cetus

@Dan94 Everything works hand in hand so I say go with a well balanced diet of discipline, meditation, self inquiry, fitness, healthy food, study, life purpose, skill set, ect..

The mind is like a parachute. It doesn't work unless it's open.

@Wormon Blatburm Haha, that got me thinking so I searched, sure enough!

@Dodo Here's one for ya. What were you eight days before your conception?

@Peace and Love Just wondering. How's your friend doing now that she started practicing TM?

@mk0998 The word 'enlightenment' basically means to be illuminated by truth. When all false beliefs fall away all that remains is truth (enlightenment). The problem is when people add mystical experiences and such to what enlightenment really is than it's meaning becomes distorted into something fantastical.

@Martin123 Are you familiar with the 'Default Mode Network'. That's a good study in itself.

@Martin123 Studies of brain wave activity while on LSD. This is interesting field. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/lsd-may-chip-away-at-the-brain-s-sense-of-self-network/

@nightrider1435 That's God. Can you merge with the light?

@Martin123 I posted a video yesterday on the 5-MEO-DMT mega thread if you want to check that out. The guy was one of the volunteers for the research study.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Strassman

This first hand account is interesting so I wanted to share. Sorry if it's already been posted.

@EndofMe Hi, welcome. Great suggestion for@john5170 . Even 20 mins. would help a lot. Just staying mindful of the wondering mind and watching it run it's course. In my response above I used the word 'gently' bringing the awareness back to the point of focus. That's the important part. In others words, don't add any additional content to the thought. It came without any effort. Let it go without any effort. The tricky part is the mind itself. It will go to any extreme not to be still. Like a small child that gets bored restaurant and looking for something to do. If you think to yourself 'ahh, another thought just arose', the mind just added more thought about the first thought. haha And creating the expectation of the next thought that will come along. And it will. The thing is to see what is happening is just something the mind does. Than laugh at it, and step out of it. It will always be hanging around just to test you Easy come- easy go.

@john5170 This is where a mantra is most useful - for newbies. I'm presuming you don't use one. As soon as you notice the mind wondering, gently bring awareness back to your point of focus. It takes practice, like anything, the more you do it, the better you'll get at it.

@NahmWhat 'isn't' is changeless.

@Bufo Alvarius 'Control' is resistance to what is. It's as futile as trying to assist an airliner off the ground by pulling up on your seat belt. You see, there is simply nothing you can do- or intentionally not do that will change what is. Allen Watts

@Torkys Reading your post it reminded me of a book I read years ago 'Love is letting go of Fear'. I found this. Maybe it will help answer some of the questions you have.

@Alexo45 Yes it is perfectly normal. The thing is the hands, or any other part of the body for that matter are not 'yours'. They never where. That is an illusion created by the egoic thinking mind and taking false ownership. You are really no more your body than you are the screen your looking at now. The body is just stardust material. An aspect of the physical universe. Calcium, iron, h2o, ect. 'Your body' is really no different than a tree, a bird, a mountain, a river, dirt, ect. So you have taken a first step in the right direction. You are realizing this as a direct experience of truth. Don't allow the ego to scare you out of the truth. That you are something more than just a body/mind/ego. A little freaky at first isn't it? haha You'll get used to it after a while. It's a completely new paradigm of how you relate to what you really are.

It's a messed up world we live in for sure.

@Brimstone??? of course not. That's like asking if a cloud knows it's heading east. Yea, a distinction. Peter Ralston talks about 'distinctions in consciousness' and I quoted him. He also mentions there is a whole section of his new book that discusses distinctions.

I thought it was interesting when Peter said 'You can go on creating more distinctions forever-Why?- that's the nature of consciousness'. I wouldn't trust anything that arises within consciousness as the absolute. What is not a distinction arising within consciousness?

@Nahm The other day I was contemplating how much resistance people carry from day to day. Myself included. Even in times when there is no immediate resistance there still remains the expectation of what may come next that will stir the resistance in us. I guess the answer to that is consciously living a life of total surrender to whatever may arise. Easier said than done though. haha

Haha I hear you. I was attempting to point at something that is nameless and undefinable. 'For lack of a better word I call it the Tao'