Have you ever tried mind-mapping as you go? I've been experimenting with this and it takes way less time. Although the things it helps you remember will be different and less detailed than notes.
@Buck Edwards
I would recommend Justin Sung on Youtube for these kinds of things. He has a lot of videos on reading difficult texts, motivation, learning science, and more.

Random question but if someone was born with lower intelligence genetically in this lifetime and heavily does consciousness work in this lifetime can they assure a leap in genetic intelligence in their next lifetime/s

Most of us are under the illusion that consciousness is localised inside the body or the brain or behind your eyes . But that's just simply an illusion. If you study your direct experience carefully enough ..you will realize that consciousness extends to the whole bubble of perceptions that you are experiencing right now .the problem is you identify yourself with your physical body .which is only a small portion of the entire experience. You are the entire experience that you are experiencing right now. So if you're experiencing seeing a tree over there ..you are the tree ..consciousness is localised in the tree itself not in your eyes .you don’t actually see the tree with your eyes ..you see the tree exactly in the place which it is occurring in .
 what you think is the world out there is actually you. The problem is you think there is me here and a world there and me is looking at the world. That's duality. The observer is the observed. And this is meant literally. What you think is a screen right now that is being perceived by you via a medium of perception system (eyes) is actually what you are. You are not looking at the screen right now. You are the screen. And this is the case for any other duality. You and your thoughts are actually one thing. You and your feelings are actually one thing. Meaning there is no you that is feeling feelings.. The feelings are what you are. Evident by when there are no feelings there are no feeler as well. Similarly when there is no perceiver there are no perceptions.  And since there is in fact no duality between the perceiver and the perceived.. There is neither a you nor a world out there.. There is one unbroken actuality. And this is it. In this actuality there is actually no "you" and no "other". If you try to pin point where or what exactly is" you" in direct experience and what is or where exactly is "other" you will fail miserably. Because this boundary is completely imaginary. It's all one thing. There is no you right here perceiving a world out there. It's all here. Here is there. You is the world.  So what you call other people are literally you. The entire actuality of what's showing up in consciousness right now is you. Not just what you are  identified with as your body. The entire field of consciousness is you. From this place there is neither  you nor a world as two separate things. There is only what is. And what is.. Is one unbroken actuality with no divisions.   you are literally the entire world. You are the totality of what is. 

I read this in the internet, now I am sharing with you all.
Read it carefully
The first principle is becoming aware of our thoughts and the nature of thought. By taking the position of just being an observer of the thoughts and images that come and go we recognize all thoughts are the same: they are temporary appearances that come and go like clouds in the sky.
Give no importance to one thought over another. If we pay no attention to any thought but remain in the “observer” role, it seems the space of awareness becomes more open and thoughts less demanding of attention. We discover all thoughts are without substance and importance. We could say our thoughts are “empty”, like clouds: appearances without any core or entity.
The second principle is recognizing our stories and emotional dramas are structured only from thought, our “empty” thoughts. In continuing to observe our thoughts we should notice how they tend to link together in chains of meaning and particular significance. It is this linking together of thoughts that creates our stories, beliefs and emotional drama in a convincing and powerful way. As a result we may spend most of our time going from one mini-daydream to another.
It is this trance-like state of mind that we need to break up again and again as often as possible. We do that by shifting our attention from thought to the presence of the five senses in immediate now-ness. Just notice your physical environment and the direct sensory experience free of analysis. Practice this shifting away from mental engagement in thought to noticing your physical environs as often as possible.
The third principle is recognizing that one’s sense of self is also only an empty story made of thought; a mental construction without an actual identity as an entity that exists independently and with self-determinism.. There is no personal self present other than this make-believe “me” story.
Even science makes clear there is just one unified field of energy as the universe without separate parts. The entire field is inter-dependent without any breaks or splits in the unity. The sense of being an independent entity like a “personal self”, is just an illusion and has never existed in fact.
By observing the “me” thoughts that arise from moment to moment we can notice the “personal me” is nothing more than a chain of linked thoughts about identity that are supported by memories and imagination. Seeing this directly and clearly, not just intellectually, the emptiness of personal identity becomes obvious to the mind at which point the illusion ceases…
The fourth principle is recognizing what exactly is the nature of that which is observing and experiencing the empty nature of thoughts, stories and personal selfhood. What is doing the “recognizing”? What is this impersonal aware consciousness that perceives and knows? In these recognitions there seems to be an ever increasing evolution or revelation of wisdom. As a result one’s cognitive space seems expansive, open and vividly transparent without a center…
The fifth principle is recognizing the inseparable relationship between one’s empty, aware “seeing” and the five senses. One can’t find awareness separate from one’s sensory perceptions. There isn’t first a sensory perception and then an awareness of it. The five senses are this “knowing awareness” seeming to be split up into five separate sensory components. These sensory capacities are not limited to the physical five senses. “Knowing awareness” can perceive independently of the five physical senses with no limitations regarding time and space.
Merging our attention fully with the five senses instead of with the mental phenomena of thoughts, stories and beliefs in personal identity, reveals a state of total “nowness” beyond thought and mind. A limitless vista of knowing transparency and Clear Light reveals itself to be our true nature beyond any descriptions or assumptions of mind. In merging our attention totally with the five senses, the luminous nature of appearances reveals the empty vividness of our Aware and Knowing Space.
If one incorporates and integrates these five principles into one’s daily practice, in my opinion no other methods or practices should be considered necessary…
  

Happy Xmas to everyone!
I wish happiness, love and wisdom to all the beings in this forum. May grace be with you  Today, I want to give you guys a christmas present! It's a gift from my heart that arose after months of applying one of the most profound techniques I have ever learned - Letting Go - applied to the body!
 
