Search the Community

Hey guys, I had a crazy experience triggered by Leo's video "Jacques Derrida, Deconstruction, Post-Modernism, and Nonduality", so I was just watching it again and taking notes in preparation for tomorrow's, ah, amplified self-inquiry. Anyway it dawned on me that if I find notes on Leo's videos valuable, others might too, and I have several notes from the past few years on my Google Drive, so I'd like to share them with anyone that might find them useful. I've attached 9 of them down below. A note: some of these notes are pretty long and detailed like the 'Derrida, Deconstruction & Nonduality' and 'Spiral Dynamics' notes, others are pretty bare-bones like '10 Important Things' & 'What Women Want in a Man'. I made these for me, so I don't know if anyone will find them useful, or if people would prefer bare-bones notes vs. more detailed ones. (Personally I feel that as Leo's content has gotten so much more advanced, I find more detailed notes increasingly necessary) I will be taking a lot more notes. I feel like I've been doing self-development work for the past few years rather aimlessly, just having faith that it was worthwhile, and relatively content with the significant, yet still shallow, improvements in my life. My experience last month totally mind fucked me, so I'll be taking a lot more notes for myself, and if you guys like them, of course I'd love to share and add more. Derrida, Deconstruction, & Nonduality.pdf Spiral Dynamics Basics.pdf Shamanic Breathing Technique.pdf Leo's Nootrpoics.pdf What Women Want in a Man.pdf Mindfulness Meditation.pdf How to Become Enlightened - Step by Step.pdf Avoiding Dysfunction Relationships_ Red Flags.pdf 10 Important Things You Don't Know You Want.pdf

Can’t talk about nonduality but duality can be disguised. Right dude?

That’s low bro lol ? No I’m not talking about nonduality. That would be kinda a waste. Just speaking about self deception and being able to recognize its many forms. Because you referred to self deception and being able to detect.

Leo, and guys, have you ever attended this conference? What do you think? Are you going this year? Leo, will you have something like this in the future? When are we going to meet you in person? Thanks for your feedback https://www.scienceandnonduality.com/sand18-us/register-sand18-us/

This is a confusion I have about nonduality. When I say multiple, I mean one consciousness living itself from different angles?

Hello! First, thank you Leo for sharing the work and insights, I find your content great and helpful. Today when i was in bathroom one idea came to my mind. A kind of an analogy. Somehow I came to realization that Leo's style of explaining many concepts, mental images etc. is a sort of mind training. Using the muscles make muscles stronger. Doing exercises. Trying different coordination techniques as dancing, some sport. It all makes a person more stronger and powerful physically. Their spectrum of body movement and physical possibilities would broaden. There is specialization(some olympic disciplines as trowing discs) and there are more general athletes - doing wide range of exercises for overall athletic abilities. It improves competence for doing physical stuff. If you just lie on a bed your muscles would become weaker, they would atrophy, and you would have more difficult life - which would result in neurotic conditions. I have a medical condition called spinal muscular atrophy - and i find it great that i have a chance of becoming more powerful by training my mind to use many concepts. Neurons in the brain are a sort of muscles too. Using more of them makes them stronger. And i guess the statement "knowledge is power" is about that. It broadens your possibilities. You manipulate a little bit more of the reality. You have similar benefits as you would be physically stronger. Ideally, of course is better to have both if neuroticism and weakness is considered bad. I am guessing people who look for self help have in some sense atrophied minds. Leo's sharing insights is broadening our minds. I see science as a tool to broaden concepts even further. We are limited to our senses. In science we can use some machine to collect some hidden information from reality. Result is more concepts. More power. More competence. A person with 20 concepts can outsmart, outplay, sell more to the person with 13 concepts. Chess is a good example. ... I could write about this till tomorrow. One question... many of us will become old and weak. Losing neurons too. Can we avoid neurotic behavior in that age, being mindfull etc? Reducing the suffering? ________________________________ Opening 3-4 topics today seems like spam. So i would type few more offtopic questions. If the reality is consciousness - does reality have an ego too? Philosophical view Idealism its pretty similar view btw. On duality - non duality... Einsteins theory of relativity reminded me of the concept spacetime . Could we potentially call nonduality and reality -> matterconsciousness or consciousnessmatter? I think about a sine wave curve , amplitudes give the illusion of duality, but there is just The line.

