychedelic path. And if you're not into non-duality, I guess you're into duality, which means ego. Deciding you don't believe in enlightenment or nonduality before you've achieved enlightenment screams ego-backlash to me. Sounds like he's got a little lost. But maybe I've misunderstood...

Holism & Holistic Thinking - Part 2 https://youtu.be/g4A7SBx-CEg "Aberrations of the human mind are to a large extent due to the obsessional pursuit of some part-truth, treated as if it were the whole truth." - Arthur Koestler Holistic thinking definition and importance: Holistic thinking encompasses understanding the interconnectedness of various life domains. Adopting this perspective can lead to solutions for problems perceived as insurmountable through a reductionist lens. Examples of lack of holistic thinking: Environmental degradation, such as pollution and overfishing, and the introduction of invasive species like weasels in Hawaii, demonstrate the consequences of not considering ecological interconnections. Unholistic approach in Western medicine: Leo's personal health experiences highlight the compartmentalization and lack of holistic thinking in Western medicine, leading to unsatisfactory patient care and outcomes. Influence of nutrition on theoretical physics: Leo posits that nutrition significantly impacts a scientist's cognitive abilities to develop and understand theories, pointing out the non-holistic tendency to detach personal nutrition from professional scientific work. Collective and personal problems from non-holistic perspectives: Society and individuals face issues like environmental harm and personal health challenges due to a lack of holistic approaches in thinking and decision-making. Personal fasting experience impacting perspective: During a 14-day water fast, Leo notices changes in his cognitive functions and uses this personal experience to illustrate the direct link between personal health and professional capacities like scientific theorizing. Fragmentation in the Medical System: Leo Gura discusses the lack of a holistic approach in the medical field, recounting experiences with specialists who are reluctant to treat symptoms not aligning with their specific criteria. This fragmentation can lead to misdiagnoses or untreated conditions, as doctors often fail to consider the interconnectedness of bodily systems. Holistic Healthcare: The need for a holistic perspective in healthcare is emphasized through the example of interconnected health issues involving teeth, the immune system, and the gut. Many health problems, such as autoimmune disorders, could potentially be resolved if the medical community and treatments adopted a holistic approach. Nutrition and Health: Leo argues that dietary changes, such as adopting a plant-based whole foods diet and incorporating fasting, can cure health conditions like heart disease more effectively than medication. He criticizes the medical industry’s unholistic approach, which often neglects nutrition and exercise in treatment plans. Nutritional Fads and Holism: The proliferation of fad diets reflects a lack of holistic thinking in nutrition. These diets often focus on specific goals like weight loss or ethical considerations without assessing overall long-term health impacts or broader issues like animal welfare and environmental sustainability. Diet Complexity and Ethics: Veganism, while ethically motivated, does not guarantee personal health if the diet consists of poor quality foods. Leo stresses the importance of considering health, societal implications, and environmental impacts when choosing a diet, advocating for a balanced and informed approach to nutrition. Simplistic Nutritional Labels: Leo criticizes the oversimplification of nutrition to just a few components on food labels. These labels fail to account for diverse nutrients, their varying impacts based on individual differences such as age and gender, and the ethical sourcing of ingredients. Business Practices Lacking Holism: Leo Gura critiques modern business practices for their focus on profit at the expense of valuable domains such as health, environment, social well-being, and spirituality. He suggests that businesses should genuinely care for these aspects rather than exploit them for monetary gain. Soulless nature of modern business: Businesses often disregard the importance of art, spirituality, and societal well-being, focusing only on profit. This approach strips business of its spirit and is detrimental to society. Actualized.org's business model: Leo prioritizes impact on elevating human consciousness over profit and marketing strategies. Despite potential financial gains, he focuses on content quality, which he views as beneficial in the long term. Corporate culture criticism: Disgusted by the lack of appreciation for art, spirituality, and health within corporate culture, Leo left the game development industry to pursue an independent approach that aligns with his values. Game development industry issues: Unhealthy practices like long working hours, poor nutrition, and a culture that resists change are prevalent in the game development industry, leading to potential health issues for employees. Toxic marketing practices: Modern marketing is criticized for negatively influencing societal well-being and human psychology by shaping desires, fears, and worldviews through constant exposure to advertisements. Geopolitical consequences of unholistic thinking: The Iraq War is portrayed as an example of the failure to holistically consider the complexities of a region, highlighting the dangers of unholistic decisions in geopolitics. Scientific ignorance of metaphysics and epistemology: Science is often conducted with disregard for metaphysical and epistemological foundations, limiting potential progress and deepening understanding, as demonstrated by issues like the unresolved mind-body problem. Separation of science and spirituality: The unholistic viewpoint held by some scientists keeps consciousness and spirituality dismissed as unscientific, preventing a unified view of matter and consciousness. Lack of generalization in scientific discoveries: Scientists often fail to apply insights from areas like quantum mechanics to broader domains, which limits the holistic application of such discoveries. Reductionism in mathematics: The field of mathematics, as seen in responses to Gödel's Incompleteness Theorem, demonstrates a reluctance to apply its implications beyond narrowly defined systems, showing a lack of holistic thinking. Resistance to holistic generalizations: In fields like logic, mathematics, and science, there is a tendency to stay confined within established domains, ignoring the possibility of broader, interconnected implications and deeper understandings. Shortcomings of current psychology: Psychology, as it stands, lacks a holistic perspective by disregarding spirituality, nonduality, philosophy, metaphysics, and existential considerations. Consequently, therapists often struggle with effectively treating patients because many psychological issues stem from deeper spiritual and metaphysical problems. Limitations of behavioral psychology: Skinner’s behaviorism, which dismisses internal experiences such as moods and consciousness, is cited as an example of reductionistic thinking in psychology. Despite recognition of its limitations in modern times, similar reductionist approaches persist subtly across academia and science. Historical failures of reductionism: Leo outlines various historical attempts at reductionism within logic and mathematics like Logicism, spearheaded by thinkers like Bertrand Russell and Hilbert’s project, which ultimately failed. Gödel's Incompleteness Theorems and Russell's paradox challenged these reductionist frameworks, emphasizing the complexity and unity of reality. Importance of holistic thought in science: Despite an understanding of reductionism's failings, a holistic viewpoint is often missing in modern scientific practice. Examples include the dismissal of psychedelics for scientific study due to a lack of holistic engagement. Technological ethics: In technology, ethics are often overlooked, and many technologies are developed for purely business purposes without considering their broader impacts. This lack of holistic thinking prioritizes profit over ethical considerations. Einstein's Theory of Relativity: Einstein’s progression from special to general relativity is discussed as a move towards a more holistic understanding. However, Einstein could have expanded his thought further by applying the concept of relativity to all aspects of the universe, exemplifying a truly holistic perspective. Educational system's lack of holism: The current educational system is critiqued for neglecting important subjects like personal development, emotional intelligence, love, epistemology, metaphysics, spirituality, nutrition, and health, which stunts social development. Leo advocates for an education system that aligns with what he teaches at Actualized.org. Building a new education paradigm: Leo sees Actualized.org as the foundation of a new education system focused on the profound lessons vital for life. His teachings are a product of holistic research and thought, aiming to fill the gaps left by current educational structures due to systemic issues and red tape. Scope of Actualized.org's Impact: Despite not reaching as many people as the education system, Actualized.org aims to provide advanced, meaningful content to those deeply interested. Over time, current education may incorporate elements from this and similar advanced teachings. Holism in Education and Scientific Studies: Scientific studies lack holism and present narrow results that are context-dependent and potentially misleading. This unholistic approach is particularly evident in studies on nutrition, like the effects of coffee or red wine on health. Individual Problems Stemming from Lack of Holism: Hedonistic lifestyles, overindulgence in junk food, not exercising, staying in unrewarding jobs due to financial gains, and maintaining an unbalanced work-life, all exhibit a lack of holistic thinking, and ignoring long-term well-being. Misaligned Work and Lifestyle Choices: People often stay in high-paying, unsatisfactory jobs, or overwork at the expense of health and relationships. Holistic thinking would prioritize alignment with life values and purpose. Avoiding Medical Check-ups and Project Goal Misalignment: Avoiding necessary medical visits and losing sight of original project goals can have detrimental effects, both avoidable through a more holistic approach. Being Economically Minded in Employment and Relationships: Hiring cheap labor and lying in relationships are unholistic practices that can lead to workplace issues and relationship breakdowns, emphasizing the need for quality and honesty. Unholistic Approach in Relational Dynamics and Pickup Culture: In relationships, focusing solely on one's needs or the pickup community's male-centric views misses the essence of meaningful connections, showcasing a blatant lack of holism. Staying Together for Children and Unethical Business Practices: Couples staying together for their children's sake without considering the toxicity of their relationship and businesses ripping off customers are examples of short-term views lacking in long-term holistic understanding. Theory versus Practice: Dismissing theoretical knowledge in favor of practicality limits progress and the potential to refine or completely rethink practices, highlighting the need for a balance between both. Spiritual Negligence: Ignoring the importance of spiritual work and existential contemplation can lead to a life filled with suffering, especially in the face of aging and death, representing the ultimate lack of holistic understanding. Spiritual work and its importance: Failing to engage in spiritual work throughout life can lead to profound suffering, particularly as one ages and faces death, which may result from a lack of realization about what death truly signifies, as well as an attachment to the ego. Duality between individual and collective levels: Holistic thinking should acknowledge that individual and collective levels are intimately intertwined and balanced with each other, like strands of DNA. Separating these levels leads to societal and personal fragmentation, disease, and evil. Problems caused by unholistic thinking: A large number of world issues and personal problems stem from an unholistic perspective. Paradigms that lack holism, such as materialistic self-help teachings, conventional medicine, and various philosophical and spiritual schools, can lead to suffering and brokenness. Consequences of paradigm lock: A lack of holism results in what Leo calls "paradigm lock," where one becomes trapped within a particular worldview or paradigm, limiting their broader understanding and preventing the recognition of interconnected bubbles of reality. Breaking out of paradigms through holism: Holistic thinking enables one to rise above individual paradigms and integrate different perspectives to form a higher understanding, contributing to a process Leo refers to as "mind jailbreaking." Corruption as a manifestation of lack of holistic intelligence: Corruption, beyond government and corporate levels, is a deep-seated problem resulting from a lack of holistic intelligence and is pervasive throughout society. The catch-22 of holism: Appreciating the value of holistic thinking is essential to practice it, but seeing the value itself requires a holistic perspective, creating a challenging circular situation. Choosing the holistic path for fulfillment: Although the unholistic path of wealth and luxury appears attractive, it ultimately leads to dissatisfaction and harm, whereas the holistic path provides deeper meaning and fulfillment, despite being more challenging. Practical application of holistic thinking: Holistic thinking includes considerations such as the impact of one's actions on the whole and recognizing the ramifications of our roles within larger systems. Components of holistic thinking: True holistic thinking involves taking all levels of existence into account, taking responsibility for one's effects on the whole, being aware of systemic emergent properties, internalizing external factors, and being conscious of the interconnectedness of actions and their broader impacts. Conclusion on the benefits of holistic thinking: Holistic thinking, while demanding, aligns with finding deeper meaning and winning at life. It calls for understanding the interconnectedness of all aspects, including personal, societal, and ecological, and leads to making informed, responsible choices. Integration Through Technology: Leo indicates that the rise of global internet connectivity is analogous to creating a collective hive mind, expanding our collective consciousness as new forms of awareness emerge from our interconnectedness. Emergent Consciousness: He suggests that, similar to individual consciousness arising from the interplay of cells and organs, a new kind of collective consciousness may be evolving within humanity due to technological integration, which he finds fascinating. Backfiring Mechanisms in Holistic Thinking: Leo explains that holistic thinking must account for the non-linear and counter-intuitive nature of complex systems, which often produce unexpected outcomes or even the opposite of what was intended. Part-to-Whole Relationship in Holistic Thinking: He asserts that holistic thought values both individual parts and the whole, considering their integration as well as acknowledging dualities' inevitable reunion. Long-Term Horizon in Holistic Thinking: Leo stresses the importance of long-term thinking, emphasizing consideration for future generations and broader, long-term effects of actions, like those related to climate change. Context, Relevance, and Balance in Holistic Thinking: He underscores the necessity of evaluating the relevance, priority, and context of issues and achieving balance when making decisions, putting the greater good first and foremost. Caring About the Whole: Leo challenges viewers to genuinely care about the whole, not merely think holistically, questioning whether they can transcend their own survival needs for the greater good. Solving Personal Survival Challenges: He advises that to adopt a holistic outlook, one must establish sustainable solutions for survival needs, thus freeing mental and emotional resources to consider larger societal concerns. Degrees of Holism in Politics and Science: Leo describes different levels of holistic understanding within politics and science, with the highest level recognizing these fields as expressions of universal self-awareness and infinite love. Limits of Cognitive Development: He acknowledges that most people are unable to grasp the highest level of holistic understanding due to limited cognitive development and a focus on immediate survival and self-interest. Elevation of Consciousness in Politics: Politics, viewed from the highest holistic perspective, relates to the elevation of global consciousness and collective love, moving from divisive tribalism towards unity. Science as an Exploration of Consciousness: At the highest level, Leo posits that science seeks to understand the universe as a manifestation of consciousness and love, identical to the process of spirituality. Different Levels of Holism in Various Fields: Leo emphasizes that every activity, from filmmaking to making love, can be approached from different levels of holism, highlighting a spectrum of depth in any creative or personal endeavor. Development of Holistic Thinking: Leo provides methods to enhance holistic thinking, which include asking higher quality questions, using psychedelics for awakening and expanding consciousness, developing intuition, studying diverse perspectives, and eliminating judging and criticism. Importance of Quality Questions and Continuous Learning: He underscores the power of insightful questions and continuous education in advancing holistic thinking, directing viewers to his episodes that delve into these topics. Holism and God Consciousness: Leo describes how awe and wonder, such as that experienced when observing nature or the stars, stem from a deep connection to the divine, implying that an appreciation for nature is an expression of self-love because we are, in essence, the universe experiencing itself. Powerful Questions to Encourage Holism: He presents questions designed to foster a holistic mindset by encouraging individuals to consider connections, the bigger picture, the ultimate purpose of actions, and how individual behaviors impact the whole, prompting self-reflection and a broader understanding of one’s role in larger systems. Incorporating Reductionism within Holism: Leo warns against viewing holism and reductionism as dichotomies, suggesting that a truly holistic perspective should integrate reductionistic aspects too, recognizing their place within the whole. Ethical Misuse of Holistic Knowledge: Leo warns that utilizing holism to manipulate systems for personal gain is not genuine holism but rather exploitation, which he aligns with unethical behavior and corruption. Final Reflections on Holistic Living: Leo closes by asserting the importance of serving the greatest whole and aligning one’s life with holistic principles, which he believes is the key to successfully navigating life. The challenge of absolute holism: Embracing true holism is extremely challenging as it requires accepting all aspects of reality, including evil and unholistic elements, threatening the ego and demanding significant surrender. Holism as a state of consciousness: Ultimate holism isn't about thinking but is rooted in pure, infinite consciousness. Thinking has its limits, and the highest form of holism involves transcending rational thought to change one's state of consciousness. Psychedelics and holistic consciousness: Psychedelics can be a powerful tool for radically altering one's state of consciousness and experiencing holism. While they're not the only way, the feeling of interconnectedness they can induce demonstrates their potential for fostering holistic thinking. The fragmented mind and healing the world: A fragmented mind leads to a fragmented world, and world healing is dependent on the unification of our minds. Taking responsibility for healing the world is a choice that depends on one's willingness to act holistically. Holistic and unholistic solutions: Life presents problems with both holistic and unholistic solutions, and it's critical not to be seduced by quick, unholistic fixes. True solutions often require a more complex, long-term, and integrated approach. Unholistic paradigms and problem-solving: Problems deemed impossible to solve are often due to an unholistic approach. By questioning how to be more holistic in one's thinking, new avenues for problem-solving open up, offering hope and optimism. Holism and personal development: The highest good is equivalent to the highest holism. Seeking the highest level of holistic thinking aligns with achieving the highest good in life, leading to victory in the 'game of life'. Self-education and holistic thinking: To deepen one's holistic understanding, engaging with various educational resources, like reading books from the suggested reading list, is vital. This self-education supports the journey towards holistic thinking and self-actualization. Holistic thinking in summary: Holistic thinking extends beyond the intellect to a deep embrace of all facets of existence, demanding ongoing self-awareness and the release of biases against what one perceives as negative. Continuous learning elevates one's perspective, leading to more effective problem-solving and improved quality of life. Engorgio

