Wisebaxter

@seeking_brilliance Haha, personally I think I'm gonna need a strong hit of psychedelics soon, before my mind explodes from any more conceptualising and assuming. I need some direct experiences of this shit to stop my mind going around in circles.

@Lynnel You'll just have to hope that the substance decides you 'need' some answers to some of those questions

@seeking_brilliance Thanks for answering. So we're saying that all of this stuff happening, things being born, planets spinning around, experiences being experienced, is actually happening, it's just that there's no 'I' perceiving it? There's no 'experiencer,' just the experience? What's confusing me is knowing whether any of this real, if it's all an illusion or if the 'I' is the only illusion...

@winterknight If none of us really exist, what are our mothers giving birth to?

So it's as if the sensations, or echos of an ego still remain, but you just become very detached from them and unaffected?

@winterknight Do you still experience sensations like craving? Or needing/wanting/desiring things to be a certain way?

@winterknight Loved that thanks

@winterknight Some people say 'God is love,' is there any truth to this? That to experience love is to experience God? Or is this just another experience like any other?

@winterknight What is this thing, located within this 'body', that feels like me? That is aware of moving through space when it decides to move through space, that feels sensation when it decides to reach out and touch something? If I am not the body, why do senses, which I experience, reside within the body?

@karkaore That's good advice thanks, I'll work out some yoga stretches and try out for for @PsiloPutty mentioned i.e Burmese position. I get what @kieranperez and @111111 are saying, that it's largely to do with your mindset, but if there's a chance that I could do longer sits with a more sturdy position, feel more grounded and have my energy flowing more freely, I don't want to take chances. My mind won't let me rest otherwise anyway, it just keeps saying 'This aint legit.' Rubbish I'm sure but I'll indulge it anyway and shut it up. Thanks guys

I'm reading a book Leo gave us on his book list and the author says: "Sitting cross legged is important because it helps you control the apana vayu, descending energy." However Leo has said on a thread that it doesn't matter how you sit, that you can meditate standing on your head if you like. For the past two months I've been sitting on a chair and have gone straight to doing 1 hr sits, as when I sit cross legged I get numbness very quickly and have to start shifting positions, which effects the practice. Should I be making the effort to build up a cross legged practice? Even if I can only do 10 mins or so at first and work my way up? Some might say 'whatever's comfortable,' well sitting on a chair is comfortable, but if I'm blocking the flow of energy somehow then I don't want that. I'm happy to develop full lotus if needed, I just want to get the best results and don't mind sitting through pain if it's going to be worth it. Thanks

@karkaore Did you get pain at first when sitting cross legged?

Ok that's interesting. Can you describe in words, the nature of that seeing, what it feels or looks like to you? Is it a conceptual thing, a feeling, a knowing?

If I observe the world without perceiving objects (naming them) and having thoughts, is this basically a state of non-duality? Or is there something more to it?

@winterknight Cool, I've found a website already and they do have reduced rates for people in my position. Thanks man!

@winterknight Yeah good point, I do have a bit of a 'saviour' complex, probably as a distraction from doing work on myself. It also stems from hating to see people suffer. If they have some knowledge of spiritual concepts (on say an Eckhart Tolle forum) I usually spout off a load of spiritual cliches at them and they reward me with a thumbs up for using the right labels. They probably think 'yeah, that sounds deep and spiritual, it must be true (even if I don't get it) and nobodies any wiser. I'll put a stop to this now and focus on myself I'd love a piece of that psychodynamic pie but I'm out of work at the moment. I'm assuming it costs a buck or two. Thank you for taking all this time to help us and answer questions

@Outer Ah many thanks my friend. I always have time for more Adya in my life. Well I've listened to a lot of his youtube videos and have a couple of books I've yet to read. Got hold of 'True Meditation' today, which I'm excited to look at. He's got a such a clear and concise way of explaining meditation, it's really helped me avoid some pitfalls. I find the idea of 'focusing' on something during meditation to be just another form of control so I like it that he's all about letting go of that. I've been overly controlling everything my whole life. Thanks for that link, I'll definitely watch those.