I’m not using the term as an “absolute” awakening. Rather that there are various genres of awakening experiences. The one I referred to above was in the “ego-death” genre of awakening. All ego, self, language, thoughts, concepts, ideas, meaning etc. were removed. The entire story of who I am dissolved and there was no “me”. There was still object perception, yet the relationship with the object was completely different. I could get all conceptual about nonduality, the illusory self, no-self and cut-and-paste pages of Buddhist text. All that stuff is great as a supportive framework for the direct experience. Yet, years of conceptualizing and a hundred books of theory can’t compare to the direct experience. It’s like direct experience “knowing” is in a container of conceptual “knowng”. A container of conceptual knowledge without direct expience is like an empty closed container. It lacks the substance of true direct experience substance. It lacks fullness and appears very shallow to me. As well, I’ve found that direct experience can shatter attachment to ideology and open a person up to wonder and curiosity to explore.

Well I think Leo and I are a lot alike. He seems to have consumed a hell of a lot more books then I have and tasted the depths of nonduality through dmt and personal practice. I've meditated for the past 15 years, been apart of a few spiritual communities and focused my attention on understanding truth. I've consumed little books but listened for hours to awakened teachers. Some mushroom experiences were also very helpful in waking up. Leo seems to be in a "unfiltered with a slight edge" phase of wanting the world to change and having a little frustration with the closeness of human minds. If used this energy is used correctly it can help people, but also turn off if not wielded right (so far I can see that his heart is still in the right place). This is not a critisism but just a little observation that could be full of shit haha as he puts it in his latest video.

@seeking_brilliance What I meant was that whatever emotions we feel are just experiences based on the metaphysical connection we realize with something else. That's what's going on behind the scenes. When you look at examples of true love, unconditional love... that phenomenon usually happens when you recognize deep sameness between yourself and something or someone else. Why does a parent (mother especially) feel unconditional love with their child? Because they realize that child IS them, in a certain sense. So in a way all love is self-love. Love breaks down the barriers that the ego created, and recognizes the deep sameness. The more I brought up examples and contemplated this, the more I realized that love in essence is the reconnection between mind (this is all mind-stuff after all). What you perceive as the feeling of love (and of course from a human's perspective, this is a complicated emotion that arises in so many ways), is really YOU (infinite being) breaking down barriers and reconnecting with yourself. Think of it like open communication with all parts of your being. That's an immensely pleasurable feeling. "The self cannot love" is a true statement and not contradictory. Making the distinction of "The self" fundamentally separates "you" from "other." That is what's usually called ego. I hope that makes more sense with my definition of love in the above paragraph. "All love is self-love" is a true statement, because there is nothing other than you. But we're seeing that language (symbols) breaks down when talking about nonduality. It's kind of a whacky strange loop. The first statement is from the perspective of separateness, the second statement is from the perspective of the universe. So in summary, love is MUCH more than just a feeling. The feelings are secondary, the primary process is metaphysical connection. And what is connection taken to its furthest point? The convergence of multiple parts into one... With this definition, you'll quickly see that a lot of what you once thought of as "love" is just hormones, and that true love becomes easier to spot. I think it's simple yet profound.

The various aspects of this "infinite playdoh" or void. That love, intelligence, and consciousness are fundamental. There's many facets to this, and each realization is separate from nonduality, almost like a subset.