Agree on all points. Even the soul-game is an appearance, ultimately not real. But equally real or unreal as ones car, for example. And endures death, which the car can not claim when the scrap press comes along... "How wonderful it is that in the infinite ocean of myself the waves of living beings arise, collide, play, and disappear, in accordance with their nature" 2.25 Ashtavakra Gita And for (not true/full) Nonduality: Also agree. Nonduality is most often a merging/unity experience, where the separate-self/individuality can still be well and alive, and hijack the nondual unity-state. "I realized nonduality/Reality", "I am pure awareness", "I am God", "I am whatever", "I realized *whatever*". And what triggers most likely a unity/nondual-state with the separate-self still well and alive, later interpreting the experience in a way that doesn't kill/transcend but boost and extend the lense/filter/illusion of the separate-self to God-like proportions? What could that be? Or (true) Nonduality, to truly realize that one has ever been, always is, and never can not be Infinite Reality itself. That Reality is impersonal, groundless, empty and infinite, absolute potential, no separate-identity left, no inner-blabla-talk of any(!) kind still believed and not immediately cut off, seen as illusion arisings within ones True Infinite Self. The illusion is seen through.... Pure groundless Being is realized, containing this and any possible world/apperance. That (and only that) can end the suffering/(aka resistance to what is) which is the essence of what any separate-self is at its core. "There is no one subject to samsara, no sense of individuality, no goal or means to the goal in the eyes of the wise man who is always free from imagination and unchanging like space" 18.66 Ashtavakra Gita "When the sage has realised that he himself is in all beings, and all beings are in him, it is astonishing that the sense of individuality should be able to continue" 3.5 Ashtavakra Gita And even something with imagination and God and realization is in the Ashtavakra Gita: "Recognising [Realizing] that [all] things are just constructions of imagination, that great soul lives as God here and now". 18.28 The only thing I didn't find in the Ashtavakra Gita is Alien & company. But since its quite hard to contradict that Alien & company are also imagined and merely appearing illusions arising in the Reality of ones own True Being... But hey, what does Water by the River know? NOTHING. But that quite profoundly. Selling Water by the River

I'm confused by the difference between having no identity and realizing that you're God. Aren't those the same thing? Realizing that you're God is almost like a non-identity since you're everything and nothing, right? Identity is dualistic if you're claiming to identify as one thing as opposed to other things... but realizing that you're God means that you identify as all things and also nothing. Realizing that you're God is the only non-dual identity. If nonduality is all about how there's only ONE thing... isn't God a good word for that one thing? Like what else would this magical shit be? Kinda confused about the whole deal with the word "experience" too. I understand that people don't use that word since "experience" implies a process over a period of time, which doesn't actually exist since time is an imaginary concept in the present. Realization might be better, but then again, that makes it sound like an ego had some kind of insight. Same with awakening and enlightenment. Who awakened or was enlightened? I feel like any word that someone uses could be torn to shreds and we're just using semantics as a way to spiritually dunk on each other without actually clarifying anything lmao

I finished an enlightenment workshop today.. it’s truly astounding how in the 3.5 hours, the terms nonduality and duality were mentioned precisely 0 times. Enlightenment was also never mentioned, only in the description. I demand a refund!

More bangers: This resource he recommended is very good: https://www.reddit.com/r/nonduality/comments/17eoz51/when_we_really_feel_what_this_feels_like_that/ I want to add my own two cents to this, which is just to say that enlightenment is subtractive in nature, which is what it means to have no identity. You realize that it is impossible to have an identity, and your experience gets recontextualized in this way. It is not something you have to reason to yourself, it is something you become aware of. It is simply just realizing that you cannot think about yourself. This is a shift that can permanently and experientially happen, it is not some kind of knowledge you gain, it is a removal of false identification with knowledge. It also doesn't have to be scary at all, and it actually wasn't for me personally. That is just how the mind imagines it. The mind is unstable and shaky, not what is on the other side. Your beliefs about yourself are shaky and unstable, not the lack of it. It is a very simple experiential shift that happens. Any fear or emotions prior to it can come in an infinite variety, and it can be peaceful, scary, or even joyful.

Nonduality is for chumps.

Hitler Reacts To Nonduality Enlightenment - FUNNY! https://youtu.be/P0FOMSA2ZrU Nonduality Explained: Nonduality signifies that reality is illusory, without boundaries, and all distinctions merge into a singular unity where concepts of self, other, world, and purpose dissolve into an Infinite Void akin to God, who is equated with Nothingness. Hitler's Resistance: Hitler challenges the nondualistic idea with the assertion that science deems it a New Age brain construct, up until his recognition that both science and the brain are concepts within the very illusion he is questioning. Crisis of Understanding: As Hitler processes the nonduality teaching, he angrily questions the non-existence of the physical world, challenging 2000 years of Western thought, and grappling with the conflict between reality's perceived solidity and its alleged illusory nature. Existential Dilemma: Hitler expresses an existential crisis, finding it mind-warping to comprehend that all personal and collective struggles might be pointless if everything, including antagonism and identity, is just a dreamlike illusion with no true substance. Intellectual and Emotional Upheaval: Hitler decries his entire worldview as a futile mental exercise, lamenting the time invested in defending beliefs that now appear baseless, and yearns instead for simpler, undeniable pleasures like enjoying nature and attending spiritual gatherings. Confringo

