bazera

@Leo Gura What do you consider as a good theoritical foundation? If I read every book from your booklist from consciousness / meditation section, watch all your videos, and also have a meditation practice, will that make my foundation good enough to try psychedelics?

@Leo GuraHow was this done? I mean, you held a pen and a paper, wrote a question and than the voice was answering your question and you just wrote it?

How many of you have had a lucid dream on a will? And how much time did it take you to have the first one? I've observed that becoming aware of the recurring patterns inside a dream can help you become lucid.

Hey, I have zero experience with psychedelics, or anything like that. But after learning lots of theory about nonduality and enlightenment, I want to have a little mystical experience using psychedelic substances. But I have no idea what to expect, or what am I suppose to start with. Is a microdose of LSD good for my purposes? And also, what is the ideal environment for the thing I am looking for? I suppose an empty room will do. And I suppose trip sitter is necessary too. What would you suggest?

@Leo Gura What do you mean Jesus was not a human being?

Hey, I just want to know whether or not it is possible to have an awakening experience of nothingness or no-self without a serious spiritual practice or psychedelics. I can't have practice because of some environmental reasons (which I'm actively working on to fix) I can't get my hands on psychedelics either. For this, I have to travel, which I can't afford yet (I'm also actively working on to fix this) I know that fastest way to have a glimpse is psychedelics, but given the condition I find myself in, I'll have to wait for a couple of years (or maybe less) to be able to get them. So, that leaves me with a very limited list of options I guess. As far as I understand, the best way for me is 10-day solo meditation retreat. Can you tell me what can I do other than that? The reason why I am asking all of this is that I was planning my life couple of years ago such that I thought I would be able to experience my true nature at least once, in 2-3 years. Then something unexpected happened and I've found myself not capable of even doing a meditation. I just kept reading books and filling myself with all the theory. Now I'm working on the aspects of my life which will enable me to get back on track and pursue the Truth more actively. But that will probably require some time, at least a year or more. I just can't wait anymore. Sometimes all I can think of is these stuff, all the ways that my egoic behavior damages me, and all the unconsciousness that goes into my life... I need to see what is this about, see how deluded I am. I want to know how it feels to look at the world and don't make a distinction of me vs not-me, even for a couple of seconds. I even thought of learning Lucid Dreaming in order to have a glimpse of nonduality at least in my dream Is that possible? So, what can I do?

@cetus56 Yup, I guess I have to arrange the right circumstances @Truth Addict I've also bookmarked it I think I'll try that too

Thanks for the replies so much They gave me some ideas, also made me realize how lazy I am. So, I'll have to fix that, thanks.

Yeah, I try to skip the foundation and I try to satisfy myself (aka ego). I guess I have to be much wiser then this, the approach I'm using won't cut it. I think I'll continue building my foundation and contemplate what I'm genuinely interested in, even if I don't start a formal practice yet... I'll start by asking myself why do I want a glimpse, I may find something interesting there Thanks guys

@Toby No, I haven't. I intuitively resonate with all the stuff that Leo talks about. That led me to research more stuff, reading dozens of books on spirituality / enlightenment / meditation, binge-watching spiritual videos on youtube, etc. But all of this without actual experience. and I think that started to backfire after 2-3 years. I just can't read another book or watch another video. Because what is the point of doing that, if I can't experientially verify the thing that I'm most passionate about.

@Serotoninluv In what way did shamanic breathing altered your state of consciousness? I think It's more like a tool to purify yourself emotionally and psychologically. How can it make me conscious of the fact that self is an illusion? @purerogue Yeah, you're right, but the thing is, it's really hard to do that in everyday life. Life just sucks me in and I'm like an unconscious puppet dragged around by the circumstances. In order that approach to work, I need to install some kind of spiritual practice, but I'm not capable of doing that at this point, as I mentioned above. I am looking something like a shortcut (that is not a psychedelic) just to have a glimpse even if it's for 2 seconds...