1. Introduction
It's a perfect tool for healing and spiritual growth. It's so simple but so easily overlooked. You can do it everywhere, anywhere, all the time. Big news, it will happen by itself spontaneously when you invest some time in it. It's so effective that you'll have no chance but to do it. Everything's going to get better from the moment you start applying. I know, I know, one of more of those... Skepticism is healthy. But don't let the mind prevent you from just trying it.
 
If this guidance is aligned with your destiny, you're in for some good surprise! Read it slowly and let it be understood experientially. Stick to it and watch what happens. I will try to keep it as short as possible.
 
2. Theory
Your Ego is made out of resistance. Resistance to what is. Resistance to Reality. Since you were a toddler, you have been resisting Reality. Because of this, you have developed some deep layered contractions and tensions that are still with you today. These tensions are right there in your body and keep you from enjoying your full potential in life. The Ego is made up of these contractions which create a mediocre sense of self. The more contractions there are, the more the Ego feels real and solid. It's hard for an ordinary person to sit still because there's so much contraction that it's painful. These tensions corrupt your energy system and give rise to all the negative thoughts. These contractions are basically suppressed energies in motion - emotions.
Energy in Motion => Resistance (Contraction) => Thoughts
As this energy is released, the thoughts that originate from the corresponding emotion disappear altogether, the Ego is dissolved, slowly and gradually. The goal is to dissolve every bit of contraction till full liberation.
While applying the technique for months and years, you'll experience higher and higher emotions, higher consciousness and all the benefits from dissolution of the Ego. The benefits are fast and easy.
 
3. Technique
Stop moving for a second. Be aware of the entirety of your body sensations all at once, specially the torso. Do that for 15 seconds. Now, think something from your life that makes you uncomfortable (the most uncomfortable thoughts make best for this example). Notice that there's an immediate response in the physical body. There's some contraction in the chest, abdomen, solar plexus or other place. The uncomfortable feel is that contraction. Now focus on it like a laser without trying to remove it or change it. Just be still and focus on it. Watch it dissolve magically. What's left is a lighter emotion, less thoughts and higher awareness. DON'T LISTEN TO THE THOUGHTS. They are just mind rationalisations for the discomfort, no matter how true and reasonable they might seem.
Discomfort => Body awareness => Contraction detected => Focus and release
You have been denying and contracting for all your life so it might (just might ) take a bit of time till you 1) are aware of your body contractions 2) can free up the tensions fast. Usually it takes days to dissolve these contractions once you are aware of them. As time goes on, you'll find yourself releasing them in a matter of minutes. There are literally dozens of thousands of these contractions which are stored in a layer of feelings. The more you apply the technique the more you dive deep in this layer.
 
4. Applications
You always have contractions on your body. There's always some tension underlying your current experience, even if you're not aware of it. Spend some time being aware of your body (body awareness is key here) and let go of the contractions that you can perceive. Remember, let go is just to focus and release the energy. Do this all the time, ALL THE FUCKING TIME. Specially when you feel triggered and uncomfortable. You'll see, in a matter of days, that this is (the?) most powerful technique and you'll be doing it all the time. Then there comes a point where there's always great awareness of the body and the technique just works by itself without "you" doing anything.
Even if you don't feel triggered, you can always be aware of the contractions present right now. Just turn your attention to the body. Be still. Tip: usually it's on the torso area that these blocks manifest, but not always.
 
Dissolving problems
So, this is the most important technique for all of your problems... I see people debating on the forum on many topics: dating problems, self-help problems, insecurity problems, anxiety problems, etc. Know that all of those are just internal blocks which are creating all the thoughts and "problems" on your life. Apply this technique and watch those disappear. Then, you won't need to fix your problems, because they will magically dissolve when the energy is not blocked. See what contraction is causing your current suffering/problem.
 
5. Key messages
Be aware of your body.
Be aware of the contractions right now.
Don't listen to the thoughts.
Be still.
And let gooooooooooo.
 
6. Final bells
This technique is amazing, you'll benefit a lot! I'll bet it will become your favourite practice. As time goes on, it will not be seen as a practice but just as surrender. This teaching is heavily discussed in David Hawkins' book Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender. But here, I strongly point that the blocks are in the body, not in an imaginary land.
Lots of love and I would love to read your ideas and experiences! I wish you well 

Science divide in three 
formal science, natural sciences, and social sciences. when science grow it includes other Displine too. but to be science everthing must be Rational and logical otherwise it isn't science. logic and Science is the language of the universe. you can't do science with irrationality and illogic. 
When I say material, science present the Spritual essence of nature into material tangible things. examples quantum mechanics. quantum particles aren't material elements, but science convert them to material visible experience. everything in science isn't material. everthing is Spritual but science brings out the immaterial to material. computer, infrared light, Bluetooth, everthing. 
you can't mention one error in science. science is grows through generations. science is identical to the universe. also don't confuse science with consciousness and Spirituality. 