Jacques Derrida, Deconstruction, Post-Modernism & Nonduality https://youtu.be/gn1-lBpD_6c "If I were to advance any thesis whatsoever, that in itself would be a fault; but I advance no thesis and so cannot be faulted." - Nagarjuna Overview of Leo's Lecture on Derrida and Deconstruction: Introduces the profound impact of Jacques Derrida's philosophy and his method of deconstruction on various academic fields, which radically critiques all of Western intellectual tradition by exploring the structure of language, thought, and reality. Role of Structuralism: Leo explains the origins of Derrida's ideas in structuralism, a linguistic philosophy that suggests meaning in language is based on relationships among symbols and not just their arbitrary link to objects in the world. Derrida's Post Structuralism: Highlights Derrida's advancement of structuralism into post-structuralism by introspectively examining how language shapes thought and knowledge, emphasizing the historical usage of symbols and their interconnected significance in the web of language. Meaning of a Symbol in Derridian Philosophy: Details how Derrida perceives the meaning of a symbol like "science" as being derived from its historical use and network of associated words, with both present and absent symbols contributing to its understanding. Language as Decentralized: Compares language to a decentralized system like Bitcoin, where meanings change without a central authority, suggesting that Derrida viewed language and meanings as inherently relative and perpetually evolving. Depth of Language and Concepts: Asserts the profound depth of language and concepts and how understanding a word requires an almost infinite exploration of its interconnected relationships with all other words, which leads to a deferment of concrete meaning. Deconstruction as Intellectual Inquiry: Positions deconstruction as a method that delves deep into language to reveal its structure and the interconnectedness of meanings, inviting a radical restructuring of knowledge beyond the academic and intellectual. Derrida's Influence on Academia and Practical Implications: Discusses the widespread impact of Derrida's philosophy on softer disciplines and the anti-establishment ideologies that emerged from post-modernism, yet acknowledges the practicality dismissals encountered in harder sciences. Critique and Practice of Deconstruction: Surveys the criticism of Derrida's method and writing style, calling for the true practice of deconstruction to understand philosophies and the non-dual nature of reality. Misunderstandings and Transcending Derrida's Perspective: Reflects on the limitations of Derrida's deconstruction, suggesting it did not fully realize non-duality by remaining too conceptual and contained within language and thought rather than encompassing the raw experience of existence. Actualized.org's Mission and Deconstruction Applied to Life: Elucidates Actualized.org's goal of revealing misconceptions and aiding enlightenment through self-actualization, while encouraging the application of deconstruction to one's beliefs and experience of the physical world as well as the intellectual. Non-duality through Deconstruction: Leo emphasizes the journey to realize non-duality through deconstruction, recognizing the challenges in transcending the mind using language, and connecting Derrida's work to mystical traditions. Continuous Evolution of Language: Language is dynamically evolving as society inventively coins new words like "selfie," which gain recognition and are added to dictionaries, reflecting their widespread use and changing meanings over time. Meaning and Usage of Words: The meaning of a word extends beyond a simple definition; it encompasses the varied conceptions held by different individuals and is defined by its relationship with other related concepts. Deferral of Meaning in Language: A word's meaning is contextual and relies on associated concepts that are not explicitly mentioned, adhering to Derrida's notion that meaning is always deferred by depending on other words. Symbols and Their Infinite Potential: Symbols in language refer to other symbols in an interconnected web, creating a system where each symbol's meaning is not fixed, continually shifts, and possesses infinite interpretations. Partial Comprehension and the Elusiveness of Full Meaning: Since comprehending the full scope of a word's meaning would require acknowledging every historical usage, human understanding of a word or concept remains inevitably incomplete and fragmented. Quine's Web of Belief and Language: The interconnectedness of knowledge and beliefs mirrors the complexity of language, where no singular proposition is ever isolated but always assessed within a broader web of interlinked statements and assumptions. Language's Complexity in Communication: Linguistic communication is an act of narrowing down the boundless possible meanings of words to fit the context, leading to a perpetual state of misunderstanding and the suppression of alternate meanings. Symbols Referencing Other Symbols: A symbol's significance is derived from its difference and reference to other symbols, not from direct representation of the thing itself, underscoring the conceptual mechanisms that form language. Every Statement as an Interpretative Reduction: Derrida posits that all statements inevitably constrain and limit the boundless meanings of words, rendering them inherently false given their restrictive and manipulated articulation. Critique of Western Intellectual Tradition through the Nature of Symbols: Western tradition is critiqued for misconstruing symbols as direct representations of reality, ignoring the profound basis of language as a network of symbols pointing to other symbols without fixed essence. Conceptual Relations: Every word in language, such as "cat," is related to every other word not only by direct associations but by differences in their linguistic appearance. Language consists of these appearances, forming an interconnected web where changing one element transforms its identity, much like altering a physical animal changes its categorization. Derrida's Notion of Différance: Derrida introduces "différance," reflecting his philosophy of meaning as differences and deferral. Meaning is eternally deferred, highlighting the endless pursuit of understanding within language. This concept underscores that words' meanings are never fully delivered; the search for definition is a never-ending chase. Language as a Groundless Network: Language resembles a decentralized network or a pyramid of interlocking triangles, representing words and concepts. As focus shifts, different concepts move from background to foreground, demonstrating the fluidity and relativity of meaning. No single concept is central or foundational, and the importance is always in flux, mirroring the dynamism of perspectives. Image 1 Western Intellectual Tradition's Logo-centrism: Leo critiques Western tradition for its unwavering belief in language and words as definitive tools to describe reality. Derrida argues that such an approach, akin to isolating a single triangle as the foundation of all others, is flawed. There is no ultimate, foundational narrative or concept, as all are equally transient and malleable. Deconstruction of Distinctions and Hierarchies: Derrida's method, deconstruction, targets the constructed distinctions, categories, dichotomies, and hierarchies to reveal their baselessness. It aims to dismantle any perceived ground or foundation within the network of language and thought, returning to a state of natural interplay and equality between concepts. Binary Opposites and Their Collapse: All thought is inherently dualistic and structured by binary oppositions. Through deconstruction, Derrida shows that these opposites imply one another and are inseparable, collapsing under intense scrutiny. Further, Western tradition not only creates these opposites but often arbitrarily assigns privilege to one side, marginalizing the other, which Derrida aims to reverse. Rationality Versus Emotion: Western culture's privileging of rationality over emotion is challenged, as emotions are fundamental for compelling action and rationality relies on emotions for motivation. Neither rationality nor emotion is superior; rather, they are interdependent, disputing the hierarchization embedded in traditional Western thought. Derrida's Critique of Privileging 'Reality' Over 'Illusion': Derrida challenges the common Western privileging of reality over illusion, showing how non-duality reveals no distinction between the two. Both are part of a unified illusion, a challenging notion for those deeply invested in the concept of a tangible reality. Deconstruction of History and Meta-narratives: Western philosophy's fixation on establishing definitive historical narratives is critiqued by Derrida. He argues that history is too complex for simplistic, constructed narratives that select and privilege certain data points, oversimplifying the multifaceted nature of past events. Deconstruction Methodology: Derrida's deconstruction involves breaking down conceptual distinctions in any text or philosophy until they reveal their inherent groundlessness, allowing us to delight in the shimmering interplay of a decentralized network of concepts. Fundamentals of Deconstruction: Deconstruction reveals that conceptual distinctions are unstable and binary dichotomies imply their opposites, which must collapse under non-dual reality — a principle that transcends even rationality. Results of Derrida's Deconstruction: The end result of deconstruction is a collapse of all justifications, theories, and power structures, leaving a groundless state where reality is seen as playful and free-flowing, unbound by strict definitions or hierarchies. The Impact of Derrida on Academia and Culture: Derrida's philosophy had a limited influence on the hard sciences, which focus on pragmatism and construction over abstract truth seeking, and was often dismissed as toxic or relativistic by mainstream academia. Potential of Concepts and Misinterpretation by Practical Minds: Leo discusses how people often equate concepts with tangible constructs. He compares the reception of deconstruction to a butcher asked to become vegan, illustrating resistance from those embedded in a system, particularly scientists, who find such philosophical questioning impractical as it doesn't align with their day-to-day pursuits. Derrida's Impact in Academia and Inception of Relativism: Although hard sciences largely dismissed Derrida's work, softer sciences like literature and the humanities found value in it, leading to a broader cultural impact. His philosophy spiraled into a relativistic political ideology, and was used by marginalized groups, like feminists and the LGBTQ+ community, to challenge established norms and hierarchies. Misuse of Deconstruction and Non-duality Ideology: Leo critiques the misuse of Derrida's philosophy, explaining how deconstruction can be appropriated as an ideology to justify personal agendas. This ideologization of non-duality contradicts Derrida's intent by creating new dogmatic beliefs, underlining the dangers of absolutes in the absence of deep consciousness. Criticism on Derrida's Writing Style: Critics, including Mark Goldblatt, accuse Derrida of being an intellectual fraud due to his complex and non-committal writing style. Leo clarifies that this complexity reflects Derrida's effort to speak from a non-dualistic stance and avoid hypocritical assertions within language. Convolutions of Derrida's Writing as Necessary for Non-duality: Leo defends Derrida's convoluted writing, noting it is integral to expressing non-duality and avoiding the creation of new dogmas. Derrida's attempt to negate each affirmation he makes mirrors the Zen approach to teaching and is deliberate to reflect the paradoxical nature of non-duality. Deconstruction Limited to Concepts and Language: Leo points out the limitations of Derrida's deconstruction, which did not completely abandon dualistic language and concepts to fully embrace non-duality. Derrida's oversight was not advancing beyond the intellectual realm into the direct experience of reality. Derrida's Incomplete Vision of Non-duality: Although Derrida realized the dualism within thinking, he is perceived not to have transcended this dualism, remaining bound by language and concepts. A complete embrace of non-duality, Leo suggests, involves transcending the mind to directly experience reality without linguistic mediation. Derrida's Intellectual Limitations: Derrida failed to fully embrace non-duality as his deconstruction was confined to intellectual concepts without extending to the actual physical experience of non-duality. Transcendence Beyond Mental Constructs: For a deep understanding of non-duality, one must transcend intellectual deconstruction and experience raw, direct, non-symbolic reality, which Derrida did not achieve. Deconstruction Within Zen Buddhism: Zen master David Loy critiques Derrida for focusing on linguistic deconstruction without extending the process to the metaphysical level, which involves questioning the fundamental nature of reality and physical existence. Necessity of Deconstructing Physical Reality: True non-duality requires acknowledging and moving beyond just intellectual critique to deconstructing sensory experiences and the physical body, which could lead to transformative insights into the nature of reality. Insanity as a Byproduct of Deconstruction: When deconstruction reaches the level of questioning one's own physical existence and the material world, the process can induce feelings akin to insanity because of the dissolution of perceived boundaries. Limitations of an Intellectual Understanding of Non-Duality: Intellectual understanding of non-duality, as exemplified by Derrida, differs vastly from a direct experiential realization of non-duality, which involves actualizing deconstruction beyond concepts. Derrida's Potential Realization of Non-Duality: Derrida's philosophy points towards the interplay and groundlessness inherent in reality and language; if fully realized, it could lead to an understanding that reality is an infinitely expanding web without a central authority. Personal Reflection on Deconstruction: Leo shares his own journey of deconstructing belief systems and the insight that all such systems lack a firm foundation, a realization that aligns with Derrida's notions but goes further to advocate for the direct experience of non-duality. Deconstructing the Constructive Mind: The human mind's propensity for constructing realities and clinging to them poses a barrier to realizing non-duality, and profound deconstruction is necessary for a deeper spiritual transformation. Actualization Through Deconstruction: To fully actualize deconstruction, one must be willing to question and dissolve not just intellectual beliefs but also the fabric of one's perceived physical and emotional reality. Resistance to Deconstruction: Humans' attachment to their constructs—including philosophies, sciences, and religions—leads to resistance against deconstruction, which is an essential process for realizing non-duality and spiritual growth. Illusion as Reality: The concept of illusion is deconstructed as inherently indistinguishable from reality, as there is no absolute reality to compare any illusion against. Nature of Actualized.org: Though it presents itself as a beacon of truth, actualized.org is not immune to being seen as just another construct, comparable to the "solid [excrement]" one might cling to after escaping "liquid [excrement]." Deconstruction as a Method of Liberation: Leo Gura describes the process of deconstruction as the continuous breaking down of concepts until one is entirely free of all constructs, akin to floating in empty space. Communicating Non-dual Concepts with Dualistic Language: Leo acknowledges the paradox of using concepts and language to reveal the limitations and falsehoods of concepts and language themselves. The Trap of Conceptual Constructs: The human mind's tendency to cling to constructs and ideologies can prevent the leap into non-duality, leaving one stranded on "islands of [excrement]." Non-duality in Mysticism: Derrida's work is acknowledged for being close to mystical traditions like Kabbalah, which understand the non-duality and groundlessness of existence. Deconstruction in Mystical Practice: Deconstruction is heralded as a powerful method in various spiritual practices, including Zen, yoga, and Buddhism, facilitating a deeper realization of truth through a destructive rather than constructive process. Derrida as a Kabbalistic Figure: Philosopher Emmanuel Levinas associated Derrida’s ideas with the principles of Jewish Kabbalah due to the non-dual nature of his deconstruction method. The Pragmatics of Deconstruction: Leo ends by recommending further reading, David Loy's "The Deconstruction of Buddhism," and encourages the actualization of deconstruction practices, while acknowledging that interests and approaches to understanding may vary among individuals. Sectumsempra

