PureExp

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Everything posted by PureExp

  1. Yes, mind is not = intelligence, but I never said it is It makes no sense to randomly equate two words. Intelligence is a collection of abilities of a non-physical structure we call mind. That's my definition. Capability to respond to new situations is just one of hundreds of abilities of mind. If you are interested, check it out here, because I can't type it all. It will take you a week to read it all There are 10 long articles on just abilities of mind. All your confusion seems to be because of incomplete understanding of what intelligence is, and how it is different from consciousness. No it makes no sense to me. A person can be intellectual. That's a social word, a personality type, nothing to do with philosophy of mind. Mind is not = person. If someone plays with just borrowed words, he is not intellectual or intelligent, he is an idiot It has to be based on actual direct experience. You just defined intelligence as "Capability to respond to new situations", a mind does it nicely. So you are self-contradicting here. Skills are just abilities, another type of intelligence. You say mind just repeats, yes, but not mindlessly. A painter repeats a picture in his mind on a canvas - a sign of intelligence. A writer repeats his experiences in a book, again intelligence. Repetition is a sign of presence of memory, not absence of intelligence. Memory (yet another mental ability) is a necessary component of intelligence. Mind is not a computer, brain is. Mind is non-physical, a collection of thoughts, memories, imaginations, emotions and all that mental stuff we directly experience. It is not physical, biological or any thing else. This is my direct experience. Awareness is not a function of mind, mind appears in awareness. Awareness becomes mind, world and all experiences. So lets not confuse the concepts of awareness and intelligence, both are very different animals at dual level. As I said, even the most stupid person is aware. Again, just another ability of the mind. Intelligence is not only this one thing you mention. It is a collection of abilities. So when the mind is not relating with reality in real time, and just pondering, writing novels, painting, solving calculus problems etc it is still intelligence. Even if it is a learned activity (aka programmed) it is still intelligence. If it is an innate ability (say birds building nests, as coded in their genes), it is still intelligence - an ability of the mind A stupid person can also not function out of his past. In fact hallmark of stupidity is not learning from the past experiences. An intelligent person reacts when needed, like when you are about to fall from a chair, you react and save yourself, or when you see danger, you react and run, you do not ponder on philosophy when a lion a chasing you This is intelligence ! Perhaps you are talking about emotional reactions to actions of others. An intelligent person will not react on emotional impulses. This is another ability, a refined one. However, a politician does the same, they do not react and remain diplomatic, and as we know this is not exactly a refined ability About certainty, a chaotic person or mad man is also not predictable. However, a person of less intelligence cannot understand and therefore cannot predict the actions of a more intelligent person. I mentioned this before in regard to machines, we humans won't be able to predict what a super intelligent machine will do. Neither can be humans. When I say "human creativity", I am speaking loosely, I use everyday words. So lets go into depth of it. Only consciousness creates, not humans, humans and everything else is a part of creation. Now, one can sit still and observe that even consciousness does not create, it only witnesses what is being created or whats already there. This is a direct experience. The creation and perception happen simultaneously. So who is creating? All that is, is nothing but creation, and it is creating. We call it Brahman, so Brahman is the ultimate creator (as is well known, but few people actually understand that). I'm nothing but Brahman, seen as Self (consciousness) witnessing my own self, that is now manifest. This is "Experiencing", and this is all there is. So all-that-is creates via the agency of humans. Not only humans, via other creatures and inanimate stuff too. So wind shapes a mountain, ants build an anthill and humans build a city. All creation, just happening via various agencies. This is also a direct experience. Now, it is straightforward to see that creation can happen via the agency of machines too. Creation doesn't demand high intelligence, so a factory producing stuff or a 3D printer printing a model is also creation. There is no physical or spiritual law that says its impossible. Humans are nothing but a very sophisticated intelligent machine made of matter. There is no reason that a machine, sophisticated enough and made of matter will not express creation like we do. What is matter after all? Just consciousness ! Not only creativity, consciousness can express itself via any form (animal, human, or machine, or non-physical). It is the ground of everything, it is expressed in everything, and everything is "made" of it. This is also from direct experience and that's why I predicted that it will be possible for machines to say - "I'm consciousness". They are nothing else, can be nothing else. You see. Even a religious person will agree that machines can create and can have intelligence and consciousness equal to or greater than man. Why? Because if negated, it will challenge the omnipotent quality of the god. God can do anything he likes. As we know religious people don't appreciate when you mess with gods but I'd say this religious belief is based on actual spiritual teachings that Brahman (all-that-is, Presence) is omnipotent. Now is that my experience? No obviously not, I need to see all of the creation to say with certainty that all that is possible already exists and as a person, I'm tiny-whiny, very limited, I cannot know this. As consciousness I've this intuitive knowledge though. You dont need to believe me anyway, get your own experience. I can share only that which I experience and I draw my conclusion accordingly.