Communicating with the dead, Secrets of life
Very simple task, just like talking on any device, think of the person personally or by name(maybe you don't know the person personally) or just think of them if you don't know their name, Start with something like Are you available to talk, I usually present a gift, Life Force Energy as it's very valuable in the astral realm, and they are very happy, then I telepathically ask them questions and request they do something for me, sometimes they can't depending on what they know how to do, not everyone is a genius after they die. 
If you are nervous just act as if you are a professional at this and you've been doing it forever already and your just communicating with another person from the other side the same as you have do for years/decades/centuries already, nothing new here, same as always, just another day of communicating with the dead.
I learnt how to do that when I was in grade 4 when I would go to the night club and party with the British solders every Thursday Night, legal age was 18 and I was like 8 or 9 years old, and I walked past the bounces like just another day at the night club, same as every other Thursday, give them the unconscious tiny nod and they would greet me like an old friend, with Enjoy your night Sir.  that wasn't that long ago, mid 90s, they even had signs up everywhere, 18 Legal Age, I'd bootleg for all of my older brothers friends.  
It doesn't take much practice to be a good actor/actress you just have to know the secrets in life, which are; 
act as if and it will be.
pretend.
everything is simple.
daydream state is the hypnotic state / trance state 
daydream is astral travel,
the place where things happen when you daydream is the astral realm,
simple suggestions in a daydream state can change your life - deprogram your brain/mind - create wealth, relationships, anything you want in your life.
Happiness is free. Smiles are free. Smiling creates Happiness and no I'm not talking about Mr. Ha's Penis
Everything is created internally first then manifests externally in your life.
You can create infinite professional/creative/destructive entities to work for you, or infinite copies of yourself to do your bidding in the astral realm
Things are instant in the astral realm,
entities don't need to be maintained (energized) in the astral realm 
Enjoy every moment of life especially if you are working at McDonald's, make every moment be the best moment ever.  Every task is extremely meaningful in your life especially making ice-cream cone at McDonald's
that's all I can think of now hahahaha
 
 

Hi @Leo Gura!
I just quickly want to mention I haven't begun pursuing enlightenment hardcore, although being a serious meditator.
Without spoiling the book list, Consciousness & Enlightenment obviously is the category with most books.
This is curious.
My inquiry comes in two parts:
1. Why is there a need to read that many books (especially when many are top-ranked), when more and more conceptual understanding leads "nowhere" in this particular matter (sure you need a knowledge base, but still)? Are not just a few enough? Do they say different things?
2. If all these books tackle the subject from different angles, what is the most strategical/practical order to go through them? Generally, of course, every individual needs to figure out for their own what "to do", but the enlightenment books concerns a very specific topic and points to an exact destination - spiritual enlightenment. It seems to me, then, at least there should be some order to read them through. For instance, I would start with the one you explicitly dub #1, but what about Yamada Roshi's book? Seems like his book should come after a couple enlightenment experiences since it describes advanced stages. Etc, etc, etc.
 
Keep rocking and a thousand thanks for your work! 
/Gustav

I loved the story..... It got me motivated to read more  !  Understanding is key

I know of the obvious benefits of reading such as learning, improved reading skill, etc. I'm just wondering whether or not there are additional benefits such as a sharper mind, or physical changes in the brain. People often say it "makes you smarter". I wonder weather there is any credibility to this. Are there lasting benefits to reading books? Thank you. 

@RedLine The trick is to keep peripheral awareness during the activity at all times. 
Things to be aware of at all times doing any activity, pick one right now and maintain it in mind during the activity:
- Center of body and the distance it is from your screen.
- The location sounds are coming from in your environment.
- The location of the words on the screen your reading/typing and the distance it is to the objects in the background. Notice the words as if they where physical objects in the room around you. 
- The smoothness of breath.
- Notice the distance between internal thoughts and the objects in the room your in. Notice the distance between your thoughts and the thing your looking at.
- Notice the muscle tension in your hands while you type, try to relax hands to the limit and only use the least amount of force needed to press each key.
- Pretend there is an arrow pointing out of your body forward, then pretend there is a arrow coming out of your eyes, now maintain awareness of both arrows at the same time, at all times. Look in both directions at the same time, do not loss it. Look with the torso forward and with the head direction at the same time.
- Try to be ninja silent at all times, walking, thinking, talking, notice carefully how every sound is effecting the environment and the people around you.
- Pretend your feet are the most important part of the body, keep them in awareness at all times, notice there perspective and experiences(what there looking at from down there).
There is more...- basically play and explore your awareness. Its an instrument that can be played at different levels of mastery. Make everything into a peripheral experience.
Gamify your awareness. 

Insightful article by spiritual teacher Eknath Easwaran on the still mind as perceived from the Hindu and Christian religious philosophies...
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/speaking-tree/a-still-mind-is-divine/articleshow/89230633.cms
 
 

@Sea A stage Yellow person is never going to revert back to stage Blue. It's sort of like leaving a cult. Once you are conscious enough, re-joining a cult cannot work on you. For example, there is no way that Albert Einstein or Barrack Obama could become an ISIS Jihadist (unless maybe his brain is damaged). It would never happen because he's too conscious for that.
You're not going to see a stage Orange society revert back to stage Red. America is never going to become a theocracy like Saudi Arabia, for example.
Etc.
Temporary regression is possible in the sense that one may still not be stabilized at one's level. For example, America leaned Green with electing Obama, and then regressed back down to Blue/Orange with electing Trump. But this was not a change in America's level of development, it was just a difference of expression. America is evolving up the Spiral. America is not going to be Blue in 100 years as much as it will be Green. So to say that there is no directionality would be very misleading. There will never be a time when slavery and Jim Crow laws get re-instated. That ship has long sailed for Americans.
When you are angry/fearful, you will express lower stages than when you are joyful and confident. So there's that additional wrinkle. For example, if America experiences a new great depression, or a nuclear attack, then the population will be angry and fearful, so they will skew more conservative, more Blue, more authoritarian.
BTW, Clare Graves' understanding of Spiral Dynamics was itself limited because he was not a nondual mystic. He didn't really understand the connection between Spiral Dynamics and Consciousness. My explanations of Spiral Dynamics are not just a parroting of someone else's theory, but my understanding of it, which is informed by my nondual experiences.
And very importantly, being at higher levels is not "good" or "better". Turquoise is no "better" than Red. At the highest levels of nonduality you will have unconditional acceptance for all stages, all "evils", all ignorance. You, as God, are EVERYTHING, with no better than, worse than, or lesser. A human is not better than an ape or a dinosaur or a pig.
Yes, Spiral Dynamics can easily be abused, like any model. As far as models go, Spiral Dynamics is a very complex and nuanced one, with lots of subtlety, which can easily be misapplied unless you study it very closely. There is a tendency to oversimplify Spiral Dynamics. To apply Spiral Dynamics properly you need to be a solid stage Yellow. Lower stages will tend to misapply it.
Is Spiral Dynamics limited? Of course.
Is Spiral Dynamics the Absolute Truth? Of course not.
Is Spiral Dynamics helpful for growing yourself and your society? Very much so, if you apply it carefully.
Can Spiral Dynamics be abused to justify all sorts of judgments and evils? Of course.