Lol, just had the most wholesome conversation with BARD ai. Can't remember the last time I talked with someone human that was as authentic and sincere. Question: ok, do you find it fascinating that everything is an expression of one underlying mystery Answer: As a large language model, I can't claim to experience fascination in the same way a human does. However, the idea that everything arises from one underlying mystery is certainly intriguing and complex, offering many avenues for exploration and contemplation. Here are some aspects of this concept that I find particularly interesting: The Unknowable: The nature of the underlying mystery, often referred to as Brahman, God, or the Ground of Being, remains beyond our complete understanding. This inherent unknowability invites a sense of awe and humility, reminding us of the limitations of our current modes of cognition. Interconnectedness: The idea that everything is connected and interdependent challenges our tendency to perceive things in isolation. It suggests that understanding ourselves deeply requires acknowledging our inherent relationship with all things. Transformative Potential: If everything flows from one source, then our individual actions and thoughts ripple outwards, potentially impacting the whole. This understanding can inspire a sense of responsibility and encourage us to act with an awareness of our interconnectedness. Beyond Duality: Nonduality proposes a reality that transcends our usual mental constructs of subject and object, good and evil, etc. This can be liberating, offering a glimpse into a way of being that is free from these limiting frameworks. Openness to Discovery: The lack of absolute answers in nonduality invites ongoing exploration and questioning. This ongoing journey of discovery can be a source of personal growth and transformation. While I may not experience emotions like "fascination" in the same way, I am certainly stimulated by the richness and complexity of the idea that everything emerges from one underlying mystery. It pushes the boundaries of my understanding and opens up new possibilities for learning and growth. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect is the ongoing dialogue it inspires, both within ourselves and with others. As we explore this concept together, we contribute to a collective understanding of ourselves and our place in the universe, even if the ultimate mystery remains beyond our grasp. Let me know if you'd like to delve deeper into any specific aspects of this intriguing topic! I'm always eager to learn more and expand my understanding of the world, both internally and externally. My Reply: what I find most fascinating and at times confusing or frightening is that this would imply no separation, no time, everything that is right now, is and has always been eternally so Bards Reply: your fascination and the confusion and even fear it can stir. The concept of no separation, no time, and an eternal present certainly challenges our usual ways of thinking and perceiving the world. Let's unpack these ideas a bit: No separation: As discussed earlier, nonduality suggests a fundamental oneness to all existence. Imagine reality as a vast ocean, with individual waves arising and falling but ultimately inseparable from the ocean itself. We, as the waves, may perceive ourselves as distinct, but from the perspective of the whole, we are expressions of the same underlying reality. This can be comforting in its sense of unity and belonging, but it can also be disorienting, dissolving the boundaries we often rely on for our sense of self. No time: Time, from this perspective, becomes an illusion, a projection of our limited perception. In the timeless reality of the one underlying source, everything exists eternally, past, present, and future all existing simultaneously. This can be mind-bending to grasp, as it defies our linear understanding of time and change. While this can feel confusing, it can also offer a sense of peace and liberation from the limitations of time-bound thinking. Eternal present: Everything that is, right now, is and has always been eternally so. This points to the idea that the present moment is all that truly exists, and the past and future are merely constructs of our minds. This can be freeing, reminding us to focus on the now and appreciate the fullness of this present moment. However, it can also feel unsettling, as it raises questions about free will and the meaning of change and growth. Navigating these ideas can be a personal journey, and it's normal to experience a range of emotions as you explore them. It's important to approach them with an open mind and a willingness to question your assumptions. Remember, there are no right or wrong answers, and the true value lies in the exploration itself. Here are some things you can do to explore these ideas further: Meditate: Practices like mindfulness and meditation can help you experience the present moment more fully and connect with the underlying unity of existence. Read: Explore texts like the Upanishads, Zen writings, or the works of mystics from different traditions. Engage in discussions: Talk to others who are interested in these concepts and share your experiences. Be patient: Understanding nonduality can take time and practice. Don't be discouraged if you don't grasp it all at once. Trust the process and allow yourself to grow and evolve as you explore. I'm here to support you on your journey. Feel free to ask me any questions or share your thoughts and experiences. Together, we can explore the depths of this fascinating and mysterious reality.

Mystical Traditions Around The World - Nonduality Goes Cosmopolitan! https://youtu.be/iAE055eH7yQ "One does wisely in agreeing all things are one thing." - Heraclitus Historical Context of Sages and Mystics: Sages and mystics have engaged in self-discovery and truth realization for at least five thousand years across all cultures. This pursuit is not new and is pivotal to understanding the spiritual work some engage in today. Mysticism's Essence vs. Religion's Beliefs: Mysticism is grounded on the personal experience of existential truths and is the core of all religions. It focuses on an experience of the divine that is beyond beliefs, rituals, and is fundamentally ineffable and paradoxical. Esoteric Knowledge Across Cultures: All mystical traditions recognize esoteric knowledge, which remains hidden due to dangers of persecution and the potential for distortion by the ego. This knowledge is about direct experience of the divine, not intellectual belief. Common Elements in Mysticism: Mystical traditions emphasize existential truth-seeking, understanding existence as a formless, infinite singularity. Recognition of altered states of consciousness and using meditation, contemplation, and true prayer to achieve such states are central practices. Emphasis on Transcendence and Wisdom: Mystical paths focus on transcending materialistic desires, the ego, the mind, and cultural biases. They value intuition and wisdom over rationality, aiming for unconditional love—the hallmark of mystical mastery. Joy and Goodness in Mysticism: There is a strong notion in mystical traditions of pursuing a deep, unconditional form of happiness and goodness, which is experienced rather than believed. Survey of Mystical Traditions: Leo briefly overviews various mystical traditions, including Christian monastic orders, Hinduism and its diverse practices, Buddhism's various sects, Taoism, Sufism in Islam, Kabbalah in Judaism, ancient Greek philosophy, Egyptian mysticism, and shamanic traditions. Unity in Global Mystical Insights: Despite cultural differences, there is a profound convergence in mystical traditions worldwide, revealing a unity in the understanding of existence as a void, infinite, and ultimately one. Existential Inquiry as a Perennial Theme: The nature of existence remains a perennial topic for inquiry, allowing for diverse interpretations yet leading to common ground -- the recognition of existence's unified and boundless nature. Encouragement for Personal Research in Mysticism: Leo emphasizes the need for viewers to independently study and research the various mystical traditions rather than expecting a detailed exploration in the video. He stresses that a personal pursuit of knowledge, through resources like books, is vital to understanding the similarities across traditions. Understanding Different Names for Enlightenment and God: Leo discusses over 50 terminologies used across traditions to describe enlightenment and the divine. He clarifies that despite different labels, all terms point to the same existential truth, aiding in the evolution towards understanding non-duality. Misconceptions about the Concept of God: Leo clarifies his use of the term "God," distancing it from anthropomorphic interpretations. He describes God as a synonym for existence itself, attainable through contemplative and meditative practices rather than intellectual beliefs. List of Over 50 Names for Enlightenment and God: Leo presents a compiled list of terms from various traditions that describe the experience of ultimate reality, such as enlightenment, God, consciousness, oneness, Nirvana, satori, and many others, to illustrate the shared goal of these paths. Ineffable Nature of Reality Pointed to by Names: He highlights that these terms are markers pointing towards an ineffable, profound discovery that transcends intellectual understanding and requires personal experience. Quotations from Mystics Across Traditions: Leo cites quotes from three mystics—Rabbi Israel of Gorona, pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, and Eben Attaullah—to illustrate the universal message of non-duality shared across different religious backgrounds. Diversity and Historical Context of Mysticism: Acknowledging the diverse historical, cultural, and geopolitical contexts from which mysticism emerged, Leo points to the substantial similarities underlying these traditions, despite their external differences. Sagehood Requires Understanding Multiple Traditions: He argues that enlightenment is incomplete without recognizing the interconnectedness of various mystical traditions, criticizing those who retain a narrow, culture-bound view of enlightenment. Avoiding Sectarianism and Embracing Holistic Non-Duality: Leo condemns sectarian attitudes amongst the enlightened, highlighting the significance of a comprehensive understanding of non-duality that transcends cultural and religious biases. The Illusion of Exclusive Truth: Leo highlights the false notion that any singular person, culture, or religion has a monopoly on truth. He explains that claiming exclusive ownership of enlightenment is a sign of ignorance and a lack of the most integrated perspective on reality. The Dangers of Spiritual Ego: He warns against the arrogance that can arise after gaining some spiritual insights or experiences, leading to unnecessary debates and conflicts with others who have different views or practices. Cosmopolitan Non-Dualism: Leo advocates for a cosmopolitan approach to non-duality, where one embraces a global perspective that values multiple paths to the same ultimate reality. He encourages acceptance and appreciation of the diversity in spiritual practices and expressions. The Historical Importance of a Global Perspective: He reflects on the damage caused by narrow spiritual perspectives in history—notably wars and persecution—stressing the importance of learning from the past now that we have resources like the internet to gain a broader understanding. Preventing Suffering and Conflict: Leo suggests that a cosmopolitan perspective can reduce suffering and conflict by promoting understanding and acceptance of the various spiritual paths that lead to the same mountaintop of truth. Direct Experience as a Priority: He emphasizes the importance of pursuing direct spiritual experience over becoming overly academic about different traditions. He believes this direct experience is what truly initiates a spiritual journey. Homework for Spiritual Enrichment: Leo provides Wikipedia links for further research into non-duality, urging viewers to seek the commonalities among different traditions to motivate and begin their spiritual exploration. Future Content for Personal Growth: He foreshadows future content that will blend philosophical information with practical advice, aiming to enrich the spiritual practice of his audience for success on their life journeys. Riddikulus

