Forestluv

@Beeflamb I would recommend exploring a variety of techniques and teachers - and pursuing those that resonate with you. I’d recommend not becoming attached or identified with any one technique or teacher. Each provides a partial truth for you. People will resonate with different teachings and teachers, depending on one’s level of development.

The three things I find most helpful to relax the mind are: meditation, yoga, and time in nature.

The Buddhist heart sutra points to the Absolute.

It would depend on mind set, intention and setting. It’s like asking “how much should I drink tomorrow night?”. It would depend on several factors.

@Iksander Looks like you got some nice direct experience. Nice work.

To be honest, now that I am tenured the demands for productivity and promotion have decreased. My job is somewhat chill and I even taught a course on self-actualization this semester. More demanding stages of my life were as an undergraduate, graduate student, post-doc and tenure-track prof (my life from 22y.o. to 43y.o.). I went in and out of self-actualization work. Meditation helped reduce stress and helped me focus - so it helped in practical life. As well, my social groups involved self-actualization - so that helped me stay involved. During intense times at work, I would drift away - yet, there was always a call to return. As well, I decided as a graduate student that I did not want a high pressure and time demanding job. I turned down several offers that would have paid much more and given more influence, prestige and recognition - yet I didn't want to spend 60+ work weeks year round. There were other things I wanted to do in life and never got sucked into seeking that type of stuff. As a graduate student, I realized I wanted a job where I could have at least three months off a year to pursue other interests. I was willing to sacrifice a lot of income potential, social status and personal prestige for that time off. In academia, I am like the "6th man" in basketball - the player that comes off the bench to provide a "spark" to the team. I'm happy with that role as it allows me to do a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff in life I love to do and find meaningful.

Whooosh!!! I missed that part. @Cocolove I did an at-home "retreat" for a week last summer. I live alone, so there were no distractions. I structured time to include meditation, yoga, contemplative journaling, spiritual reading (e.g. the kriya yoga guidebook), spiritual nonduality video, self massage, breathing exercises, mindful cooking and eating and baths. I did not engage in social media. I checked my phone one time per day and I only responded to "necessary" texts (which turned out to be three texts during the week). It greatly relaxed my mind-body. My mind-body was as relaxed as if I was on a far away vacation in the Carribean. This not only allowed for awareness regarding how stressed and busy my mind-body was, yet the relaxation also allowed for integration of previous learnings/experience as well as for new insights to arise. I also get a break from school starting this Wednesday. I am planning to do another week long at home retreat.

@Cocolove Are you considering joining an organized retreat lead by a teacher? Or, setting up a solo retreat away from home, or at home?

@Amanaki You guys are good, no worries. A brief side exchange in the thread is fine. Winterknight has been diligently attending to the thread and keeping it on track.

Be mindful of unintentional thread hijacking. This is @winterknight‘s thread to answer question’s regarding enlightenment.

The brain dissolves into a nonlinear, multi-dimensional kalidascope of Turquoise, Coral and Teal Ox essence that is Eternal Everything and Nothing. ? From a materialist perspective, we don’t know. Brain scan technology is not sophisticated enough to obsrerve the phenomena.

Here is some Green from the 1960s. The song is about how a couple without material things can still be happy because they have something more important than material things: each other. At the end of the video they have fun joking at the ego’s desire for attention. The band, The Monkees were quite popular with Green hippies of that era. They also had a comedy show on television. I love how playful the band is in this video. (starts at 0:20).

IME: About 6,000 hours of dedicated meditation and introspection over 20 years => no ego death. About 2 hrs with 4-aco-dmt => ego death I can’t speak for others though.

That assumes a linear “path”. That is one perspective with some truth, yet it’s not necessarily like that for every being.

What wonderful imagery ? As I awoke this morning, I was in a lucid space with Little Jackie paper and Puff the Magic Dragon. There was beautiful creative love and imagination within this world of wonder. Then, the child is conditioned into the “real” grown-up world of responsibility, work, seriousness, right and wrong, winners and losers. The innocence dissolves and so does Jackie and Puff. A sense of sadness arises. Boarding a bus with no place to go is entering a magical space. A return to Honahlee. Yet, now the innocence has a more mature essence to it. It is not an escape into a fantasy world of pure imagination. Rather, it is a space in which actuality and imagination meet each other and dance to music others don’t seem to hear. The beauty and magnificence of What Is passes through the bus window. A clear window without filters of distortion. And this beauty merges with a mind of curiosity, wonder, creativity and appreciation. And as we gaze out the window at Honahlee, a form of sadness may arise if we reminisce about frolicking in the Autumn Mist. Then, a tear arises as we realize that sitting next to us is that rascal Puff. A Dragon lives forever and together we travel on a bus with billowed sail.

You’ve got to give it away to keep it The road to hell is paved with good intentions

@Emerald I’m curious, with all that consistent attention, were you attracted to guys that didn’t approach you? Not the insecure ones. The guys that were cool, yet were kinda doing their own thing. The guy that might not be available even if you wanted him to approach you.

@peanutspathtotruth ??

@kieranperez Nice, I like how he didn’t need to talk about it or to be anyone or anything. Yet, you sensed it in him and were aware. If you spot it, you got it.

@Leo Gura Yes, that is a great logical explanation. Yet it would have triggered the analytical scientist in me ?. I took a meandering path sprinkled with Turquoise nonduality glimpses. It’s weird how I want to explain it through the direct experience. Logic seems so dry and boring to me these days.

LSD can be a stern teacher. Yet, it's tough Love. LSD can also be a comical teacher and a gentle teacher. I could write pages and pages about tripping into the most beautiful places imaginable. Deep connection with music and art. Overcome by love, bliss and joy. One time tripping, I met a Siberian husky with the most beautiful ice blue eyes. Her spirit was so gentle and loving. She saw my spirit and we sat and loved each other for eternity. I've learned how deeply love can go. I would recommend having lots of music handy. Perhaps a small speaker or headphones. I like fluid, ethereal music. I don't like anything with hard edges or aggressive while tripping.

I would go with the flow of the trip and listen to the teacher. During the peak of my first trip, the energy was to stay inside. I felt fearful of leaving my house. Then, during the comedown the energy shifted and I felt a calling to go outside. The world was so beautiful. I felt in awe of trees, birds and clouds. I thought "how did I miss all this beauty my whole life". I walked around my neighborhood and felt so deeply connected to everything in my surrounding. I was not expecting this and it turned out to be some of the most profound lessons for me. And when you go nondual - know that we are One with you in Love.

That could certainly help orient a mind prior to a first trip, yet it is by no means necessary. A standard meditation practice is fine. That's all I did. And, preparation is great. Yet it ultimately boils down to letting go and surrendering. I find it best to have a genuine, humble attitude and just be chill and go with it.

Yes. For a mind that has been conditioned as a self it's entire life, entering a no-self consciousness can be very uncomfortable. The self often tries to maintain control of the narrative in the mind. It can be unfamiliar and disorienting. This can occur during a glance at truth, yet also when the mind returns to it's baseline self. What helped me was to continue my grounding practices such as yoga, meditation and watching nonduality teachers. As well, contemplating the experience and discussing it on this forum. With time, the mind settles down and the experience becomes "integrated" into regular life and the mind expands.