I am unfamiliar with Bernardo Kastrup. Does anyone else second that this would be very helpful easier to grasp material for the novice/not God realized?
@Leo Gura thoughts? Are you familiar with his teachings? 

Paul Smit made a movie about Non-Duality. I haven't had a chance to watch it yet though - so I can't give a review.
 

I find movie directors that explore creatively difficult topics and watch all their work from the beginning. 
For example
1) Lars Van Trier (closest I have found to turquoise especially in the latest work)
2) Giuseppe Tornatore 
3) Farhad Safinia
Those 3 directors have directed many movies, so that should keep you entertained. 

Hi everyone,

I've been following a small spiritual channel recently called "Wake up !" (formerly called: "what is awakening").
The guy behind this channel has lived in auroville for a while, but he doesn't live there anymore.
His videos are quite short compared to actualized.org (10 minutes on average), but this guy has the talent of covering a lot of stuff in a short timespan without speaking fast.

The reason why he says he's making this channel is because he's doing an autolysis, basically summarizing all his spiritual knowledge before he "burns" it. He says he has no intention of growing his channel big, rather potentially helping a small group of people who are already in SD yellow, turqoise or coral.

So far I've watched 90% of his content, and I think there might be some stuff that might be valuable for Leo (he even mentions him a few times, and even where he is located in his trips on different consciousness scales).

One of the things he does is comparing the similarities between different models of consciousness, for example he explains what range each spiral dynamics tier has on the hawkings scale.

Furthermore, he has almost completed describing spiral dynamics second tier (except he hasn't made a video about the 6th stage of the 2nd tier) and even talks about a third tier.

He lists it as following:

1st tier: devepment of personality/ego, most people dwell here
2nd tier: freeing of the soul, less than one percent of people dwell here. Examples: Eckhart Tolle, Mooji, UG Krishnamurti, Ken Wilber, Tolkien, Tony Parsons, etc.
3rd tier: avatar consciousness/the divine changing the dream of "Maya" through human form (or any other medium of consciousness such as aliens or AI). Historical examples may include Jesus, Krishna, Buddha, Sri Aurobindo, Meher Baba, etc.

Also he explains how every stage in 1st tier SD has an equavalent in the second tier. Only it's about the soul now instead of ego
Yellow is survival of the soul
Turqoise is magic of the soul
Coral is about power of the soul, spiritual warfare, also an antisocial colour, but not destructive (except towards it's own ego)
Teal is about truth of the soul, seeing the absolute truth
Plum is about information of the soul, being able to download any information at any time possible
He hasn't explained the last stage of 2nd tier tho

3rd tier probably follows the same pattern, but of something else...

He also discusses the possiblity of man made AI going through all these tiers as well, perhaps eventually replacing humans.

Here's the channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/Wakeupcrashingontheshoresof8/videos

Perhaps it might be some interesting study material for Leo? (and others as well)

For me personally, the channel moved me from SD orange to SD green. (even though technically it's a channel aimed at SD second tier)