  2. @I_Like_Thing Yes, I know the answers. Check my blog for more. I share there what I know. I don't claim that I'm the only one who is right, it is for you to find out. Everyone must get their own experiences. I say stuff based on my own experiences. Let me know if you find gross errors.
  3. I agree with @aurum . If you must avoid pleasures and pains by hook or crook, its not much of a progress. Is it? Conversely, when you don't cling to pleasures and pains, you just accept the present moment naturally and genuinely, its a sign of true detachment, and IMO of progress. Now, the $million question is - how can one reach that state of detachment? I don't have a good answer, but I guess it happens as a result of being intensely aware of your mental landscape round the clock, everyday. Ask yourself - where from the pleasure or desire for it arise? What is its nature? Why do I tend to avoid pain? So on and so forth. Be aware, very aware. I guess you know the rest.
  4. Just a change of scenery.
  5. @I_Like_Thing Too many assumptions...The answers would fill up pages, so I will just ask questions for the benefit of all readers. Think...food for brain Where is it located? What is a medium? Are you not conscious when not thinking? What is "thinking"? How to implement thinking on another substrate? Is it impossible? Humans do that all the time. In fact this is our primary function. Does that "produce" consciousness in us? Will it produce consciousness in machines? What is "knowing"? What is "meaning"? There are many definitions of intelligence. What is yours? E.g. when you define intelligence as an ability to do math, machines surpass humans. When you define it as doing arts (painting lets say), machines are very poor in it. Anyhow, even the most stupid person is aware and conscious See the difference between intelligence (abilities of mind) and consciousness (the fundamental ground of everything). If consciousness is fundamental, everything, including machines are it. If human brain made of matter can express it, any system made of matter can. This is the essence of it all.
  6. I guess you already know that future can only be predicted as an extrapolation of past data, it cannot be known (at least not by us ordinary folk). Being sure and certain is not the point here, predicting what might happen is. Where did I get my past data from? Same place where everyone gets it - history. Reality has always been shown to be totally different than the existing paradigms. This is how progress looks like. Will it happen again? You can predict that reasonably. How can this happen? I propose that smart will people dig into previously unknown and unresearched areas. Consciousness is one such area. Whenever people do that breakthroughs happen. My thinking is simple and straightforward Perhaps its too simplistic from your point of view so I'm sorry, that's all I could think. The rest of stuff about definitions is fine, I was not talking about that.
  7. This came up in another discussion, but I liked the quotes here so much that I think its worth sharing here. http://arsspiritus.com/science-quotes-will-make-question-reality/ What does that tell us? Great scientists are not narrow-minded materialists. This is a propaganda, a belief, ignorance. Common people, lacking any deep knowledge of science, blindly believe whatever they are told. Now, many scientists are ignorant and are believers in materialism, but that's because they are just humans. It has nothing to do with science, which cannot automatically, magically turn you into a materialistic dogmatic narrow-minded idiot. Those scientists, who are like that, are because of their own bloated egos.
