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Before I start this post, I wanted to clarify that I've waited for more than 30 days to explore this dramatic increase in my baseline happiness, joy and equanimity for the purposes of not misdirecting anyone. I wanted to make sure this is not some simple meditation high before I've explained people what this is all about. I wanted to see how the mind adapts after the initial effortlessness of joy and happiness. Since I've completed the integration period in these 30 days, I can speak about what happened with good authority. I can conclusively claim that I've significantly altered my emotional circuits for pleasure, happiness, joy and equanimity. In Buddhist terms, I have close to effortless access to many of the pleasure jhanas explained in the literature. (Especially 2nd and 3rd jhana) So about 30 days ago, I've decided to do a 4 hours long uninterrupted TMI meditation. This is not a SDS sit. I've allowed myself to move. In fact, I had the allowance to rotate between these 3 postures while maintaining mindfulness: sitting cross legged, laying down and walking. The 4 hour session was all right. I was extremely concentrated but was in a state of dullness right from the beginning. In fact, that is why I've decided to do walking sessions. I normally never do stuff like that. Nothing too unusual happened apart from a few psychedelic levels of visual fluidity around 3 hour mark. I didn't had any memorable experiences beyond that. Just to clarify, I've never seriously tried jhana meditation or never even intentionally cultivated feelings of happiness and joy in meditation. I was just doing the practices with as much equanimity as I could do. But that night, all of a sudden, I was pervaded by high levels of happiness and joy. These feelings were hitting me left and right. My head area is raptured with bliss and joy. This is apparently what is called 'fully developed meditative joy' explained in TMI. From the explanation, I'd never think that this would be so stable, pervasive, high and in one's conscious intentional control. In a sense, I'm 'willing' happiness and joy into existence. I imagine ( aka consciously intend) for happiness and my mind gives it to me in a stable and high degree. If you've ever taken SSRI, the pleasure you get out of that is not even comparable to meditative joy. Even if we assumed that due to a high dose of SSRI, you've managed to feel more pleasure than meditative joy, the contentment, mindfulness and equanimity element is not there. Also this is dependent on an external chemical. Meditative joy is an internal development (even if it is still conditioned). Jhana practice is much more than simply intending to have pleasurable experiences. Actually managing to develop meditative joy effortlessly to this level I've attained is no small thing. But it is possible for many meditators who practice diligently with the right methods for them. If you are one of those people who wondered: 'Is stable happiness and joy possible similar to anti-depressants?' The answer is: 'Yes, and don't undersell what spirituality can accomplish.' You actually experience more joy and happiness with contentment with 10 times more stability (compared to anti-depressants) because this is internally produced by the mind. It becomes more conditioned and stable after a while. You are not dependent on a chemical externally. Stability and independence is the problem in SSRI's. Very few depressed people who take 'potent' SSRI's report experiencing the bliss of happiness and contentment on stable and high levels ALL the time starting from waking up and going bed. But meditation has currently got me to that level. And I know for a fact that this refined state of mind could be developed infinitely since mindfulness itself can be infinitely developed. But to do that in daily life, I need to do 2 things. 1- Get to effortlessness of happiness and joy with strong equanimity in a formal session. Depending on my mental state, this can take as little as 5-10 mins or 1 hour. 2- Maintain a strong intention to continue this refined state of mind with metacognitive awareness in daily life. Otherwise, both happiness and contentment can go down to subtle-low levels depending on how demanding the task I'm doing. There is a difference between listening to cool music and dealing with a business crisis. Although I can maintain subtle-low levels of happiness in both scenarios, I can't maintain the peak of the formal session if I don't have a strong intention to maintain it in a business crisis. In other words, My current experience of daily life is filled with stable feelings of happiness with contentment in a joyful state of mind. A joyful state of mind creates feelings of happiness mentally and physically. The degree of happiness is more than if you've taken an average dose of a relatively strong anti-depressant. Let me clear on that. You can abuse these drugs but like I said, even if you were to experience more pleasure and bliss, the contentment and equanimity which creates both the stability and satisfaction won't be there. Then you add powerful introspective awareness in a state of open awareness with stable attention on top of all this joy, contentment and happiness. The end result is pure bliss in a highly refined state of samatha. The perfect state of mind to do investigation towards reality. In a formal session, I can sometimes boost it to that level of refinement. But in daily sessions, the baseline is low levels of joy and happiness all day long (starting from the moment I wake up to going bed) with low levels of contentment and equanimity. That is my lowest point while actually meditating. If I'm awfully dull or tired, The low levels of joy and happiness can go down to subtle levels. If I completely stop meditating for a long time, the joy and happiness is no longer perceptible. Equanimity goes down a lot. But the good news is that it takes less than 5 mins to get to subtle-low levels of stable joy and happiness. My nervous system has changed its primary operating system to 'anti-depressant' levels of happiness and joy. I can stabilize my consciousness in strong joy and happiness for more than 12+ hours regardless of thinking, talking or formally meditating in silence. This is stage 8-9 area of mastery of meditative joy in TMI stages of meditation. This one development has been the most enduring development of my entire meditation training. My whole life satisfaction is increased by 50 times. Momentarily I'm tasting the satisfaction of internally cultivated joy and happiness. So if you want to know if this is possible, I'm here to say 'Yes!!!!! but it will take work on your part.' Don't listen to people who say samatha or jhana meditation doesn't lead anywhere. I'd bet that certain people who've experienced legit awakenings still might not have stabilized jhanic factors to the degree I'm talking about in this post. I'm talking about almost effortless access to jhanas in daily life. Not formal sessions. And I consider myself not awake by insight meditation standards. I've only developed this highly refined state of mind by working with TMI for 4 years. I still need to be conscious of infinite insights from this point onwards. But my emotional mastery line of development is close to awakening levels due to this meditative joy. The key difference is that samatha is a conditioned state and will disappear if I stop the practice. But awakening will result in a permanent intuitive shift in my understanding of suffering, self and reality. So far, that hasn't occurred to that degree. But for what I've accomplished with TMI in only 3-4 years is nothing less than life-changing. When your practice starts to lean deeper towards stage 8-9, meditative joy and happiness will literally start to consume your life. My ability to hold on to negative unwholesome states of minds like frustration, boredom, anger, sadness etc. is little to none. I need to put a lot of intentional effort to feel anger at somebody. Or sadness. Or loneliness. I hope this helped some of you who are struggling with motivation. Keep working and practicing diligently. Feel free to ask me your questions as well