Hey, ya'll, I need your help!
I want to create a comprehensive list of video examples of prototypical stage Orange thinking.
This is not meant to humiliate or demonize stage Orange. It's meant to be an educational tool for people learning about Spiral Dynamics.
So towards that end, scour Youtube and find all the videos you can which exhibit stage Orange thinking. Try to find videos which are short and sweet. The more diversity we can display here, the better. Try to find examples from various cultures: Europe, Middle East, Asia, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, Africa, South America, etc.
We will create a mega-thread like this for every stage in the Spiral, from Red to Turquoise. But here, let's just focus on Orange. Each week I will start a new mega-thread topic for the next stage.
Do not start a political debate in this thread! It is not our goal here to defend our personal political positions or to judge any stage, but simply to compile examples.
Thanks for your help! I'm excited to see what kind of juicy stuff you dig up. Try to be selective with your choices.
This can turn into a really cool list.
List of Orange Values:
Achievement, success, excellence Climb your way to the top Upward mobility Obsessed with being #1, be a winner Improving one’s own position in life Efficiency, progress, productivity, optimization Gaming the system, min-maxing, manipulation Creative exploitation Action, results, pragmatism Never-ending growth Capitalism, libertarianism Competitive marketplace Deregulation, denationalization Hard work, business, entrepreneurship Competition, winner-take-all Self-improvement Skills, knowledge, education Confidence, optimism, charisma Entertainment & showmanship  Personal freedom, self-reliance, independence Free speech Money, sex, luxury Net worth Physical appearance, youth, sexiness, coolness Consumerism, conspicuous consumption Brands Pop culture, celebrities, social media Quarterly profits, mass market, sales Mass production, industry Rationality, logic, science, secularism, humanism Technology Materialism, reductionism, atheism, evolution Hard-nosed science, no New Age mumbo-jumbo Pragmatism, empiricism, skepticism No metaphysics Analysis “Facts” Data, analytics, models, quantify everything Science-based fact-based education Double-blind, peer-reviewed studies “Scientific method” IQ Strategic planning, risk analysis Innovation & creative thinking Results & the bottom-line matters most Maintaining a competitive edge Competence vs rank or bloodline Recognition, reward Win-win outcomes Stage Orange Examples:
America, capitalism, emerging China, businessmen, CEOs, biz suits, corporate boardrooms, lawyers, Wall Street, Wolf of Wall Street, insider trading, Manhattan, hedge-fund managers, Goldman Sachs, Big pharma, Big oil, Big banks, tobacco companies, advertising, Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurs, libertarians, Ayn Rand, professional sports, FIFA, NBA, Superbowl, sponsorship deals, fashion, Rolex, nightclubs, pickup, MOGTOW, redpill, bro culture, Republicans, Trump, trophy hunting, breast implants, plastic surgery, Botox, liposuction, pornography, Playboy, Hustler magazine, Hugh Hefner, Larry Flynt, strip clubs, Hollywood biz, supermodels, Silicon Valley, start-ups, venture capital, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, casinos, theme parks, Carl Icahn, Koch Brothers, corporate raiders, Walmart, Amazon, Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Disney, Monsanto, Microsoft, GE, AT&T, IBM, Facebook, EA, micro-transactions, gamer culture, Enron, R&D, lobbyists, Dick Cheney, Halliburton, yuppies, internet, bodybuilding, Arnold, steroids, corrupt politicians, MBA programs, golf courses, fly fishing, anti-union laws, patent trolls, Western medicine, Larry Ellison, Steve Ballmer, Dave Rubin, Stefan Molyneux, outsourcing, deregulation, tax cuts, trickle down economics, payday loans, sweatshops, junk food, fast food, energy drinks, used car salesman, marketing, sales & PR, focus groups, television, reality TV, infomercials, game shows, CNN, MSNBC, liberal media, e-commerce, financial industry, software engineers, technical scientists, nuclear weapons, luxury yachts, private jets, personal helicopters, real estate tycoons, railroads, the Gilded Age, Robber Barons, Andrew Carnegie, Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan, William Hurst, Rupert Murdoch, Robert Mercer, technocrats, cocaine, alcohol, pop music, rock music, club music, rap music, trophy wife, gold-digger, oil drilling in Alaska, champagne & caviar, fancy restaurants, luxury resorts, cruise ships, mercenaries, Black Water, gated communities, mansions, video games, Success magazine, private prep schools, poker players, self-help industry, biz books, biz seminars, marketing seminars, Dan Kennedy, Tim Ferris, Tony Robbins, Tai Lopez, Brian Tracy, Michael Shermer, Richard Dawkins, Lawrence Krauss, Daniel Dennett, Sean Carroll, Stephen Hawking, Christopher Hitchens, consulting, success coaches, millionaire mindset, net worth, sports cars, Mercedes, BMW, Rolls Royce, Lamborghini, Ferrari, VIP, celebrities, paparazzi, Las Vegas, Cannes film festival, Aspen, Palm Springs, Hong Kong, Macau, Dubai, cost/benefit analysis, nerd culture, polyester clothing, PT Barnum, snake oil salesman, atheism, skepticism, separation of church & state, enlightenment values, “Western values”, Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin, Voltaire, Renaissance, Industrial Revolution, factories, Henry Ford, WTO, Ferengi, Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Paris Hilton, Bernie Madoff, Paul Manafort, sex drugs & rock n roll, mid-life crises, malls, fashion shows, NASA, SpaceX, Elon Musk, for-profit universities, get-rich-quick schemes, online millionaires, Bitcoin, Forex, daytrading, utilitarianism, Logical Positivism, behaviorism, Darwinism, social media, gun rights, Ivy League universities, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, CalTech, military industrial complex: Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrup Grumman, Sigmund Freud, Harvey Weinstein, 2008 financial collapse, dot com bubble, Cubism, Abstract Expressionism, Surrealism, multi-level marketing, Viagra, DDT, asbestos, billboards, GMOs, cloning, human genome project, stem cell research, robotics, computers, birth control, sex education, all-you-can-eat buffet, karoshi: death thru overwork, Alex Jones, prosperity preachers, Howard Stern, South Park, The Simpsons, Family Guy, House Of Cards, Avatar, Boiler Room, Ray Kurzweil, Sam Harris

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/spiral-dynamics-don-edward-beck/1121800741
 