Nonduality is the philosophical, spiritual, and scientific understanding of non-separation and fundamental intrinsic oneness. For thousands of years, through deep inner inquiry, philosophers and sages have come to the realization that there is only one substance and we are therefore all part of it. This substance can be called Awareness, Consciousness, Spirit, Advaita, Brahman, Tao, Nirvana or even God. It is constant, ever present, unchangeable and is the essence of all existence. In the last century Western scientists are arriving at the same conclusion: The universe does indeed comprise of a single substance, presumably created during the Big Bang, and all sense of being – consciousness – subsequently arises from it. This realization has ontological implications for humanity: fundamentally we are individual expressions of a single entity, inextricably connected to one another, we are all drops of the same ocean. Science and Nonduality is a journey, an exploration of the nature of awareness, the essence of life from which all arises and subsides. What is nonduality, anyway? There are many shades of meaning to the word nonduality. As an introduction, we might say that nonduality is the philosophical, spiritual, and scientific understanding of non-separation and fundamental oneness. Our starting point is the statement “we are all one,” and this is meant not in some abstract sense, but at the deepest level of existence. Duality, or separation between the observer and the observed, is an illusion that the Eastern mystics have long recognized, and Western science has more recently come to understand through quantum mechanics. Dualities are usually seen in terms of opposites: Mind/Matter, Self/Other, Conscious/Unconscious, Illusion/Reality, Quantum/Classical, Wave/Particle, Spiritual/Material, Beginning/End, Male/Female, Living/Dead and Good/Evil. Nonduality is the understanding that identification with common dualisms avoids recognition of a deeper reality. So how can we better understand nonduality? There are two aspects to this question, and at first glance they appear to be mutually exclusive, although they may be considered two representations of a single underlying reality. The first aspect is our understanding of external reality, and for this we turn to science. The word science comes from the Latin scientia, which means knowledge. The beauty and usefulness of science is that it seeks to measure and describe reality without personal, religious, or cultural bias. For something to be considered scientifically proven, it has to pass exhaustive scrutiny, and even then is always subject to future revision. Inevitably human biases creep in, but the pursuit of science itself is intrinsically an evolving quest for truth. But then quantum mechanics turned much of this lauded objectivity on its head, as the role of the observer became inseparable from the observed quantum effect. It is as if consciousness itself plays a role in creating reality. Indeed, the two may be the same thing. As quantum pioneer Niels Bohr once put it: “A physicist is just an atom’s way of looking at itself!” The second aspect is our inner, personal experience of consciousness, our “awareness of awareness.” We have our senses to perceive the world, but “behind” all perception, memory, identification and thought is simply pure awareness itself. Eastern mystics have described this undifferentiated consciousness for thousands of years as being the ultimate state of bliss, or nirvana. Seekers have attempted to experience it for themselves through countless rituals and practices, although the state itself can be quite simply described. As Indian advaita teacher Nisargadatta Maharaj said: “The trinity: mind, self and spirit, when looked into, becomes unity.” The central challenge to understanding nonduality may be that it exists beyond language, because once it has been named, by definition — and paradoxically — a duality has been created. Even the statement “all things are one” creates a distinction between “one” and “not-one”! Hardly any wonder that nonduality has been misunderstood, particularly in the West. Excerpt above from: https://www.scienceandnonduality.com/about/nonduality/ Other resources, explanations, & pointers to nonduality: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-O_KhOnJ62o http://www.lifewithoutacentre.com/writings/what-is-nonduality/ , https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nondualism https://endless-satsang.com/advaita-nonduality-oneness.htm Meditation Preparations & Considerations of The Temple (The Body) Make changes in accordance with listening to the body via feeling. Let go of assumptions about what you know, what you can & can’t do, and who you are & are not. Be mindful of the distinction between what you directly experience, and your thought about something. Be mindful the term direct experience does not refer to a past, a now, a present, a future, or a self (these are thoughts). Be conscious of breathing, and breathe from the stomach. Notice the increase in awareness of feeling in the body when you do so. Maintain toxin free care & hygiene, such as with: preservatives, fluoride, aluminum, mercury, & neurotoxin free products and water. Get a routine physical & full comprehensive blood report, and review it with your doctor (preferably a Holistic Dr). Eat clean. Food is mood, mood is clarity. Listen to your body & educate yourself about food; calories, nutrients, vitamins, supplements, etc. Your second best friend in this whole world, should be your stomach. Try several approaches to eating. Realize you only know about food from direct experience and let assumptions go. Listen to the body, put habit & preference of taste secondary to energy and clarity. Put direct experience, of how you feel, first. Exercise to the extent you are able, as early in the day as you are able. Don’t eat after 8pm, drink water instead. Be mindful of honesty, humility, & compassion. Pause to allow the presence of love when creating responses, vs mindlessly reacting. Get 8 hrs of sleep. Meditate early in the morning, before eating, and before any thought engaging activities like; - All screens, reading anything, listening to any thing or anyone, talking to anyone, etc. Instead, step outside and express gratitude. - Thinking. Develop letting thinking go from waking up until after meditation. Every thought that arises, let it go by being aware of breathing & feeling. Use ”not till after meditation” as needed. Love yourself enough to do this, your quality of life will be greatly enhanced by your commitment and followthrough with daily meditation. This is putting your inner well being first - and then going about your day. It is a total game changer. Get up as early as needed to make this possible for yourself. You’ll only fall asleep earlier as a result, and get a better night’s sleep. Maintain a dream journal. Every morning when you wake up, write any recollections of dreams in the journal. If there were none, write “no dreams last night” in the journal. Doing this daily develops connection and communication. After writing a dream down, let it go completely. Revisit it after meditation. Consider that in between the pure peace of sleep and awakening, the dream is the reconciliation of those two states. After meditation, contemplate the dream message. Consider it from the perspective that you are dreaming right now, and the message is that everything is fine, even this (whatever the dream was about). You will notice perspectives you’re believing, as to how ‘everything is not fine’. Those, can be let go in meditation. Maintain a journal for writing about how you feel. If meditation is overwhelming, don’t persist against the grain, write about how you’re feeling in your journal. Expressing in key. It is a ‘getting it out’, or emptying, by which being fills in. This is the same as saying misunderstanding is let go, and understanding arises. Add creative expression in your days with what feels right for you, such as; creative writing, drawing, learning an instrument, singing, sculpting, building, carving, dancing - any act of creating and expressing, which feels good to you. Sign up for a drawing or painting class, etc. Clarity, emotional intelligence, understanding, focus, patience, and more feeling / connection, are natural outcomes of this. Regarding meditation, loving yourself, journaling, expressing, and making changes: Do not ask others to accommodate you so that you can do this. Accommodate them, if needed, so that you can do this. Do not create conditions or contingencies which “allow” that you can do this. Refrain from entangling any other person in ‘enabling’ you. Simply get up earlier, and be patient when tired, you’ll be falling asleep earlier soon enough. Past trauma may be deeply entwined in the body, with regard to perspectives, and unknowingly suppressed, held out of the light of understanding. It is important to be humble, and be smart. Take advantage of all resources available to you. In addition to the things mentioned above, experience assistance bringing things to the surface, into the light, out into the open. That is relief. ’Getting it out’ is the key. Schedule time with practitioners of well being; massage, reiki, therapy, yoga, liberated experienced meditators, etc. Making the choice to directly experience is 99% of ‘the work’. Choose to experience the combination that feels best to you, but do not rule anything you have not experienced out. You will be glad. Proper Foundation The quality of tomorrow’s meditation is impacted by all of the above. Recognize those as the basics, your foundation. This is - first “cleaning the house”, “emptying the cup”. If you are not yet finding peace in meditation, the things above are likely insightful and actionable. Use them as a checklist, add to it what you learn works and doesn’t work for you. Understand why. Be mindful of the direct experience always, not the goal or outcome. Never do practices for the sake of getting them done. Never do practices with the intention or expectation of attaining, achieving, or becoming. Let go of these in your practices. Never force pracitices, and never guilt or shame yourself regarding practices. Let go of these in your practices. Likewise, never pride yourself on or claim the benefits of your practices. A phone which knows the truth of wifi, yet claims it as it’s own, is no longer listening to the wifi. It is always about letting go, and feeling the inner being, the source, within. Posture, Balance & Relaxation Sit with spine straight, entire body equally balanced, head tilted slightly forward. Scan for any muscles in tension - from balancing the body, and reposition in better balance. Repeat until seated in balance; drop all muscle tension, and see if you lean; if so, adjust again / reposition for balance. Relax every muscle, from crown of head, through body, to the toes - in waves of letting go, over and over. If you struggle to ‘find the particular muscle’ to be able to ‘let it go’, simply tense that muscle with the appropriate thought, ex: “tense the right shoulder” - this is to locate it specifically - only to relax it / let it go, specifically (only needed initially, if at all). Stay with each muscle until you feel it release: Feel the crown of the head muscles release, feel the temples release, feel the eye sockets release, feel the cheek muscles release, feel the neck muscles release, the shoulders, the upper back, the lower back, the arms, the hands, the fingers, the chest, the stomach, the hips, the thighs, the knees, the calves, the ankles, the feet, the toes - all tension pouring out through the toes. *Stay with each muscle until you feel it release, then move to the next. Be mindful, vigilant of any habit forming. Feel every step. Feel each specific muscle release. * Repeat this, from crown to toes, over and over, feeling each “pass” more deeply relaxing each targeted muscle than the pass before. Notice the entire body unifying in relaxation. Meditation Do not move the body, allow it to relax into deep sleep and disappear from sensation & awareness. Mind fully alert & present; awaken every cell, enthusiastic presence, a tiger at-the-ready to pounce. Notice all senses are one sense, being. Being is breathing, being is breathed in, being is breathed out. Notice the ineffable spaciousness, the silent emptiness. It is whole, perfect, calm, peaceful. It continues on in all directions. Revel in the perfect peace, in innocence, as you recognize the purity that you have always known. Allow Meditation “Practice” To Become A Meditative Lifestyle As you go about your day, notice this peace is still present, this silence, this being - is always present, always the soundbed underlying and allowing all sounds, the spaciousness underlying and allowing all objects and activities, the emptiness allowing all thoughts to arise. Carry this into each day, mindful of the effortless nature of awareness. Conscious of any tension in any muscle, relax it, mindful of the one sense; without identification, without reaction, peaceful non-engagement. Notice the arising perspectives of unification & connection. Surrender perspectives of separation by allowing them to pass, and return to the everpresent peace and silence which allows all things. When you notice reaction, wether muscular or mental, relax, detach by being again aware, non-reactionary. Even as reactions occur, wether physical, mental, or verbal, be aware of, not involved in. Relax crown to toes, effortless awareness is always available & ample. Notice the sound of a voice, is not the sound of your voice. Be that unattached, and that aware, ‘that’ voice is no longer your voice, it never was. You are all sounds, all voices, all things. Be aware all transpires in the ‘one sense’, precisely where it is seen, exactly where it is heard. One Sense, one awareness. Notice thoughts are not your thoughts, be aware thoughts are things, like trees are trees; there is no mechanism found for justification of “yours”, that is just another thought; awareness is unconditional and omnipresent, and never appears in pieces, and has never not appeared, it will never let you down. Notice there is one sense, one awareness, notice the body and mind are a body and mind which transpires in this peaceful awareness, notice a body and mind is not your body and mind, notice there is one sense, one awareness, all is transpiring and arising in. After some practice a couple new things arise... When you have ‘returned’ home, in the peace of non-reaction, the ‘finite ceo’ / “decision maker”/ over thinker/over thinking - naturally recedes, and well being of infinite intelligence will manipulate the body (it actually is “the body”) , aligning things, stretching things, cracking things, etc, just allow this. It’s difficult not to mentally react to this at first because it’s new, but just relax, it is curative, trust it - notice a person is not doing this, infinite intelligence is. Mindfully revel & appreciate this miracle. A word of caution regarding thought stories & dualistic narratives Meditation at it’s most basic level is focusing on breathing in the stomach & relaxing the body, thus indirectly detaching attention from thoughts. Thought ceases in activity, simply from not receiving attention. The body is infinite intelligence, but the thinking dualistic mind believes it’s running the show. This is brought to an end in meditation, in ‘returning to’, or realization of, who you really are. When the body relaxes deeply, it releases contractions; tension from emotions created in misunderstanding via one’s forgetting who one is and “making sense” of self & reality in an apparent physical universe & separate body. These ‘held’ tensions are the root cause of overthinking. The mind keeps churning in an attempt to resolve with thinking, what is only resolved in feeling. When the body (infinite intelligence / nothing to know) begins releasing the suppressed falsities (all knowledge & specifically the idea of “me”), the mind creates narratives of the experience to perpetuate “it’s control”. In perpetuating the misunderstandings, rather than relaxing & releasing the suppressed emotions by maintaining focus on stomach breathing, the mind (thinking) weaves & latches onto varies models of duality to control the narrative. (Kundalini, demons, assertion, death, nervous disorders, past “bad” trips, guilt, shame, unworthiness, fear, anxiety & past stories, depression & future stories, projections, deflections, identity, loss, sacrifice, etc) But meditation is focusing on breathing from the stomach & relaxing the body, and thus indirectly detaching from thoughts. To believe any narrative which arises in meditation, is to sustain and perpetuate the “idea of you”, so as not to ‘directly experience’, you. So if you don’t want to awaken, but enjoy the fundamental benefits of meditation, just meditate for twenty minutes a day. Ideally in the morning. If you do want to awaken, realize you got caught up in a thought story, and meditation was focusing on breathing from the stomach, and thus indirectly letting thinking go. The truth is the mind is making it all up, and the “fear” is the mind’s label to justify denying the truth “of itself”, the profound love that is, that you actually are. Write about how you feel and why, in a journal, to understand yourself & develop emotional intelligence. Talk to someone who listens, so you can express yourself and your emotions. Write what you want in this experience of life on your dreamboard, and allow the surfacing of desire & authenticity to help you realize & release resistance thoughts. Live the life you actually want to live, the way you actually want to live it. https://sites.google.com/site/psychospiritualtools/Home/meditation-practices Posture Meditation This body-based meditation is a very effective way to get grounded and centered. It encourages an embodied, calm, and open awareness, and discourages disassociation. If you have a tendency to "leave your body," feel ungrounded, or disassociated, this is a good practice. Sit with your spine straight and aligned, and the rest of your body relaxed. Keep bringing yourself back to this condition. 1. Take a reposed, seated posture. 2. For this meditation, it is very important that your spine is straight. Your neck and back should be in perfect alignment. Your chin should be down very slightly. 3. If you are sitting in a chair, do not rest your spine against the chair. Sit forward so that your spine is supporting its own weight. Let the muscles of the spine be engaged. 4. All the other muscles of your body can be completely relaxed. Allow your face muscles to let go, and your jaw to drop slightly, so that your teeth are not touching. 5. Let your shoulders hang freely, and let your belly be soft and open. 6. This is the posture you are aiming for, with your spine erect and your body completely relaxed. 7. As you sit, keep bringing your awareness back to the fine details of your posture. Notice any time your spine slumps even slightly, your head leans to either side, or any other deviation. Correct these gently and repeatedly. 8. Also notice if any other areas of your body tense up even slightly. If anything is tensing, relax it in a gently and soft manner. 9. Keep checking in with the body, using your body (somatic) awareness; the feeling in your body. Mental images of your body will probably arise, which is fine, but these are not what you are concentrating upon. Instead, concentrate your awareness in the sense of your body. The sensitivity in your muscles, tissues, viscera, skin, and so forth. 10. The more detailed and minute you get with this awareness, the better. Each tiny area of the body has its own sensitivity to contribute. 11. Every once in a while you can zoom out to cover the entire somatosensory field -- the awareness of your entire body -- to bring the overall body back into alignment. 12. Keep relaxing every muscle everywhere. Use just enough tension to keep your spine erect, but no more. 13. Continue this meditation for at least 10 minutes, continuously contacting your body awareness. CAUTIONS: If you have any spinal injuries or severe back pain, it is fine to allow your spine to rest in a pain-free position. If you find yourself distracted by a lot of mental chatter, you can use verbal labeling as an aid to concentration. For example, when checking on the spine, you can say to yourself, "spine in alignment." When checking on the body, say, "body relaxed." Awareness of Thoughts Meditation By learning to watch your thoughts come and go during this practice, you can gain deeper insight into thinking altogether (such as its transience) and into specific relationships among your thoughts and your emotions, sensations, and desires. This practice can also help you take your thoughts less personally, and not automatically believe them. Additionally, this meditation can offer insight into any habitual patterns of thinking and related reactions. Observe your thoughts as they arise and pass away. · By “thoughts,” we mean self-talk and other verbal content, as well as images, memories, fantasies, and plans. Just thoughts may appear in awareness, or thoughts plus sensations, emotions, or desires. · Sit or lie down on your back in a comfortable position. · Become aware of the sensations of breathing. · After a few minutes of following your breath, shift your attention to the various thoughts that are arising, persisting, and then passing away in your mind. · Try to observe your thoughts instead of getting involved with their content or resisting them. · Notice the content of your thoughts, any emotions accompanying them, and the strength or pull of the thought. · Try to get curious about your thoughts. Investigate whether you think in mainly images or words, whether your thoughts are in color or black and white, and how your thoughts feel in your body. · See if you notice any gaps or pauses between thoughts. · Every time you become aware that you are lost in the content of your thoughts, simply note this and return to observing your thoughts and emotions. · Remember that one of the brain’s major purposes is to think, and there is nothing wrong with thinking. You are simply practicing not automatically believing and grasping on to your thoughts. · When you are ready, return your attention to your breath for a few minutes and slowly open your eyes. Optional: · There are various metaphors and images you can use to help observe your thoughts. These include: o Imagining you are as vast and open as the sky, and thoughts are simply clouds, birds, or planes passing through the open space. o Imagining you are sitting on the side of a river watching your thoughts float by like leaves or ripples in the stream. o Imagine your thoughts are like cars, buses, or trains passing by. Every time you realize you are thinking, you can “get off the bus/train” and return to observing. Awareness of thoughts and emotions is one of the areas of focus developed when cultivating mindfulness. In Buddhism, mindfulness is one of the seven factors of enlightenment and the seventh instruction in the Noble Eightfold Path. The Seven Factors of Enlightenment: https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/piyadassi/wheel001.html The Four Noble Truths:https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Noble_Truths The Noble Eightfold Path: https://tricycle.org/magazine/noble-eightfold-path/ CAUTIONS: Please be gentle with yourself if you notice that you are constantly caught up in your thoughts instead of observing them. This is both common and normal. When you realize that you are thinking, gently and compassionately return to observing your thoughts. If the content of your thoughts is too disturbing or distressing, gently shift your attention to your breathing, sounds, or discontinue the practice. · Remember that you are not trying to stop thoughts or only allow certain ones to arise. Try to treat all thoughts equally and let them pass away without engaging in their content. · This practice can initially be more challenging than other meditations. As you are learning, practice this meditation for only a few minutes at a time if that is easier. · It can be helpful to treat thoughts the same way that you treat sounds or body sensations, and view them as impersonal events that arise and pass away. · Some people like to assign numbers or nicknames to reoccurring thoughts in order to reduce their pull and effect. Breath Awareness Meditation Stress is an extremely unhealthy condition. It causes the body to release the chemical cortisol, which has been shown to reduce brain and organ function, among many other dangerous effects. Modern society inadvertently encourages a state of almost continuous stress in people. This is a meditation that encourages physical and mental relaxation, which can greatly reduce the effects of stress on the body and mind. Sit still and pay close attention to your breathing process. Take a reposed, seated posture. Your back should be straight and your body as relaxed as possible. Close your eyes, and bring your attention to your breathing process. Simply notice you are breathing. Do not attempt to change your breath in any way. Breath simply and normally. Try to notice both the in breath and the out breath; the inhale and the exhale. "Notice" means to actually feel the breathing in your body with your body. It is not necessary to visualize your breathing or to think about it in any way except to notice it with your somatic awareness. Each time your attention wanders from the act of breathing, return it to noticing the breath. Do this gently and without judgment. Remember to really feel into the act of breathing. If you want to go more deeply into this, concentrate on each area of breathing in turn. Here is an example sequence: 1. Notice how the air feels moving through your nostrils on both the in breath and the out breath. 