Forestluv

@ahmet sukru It depends on what you mean by "flashback". Once a mind-body gets exposed to various realities, integration can take place. For example, a classic effect of psychedelics is to enter nondual mind states. Later while sober, the mind may re-enter a nondual state. This can be unsettling to novices because the ego is dissolving while sober, which can induce anxiety. For example, I was in a cafe and started experiencing a collective consciousness and it felt like I was losing control and I didn't know what would happen. Would I start yelling? What if I threw my coffee at someone? This induced quite a bit of anxiety as I struggled to regain control. Yet with experience, I've learned to flow with it - in and out of nondual states. Regarding hallucinations, I occasionally have slight visuals when looking at certain things. For example, a tree swaying in the wind. Yet, I like it. I just smile and observe. On rare occasions people can develop HPPD which are unwelcomed visuals like seeing dots. My understanding is it takes a lot of tripping to be at risk. Especially if one takes extremely high doses like 10 hits of LSD.

@clouffy For me, it's about perspective. I get turned off by "Orange level" scientists that are hyper-rational and think things like science proves god doesn't exist and spirituality is woo woo. I think Deepak Chopra is a good model for how to integrate science and spirituality. Also, consider what area of science you may pursue. If you go hardcore traditional science and work in the pharmaceutical industry developing drugs - you won't be exposed to much spirituality. Yet if you go into areas like the neuroscience of yoga, meditation and psychedelics you will see a lot more overlap with spirituality. Other examples would include the neuroscience of "flow states" found in athletes and musicians that hit "the zone". Brain scans are rapidly improving and there is a whole new area opening up. These are just my interests in science, there are others.

Part of what turns people off about science is that it often wants to be the arbitrator of what is "true" and how nature works. There can be an air of assumption and arrogance. For me, when I can look beyond that - biology is a fascinating story. You may lose interest in science and want to pursue more creative or mystical endeavors. If you have to take a couple science courses, I would avoid hyper-logical professors - go for the ones that are more quirky and have some hippy in them. They are better at teaching the underlying wonder and elegance of science and to integrate it with things like art and psychology.

@Ethan_05 I would observe belief dynamics playing in the mind regarding meditation. What is your mind-body relationship with meditation? For me, I had always believed seated meditation for extended periods was the foundation of spirituality and personal growth. This was reinforced over and over again during my life. Over the years, I've developed knee and back problems. Yet I must persist with the meditation. Any resistance, of course, is my ego which must surrender. No pain, no gain I suppose. Recently, I've begun to question this. . . I recently started doing Yin Yoga. My first session was deep surrender and presence. It resonated with my mind, body and spirit and felt so natural. Then I thought, why the heck am I harming my body through static seated meditation, when yin yoga is so much deeper and healthier for my mind, body and spirit? I never even considered there could be a *real* meditation practice outside of traditional static seated meditation. I've been doing yin yoga every morning and evening - it comes totally natural to me and has deepened my meditative space. I would suggest observing whether you have this hardcore standard of what meditation *should* be like. What qualifies as truly meditating. And explore what resonates with your mind-body. Perhaps a couple days of seated meditation a week plus a couple days of kriya yoga, kundalini, vinyassa etc, a week. I've found yoga to complement seated meditation quite well.

Relationships can have complex dynamics. They can be a mixture of unhealthy aspects and beautiful magic. Sometimes one has to ask themself if they are willing to continue playing the dynamics game they are in to keep it going.

There's nuthin' quite like a paranormal orgasm . . . You got a glimpse into something beyond the story.

Perhaps the moral of the story is to just surrender. . .

We are all in this together. Much love.

Last month, a live squirrel got into my bedroom. I tried to catch it without causing harm to the squirrel or myself. It was in full panic. I finally caught it in a blanket, then got it into a large plastic bucket. By the time I got it outside, it had nerved itself to death. The ultimate detachment. I didn't know it was possible to die of panic.

Correct. There are some appearances humans label as "knowledge" that my mind-body accepts and has no interest in verifying for myself. For example, my mind-body has no desire to drink HCL to verify it will damage the body's mouth, esophagus and G.I. tract. There are other appearances labeled as knowledge that my mind-body does not accept one way or the other and has no interest in verifying myself. For example, my colleague said there were donuts in the staff office this morning before I arrived at work. And there is still other knowledge that my mind-body desires to verify through direct experience. For example, that yin yoga can release myofascial tension within the body.

The end is the beginning. Nothing. At the human level, all sorts of stories about purpose and meaning in life can arise.

@Ethankahn Conceptual keys to expansion can become locks of contraction.

You ARE it.

@Ethankahn If you believe the thoughts, it is so.

Ultimately, you will keep ending up at Everything / Nothing. As soon as one word or thought arises, a distinction arises. All words and thoughts are distinctions. The mind is trying to separate a thing from the whole. This creates misalignment. There is no escape from the whole. Imagine if a person believed each of their 10 fingers were separate beings - each finger had their own personality, opinions, needs etc. And each finger was in conflict with other fingers. The pinky thinks the thumb is so arrogant and the left forefinger gets all the attention. Sometimes the ring finger teams up with the middle finger and bullies a pinky. . . This would lead to tension. If the fingers realized they were part of a higher order, interconnected being, things would flow much smoother. The fingers can work together as one hand. The hand can work connected to the muscular, skeletal and nervous system. Now, those fingers can do magnificent things, like play Flamenco Sketches on a trumpet. . . Does this higher order being still have 10 fingers? Of course. If one of the fingers is cut, will the higher order being clean the finger and put a bandaid on it? Of course. Yet, there won't be the nonsense bickering between fingers. Similarly, each of us is inter-connected. We are like neurotransmitters to each other within a higher order being.

It seems like you are processing insights. There is a process that leads to maturation and embodiment.

Indeed. Nonduality / awareness / presence IS, regardless of whether the mind-body is sitting in complete peace or freaking out as the plane crashes. It seems a lot of beings are attracted to nonduality hoping to get relief from stress, depression, anxiety etc.

The idea of sameness requires a timeline and separation. There is a separate thing that is now the same as it was earlier in the timeline. Nothing wrong with that. Yet, when the timeline is dropped, sameness dissolves. There is just now. There is no "before" to compare it to.

You seem to be conflating theory, direct experience and embodiment.

Turquoise is a stage within a theoretical framework of Spiral Dynamics.

I know what red and green lights mean at intersections while I'm driving. . . . I know I shouldn't drink hydrochloric acid while I'm working in the lab. . . Knowledge can come in handy at times. I'd say it becomes a problem when there is attachment and identification to knowledge.

@Ethankahn Turquoise isn't nonstop full-on nonduality. There are many flavors and facets to explore. For example, I would consider being within a collective conscious to be Turquoise, as well as some paranormal areas.

An individual person is not completely in any one stage. For example, someone could be centered in Orange yet have aspects of Blue and Green. As well, they could get occassional glimpses into yellow and perhaps even Turquoise. As well, there are different developmental lines such as cognitive, emotional, spiritual. Someone could be cognitively centered in Orange, and be emotionally centered in Red or Blue. Regarding Buddha, consider his upbringing and adolescence. How was his mind-body oriented before his awakening? I sense quite a bit of Green - in terms of compassion, empathy and human connection.

?? The same concept that was the key to a door to a deeper level can then become a lock, trapping us.