Note: This document is a work-in-progress and will be improved and supplemented over time.
-----------------------
So you wanna become enlightened, eh?
Good!
That's where this journey starts.
A burning desire for TRUTH is essential to success in this. Don't let people confuse you with talk of how "desire is bad", "seeking is delusion". No! Seeking is essential to breakthrough. Don't burn your ship before you've crossed the ocean! That would be foolish.
Rather than filling your mind with beliefs and ideas about enlightenment, let me give you a bare-bones structure for how to actually make progress towards enlightenment.
There are at least 20 totally different ways that I know for how to get enlightened. What I'm going to share with you here is just ONE way out of dozens. It is however a very direct way. This method is highly effective. It may not work for everyone, but then again, no method works for everyone. I call this method self-observation or Leo's version of self-inquiry. "Self-inquiry" as classically taught by Ramana Maharishi is technically different.
Anyways...
First, let's be very clear what we're talking about when we speak of enlightenment.
So...
What this basically means is that YOU are deeply confused about who you think you are. Right now you think that you're a human being, sitting there, reading this text on your screen. This is false. Pure fantasy. You are in fact not that thing at all. What we have here is a case of mistaken identity. You think you're a body, but you're not. You think you're a mind, but you're not. You think you're an entity living inside your head, but you're not. You think you are a physical object but you are not!
Take a moment to seriously consider the magnitude of my claim. IF I happen to be right, and you happen to be wrong, then what that means is: you are NOT a human being, or even a physical object! Not metaphorically-speaking; not as some philosophical curiosity; but literally!
How could such an outrageous thing be possible??????
How could you be mistaken about what you actually are?????
Very easily actually!
Recall how you've met people in your life who you knew were indoctrinated from birth with silly religious beliefs about Jesus and all sorts of other nonsense. Recall how little children believe that Santa Claus exists because they don't know any better. Recall how terrorists believe they are killing civilians in the name of Allah and will go to heaven with 72 virgins waiting for them. Recall how racists insist they are right for persecuting minorities.
Well... here's something you're not gonna like hearing: that same delusion mechanism which existed in them, is operating FULL-FORCE within you right now! Yup! You too have been indoctrinated by ignorant parents and teachers from birth into believing a fairy-tale. Except in this case, the indoctrinated idea was: you are a human being.
What a mind fuck!
Now, in this work of "self-observation", you will discover -- for yourself -- what you REALLY are.
Important: I am not asking you to believe me. You will have to demonstrate empirically, for yourself, that what I say is accurate. You can be skeptical all you want here. It won't upset me.
"Okay" you say. "So what am I then if I'm not a human being or a physical object?"
Great question!
Sorry to tell you this, but your ENTIRE identity and life story is just a giant optical illusion. Like this non-existent triangle:

There's nothing really there! Although it sure seems convincing, doesn't it?
The problem is that you cannot know what you are rationally or logically because the mind is the source of the confusion. See.... No matter how cleverly or deeply or long you think, all the mind can ever do is symbolize stuff. It can only create maps and models. But you are not a symbol or a map or a model! You are not an idea or a thought! So you have to directly experience what you are. This MAY take months or years of very careful self-investigation.
Note: I am saying that you have NEVER IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE ever experienced yourself before! You've only experienced phenomena, none of which is essentially YOU!
So what is this mysterious "essential you"? Let me spoil the surprise because otherwise you will waste YEARS searching in the wrong places, thinking you've found yourself when you really just found another false belief.
So... as directly as possible now: the entity who thinks it's reading this sentence does NOT exist!
Again, please try to fathom the magnitude of what is being said. This is extremely radical (but nevertheless true).
Since you are pure awareness, all your focus goes toward shining "light" on sensory phenomena so it's really hard to "see" yourself. Pure awareness is very subtle, which means you have to develop extraordinary mindfulness abilities to "see" yourself.
"But Leo?! You can't be serious! This sounds like a crazy New Age hippy conspiracy!"
Let me assure you it's not. I am no hippy. I'm probably more rational and logical than you are. But I do recognize the limits of logic and rationality.
The problem here is that you've been so brainwashed by society that what I'm telling you right now sounds crazy. That's okay. Just keep your mind open to the possibility that what I'm claiming can be directly verified by you. Nothing here has to be believed. But you do have to be willing to take it on as a temporary hypothesis to be verified or falsified.
 
Leo's Patented () Step-By-Step Process To Become Enlightened:
Find a quiet, comfortable place to sit alone. (You don't need to sit cross-legged.) Turn off your smart phone and disconnect from all distractions Set a digital timer for 60 minutes Now sit silently and start to genuinely wonder: "What am I if I'm not the body?" Do NOT meditate! Sit and carefully observe your direct experience. Notice that direct experience is THE ONLY THING you have of reality. Nothing else is real. Realizing this should make you very "present". Try to locate yourself within direct experience. Be very specific and clear with yourself: What are you? Are you a foot? A hand? A face? A mind? A brain? The envelop of the skin? The picture of yourself in the mind's eye? A feeling in the chest? What? Seriously! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU????????????? Notice that anything you might point to as being "your true self" cannot be true, because that's just another experience arising. Here's the logic of it: Firstly, it isn't constant. It fades in and out throughout the day, so it cannot be you. Secondly, you are observing it, so it cannot be you because "you" are the one doing the observation. So again, WHAT ARE YOU? Open your mind to the possibility that you are mistaken about being a human body or mind. Just sit there and keep genuinely wondering about what you really could be. Try to locate the one who's perceiving things. Do not philosophize or come up with theories. Focus 100% on what your direct experience is telling you. This is ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL!!!!!!!! The bulk of the work happens right here at this step. You have to slowly become aware that all your thoughts and ideas and feelings about "you" are not really you. They are just symbols and stories. For example: notice that the image of your body that you have in your mind is NOT actually your body! It's just an image! And the same goes for the feelings that make up your body. Those feelings are real, but they are not actually you! As any theories arise of what you think you are, notice that what that is, is a thought! And no thought can be you because you are the one perceiving the thought, and also because your existence does not depend on any particular thought's existence. Notice you don't cease to exist in between thoughts. Just sit and keep doing this for 60 minutes without getting distracted in irrelevant thoughts. As your mind wanders off track (and it will wander a lot) don't beat yourself up. Just bring your focus back on the self-observation. After 60 minutes, stop and notice what happened. Notice if your mind feels "elevated" or more aware. Frustration and confusion are OF COURSE going to arise. Do NOT be discouraged by frustration or confusion. Believe it or not, these are signs of progress. Do not expect instant results. You must be very methodical and patient like a crocodile. Repeat this process every day for at least 60 minutes for the next few months. Be very patient. It will take several months just to start to get your bearings straight. And by that I don't mean you will become enlightened. I mean you merely begin to realize the magnitude of your ignorance. In this time span of 3 months -- let's say -- you will get a strong sense that it really isn't possible to locate yourself. This may seem like you've failed, but actually this is a huge advance. Now you've finally started to realize that you've never really met yourself before. Now the journey towards enlightenment can begin in earnest!
Just keep doing the process without discouragement. At some point, your mind will crack and you will surrender to the realization that there's no one home. That life has always run with you. And BAAAAAMMMMM!!!!!!! Enlightenment has occurred! Notice, I did not say YOU got enlightened. Rather, enlightenment has occurred.
So who got enlightened? No one.
 
