r0ckyreed

Wow I am dumb. I discovered that Leo literally has outlined step by step contemplation exercises for enlightenment on the forums.

I have just watched Leo's video on What is Actuality- Direct Experience vs. Concept. This seems like a really interesting exercise to do. So if all thoughts are concepts, then isn't contemplating and questioning reality a concept as well? Isn't Self-inquiry a concept as well? Can you grasp the truth and have an experience of God based on the conceptual nature of contemplation and Self-inquiry? After thinking about it, it may be that if you drive concepts toward actuality then concepts may be helpful? For instance, contemplation, even though it is conceptual, contemplation is a tool and can guide one's awareness deeper into actuality such as questioning my assumptions about my hand being a human hand, molecules, or whatever else I believe. What do you all think about pursuing this exercise? What did you find in your experience?

Thanks for all of your responses! I love actualized.org! @Meta-Man how long do you recommend just sitting?

@Inliytened1 @Leo Gura Thanks for your responses! As for your question about being an Entity behind eyes, I do not see one. What is an entity? What are eyes? What is seeing? Is there really something seeing out of eyes? In my experience I do not see eyes or see what is seeing through what I think are eyes. In fact, I do not even see a head. Where my head should be, all I see is the world. I have a sense of being an entity, but I realize that this entity is content within consciousness. When I tried to look for this entity or the feeling that there is a meditator, I could not find one. In my experience, I tried to look for myself behind my eyes, but nothing was all that is there. When I asked “What am I,” in self-inquiry, I notice that that this entity (which cannot be found is identified with these thoughts and emotions). After examining closely and pondering “what will my next thought be?” My mind was so still until I sensed it wondering and it is creepy lol! But what sensed the mind wondering and what thinks its creepy?? It feels like empty awareness behind my eyes that identifies with being a subject within “human experience.” Am I doing this correctly? Thanks for all of your help!

@Meta-Man Thanks for your response! I would much rather prefer a path that did not involve psychedelics partly because I do not know the long-term effects it will have on my brain, cognition, neural connections, function, etc., I do not know how to get them, and it is illegal in my state (Oklahoma). At this moment, I would rather elevate my consciousness "naturally." I may try them in the future. Hopefully they will be accessible in the future. Did I describe the right process for Spiritual Autolysis correctly? I mean, is it really that simple such as to just "Sit down. Shut up. Ask yourself what is true until you know?" I sincerely appreciate your help on my journey!

I have been contemplating the nature of existence and the external world. I have been questioning the perspectives of idealism- only mind exists, external world does not, and realism- external world exists. I have watched many of Leo's videos regarding these issues, but I thought I would try to verify and experience the truth rather than just believing him. Here is an example of my current inquiry: What is existence? What does it mean to say something exists? Does it mean that an object or world is appearing within consciousness or is the object or world "there?" What does it mean to say that an object is appearing within consciousness? The first person experience is the only perspective of reality that I have. I cannot know if there is a third-person perspective because all I have of life is a first-person. Is this true? Well, the only way I can know anything exists in the world is through my own personal experience. Is this true? How else can I know and experience the world if it is not from this first-person perspective? Any notions of a world outside of my experience is imaginary from my first-person perspective. But is the world that I imagine that is outside of my direct experience real and does it exist? If there really is no external world, how is detective work possible? How is it possible that I am affected by things outside of my experience? But if there is an external reality, then what would it be doing if there were no observers? If the universe had no observers, wouldn't it be like there was no universe at all? From the perspective of not have any observers in reality would be like nothing ever existed, but would there still be a universe that exists? What does it mean to say that something exists but that cannot be observed? Then again, how is it that I am affected by things outside of experience if there is no external world? For example, someone could kill me in my sleep or I could get hit by a car from behind. If there is no external world, then how is it that I am affected by things outside of my experience and again, how is detective work possible? I know that there is no database in the universe about how a murder happened. A detective is relying on concept and imagination to solve murder cases, but isn't there a world from which the crime scene is happening? Just because there is no witness, does not mean that something does not exist right? Where is this typing occurring and who is reading my message? Aren't I already assuming that such a world exists? This is my contemplation, I still have not found an answer besides the point that I just do not know. I will continue to remain skeptical about whether there is or not an external world until I find out for myself. Can anyone help me? I am rather new to contemplation and have just finished Peter Ralston's Book of Not Knowing. Thank you for your help!

What happens to consciousness when we go to sleep? It goes back to natural state? I guess there is no such thing as no-consciousness when we sleep. If there is no-consciousness when we "lose" consciousness, then how can we wake up? If there is no-consciousness then how can consciousness come to be? So consciousness in its natural state is like that state which was before we were born, when we are in deep-sleep and when we die? Thanks for your reply! I am new to this work, and I am willing to take any advice you have or any book recommendations! Thank you!

Thanks everybody for all of your replies! I sincerely appreciate all of your help! How can I have a firsthand experience of Nothingness or God. I can kinda understand it, but I would much rather experience it for myself than to take on as a belief like you all stated. I have been contemplating a lot, but I am not sure how thinking about life will get me to the nature of life itself, God, Infinity, Non-dual Consciousness, etc. In addition, how can we know that consciousness or nothingness exists? Isn’t it circular to say that we know consciousness exists because it is the space of that which all knowledge and experience is possible? If this is the case, can consciousness know itself to exist? If everything known to exist can only take place in consciousness, then what does it mean for something to exist, let only for consciousness to exist? How can I have an experience or know the nature of this Void, Consciousness or Nothingness? Can this Void be known through contemplation? Meditation? How? How can I contemplate that which I have never experienced? I assume that I have not experienced nothingness or I am experiencing it right now? If so, how can I get this epiphany of my true nature? Thanks. Thank you!

How can we know that consciousness or nothingness exists? Isn’t it circular to say that we know consciousness exists because it is the space of that which all knowledge and experience is possible? If this is the case, can consciousness know itself to exist? If everything known to exist can only take place in consciousness, then what does it mean for something to exist, let only for consciousness to exist? How can I have an experience or know the nature of this Void, Consciousness or Nothingness? Can this Void be known through contemplation? Meditation? How? How can I contemplate that which I have never experienced? I assume that I have not experienced nothingness. If so, how can I get this epiphany of my true nature? Thanks.

This question basically states it. Is death something that we know to be true or is it a belief that we imagine? Notice that you have never experienced death as a reality for yourself, so how can we know that death is a reality if we have never experienced it first hand? If we have not experienced something in our direct experience, then it is a belief. Knowledge can only be derived through experience, and yet death is not an experience. In my contemplation, I went so far as to question why I assume that I will die. I find my assumption based off of the experience I’ve had with others dying and through a collection of beliefs. But how do I know that I will die based off of the experiences in my environment? Why make such a generalization? The “fact” that “everyone dies” seems to me like a belief because do we really have an experience of everyone dying? Is it possible that there may be some humans who have never died (like the immortal Jellyfish)?? Please let your thoughts. I know it sounds stupid, but can we know death to be a reality without a firsthand experience of it? I read The Book of Not Knowing and still struggle with the idea that death is a reality through the method of knowledge displaced by Peter Ralston. Thank you!

Hello guys. I am a university student and I have come across Hare Krishna's on my campus who hand out books on spirituality (Self-realization, Bhagavad Gita, etc.). I watched Cult Psychology, and Leo mentions them as a cult and I see them as a cult. But the main reason why I wrote this discussion is because I want to learn more about this group from you guys and the best way to interact/avoid this group. I hope this discussion will help others from falling into the same trap I almost fell into. Thanks! Rocky