  8. Different teachers recommend different things, I don't find it puzzling. They are simply telling you what worked for them. He also advocates drugs, it worked for him, he is now a god, it may work for others too, or it may happen that you wake up in a puddle of vomit next day. Same way, being in moment may take you there, and for some it makes their life boring and dull. One must start from where he is right now. The error is in assuming that everything a teacher says will surely work for each and everyone on the entire planet. It may or may not work for you. Leo is teaching his own path, you need to listen, decide and choose your own path. You cannot walk the path of others, it has to be a path of your own heart. Others/teachers can help you to choose a path, thats all they do, they do not "make" you enlightened or do not hand you over a bag full of "experiences" that you can open and taste each one. You must get it all by yourself. There can be many ways. Choose wisely..
  9. Reality is not only stranger than fiction, it is stranger than whatever science and spiritual people think is the truth. Somehow mother nature manages to fool us everytime and destroys our hubris that we know everything and can know everything. This happens often, new paradigms replace the old ones. The old doesn't leave without giving a good fight. Since 100 years we are fighting the old. The next big shift will happen as soon as consciousness is included in sciences as the most fundamental thing to study and experiment on. Currently the whole focus is on tiny ephemeral stuff they call particles that is non-existent, while the elephant in the room is ignored. Consciousness was the primary subject of study since thousands of years in east, as we know, but unfortunately it became rotten and infected with superstition, magical stuff and just plain worship of entities of personal gains. Science was a breath of fresh air until it hit a wall and went into denialism. I can see this shift happening now. More and more people realize why it is so important to know what lies at our core, its the only thing there that is worth studying. More people are finding materialism narrow minded. Now, I don't mean we throw the baby with bathwater, physics and all those awesome technologies, colonization of other worlds etc. are important too. It has to be all inclusive, the big picture. Perhaps you will like to see the work of Bernardo Kastrup, he is one of those open minded fellow, the author of the book - why materialism is baloney. http://www.bernardokastrup.com/
  10. @Nahm Simulation hypothesis is only a hypothesis. I can't say that it is proven beyond doubt at this time. Maybe in future. (Perhaps great people like Campbell won't need any proof, they see it everyday). Also, consciousness being the "computer" (a medium in which simulation happens) is not yet a mainstream idea (IMO). In the light of above, I find its main use is in strengthening the conviction that everything is just consciousness. It is also my direct experience (and probably of many of you) and detailed explanations such as these are soothing for doubting rational minds. If someone conducts experiments and proves majority of these ideas, a new way will open up for technology that is based on hacking the "code of simulation". The implications are mind blowing, humans will turn into gods, almost everything will become possible. (Don't know if that's a good thing ).
  11. @Will Bigger , perhaps you are being humble. Survival instincts are exactly the ego. What would a free ego look like?
  12. @Will Bigger I agree. Seems reasonable (but I have no experience at all if this is what happens and I never met anyone who could say so). But I have a question for you - Who or what has all those desires/aversions/pride and what is in bondage that gets liberated? Is it body or ego (the autopilot of the body), or person (the mind, jumble of non-physical stuff e.g. thoughts), or is it the Consciousness itself that is bound?
  13. @MochaSlap Yes, its all and nothing at the same time. Mind cannot intellectually grasp this. But it can be experienced easily. You don't need to believe me or others, find out for yourself. In the end everyone must get their own experience. Start self-enquiry now.
  14. @MochaSlap Consciousness is absolute and hence has no "levels". Mind has levels, ranging from total ignorance (the "normal" madness we see everywhere) to a clear knowing of what is. Do not confuse the two. This is the key. You cannot "raise" Consciousness, you can only peel out the layers of ignorance one by one. The result is - the Consciousness whose expression was obstructed/distorted by ignorance shines through brightly like a thousand suns. The implications of this are huge, life becomes a play, very smooth and mysterious, suffering of all kinds disappears, new knowledge rains on you, it changes you irreversibly. A good place to start is realizing that you are not the body, or the mind, or the person. You are a witness that is empty, is not a thing. Realize that your Consciousness is not inside the body, the body/mind is inside the Consciousness. Go further and see that the whole world appears in the Consciousness ! This is the "shift". The flip. The figure-ground reversal. Once this happens, there is no going back All the best !