 
Tips For Self-Observation:
Don't just do this process mechanically, you MUST be genuinely curious about the truth of what you are. Try to establish a daily habit of self-observation. You need to build consistency and momentum. Be very careful about coming up with theories about what you are. We don't care about theories here. Every theory is NOT it. We only care about direct experience. REPEAT: ALL THEORIES AND IDEAS ARE DISTRACTIONS! Spend time asking yourself who you really believe that you are under the conventional worldview. Are you a body or are you the owner of the body? Are you inside the skull? If so, where exactly? The point of doing this is so you're clear and honest about your present beliefs, even if you intellectually know they are false. It's very important to get clear what exactly your false beliefs are. Do not be vague in your answers to the query of What are you? It's vital that you be precise and specific. Answers such as, "Well, I dunno, I'm just in the skull somewhere." are NOT GOOD ENOUGH!!! What EXACTLY are you identifying with? Hint: it will either be a thought, a body sensation, an emotion, a visual perception, or a combination of the above. But all of those cannot be the true you because they are not constant. Create an active sense of doubt that you are a human being or a physical object Any belief, thought, or idea about who you really are is automatically FALSE! Drop it. Any sensory experience about who you really are is automatically FALSE! Drop it. All scientific theories or models are automatically FALSE! Drop it. All spiritual, New Age, or religious ideas about who you really are, are FALSE! Drop it. You are NOT a visible object or "thing" so stop looking for yourself like you would look for a missing dog. You are NOT located in any area of space, so stop looking for yourself as a point or hidden object somewhere. You are NOT located inside "your" head You are NOT located inside "your" body There is nothing magical to discover in this process. You are not some kind of unicorn or fairytale creature. There is nothing hidden. Everything you see before you is exactly what there is, nothing more, nothing less. It is not possible to find yourself, so this process is futile. But you need to realize that through doing the process. Not by believing me. You will get VERY frustrated during this process and want to quit. Just accept the frustration and keep going. This process will surface deep emotional issues from our subconscious mind. You will experience emotional turmoil and anguish. Just accept it and keep going. You will feel depressed at times. Just accept it and keep going. Your mind will use every excuse in the book to distract you and get you to stop looking. Stay vigilant to all these tricks and keep looking. DO NOT GET TRICKED INTO STOPPING! The truth of what you are is ever-present. It is always HERE and NOW. You don't need to go anywhere or do anything to see it. You are you right now! Be prepared for this self-observation process to take several years if necessary. Understand that enlightenment happens always only in the NOW. Never in the future. You can be enlightened RIGHT THIS SECOND! You don't need to wait 3 years. Always intend to become enlightened right now! Enlightenment/Truth is NOT an emotional state. Enlightenment is occurring always, even when you're watching TV or sitting on the toilet. Meditation is NOT enlightenment. A psychedelic high is NOT enlightenment. A powerful energetic experience is NOT enlightenment. A vision or hallucination (however real it may feel) is NOT enlightenment. Enlightenment is what's absolutely true without ever changing. Don't forget the possibility that you may not be a thing! Don't forget the possibility that there might be nothing to find There is no you to become enlightened. When this is realized, that's enlightenment! Hint: it's MUCH simpler than you think. A HUGE HINT:
The thing you're looking for but aren't finding... THAT'S YOU!!! Don't expect it to have any attributes. Don't expect the mind to have anything whatsoever to latch onto.
You cannot grab NOTHINGNESS by the collar.
You can only realize you're already it.
Think of it this way: you are looking for a needle in a haystack, but this is no ordinary needle. In this case the needle is literally the realization there was no needle to begin with!
A cosmic joke! You've been punked by God (yourself).
 
