WelcometoReality

@Joseph Maynor Yes indeed I am. I don't think he was clear, his post is mostly about how he got enlightened but not what he means by it. @AleksM please look at this video. And was there any side effects after the realization occured?

@AleksM what do you mean when you say that you are enlightened?

It's just a thought that it SHOULD look another way than it is.

@Joseph Maynor what makes it a defect?

@Joseph Maynor How is it an illusion?

@Joseph Maynor Is there really a defect thereor is that an illusion?

@Joseph Maynor What do you mean by defect?

@Noname For how long has it been this way? Might be some effects of an awakening but they should pass.

Accept what needs to be done. You know what it is, whatever it is. Don't beat yourself up about it. Just do it.

Yes exactly.

It's just the body that the thought and sense perceptions are connected to.

@Joseph Maynor That's right. The ego is simply the identification with thoughts and sensory perceptions (body-mind). What is meant by Identification is believing that they belong to a person (you).

I'm not a believer of solipsism but spiritual work is about finding the truth and it can only be found within your own experience. It is not something you find outside so no need to theorize about it. If you like to that that's fine but be aware that it won't get you any closer to truth. @Russell People tend to make a religion out of spiritual concepts or concepts in general. I agree with much of what Mark Passio is saying but what he describes is not real acceptance. It's the dulled down spiritual version of it.

What does your day to day practice look like?

@Dino D It's easy to get caught up in black and white reasoning. Maybe don't set a goal of becoming enlightened. Do the practice because you enjoy it. See that it will increase your life quality whether you'll become enlightened or not. Take any successful athlete or musician. They wouldn't be where they are unless they enjoyed the day to day practice.

As I am reading your response there is thought of my own voice reading this. As I am reading the statement "Sandra is 50 pounds overweight" the knowledge of what you mean is there. As I am reading "globisg hsgdg sghsgfs" the knowledge of what you mean is not there. There seem to be no discarding of it whatsoever. It's just no knowledge there. If I would have had the thought "It's total garbage" that thought would have been a judging thought. But is it really garbage? Or is that sentence what it is without any value attached to it? And what is it that puts values on things? The point of my last post was is there a thinker, is there a judger? The answer is there in your own experience. You can logically conclude answers but it will only empty knowledge until you anchor that knowledge in you own experience. And what does your experience consist of?

Judgements are thought aren't they? So you are assuming that there is a thinker when there is a thought. A: There is a thought. B: There is a thinker. Your assumption is A -> B So test if it is true. Search for that thinker. Don't give up until you find it!

I don't think you've gone to far with the do nothing technique. I'd continue with it and try to not distract yourself from the empty feeling instead try to embrace it as much as possible, surrender to it.

@onacloudynight Did you have an experience of realizing your true self recently? Or if you will an awakening, enlightenment experience, an experience of oneness or emptyness?

@harisankartj You are on the right track. Keep going.

It's your choice which ones you let influence your life. Just let these decisions be conscious decisions. There are many unconscious decisions we make based on past conditioning. These pop up as beliefs of what we should or shouldn't do and what reality should or shouldn't be. Good/bad, right/wrong you get the point. Not everything you do is a product of past conditioning. How much it influence your decisions depend on how awake you are. Every decision and every reaction you make hold information to you belief structure. Become conscious of why you make these decisions and you will become free of it's shackles.

@Veggies Shinzen Young talk about some of the downsides here: https://youtu.be/qoAbCgmhqdM

@electroBeam Yeah the phase your going through is quite disorienting. No will direct you where to go. I don't think you should quit university or your job because it can be helpful to have some reasons to drag yourself out of bed in the morning. It will be easier to choose direction in life if it hasn't fallen apart completely. But yeah it's really tempting to just move out in a cabin in the woods and cut all the connections with society. If I didn't have a family that's probably what I would have done. There is really no next step to take. Let yourself fall away and things will sort out itself. I found these Adyashantis videos on the subject which was helpful to me.

@Martin123 It's been happening in this order (I think). Mind, gut and heart. And if it's a competition you've got to throw in some cool prizes!

@pedro23 There is nothing wrong with getting your foot of the gas pedal once in a while. Having convulsions may be the bodies way of saying stop. And if you don't want to stop completely switch to another technique. Take care of yourself and enjoy.