OneHandClap

Just be sure you do it with love and knowledge that your mind will not be able to 100% understand what occurs after the event... ground yourself in some good meditation before and after

Again, I think we are fundamentally in agreement that individual beings ARE oneness, and that subjective experience is all that we have as beings. I disagree with the term because of its academic connotations, but I understand what you are saying, and I agree. Best of luck on your journey

Godspeed, my friend! Just be careful with it. I had a few rough days of trying to integrate this trip. It was hard to see others as something more than an empty projection of myself through other forms. The nonduality of Being is beyond all conceptualization... your ego may struggle to pick up the pieces. As Leo suggested, go in with full surrender and peace. I did not, and the ego was not pleased

I think we are running in circles here, but solipsism says "only I know I exist." Therefore, it casts doubt on others as being conscious. A true solipsist sees others as being nothing more than puppets of their own mind. Nonduality says that all beings are equally shared in the experience of Being and consciousness. There is an easy way to know if solipsism is the right word. Go up to any enlightened teacher and tell them you are a solipsist. They will either laugh you out the door or kick you in the chest to show how "real" other beings' minds are

It's still circling the same point, which is that solipsism, academically, refers to the idea that you (as an individual) are unsure of other minds (academically speaking: conscious experience) occurring in other individuals. What you are referring to is not solipsism. Solipsism is not taken seriously in the modern world for a reason... which is its self-centric referential system. Being belongs to nobody, but includes all of them. Honestly, I think we are likely arguing the same point. I'm just highlighting that solipsism is a fairly well-established word that denotes individual vs other. There are better terms to describe the nature of the Absolute Edit: And if you read my reply to M0hsen, I even explicitly said individuals are NOT negated within the Absolute. I was using that language as a counter to the classical description of solipsism, not as fundamental truth. I apologize for any confusion.

Thanks for contributing this. I think you are likely correct in many ways. My fear at the moment of near-merging was that I would not be able to return to human life ever again. So, subtle attachment to being in this form. But I think you've resolved some of my dread regarding the idea of permanent non-existence. The Absolute is loving enough to peel back the curtain without destroying the entire framework of existing as an individual forever. Now THAT is love in action

I would urge you to look up what solipsism actually means from a philosophical point of view. You are describing a non-dual state of being, in which ALL entities (including what you call "you") are negated. Solipsism is self-centered; it means that only you, Mason Riggle, exist. But that is not true. As I point out below, oneness does not negate individuality. Non-dual means not two; it does not therefore mean "only me." It is beyond both. Just because we understand on an intellectual level that there is only God/Source/the Absolute does not mean we are embodying it. True embodiment means recognizing the apparent and conventional existence of other entities as being just as valid as your apparent, conventional existence. Which is why Christ, the Buddha, etc felt compelled to teach others, not just sit around being oneness forever. I think there is a kernel of truth to this. The thing is, we simultaneously exist as the infinite and the finite. As you alluded to, we need to recognize and embody both aspects to live a "fulfilling" life. The Infinite manifests itself as the Finite to have experiences, connect, and create. So the individual is not negated within oneness.

Just because you cannot verify something is "true" does not mean it's false. If you truly believed in solipsism, you'd be an absolute madman. There would be no need to even respond to this post, because there would just be you speaking to yourself. Being may be one at the source, but we do not exist as pure Source—we are conventionally individuals who communicate by expressing different thoughts from different angles. So, solipsism in a philosophical sense may be unable to be disproven, but I seriously doubt you (or anyone who is not schizo-affective and in the middle of a psychotic episode) truly believes in "real" solipsism (wherein YOU, the individual, are the only conscious mind).

All beings occasionally partake in behavior that is less than noble. What you did was inspired by what you believed was correct. Have some compassion for yourself as well as the children, the father, and all the rest. All is fine

It can be both. "Consciousness" (perception) as we know it is illusory. Source (God, It, Being, whatever you prefer) is a transpersonal thing that is not located anywhere specifically. All beings, including you, are manifested by and abide within this singularity. So really, other people do have minds, just as you have a mind. Mind here being a bundle of thoughts, memories, opinions, etc that are unique to the individual. Nobody, in truth, "has" consciousness. We use consciousness as a shorthand to describe our experience of Being. But Being is both the perceived and the perceiver, or rather, neither/both at once. It is non-dual - beyond duality

Turn awareness around.