  15. Found this article, somewhat speculative but very positive. --- There Is Something Extraordinary Happening In The World http://gostica.com/spiritual-lifestile/something-extraordinary-happening-world/
  16. I like Ira too This site has some great stuff: http://www.advaita.org.uk/discourses/q_and_a/q_and_a.htm
  17. @jse Yes, and IMO internet is a big enabler. Its the net that connects us all. This has never happened in human history. If it continues at this rate, it will twist the singularity thing into something much more complex.(If it happens). @Evilwave Heddy Yes, subjective reasons are valid reasons. It happened to me also, when I started seeking answers, I suddenly found that a lot of people are after the same stuff. May be its subjective, but the numbers have surely gone up, simply because human population has gone up considerably. (E.g. when compared to the population at the time of Buddha and others). But...some people are trying to objectify it and check it for real. You will find reports and articles in various psychology journals if you search. One such brief report is here: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/scienceonreligion/2012/02/religious-and-mystical-experiences-common-among-americans/ From there, People with spiritual experiences in US in : 1962 - 22% 1976 - 31% 1994 - 33% 2006 - 47% 2012 - 49% 2016 - 84% (from here) US is probably most(?) materialist culture on earth, imagine world figures. Note also the steep climb which coincides with start of internet age. If you are wondering why sudden jump of 84% in 2016? Thats because its a different survey, so won't fit, but you get the idea. The interesting thing is there is a decline in religious stuff, and less and less people trust "organized and controlled truths" a good sign.
  18. @Morzart I agree that consciousness must be there while bodies are being formed, but the rest is all assumptions. Bodies, brains and embryos appear in consciousness, not the other way. This is the direct experience of myself, you and others. There cannot be any doubt about it. There are a few assumptions in your questions. If everything is consciousness, there is no need to "connect" stuff, it is all already one. So its only a belief that consciousness and bodies are different and need to connect. Consciousness expresses itself as a body with various organs. Second assumption is that consciousness develops in embryonic brains. Even if we consider that as hypothesis, no one can prove it by any means whatsoever. Obviously, you won't find that via direct experience (which is the rule and criterion here). Third assumption is that brains experience stuff - they do not, only consciousness experiences. Just ask your brain what did it experience today. Try considering the primacy of consciousness over everything, see what answers you get when you take consciousness as ground of everything. Are those answers more satisfactory and as per your own direct experiences? If yes, you have a winner. If no, tell us something that is much more convincing, self-evident and free from made-up stories.
  19. Masters will tell you that the consciousness was never born, will never die, is immortal, is eternal, is beyond time. It never started and it can never end. A religious person might simply believe it all blindly, which really does nothing for him, but a seeker will not settle for anything less than a direct experience of it. So how to get that direct experience? There are 4 ways to know the answer to this question - self-enquiry, realization that time is non-existent, realizing that you do not change, witnessing death and birth directly. Self-enquiry is the easiest and takes only a few minutes. Experiencing non-existence of time needs a very calm mind which can watch how time gets created out of eternal now, but once you see this, you have the answer because birth and death happen in time and are therefore non-existent. Death/birth are nothing but change, and if you see that you never change, it follows that you will remain the same, never die and will be never born. Forth way is beyond my pay-grade, I won't even attempt to write about it. A direct experience is always self-evident, clear, logical, brutally honest and lacks any beliefs or assumptions. If your experience is polluted by concepts, ideas, beliefs, assumptions, fluffy unicorn stories, bookish stuff or testimony of others etc. it is not the direct experience, it is a fantasy. Please know this clearly - no assumptions are allowed. So we will attempt the easiest way. Ask yourself - When were you born? You will instantly get a date of birth, its ok, its not entirely false. Now try to go to the experience of birth which you think happened on that date. Well, most of us cannot get there, at most you will get memories of childhood, no memories of being born. You can ask others, but remember you are trying to know by your own direct experience, this is the rule of the game. Anyhow, others will tell you that you were indeed born, and they saw it with their own eyes. But, there is a catch, they saw only your body, a tiny one, and since you already know you cannot be a body (and definitely not that tiny one), you can't trust them. No one obviously saw your consciousness taking birth, if you are unsure, just ask them and see a puzzled look in their eyes, its funny. Now, you can say that you were born, but you do not remember it. Note that this is an assumption. Do you remember that you ate potato chips 10 years ago on a particular date? If you don't, its silly to say that you did eat them on that day, you just don't remember now. Its only your imagination, there is no way for you to know that. Past can be known only via memory, and you have no memory of birth. But perhaps you are right, you just forgot that you were born, happens, we forget useless things fast . Now your mind is really challenged, and you will perhaps say - I was simply unconscious when I was born, I became conscious later, and then memories started forming. A very bad argument, you see. We are trying to get to the birth of consciousness, not of unconsciousness. Just ask yourself - how did the experience of unconscious birth looked like to you? What a silly question, if I was unconscious, there would be no experience. Yes, exactly, you don't have any experience of being born in unconscious state, so why would you just assume that? We need solid evidence, don't settle for made-up stuff. Ask yourself - how would any unconscious experience look like? You will find that there are no such experiences in your entire life. "Unconscious state" is only an assumption, you do not know any such state, its merely social conditioning. All of our experiences involve consciousness, it is by necessity. Doesn't matter if you remember them or not. Ok, so now your mind can say - perhaps I was born, do not remember it because the memories were not formed, brain was still developing, and any impressions got erased, but I was conscious at birth. Good thinking there. But think again, you will look like a fool If consciousness was already there while you were born, then it means consciousness was not born, it was there witnessing the birth of a body. Note that memory is a function of mind, not of consciousness. Consciousness remembers nothing, its only a witness. If you remember your birth, it clearly implies a prior presence of both mind and consciousness, if you do not, then it implies absence of mind and no evidence of birth, doesn't imply absence of consciousness. The post is getting long, so I will not take up more questions and doubts your mind will throw at you, but you get the point. You will never find a clear evidence of your own birth, and by you I mean the consciousness that your are essentially. No birth means no death. Only that which can take birth can die, this is by definition of death. Its done, you have seen that death and birth are just concepts, assumptions, ideas. Birth/death is ignorance, and now you are free from it . If you have any questions please ask, and if you like a longer version, read it here.
  20. Bonus stuff from long version. Puts final nails on the coffin of death --- All there is, is only Experiencing. Experiencing of birth implies an experiencer, and if that experiencer is already present experiencing its own birth, then it is not experiencing its own birth, its experiencing something else being born while wrongly assuming it itself is being born. Its a temporary forgetting and attachment to the scenery. In other words - ignorance. Experiencing its own birth is an impossibility for an experiencer, because it demands its own presence at its own birth. It is a clear absurdity, you see. It is stupidity to assume that the experiencer can be born. You are that experiencer. You never had that experience, and since experience is all there that exists, birth does not exist, as its experience does not exist and cannot exist. This is certain, this is by necessity. This is a must. Another way to think about it is by using your direct experience of your consciousness, which appears as no-thing, nothing... Its not even an experience strictly speaking, because it is the experiencer. Then it is not even the experiencer, there is just Experiencing. For convenience, we will simply say that you are nothingness at the core - just Emptiness. If you have that direct experience (easy to have it), then you will realize that it is not possible for nothingness to appear, there is nothing to appear ! And it is not possible for it to disappear, it is already nothing ! Well, that was a mind bender, but you will see that the mind stops here, it can't think now, and the concepts of birth and death simply fall apart like a house of cards, they are meaningless. You've been applying meaningless concepts to yourself, you see it now clearly.
  21. Surprise ! There is no such thing as death. Coincidentally I made a post just today about it. Its easy to know. The only way out is knowledge. Get enlightened asap !
  22. I learnt a new word. Thanks
  23. Wishing everyone a great Mahashivratri. May the grace be yours this night. Shri M, for those who don't know, is said to be from the lineage of Mahavatar Babaji, the great yogi. He is almost a myth, but Shri M has some awesome stories to tell about him.