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Had a thought. That developed women, very attractive, healthy, etc. are not looking to settle for any man. They want a man who can be the full divine masculine? Are what girls looking for in relationships really just a divine nondual spiritual connection/emotionally stimulated at the end of the day? Like deep down? I know most attractive girls don’t give a fuck about nonduality, but it’s what they secretly want? I suppose there is a short term PUA/Masculine/attractive principles that get the girl, but the deepest success in relationships long term will come from the divine masculine spirituality? What are women really looking for?

I didn't understand your argument but I will respond anyways. Without contrast it is impossible to know anything. Left exists only in comparison to what is not left. Nonduality exists only in comparison to duality. Realization of oneness is impossible without twoness. But oneness and twoness are one in the end. And also two.

There is actually. Without duality, nonduality would be inconceivable. If blue was the only thing that exists, knowledge of blue would be impossible. God needs duality to know himself. Duality is fundamental to existence.

Nondual Monism & Nonduality visualized: Koan: Why are you the only game in town?

I have linked from timestamp 9:46, where he talks about the Orthodox church. You might find similarities with Nonduality, sounds a lot like Neti-neti / not this not this / self inquiry. Sounds a lot like truth, and not just trying to manipulate people into joining their religion out of fear of punishment or promise of rewards. It seems very honest. When people deny Christianity altogether, they might be throwing out the baby with the bathwater. The bathwater being the egoically corrupted interpretations of Christianity, and the baby being the true Christianity.

From the teachings of A.H. Almaas What is Ontology? Diamond Approach Teachings About: Ontology Activities Don't Have an Ontological Presence This is a very important difference. It means that emotions don't really exist except in the sense that activities exist. They are activities, and activities don't have an ontological presence. Essence, on the other hand, is not an activity. As we saw in chapter 1, essence is a presence, and its basic quality is its existence as an ontological actuality, as a “suchness.” An emotion is an activity that starts and ends, whereas essence is a presence. An emotion is like the movement of water, the activity that is the motion. The motion of water is not the water. Water can be still, without motion. Essence, on the other hand, is like the water. It exists whether there is motion or not. Essence with the Elixir of Enlightenment, pg. 26 Ego is a Structure or a Structured Process Whereas the Pearl is an Ontological Presence The pearl is the real, complete, balanced, and rounded personality that psychologists believe they are talking about when they are discussing the ego. We must remember that the ego is a structure, or a structured process, whereas the pearl is essence, which means the pearl is an ontological presence. We call it the personal essence because among all the essential aspects it alone is personal. It is experienced as having a personal flavor to it, in contradistinction to impersonal. All aspects of essence, even love and kindness, are impersonal. But the pearl is personal. And this is its miraculous quality, totally unexpected and unfathomable. Some people interested in inner development try to become objective and impersonal, to move away from identifying with the personality. The personality is personal, and so the personal feeling is mistrusted and avoided. However, the pearl beyond price feels personal without being the personality. It has the capacity to make a personal contact with another human being and still be free, totally unconditioned, free from the past and its influences. Essence with the Elixir of Enlightenment, pg. 162 Essence is an Embodied Presence, an Ontological Actuality There are other classes of mental experience that are customarily regarded as the experience of essence when in fact they are not, such as the experiences of insight and intuition. In psychotherapy, for instance, one might have an insight about oneself, about others, or about the nature of reality. It often occurs as a flash of illumination and is accompanied by a sense of expansion and certainty. Such insights can provide valuable information and affective satisfaction. Still, the experience of insight is not itself essence, not yet. An insight is an event, and essence is a presence. An insight is an experience of understanding a specific truth, whereas essence is an embodied presence, an ontological actuality Essence with the Elixir of Enlightenment, pg. 21 Essence Reveals Itself as the Ontological Nature of All Existence This essentialization can include all aspects. So the soul’s action can be intelligent, compassionate, clear, steadfast, etc., in a total and full way. And this action can be physical, expressive, or mental. She is presence of essence, but also a dynamic living presence whose morphogenic transformations express the pure perfections of true nature. In this transformation the soul has progressed from the stage of the human soul, the attainment of the second journey, to the stage of the angelic soul, or the essential soul. The second side of the development of nonduality in the journey in presence has to do with essential presence manifesting its ground of true nature. Essence here reveals itself not only as the ontological nature of the soul but as the ontological nature of all existence, all manifestation. True nature begins to reveal its omnipresence, disclosing that it is the ground and nature of everything. This appears as true nature revealing its boundless and formless dimensions that transcend the limited boundaries of the ego-self, even the individuality or personhood of the soul. The soul does not experience herself here as an individual soul, but as a boundless and nonlocal presence that transcends all spatial extensions, as eternal nowness that transcends all time, and as a mystery that transcends all determinations. She is all and everything, she is Reality. The Inner Journey Home, pg. 225 It is Possible to Experience Ourselves as the Actual Ontological Presence that We Are Our experience of ourselves can be transformed from identifying with our mental self-images to having awareness of less contingent, more fundamentally real aspects of the self. It is possible to arrive at a place where we can experience ourselves as the actual phenomenon, the actual ontological presence that we are, rather than as ideas and feelings about ourselves. The more we are able to contact the actual presence that we are, the less we are alienated in a superficial or externally defined identity. The more we know the truth of who we are, the more we can be authentic and spontaneous, rather than merely living through concepts of ourselves. Among the many methods that shift the quality and depth of experience, those used by religious and spiritual traditions are more effective in contacting deeper dimensions of the self, with a more thoroughly developed understanding of these dimensions and their significance for living life than those used by the newer science of psychology. However, psychology has contributed powerful new knowledge about the human being that allows us to systematically work through the barriers to these deeper levels of self, especially the barriers to integrating these levels into one’s identity. In particular, the current understanding of narcissism is very useful for the process of inner realization, the process of learning to contact and appreciate the deeper levels of our nature and allowing these dimensions to actually affect our identity The Point of Existence, pg. 7 Ontological Presence It is possible to arrive at a place where we can experience ourselves as the actual phenomenon, the actual ontological presence that we are, rather than as ideas and feelings about ourselves. The Point of Existence, pg. 7 There are 8 or 9 more excerpts here https://www.diamondapproach.org/glossary/refinery_phrases/ontology

