Wes Thoughts

I have been contemplating and researching what role the brain plays in consciousness/awareness and I would like to hear what role you guys believe it plays. It is very obvious to me that the brain does play some role in consciousness. Whether it is a creator or a receiver of consciousness I am unsure. Here are the main reasons I believe the brain has a very important role in consciousness: I did not perceive any consciousness before I was born (or had a fully functioning brain). I know that adding different substances to my brain affects my consciousness. Science proves that damage to certain areas of the brain effects consciousness. For these reasons I am still very stuck in the scientific belief that consciousness/awareness is created by my brain. Any thoughts on how this could not be true would be appreciated. Thanks.

@Ilya Thanks for the wisdom. I do find myself rushing too. I feel very frustrated with this path sometimes. It's like Leo said in one of his videos he teaches you a lot of practical "self" improvement stuff that was really helping me get ahead according to society's point of view but then he drops the "but none of that will ever really make you happy, only enlightenment brings you true peace of mind and happiness" on me so now I feel frustrated because it is such a difficult, slippery path to follow. I think a path of empowerment while learning about enlightenment will be best for me. And I need to remember to enjoy it and take it slow. @Nahm Thanks. That really makes sense. It's crazy to think about what little I actually know from direct experience. I have watched videos on quantum mechanics. I was a big fan of Lawrence Krauss who seemed to have it all figured out down to a quantum level how a material universe can pop out of seemingly nothing. After that I had my existential breakdown because I really felt deeply that there was no purpose at all to anything. So at least I have gone through that already, lol. Looking back on quantum mechanics after learning the "consciousness/awareness creates reality" point of view a lot more of the quantum mechanics principles make sense. Like the unified field theory and particles existing in 2 states at once until they are observed.

@cirkussmile But the course teaches that there is free will...

Does mindfulness meditation with labeling help make your mind less cloudy? @Ilya Thanks! I have been going through the empowerment 1 course on https://www.trinfinityacademy.com/ I do like the course structure and teachings but I can't totally buy into his theories yet that's why I am trying to break down the areas where I am getting stuck. I realize that I still have some belief that our brains create consciousness so I am addressing that right now. Would you recommend Empowerment 1 or Enlightenment 1 first? I know he says to chose whichever resonates with you but I feel like I am skipping by taking empowerment first.

So I have been practicing mindfulness for a couple of weeks now and I am starting to realize my thoughts for what they really are, just stories, images, emotions, feelings, ect. I have learned to un-identify with them. Which brings me to a real tough question of how should I go about making decisions if I don't identify with my thoughts? How do I know what thoughts to trust and go with? Is this where I should be using intuition? Isn't intuition sort of a thought though? Intuition feels like a thought that I just can't explain but maybe there is something to that?

@Shin I am beginning to understand what awareness is from the higher consciousness definition of what it is. I don't have direct awareness of it myself (or i would be enlightened, right). The question I then ponder is does everything have awareness? Is there awareness in all the objects that make up our universe? Why does it seem to be so strong only in this human body/mind?

What is awareness if it is not a construct of the mind? Is awareness a property of absolute nothing? Is awareness a law of this universe? Is awareness something that just is, outside of everything and nothing?

Whoa! Having a mini insight/ mind blown realization that I want to share! I know that I literally am made of the particles of the universe. That means everything: my brain, body, objects, awareness, consciousness, everything. So I am the universe and I was made by the universe (myself)!!! We are the thing that created us!!! That is so simple and obvious but I never let that sink in OMFG! That means that everything we are, see and experience was ultimately, however it was done, created by the very thing we are made of! Mind blown! This has never really occurred to me! I try to go meta on how the universe was made but I still can't grasp that, but that is ok for now. Am I on the right path here with this thinking? @Leo Gura

@Leo Gura Yeah I wasn't even really thinking about this at the time I was actually watching one of Bentinho Massaro's videos and it suddenly popped in my head as some kind of deep obvious realization and I couldn't really get it out until I started to think about it and intellectualize it to make sense of it. It was more of a realization of how simple and stupid everything is but yet I am not sure what I was getting a sense of. It felt like I could almost see how it is ourselves creating everything somehow. I don't know but it is giving me hope that there might be something to this stuff. I can't wait to do some contemplating and inquiry on LSD this weekend. I hope it blows my mind wide open. LOL

@Leo Gura Are you implying that thoughts are not even necessary for decisions? Even large ones with many things that should be considered? I see my hypocrisy in my belief in no free will. I realize that I have no direct experience of this myself so I don't even know why it is a belief of mine really. I have learned from your enlightenment videos that you can't trust anything but direct experience in the now, but that doesn't leave much left for me to believe in really. Which leaves me questioning everything even my thoughts and decisions.

@Ilya LSA? is that like LSD? I took LSD last weekend but it was only half of a hit and it was in a social setting so I really didn't notice the effect on my consciousness. I did notice a calming feeling where I felt very connected with the world and vivid colors though and that was very pleasant. I plan on getting some more and taking it by myself with the intent of self inquiry, consciousness work and meditation like Leo suggests. Hopefully that will give me some insights and I will know exactly what you mean then! @Nahm I can believe that the same day would go on without thinking. I feel like I have moments like that all the time where I am doing stuff without even thinking about it. I am usually thinking about something totally unrelated to what I am doing though not just not thinking. I think this is our sub-concision working its magic, right?

