the dream

I disagree with this statement. I agree that it's not as though you can classify people as enlightened/unenlightened on this basis, however people that are more conscious have a very different "feel". I think this is reflected in body posture, they tend to have relaxed faces and rather bright eyes. I agree that your example of a cult is valid though. This particular guy's teachings are so vague and confusing its terrible, and I very thoroughly get the sense he's trying to sell me something.

Hello dearest Actualized forum. As an alternative to sitting meditation/other practices I employ the technique of Yoga Nidra. Typically I do a guided meditation like these after I finish my regular yoga practices. I did a quick search and found no such material dumps were on this forum. I will post links to videos/YT channels I've found helpful in the present, and the past. Hope you get something out of it - I know I have. Feel free to expand the list. https://www.youtube.com/user/AmritYogaInstitute This channel has any number of yoga nidra videos. The focus of the vids might be slightly different and narrated by different people. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmqXJeT44w8PzwE3mx1UOug This channel contains the works of a guy named Sri Devidas, who is also the one that narrates the videos. These videos may contain subtle elements of visualisation- or mantra techniques, but most of them are excellent yoga nidra vids. He has also created any number of mini-series that have particular focuses. ^ ongoing chakra series ^ another mini-series example Random videos:

I try not to let it hurt my spiritual ego too much

I think this is quite a good question, can you elaborate a little more regarding the techniques themselves?

@MrDmitriiV I appreciate the warning, but this forum is a blind-faith-free-zone. As for the chakras, I didn't believe it either at first. This was something that was slowly revealed to me through a couple years of yoga practice. Ultimately I think if you're not into Kriyas then find something else. A lengthy theoretical debate such as this is a waste of time.

A spiritual practice is never a bad place to start. As for the experience there is nothing I can say.

BUT LEEEOOOO..... that means its gonna be nice and juicy

We are all noobs in some areas. To be honest I don't really get bored anymore. That said I mean it in the anxious-i-need-to-occupy-myself sense of the word. Placing your attention on attention itself works in moments of doubt.

I would like to know how they have measured this...

@Freakrik if you're ruminating stongly about hell, it could be you're already in it.

So.... Is the no "I" the new "I"?

Actualized.org had a good run. Now its time for Leo to live in a cave in the mountains.

Leo still has a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the Actualized reality. Leo has a dream that one day this forum will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all posters are created equal."

I think removing rep/titles would be a good thing. My ego wants rep, and it shan't have it.

The finger pointing can take a myriad of shapes, it's still just a finger though.

I don't know about any karma that brings in negative situations to you. I don't know whether the type of karma you're describing is real or not. I guess I will find out. Practically though I would say that you attract events/people to you that cohere with your emotional/mental imprint at that time. One example might a guy with a certain attitude that always seem to get into fights. Subconsciously he is looking for it, so it finds him.

Meditation is not an activity that you can place on a scale of comparison. It is a continuous process which, as you progress, makes you more aware of your body and its functioning (among other things). Essentially remember that it is a concentration exercise, so initially you should just focus on your breath, again and again and again. As you progress things will sort of open up.

test what exactly? > A-B measuring WHAT?

here we are

This I think of karma as the mental thought patterns / emotions that will follow you after performing an action.

I wouldn't recommend doing Kundalini/kriya type yoga without learning it from someone that knows their shit, and even finding someone like that can be luck of the draw. I guess there are simpler exercises which you can do, but the kundalini system is suuuper complex. Vinyasa yoga is doable without deeper technical knowledge, with the help of good instructional videos and patience. Word of caution tho - it's really important not to go too hard in the beginning as your body awareness is quite low, so you might do poses too aggressively and strain shit.

I think you should examine your fundamental assumptions about what meditation is, and what it's goals are. Consider your level of "acceptance", as you mention, during meditation. Is this acceptance in the form of thoughts, or can you surrender your concentrations to the deeper feeling of aware-here-now? Also, the comparative aspect of your experience is an Achilles heel in and of itself. Judging one sitting as superior to another is futile. The result is ultimately not the point. True meditation happens when you can recede to the point where you merely observe. Motivation can be a wavy rollercoaster though, and be difficult to balance.

"Chakras" are merely the abstract concept describing the emotional centers in your body. Through body awareness practices you map the emotional patterns of your body, and you will notice that certain feelings occur the same way. Certain feelings are experienced in particular places in the body. This is where the concept of "Chakras" enhance understanding. Believing in them in the conceptual abstract form could be considered a trap.

Your legs are going to get "weird" after 30 min of sitting almost regardless of pose. To me it's all about the spine. Having your hips higher than your knees and a slight tilt in the sacrum. Personally I sit in half-lotus or burmese.