@mandyjw said: “I still really really want enlightenment to be available to anyone and everyone. “ Enlightenment is for everyone, but there is no one to be enlightened. Just You are. Christians and Muslims ,Heaven and Hell, Yin and Yang,you and others etc they are just beliefs.When there is no identification and no beliefs to cling to, only You are The True One.Do not attach to any beliefs ,let them go , this is real freedom.You are Pure Bliss, Here and Now.❤️

@ROOBIO The state of now knowing anything. What a fucking bliss that is. Not recognizing anything, but just observing, just being. The full beauty of life unravels in those states.. I remember the time I was there, I looked at my feet ant I didn't even know what Socks were LOL. Another being awakens to it's highest form.

@Alex bliss. The only way you are gonna get these answers is if you start doing the work for yourself ??

@Alex bliss You won't get everyones love and respect.

@Alex bliss Does Love not love hatred or judgement? True Love is all-encompassing. It leaves nothing out, including hatred, judgement, and fake love, just like Being. Love is Being. Be. Love. Be.

@Michael Paul Thank you for posting this. So firstly, I never practiced yoga, but when I do the strong determination sitting technique I sometimes experience these moments of pure joy where I seem to enter a trance of pure bliss for a little bit. I’ve done two littIe solo retreats this year where I did 4x 1h of SDS a day. And especially during the last sit I would experience this pure bliss and laughter towards the end of the hour. Could this be a little taste of it? And secondly, ever since starting a regular meditation practice, I’ve experienced a big shift in my value and a sort of ever growing rift started to manifest itself between me and my old life. It’s become increasingly harder to relate to people. The superficialities kind of turn me off in a way. And make me wonder if I’ll ever come back from this sense of apathy towards doing what is considered normal.

