Enlightenment

@ardacigin Do you have some consciousness during deep dreamless sleep? It sometimes happens to people in stage 8+ Do you drink alcohol? Does alcohol affect you differently now in effortless concentration? Since the beginning of stage 5, as I perceive more moments of consciousness my 45/50 minutes sits gradually feel longer, somewhat like on psychedelics time seem to slow down a little bit. Does that effect continue in 7+? I have my own hypothesis about the psychedelic experience and how it affects sub minds perceiving moments of consciousness as described in TMI. When I did my highest dose of DPT time seemed to be extremely slowed down, I would say something like 4x slower than normal.

I've experienced both. They are totally different, almost like the opposite. Depersonalization feels like this: Ego death is more like this: Search for Posterior cingulate cortex, insula, Default Mode Network, Gamma brain wave coherence

Become an Arhat. If you will die as an Arhat, you won't be reborn again. But of course, it's just a Buddhist idea, nobody really knows. I do not believe in reincarnation.

Alcohol

@Goodpeace Looks weird. It may be legit 5-MeO-DMT, you never know until you test it

The biggest factor to awakening is finding a practice/method that fits you. I don't know if you are familiar with Jeffery Martin and his study but that's been the most important finding. My case is also a proof for this, there is only one practice (mantra) that works for me in terms of generating insight and permanent shifts. These practices: • Awareness-centered practices: Directly placing attention on awareness itself using verbal and non-verbal techniques, during individual or group practice. • Direct inquiry: Using the mind, emotions, and sensations to actively dig into and seek the truth of one’s self. This is done by constant attention to what the Narrative-Self feels like, or actively trying to deconstruct it through ongoing probing and questioning. • Mantra-based practices: Using specific words or sounds as an object of concentration for meditative purposes. They may or may not have a meaning, and can be recited aloud or silently. Found across all major religions and spiritual traditions, their most common purpose is to quiet the mind. • Mindfulness-based practices: Contemplative and meditative techniques for focusing on the present moment in a non-reactive way. Generally, the goal is to obtain a stable, non-judgmental awareness of arising thoughts, emotions, and sensations. • Noting-based practices: Awareness and mental labeling of ongoing experience. Noting can be done silently or aloud. Both internal (thoughts, emotions, and sensations) and external events can be noted. Traditionally, an individual practice in recent years forms of ‘social noting’ has become popular that involves noting out-loud with one or more others. + all the vipassana techniques from TMI are top tier techniques So IMO the best way to go about it is to test them one after one on yourself and find out what works. Once you have found something producing either temporary or lasting changes, do it as long as it works, when it stops - either change a technique slightly or try a different one. Yea, I doubt it too. Either that or EEG scan. Stage 10 practitioner should have greatly elevated gamma brain waves and more coherence. You in stage 8 have more gamma too. It may seem like comparing penises but it really is a legit way to find out someone's meditation skills. Even Shizen Young said that if your attention has not wandered from the breath for about 4h, then you are developing Samatha.

@Leo Gura Natural talent is one thing, but learning on the intuitive level how to train your mind is crucial. Some people just seem to have very good intuition on how to practice properly. I was stuck in stage 5 subtle dullness for about 10 months not making any progress, not knowing why. Then something clicked in me and I finally understood what I was doing wrong this whole time. Since then I've been making steady progress. Without experimenting I would never move past stage 5, no matter how much I would meditate. My biggest advice for people that are stuck somewhere in stages 1-5 and don't make progress is - don't be afraid to experiment with different ways of engaging your attention, level of alertness (in fact up to stage 4/5 it's preferable to meditate in a state of subtle dullness because it's easier to calm the monkey mind), awareness, amount of effort (maybe you're under or over efforting) etc. How much time an individual will need to progress through 10 stages will depend on his natural talent, knowing how to meditate, diligence, how long per day he sits, how many purifications he need to undergo, amount of stress and external triggers that disunify the mind. There was one guy on The Mind Illuminated sub claiming he has reached stage 10 in 6 weeks. Of course, that would be extreme but I think stage 10 is doable within a 3-month retreat or 3 -5 years of daily practice.

@ardacigin Much appreciated thank you for this explanation! Now I know I still have to keep making a consistent effort.

