Pure Imagination

Honestly, my first real insights into enlightenment were when I experimented with psychedelics. I have a thread where I detailed my breakthrough 5-meo-dmt experience. I felt like this trip was the one where something shifted in my awareness causing me to have a more accurate picture of real non-duality. I do meditate too and I have had many sessions where I have recalled what enlightenment is like. In my humble opinion, one of the hardest aspects of the enlightenment path is getting an initial experience of what it is even like. Otherwise you're just stuck running in circles until you get lucky and glimpse the truth. This is all just my personal opinion though; there are far more enlightened people than myself on this forum

If I'm being honest, most of the time it is just a theoretical understanding. However, I have had a couple enlightenment experiences where I have lived this truth. Which helps make the theoretical understanding more accurate. And there are times throughout the day where I am more conscious and can feel the truth of no self more clearly.

I am aware of what is real right in front of me. That is simply all there is. Anything else is a concept. For example, my cat isn't in my direct awareness right now, so she doesn't exist. Any thought of her at this moment is a concept, not reality.

You ARE aware of everything! All of existence is there right in front of you! You are it! ALL of it! Anything else is just a thought or a concept that takes place in awareness. Awareness is already everything!

I feel like I am somewhere similar to where you are at right now. I have had a couple meaningful awakening experiences these past few months and I feel like there is absolutely no turning back now. I have seen glimpses of the truth that cannot be unseen. It can be frightening or uncomfortable at times, but those are the times that motivate me to inquire even deeper. Those uncomfortable experiences are short glimpses of my ego still at work trying to make sense of what I saw during my awakening experiences. Always continue to look deeper. With deep enough inquiy, I am always able to come to the conclusion that the perceiver doesn't exist. That shuts up the mind real good

There is no "you" that has control over "your" awareness. Awareness is just there. It is pure existence. There are certain sensations that seem like there is a "you" controlling them, but this is ultimately an illusion. Can you locate the "you" that is controlling experience? Or is there just experience? Take a close look

This point hits home with me. It's always good to remember that there is nothing inherently wrong the with the ego. It just tends to obscure actual reality

Thank you for this advice. It makes me realize that in order to accept the present moment we have to drop the whole surrender paradigm. Because if there is a need to surrender that implies that there is something that needs to be surrendered from. Which isn't the case - the present moment just is Not to mention, the word "courage" is much more positive than "surrender"

@nightrider1435 Like you said, only you can know when you're ready. My main problem was that I severely underestimated how intense the 5-meo experience could be. Once I finally got the hang of how to snort it correctly, I saw how powerful a 30mg trip is. Despite the fact that I was totally blindsided, I am still glad that I had the experience. I just had it much sooner than I probably should have. It's kind of like figuring out what sex is when you're 6 years old; you should probably wait until you're older I have had a few more LSD trips since then, but I am much more careful about when I choose to do it. Before my 5-meo breakthrough, I admittedly used psychedelics more as toys rather than giving them the respect they deserve. I have also gotten a lot better at knowing if I feel up to tripping and if it is really something I should do. I think it's good that you are being cautious when thinking about when to trip. Having said that, I think it is also a bad idea to get worked up about having a bad trip because it ends up becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. When you know you have the correct set and setting, you can go into the trip knowing you prepared and you are ready to gain some new insight into reality. Typically bad trips don't happen to me when I go in wanting to learn something rather than just being paranoid

I argue for the contrary! I think meditation and enlightenment work can make people more spontaneous and creative. I'm a composer myself, and after doing more and more consciousness work I find it a lot easier to come up with original music than before. Eckhart Tolle has also spoke about how true creativity comes from a state of stillness, a quiet mind

Binaural beats aren't a "magic pill," they just help an individual achieve a specific state of mind. It's not like one will become a perfect meditator by just listening to Alpha waves being produced. They are designed to help, not to distract.

Try to bring your the stillness of your meditation into your everyday life. While you're going about your day, notice that your mind wanders and bring it back to the present moment. Badically just merge your "everyday self" with your "meditating self."