PureExp

@I_Like_Thing Photons do not exist. If they did, they must have a mind to create time. Time is a creation of the mind. Sorry for the weird answer I guess I'm not science-minded at all.

There's an app for it I never used it, and I'm not its coder. Just sharing... -- Who Am I Daily https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.whoami.daily

A nice overview of predictions: http://3tags.org/article/will-a-conscious-intelligent-ai-emerge-in-our-lifetimes Note the presence of numerous definitions and understanding of words "intelligence" and "consciousness". My own prediction is more "spiritual" kind when compared to above materialist views.

@Aditi Listening is an art. Perhaps this will help: The Art of Introspection - my views on what what do to and what not to do. This is the ABC.

Wise words. Thank you.

Great ! You have reached a milestone. I knew you were on to something from your other posts, you were thinking hard and were confused as hell. Mind works in background, and I guess what you are seeing is a fruit of your intention to know. I'm happy for you Yes, another important realization. I had somewhat similar feelings on realizing one day that I'm only a watcher of a movie, I'm nothing actually, empty ..... what??? is this all? where are all those fireworks bells and whistles? I wondered. Realization is ordinary. It is less interesting than your shopping list ! It is our Ego that expects fireworks, bells and whistles, "infinities", and deities showering flowers from heaven and ... so on. Egos are stupid. I came to realize that the ignorance - the illusion that everything else is real including myself, this individual who is somehow very-very important, is extraordinary and unnatural, it should not be there, but it is. Realization is ordinary and natural. A perfect state. This is exactly the reverse of what unrealized people tend to think. This is the flip ! Its so simple.

Just ask - what is aware of these thoughts? What knows the thoughts? Shift from contents to experiencer. Objects to subject.

Everyone is Why do you think you are not?

Just take a look at all those great masters across the world. You will get your answer. Now take a look at drug users across the world, you will get your answers again.

There is no harm, and there is no gain. Try not to see it in those terms. Its natural to be in ignorant state (its a play, we can't comprehend), and its natural to be awakened to knowledge (we can't comprehend that too). It is what I call "Ripening", when a fruit is ripe, it falls. No one does it. When a person is ready, he/she is awakened, no one does it. This is universal truth, it is happening since the beginning of history. A teacher (or suffering, say) can accelerate the ripening, it does not cause it. So those who are asleep, they are perfect, and those who got up, they are perfect too.

Yes, its nonsense actually, there is no evidence of programmers, not human nor aliens Its a materialist view, which leaves out consciousness, so it is necessarily wrong. However, that is only one view out of several. The simulation theory holds. The answer I like is - Consciousness is the creator, it simulates everything in itself. Reality (Physical or non-physical) is consciousness, and consciousness is reality. This is ancient teaching, and it is my own experience, which is ever present, right here, right now. I'm sure it is the experience of many of forum readers here. Consciousness is the creator. Also, I highly recommend reading/watching Tom Campbell and his MybigToe Theory. All the answers are there.

@Mondsee It's easy - just ask , what is aware of the voice. And stay silent. Your enquiry as it is now is just mental chatter. Enquiry should focus on what you experience after the question is asked. The answer are never mental. E.g. Observe a tomato and ask - what color is it. See the color, there is experience of redness. Later the mind can jump in and utter -"red", just ignore that, see the color again. Be the color.

That's brilliant, and I heard that story too. Both flying and light beams are everyday experiences, it is possible to combine them and imagine them. Beam appearing still is then a logical deduction, imagination will not automatically make the beam still while it is being imagined. Rest is hard work, math, to show that this picture makes sense. It turned out that he is not correct ! SR/GR do not blend with QM, and that is an embarrassment, since its so brilliant. My claim was that its not possible to imagine something which you never experienced before, such as a new color which is not in spectrum, a new smell etc. As I say always, a seeker digs very-very deep into working of the mind, one cannot be shallow, however one needs to be mentally prepared to be proven wrong always, and I am prepared too, mind is a mysterious thing.

@Prabhaker SR is not an imagination, I'm sure you understand that. He deduced the logical consequences of speed of light being a constant. I don't think he imagined it out of thin air, its pure math. If you are unsure, just imagine a scientific theory and claim your Nobel prize. Developing a scientific theory, getting the equations rights, publishing it in journals, getting it through peer review, fixing the errors and addressing the criticism is not merely sitting and daydreaming, its hard work - a culmination of a life time of study. Ability to imagine is a small thing, do not confuse it with what scientists do. Perhaps you are referring to the thought experiments. It involves imagination of a set up, and imagination ends there, the rest is reason, logic and math. This is a speculation forum, so you obviously should not take my words as truth, the purpose here is not to prove anything, just to throw interesting ideas out. If you are interested, google the references and read books/papers on machine learning and creativity. Watch videos, go to seminars, code something yourself. It will take years and years.... but you will understand it, its not so difficult.