@Alex bliss One does not need enlightenment to feel love. You see the light of the sun, and feel it’s warmth, wether you realize you are the sun or not. The experience of realizing you are the sun, of being the sun, is not the same as the experience of the light & warmth from earth, but it is the same light & warmth. It is the same sun.

@Preety_India Oh, they're just the sanskrit terms for the lowest and highest of the seven chakras. Sorry for assuming you would know them, haha No, I certainly would not recommend total renunciation, especially for a young girl. Normally you're only supposed to do this once you've had a family and your children can take care of themselves. I did not consciously choose it, but it happened anyway. It was probably meant to happen. I believe the rough shape of our lives, our fates are already written well before we're born and we agree to it, before we take a human body. Only some of the details need to be filled in, as we go on with our lives. It may sound unusual, but I am very happy and content with the way things are. I have given up certain things in life, not consciously perhaps, but by making certain spiritual choices. By giving up what most people would consider the highest goals in life, materially speaking, I have gained it back a thousand fold on the spiritual side. The bliss and contentment I experience on a daily basis is indescribable.

@Alex bliss a lot of self inquiry has been mistranslated and can be over complicated. i think Rupert Spira teaches it really well when he says simply- “Ask am I aware” then find out the answer for yourself, you don’t need to constantly repeat who am I for 30 mins, Ramana taught self inquiry for those not ready for the silent teaching and those who needed a bit more to help them reach the absolute. From self inquiry, becomes abidance in the Self with a capital S, abidance in the absolute, at first this may sound boring but jeez does it become amazing.

@Alex bliss All love is the same love.

@Alex bliss My whole life was leading to that realization, and so is yours, whatever you experience. In other words, there is nothing to do, just beingness.

@Alex bliss True love doesn't always require being enlightened. You can love truly,honestly and deeply at any time you decide without even enlightenment because love is always present right here and right now. You may even get enlightened after starting to love deeply. Simply get connected to your emotions and open your heart to give more love and you'll for sure receive it in some other unknown way.You got to trust the power of the universe.Good luck ?

@Alex bliss Love just is.

@Alex bliss Yes there is nothing but love now. This is not my first awakening but it is the most total one. An awakening that ends all awakening. Only beingness left. It no longer matters if the awakening lasts or not. Just live, just love.

I am a 23 male, and i have been a masturbation addict, not a porn addict, however. I always avoided girls even tho i have female attention, but i do have this virgin type fear of approaching women and whatnot, tho after years of meditation and more intense benefits of meditation i am really starting to contemplate whether i even need sex or intimacy as some powerful cognitions relax me and makes me look trough the big picture (death is god and its always beside you, you are eternal if you want you will take many births and experience whatever you want, and my seeking is very much triggered by fears and what not). I would like to hear your experiences what is your story and what would you do? I mean dont get me wrong i adore women and i think i am very naive about them, but over time i really take my free time for granted in thst case, because of the reason i didnt go out i spent alot of time with myself and got to this point where i feel bliss my sahasrara daily.

@Alex bliss indeed. gotta run the race on a circular track. the starting point is the ending point.

@Surfingthewave I'm hoping meditation will bring me a mental state of peace and equanimity that i can access throughout my day. Then when I go to yoga or play basketball, I can use this acquired mental state to push myself to my absolute limits and try my absolute best, which will allow me to access the bliss and happiness available when we push through suffering. I don't believe it will take "years and years" that is a limiting belief imo. I have been practicing meditation for 2 hours in the morning, and an hour at night over the past few days and I feel like a different person already. I'm not "there" yet, but I am getting glimpses of what it will take to be happy. For example, last night in yoga for the first time I went as deep into the suffering and pain as I could go, rather than my usual aversion and mental chatter waiting for it to end. It was my best practice to date. It's not about living my life in this state. It's about increasing the amount of time in this state slowly but surely. I don't need to be in flow 1000% of the time, I just need a bit then it will grow. I am seeking advice right now from all of you guys lol (: @Nahm and @Synchronicity have been a huge help me to so far, and I will continue to post asking questions. But I also need to be mindful that some of my questions are just resistance to me doing the actual work, but I will continue asking questions until people tell me to fuck off. I have been depressed before. But my general unhappiness/ dissatisfaction with life is distinct from my episode of depression. I was raised very spoiled, and my parents just kinda let me do whatever I wanted. But not in a push my limits, be whatever I want to be kinda way. If i wanted junk food I got it. If i wanted a video game, I would throw tantrums until I got it. I never pushed myself out of my comfort zone, or pushed into the pain to find out who I am, because I had everything handed to me. I always felt like I wasn't living up to what I could be. I wasn't as happy as I felt I could be. I wasn't as good at sports as i felt i should be. My chemical balance has come from the way I live my life. And there a million ways I could have improved my life, but I always afraid of the pain and suffering (or resistance). I'm hoping meditation will give me a mental state to overcome pain and resistance in my life.