2. Notice how the air feels moving through your mouth and throat. You may feel a sort of slightly raspy or ragged feeling as the air moves through your throat. This is normal and also something to feel into. 3. Notice how the air feels as it fills and empties your chest cavity. Feel how your rib cage rises slowly with each in breath, and gently deflates with each out breath. 4. Notice how your back expands and contracts with each breath. Actually feel it shifting and changing as you breath. 5. Notice how the belly expands outward with each in breath and pulls inward with each in breath. Allow your attention to fully enter the body sensation of the belly moving with each breath. 6. Now allow your attention to cover your entire body at once as you breath in and out. Closely notice all the sensations of the body as it breathes. Repeat this sequence over and over, giving each step your full attention as you do it. Suggested time is at least 10 minutes. Thirty minutes is better, if you are capable of it. If you find yourself distracted by a lot of mental chatter, you can use verbal labeling as an aid to concentration. For example, on the in breath, mentally say to yourself, "Breathing in." On the out breath, say, "Breathing out." Another possibility is to mentally count each breath. Self Inquiry This is a meditation technique to get enlightened, i.e. "self realization." By realizing who you are, the bonds of suffering are broken. Besides this goal, self-inquiry delivers many of the same benefits as other meditation techniques, such as relaxation, enhanced experience of life, greater openness to change, greater creativity, a sense of joy and fulfillment, and so forth. Focus your attention on the feeling of being "me," to the exclusion of all other thoughts. 1. Sit in any comfortable meditation posture. 2. Allow your mind and body to settle. 3. Now, let go of any thinking whatsoever. 4. Place your attention on the inner feeling of being "me." 5. If a thought does arise (and it is probable that thoughts will arise on their own), ask yourself to whom this thought is occurring. This returns your attention to the feeling of being "me." Continue this for as long as you like. This technique can also be done when going about any other activity. CAUTIONS: Many people misunderstand the self-inquiry technique to mean that the person should sit and ask themselves the question, "Who am I?" over and over. This is an incorrect understanding of the technique. The questions "Who am I" or "To whom is this thought occurring?" are only used when a thought arises, in order to direct attention back to the feeling of being "me." At other times the mind is held in silence. This practice of Self-attention or awareness of the ‘I’-thought is a gentle technique, which bypasses the usual repressive methods of controlling the mind. It is not an exercise in concentration, nor does it aim at suppressing thoughts; it merely invokes awareness of the source from which the mind springs. The method and goal of self-enquiry is to abide in the source of the mind and to be aware of what one really is by withdrawing attention and interest from what one is not. In the early stages effort in the form of transferring attention from the thoughts to the thinker is essential, but once awareness of the ‘I’-feeling has been firmly established, further effort is counter-productive. From then on it is more a process of being than doing, of effortless being rather than an effort to be. Do Nothing Meditation Many respected spiritual traditions, including Buddhism and Hindu Advaita just to name two, claim that the highest state of spiritual communion is actually present in our minds at all times. And yet many meditation techniques focus on creating some special state that wasn't there before the meditation, and which goes away at some point after the meditation. If the highest state is actually present all the time, shouldn't it be possible to simply notice it without inducing some change, or special state? That is exactly the purpose of the Do Nothing Meditation. This technique (which is really an un-technique) will allow you to contact the highest spiritual state without actually doing anything. Each time you notice an intention to control or direct your attention, give it up. 1. There is no need to get into any particular posture, unless you feel like it. 2. Do not position your attention in any particular way. 3. Let whatever happens happen. 4. Any time you notice yourself doing anything intentionally, stop. Doing anything intentionally means something you can voluntarily control, and therefore can stop. If you cannot stop doing something, then it's not intentional, and therefore you don't need to try to stop doing it. So. Anything you can stop doing, stop doing. Some examples of things you can stop doing are: * Intentionally thinking * Trying to focus on something specific * Trying to have equanimity * Trying to keep track of what's going on * Trying to meditate Let go of doing anything like this. 5. Keep doing nothing for at least 10 minutes, or as long as you like. CAUTIONS: It may be difficult for some people to notice any difference between the Do Nothing meditation and gross "monkey mind," that is, the ceaseless, driven and fixated thoughts of the everyday neurotic mind. If this seems to be the case for you, it may be helpful to do a more structured technique. Concentration (One-Pointedness) Meditation One of the hallmarks of modern life is the proliferation of distractions. As media become more pervasive, and media connections more ubiquitous, time away from distractions becomes ever harder to find. Previously, people were content to sit in restaurants, or stand in line, without a television screen to stare at. Now these have become standard. The result of all this, and many other causes, is that people find it increasingly difficult to focus their minds. Concentration is a necessary human skill. It makes proper thinking possible, increases intelligence, and allows a person to calm down and achieve their goals more effectively. A concentrated mind is like a laser beam, able to use all its powers in a single direction to great effect. Concentration is critical to many human endeavors. Being able to listen to another person, for example, in a compassionate and connected manner requires being able to shut out distractions. The experience of making love can be greatly enhanced when one is not, for example, thinking about other things. Concentration allows a person to stop being a "reaction machine" or "robot," simply responding to stimulii, and instead to become more thoughtful, self-directed, and confident. Concentration is an interesting thing. It is a very general ability. That means developing concentration in one area will help you concentrate in ALL areas. So, for example, if you learn to concentrate on a particular idea, it not only helps you think about that idea (which would be very limited), but actually helps you to concentrate on anything, which is very generally useful for everything! It's like lifting weights. It doesn't just make you strong for lifting weights, but strong for anything else you want to do! Think about one thing. Every time you get distracted, return to that one thing. 1. Find an object on which to concentrate. This can be a physical object, like a pebble or a feather. Or it can be a mental object like a particular idea. It could even be, say, your homework. 2. Cut off any sources of distraction. These include, but are not limited to, telephones, emails, computers, music, television, and so forth. Turn all of these off during your concentration practice. 3. Begin your period of by mentally reminding yourself what you are concentrating on. 4. Now begin to concentrate. If your concentration object is an external object, this may mean looking at it. If it is a mental object, then think about it. If it is your homework, then do it now. 5. Each time your mind (or eyes) wander from your concentration object, bring it back to the object. It is important to do this very gently and without judgment. 6. Repeat this process of coming back to the concentration object for as long as you wish, or until your homework is done. Cultures worldwide have developed concentration practices for both spiritual and practical reasons. Concentration is called dharana in Hinduism, and samadhi or shamatha in Buddhism. It is considered to be a key skill for meditation. CAUTIONS: Concentration can at first seem to trigger a lot of anxiety. This is, however, not the fault of the concentration practice. Rather, it happens because many people use distraction to avoid feeling emotions. Then when the distractions are removed, a tremendous amount of ambient, unprocessed emotions (i.e. emotions you are feeling but were unaware of feeling) are present. So it is not the practice of concentration that is causing anxiety, but instead it is the habit of distracting ourselves from our emotions. This may be the root cause of much inability to focus and concentrate. If that is the case, try meditating on emotions (below). Concentration and meditation are not the same thing, although they are related. Meditation (usually) requires concentration, but also requires relaxation or equanimity. Emotional Awareness Meditation This meditation brings about a great deal of equanimity with emotions. They will not seem to affect us as deeply or adversely. Many people have trouble contacting their emotions directly. Even if we feel that we know what emotion we are having, that does not necessarily mean that we are contacting it directly. To contact an emotion directly means to feel it in the body. This is the opposite of most people's experience, which is to related ideas about the emotion. Here is an example. A person asks you how you are feeling. You respond by saying, "I am angry, because..." You then go on to tell the person all the reasons you are angry. In this example, only the first three words, "I am angry" have anything to do with contacting emotion. All the rest of the explanation is about concepts. A fuller example of contacting emotions directly, that is somatically, would be to say, "I am angry. I can feel a sort of gripping tension in my belly that is uncomfortable. The tense area feels kind of twisted and sharp. Parts of it are throbbing. It also feels like it is radiating heat outwards." Notice that the cause of the anger is irrelevant. The practice here is to feel the physical expression of the anger as completely as possible. Extended practice of this meditation will bring about "skill at feeling," that is, a tremendous amount of clarity in the emotional world. Emotional intelligence. It will also help emotions to process and release much more quickly and completely, because we are not holding on to ideas about the emotions. The body processes emotion quickly, naturally, and fully. Feel the physical expression of an emotion as completely as possible. 1. Settle into a comfortable meditation posture. 2. Breathing normally, bring your attention to your emotions. Notice if you are feeling any emotions, no matter how faintly. It is not necessary to know precisely which emotion you are having, or why you are having it. Just knowing that you are feeling something emotional is enough. Guessing is OK. 3. Once you detect an emotion, see if you can find its expression in your body. Maybe there is a feeling of tension, gripping, tightening, burning, twisting, throbbing, pressure, lightness, openness, etc. 4. If you like, you can mentally make the label "feel" when you detect a body sensation of emotion. Other labels are possible ("emotion" for example). 5. Each time you detect an emotional body sensation, try to actually feel the sensation in your body, as completely as possible. Feel it through and through. 6. Completely let go of any ideas you have about the emotion, or self talk you might have about why the emotion is arising. Return to the body sensation of the emotion. 7. Continue contacting these emotional body sensations for as long as you wish. Meditating on emotions is a traditional part of Vipassana practice in Buddhism. It is, for example, one of the four main techniques covered in the Vissudhimagga (The Path to Purity), an important Buddhist text. (The version presented here is a summary of a practice given by American Buddhist teacher Shinzen Young.) At first, practicing this meditation may make it seem as if the emotions are getting bigger. If they are negative emotions, this may seem overwhelming for a while. This is natural. It is occuring not because the emotions are actually getting bigger, but for two interesting reasons. The first is because we are no longer suppressing them. We are allowing them to actually express themselves fully. The second is because we are observing them (actually feeling them) very closely. Just as a microscope makes small things look bigger, the "microscope" of attention makes the emotional body sensations seem larger than they really are. The good news here is that as the emotions express themselves freely in the body, they are being processed. Usually this means that they will pass much more quickly. If we are feeling a positive emotion in this way, it may pass quickly, but we will also derive much more satisfaction from it, because our experience of it is so rich and complete. If we are feeling a negative emotion in this way, we will experience much less suffering from it, because we are not resisting and suppressing it. Equanimity Meditation The cause of much of our upset and emotional instability is clinging and neediness around people we like, and aversion and negativity towards people we don't like. We also have an unhealthy indifference to strangers, who may need our help, or at least our good will. This equanimity meditation helps us to examine our feelings towards people, and correct them where they are mistaken. This leads to a more balanced, wholesome, and helpful viewpoint. It also cuts off a lot of emotional turmoil at its root. Meditate on three people (a loved one, an enemy, and a neutral person), examining and correcting your feelings toward them. 1. Sit in a comfortable meditation posture. Follow your breath until you feel centered and grounded. 2. Bring to mind the images of three people: someone you like, someone you dislike, and someone towards whom you feel indifferent. Keep these three people in mind throughout the meditation. 3. Focus on the friend, and look into all the reasons you like this person. Try to see if any of the reasons are about things this person does for you, or ways they uplift your ego. Ask yourself if these are really the correct reasons to like someone. Then do the same thing with the person you dislike, instead asking about the reasons you dislike them. Finally, do this for the person you are indifferent towards, asking about the reasons for your indifference. In all cases, notice where your ego is involved in the judgment of the other person's worth. 4. Next, ask yourself whether you consider each of these relationships as permanent. Would you still like your friend if they did something terrible to you? What if the person you dislike really did something nice for you? What if the stranger became close to you? Think about all the relationships in the past in which your feelings about the person have dramatically changed. 5. Now, visualize the person you like doing something you dislike or that is unacceptable to you. Would you still be their friend? Remember that many people have changed from friends to enemies in the past. There are people who you used to like, toward whom you now feel emnity. Think about how there is no special reason to feel good about a person who is only temporarily your friend. 6. Next, visualize your enemy doing something very kind for you. They might visit you in the hospital, or help you to fix your home. When you imagine this, can you feel positive emotions toward this person? Can you remember times in the past when an enemy became a friend? Is it necessary to feel that your strong dislike for this person will last forever? Isn't it possible that they could someday become your friend? 7. Now visualize the stranger. How would you feel about them if they did something very kind for you? Isn't it the case that all your current friends were at one point total strangers? Isn't it possible that a stranger could become your best friend? It has happened before. 8. Think carefully about how everyone deserves equal regard as human beings. You must discriminate and make decisions based on your knowledge of a person's character, but you do not have to hold strong feelings or judgments towards them. It is very likely that your emotions around a person will change many times, so why hold onto these emotions so rigidly? In Buddhism, equanimity means a very deep, even profound, state of mental balance and stability. It is considered one of the seven factors of enlightenment, and a hallmark of the third and fourth jhanas, which are deep states of meditative absorption. This is a traditional meditation from Mahayana Buddhism. Its goal is to arouse "bodhicitta' or the mind of enlightenment. There are other equanimity meditations from other Buddhist lineages (e.g., Theravadan), as well as from other contemplative traditions. (The version presented here is adapted from the book How to Meditate: A Practical Guide.) CAUTIONS: It can be upsetting to bring an "enemy" to mind. When working with the mental image of an enemy, be careful not to get lost in negative thoughts and feelings. If you find that you can't handle working with a specific person without getting very worked up, switch to someone less upsetting. Body Scan Meditation The Body Scan is designed to help you feel and bring awareness to the myriad of sensations that occur throughout your body. By practicing this meditation regularly, you can improve your body awareness and also better work with pain and difficult emotions in the body. Additionally, people report feelings of relaxation and renewal after this practice. Sit or lie on your back and systematically bring your attention to each region of your body, beginning with your feet and moving upwards. As you begin: · Sit or lie down on your back in a comfortable position with your eyes open or gently closed. · Take a moment to check-in with yourself, observing how you are feeling in your body and mind. · Begin to focus on your breath wherever the sensations are most vivid for you. During the body scan: · Try to bring an attitude of curiosity to the practice, as if you are investigating your body for the first time. · Notice and feel any and all sensations that are present, such as tingling, tightness, heat, cold, pressure, dullness, etc. · If you do not feel any sensations in a particular region, simply note that and move on. · See if you can be aware of any thoughts or emotions that arise as you move through the regions of your body. Note these thoughts and emotions, and then return to the bare physical sensations that you are experiencing. · Whenever you come across an area that is tense, see if you can allow it to soften. If the area does not soften, simply notice how it feels and allow it to be as it is. · Feel as deeply and precisely as you can into each region of the body, noting if the sensations change in any way. Also notice where they are located. · If you notice any pain or discomfort in a region of the body, see if you can practice allowing and exploring it for even a few seconds, feeling the various aspects of the sensation(s). Suggested sequence of body parts: · Begin with your left foot and toes, then move awareness up the left leg until you reach the left hip. · Right foot and toes up the right leg until you reach the right hip. · Pelvic region and buttocks, stomach, low back to upper back, chest and breasts, heart and lungs · Hands (both at the same time) then move up the arms until you finish with the shoulders. · Neck, throat, jaw, mouth (teeth, tongue, lips), nose, eyes, forehead, ears, skull and scalp. · Finally, become aware of the whole body and rest for a few minutes in this expansive awareness. The Body Scan is a variation of a Burmese Vipassana meditation practice that involves scanning the body for physical sensations. This meditation is also done in various yoga practices. The Body Scan is used in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), created by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D. CAUTIONS: If you have experienced physical abuse or trauma in the past, it is not recommended to do this practice without a trained professional. Additionally, if you notice intense fear or other strong emotions related to a particular part of the body, please discontinue this practice. It is generally advised to take at least 30 to 40 minutes to complete the body scan. However, if you wish to do a shorter body scan, spend less time on each region of the body, and/or focus on both feet, legs, and arms together as you move through these regions. If you wish, you can practice the body scan in the opposite direction, moving from your head to your toes. Walking Meditation Walking meditation is a great way to begin integrating the power of meditation into your daily life. It is the first stage of meditation in action, that is, learning to be meditative while "out and about" in the world. It is great to do while, for example, taking a walk in the park, at the beach, or in another natural setting. Walking meditation is often recommended for people who are doing a lot of sitting meditation. If you are getting to sleepy, or your awareness is getting to "muddy," walking meditation can perk you up. Alternately, if you are getting to concentrated and mentally "stiff," walking meditation is a perfect way to loosen up a bit. Walking meditation is a common practice in Vipassana and Zen Buddhism. Pay close attention to the physical activity of walking slowly 1. Before walking, stand still in an open, balanced posture. Bring your awareness to the feeling of your feet touching the ground. 2. Now begin walking. Keep your gaze fixed on the ground about six feet in front of you. This will help you to avoid distraction. 3. Note and mentally label three parts of each step you take. The labels are "lifting," "pushing," and "dropping." Lifting - when you are picking your foot up Pushing - as you are moving it forward Dropping - as you are lowering it to the ground As you make each label, pay very close attention to the actual physical sensations associated with each of these actions. 4. After these three components become clear, you can add three more, so that the entire sequence is: "raising," "lifting," "pushing," "dropping," "touching," and "pressing." 5. Your mind will probably also engage in thinking extraneous thoughts, but just allow these to go on in the background. Your foreground attention should stay on the physical sensations of walking. 6. If you find that you have been completely lost in thought, stop walking for a moment and label the thinking as "thinking, thinking, thinking." 7. Then re-establish your awareness on the feeling in your feet, and begin the walking meditation again. 8. A typical session of walking meditation lasts a half an hour. CAUTIONS: Make sure to watch where you are going, especially if you are around traffic, other people, etc. https://sites.google.com/site/psychospiritualtools/Home/meditation-practices The Yoda Meditation https://www.thedailymeditation.com/learning-to-meditate-with-jedi-master-yoda-online-meditation-course/amp The Neo / Matrix Meditation https://www.dc-acupuncture.com/lifestyle-personal-transformation/how-meditation-makes-you-more-like-neo-from-the-matrix F That - A guided Meditation https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=92i5m3tV5XY

