Enizeo

You are critiquing a straw man of what science-based lifting is. Serious people in the field are well aware of the limitations of the studies. Also, while some topics are still subject to debate with contradictory evidence, there are many things that are known with reasonable certainty, and they have been reproduced across multiple studies. A good example of that is the dose-response relationship of weekly training volume and hypertrophy. Your critique seems oddly personal. Most of the science-based lifters have a genuine passion for better understanding their body and their sport, improving people's lives and health by sharing the insights they gather. For me personally, it has been fascinating as an intellectual passion, and it has made me really jacked in a relatively short amount of time. But I also went in a lot deeper than you seem to have gone, going through an entire PT certification by Menno Henselmans. So maybe you'll be able to find the juice in the deeper layers—or just continue not giving a fuck and train purely based on vibes 🤷🏼‍♂️

Thank you all for your suggestions! I have an interesting update: tl;dr: I tried smoking it with better equipment than I had on previous attempts, and it works surprisingly better for me in every way. I had tried smoking/vaping it about a year ago, and it didn't really work, very weak trip. At the time, I didn't have access to a lot of 5-MeO, so I moved on quickly to plugging, so I won't waste any. After reading the comments here, I reconsidered, whether the RoA might actually be suboptimal for me. Thinking about it, I remembered that plugged Ketamine was a lot weaker for me than expected, compared to insufflated. Also, I now have access to a bong that is optimized for dab (cannabis resin), whereas before I tried a regular crack pipe and the Vapor Genie. So I threw 330 mgin that bong and gave it a shot. I didn't get the technique perfect (too little heat), but immediately I noticed that it's working so much better. I had almost no body load or unpleasant sensations, just the stuff I'm looking or—consciousness. The smoke doesn't burn too much in the lungs, unlike what I know from N,N-DMT. The duration and curve is very similar to plugging for me, so really no downside. I got excited and tried to see whether it would build tolerance, so I tried to get the rest out of the bong. No noticeable tolerance and my technique was better this time, so I was able to trip quite a bit harder. Not breakthrough territory, but very promising. I later made another attempt with fresh 30 mg. Again, I didn't manage to get all of it in one hit, but it really hit me hard. I got a little scared and disoriented, but I think that this is a dose that I could break through with if I navigate it more skillfully. I also ordered little glass pearls that you can put in the dab head to increase the surface area. This way, I hope to be able to actually get these kinds of doses and even higher ones in one hit, because going for a second one is really unrealistic. I'm trying that tomorrow morning and will post an update.

I've reached a point in my spiritual journey where I'm sincerely questioning what the fuck is wrong. I’ve been seriously trying to break through for a long time, and I want to give you the full picture so you can see my situation clearly. Substance & ROA: – 5-MeO-DMT freebase, dissolved in vinegar – Plugged, following Leo’s plugging protocol exactly – Same batch and method used by two of my close friends — both broke through easily – Onset is fast (1–3 min), peak hits hard, and the entire experience fades after ~20 min – Body load is intense, especially dry heaving, but no nausea (empty stomach) Doses attempted: – Past: up to 30 mg – Current streak: 20 → 35 → 40 → 45 → 53(!) mg plugged At these levels, I assume a breakthrough should be happening, given my friends’ results. Phenomenology: – Extremely heavy body load – Very intense sensations – Strong alteration of state – But “I” remain coherent and do not “break through” – After ~20 min the peak is over, then the experience fades over the next hour. My mind during the peak: – There is still a sense of agency – I catch myself subtly monitoring the experience (“is it happening?”) – When I notice this, I relax it – No major fear during the peak (just pre-trip anxiety because high doses are uncomfortable) – Experience is mostly abstract/intense, not visionary My psychedelic background: – Extensive LSD use (many trips, though not always serious) – Mushrooms, ketamine, ayahuasca, MDMA, DXM – I’ve had one LSD breakthrough 3 months ago that felt meaningful, although I can see that it goes a lot deeper. I became conscious of the distinction between actuality and imagination, unity, and that time/people/places are imagined — but there was a subtle sense of I throughout. – Basically: I have never had a full ego death on any psychedelic, despite many attempts My spiritual practice background: – Started 10 years ago, at the age of ~18 when I found Leo – Meditation, self-inquiry, Hatha Yoga, Kriya Yoga – Two 10-day Vipassana retreats – I've had many distracted periods and some periods of 1–3 months with daily practice (30–60 min) – Read and listened to quite a lot of spiritual stuff (Ralston etc.) – Watched all of Leo’s videos at least once – Plenty of breathwork – No major nondual breakthroughs outside psychedelics My mind’s baseline nature: – Highly conceptual, analytical, active – I’m intelligent and curious, easily pulled into thought – Concentration meditation has always been difficult – My mind tracks things automatically, even when I try to relax it My emotional orientation: – I don’t fear the breakthrough – My real fear is: “What if it never happens for me?” – After 10 years of trying, I don’t know what else to do – There’s a deep longing for Truth / God / direct realization – I feel confused why I’m not progressing despite consistent effort and very high doses – At this point, I'm really longing for guidance because I can't seem to proceed on my own My question: Given this entire picture — why am I not breaking through, even at 45–53 mg plugged? Is this purely psychological resistance? Epistemic resistance? Energetic block? Something about my baseline consciousness? Or something about how my mind “grips” experience even at high doses? Any insights would be massively appreciated.

