Deep

Spirituality is all about getting in touch with our subjective experience. There isn't any objective way that all of us will agree on. If some people think they can channel, good for them. We can't prove them wrong. My advice to you is, "Don't worry about what others are saying or doing. Focus on your subjective experience."

In this thread, I'm going to explain how and why higher consciousness can become a "problem" while functioning in society. I put problem in quotes because it's a problem from the egoic perspective. By higher consciousness I don't mean being a "goody two shoes." I mean being fully awakened from egoic consciousness. I studied the life of 3 sages and I'll use them as an example later. I'm just writing this to give everyone a different perspective. In Advaita, the highest level of consciousness is nirvikalpa samadhi. A good way to describe it is like this: “How silly! This jug is God! This cup is God! Whatever we see is God! And we too are God! Nothing could be more absurd.” Sri Ramakrishna came out of his room and gently touched him. Spellbound, he immediately perceived that everything in the world was indeed God. A new universe opened around him. Returning home in a dazed state, he found there too that the food, the plate, the eater himself, the people around him, were all God. Swami Nikhilananda. Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna (Kindle Locations 1884-1887). Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center of New York, Inc.. Kindle Edition. When the Kundalini reaches the cerebrum, it's also called nirvikalpa samadhi. Here are 3 people who had an awakened Kundalini: What do all of these men have in common? They didn't engage in egoic activities. They didn't have a job. They didn't have sex. They had little money. They practiced renunciation. Other people provided them with food and shelter. In ancient India, the kings provided the sages with food and shelter. In return the sages would provide spiritual wisdom. How does this become a problem? We need the ego to function in today's society. In modern society we have to provide for ourselves. We have to use concepts whether we like it or not. Language is a concept. Science is a concept. Math is a concept. Money is a concept. We can be detached from concepts, but we still have to use them. The ego attaches to concepts to ensure the body's survival. Kundalini demolishes the ego. For example, if a banker on Wall Street experienced nirvikalpa samadhi, he/she would probably quit his job and do whatever the hell he/she wants to. Same with many other people. Why would they participate in mundane bullshit if they can experience God? I think it's wrong when people say, "Before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water." No, enlightenment can dramatically change the way one perceives reality. I don't think it's possible to be liberated and succeed in the egoic world. If one chooses spirituality, they should dominate it. If one chooses egoic life, they should dominate it. Nothing can be half-assed. Anyway happy new year!

Yes

The body and mind are connected. When the mind destroyed is, the body can't be felt. It's hard to describe something that is outside of the mind. People who experienced it can't describe it. Yes, I agree. I'm saying renunciation is a by product of higher consciousness. Some people experience higher consciousness and don't feel like engaging in carnal pleasures. They feel complete.

Yes, because those people still have a healthy ego. I'm talking only about higher consciousness, not enlightenment. There's a difference between the two. It's possible to be enlightened and have an ego. Ramana Maharshi said it's NOT necessary to experience nirvikalpa samadhi to be considered enlightened. With enlightenment, a person still feels like they have a body. They FEEL like they're a human. During a kundalini rising, a person loses body consciousness, when the kundalini reaches the heart center. If someone stabs them, they wouldn't feel it. During nirvikalpa samadhi, a person FEELS like they're God. That's the difference between having an ego and not having an ego. @Leo-Tzu @Natasha

The who is absolutely infinite. Enlightenment is the same for everyone regardless of what philosophy one chooses to describe our true nature.

Genuine guru: speaks from experience, loving, humble, honest (tells people what they need to hear), no agenda, not dogmatic, and caring. Spiritual ego: refers to scriptures, dogmatic, lies to attract people, hidden agenda, pretends to love but tries to change people, and hasn't experienced non-duality.

Have you worked towards a goal only to realize there is a much healthier goal? I'm going through that right now.

First try it out before assuming things. I've been drinking raw milk for a year now. It's the best tasting milk. No, fluoride free water doesn't rot teeth. You sound like an indoctrinated zombie.