@Ninie I already did, even bookmarked Leo's second reply, that is something that I want to remember during my bad days too.. hope you consider that advice

That is beautiful @Ninie hey, read this, you might like it

Hey, I've been wondering lately, why most of the people in today's society don't have jobs that they love and enjoy doing. At the same time, most of them have hobbies, that they love doing on the contrary. Is it possible to make your hobbie into your profession? And if so, why don't most of us do that?

You must be fully enlightened after that lol

Yeah maybe, but maybe not. In my experience, rationalizations are endless. There is always a new one replacing the old one. The trick is to realize that whatever the content of rationalization is, it's still a rationalization and that there are two choices, first, to do what your mind tells you to do and second, the opposite. It's really hard for me to realize that I have a choice. I realize that after I break my commitment, but the hardest part is becoming aware of your action in the actual process of doing them. But hey, if it was easy, we wouldn't even be talking about this. There's another thing that helps me sometimes (when I am conscious enough to see it). When I'm about to do what I know I shouldn't be doing, sometimes I just stay still and realize that if I don't do this, I have to go through the emotional labor. And THIS is the actual possibility to actually develop my discipline a bit more. Then I think of all the things that I want to achieve and know that I won't achieve them without having a discipline and I realize that THIS, this moment right here, right now is literally creating my future. It helps to think of it that way. It puts things into a proper perspective. Because you realize that what you call future, and what you visualize as your future is being constructed at this very moment right now, And the emotional labor that people are talking about is not something that you'll do later. It's being done right now when I'm staying still and not doing what my mind tells me to do with its endless rationalizations. And to be conscious of this is hard for me. What about you?

For example, eating garbage fast food after eating clean for a month, just to reward myself for being such a good boy Of course, all such rationalizations are bullshit, but it's really hard to see that in the actual process of doing it.

My biggest struggles are the reasons that my mind very easily creates for why should I do the thing which I know I shouldn't be doing. Mind is one giant tricky bastard

@Sopot What I am doing is saving $30 each month (or how much I can, sometimes much less than that) so in couple of months I'll be able to purchase the course. You can do the same. Just sit down and think, what are you spending your money on. Can you not spend some of it each month? Just collect your money with baby steps, if you don't have another choice (kinda like me). $10-20 a month will be 250$ in one year. And by then you'll only be 17 And come one, you probably spend $20 each month on useless shit, don't you? Patience is what you need

In your meditation for beginner's video you said that even if you sit for 20 minutes and think about sex or something, you can consider that as meditation because what counts as meditation is that you sat down and had an intention to be aware. You also said that it's not in our control to be aware or not. Now you say that if you are not being aware, you are not meditating. Isn't there a contradiction?

Hey, If you were able to speak to your 21-year-old self, what would you tell him/her? What advice would you give him/her? I am asking this because I turned 21 a month ago, and am a bit confused about my priorities in life. One day I am depressed because I don't use all the possibilities that I have to be more social. Another day I am happy with who I am and I don't feel like having anything or being anyone else. Some other day I feel anxious because I don't feel like my lifestyle is good enough to have the kind life I want. And sometimes I don't even know what kind of life do I want. So, your ideas could help me see other people's perspectives too. I know I have to deal with all my confusions by myself, but your ideas might help me become more aware of the things that I do which I should not be doing. So yeah, what would you tell your younger self?

Happy birthday Leo

@electroBeam What I mean is after some years of socializing (parties, going to the events, etc) I might realize that this was not as much of a big deal as I made it to be. So years later, I might smile at myself as I currently am. Because right now I am lacking all that "socializing" experience and my mind constantly tells me not to miss opportunities. And when I miss them because of my anxiety or any other reason, I get depressed, more anxious etc. I will probably look at that mechanism of behaviour years later with a big smile on my face. Or maybe I won't. That's what I meant.

@Epiphany_Inspired Yup you are right, thanks