Happy Birthday Leo, lots of love your way 🙏🏻

This has clarified something important for me that I believe kept me stuck so far. These are the kinds of teachings and clarifications that I think are most powerful; where you give some details on the practical "How-to" of this work. Thank you.

I want you to know that in between the swine you cast your pearls before, there are students that recognize them as such, that reflect on what you say and value the lengths to which you go to offer these perspectives. We are just more silent. What you wrote here has further clarified some of your teachings to me and has started new contemplations in my mind. It was not in vain. … I‘m not saying I believe you though

@Leo Gura Noticed the clear shift in tonality recently and I want to thank you for putting in the effort

@BlessedLion You're underestimating us. The silent majority here is able to remain skeptical but open, doubting without jumping to conclusions. And yes, my life is great, and I've achieved all of what you asked about to a reasonably high degree. Leo's teachings have been integral to me being able to say that. Why is that an issue for you?

@Leo Gura I've noticed that your tone of voice has become more violent recently. The blog post about alien insanity is a recent example of this. I have been a serious student of your work for almost a decade now, so I am able to put into context all your seemingly megalomaniac claims á la “I am God, no one is more awake than me.” But I also remember a time in the not-too-distant past when you frequently stated that you wanted to become more compassionate and loving in your teachings. What happened to that? I understand that you don't need your work to conform to any standard of politeness, but this does not seem like a skillful way to get your point across. It must be difficult to remain patient with so many people misinterpreting so many aspects of what you are saying, raising the same points over and over again—I get it. From my perspective, it often looks like you are losing your temper, which seems unlike you. So, what's going on? I'd like to know where you're coming from.

I have had something similar happen to me on a heavy LSD dose. My visions quickly swung back and forth between very clean, beautiful and in a way sterile architecture etc. to disease, death, and brutality. I surrendered to it, and it kept alternating, one state sometimes lasting just a couple of seconds. I was not very fearful, but it was a really intense and stressful trip. Not sure what to make of it. I barely watch any TV or Netflix etc. at all, but I do listen to a lot of Metal. These visions felt qualitatively different from the music I listen to, however.

@Leo Gura Happy Birthday! You are one of my favorite imaginations <3

Hey @Leo Gura, in the happiness episode you mention having some epic playlists you‘ve build over time. Could you share some of them? Always on the hunt for quality music ? Thanks ??

I haven't watched it yet, but the first few minutes look interesting and it's on YouTube for free until Feb 6th. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SniI1RjTaL8

I want to start producing video content that is quite heavy on spoken content, somewhat like what Leo does. Do you have any good books / videos / other resources on how to make better videos and how to improve your "public" speaking skills? @Leo Gura what methods did you use to become this good? Practice of course, but any specific techniques you found useful? Thank you

@undeather Thank you so much! This is the kind of nuanced input that was really helpful for making up my mind about this whole thing. It's really a shame that @Leo Gura is taking this dismissive attitude on the matter. I (now) get where he is coming from, but it shows a heavy lack in compassion. Vaccine hesitancy is really present in my environment. None of my friends are crazy anti-vaxxers, but as you've explained in your post, it's not completely unjustified to be a bit hesitant. Leo could've made this a lot easier for me, by taking the concerns just a tiny bit more serious. In my case, it really frightened me how he doesn't appear to question the popular narrative whatsoever. Yes, this problem mainly arose because I had bugs in my epistemology. But they were sneaky, not obvious mistakes that you would have to be stupid to commit. At least for me, that's just where I'm at. Anyway, getting my first shot next week. Maybe my little perspective and story will help some people here and in my peer group... Maybe next time, we'll be able to have serious and kind discussions with people that are insecure.