UnbornTao

Thanks, I appreciate that. I don't bother pretending I'm not hurt, though, or disappointed, perhaps. Beyond the reactivity, there are deeper points being conveyed. And notice - we probably could have said something similar about Leo. It's okay too. But again, this is beside the point, in my view.

The who is pretty much irrelevant, at least on paper. What can I say? Pay attention. What's actually going on? What's being accomplished? Is it just an idea you like and therefore adopt? In practice, a good idea is to listen to someone like Adi Da first. Or Ramana. These are masters. But it's tricky, because what can really be said to be the foundation of that assessment? Again, I'm stopped short. Pay attention. Consider that people in a cult often don't realize they're in one. Why is that? What are they ignorant of? What aren't they paying attention to? Beyond their impressions, reactions, and how they feel about the whole endeavor, what are they actually up to? What people essentially do is get caught up in their impressions of things and remain stuck in that superficial layer. I'm not saying all cults are bad, to be clear. That said, it's easy to conflate open-mindedness with gullibility, or to be 'open' merely in the abstract, as a self-indulgent exercise. For example, it doesn't matter how many times it's said that the drugs don't really do it - this point just won't land. In that resource I shared, I bet you went through the motions, watching the Adi Da video and hearing the words, but did you really make an attempt to hear it?

It was to be expected that something like this would be said at some point. It is clear when someone is talking from a certain belief system. Seriously, it is appalling. Episodes on true listening and belief would be great.

Sure thing. You've picked some of the more trivial points, but obviously yours is made up too.

The purpose of this journal is to share questions, humor, miscellaneous creative content, and raw reflections on personal empowerment and consciousness. My goals are to deepen my experiential understanding of these topics, improve my communication skills, have fun, and help others see things in a new light.

Really? God.

This is just sad. Ironically enough, despite your professing, you are quite closed-minded in some fundamental ways. It won't look this way for most of your acolytes, though. It's also clear that you want to avoid being challenged. You're smart enough to notice that Ralston knows a thing or two that you may be a bit dizzy about. Potentially deluding altogether. Remember that Adi Da knew what he was talking about. His group, unfortunately, turned into a full-on cult.

Sounds like a good pointer.

Love it. It could be taken a step further: What even is experience? What does it mean to experience something?

lol That's commitment.

Okay.

I'm a believer

@Natasha Tori Maru Body language, for example. Pretending not to know is not the same as actual not knowing.

Oh, you can definitely tell. You think it can be kept hidden or something. And you do it all the time.

Yeah, the issue I raised speaks to a deeper dynamic and includes what you're saying here.

Check out this belief.

No one, apparently. But it's a matter of honesty, not smartness. The latter can actually be used to fuel the deception. But seriously, yeah. Not just a video but a week-long workshop. We are such poor listeners in general. The more you look the more you realize this. And the more depth you find to the principle. Learning how not to see what is not there is another invaluable ability.

Of course it is, of course it is.

Didn't you hold consciousness to be a function of the brain when arguing in favor of drugs as a means to awakening? And do you consider things like so-called "absolute color" awakenings to be direct consciousness? It's possible that some of our distinctions aren't as rigorous or precise as those made by certain masters - hence the value of a conversation. Honestly, people will just believe this. They already do. They like it and don't really care about what's true, even though they may think they do. They're after a better experience. And who isn't? And of course they'll adopt it. It's much better than listening to some disagreeable jerk who's seen as taking away their candy. Alright then, let's feel good about ourselves. It's soothing. It's comforting. And when all is said and done, what is true?

I call BS on that, sorry. Like Christians claiming a Christ Awakening. There are things that are deliberately left unsaid. Don't you think it is easy for people to talk? I can chat away too. With some effort, you'd have believed the same about me. Talk is cheap. And certainly, I could have complemented that with a psychedelic trip report and all the extra bells and whistles. But in the end, it would've just been a self‑indulgent exercise. It would've started with me believing in something, and then trying to retroactively confirm it in my own mind.