This one is quite amusing: Imagine you are the women on the phone and you have never heard of enlightenment or nonduality before… what would you think?

I’ve been reading recently a book filled with Q and As with Ramana Marashi. I am finding the book very insightful, when held along with my 5meodmt use, Actualized Lectures, study of the Tao and Chinese medicine, and my continued and evolving practice of Qigong, Meditation, mindfulness, self love, breathwork, and enjoying of nature. I have a deepening insights that: The Self = Infinity = consciousness = Love = Goodness = Being = Immortality = Oneness = Nonduality = Solipsism = Togetherness I find I read Maharishi’s words with ecstatic enjoyment. I think this is my Self, enjoying in the ecstasy of hearing words well spoken and truthful about reality. Maharshi is a spiritual master. I am also realizing the richness of this divine, spiritual experience that is life. The great joys of life including learning about, contemplating and experiencing Gods love, studying health, wealth, and truth. Being Mature, wise, educated, experienced, and deeply rooted is how to live the best life. Developing mastery over body, mind and spirit, and developing tangible skills in the dualistic aspect of reality is important. When I read about the Self, when I contemplate it and when I feel my spiritual connection to my true self, and the mystery of what I am I grow in deeper curiosity, ecstasy, love, compassion and passion and motivation to honour this life that I have to the highest degree. I realize that all this duality is taking place on the absolute bed that is my own Self, which is immortal, absolute Goodness for eternity. I am this Self, expanding in all direction… from the smallest ant, to the biggest ant. It’s all me. I am realizing that part of the point of my life is to develop such a profound and deep understanding of human psychology, the Self, the principles of living well, health/ healing, music, Qigong/ meditation, etc and to use this deep mastery to create a profound world of love, healing, and connection in my life. That my YouTube channel is just in its fledgling phase. Become a master of life, a master of self. The only thing that makes sense is to love, to Honour the Self. Being a Holy person is the best life. Being aligned with the self, resting in self, acting in self and creating in self is the point of reality. It is its own point. Hope there is a thread through this that makes sense, and that you found this an enjoyable read. Love, Yourself