Mooji basically teaches nonduality, and that too in a western atmosphere. I don't think he will insist on moral rules and stuff related to sex as that would drive away most of his western disciples, and would be liberal with them. Mental health issues and depression amongst western nations is very high and high health care expenses involved ensures that most westerners does not get the treatment they require, and hence it is possible that some of his disciples may be having mental health issues , but is finding peace and tranquility in Mooji's presence and his teachings. It is said that being in a Buddha's presence can bring about healing through increase in prana/chi.

I would either go for Ken Wilber's books (spirituality) Huberman lab podcast (personal development) Emerson nonduality (ending spiritual BS)

Maybe (real) You is the octopus, Alien, what Not,…, already? In a totally obvious way, if certain illusions of duality and separation are cleared away? Fascinating. What does Nonduality and Oneness actually mean and imply? Which apparently is supposed to always be true , or the case? Oh well, just forgot, we are sometimes a little bit selective here, and are not always aware of this Absolute Truth. Some minor or major illusions of separation and duality sometimes interfere. But nothing that some substances can not temporary, at least partly, clarify a bit. Partly. Temporary.

Alien Consciousness does not contradict nonduality. It's just a step beyond it.

Non-duality is saying that everything is One and pantheism is saying that everything is God. Are both of them actually pointing to the same thing but just using different terminology?

Animals have self-preservation instinct. That's identity. You must have a sense of self in order to relate to the sense of other. Without the sense of self you're in nonduality. And you can't function. You're just absorbed into everything motionless samadhi. Coma. Whatever you wanna call it. You couldn't even maintain the body for long in that state. You'd go mahasamadhi.

