I am enlightened. Sincere seekers: ask me anything

[Amun]

18 minutes ago, winterknight said:

Well, from one standpoint, because it’s true, and not just of me, but of us all. 

And it’s a playful way of getting seekers interested in talking, in asking their questions. 

This too 

Yes, best to do shadow work through psychoanalysis and/or psychoanalytic psychotherapy (not just any therapy). 

Thank you for your response. In the reply you linked you suggest that it is best to work with a professional. However being a student, i´m on a relatively tight budget. Would there be any other methods you could suggest?

[winterknight]

4 minutes ago, Amun said:

Thank you for your response. In the reply you linked you suggest that it is best to work with a professional. However being a student, i´m on a relatively tight budget. Would there be any other methods you could suggest?

In what city are you located? There are often very low-fee therapy options available for students and other low-income individuals. 

The truth is that it is worth working with someone: you will accomplish with much greater ease if you have any significant shadow work to do. 

Other than that I also recommend metaphorization — a method I detail fully in my book — where you express your feelings by thinking of things which those feelings are like and expressing that connection, either in words in or in other artistic mediums. By investigating what you think you want, your feelings about that, your life, and everything else that bothers you, you can come to greater clarity.

[Amun]

37 minutes ago, winterknight said:

In what city are you located? There are often very low-fee therapy options available for students and other low-income individuals. 

The truth is that it is worth working with someone: you will accomplish with much greater ease if you have any significant shadow work to do. 

Other than that I also recommend metaphorization — a method I detail fully in my book — where you express your feelings by thinking of things which those feelings are like and expressing that connection, either in words in or in other artistic mediums. By investigating what you think you want, your feelings about that, your life, and everything else that bothers you, you can come to greater clarity.

I´m located in Frankfurt. I´ll look into metaphorization. Thank you

[winterknight]

24 minutes ago, Amun said:

I´m located in Frankfurt. I´ll look into metaphorization. Thank you

Contact the clinic at the Frankfurt Psychoanalytic Institute. Looks like there are lots of options for payment, including insurance possibly.

Trust me, proper therapy (or actual analysis, which is even more dedicated and deep) takes time and effort but if you are a serious seeker it is so worth it. FAR superior to trying to do it yourself.

I wish I had done it earlier.

[Amun]

10 hours ago, winterknight said:

Contact the clinic at the Frankfurt Psychoanalytic Institute. Looks like there are lots of options for payment, including insurance possibly.

Trust me, proper therapy (or actual analysis, which is even more dedicated and deep) takes time and effort but if you are a serious seeker it is so worth it. FAR superior to trying to do it yourself.

I wish I had done it earlier.

I will contact them and see what options i have, thank you. 

Edited March 16, 2019 by Amun

[FoxFoxFox]

Here's an unorthodox question. Did you ever feel trapped in the third dimension? Was it ever part of your experience? 

[winterknight]

47 minutes ago, FoxFoxFox said:

Here's an unorthodox question. Did you ever feel trapped in the third dimension? Was it ever part of your experience? 

Sure -- in the seeking stage. It's a classic identification with thought 

[FoxFoxFox]

1 hour ago, winterknight said:

Sure -- in the seeking stage. It's a classic identification with thought 

Good answer. Rarely see "ignorance" be phrased as a literal feeling of being trapped inside a 3-4 dimensional understanding of consciousness. Usually its the opposite, but thats probably because that perception is everything most people have. 

[FoxFoxFox]

@winterknight Any tips with regards to fear? With the opening of my heart I'm beginning to perceive extrasensory information. Some of them are quite terrifying. Have you encountered fear in your own awakening and if so how did you deal with it?

[winterknight]

4 hours ago, FoxFoxFox said:

@winterknight Any tips with regards to fear? With the opening of my heart I'm beginning to perceive extrasensory information. Some of them are quite terrifying. Have you encountered fear in your own awakening and if so how did you deal with it?

Fear, like all emotions, comes and goes in the mind.

