Forestluv

That is how it appears to a mind contracted within intellect. It seems quite reasonable from that perspective. Letting go of intellect and having direct experience of nonintellectual states of being is key. What is being pointed to here is not about expanding meaning intellectually. The intellect gets attached to words. Let go of the meaning - let go of the entire intellect for a while. This cannot be explained to an intellect, it comes through practice and direct experience. Once these modes of being are experienced, they can be expressed indirectly through language. To minds contracted within the intellect, we call these expressions “pointers” to help guide the mind. Among beings with the direct experience, it is simply the expression. And they are wonderful expressions that connect via nonintellectual modes. Modes of being beyond the intellect are expressed daily on the forum. Yet a mind that only uses an intellectual lens will not “get it”, because it’s not to be gotten intellectually. Such expressions may seem irrational, ignorant and naive to an intellectual mind set. As well, the intellect may interpet such expressions as deceptive. There is nothing wrong or bad with an intellect. There are wonderful aspects of the intellect. Yet the intellect can dominate such that it’s mode is the default. This leads to a contracted state of being.

The intellect is just one mode of being. There are other modes. Yet, the intellect needs to settle down, let go of and surrendered for other modes of being. For many minds, the intellect is dominant and the default mode of being. Practices such as meditation and yoga are essential for de-conditioning the intellect as well as expand into other modes of being.

@aurum I like that perspective on really good looking women. Do you think really good looks are generally sufficient to elevate a woman to that status? Or, are there other factors necessary as well? Such as certain personality traits, being raised in a higher status family etc.

What a wonderful analogy ?

Yes. We had arrived all along. . . ☺️

@Shin It’s so cool to observe your maturation. Nice work. ♥️?

That’s a great question! ♥️ ?

The illusory self likes to keep “itself” relevant through a variety of dynamics. Trying to manipulate meditation practice is one form of it's expression. For example, setting up expectations of what meditation “should” look like and what the results of meditation “should look like”. In othet words, “what’s in it for me”. It’s easy to get lulled into attachment/identification with self concepts. In this dynamic, I think it’s best to work on de-identifying with thoughts, self concepts and the “me” story. Over time, to become an objective witness to thoughts without judgment or criticism. It also sounds like a self vs. self dynamic, which keeps the self relevant. “I must work hard and concentrate to make myself stop thinking”. That’s a contracted perspective within the illusory self. To get a sense of the witness, let your mind go wherever it wants. Just observe. The key is not to try and control thoughts or the mind. Let the mind do whatever it wants, just keep observing as a neutral / unattached observer. Further explained here:

“Whoever heard of reindeer flying? I think it’s becoming general knowledge that Santa is taking a ‘trip’ with his reindeer.” ??

Keep in mind that values are expressed differently at each stage and the underlying motivational drive also shifts. For example, the value of authority primarily enters at stage Blue. Yet, the meaning of authority matures up the spiral and is expressed differently in Blue vs. Yellow stages.

It’s quite impressive that you’ve done all the techniques Leo has prescribed for several months each. What was your several months of psychedelic use like?

This looks like a personality dynamic of control to me. I would drop the script and practice “Do Nothing” meditation for a while.

I prefer the image of two sides of one coin. Or, the illusion of the young and old woman. Both same and different simultaneously.

Well said. ? If I may toss in another idea along those lines. . . As the rational need-based self dissolves, there is a sense of oneness with “others”. Unified empathy and love arise from grace.

@Zigzag Idiot That is a wonderful essay and website. She integrates various modes of being beautifully. This is the first I’ve heard of her. Thanks for sharing it! ?

@Dan Arnautu When you enter this nondual state with strong energy impulse, are you able to pull back and dial it down? One thing I’m currently learning in yoga is working within energy flows. Sometimes the energy gets into unstable state of frequencey and fluctuation that can feel too intense and uncomfortable. Sometimes an energetic relaxing and calming arises. Other times, the energy seems to align in the present moment and flow. And yet other times it’s beyond my edge and I either sit in the discomfort or take a break if I can.

This is such a key point. . . It’s easy to get lulled into a sense of “I’ve pretty much got it figured out”. I often remind myself I know an infinitesimal amount in the big picture. Less than one quadrillionth of one quadrillionth. Yet, the mind can subconsciously assume that infinitesimal amount is pretty much it. Many minds can be aware of this happening in others, yet lack awareness of it happening within their own mind. In the Ox analogy, it maight be like catching a look at the tail and assuming that’s pretty much it. With this assumption, the mind may argue against others that are trying to describe other aspects of the Ox.

No. Even the word “empty” is saying too much. This is why consistent practice is so important.

Empty.

It’s all empty.

Who knows? You could find out which works best for you. You could meditate for 30min sessions daily for a month and then meditate for 60min sessions daily for a month. Then see if there is a difference for you.

Dunning-Kruger effect

A person does not become enlightened. Without that assumption, it’s like asking “Can something occur within occurrence?” What occurs is occurrence.

At a point in my development, “paranormal” phenomena began to arise. Some may use terms like channels, energy frequencies, hyper-intuition, hyper-empathy, multiple dimensions etc. Yet for me, these “senses” are cloudy and crude. It seems like they are unevolved “abilities’. Perhaps a metophor might be that years ago our vision was crude - we could only sense light/dark and basic outlines of objects. At times, I’ve tried to bring clarity to these abilities. Yet, I’ve never had the sense that “I” get to use it as a tool toward what I think is good. It’s more like they appear and just do their thing.

That is super cool. I’m at an intermediate Spanish level - I’d love to be able to process and discuss existential topics in Spanish. Yet, I can’t imagine teaching it in a foreign language. That blows my mind ? ?