If you haven't seen 'Midnight Mass' on Netflix I highly recommend it. Starts slow, but it all comes together masterfully. This is a conversation that happens at the end (spoilers obviously). For a show about fanatical Christianity, this powerful speech at the end is quite on-the-nose Nonduality. Just goes to show that Nonduality is truly becoming mainstream and part of the collective-consciousness. As the character is dying: ‘What do I think happens when we die? Speaking for myself...myself...myself. That's the problem, that's the whole problem with the whole thing, that word, “self”. That's not the word, that's not right. How did I forget that? I thought I'd despair or feel afraid, but I don't feel any of that. Because I'm too busy in this moment remembering. This body is mostly just empty space after all and solid matter, it's just energy vibrating very slowly. And there is no me. There never was. I'm no longer breathing and I remember. There is no point where any of that ends and I begin. I remember I am energy, not memory, not self. My name, my personality, my choices, all came after me. I was before them and I will be after. And everything else is pictures picked up along the way. Fleeting little dreamlets. And I am the lightning that jumps between. I am the energy. And I am returning, just by remembering. I am returning home. It's like a drop of water falling back into the ocean, of which it's always been a part. All things, everyone who's ever been, every plant, every animal, every atom, every star, every galaxy, all of it, that's what we're talking about when we say God. The One. The cosmos, and its infinite dreams. We are the cosmos dreaming of itself. It's simply a dream that I think is my life every time. But I'll forget this. I always do. I always forget my dreams. But now, in this moment, I remember. The instant I remember, I comprehend everything at once. There is no time, there is no death, life is a dream. It's a wish, again and again and again, and on into Eternity. And I am all of it. I am everything. I am all. I am that. I am you.'

I feel like this video does not get enough love and attention - It's by far the best nonduality video of Le's (for me). I've watched it 3 times now. Does anyone have any book recommendations on the topic of Aztec Nonduality?

- Others - Free will - Meaning&purpose - Reality - Truth - Enlightenment - Consciousness - The Absolute - "Awakened" - "a concept" - "a human" - "an illusion" Basically everything that has an opposite, which can be described (or at least "meaningfully" attempted), which is a concept even though it may be expressed as "not a concept", that's still a concept. If someone claims any of those above exclusively, seperates it from something of "lesser order", or claims that it is more real/important, this creates a distinction, some kind of (subtle) exclusion which means that it still remains in the realm of concepts and therefore human(?) illusions. So it's illusions all the way down, even the so called "non-illusions" that are talked about in spirituality or nonduality. All words, all concepts, all empty. Nothing is real, nothing remains, only everchenanging Isness is. Whatever the hell that is. No one knows

My heart wants to write something. If blue was the only color that exists, you would not know what blue is. We need contrast to know blue. Similary for God to know himself he needs a contrast and the duality was born. Duality is essential to existence. Yin and yang is the the fundamental principle of existence. Nothing exists without it. And yet yin and yang is one thing. There is no duality between duality and nonduality. Duality and nonduality are one. They are not one after another, not more true than the other, they are one inside each other. Like a snake eating its own tale. Or like an infinity symbol.

Which video series of Leo's will give me a deeper understanding of nonduality? Would it be the 'Understanding duality' series? Also anyone got any good book recommendations for better understanding?

Any ideas? Was it because he was so stuck in his mind and so attached to theorizing? Or what? Surely he must've known about it, he has studied (whatever that meant to him) all kinds of spiritual traditions. But he said they didn't show him what he was looking for, until he found psychedelics. But why is it then that I can't even find a single talk where he speaks of nonduality? And trust me, I've listened to everything...? I know that he wasn't very interested in spirituality as such to begin with, but still - you can't tell me that in 30 years of doing high doses of psychedelics he never experienced oneness/nonduality. I remember in one of his talks he spoke of enlightenment as "an act of rational apprehension"... So yeah. Guess he didn't study spirituality very deeply. Side question for @Leo Gura how much influence did Terence McKenna have on your relationship with psychedelics?