The question is whether it is sticky or not, whether it stays.

The "tips" regarding fear are the tips regarding any negative emotion -- which are either to

a) take the psychological stance -- go into it and figure out what the underlying unaddressed desire is, and correct your life accordingly (i.e. the emotion is being caused by some dishonesty to yourself about what you really want)

or

b) take the spiritual stance -- which means to inquire into whom the fear appears. It will become apparent that the fear cannot affect the real you. The "you" that is afflicted by the fear is an imaginary you that is created by the fear. But of course you must see this for yourself.  

Until that point is reached, self-inquiry must continue. And if that insight seems to slip away, re-inquire. Over and over until that knowledge is stable.

Take heart from this little gem from the Yoga Vasistha I read today:

"He who knows himself to be unbreakable and unburnable like a solid and impenetrable stone, not in his unreal body but in his consciousness, cares little for his death...When we are firmly settled in our belief in the indestructible nature of empty consciousness, we are led to regard the fire and thunder of the last day of destruction in the light of a shower of flowers over our heads."

Edited March 18, 2019 by winterknight

[FoxFoxFox]

@winterknight Well Self-inquiry has evolved into surrender, so there's no longer an active inquiry into the nature of being through words or anything like that. But I think I should be able to stay with my true nature when facing scary situations with repeated exposure. In other words, there is not enough of the logical present at that moment of fear to take either of those stances. It can only be done in retrospect when back at 4th dimensional existence. 

Another thing is the visual aspect of the affair. I just wanted to double-check with someone else. When I surrender and my heart opens, the physical world around me breaks down and light reveals itself. If i'm looking at a person when doing it, it's as if their skin and bones melt away and a being of pure light reveals itself instead. Is this a common perception? Have you had an experience like that?

[winterknight]

8 hours ago, FoxFoxFox said:

@winterknight Well Self-inquiry has evolved into surrender, so there's no longer an active inquiry into the nature of being through words or anything like that. But I think I should be able to stay with my true nature when facing scary situations with repeated exposure. In other words, there is not enough of the logical present at that moment of fear to take either of those stances. It can only be done in retrospect when back at 4th dimensional existence. 

Who is there to stay with their true nature? That's that the inquiry needs to be about. But yes, surrender works. Simply absolutely surrender all desire for the situation to be any different -- including the desire for there not to be any fear, or to be able to take any stances at that moment, etc.

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Another thing is the visual aspect of the affair. I just wanted to double-check with someone else. When I surrender and my heart opens, the physical world around me breaks down and light reveals itself. If i'm looking at a person when doing it, it's as if their skin and bones melt away and a being of pure light reveals itself instead. Is this a common perception? Have you had an experience like that?

Are you speaking literally -- like a hallucination -- or more metaphorically, in your mind's eye?

Edited March 19, 2019 by winterknight

[FoxFoxFox]

@winterknight

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Who is there to stay with the true nature? That's that the inquiry needs to be about. But yes, surrender works. Simply absolutely surrender all desire for the situation to be any different -- including the desire for there not to be any fear.

Well like I said. At the time there is not enough presence as an ego to do the inquiry. I can do that after the fact. I can remember that even while I was afraid, there was great stillness withing me. But at the time of fear, the vibrations of the emotion are too strong to notice the stillness. 

Quote

Are you speaking literally -- like a hallucination -- or more metaphorically, in your mind's eye?

I meant it literally. As if the quality of sight changes to reveal something else entirely. A human being's face breaks down to reveal a body of light. That is not scary thought. Some other phenomena is. Like unexplainable shapes and figures. It's all coupled with losing the control of the body. The head turns by itself to look around, that sort of thing.

So not with the mind's eye as if when you imagine stuff with eyes closed.

[winterknight]

5 minutes ago, FoxFoxFox said:

@winterknight

Well like I said. At the time there is not enough presence as an ego to do the inquiry. I can do that after the fact. I can remember that even while I was afraid, there was great stillness withing me. But at the time of fear, the vibrations of the emotion are too strong to notice the stillness. 

