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@Philip Thanks for sharing! I'll be attending my 1st 10-day next week actually. Any words of advice?

@kieranperez I'd also check out the other books on Kriya from Leo's booklist. The simpler techniques (but equally as powerful) given in those might be more suitable for you.

@Shroomdoctor Try out the exercise on this website: https://personalexcellence.co/blog/life-purpose-exercise/

@Salvijus It wasn't demotivating for me at all to be honest. It certainly wasn't the most motivating video Leo has ever released but it was real, authentic and just a great example of the reality of the spiritual path. It's rarely goes the way you expect it to, and it's always much harder. I did think he'd go further than 2 weeks, as a 2 week vipassana retreat is quite common, but I haven't done that amount personally so I can't judge. Leo mentions on more than one occasion that no amount of traditional meditation will get you the same results as the deep psychedelic trips, and for some this might be demotivating. But this doesn't mean you should stop meditating or doing the normal practises. Huge amounts of growth and life changing insight can be had from meditation and yoga. It just won't be as deep as the psychedelics.

@d0ornokey 1) Personally I just stay with an object until it either stops and then I label 'Gone', or until something else takes centre stage/grabs my attention. Don't worry about it being 7 seconds, it could be less or more. 2) I've never done the replay thing you talk about. I don't think it's necessary to be honest. Just observe experience as it literally is without interfering or manipulating it in any way. 3) Definitely do not keep looking at the clock. Observe the the feelings of boredom, impatience, agitation and all the thoughts that come with it like "when will this end?", "Did i set the timer correctly?", in exactly the same way as you observe the rest of reality. Mindfully watch the feelings and thoughts arise and don't get attached to them. Prior to meditating make sure the timer is set correctly so that you know for certain that it will go off. Staying mindful throughout the whole meditation is really the key here. 5) You have to mindfully sit through the boredom and desire to do something else. Label these feelings and thoughts. Do not resist them. Resisting will make it worse. Simply be aware of whatever arises. This is where the real growth occurs, not when it's all easy and nice.

@Pernani I'd say try to get a fairly decent job that pays well and is somewhat enjoyable. You don't want to be doing a dead-end job that you hate doing. Then work on your life purpose and other shit whilst doing that. Unless you're really really clear on your life purpose now then you can't just assume that you'll find your 'one true purpose' and then not have to get a normal job. You may never find a life purpose. It's totally possible to work a job, work towards a life purpose and do spiritual stuff. You just have to be effective and efficient with your time.

@Shroomdoctor As your name suggests, i'd recommend a dose of mushrooms. My last mushroom trip involved around 4 hours of intense emotional purging which I was unable to do in my normal state of consciousness. They broke down the ego enough that the emotions were allowed to run freely. Not saying that it'll be the same for you, as we all know how much psychedelics vary from person to person, but it's worth considering for sure.

Shouldn't the fact that you and so many other guys find it so difficult to completely quit tell you something? It tells you that having a sex drive and wanting to relieve that urge is a natural part of being human. Why are you trying to resist it? It's crazy. Now, i'm not saying that masturbating to porn every single day is what you should be doing. In fact i'd definitely not recommend that, and you should try to break that habit as soon as possible. But masturbation by itself is fine. And like anything in the world, just don't over do it. But if you really want to stop all together, don't call it a nofap challenge. The biggest mistake people make is trying to just go for as long as possible and then bragging about their 'streak'. This won't work for the majority of people. It's just the wrong mentality. The best approach, in my opinion, is a slow gradual decrease. Try going a day here or a day there without masturbating. Don't just go cold turkey. And most importantly, just commit to gradually cutting down for the rest of your life until it gets the point where it healthy. Scrap the silly streak. Make a life long commitment to improvement. Don't say to yourself, "I'm just gonna go without PMO for as long as I possibly can in the hope that eventually i'll no longer want to do it". This won't work. In fact, you're making it harder for yourself by taking this approach, which is what most guys do. As I said, it's better to decrease it gradually and slowly.

@Ross I recommend taking the course, but the important thing to realise is that the course itself will not provide you with your life purpose. That has to come from you after a lot of work and effort. Don't expect to be given the answers in any way. The course is extremely good value for money, but most people will not utilise it to its full potential and it probably won't change their lives in any meaningful way. Thats just the way these things work. People, and myself included, expect instant results handed to them on a plate. The course just gives you lots of opportunities to think for yourself and be creative in different ways. In the meantime, ask yourself this question and write down all the answers that come to your mind: If you had unlimited funds, and could not fail, what would you want to spend the next 20 years doing on a day-to-day basis? Spend atleast 60 minutes on this. Think hard and really imagine yourself in this situation. Discard all of the initial answers as they're often shallow and just automatic responses.