But doesn’t the simplest possibility make the most sense? Occam’s Razor. Wouldn’t no apparent perceiver with no perception be the simplest? Every nonduality forum I go on nobody can answer this- but it seems very fundamental

Very nice description. According to Ingram, Yang and Thisdell, enough of these will make the survival of any remaining separate-self-lenses quite challenging. That enormous "place" without time, space, anything at all, not even nothing, is always right here, right now. Eternally or timelessly so. It is not in time. Daniel Brown commented that Nagarjuna & company (the guys who sparked the Nondual Revolution in Buddhism, from early Buddhism and its cessation as summum bonum towards Mahayanas True Nonduality, or always right here Enlightenment/liberation, even when the visual field arises) said that the Dissolution/cessation experience presupposes time. Before cessation, after cessation. And time is a construct. That vastness/Infinite Reality/"place, non-place" is always right here. "Before" and "after" cessation arises "in" It.

Nonduality is not Enlightenment. That comes way later (at least for most). „With the passage of time one’s thoughts are stilled and one experiences a void like that of a cloudless sky. You must not, however, confuse this with enlightenment. Putting aside logic and reason, question yourself even more intensely in this wise: “Mind is formless, and so right now am I. What, then, is hearing?” Only after your search has permeated every pore and fiber of your being will the empty-space suddenly break asunder and your Face before your parents were born appear. You will feel like one who abruptly awakens from a dream.“ ““Your physical body, composed of the four basic elements, can’t hear or understand this preaching. The empty-space can’t understand this preaching. Then what is it that hears and understands?” Meditate fully and directly on these words. Take hold of this koan as though wielding the jewelsword of the Vajra king. Cut down whatever appears in the mind. When the thoughts of mundane matters arise, cut them off. When notions of Buddhism arise, likewise lop them off. In short, destroy all ideas, whether of realization, of Buddhas, or of devils, and all day long pursue the question “What is it that hears this preaching?” When you have eradicated every conception until only emptiness remains, and then cut through even the emptiness, your mind will burst open and that which hears will manifest itself. Persevere, persevere—never quit halfway—until you reach the point where you feel as though you have risen from the dead. Only then will you be able to wholly resolve the momentous question, “What is it that hears this preaching?” Bassui So what is it that believes that over here is anything not liberated

Ten years ago, I had a terrible experience with psychedelics. I was with a friend who has many religious traumas because of his mother, who dealt with witchcraft and religions linked to entities, etc. During the experience, my friend experienced a possession. He screamed and thrashed around (almost destroyed my car). I'm not religious, but at that moment, I was able to exorcise him in the name of Jesus. After that experience, my life became quite challenging. I began to suffer from depression and other problems. In the days following the experience, I really considered and feared this idea of demons and entities. I thought that perhaps I might have absorbed something negative due to the openness provided by psychedelics and the type of energy present in the setting. Today, I am more connected with medicine, psychiatry, health in general, and nonduality to deal with the suffering that still occurs. However, at times, I still become curious about the possibility of dealing with an entity or demon. In some subsequent psychedelic experiences, I quickly perceived something very negative hidden in my energy field. I'm not sure of anything and would even like to dismiss this possibility. However, I prefer to be speculative and open-minded in my healing process. I appreciate everyone who can contribute information. This is a very sensitive topic for me, so please, if you don't have enough maturity and competence to comment on it, avoid posting. This is a friendly and honest request.

There’s a certain practicality of skepticism and surety in one’s own worldview to ever progress on the path really as these are all normal, sensate and transient bundles of sensations pointing to something more primary than sensations which is the nature of what the holon of human vs. god vs. nonexistence vs. not thinking about a moonwalking bear vs. you reading this right now… we’ll forget everything I just said. It’s all gone. The aspect of fresh present ness is now ruined by the CONTINUITY of it in a formless mind state. You are so much desire and aversion that the friction created by your most fundamental investigation creates an illusion harder than any truth that does or doesn’t last in time as a defined thing. Haha. Wtf.