@Key Elements @Joseph Maynor I agree with both of you. When I was younger I wanted to be a doctor. I did really well in high school. I went to college and majored in biology. After working in a lab for a semester, I dropped out. I think working in a lab is not healthy. There are chemicals everywhere and animals taking shits. I'm not against science but I realized the system is neurotic. I was unconsciously doing things and I never stopped to think about what I wanted. My heart wasn't speaking to me. The good news is I don't have any debt. Now I want to choose a path which matches my shift in consciousness. I'm thinking about becoming a holistic lifestyle coach through the Chek Institute. I want to transform my life into a healthy one. I think Paul is healthier than most people. Unfortunately, I'll have to work a job until my purpose manifests. There aren't any jobs that I would do for my whole life because a job doesn't have any purpose for me besides collecting a paycheck. There are several ways I could go about doing this. I could get a job right now and work on it on the side. I could finish my degree, then get a job, and work on it. There are lots of options. Some healthy things I've been doing are drinking fluoride free water and drinking raw milk. Yes Joseph, I can take the Life Purpose course after getting a job.

@Chrissy j With a job all you have to do is perform the duties while you're there. You could come home and work on your life purpose. In college, you have study many hours outside of class.

@Chrissy j A job would allow you more time to think about your life purpose.

@Chrissy j Are you going into debt? Are you going to use your degree? A degree doesn't guarantee success. Research all the options and make a decision.

You come up with a lot of silly explanations without evidence. There's no way to know if masters have different brain chemistry. The reason why advanced yogis have higher consciousness is because they practice Raj Yoga for many years (or other types of yoga). If it was only based on brain chemistry Patanjali would have never codified it. Why make something that no one can succeed in except himself? He believed everyone is capable of attaining enlightenment. Obviously everyone who practices it, is not going to attain enlightenment. How do I know this? I've practiced it for a short time and it produces dramatic results. I don't practice it anymore. I'm just an ordinary person. Yogis are also just ordinary people. They've just mastered spiritual practices faster than others.

Many times people confuse enlightenment with altered states of consciousness. Some masters are enlightened and also able to experience altered states of consciousness. Other masters are only enlightened. Enlightenment is like a eureka moment isn't it?

@AleksM If only everyone followed their heart...

@Natasha @snowleopard You're welcome. He's got a Youtube channel too.

This question can't be logically answered because the answer lies in experience. You have to experience higher states of consciousness to know.

That's probably why you're not getting laid.

@Hardkill Are you happy with other areas of your life?

You are masculine. What I said earlier was wrong.

@Spiral From your post, it seems like you aren't at peace with your masculine ego. Your ego is different from most other guys. That can make it hard for you to find male friends. To find male friends you would have to have more in common with them. I don't think every guy thinks girls are only useful for sex. I think they just have a desire to have sex. Why don't you embrace your masculinity while keeping your consciousness high?

I think it's funny that some people separate the material from the spiritual. I think egoic people and enlightened people are equally spiritual. Bill Gates is a spiritual master, in my opinion, because he conquered the material realm. Everyone is spiritual in their own way. The only difference between enlightened and egoic is: enlightened people are aware that they are God 24/7. Egoic people are attached to things such as body, mind, intellect, race, religion, nationality, science, culture, politics, and all the other finite things. They are very engrossed in playing the ego game, so they never question their existence. All the finite things are relative truths and are unreal. By unreal I mean they are constantly changing. God alone is real because it never changes. An enlightened person has no attachment to finite things but they still have to use them. There's no escape from God's game. It's also impossible to prove enlightenment to others because it's an individual thing. Enlightened people know they will always be God, regardless of what they think or do. In my earlier posts I was emphasizing mystical experiences. I know enlightenment is not an experience. I emphasize experience is because people can fight over concepts but not experience. Enlightenment can happen with a mystical experience or it can be random. Some people have a kundalini awakening but they remain delusional of their true nature. Others realize their Self through it. They say when one is fully enlightened they can remember all of their past lives. I don't know if that's true or not. I don't believe or disbelieve them. I'm open to it because I'm very open minded. I think it's funny that many people are quick to dismiss such things. It's important to say we don't know.