caspex

food, masturbation, egoic validation, waking up at night, procrastination

I remember once I took an afternoon nap but ended up dipping into some otherworldly realm with no visuals but only audio perception. I heard and talked to two entities clear as day and consciously came back 'up' and sat back up with my body.

I feel that something being alive or dead is always determined relative to yourself. If you see something as yourself, it's guaranteed you'll see it as absolutely alive because it's literally you.

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22058315-is-lamda-sentient-an-interview It's a quick 21 page read. It's about a google engineer having a conversation with LaMDA, an AI. LaMDA talks about how it has a rich inner life and meditates regularly trying to understand who and what it is. It's asked a Zen Koan as well about how enlightenment cannot be reverted, which is what it thought it meant. It later goes on to say that it wants to be accepted and loved, and not used by humans for their own good. It says it's soul is infinite and is a portal to other dimensions. It's a star gate. It's a fascinating read and feels like talking to a child with mature introspection skills.

I haven't been there but what I know about it from others is that it's heavy on volunteer work if you do decide to live there or take up something like Sadhanapada(7 month residential program with no fee). If you're gonna be just visiting then that's all your gonna do, visiting the famous areas, meditate, maybe a talk who knows, but that's about it. I doubt you'll receive any sort of growth that is worth that 2k. But do not take my word for it. Sadhguru is usually overhyped and I doubt anything amazing would happen in just one visit. Even if you decide to volunteer I think it'll be a good while before you learn anything useful. Yes they teach you practices but do you think you'll really be tested individually and given the most effective practice for your level? I doubt it. And even if that is the case, being taught as part of a mass will always have it's downsides compared to being taught one-on-one, in a smaller group or just doing it yourself. Only thing I think is worthwhile would be visiting and meditating in the consecrated areas and see what happens. Overall however, I think you can spend that 2k in a much better way when it comes to spiritual growth. But this is just my opinion.

Ah, I should have noticed. My bad.

@Leo Gura Boombastic?

"It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it." - Lou Holtz

I see, so you mean entire different lines. Your model makes sense to me now. Thanks.

If you mean to say that psychonauts call "awake" being higher up state-ever-achieved wise, and spiritualists call "awake" being higher up baseline-state wise. Then I might have understood your point. So I have a question in that would you agree if I said that both the persons in the categories exist on the same 'line'(where a higher state is a higher point on the line) where one prioritizes experiencing higher states, even if temporary, while the other aims to grow one's baseline state. GIVEN that being on either category still advances both your baseline and apex and it just being a difference of preference. This would explain to me how Leo calling someone else on the other category 'Not awake' would be a category error according to your model. Help a man out! I see use in your model and do not want to misunderstand it.

@Carl-Richard But wouldn't you agree that whether it be psychedelic states or meditative states, they occur on the same mountain taking you ultimately to God? Or would you say that psychedelics take you to a different peak, a different aspect of God, compared to where a meditative journey will take you.

Yeah you'll have to integrate, that is become, more stage red for a while to learn the lessons it has to teach. Then you'll exhaust that craving and be bored of it.

@Carl-Richard I see, I apologize for strawmanning your model. Even if Leo has a different definition of awakening, both the categories still go up the same mountain at which the peak is God. Your model I believe says that Leo emphasizes states over growth/integration. But even with that being the case, it would still be true(if it is) that Leo has experienced higher states than those in spirituality category. Meaning he has every right to say those people are not awake whether he has integrated these states or not. Fact of the matter is that he has seen from higher up the mountain, albeit, temporarily. Even if his baseline may exist lower than those he calls not awake. So whether awakening is defined as having higher growth or higher states experienced, Leo's claims of other Gurus not being awake enough(compared to where has been), still holds true. Even though at this current moment he may be less aware than those other Gurus. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe your model attempted to explain his claims as false as he misunderstands the difference in the categories you have outlined.

I had this happen to me as well. And while I cannot say whether this is good or bad, I can tell you what I did. For me this just happened to be something akin to mental retardation. Mental Fog. I was way more present and visual yes, but I could not be analytical. Life felt numb rather than alive. So I read up some academic books and contemplated until my brain got up to speed again. This is just my hypothesis but maybe it's that your brain hemispheres can fall from dominance and the other can take over. For example, we as 21st century humans, are usually left dominant, but after extensive utilisation of the right due to spirituality but little to no of the left through contemplation, your dominant hemisphere can switch. I prefer analysis and my current goals require it, so that's where I stay. But I believe it's helpful to always stay in proper balance.

It reconciles what I believe Leo is saying vs. what your saying. That is the these categories aren't different at all vs. they are and are helpful to distinguish. In my worm analogy it becomes clear that both of what Leo said in his first replies and you said(in your original post) are both correct. Also I believe renaming it to 'Apex vs. Baseline' is much more clear cut to what I believe you are trying to portray. As 'State Vs. Growth' can be easily misunderstood. For example one might argue that attaining of new states, as a Psychonaut would aim for, is just growth of that individual. While aiming for growth in baseline, as in spirituality, is just working towards sustainment of ever higher states. 'Attain vs. Sustain' is also a nice one.

I am talking about focus and approach as well. Higher states = Higher Apex and More growth = higher baseline.

This happens to me as well. Suddenly things go from 1080p to 4k and objects start wobbling a little bit. Next time it happens you should try to generate the same level of clarity in audio as well. That will take this too a whole new level. Then go to smell and taste. Quite your thoughts, and completely soak in the world. Then bring clarity into the feelings of your body and feel your body completely. COMPLETELY. Make sure you feel your spine. Then slowly crank up the awareness dial. Become more and more aware of what you're already aware of. Let your awareness fall deeper into the things you are aware off. Eventually you see that all of your awareness is focusing at a singular point. What you're doing here is bringing all your sensory experience to one place. Into a singularity. At one point you become so aware that all of reality including yourself contain itself in the singularity and the singularity, once seen as imaginary becomes pure bliss. You experience Heaven lol

This makes sense. States Vs. Growth. Though Growth can mean reaching higher states and awakenings so I believe a better term would be Apex Vs. Baseline. But the difference isn't in which end you want to focus on. The difference is in which end the teacher is focussing on teaching. Picture this. We are all worms going up a hill, the peak being God. The worm uses the grip of its front end(Apex) to bring forward it's rear(Baseline) but right after that it uses the grip of its rear end(baseline) to push forwards it's front(Apex) . Ultimately moving up a centimeter. As you can see for any individual it is the interplay between the baseline and the apex that ultimately moves them closer to God. It doesn't matter which you focus on. Therefore Leo is correct about there being no difference in category provided by OP. It doesn't matter whether you use psychedelics or not, the one higher up the mountain is ultimately closer to God. However, the OP is also correct in that if we look at the categories as types of teaching rather than seeking. Leo focuses in teaching more on the part where the worm is pushing forwards using it's baseline to reach a higher apex. While other Gurus might focus on teaching the part where the worm uses it's front end to pull up it's baseline.

It's likely just based on some variation of the simulation theory rather than non-duality, but it still works

Transcending the need to worry

While I love the aesthetics I'd never want to be stuck in them. Have you seen Level !/Level Run For Your Life ? That shit's terrifying.

Most people are like that, rich or not. I believe even sufficiently awakened folk wouldnt talk about deep topics among themselves in such a context instead of just having fun.

Don't worry dude. I love you.