@Alex bliss keep in mind. it's not that you're not the body / mind it's rather that you are the body / mind... AND everything else. You're not just the body/mind.

@Alex bliss Then go live in a monastery, just know that whatever you are running away from is you, and it is love. Infinite love.

pluto Member 5,152 posts Posted 3 hours ago · 3 hours ago, Lento said: @pluto The truth is boring. People love the illusion, at least 90% of them (myself included). That's because most people haven't truly tapped in to the truth Even among conscious communities, most have just had a glimpse, a taste, a flash, enough to know but not enough to understand. I reside in Truth, I experience, love, bliss, beauty, wisdom, perfection in all things. I can shift the whole universe in a blink of an eye or play pretend while those dwelling in illusion can only play pretend. I can do both So boring Indeed.

That is actually possible, in fact, it is the goal of self-realization. Heaven is actually the space just above the top of the head, the seventh Chakra. It starts from the crown and extends into infinity. The expression "I'm in Seventh Heaven" is an allusion to that. The bliss that floods your entire being upon reaching this state of mind is indescribable, but has often been compared to a thousand orgasms I can confirm that it is an apt description.

@Dumuzzi The same "privilege" of heaven applies no matter what the religion, the idea that there is a cycle to break free of and one who can break free at all creates a game of winners and losers. Just because this is the thing that ruined Christianity for me says nothing about Christianity, it says something about the model of religion itself. The same exact problem exists in Buddhism, Hinduism, and Actualized.org. If God himself was ever whole and perfect and decided to disperse into this what we often call mess and chaos, and you are God, and were never separate but always whole and always that... how could you ever get to state of realization where you would not make the same choice again to disperse into illusory form? Illusory form, the world just is what it is this moment is just occurs on its own, it just is. The question is why pursue enlightenment, why does this story line play out of a singular being breaking the illusion then continuing their life in the illusion enjoying the coming and going of forms, enjoying the illusion of other beings who are completely caught in the illusion. Out of compassion one tries to teach others to follow suit, but there is no one to follow, there is nothing to achieve and there are no others to teach. Yet to story of teachers and insights and the notion of a spiritual path is probably the most tantalizing entertaining thing you could do with your life. But it is delusion? Should we all just admit, we're just here to have a good time? I never could understand why almost all the videos on America's Funniest Home videos were people getting hurt. Why is it funny to see someone trip and fall or have some bizarre accident and get hurt? Could my compassion and love strictly my ego? Is the will of God that I am able to laugh when someone suffers? Does God enjoy everything that's happening? I don't want that. I want to be sad for the movie characters. I want to be happy for them. I want to live in illusion and delusion, even after I've seen through it to the perfection of love, even after I've awakened and lived in a state of bliss and seeing through eyes of perfection, I came back to this because I chose it. I like it better. I prefer it.

That's because most people haven't truly tapped in to the truth Even among conscious communities, most have just had a glimpse, a taste, a flash, enough to know but not enough to understand. I reside in Truth, I experience, love, bliss, beauty, wisdom, perfection in all things. I can shift the whole universe in a blink of an eye or play pretend while those dwelling in illusion can only play pretend. I can do both So boring Indeed.

If you want happiness you have to find something that you love, appreciate it and enjoy it. Some people find it in nature, some in knowledge, some in basketball. The world is your oyster, you just need to pick what it is for you. You can meditate on the things that you pick and you should start feeling the bliss. Imagination is a very powerful tool and also a free "entertainment".