So, I don´t know how this happened but I got seriously "spiritualy" triggered (if you can call it this) by last week video "Skepticism & Nonduality" which was posted on the blog. Once it happened I had to turn on the lights and go do something to distract myself because I experienced a change in perception (i got scared). In the minute 27:30 to 28:00 Leo talks about how when you doubt about fantasy and real world, you come to a point when you realize there is no real criteria to diferentiate between real world and fantasy. Well once he said this (he said it so fucking serious) , I suddenly experienced a change of perception, I suddenly got a "fear of perception"( that I like to call) which i tend to had sometimes when I used psychedelics the first time and I dont know what was happening (but was happening something that it seemed real but couldn´t be). I also had experience this a couple of times with meditation, but definetely in a much more "soft" way. Also, I dont know why but when I watch "mind-fucking" staff at night, I am a lot more sensitive to it, like a 400% more than If i have watched this video in the afternoon at 16:00. Well, something very similar happened this time, but luckily I was able to distract myself fast and turn off the video. I dont know what would I happen if I watch this on drugs (by the way, I had not taken anything recently, not even coffee :D) I want to congratulate Leo for this, holy shi** you are a great "communicator" of mind-fuck stuff dude. I can watch hundreds of related videos of spirituality etc and none of them has literally triggered me fear just "talking" in any way ever, this is something to be valued. Be advised to everyone else if you haven´t watched the video yet xD.

I think lucid dreaming is like jail-breaking your mind. even tho its much more widespread than nonduality and LoA, probably because it is easier to achieve. its also as you called LoA, a 'low-grade' hack. I think non-duality is the ultimate jail-break tho, the hack that deletes the whole system lol (including the hacker)

All of us on Actualized understand nonduality to some extent. The idea that If one puts enough effort and jail-break their mind, they can see that there is no difference between them and a lamp. Thats one Truth or Secret not known to the everyday Human. Very . Very few fully realised it. Some of us like here at actualized are aware of it even if we didn’t fully realise it. What other truth's or secret's are out there which requires effort and mind "jail-breaking' to realise ? Thats basically the question but here are more details and a vague example if you like. Example: A low-grade example of another secret out there (either true or not) is the 'Law of Attraction' as written in the book and documentary called the "The Secret". The author claims that people like Henry Ford knew that visualizing great things for them for longer periods of time with conviction will eventually make it a reality. One could call this a simple mind trick or a genuine secret which makes the universe to provide for things you desire. There are 'secrets' around post-enlightenment and immortality out there but that's serious conspiracy territory. They are the best examples of 'secrets' I can think of. More details around my thinking : My pet dog knows how to drag things around with her teeth. However, the other day her pillow was pushed against the wall so half is now against the wall. The half left on the floor is not enough space for her to sleep on so I observed her walking multiple times around to find an optimal way to fit on the half-pillow. It didn’t occur to her that all she needs to do is drag the slightly away from the wall! Its like she didn’t have access to this level of thinking even if its obvious to me. We also observe dogs are unable to bring a long stick through a door because they don't realize a head-tilt is all it takes. My son had a similar level of intelligence when he was 8 months old, but like an App getting updates, I observed him unlocking these abilities every week surpassing the knowledge or intelligence of a dog. So clearly there are levels of intelligence which a child unlocks from birth. A dog stops updating at some point where Humans I think get this till 10 years old or end-of-puberty and perhaps have less frequent natural upgrades as an adult. Everything in adult seems not as the natural unlocking of intelligence but our improvement based on experiences. I think there are other updates or realizations one can have which are not part of the natural growing-up updates. The analogy is if a video game has 10 levels we naturally unlock 6 levels but 4 levels will unlock only with effort or secret knowledge. Enlightenment, Law-of-Attractions are examples of these secret levels. Are there other insights or realizations one could have to gain a better understanding of the world or to take advantage of it? Are there at least conspiracies that claim some brilliant men from the past either realized these or aware of such secrets?

No I get you. Brian’s content just doesn’t resonate with me and my personality. I personally resonate more with Leos content and focus on combining nonduality and personal development in a very explicit, non apologetic, bigger picture way. I had Brian’s app but didn’t like it. Glad it works for you! @Gabriel Antonio @Emerald Thanks. Yeah I feel you guys might be right. I’d need to move out of the San Francisco Bay Area which I both do and don’t want to do but I’ll figure out something I guess...

I’ve had enlightened experiences, but I am not enlightened. The enlightened state is transient and not maintained. However, it has altered my perspective in my unenlightened state. One becomes skeptical to the point everything gets deconstructed and you die. I recommend watching Leo’s recent blog video on skepticism and Nonduality, He explains the process better than I can. To my self, the process is at times beautiful, terrifying, liberating, loving, sad, lonely, connected. There came a point of no return. I can no longer say “Ya know what, I tried this spiritual thing for a while now and it’s just not working for me. I think I’ll try something else”. There was a time I could have turned away, yet I no longer can. I’ve tried several times and can’t. I guess I have to take this to the end. It’s both exciting and scary.