Nearly always vegetable soup for me. It's so easy to make and I make a big batch of it which usually lasts me 4-5 days. Takes me about 30-45 minutes to cook, which I usually do late at night when i'm least productive and mentally sharp (#efficiency). Add in lots of vegetables (my favourites are leeks, broccoli, celery, carrots) and lots of beans, lentils etc. Season well and you're good to go. My basic recipe is: Cook down onions, garlic (don't burn), chopped carrots and then any other veg you want. Throw in a bunch of different spices like cumin, paprika, celery salt, garlic salt, (a little goes a long way, don't over do it), salt and pepper, veg stock, and a load of hot water. Throw in 1 can of chopped tomatoes, stir around and let it cook for 10 minutes or until veg is all cooked. Blend to your desired consistency. Throw in a can or two cans (depending on the amount of other stuff in the soup) of any kind of bean or lentil. Cook for another 5-10 mins.

To ask what psychedelics do is a very broad question. It's hard to generalise the effects of psychedelics, because they differ so broadly from person to person and trip to trip (in a lot of cases). The range of possible effects and 'actions on the mind and ego' is huge. Just go to this page (https://psychonautwiki.org/wiki/LSD) and scroll down to 'Subjective Effects' to see the massive list of things that just one psychedelic can produce. I'm not sure how you're planning on simulating the psychedelic experience in meditation. Maybe some serious holotropic breathwork.

Maybe i'm missing your point, but the difference between thinking and being aware of thinking is quite simple and not very hard to understand. Being aware of thinking = thinking, but mindfully observing those thoughts as they arise and pass away. Thinking = thinking and not realising you're thinking, and then often getting lost in those thoughts. I don't understand how you can forget how to be aware of your thoughts. Just sit silently and put your attention on your thoughts as they arise and pass away.

He's not aggressive, he's just playing around. Although I did feel a little sorry for the guy asking the question haha.

Why was it only 45 minutes of meditating? Most of the time its pretty easy to stay focused for 60 minutes. But if you do loose focus before the end, rather than just 'sticking it out', take a deep breath, correct your posture and try to resettle back into the meditation technique. If you're not actually being mindful and observing your thoughts and feelings, or whatever your object is, during that last period, then 15 minutes of 'non-meditative resolve' is a waste of time in my books.

SDS is not about grinding your way through a meditation session. The key is to remain mindful throughout the whole experience, particularly near the end when thoughts about quitting, the timer etc, and intense physical pains start arising. When those those sorts of things arise you've got to remain as the equanimous unattached observer, meaning you're not judging or favouring any experience over another. Noice the aversion and desire to change what's occurring. Just sit, maybe smile a little, and just watch the thoughts and feelings arise to the best of your ability. If you start having feelings of boredom or restlessness, observe and notice them, don't be controlled by them. Then re-settle back into your meditation. Take a deep breath and re-focus your attention. Another tip is to intentionally make sure that your timer is correctly set before starting the meditation. For example, I use my phone for a timer, and always make sure it's either charging and/or has a lot of battery. Then I also watch the timer start for a few seconds. Very simple, but it makes a big difference because you know for certain that you set your timer correctly and that it won't stop half way through.

@SaltyMeatballs If you don't experience any intense physical pain then there should be no reason why you can't sit for 2 hours, if that's what you really want to do. Not saying that it's easy by any means. Very few normal people are capable of that. But it's definitely possible, particularly if you've been meditating for a number of years. The body is more than capable of sitting in the same position for a long period of time. It's just the mind that is restless. So you need to think about how to prepare for that. Try just going up in small 5 minute increments. Seeing as your best is 75 minutes, commit to sitting for 80 and set a clear intention to do so. Anticipate the resistance and the excuses to quit that the mind will come up with, and be prepared for it. You don't want to be grinding your way to 2 hours though. Mindfulness and equanimity is key, not unconscious resistance.

