snowleopard

The dispelling of subliminal egoic identities and their emotional attachments is shadow work. Bypassing that seems to often beget gurus with repressed sexual urges secretly having sex with followers. But yes, I suppose a 'healthy' egoic identity would be an improvement over ones lurking in the shadows, to keep the dreamlife from becoming dysfunctional.

@Marcell Kovacs I can only speculate, but it sure seems that there are still some shadow issues that are in need of resolving, as they are almost always at the root of any addiction that seeks to numb some repressed emotional pain.

@mk0998 Yes, All that is is utterly alone ... And so are all those apparent others. So, as Markus point out, it's not really isolation, except insofar as there is an imagined isolated self-identity, as opposed to other-than-self. Absent that isolated self-identity, It can be seen as more like individuation of All that is, each one on a unique journey toward that revelation. Now can one let that be?

@Joseph Maynor Yup, I can respect that take on it. Just pointing to the revelation of Awareness as 'witness' not really witnessing anything apart from itself, as in some subject/object dichotomy. But it is pretty much a philosophical point, not really crucial to just being the emptifullness, free of any such notions.

@Joseph Maynor Agreed, seeking seems to play itself out. But as this locus of Awareness, aware of none other than itself as this ever-changing cosmos, does its dream ever end? It somehow feels like its creative imperative.

@egoless What about the final finding that there's no finality?

@Saumaya Well the point is, why the dream of self-identity? There's this intuiting that it serves an integral role. That it's not a random mistake.

Time to get serious again kids ... oh, and grandpas too ... Loe will be cracking the whip

In Scientific American no less

This raises an interesting point. Does mastering the piano, for example, require some self-identification as a 'master pianist'? Maybe this explains the integral role of self-identification, to master the art of 'playing' ... pianos or otherwise. Without a self-identity, what would the motivation be? Is it imperative that Consciousness lose itself, so to speak, in its dream of selfhood, for the Moonlight Sonata to ever be conceived ?

@cena655 Hopefully they won't have you commited

@IvanV21 A self-identity exists insofar as an idea exists. So insofar as ideas can be mastered it may be valid. I suppose the idea of a masterful self-identity is preferable to a crappy one. But there is only ever this locus of Awareness, never not present, masked by those self-identities, no more, no less. It is as close as close can be. No add-ons required. No other destination.

Who is this someone with a long way to go? What if that identity falls away?

@Max_V Those self-identities are so deeply rooted, instilled from day-one, as soon as one is given a name, and conditioned into a paradigm completely based on egoic pursuits that they aren't going to just be easily dispelled without a struggle. There is such a powerful investment in them by the psyche that their disappearance indeed feels like the end of its existence and its modus operandi. But in actuality it's just a return to the unique individual expression of awareness that was never not present, before all that conditioning took hold. The difference is that it's now free to just be what it naturally is, without the encumbrance of being other than that. In keeping with the sky-diving analogy, imagine you're an eagle clinging desperately to a parachute, when all it has to do is let go of that baggage, and trust in its true nature. Only such faith will overcome the fear.

True enough, it can seem like that ... But the good news is, there is no bottom ground ... just free-falling.

@Deep Even as separate self-identities and their attachments fall away, there remains a unique individual expression of awareness with natural inclinations -- but perhaps not attainment-oriented, or like some bucket-list. Just trust and follow the wisdom of the heart, and whatever resonates with those heartfelt inclinations. Whatever path one may explore, if the heart is in it, the difference will be clear. Often, it can just be the simplest of pleasures. But it could also be some unimagined adventure. Stay open to whichever.

@MarkusSweden Again, it's a mystery to me what that's about ... perhaps just the sheer relief of not having to keep up the pretense anymore? Your theory may be as good as any other.

That is what is paramount ... If a teaching, a metaphysics, an allegory, or whatever, serves that function, then what does it matter any other opinion about it. It could be that when there is still some exclusive self-identity attached to it, as 'the authority who knows the truth', it can become dogmatic. But there's no longer much inclination to be someone who gets hung up or upset about that. Presumably it'll play itself out.

@MarkusSweden Seriously though, there is some eliciting of uproarious laughter when the exclusive self-identities lose their grip, once the terror subsides. But that could be another self-identity, as what else would possibly be laughing? The Cosmic Joker? Verrry mysterrrious ...

@MarkusSweden You gotta be joking !

I'd say there can be an interpretation of idealism that is non-dual, in that ultimately there is no actual dichotomy between consciousness and its phenomenal expressions/emanations, as there is, in essence, nothing but consciousness aware of itself. But there are more dualistic interpretations, such as Kant's noumenal/phenomenal distinction -- which Kastrup attempts to resolve. But again, this is an extremely simplified synopsis of what is a much more comprehensive metaphysics that is best investigated by exploring the available material.

@SOUL Again, some may have a different subjective interpretation of the video. I just take from it what I find useful, and let the rest go. I've really not much interest in arguing which subjective interpretation is 'right', nor in any us-vs-them duality.

@StephenK Well idealism has a strong western influence, starting with Plato, and the neo-Platonists, like Plotinus, and then on to the German contingent like Hegel and Kant. Now, I tend to resonate with Bernardo Kastrup's current take on it. In reference to Buddhist or Taoist philosophy, perhaps metaphysics is the better term. It does become a question of semantics, but I don't find it especially problematic. I've also been enjoying this blog, which speaks to the various interpretations of idealism, if so inclined ... http://critique-of-pure-interest.blogspot.ca/

@Joseph Maynor If that's what you believe, so be it. How can I possibly know for sure what Leo intended? That seems like a rather arrogant claim. At best one can speculate about what he intended, but it seems fair to just let him speak for himself.

Well, depends on the philosophy. I don't interpret non-dual idealism as being nihilistic. Nor do I see Buddhist or Taoist philosophy as such. Actually, just the opposite.