I wouldn’t want to do it alone. I would want to be at a Turquoise-level institution with awakened beings where we integrate science, metaphysics and nonduality. This area is just starting to emerge, yet is still considered fringe pseudo-science. If I evolve high enough, I may become a pioneer in this field - yet right now it looks unattainable and too risky to me. Personally, I would like to investigate if mutations are nonrandom and some paranormal phenomena. Yet, my institution wouldn’t be open to that. Yet, if I develop more confidence, I might try to pull it off. Yet stage Yelow stuff is lots of fun to and my institution is very supportive at that level. They just don’t like any whoo whoo stuff.

@Joseph Maynor The deeper level is seeing it’s all “bullshit”. All the religion, science, philosophy, buddhist theory, Maya, psychology etc. The problem of the human mind is it can’t see it’s own bullshit. All thought and concepts are bullshit - the problem is when a mind believes it’s true. I just watched a Shinzen Young video. Great insights, yet he has deeper levels to go. He seems to believe what he is saying. Believing in your thoughts and concepts is as psychotic as believing in an imaginaty friend. Our minds are writting creative stories. It can be a creative story about the planet Zarcon and how the jimlee beings interact within their space and how they interact with the camlin beings. We could creativly write about their social structures, experiences, emotions, diet - what is good and bad etc. Yet at the end of the day we could walk away from the writing, realize it is just fantasy and get back to our “real” life. It is *much* harder to realize that all of our own thoughts and concepts about “real” life is also just fantasy bullshit. All of it. I thought Leo’s blog video on skepticism and nonduality was brilliant. IMO, he can go to Alan Watts level depth, yet with his own unique expression/approach.

@sarapr Excellent questions. Th scientific method involves formulating a testable hypothesis, making predictions, gathering and interpreting data, modifying the original hypothesis. Beyond the method, the scientist would strive to place the data into a model, which in turn would be placed within a larger model. For example, placing data of protein interactons into a model of cell division regulation which is placed into a larger model of cancer. Each point above is filled with subjectivity and biases. Scientists admit this to an extent (for example using double blind studies). Yet they are unaware of how deep the subjetivity/bias runs. It’s difficult for scientists to study the greater truth because science is *within* the greater truth. If there is one everything and there is no-thing, how can a scientist step outside of everything to objectively study some thing? Science is a great tool to study the nature of reality. It is useful, yet limited. How can we make science better? I’d say by increasing our awareness of how science fits within a larger holistic view. To acknowledge that we scientists use metaphysics in our work. To acknowledge how little we understand about reality - and not just about the details of protein interactions in cancer cells - also fundamental aspects of reality. To give up the scientists’ obsession with controlling the narrative and to give up power as the arbitrator of truth. To be open minded about how intuition can increase our ability to conduct science. To see science as one tool to study the nature of reality and combine this tool with other constructive tools in psychology and philosophy. More importantly, we should combine constructive science tools with deconstructive tools found in nonduality, mysticism, metaphysics etc. *Disclaimer: I was a life-long scientist within the scientific paradigm before escaping the trap a couple years ago.

@LaraGreenbridge You are clear, understanding, knowing, what the word nonduality points to?

I remember reading all of Robert's books one after another when I first got my feet wet in self help books, even before watching Leo. I really liked them especially the mastery one. That being said Leo said robert is orange and I didn't have any spirituality/psychedelics/nonduality experience at that point in my life. Would this book be of any value to the new spiritual me or I will cringe with all the orange and materialistic ideas it 'll most likely have?

If it does not allow you to question/be open to duality and nonduality (or other mind bending (un?)realities), then yeah, you've got a demon, alright.