Only way to overcome social anxiety is to expose yourself to more, preferably uncomfortable, social situations. If you spent the next month talking to a group of strangers one-on-one every single day then I guarantee you would not have the problems you describe. I have very similar issues at the moment, but thats just because I spend most of the time on my own or with close friends and family. I rarely meet new people, so when I do the social anxiety goes through the roof. But I know that it's not a fixed or permanent characteristic. It fluctuates depending on the amount of practise I have. So it'll be the same for you. It just takes work and effort to overcome it. In the mean time, here's a interesting article/video with some useful and practical advice for people with social anxiety. Starts at around 30:43 https://www.personalpowermeditation.com/social-anxiety-advice-from-scott-adams/

@Slade Interesting report. I eat a whole-food vegan diet, so I always get a little triggered when I see people talking about raw meat diets but i'm not here to criticise or hate. I'm always open to new information and opinions. If your body feels good from eating more meat then go for it. It's becoming quite clear to me that some people just don't do well on a plant based diet. A fully plant based diet is not for everyone unfortunately. I'm unsure exactly as to why this is. I'm sure the huge varieties in body physiology, quality of foods, environments etc around the world will all play a part. I assume atleast some people who start a plant based diet just aren't eating enough calories and/or getting the required nutrients/vitamins. But there's certainly some people who even if they are eating a sufficiently healthy plant-based diet, they still don't do well. Clearly you are one of them. Maybe some people just can't extract the necessary nutrients from plants as well as other people. Saying this, I doubt that a fully raw animal food diet is the solution. Just introduce some organic free-range beef or some organic chicken into your diet a few times a week. Surely that is a more sustainable, healthy, nutritious, and importantly tasty diet? Are you telling me you'll never eat a fresh ripe mango, or a freshly picked vine tomato ever again? My god, I couldn't imagine it. Here are my immediate concerns (albeit assumptions) with a raw animal food diet: Surely there are some serious long-term negative health effects? It's highly unethical. Are we really built to eat raw animals foods? I'm skeptical, but I could be wrong. Surely the raw meat and god forbid the rotten meat tastes like hell?

@okulele Dayum, that sounds intense! I imagine just the dark room retreat alone would have been a powerful experience, but ending it with a LSD trip as well! Sounds like you handled it well though, and got a lot of out of it... or rather let a lot go. Thanks for sharing.

Firstly, it's a tricky question because enlightenment is not just a black and white thing. It's very complex and multifaceted. So in that respect it's difficult to come to a clear answer. By what criteria is an animal or person enlightened? Is it simply a lack of ego? Or is there much more that is required? It also depends on the animal. A lone wolf or bear probably has much stronger sense of self than an ant which is part of a huge colony. Don't assume that animals don't have an ego. They may very well have an ego, but it's likely not anywhere near as highly developed as the human ego, purely from the fact that their brains are not nearly as large or complex. They still exhibit many self-survival and egoic behaviours which you could argue suggests that some form of ego is present. But even if it is only humans who have developed an ego, would a lack of ego in an animal make it 'enlightened'? I don't really know. My guess is no. Are animals directly conscious of what they truly are? Do they walk around in a permanent state of non-dual awareness? Are they even capable of being conscious of whats True?

@Charlotte Do you have any idea where I could learn about dosage? Cross reference information from all of these websites: TripSit, PsychonautWiki, Erowid, Disregard Everything I Say, Reddit, and reading Trip Reports. Looks as if it will take some research to learn how to use it. Am I right in purchasing this one? No research is required. Instructions provided with the kit are very clear and simple. Yes that is the right one, test kit 4

@Charlotte LSD or mushrooms? It's all about the dose. Just start small and you'll be fine. But it'll be intense. Mushrooms don't last as long as LSD, so from that perspective they might be better for first timers (was for me). How do you know you've bought legitimate psychedelics? Test with a kit: https://www.safetest4.co.uk/which-reagent-test-kit How long are you out of action for? Depends on the dose but usually 1-2 days. A small dose of mushrooms and you'll be perfectly fine the next day. Is there prep to be done before hand? Check out the Leo's video. He covers most of the prep you should do before hand:

@egoless I do have experience yes. They are saturated, there's no doubt. But if you know what you're doing they can still be viable options. Just understand that despite what you see on the internet, they are not get-rich-quick schemes. A very small handful of people get lucky and/or just time it perfectly, but realistically for most people they both take an enormous amount of time and effort, and in the case of FBA, a lot of up-front money (unless you get lucky). Not trying to put you off, just stating the facts. If you are serious about it you should buy a course, but don't be spending any more than $500. I'd probably advise you to go for a course that not many people have bought, because otherwise you're doing exactly the same thing as 10,20,30 thousand other people. DM me if you want some more advice. I'd rather not disclose all my secrets to a whole new community of people.

Yes I have had the same issue. Did 20mcg plugged and didn't really get much from it. Maybe we bought from the same source. Where abouts are you from, if you don't mind me asking? DM me if you want.