Well I'm suggesting doing the inquiry now (and continuously). The question is who is worried about it now. Who is there that is affected by this fear? Who is it that wants to be present during fear to be in control? Who is it that wants to notice the stillness then?

Or, if you are surrendering, then surrender these desires too.
 

Quote

I meant it literally. As if the quality of sight changes to reveal something else entirely. A human being's face breaks down to reveal a body of light. That is not scary thought. Some other phenomena is. Like unexplainable shapes and figures. It's all coupled with losing the control of the body. The head turns by itself to look around, that sort of thing.

So not with the mind's eye as if when you imagine stuff with eyes closed.

Well, imagination doesn't have to only be closed-eyed. We can superimpose imaginary images on our vision. For example, I could look at a book in front of me and in imagination, with eyes open, "see" that it's levitating. But I can instantly return my attention to the 'actual' position of the book, and I know that it's not really ever levitating.

Is this what you mean? Or do you mean something else?

Edited March 19, 2019 by winterknight

[FoxFoxFox]

Quote

Well I'm suggesting doing the inquiry now (and continuously). The question is who is worried about it now. Who is there that is affected by this fear? Who is it that wants to be present during fear to be in control? Who is it that wants to notice the stillness then?

Or, if you are surrendering, then surrender these desires too.

Yes. I understand. If I do this then the rest of the phenomena i mentioned will follow. They are a byproduct of surrender.

Quote

Well, imagination doesn't have to only be closed-eyed. We can superimpose imaginary images on our vision. For example, I could look at a book in front of me and in imagination, with eyes open, "see" that it's levitating. But I can instantly return my attention to the 'actual' position of the book, and I know that it's not really ever levitating.

Is this what you mean? Or do you mean something else?

What I mean is, a person's body will literally get corrupted, fall apart and dissolve away, and a featureless being of pure white light begins to stare at me. It has no features but the outline is the same as that of a human. It occupies the same space as the body that just disappeared. This is the only thing i've ever experienced in my life that I would call a "soul". There is no imagination in the mind eye involved as far as my intentions go.

[winterknight]

9 minutes ago, FoxFoxFox said:

Yes. I understand. If I do this then the rest of the phenomena i mentioned will follow. They are a byproduct of surrender.

Ok, so if you're surrendering, then where is the problem anymore with the fear? That's dealt with, right?

Quote

What I mean is, a person's body will literally get corrupted, fall apart and dissolve away, and a featureless being of pure white light begins to stare at me. It has no features but the outline is the same as that of a human. It occupies the same space as the body that just disappeared. This is the only thing i've ever experienced in my life that I would call a "soul". There is no imagination in the mind eye involved as far as my intentions go.

Ok, well, I haven't experienced anything like that, but it could be some kind of supernatural perception, or else it could simply be that your mind is highly suggestible (not necessarily a bad thing).

I would not place any importance in visions of this kind, though. They have nothing to do with the Self. They are relative phenomena.

I should ask -- is there any history of psychosis in your family, though? Or are you taking psychedelics regularly?

Edited March 19, 2019 by winterknight

[FoxFoxFox]

@winterknight

Quote

Ok, so if you're surrendering, then where is the problem anymore with the fear? That's dealt with, right?

I think at the time i failed to surrender to the fear. Mind you the "soul" wasn't what caused the fear. It was all the other stuff. But I think i'll manage with continued exposure.

Quote

Ok, well, I haven't experienced anything like that, but it could be some kind of supernatural perception, or else it could simply be that your mind is highly suggestible (not necessarily a bad thing).

I would not place any importance in visions of this kind, though. They have nothing to do with the Self. They are relative phenomena.

I should ask -- is there any history of psychosis in your family, though? Or are you taking psychedelics regularly?

There is no history of psychosis in my family whatsoever. I've only taken psychedelics twice and that was a long time ago.