@Leo Gura I wonder why you have called nondualists out in the past so viciously. Won't a completely nondual awakening be absolutely fantastic? That's what we're all looking for! I think the truth seeking human, on a feeling level, is really after this. So Leo, even though you have seen higher truths than nonduality, so what? Or do you believe that having a completely awakening is still a recipe for devilery, even when combined with your entire body of work? Why go Alien X? It might be true but why not get us all to nondual awakening first? This is very confusing. And yes I very much love Leo and his work and this community ❤️

No. When one knows that the nature of every single I-thought/I-feeling/"building-block" of the separate-self-illusion, they arise and evaporate in Infinite Being. Since they are an illusion. They arise, one looks into their nature (Suchness, mere appearance), and they stop/evaporate. That is the essence of Trekchö (Dzogchen). And with that comes the understanding that these arisings were illusions all along, appearing in Infinite Being. So these arisings of the separate-self evaporate (or "burn") in the nature of True Being (which is pure groundless infinite emptiness/vastness in which the world and the separate-self-illusions arise/appear), and are no longer bought into. Then, all of that is just cut off (if nothing needs to be done by the character), or one lets the character do its thing in clarity (technical Mahamudra-term) where the mindfulness (another technical Mahamudra-term) of the nature of the mindstream (thought and feeling-stream) as mere empty (mere appearing) arisings is not broken. In summary: The separate self is seen through because Awareness is strong enough (aka each and any separate-self building block/concept has been seen through) and fast enough (these arisings get very fast, 20+ arisings per seconds or something I would guess before the loop closes) to cut off the illusion in real-time. And then Infinite Being/Infinite Consciousness "can close the loop" and understand itself. And the "understander" of that is another separate-self-illusion, which gets cut off also (Cluster of sensations/thoughts claiming ownership of other clusters of sensations/thoughts/feelings). And then, the Infinite Totality can understand itself. Which is the death of the separate-self, because the illusion is just no longer believed. So Absolute Reality (totally empty nature) burns & kills the separate-self, quite literally. But since that was just an appearing illusion, nothing more than an illusion is lost. And all of that is not a funny idea, a nice story, fancy concepts. It is actually the death of what you thought you were. Sayonara separate-illusion-character, hello Infinite Being. Infinite Being, which was "there" all along, since there is nothing else, but cosplaying as a illusionary separate-something-arising appearing within itself and giving rise to buying-into-that-appearances, aka I-thoughts I-feelings). And one doesn't "overlook" that death of the illusion. And it comes with huge spacious vastness (infinite boundlessness) of Nonduality appearing in Infinite eternal Being/Infinite Consciousness. When each arising in the mindstream and each appearance of the visual field ("world") is seen as mere groundless appearance (empty, mere lucid appearing, not solid, not "out there") happening within ones True Infinite Being, and no stories/concepts are made out of that (since these are just more concept-arisings appearing "within" IT, made of IT/suchness). And on top as the icing on the cake comes huge waves of Sat-Chit-Ananda whenever Infinite Awake Nondual Being is not clouded by the separate-self-illusion-cloud and its contraction. And everything else is just varying degrees of cyclic misery/suffering/contraction/duality, going round in circles in its latest pet-project to release the contraction/suffering of that illusion. With best regards from the separate-self illusion. Bassui in Kapleau, 3 Pillars of Zen: Your Buddha-nature is like the jewel-sword of the Vajara king: whoever touches it is killed.Or is it like a massive, raging fire: everything within reach loses its life. Once you realize your True-nature, all evil bent of mind arising from karma extending over innumerable years past is instantly annihilated, like snow put into a roaring furnace. Letting it burn by the River