It seems like I'm on the edge of stage 8. My last few sits I've had 30s - 10 minutes moments of effortlessness. One thing I am not sure about is whether stage 8 practice supposed to be absolutely completely effortless or with extremely little effort because what happens to me is that I can get to access concentration, then bliss and joy arise, then I use very very little effort but if I drop it literally completely, I tend to slip into very subtle dullness within a few minutes. What do you think? Have you had any cessations? Have you tried 5-MeO or DPT? BTW thanks for bringing awareness about this practice to this forum.

Psychedelics have some potential to sometimes cure depression/dysthymia but other than that, they do not cure mental illness like schizophrenia, anxiety, phobias...

I had similar experiences with low doses of 5-MeO. You can do 5-MeO even when you are depressed, just start with a threshold dose.

Personality is also mostly genetics.

Kenneth Folk after twenty years of training in the Burmese Theravada Buddhist tradition of Mahasi Sayadaw, including three years of intensive silent retreat in monasteries in Asia and the U.S., he began to spread his own findings, successfully stripping away religious dogma to render meditation accessible to modern practitioners. I know some things here goes contrary to what is believed to be true by the majority of people here. However, I find this perspective thought-provoking as well as I believe there's a great value to search not only for things that prove your already existing beliefs. Read with an open mind.

@BornToBe @outlandish 5-meo-dmt 3 years of use until breathing problems

There are two types of low energy states. One is related to mind, consciousness being dull, and this one LSD and concentration meditation can cure giving you more vivid senses and conscious experience. Second is tiredness from exercise or not getting enough sleep which can be cured by stimulants like caffeine, amphetamine, etc but if the average human would take a high dose of amphetamine he would still be in a state of subtle dullness from the perspective of meditation/psychedelics even tho on a gross level he would be extremely energetic, a large part of his subconscious mind would not be available to consciousness. From conscious experience perspective: The lowest, ultimately dull state is a deep sleep. Also states like high dose benzodiazepines, alcohol, anesthetic drugs Highest, ultimately "awake"/conscious state would be something like 30 mg of 5-MeO-DMT From gross level dopamine, motivation, energy perspective: The lowest is also deep sleep. Also, withdrawal from stimulants, overall sleep deprivation, extreme fatigue from exercise The highest would be something like a high dose of methamphetamine on fresh receptors

@outlandish http://www.dharmaoverground.org/web/guest/discussion/-/message_boards/message/5660045 http://www.dharmaoverground.org/web/guest/discussion/-/message_boards/message/5664257 Part 2 of the Q&A with Kenneth https://www.dharmaoverground.org/discussion/-/message_boards/message/5673089

@Leo Gura I've just watched a video. All is imaginary makes sense to me if human beings have no individual experiences of being them, otherwise, it doesn't because why would our imaginary world be so coherent from one individual to the next? There have to be at least "something", not necessarily a physical reality but maybe some quantum wave waiting to be rendered by us. Also, isn't it what you discovered that all of reality is just a mental construct? Even from the neuroscience point of view that would make sense. Again you may say you are imagining ALL OF THAT, if there is no experience of being Leo - then only my imagination exists, that makes sense

@Leo Gura IMO when you close your mind to the possibility of being wrong in a sense that there is nothing that can ever change your mind - it becomes problematic, it's like talking to a dogmatic religious person

Cool achievement but also very practical. Accessing oblivion at will when you have a strong pain is a superpower IMO I'm really all over the place Actialised.org, Dharma overground, Youtube podcasts, Reddit (mainly The Mind Illuminated sub), Polish forums

Sorry for formatting error, I don't know how to fix it

Most intense pleasures in life are much less "good" than most intense suffering is "bad". 1) the presence of pain is bad; 2) the presence of pleasure is good; 3) the absence of pain is good, even if that good is not enjoyed by anyone; 4) the absence of pleasure is not bad unless there is somebody for whom this absence is a deprivation. Given that life is suffering. What is your view on antinatalism?

Bad may not be a good word for it. It's just something I (and pretty much everybody) would strongly prefer not to experience. Yes, but it doesn't necessarily make antinatalism wrong. People that were full of love for everybody has died out too because it's not optimal for survival and yet I would prefer to be surrounded by people full of love. I'm not sure what you mean

Psychedelics are very ineffective in terms of giving people persistent shifts in consciousness (what most people consider enlightenment/awakening). They are very effective in giving people temporal samadhi/Ultimate reality/ego death experiences. Thousands have awakened through meditation and related techniques while being sober. How many cases of awakening through psychedelics there are 1? 2?

+ no physical pain, balanced brain chemistry and concentrated mind