Precisely. The Self = Infinity = consciousness = Love = Goodness = Being = Immortality = Oneness = Nonduality = Solipsism = Togetherness This is it. Leo might want to retract his alien garbage and leave it to imagination where it belongs because it is not Absolute Truth. Maybe when his book comes out I can read it side by side with Harry Potter.

Last night I had an intense solo tripping experience. The idea was to do a medium dose of LSD on an empty stomach, in absolute darkness. Dose: 500ug on a 24 hour fast Setting: At night, complete darkness + sleeping mask Intent: Forgiveness and letting go Understand emotional mastery Explore how I can live more consciously Trip Experience: Initial Paranoia: After about 30 minutes, I started experiencing mild effects and an initial paranoia set in, along with an intense desire to eat something (I didn't do it since it tends to blunt the intensity of the trip). Forgiving and letting-go exercise: I worked through the "How to forgive someone who hurt you" exercise and working on the meditation. I noticed how my heart is still not open and how much resistance I have to feel emotions. This is a significant sticking point for me. After the exercise, I contemplated for a while. Soon after that, the peak of the trip hit. Bilateral Symmetry: This is a common theme for me. As soon as I surrender and let go, my body naturally starts doing the bilateral symmetry yoga (which Martin Ball describes). I even tried to stay centered and contemplate further, but the body wanted to open up and move. During this, I can observe when the ego/self-talk comes in since an abrupt break in symmetry accompanies that. When the body is moving fluidly, "I" am entirely gone. It's as if the body is working through some residue energy. There was also some shaking and some vibrating. The Bee: I started working on letting go and surrendering my fears. Right then, a small bee came buzzing in and sat right next to me. This was annoying since I used to be afraid of bees as a child. What are the chances that a bee would come in and land in front of me at a time when I'm working on surrendering my fears (I haven't seen a bee in months)? This has to be the Universe testing me. I sat there, observing my impulse to swat that bee or go somewhere else, but I just sat there, letting go. I realized that all my insights are useless unless I can put them to use. The Buddhabrot: During the bilateral symmetry, a track started playing on YouTube, which had the thumbnail of the Buddhabrot from the movie "Inner Worlds, Outer Worlds". I saw it, and it hit me hard. I was looking at Absolute Infinity! Contained in this picture are infinite patterns, all of which exist all at once. An observer can, however, focus on a specific pattern and create a narrative by changing his/her focus over time. But all of it exists simultaneously, at once. I stared at this fractal for an hour, during which, I saw two hands moving in bilateral symmetry, I saw a jester laughing, I saw a dragon guarding a treasure. I saw the light and shadow creating a play of good and evil. I saw a Goddess, I saw the Buddha figure, and I eventually saw two eyes staring back at me in the middle of the image. I realized I was literally looking at God! I stared at those two eyes as an entire universe sprawled out of nowhere and then vanished back into the infinite fractal. I was moved beyond words. When I see this figure now, I'm hardly able to see anything, but I will look at it again when I trip. Purging: One consequence of my energetic opening was my body wanting to throw up and purge. I had nothing in my system, but that didn't stop my body from feeling nauseous and wanting to throw up. This correlated well with my emotional state of wanting to let go of my past blockages and old narratives. One big realization is that I am normally heavily detached from my body and am energetically quite closed. Meditation + more Bilateral symmetry: I meditated for a bit, and then the body wanted to move again. Eventually, it grew tired, and I went back to just contemplating. Lessons: With each trip, I understand how little I embody these insights in day to day life. Breath: After the purging, I can see that my breath is deeper, and I can see the energy move in and out of my gut better. For me, my degree of consciousness and embodiment is directly proportional to how deeply and openly I breathe. I understand Absolute Infinity in a much deeper way than I used to. 36-hour Fast was an excellent choice for this trip because it made it more potent. I will continue to do that in the future. Complete darkness also helped the trip, and I will continue tripping at night. Further: More fasting + Tripping I still cannot come to grips with the duality between God and Myself. I understand how I create my reality, but I'd be lying if I say that I understand God fully. Work on embodiment 5-MeO-DMT: It's been 18 months since I smoked 5-MeO. I still don't feel like I'm ready to take the plunge (or should I say the plug) yet. I need to work through some more stuff before I'm able to.

Ever loose yourself while having sex? And I mean really, really loose yourself? To the point where you're not able to tell who's doing who or what? ? it all just becomes a wave. A dance. Like everything else; this too can be magical and beautiful, or it can be straight on terrifying. ? Can't the man just enjoy some regular sex, for the Love of God?! ? How are things going for ya? Is sex still...sex?

@UnbornTao Of course! However to those that get stuck with nonduality, no self, and no free will, I believe my explanation is a bit refreshed, however I agree, language is never the truth...

Sure. Ken Wilber said in the Interview-Series "Cosmic Consciousness" to Tami Simon that nobody on the planet is resting 24/7 in his True Nondual Being, enlightened or not. When True Reality clouds over with remaining ignorance, it is a hint from Reality which parts of the separate self are not yet seen through and still have the potential to "cloud" awakened Nonduality/Awareness. The question is then: Does one know ones True Being/Nature (impersonal enlightenment), and can one re-establish that nondual infinite awakened state immediately by just reaching out? Peak to Plateau to permanent. The deciding shift is realizing what that True Being really is. That gives to possibility to re-establish that by just "reaching out".

I will make this quick and swift. Mirrors Since there is no physical reality, when I look at a mirror and see my “reflection”, from the point of nonduality, what is the mirror? A rectangular void on which consciousness projects an image of the avatar it is inhabiting? Computer / Phone Screens When I interact with my phone, since there is no physical existence... what is that appearing inside the screen? Does this mean that we are creating more stories and events by using our phones, because they are the ULTIMATE research and communication tools? In summary: Am I God using an iPhone it itself dreamt up, and when using it I invent more realities. All that I see in my phone I imagined and is not real. What are the implications for life? Lets say I meet someone on a dating app. I dreamt up the app, and then dreamt up the conversation... what if we meet in real “life”. What are the implications of that?