Paulo Barbosa

You guys are amazing! I got all the answers I could wish for. Now it goes down to me "doing" the work. Thank you so much for your pearls of wisdom.

Hello everyone, I recently took 5meo-DMT and was able to go through the gates and experience the state of oneness. However that came with a price... I had to die first. I fought the feeling of losing control and took me a while before I finally surrendered. The thing is, after the experience passed some sort of channel got open as result and now I am able to relax to a point where a similar type of experience kicks in. But because the experience was not only beautiful but also very traumatising, I usually get afraid and the sequence gets stopped before it truly starts. However, there were a few times where I am able to ease it up at the beginning. Then what happens is that I feel again that I am dying (not to be confused with a panic attack, which I sometimes have but on different occasions) and through fear I eventually break the sequence. I am practicing not to get overly identified with anything in my life so I can surrender when I have such an experience but it's not working out. I still carry a big fear and anxiety and getting to a place of no preference is still a bit of a pipe dream. So my question is, how can I let go of fear (gradually or not) so I can start to experience the eternal without the use of any external substance? There is no way back for me. All I want now is to be able to re-connect with that that lies beyond space and time and through it break the chains of suffering. Thank you so much for your input! Paulo

@Nahm Thank you Nahm. That is precisely what I mean to do.

@Leo Gura Thank you Leo!!!

@Leo Gura Thank you very much Leo. The thing is, I have no easy access to psychedelics and in all honesty I am not sure that is the path I want to take going further. You are probably right that to put your fears on the line through the use of psychedelics is a much easier process but something tells me that my path lies elsewhere. Or maybe that is just the fear talking and I am confusing it with my intuition. The fact of the matter is that I have taken 12 mg of 5meo (twice in a row) out of despair with my previous life situation. In that regard I came out of it with a fresh perspective and the depression is now a thing of the past. However I feel stuck in my "progress" and I feel that fear is the gatekeeper. If you, or somebody else knows of other methods or techniques to "overcome" fear please let me know. I have yet to watch your most recent video about yoga and something tells me that I will find some answers there.

@dorg Thank you very much for your answer. I believe I know what you are saying, even though it is still an intellectual grasp an therefore of no real value. In the matrix movie they say: "do not try to bend the spoon... it is impossible... instead just realise the truth... there is no spoon." This is more or less the gist of it right? That trying to let go of fear is just another layer of control?

Hello everyone, I have just opened a new topic elsewhere, but this one seems really proper for me to piggy-back. I recently took 5meo-DMT and was able to go through the gates and experience the state of oneness. However that came with a price... I had to die first. I fought the feeling of losing control and took me a while before I finally surrendered. The thing is, after the experience passed some sort of channel got open as result and now I am able to relax to a point where a similar type of experience kicks in. But because the experience was not only beautiful but also very traumatising, I usually get afraid and the sequence gets stopped before it truly starts. However, there were a few times where I am able to ease it up at the beginning. Then what happens is that I feel again that I am dying (not to be confused with a panic attack, which I sometimes have but on different occasions) and through fear I eventually break the sequence. I am practicing not to get overly identified with anything in my life so I can surrender when I have such an experience but it's not working out. I still carry a big fear and anxiety and getting to a place of no preference is still a bit of a pipe dream. So my question is, how can I let go of fear (gradually or not) so I can start to experience the eternal without the use of any external substance? I have read the brilliant responses on this topic so far, but maybe you could shed some more light into this issue. I fell that there is no way back for me. All I want now is to be able to re-connect with that that lies beyond space and time and through it break the chains of suffering. Thank you all so much for your input! Paulo

@Aware Maybe if I take a 5MeoDmt shot as Leo did I get to see things from a non dualistic perspective. Until then, my logic mind will try to find out what the heck is going on. Thank you so much for indulging my questions and I wish you a very good life!!!

But that denies one of the principles that God is both all-good and all-powerful. Either He cannot or He will not cease suffering to exist. And that to me is a paradox.

@Aware And the question: why would an infinitely loving God create a world where suffering exists?

@Aware So, if I get it correctly you are saying that: 1. We are all one; 2. Attachment is the root cause of suffering; 3. Karma perpetuates that suffering; 4. The only way of escaping suffering is by achieving perfect awareness; 5. The only way of helping others is by achieving perfect awareness and spreading that teaching to others. Please, do correct me in the point where I am wrong. Also, even if I settle for the Karma explanation, it does not answer why was this world created with these rules in the first place. Would you be so kind to share your views on this subject: why would an infinitely loving God create a world where suffering exists and where only through "purification" can one liberate from it?

@Aware Thanks for your answers so far. I used to think that the world was completely random and with no intelligent principle behind it. Within that view, suffering was perfectly normal. But more recently I have started to watch Leo's videos on enlightenment and 5MeoDmt and I became convinced that I was probably wrong. The world has to have an architect. Now my problem with that new worldview of mine is that I am having trouble to fit the suffering with a work of an infinite loving force. I always thought that because the world was so twisted there was nothing I could do in order to make it better. But with my new way lenses onto the world I started to be more compassionate and started to make some changes in my life, like becoming vegan and supporting causes with my own money and time. And now I find myself in a situation where I am as confused as ever. Many proponents of consciousness liberation seem to advocate that you take care of yourself and let the world go round. But my gut feeling is telling me otherwise. I don't want to go down that road again where everything seems to be senseless. That is a game that I cannot play anymore.