Sharing a cool interview: Holographic Reality Do we live in a Computer Simulation? Evidence Says Yes! The man is Jim Elvidge.

A better question is - what is imagination? What is your direct experience of imagination looks like? Imagine a tomato, red one. Where do you see it? Are senses involved? Is memory involved? Are higher brain functions involved? You will find that the imagined tomato is a faded percept, nothing else. it is pulled from memory, a random combination of all the tomatoes you have experienced in life. You can choose to make it green, or big, or choose another angle, all being "played back" in usual visual cortex that processes the sense data coming from eyes. The only difference here is - the data is coming from memory, not eyes. This is a piece of cake for computers

Thanks for checking. I'm looking for critical and creative feedback, so let me know if I messed up royally somewhere @Prabhaker Human imagination is a mixture of memory, sense perceptions and variations of them. One cannot imagine something which one never experienced (for example try to imagine a new color). Imaginations are "played back" via same neuronal paths that process sense perceptions (in brain). So (in my view) imaginations are local simulations. All you need to do is implement this in a machine, and you can say machines can imagine It is already being done.

IMO, the human body is not a discreet or unique entity that is totally separable from environment and nicely defined. I see it as an ecosystem, not a body, a micro-ecosystem that walks and talks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microbiota Non-human cells in our bodies outnumber human cells by 3:1 , that is for every one cell we have three non-human cells there. So if we define a human based on the criteria of a collection of cells with specific DNA (human DNA), then a human is not human at all Mind boggling ! But its only a start of destruction of our beliefs about body - what some people like to call "me". A man would not survive if you kill all those foreign cells, they are necessary for functions of the body. Each cell is already infected with non-human DNA, with the main organelle mitochondria being an ancient virus. DNA doesn't remain in original form in cells, it keeps changing. The cells die only because the DNA gets corrupted and becomes dysfunctional, mother nature has provided a self-destruct timer there to keep cells from producing junk. (Cancer cells are rebels, they got rid of that timer). Whole of human DNA is littered with viral codes(8%?). Some DNA gets expressed, most does not. Genes are mostly same for all living forms from potatoes to humans. The end result is partially due to code and a complex dynamics of expression that happens on the fly in an embryo. It continues for whole life. "Genetic relations" or blood relations has very little meaning if at all, you match with your parents a bit and also a fruit fly. What are the implications of this scientific knowledge for seekers? Well, the body is illusory at many levels, just see it. This helps to break identification with this system of cells we call "me".

@rrodriguez11 IMO, you need not end it, you only detach from it. Realize that suffering is only an illusion, the real you cannot suffer, it is incapable of it, it just watches it. Abide there. Suffering - a state of mind, comes and goes just like clouds in a clear sky.

@I_Like_Thing link (also in signature below). Yes, I think asking the right questions is the trick, and believe me I'm just ordinary, doesn't need a high IQ just needs a sensitive BS meter.

Resistance and purification are irritating but are also a sign of progress. You've reached far enough that old is breaking away, and sometimes shows up as strange symptoms. What you did is best actually, it makes sense to not force the practice. It will be faster if you force, but more painful, and you will need to do a lot of damage control. Too slow, and your ego and old impressions will be back, perhaps with a vengeance. So the middle way - practice till you can handle, then stop or reduce time, pick up again when symptoms go away. This will be over sooner or later when most of the purification is complete. Its better to finish it rather than "treat" it or suppress it.

The Death of SpaceTime & Birth of Conscious Agents by Donald Hoffman

Haha, yes but very funny BS, and actually I like it, it smashes the "spiritual ego" on floor and flushes it down for the good. Anyhow, here is a funny thing that happened (partially made up by me ) --- Me trying to enlighten a friend: Me: You know buddy, you are not the body. He: Ya I know, I'm not this mess, I wouldn't be that way if I were it. Me: No no, I mean, body is not your essence, you are more. He: Ya I know that too. Me: So tell me who are you? He: I'm the brain ! Me: No, that's just a part of the body. Tell me who you are. He: Ok I get it, I'm brain, so brain is not body. Thx. Me: Nooo... He: ? Me (throwing my advaita card): Tell me who knows the brain, who is aware of the brain? He: Well I know everything via brain, so brain knows everything. Me: But can it know you? He: Ya I know me. Me (getting nervous): Brains are not aware, they dont know. He: How can brain not know its not aware? Me: (Slaps forehead) He: Whats wrong with you? Smoking stuff??? Me: No I just realized I'm not the brain, I'm trying to teach you that. He: Your brain is telling you you are not the brain? Are you crazy buddy? Its playing a crazy game, stop there now.. Me: Tell me who is aware of the brain, if you are brain? He: Brain is aware of the brain. Why did you ask? Me: ??? (walks away) Lesson: Enlightening yourself is the easiest job in the world

@x_x I agree with @Arman , he explained beautifully. Pleasures accentuate and pains attenuate when you are fully aware. This realization has changed my life, the difference is of day/night. So go ahead and do not worry.