I have experienced some weird phenomena though:

1. I vividly remember first entering this body when it was an infant.

2. I've had memories that are definitely not from this life 

3. Very frequent dejavu to the point it sometime happened daily and for prolonged times. 

Things like that. 

[winterknight]

7 minutes ago, FoxFoxFox said:

@winterknightI think at the time i failed to surrender to the fear. Mind you the "soul" wasn't what caused the fear. It was all the other stuff. But I think i'll manage with continued exposure.

Right, but I'm talking about right now -- this very issue of what-happens-when-fear-strikes-and-I-fail-to-surrender... this "issue" should also be surrendered. If the fear comes without your surrender in that moment, you can still surrender to that whole fact right now.

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There is no history of psychosis in my family whatsoever. I've only taken psychedelics twice and that was a long time ago.

Ok good.

Quote

I have experienced some weird phenomena though:

1. I vividly remember first entering this body when it was an infant.

2. I've had memories that are definitely not from this life 

3. Very frequent dejavu to the point it sometime happened daily and for prolonged times. 

Things like that. 

Well, it could be that you are really are remembering things from early in your life or past lives. Or it could be suggestibility, as I said. Anyway these things run together ultimately, since the world is not real.

But if you're really interested in these phenomena, maybe they deserve some further investigation. Maybe you want to -- write them down, create art out of them, capture what they feel like as accurately and originally as you can.

Or, alternatively, perhaps you want to investigate them. If there's a memory of a past life, perhaps you want to see if it is accurate. If there are verifiable facts in these memories, maybe you can investigate them.

Or perhaps you simply surrender and allow whatever happens regarding these to happen, and you simply be, serene and unconcerned...

Edited March 19, 2019 by winterknight

[FoxFoxFox]

@winterknight

Quote

Right, but I'm talking about right now -- this very issue of what-happens-when-fear-strikes-and-I-fail-to-surrender... this "issue" should also be surrendered. If the fear comes without your surrender in that moment, you can still surrender to that whole fact right now.

I understand. I will dedicate some proper inquiry to it.

Not exactly sure if this is what suggestibility means but I don't think I'm easily manipulatable. I have a very heightened sense of appraising people's character. I can almost immediately notice when someone has the intention to manipulate me or whatever. 

One thing about my experience with inquiry and enlightenment: It seems to me that self-inquiry results in complete detachment from phenomena and the world, while surrender results in merging. These are very distinct modes of being. In both, the world disappears. With self inquiry though, attachment instead is completely to a confusing, shapeless "self". Literally the void. With surrender though, there is no attachment, but that doesn't mean fear magically goes away (i mean what i call the manifestation of fear in the body, and in retrospect).

[winterknight]

6 minutes ago, FoxFoxFox said:

@winterknight

Not exactly sure if this is what suggestibility means but I don't think I'm easily manipulatable. I have a very heightened sense of appraising people's character. I can almost immediately notice when someone has the intention to manipulate me or whatever. 

No, not exactly. By suggestibility I actually meant something more like hypnotic suggestibility. This is not anything like gullibility. It means the ability of some people to (unconsciously) deeply change the way their brain functions based on an idea (suggestion). For example, a highly hypnotically suggestible person could be told -- under hypnosis (though meditation may resemble hypnosis in some ways!) -- that a rose looked green, and the visual cortex of their brains would be seen literally reacting as if the flower placed in front of them was green.

It's actually a cool ability.

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One thing about my experience with inquiry and enlightenment: It seems to me that self-inquiry results in complete detachment from phenomena and the world, while surrender results in merging. These are very distinct modes of being. In both, the world disappears. With self inquiry though, attachment instead is completely to a confusing, shapeless "self". Literally the void. With surrender though, there is no attachment, but that doesn't mean fear magically goes away (i mean what i call the manifestation of fear in the body, and in retrospect).

Well, who is judging the self of inquiry to be confusing and shapeless while the self of surrender is merging? These are mental judgments. Who is there to make them?

These are the feelings of various methods before you see through the fact that all these judgments are wrong.

Edited March 19, 2019 by winterknight