cetus

When I was a child there was no" localized self" and the world was amazing. We need to regain what has been lost.

That's a lofty idea but not true in the sense you are thinking as in "you are everything". Don't take that is such a literal sense. Only your body is literally "every-thing" because it's part of the material universe on an atomic level. Lets say for the sake of conversation, there is mind- "YOU". Than there is pure universal awareness. How to experience pure universal awareness with no false additives?

@ParkiYou seem to understand this from an intellectual perspective only and not experientially. If you don't mind me asking, have you ever experienced what is beyond the self?

@Narvanna21 I'm sure you realize now that's all a self created detour. There is still something to learn from it though. Something about yourself more than the outside world. It sound like you got yourself back on track again without too much of a personal price to pay. Good for you!

@Narvanna21 Happy-early-Birthday! Know what you really want. look at it this way, do what makes you happy. It's your life. You are the one who has to live it. Do something that you have a passion for and it will come easy. That's not to say that there won't be challenges. That isn't saying there won't be deviations along the path. That too is all part of the learning process of life. So what, you take a slight detour. Simply return to your path again and proceed on. How could you fail? You can manifest anything you want. That is what life is here for. Never forget that.

@Huz88 I'm sitting here reflecting on all this enlightenment work. It's a serious endeavor and nothing to take lightly when you really get into it. I guess it starts off as an interest or something different to go for. Or it could stem from an awakening that there is something bigger than ourselves. On the surface it appeals as something to "gain". But than the very ego self realizes what is really in store for itself and the reality of it hits you suddenly in the face. There is something to be gained, but first it's all about throwing out what has always been wrong in the first place. It's an uncovering process to dig deep to get to the truth that has been buried. That can be very difficult sometimes. It's a constant challenge of re-evaluating everything you thought you were. That's a radical change and change is the hardest thing to accept. To be able to say to yourself, "I was always wrong about how I viewed everything including myself. That will take anyone out of their comfort zone. My hat is off to all who stay the course and see it through. The world around us always has a pull on us too. Like the moon causing high tides in the ocean. It's a constant balancing act at all times.There is something very special about anyone who gives so much of themselves for something that has a value that most people may never understand in a lifetime. I just wanted to share a thought.......

@student Your mind is messing with you in all kinds of ways. It's questioning it's own existence and putting up a huge fuss! Nothing more than that....Take your own advise and all is good.

I plan on becoming a jelly fish and totally enjoying the flotation.

This is interesting. Just wanted to share!

@Eddie_the_Eggplant This can't be fully understood by mind. Mind is the very thing that separates us from the truth of what we are. Transcendence of mind is the only way this truth is fully realized. Once that truth is realized, you will never see yourself the same way again. That could come after many hours of meditation. Or, you could transcend the mind this very moment. But that would instantly shatter the illusory foundation of yourself that you have built all your life. That could be too much to accept at one time. The process of slowly unfolding the truth through meditation is the most gentle way to full acceptance. So what's the pay off? When there is the letting go of self, something wonderful happens. There is the experience of what some refer to as "pure self" or "true self" or "soul" or "Atman" whatever you choose to call it. And that is infinite and does not exist within the confines of mind, and objects and space and time. You transcend all these mental constructs and become liberated. After the experience of the transcendence of mind, mind is than understood for what it is. Just mind. It can be used at any time we choose. Mind or "the brain" becomes just a useful tool for working within this space/time universe we call existence and no longer a mental confinement. Just my 2 cents worth!

@Falk You have been busy this week- building bridges in both your inner and outer worlds! Yea, go ahead, move on to bigger and better things while I stay here with my lowly broken gate. haha

@IVONNE Any time used to step off the hectic wheel of life to find yourself some stillness is never wasted time. You'll live longer too!

@bracov If it feels right to you than it is right. That's all that matters, there is no wrong or right. Take note of any changes you experience about yourself in a detached but compassionate way over time. Your meditation will become an oasis of peace and stillness and it will naturally spill over into your daily life. One thing I would suggest from the start. Allow consciousness it's own freedom. Fully trust that it somehow knows perfectly well what it is doing without any input from you. Just surrender all control to it and be only a silent witness of it happening on it's own. Trust! Great start- your doing just fine!

@Falk The "gateless gate" as Leo calls it. One mans gate is another mans bridge. Your right there! Sweet

@Falk Just for shits and giggles, it would have been interesting to recorded your b-w function before and after your 6 hr. sit. and compare, any differences.

Oh, the use of the word "gate" was only there for making conversation. All that really matters is how open we are to the oneness that surrounds us always. Yes, letting go of everything is when it happens and only than. But, I do find these experiences of heightened awareness interesting and if we understood more of what was happening under these circumstances, it could be repeated instantaneously without years of meditation and such. Others could experience this too with little effort. Besides using mind altering drugs, of course. I was researching brainwave mapping just now. That could possibly answer some questions. It seems that the abundance alpha brain wave activity may contribute greatly to the oneness and sense of well being that you experienced. I wish you many more experiences like the one you had.

@Falk So getting back to the subject. Do you think there is a "gate" in perception as that article talks about? Next question would be, what is required to open that gate? And the next question, how to keep that gate open always? As I said, it would sometimes happen spontaneously as a child with no effort at all. This is what I find interesting. There were no drugs, no sitting, no meditation, no determination, no effort, no discipline, no contorting of the body in various postures. Just the sudden experience of oneness. Any clues?