@winterknight When you come across someone suffering in your day to day life, say a friend, family member or a stranger, and they don't dabble at all in spirituality and have a lot of ego, do you tend to make your advice more palatable and less say, mystical? For example, would you tell them that there is really no 'them' to be suffering? Or do you try to come to them where they're currently at? I find myself always laying it on too thick with people and they just stare at me blankly lol. I also get this feeling of frustration as the root of their problem seems to simple, but they're so wrapped up in believing in their stories. I feel so desperate to share these fundamentals truths with people and set them free but I can't. Do you ever feel any frustration because of this? Or do you just accept that it has to be that way

@winterknight Do you have any pointers on the best form of meditation for enlightenment? Adyashanti refers to a kind called 'true meditation,' (or Leo calls it 'do nothing' mediation) as being the best one. Here you just keep letting go of the urge to control your thoughts when thoughts arise. There is no specific object to focus on. He says this helps you give up resistance and control. Have you found any particular methods better than others? Or did you focus mainly on self enquiry? If so, should I be doing more self enquiry than meditation, in your opinion? Oh I just read up a bit and you've already said that Self Enquiry is the best. Feel free to ignore this question then

@winterknight I'm become obsessed with intellectualising about non duality and enlightenment throughout the day, getting bogged down trying to figure out the meaning of labels like awareness, consciousness, etc. I'm always trying to work it out. Is this simply pointless? Unless maybe I'm doing it consistently using self enquiry, which I haven't been...or maybe contemplation, which some gurus swear by. But it's like I always feel I should be thinking about it and feel guilty when my mind gets distracted with anything other than existential questions. I've become so obsessed with spirituality that I feel I'm not living life to the fullest. I'm always searching...searching, doing this technique or that technique. I'm a hermit, very introverted and see relationships as a distraction. Will this go against me in the long run? If I want to become awakened? I'm worried I might be using spirituality as a smokescreen to avoid sorting out more obvious stuff...

@winterknight 1. It seems a theme in spirituality that the world I see is born from some unmanifested void which I am, that when I look away from objects, they no longer exist, until I look at them again. Is this true? That I'm God and I'm creating it all? The world around me seems to have such an independent existence from me...

@winterknight When people question your sincerity or say dumb stuff to you it appears to me like jealousy or cynicism on their part. I can't help feeling triggered by their lack of open mindedness and how they miss an opportunity to ask you an intelligent question. What reactions do you have when someone doubts you like this? Is there any emotion at all? Like frustration, etc? Or maybe compassion? I'm interested to know what's there for you experientially, in these moments.

I've been enjoying a 'do nothing' meditation habit for a couple of months but now I hear of this form of yoga which can awaken the chakras and lead to enlightenment. My question is, is it worthwhile throwing a bit of kundalini yoga in to the mix for good measure, to help me along the path faster perhaps? Or will meditation do the trick anyway and open up the chakras, allowing this energy to flow? I guess the main point of my question is, do they do the same thing? I've heard that the energy that kundalini unlocks can lead to physical and mental issues if not handled properly, so that scares me a bit, but then again some of the same symptoms have been reported from doing meditation. Shinzen young talks about meditation causing Kriyas and how people can have spasms and shit. Does this mean that meditation and kundalini yoga are both unlocking this energy? But what about this kundalini syndrome which can effect people adversely for years? I haven't heard of meditation having those kind of adverse effects. To summarise, questions are: 1) Do Meditation and Kundalini yoga achieve the same result? 2) Is it safer to stick with meditation or will I have to go through some crazy shit at some point with this practice anyway? 3) Is it a good idea to do them both together for maximum spiritual gainz? 4) Which approach is this least likely to land me in a padded cell frothing at the mouth? This shit's supposed to be make me happier ultimately, after all If anyone can answer any all of these questions that would be great

Oh yeah, sounds like you're doing just find without using substances. Very excited for you man

What a lovely idea. I sure hope so. It would help me deal with the nightmares too as they'd be easier to explain. I also woke up the other day not knowing where the hell I was or who I was and had this sense that I was experiencing non-duality or some form of awakening/altered state. It felt very scary and disorienting. Slowly I came back into a normal state of mind. I may have just been half asleep and my mind was screwing with me though lol. What the hell I'll tell myself I was awakening life energies though and it will inspire me to continue