@Aware But why does it have to be this way? Why all this suffering in a world created by a force that many call "Love"? Because these so called physical garments do suffer you know...? The question is not how I can be free from suffering but why does suffering exists in the first place (especially in the realm where creatures can't do anything to escape from it)!

But why does it have to be this way? Why all this suffering in a world created by a force that many call "Love"?

@Aware What is that even supposed to mean? That is the same as saying: because it is the way it works!

What about animal suffering? Have you guys watched how animals suffer at the hands of humans? Laboratory experiments and especially, animal farming should be enough for one to ask questions about the incongruent nature of reality. Why does a cow or a pig have to suffer so much? Being bred for food, clothes and cosmetics in appalling conditions... what do you say to that? That animals should practice non duality or be more positive about life in general? I honestly don't buy it!!!

Hi everyone, I am a newcomer on this forum but I have been following Leo's videos for quite some time now. I have a few questions that are burning my mind and I really need some clarification from someone in the know. The thing is, after I watched Leo's videos on 5meo my worldview has taken a big blow. After cross checking many reported experiences on the substance I came to the conclusion that they must be genuine and somehow conducive to the same results. I have not experienced the substance myself (not yet anyway) so my grounds are just on the realm of assumptions and beliefs. Nevertheless, I am convinced that that must be it. God, infinite, Truth, etc. may be in fact accessible to all of us. Now, with that being said, I am still confused about a few things. Probably some of you will tell me to take the plunge and try the substance, which I will probably end up doing, but for the time being I really need your support and clarification. So, after reading reports, books and watching videos on the matter, it seems to me that most people agree on the following: 1. God exists and can be experienced 2. God is everything (me and you included) 3. God is infinite and perfect 4. The must noticeable trait of God is pure love 5. God created this reality to experience him(her)self and reality will eventually go back to the source (all is ok after all) 6. Suffering exists due to the ego With those assumptions in mind, I have a few things that I do not understand: (and if possible, please try to convey your answers in other terms than "your rational mind is the one creating the splits" or "get enlightened and then you will know"). 1. How can God be infinite and pure love at the same time? The first characteristic is all encompassing whereas the second one seems to be dual and therefore limited. 2. How can God be pure love and still create or allow suffering in this world? And even if the ego is to blame, was it also not created by God? And if yes, why did God created the ego in the first place? 3. If this is just God experiencing him(her)self and ultimately there is nothing to improve upon in this world, how does compassion fit in? Would it be fundamentally the same , for example, to give money to charities or to live your life oblivious of others? 4. Does Karma exist? Does it have any purge purpose? And if so, why? So thank you very much everyone for reading this and for your kind answers!!!

Ahhh! So what you are saying is because everyone is connected at a deeper level, if I raise my conscience it will raise human consciousness as a whole. Am I correct now?

@Prabhaker So, if I understood correctly, you propose to first work on the suffering and ignorance of the haves so that they can be fulfilled and release resources to the have nots. I suppose you could do that through advocacy or something similar. And if they are still ignorant beat them in the head! (just kidding). Thank you!!!

Hey Radical Honesty, Thanks for jumping in. Could you please elaborate on the notion of feeling "kindness toward yourself"? Thanks

So, it means that all the those causes like poverty alleviation, animal suffering alleviation, etc. are not worth it?

Thank you Prabhaker! So what you are saying is that I must forget others for the time being and concentrate on my own liberation? And that only after that I will be able to truly help others? Or is it that I can still help others (in a more mundane interpretation of the word) as long as I help myself too? Cheers!

Hey Leo, Thank you so much for your input!!! What you are saying sounds right to me. It's not that I want to change anything. It's just that I need to know how to act. I thought that this world of duality was all that existed and therefore choosing good and compassion over evil and cynicism would make sense. But since you published your videos on 5Meo I have been taken (at least theoretically) to a realm of Truth, where values are not opposed and relative to one another anymore. So, since my question is mainly pragmatic, my confusion remains: Is helping others of any value? Because if God is infinite and allows suffering, who am I to try to make things "right"? Just like you I want to live the best life I could possibly have. I just need to figure out how! Thanks for reading!!!

Hey Arman, Even though it hurts to accept your view on free will I guess I buy into it. It actually comes very close to Allan Watts views on what life fundamentally is (fast forward to 1m:15s): Now the million dollar question is: what about animals? Do they have the choice? Can a lion decide not to hurt other animals and start to collect berries? Thanks!!!

Ok! So first of all let me thank you guys (Tancrede Pouyat, hundreth and Prabhaker) once more. I am now ready to shoot a few more questions based on the answers that were presented, namely: 1. If love is energy why not to settle for the latter designation? Even if someone tries to communicate something that ultimately cannot be put into words, when the attempt is made, they are going to use language that portrays as good as possible the properties of what has been experienced. At least this is my take on the subject. 2. Could it be that the thing that we need improvement upon is just the realisation that in the end there is nothing to be improved? 3. Why is helping others something of higher value in this relative world? Who posited that value over any other? 4. Even if suffering can be seen as a matter of choice, why did God not limit it for the sake of a nicer experience? If nice is not what God was looking for but rather a thorough experience, should we assume that suffering is a necessary part of it? Because if this is the case it feels that by trying to mitigate or eliminate suffering we would be acting against the will of God! Cheers!!!