The Tibetan/Dzogchen answer to this is that awareness once existed without self-knowledge, i.e. animals and insects without self-consciousness. Then awareness progresses to self-recognition but is deluded by seeing its manifestations as separate - i.e. self and other. Full enlightenment constitutes the awareness recognizing its own appearance and not being further deluded by it. You might think of it as awareness being permanently "vaccinated" against making the same error as before

Thanks for chiming in. Forgive me for boiling it down, but you are essentially saying to write off the experience as delusional? If so, I am inclined to agree.

Yes, I've heard similar sentiments from others. Sadly I moved a while back and no longer have the same connections for most of these substances. LSD induced a full-on, beautiful state of nonduality, but I have noticed that most dissos/psychs combined with cannabis produce strong psychotic mini-episodes that are prone to self-feedback loops and the creation of distorted narratives. Cannabis alone tends to make me rather anxious compared to harder drugs. Thanks for your input, friend! EDIT: Regarding DXM, I did have much more pleasurable experiences early on without cannabis. I especially loved the vivid closed-eye visuals it produced. But overall, it's definitely less of a "clean high" than most things.

Thank you for your advice! You're right... it should be earnest and direct. Best wishes to you

Haha, that guy is having the time of his life. "I" "love" "it." Thank you very much for your pointing. Back to the ocean of Love that was never left

Hi, this may help you - it doesn't contain all the nuances of the stages, but is a good reference point: Alternatively:

Very deep, but very basic. Thank you for this pointing. In short, I should be working to watch the mind without believing its narrative? I presume that through this careful contemplation, Love (the ground, God, etc.) will make itself apparent naturally.

Thank you for clarifying. This is a deep teaching I am still grappling with. The experience I had, in retrospect, was likely born out of a sense of fear regarding loneliness and the "Other." I had been neglecting love for too long in favor of peak experiences and spiritual materialism. If nothing else, I've realized that whatever exists is fundamentally good. Love would not trap beings in their own solipsistic prisons and taunt them with ideas of "ascension." Love seems to be the basis for connection and unity... the very reason that oneness coexists with multiplicity.

Can you elaborate a bit upon what you mean with the "loss of love" aspect? Are you implying love is the ground of our being, and therefore we cannot truly be deprived of it? Thank you for your kind words! This is a good idea. I did fasting years ago and would like to return to it. Do you have a type of prayer that works best for you? As a general update, I have been contemplating the experience deeply the past two days. I've realized my initial fear had several illogical bases behind it. One of these lapses in logic was believing I was a "being." I understand that God cannot be conceived of in ordinary terms of one/many. The second logical fallacy was believing that I was the only being, or falling into solipsism. Once again, it assumes there is one vs many. Clearly I have a lot to contemplate and clarify regarding the ground of being, and especially love. One pleasant aftereffect of this experience has been a renewed sense of devotion to loved ones. I realized that if God has manifested everything, there is a clear and loving reason why there would be multiple beings. Every being is their own god, in a sense, learning to aspire to the highest good of capital-G God. This concept, although it is just a concept, filled me with a rush of unconditional love last night. The nature of God is not one, nor many lonely beings. It is beyond both ideas. Peace be with all of you.

Good question. Something to contemplate. You are correct; I will not be using it for consciousness work going forward. And I also agree that the use pattern has been reckless as of late. Hence why I added I'm more intent on practicing sober henceforth. This experience was a bit like my ego and all its fantasies of enlightenment being smashed by a hammer. Take care, friend

Hey Leo, fancy finding you here! Cheers for the reply. I've got about 50 LSD trips under my belt, so I don't think I will ever fully release substances. Just meant it more as, I'm looking to deepen my understanding and center it without 'tools" for a bit Could you answer two quick questions? 1. Was this a legitimate experience of "the godhead" that resonates with you? 2. Does the sense of loneliness/existential fear subside? Part of my reticence to release into the experience was due to a belief that if I deconstructed reality completely, I would be bored or simply drifting in a vast "nothing" for eternity - it seemed I had to release back into conventional experience at some point, because I could not conceive of anything else. (Edit) And as a further number 3... Is that all there is? Again, this is the second time I have experienced such a short-lived and frankly terrifying "approach to eternity" moment. Do I go on living in the phenomenal world, trying to embody peace and love and all my other bottom-line values? Do I return to the experience and meld into it, knowing there may be nothing past it? I am sure you also struggle with this conundrum. I'm a big fan of Peter Ralston's work and subscribe to the idea that I do have ultimate freedom... but is this truly the bottom of the barrel? Or are there deeper, more unified and loving states of consciousness beyond it to embody in "the realm of samsara"?