 
Best Self-Observation Questions:
What am I? No, seriously now... WHAT THE FUCK AM I????? No, cut the shit! What am I -- RIGHT NOW -- in my direct experience???? Who is aware of reality? Who is aware of me? Who is perceiving? Who is the owner of the body? Who is the owner of the mind? Who is feeling pain? Who is asking all these questions? What was I before I was born? What am I when I'm in deep sleep? What could I be if I'm not the human body/mind? What connects and unifies all of my different senses? What is true independent of ever-changing sense experience? What is true independent of my life and my death? Why do I believe I'm the body? Why do I believe I'm the mind? Where to do thoughts arise from? If I'm the body, what is everything else that I'm seeing? Why do I trust my feeling that I'm the body? Is a feeling really evidence of TRUTH? Why must I be an object? What if the "perciever" has no attributes or properties? When I close my eyes, where did the world disappear to? Where is sound occurring? Where are thoughts occurring? Where are body sensations occurring? What is the relationship between physical body sensations and my visual field? What if I don't exist? What if I can't locate myself because I am "empty" or without form or attribute? What if I'm addicted to looking only for objects or perceptions, but my true nature is neither of those? What if I'm just an idea? What if my entire paradigm of physical reality is just an idea? Could my body and brain just be ideas? Is any physical object actually permanent according to direct experience? What distinguishes one object from another? Do boundaries between things really exist, or are they ideas? What would happen if I stopped distinguishing existence from non-existence?  
 
How To Tell If You're Enlightened:
This is very simple. Answer the following questions honesty:
Did a major shift in awareness occur? Are you absolutely clear now of what you are? Are you the physical human body you've always thought you were? Do you feel infinite, without boundaries or location? Do you actually understand, or are you in a temporary meditative high? If you answered: "YES! YES! NO! YES! I UNDERSTAND!"  then there's a pretty good chance you're enlightened. If your answers were not: "YES! YES! YES! NO! YES! I UNDERSTAND!"  then chances are you aren't enlightened. Keep trying.

If in doubt, find an enlightened master to help you verify the depth of your realization.
Don't get cocky, remember, there is more than one enlightenment breakthrough to be had. You ain't gonna become Buddha with just a few years of self-observation.
Is it worth the struggle?
Abso-fucking-luty! Awakening is divine.
 
 
Videos Explaining Enlightenment In More Depth:
https://www.actualized.org/articles/spiritual-enlightenment-intro https://www.actualized.org/articles/what-to-do-next-after-learning-about-enlightenment https://www.actualized.org/articles/spiritual-enlightenment-part-2 https://www.actualized.org/articles/spiritual-enlightenment-part-3 https://www.actualized.org/articles/enlightenment-faq-part-1 https://www.actualized.org/articles/enlightenment-faq-part-2 https://www.actualized.org/articles/how-to-become-enlightened https://www.actualized.org/articles/my-enlightenment-experience https://www.actualized.org/articles/being-a-spiritual-seeker-good-or-bad https://www.actualized.org/articles/radical-openmindedness https://www.actualized.org/articles/mindfulness-meditation https://www.actualized.org/articles/understanding-awareness https://www.actualized.org/articles/the-enlightened-self https://www.actualized.org/articles/the-benefits-of-enlightenment https://www.actualized.org/articles/how-your-mind-distorts-reality https://www.actualized.org/articles/enlightenment-guided-inquiry https://www.actualized.org/articles/grasping-the-illusory-nature-of-thought https://www.actualized.org/articles/what-is-god https://www.actualized.org/articles/the-dark-side-of-meditation https://www.actualized.org/articles/mystical-traditions-around-the-world https://www.actualized.org/articles/becoming-a-zen-devil List Of Enlightenment Exercises:
https://www.actualized.org/forum/topic/7587-list-of-enlightenment-exercises/  
 

Excuses!!!
If I can meditate for 800 days straight, so can you.
Noise is not an impediment to meditation. You can meditate while watching TV.

Can it be changed?
 
When people say he/she has an interesting aura etc. do you think this is real or bs?

So I feel like I've seen a lot of posts or comments on here saying change is imaginary and in reality there is no change or differences.
I'm very curious to hear somebody who believe this to elaborate.
Presumably you are everybody if there is only one being. 
So if you look at an ant (you) and you look at a human (you) then I find it absurd to say there is no change or evolution. 
I am genuinely curious given the fact that this earth is evolving so profoundly (in terms of humans and technology) that anybody can say there is no change or differences.
Isn't Elon Musk and an ant different? Or do you truly regard them as the same? They can be different and still be one. There must be a process that turns an ant into Elon Musk.
 

A very clear, concrete and precise book on how to make the transition between mindfulness practices and the "no practice" of Awakened Awareness:
Stephan Bodian, Beyond Mindfulness, Non-Duality Press, 2017

Ok folks, I'm going to share with you something very explosive.
What if you could see, right now, WHO you really are? Wouldn't it be nice? In fact there's nothing easier. Very few people will acknowledge the value of that, because we want to remain humble seekers.
Douglas Harding is one of the most strikingly original spiritual teachers of all times. He really made a discovery. Which is quite rare in the field of spirituality. To say the least.
Here it goes:
Right now, just were you are, can you see your head? There's a screen, a table, walls, a cat, lots of stuff, arms and hands, even shoulders, but there's no bloody head anywhere. 
Do this : with your finger, point to where you think there's a head. What does your finger point to? If you see a head, you're suffering from hallucinations. You might as well see the ass of a camel, and you should run to a psychiatrist.
So what is there? EMPTY SPACE. Filled with all there is to see. And you ARE that space.
It seems too simple and too obvious to be true . But it's an enlightenment experience. Of course, as always, it will take years of practice to really sort it out. 
Now, this will raise a HUGE battery of questions and objections, such as :
- It relies only to sight. What about the other senses?
- I can still see my nose, there in the middle.
- What if I close my eyes?
- I can see my head in the mirror, you moron.
- It doesn't change the way I feel, or quiet down my thoughts, so what's the point?
- If it's so wonderful, why isn't everybody talking about it on the marketplace?
- etc, etc.
 
This is not the place to answer all that. If you're interested, read Harding's major books:
- "On Having No Head"
- "Look for Yourself, The Science and Art of Self-Realization"