Context: I am 10 days away from a planned Bufo Alvarius session with Octavio Rettig in Spain. Since the retreat organisers strictly state: "no drugs a week before", I thought now might be a good time to trip existentially once so that I breakthrough successfully later Dosage: 400ug LSD Insights: I became aware of the Fact, that Being is Infinite, in all dimensions, everywhere It became glaringly obvious to me how consciousness is a 'shapeshifter' as Leo put it. It has no attributes whatsoever, so it can be everything The residue of my materialist, rationalist paradigm was completely shattered. I encountered this with my 24ug 5-MeO trip before, but there it was more of a shock and I didn't have time to grasp the repercussions of the insight. But now, on LSD, this insight was concretized gradually, such that I cannot deny it anymore. Consciousness is fundamental to reality and existence, not atoms and molecules. Holy fucking shit! Are you kidding me?! I'm an engineer, man! I became aware of the ego, and it is just so much bullshit! Infinite degree of self-deception. I feel that I cannot take anything literally anymore, because the Devil will misconstrue it, even if it is a teaching about enlightenment. Pure irreducible being is all that can be trusted. I feel that there is nowhere to hide anymore. And nowhere to go. What's even the point of lying and bullshitting?! (Of course, I will come up with reasons later) I became conscious of what Nonduality really means. Holy fucking shit! I cannot be jealous of, criticise or judge anything ever again (of course I will find a way) My entire life and being has been completely recontextualized. I understand why they call it 'emptiness' and why people say stuff like 'God is!, saying anything more is already misleading'. My fears: I had originally thought that I would try doing self-inquiry in the dark and face my fears, but the things mentioned above just blew all my plans away But after having all these insights, it became clear to me that what I feared truly wasn't some scary phenomenon or a crazy mindfuck, but the lack of a first person perspective! So I returned to the same position where I was at the end of my 5-MeO trip, knowing that I need to surrender this sense of self, getting close, but failing to do so. Again, so much bullshit here, I became aware of how I'm escaping doing the really important work and instead thinking if I can come up with more insights or something. It really felt like I'm fighting an invisible dragon, as Leo described, but it is just..tough What's next: The Bufo Alvarius ceremony, of course! I hope the drug is powerful, because this ego structure I have is a fucking beast. It will not die! Just wanted to share this. If there is anything I'm misconstruing or doing incorrectly, then please let me know. One obvious mistake I made was to trip on a Sunday evening. This gives me no time to sit and reflect upon my insights, but I had to study for an important test before (of course, it is not important at all, in a way)

Yes, that is the catch-22 of social development: low consciousness crowds tend to elect low consciousness leaders, and low consciousness leaders tend to empower low consciousness crowds. The entire society must therefore go through the struggle of fighting it out. The fighting it out IS the ACTUAL process of growth & evolution. Growth and evolution are sometimes bloody and ugly. Peace leads to war, and war leads to peace, and on and on it goes. That's the duality inherent within nonduality. Every country, and every human being is going through this struggle to various degrees. It's just since Brazil isn't as mature as America or Europe, its growing pains will be more acute.

I don’t know. I’m not enlightened, not that far along the Spiral, etc. Maybe. He’s farther along than I am so hey, maybe I’m wrong. I’m open to that. Maybe he’s right about Leo, Sadhguru, and whoever else he deems unenlightened and deluded being a quack about nonduality and what not. I’m not enlightened so I can’t be here saying whose right and whose wrong about the nature of reality. My job is to discover it, be open as fuck, assume I’m wrong, etc. I just don’t see, from all that I study and practice, a deeply enlightened person needing to fit some sort of bill. I get it, he’s studied with Ralston and has done lots of 5-MeO. Cool. I just don’t think this approach to saying ‘fuck all these quacks and phonies, I’ve studied with the real ones and know the truth,’ is one grounded in greater wisdom or greater perspective. I’d put money down he’s never met @Leo Gura so I don’t think he’s in a position where I can take his criticism of Leo being some phony very seriously.

But Leo...in nonduality, 'you're not god' is the same 'you're god'. So what's your problem about that and also about the ignorant of someone saying that. Are we here to learn and be the best version of ourselves? Purify the ignorant instead of dismiss/disallow it. And i'm pretty sure I'm not g o d. (hope I won't be banned after this post :v)