@Azrael Thanks for the insight! I hope I do get to a point where I can trust my intuition. I don't know if I can trust it right now to make big decisions. I feel like I am making big changes by just doing this work and I don't want to do something I will regret. The big decision I am struggling with is leaving my job. It really is a great job on paper. I make a decent salary and I literally don't have to do a damn thing all day but I feel like it is sucking my soul out though because there is no passion there. So i spend most of my time at work learning about self improvement, enlightenment and ultimately trying to decide a path that will make me happy. I don't know my life purpose or passion or if this path to enlightenment will ever happen or is even worth the pursuit. I have lead a life of drinking, partying, chasing girls and money up to now and so it is hard for me to see how a life of sitting down and meditating over those things will bring me true happiness. Sometime I wonder if the extreme ups and downs of life aren't what it's all about anyway. I don't know I am kind of rambling now.

@phoenix666 Thanks for sharing that video. I really needed to see that right now. I was starting to doubt and resent all of my thoughts when I really just need to be aware of them and direct them better.

@Ilya Thanks for your response. I just heard a really good quote that reminded me of my problem of thoughts here. It was: "the mind is a great servant, but a terrible master". That kind of told me that I can use my thoughts as tools but I need to develop the master to use them correctly. I was very into the Triforce Academy for awhile but I have a really hard time agreeing with some of Bentinho's theories. In his "Intro course: lesson 5 - what is consciousness?" he explains that there was infinite infinity of nothingness and then out of wanting to know, taste and experience itself in form there was an explosion (the big bang) of bliss love, a love/presence/energy. I am paraphrasing him of course but I just have such a hard time accepting that concept. He also believes in Free Will which is something I disagree with as well. I am trying to stay open minded about everything but I am having a hard time getting past his theory of nothingness wanting to know itself. I really want to work through this though because as you said it looks like a wonderfully well laid out course. Do you have any thoughts on his explanation of consciousness?

@Leo Gura Thanks Leo. I think it would be extremely beneficial if you would explain what milestones we can look forward to on the path to enlightenment. I can accept that it may take years and years to get there and it would be much more appealing to the newbies like me if we knew there were benefits from the practice of mindfulness, meditation and self inquiry that we can expect to receive at certain points along the way. Thanks!

I often wonder if incorporating "strong determination sitting" while doing any other meditation technique increases its effectiveness. Leo calls strong determination sitting, meditation on steroids and it seems like it could be implemented into other techniques as well to increase gains.

@Leo Gura Thank you for the response Leo. This list of beliefs seem so far out and crazy to me right now! I really hope I can come to see them as True! Can you explain what concepts are and what you mean by I think concepts are models of this physical reality I make in my head to help me interact with it and make predictions of my actions. Is that what they are? Am I using the right word for that? Ex: I have a concept of what will happen when I throw a ball, drive a car, look at the back of my computer screen and just about everything I do. Aren't concepts like these critical for interacting in this physical reality? Does my problem lie in that I don't understand the fundamental things you listed above therefore my concepts are reinforcing the illusion of these incorrect beliefs? I just watched "A Rant Against Naive Realism" again and that helps with my question. I think what I am referring to is more of a causal mechanical explanation. How are these not correct though when they can be repeated over and over again and produce the same result?

@Anirban657 That's awesome man. I am just getting into this stuff so it is inspiring for me to see others getting results from the practice. I need to learn to enjoy the journey more. Right now it feels like frustrating work.

@MiracleMan I honestly have been contemplating that question too and my answer is "I think it does but I don't know for sure". No one can know for sure. I guess that really is the same type of question as "does something really exist if no one is looking at it?" ... hmm.... I guess I don't know for sure...

Hi everyone and @Leo Gura! First of all thank you so much for the excellent content Leo! Your videos have had a major positive impact on my life! I would like to share where I am on this journey and ask for some guidance to see if I am on the right path. I am very new to the practice of mindfulness meditation and self-inquiry. I have only been practicing these techniques for about 1 week now and I feel like I am not gaining any real traction or real deep acceptance of the no-self. I can agree and accept that all of my thoughts and inner talk are creating a false sense of "me" but I still deeply feel like the brain is responsible and producing all of these thoughts in the first place and I am just trying to change my mental relationship to them. I feel like all I am doing here is trying to create a detachment from my thoughts, emotions and perceptions that the brain is creating and I don't see how this will lead to anything except making me feel less attached to whatever I think, feel, see. Should I just trust that a deeper realization will happen if I get a real true sense and belief that I am not the voice in my head or the thoughts? Also, when I hear these things on the forum and in your enlightenment videos about stuff not existing beyond what you can see (ex: the back of my computer screen doesn't exist because I can't see it) it is so far beyond my grasp that it makes me wonder if this is all bullshit anyway because my mind creates a very accurate concept of what there is back there from previous real experiences and I have proven to myself countless times that my concepts are really accurate by then verifying with direct experience that indeed there is a back of my computer screen when I look! This applies for most of the concepts I have created, they are usually very accurate and have been proven correct time and time again. If I think about it I have a concept for just about everything in reality and it is usually very accurate when I go to verify them with direct experience! Am I trying to jump too far ahead to grasp this concept right now or what? Ok. Now that I explained where I am in my mind on this journey I would like to ask for guidance on my action plan for passing these obstacles and perhaps you can agree or straighten me out. I plan to continue mindfulness meditation for 1 hour each day followed by 1 hour of basic self inquiry just asking myself "who am I", with the goal of discovering who I am when I truly don't identify with my thoughts. I also plan on doing longer periods of the same techniques on the weekends along with the assistance of LSD occasionally. Does this sound like a good action plan? Thanks for reading and I appreciate any and all feedback!