The Dangers Of Spirituality

[lukej]

So, I recently saw Leo's new video and I felt like I should share some of my thoughts on this. Only really in an effort to prevent people from hurting themselves. 

It can be really easy to just listen to spiritual teachers and get lost in that. But once you get down to the real work you will find that it is some of the hardest and most brutal things you will ever do. 

The dangers of spiritual work is that either you can use it to justify harmful things or go into such darkness and despair you try to take your own life. These are not very light things. On the path, you will experience things that feel like real death and you will have to face the darkest and ugliest parts of yourself. 

If you are not prepared to face meanginlessness it can destroy your whole life. It can leave you on the floor for days wanting to do nothing but cry and puke (trust me I've been there). If you meditate long enough and play around with consciousness you could tap into giant pockets of pain in the collective psyche and it feels like you just entered into your own private hell. If you practice long enough you might have communications with other beings and that might make you feel like you have lost touch with all of reality. 

Another thing you could face is feeling all alone. Feeling that everyone knows the truth and is just lying to you. Or that they are actually not there at all. Leaving you feeling totally helpless and stranded in an infinite ocean with nothing to grab onto. 

You will have experiences that you can not communicate to anyone and it will not make any sense. The growing rift between your reality and your friends and family will grow wider and wider then you will start to worry that you won't be able to talk to them or make sense anymore. Your family might think you have gone insane. 

With things like kundalini and chakra work, you will feel profound shifts of energy that can be alarming if you are used to it. You might start seeing auras and that can cool but also off-putting.  

If you use psychedelics these are great tools but can also lead to unexpected things if you are not prepared and if you don't know how to trip properly. A bad trip can really ruin a lot of good work and set you back a few months or years. Psychedelics demand respect and I happily give them that lol.  

So, what I really want to rely on people that spirituality is not all fun and games or just theory. There are some serious things that can happen (if you care to still be alive and functional). 

What I have found the most useful is always having my basic needs handled first. As well as grounding myself in spiritual theory (to start off with) so I can make some sense of what I have experienced. And also trying to do things with the most loving approach. You will have to confront some horrific huge things and if your heart is not opened it can scare you away for a long time. 

I'm not trying to scare you away from spiritual work but I just want you to consider the possible dangers and to re-evaluate what you are doing. Leo had some great points in the video on how to properly do the work and if you should do the work.  

Now, the benefits of spiritual work are huge and glorious. Imagine just being blown away every day from just how beautiful everything is, and how wonderous mysterious and powerful you really are. Imagine loving and understanding everything so much that you cry tears of joy, and of sympathy for everyone and everything. Imagine being able to forgive everyone and everything and not being afraid to die and in fact, you are excited to pass on because you know it will the start of a whole new adventure. Imagine that there is a whole infinite world for you to explore right here and that everything just seems like pure magic to you. Imagine feeling like there is no failure and that you are free to play like an innocent child forever.  This is possible for you and I wish that for you and I hope you can get there without hurting yourself too much. 

[zeroISinfinity]

@lukej Yes everything said is True. 

Will Just add everything experienced during Meditation taking psychedelics or What you are Concious of right Now is Infinite intelligence on act shouldn't be thrown away. 

Yes most stuff are deeply emotionally difficult. Even to existential Level, not on personal. But Love is cure for All. ❤️

Yes you have to be like really robust but it pays off big time. 

For enlightenment you die. If you are really ready for it do it. If you are not, develop yourself emotionally, grow up a bit. It is not that you have to seek this, you are Perfect as you are right now. 

[zeroISinfinity]

Will rather give you All answers then seeing anyone facing All this. It really is not easy. 

[Surfingthewave]

@lukej Great post thank you. You've described very well the perils of this path, but also the beauty and bliss that comes from shedding layers of ego and psyche. 

Some teachers like Rupert Spira & Shinzen Young are also very good guides for when things get tough. For those alone times I think it's really important to reach out to others, particularly at retreats, workshops or meditation centres. This is why it is key to look to the community, not just online, for support. 

Edited October 21, 2019 by Surfingthewave

[Red-White-Light]

@lukej I had a kundalini phycosis, I'm still recovering from it. Kundalini is really dangerous imho.