I did try shrooms once but I guess I didn't do enough to "trip". All that happened was that sounds had a echo to them and there was little feeling of euphoria. There was one guy in town who did a LOT of trip and one day he didn't come back. He became permanently tripped out. After that he was always talking to himself and walking the streets. So I guess that left me with a bad impression.

@Falk Now that you know where that "gate" is, do you think you could enter through it next time with less than a 6 hr. sitting?

@Falk These were not my words spoken. Something I found on the doors of perception and "gating" as it's called. (great term). I think that what you experienced after your 6 hr. of sitting may been due to the "absence" of a mental gate in perception because of that sitting? I have had an interest in this subject since a child having that profound experience myself so that is how this path all started for me. Substances have always seemed like something interesting but I never indulged in that type of exploration. I have to admit though, I have always wondered what I may be missing. But than again, there are no perfect shortcuts.

@Falk What if you found out there was a key that would enable you to open and close your doors of perception at will, void of psychedelics? What if you found out you not only held the key, but you were the key? Would you unlock the doors, or keep them shut? Well, you are the key, and whether or not you choose to enter through the doors is a choice that, although invisible, is life changing. You are the vehicle for the trip, consider this but a mere travel summary. And for a detailed itinerary? Well, that can only be fetched by you -not the part of you reading this, but the altered dream state part of your consciousness that will travel beyond the doors of perception to the wildness of the world where there is a livingness to all things- as it can only be found in a place with exclusive access. A place where you can travel, but no one may follow -not even the conscious, waking state version of yourself scanning these very words. If you have experimented with psychedelics, you most likely know what it is like to sense the type of “livingness” to all things of which I speak. Even if you haven’t used psychedelics, though, you almost certainly have still experienced this same livingness to all things in the world around you to a noticeable degree at least once, but probably various times as a child -a moment where the world around you took on a shimmery glow, colours suddenly appeared brighter, sounds louder and clearer, physical sensations amplified and, most notably, you could FEEL the world around you. I am not referring to the physical, touching type of feeling, but to the intangible, energy sense of feeling where you could almost feel the luminosity of the world around you within, and you and the luminous rested in harmony as if you were one. You were present, your perceptions altered, your senses heightened. In short, your sensory gating channels opened to some degree, a process more commonly referred to as opening your doors of perception. Sensory Gating Explained: The Science Behind the Doors of Perception The “doors of perception” are the part of our brain and central nervous system responsible for filtering input from all external stimuli, involving all of your senses -feeling (both physical and nonphysical), sight, sound, taste and smell. This process, known as “sensory gating,” enables us to decipher the difference between “me” and “not me.” Through sensory gating, we are able to manage and comprehend the constant stream of sensory data from the external environment. Without it, we would be unable to filter out what matters and what doesn’t, and all sensory data would touch us deeply and ultimately, we would become overstimulated and overwhelmed and go “crazy” -according to modern medicine, that is. You see, many of the people who are now referred to as “schizophrenics” have wide sensory gating channels that they do not know how to close, causing an overload in stimulus. In indigenous cultures, these people would have instead been called SHAMANS, and would have been taught how to control their doors of perception and open and close them as need be. There are ways to begin opening the doors of perception, or sensory gating channels, without using psychedelics. Of course, the experience will not be as intense or immediate, but nor will it be short lived. Rather, by utilizing practices that help open your sensory gating channels to some degree by altering your state of consciousness, you learn to open the doors of perception into the metaphysical background of the world and continuously uncover deeper truths to yourself and the world around you. In essence, playing with the doors of perception in this manner, rather than through the use of mind altering substances, allows you to do more than have a life changing experience in which you see the deeper meanings to life for a brief period of time (i.e. a “trip”), but to change your life where every moment is an experience in a continuous journey into further, unexplored depths of life.

Just for clarification the way the experience was conveyed at first, it seemed as if you were experiencing that in a conceptualized manner so I put the question in a conceptualized form (the mirror). What is the saying? "look deeply into nature and you will find it is looking back at you" (something like that). But yes, in truth only one field of awareness ever exists. The mind seems to experience that happening as a reflection of sorts. It gives the impression awareness has become aware of itself. And the beauty is in the fact that we can experience that pure field of awareness as a silent observer. It's like peeking in on the true workings of the universe and watching what is happening "behind the scenes". That's the "magic" as I experience it. I remember those same experiences very well as a child and again now since doing a lot of silent sitting and silently observing pure awareness at rest. Once the door is found, it becomes more easily accessed and so very natural and original. The "cleansing of the doors of perception".

@Falk The " life magic" was the gardens awareness of you. Did it feel like awareness was looking into a mirror?

@Teags There is no problem so there is no solution.

Nope, it's not a cult. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (who started TM) bought mantra meditation to the general public of the "western world" in the 70's. The Beatles had something to do with bringing that "expansion in awareness" to young people of the time. And many other influences too. It was suddenly everywhere, the music, the message, the LSD, Hug a Tree, Nuke the Whales------ or was that "Save" the whales? Mother Earth, Allen Watts, Ram Dass, expanded awareness . People were suddenly experiencing something other than "what was" as the status quo and questioning, exchanging views on that open awareness. The next question was "How can that experience of open awareness exist at all times, without getting Burned Out? TM was suddenly a franchise to teach many people how to meditate for the first times in there lives. To find that "inner peace". Today there is so much great info on the internet to be thankful for >LEO. *Some Doctors prescribe TM to patients who suffer from stress related disorders. It's a basic mantra meditation and a lifetime membership.