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No, it is a set of techniques to help the person let go of what ever it is she is clinging to or resisting. It's composed of questions that, self-inquiry, help the person in the process of releasing. It's based on the work of Lester Levenson (author of the book: KEYS TO THE ULTIMATE FREEDOM, Thoughts and Talks on Personal Transformation). Kind regards, Chris

One has to know that gratitude is not only the best but also the easiest habit one can have to be able to change perspective and therefor emotions in every situation. We have the tendency to forget all our inner organs that works without us being aware of, that can lead to powerful mindful meditations in which you take all particular organs and send them your gratitude consciously. Your body and general health benefits directly from the experience of receiving your gratitude. To say I Am grateful for this and that is one thing, to change the feeling of the moment consciously is another thing. Send your gratitude and deeply feel it! This habit can lead to real life transformation by realizing that you are the creator of your emotions, which we usually take as things we can't influence as they seem most of the time that they are happening to us, which is so untrue. In every situation there is something to be grateful for, ain't that something to be grateful for right now?!

Once a gentleman came to a doctor complaining that there was something severely wrong with him. He was hurting all over and was very sad but all the tests came out normal. The doctor said, “There is nothing wrong with you. Go to the circus and watch the clown there. He will make you laugh.” The gentleman said, “Doctor, I am that clown.” It is one thing to entertain others and be humorous, but quite another to be happy yourself. Happiness does not come by a talent or skills that you develop. Unless you realize who you are, what the nature of consciousness is through your own introspection, happiness remains a far-fetched reality. The spirit of self enquiry in the true sense which leads to meditation is absolutely essential in this quest for happiness. The 6th century Indian philosopher and thinker Adi Shankaracharya has said that it is dispassion towards the ephemeral and connection with the eternal that brings true joy. In fact, he goes further and asks, ”What joy does detachment not bring?” The word for solitude in Sanskrit is ‘ekant’, meaning ‘the end of loneliness’. Loneliness cannot end by changing company, even if it is more sympathetic and understanding. It can only end when you discover your real nature for yourself. Robin Williams, though he made millions of people laugh, could not end the deep seated loneliness inside him. This shows clearly that only spiritual solace can take you out of despair and misery. External pomp and show, wealth, admiration and adulation are not helpful in dealing with inner discontent. While alive, he made people laugh and in his death, he gave people a message to lift their eyes above the mundane towards something higher. You can bid goodbye to misery by connecting with an altogether different dimension, that I would say is solidified silence, a bolt of bliss and a glimpse of eternity, which is in you as you. You simply have to tap into it. There is little use in having a machine which you cannot operate without a manual. Spiritual knowledge is like the manual for life. Just like to drive a car, we have to learn how to operate the steering wheel, the clutch, the brake and so on, to move towards stability of the mind, we must know the basic principles about our life force energy. This is the whole science of pranayama. When our prana or life force keeps fluctuating, our mind also goes up and down through the roller coaster of emotions. One cannot handle the mind from the level of the mind. It is for this reason that although counseling or psychiatry seems to help in the beginning, it is not able to provide a complete cure in the longer term. Just forcing positive thoughts on oneself is not enough and more often than not leads to a relapse. Medication like anti-depressants also seem to help only in the beginning and eventually make the person dependent on them rather than free him/her from the tendency. This is where knowing the secret of breath can really transform lives. Breathing techniques like Sudarshan Kriya stabilize our life force and consequently the mind. The inner dimension unveiled by the practice of meditation deeply enriches us and its impact slowly spills over to all aspects of life. As prana rises in the body, one starts to feel a transformation as direct experience and not as a forced mental exercise. One starts becoming happier, creative and more in command of their mind and emotions. Another thing that can be really helpful in coming out of depression is developing an attitude of service. Thinking ‘what can I do for society’, getting involved in a bigger cause shifts the whole focus of life and can take one out of the rut of ‘what about me’. Societies where values of service, sacrifice and community participation are ingrained do not have these issues of depression and suicides. The Sikh community is a great example of this. Life is a combination of happiness and pain. Pain is inevitable but suffering is optional.Having a broad perspective on life gives you the strength to move forward through painful times. Know that you are very much needed in this world. With all its infinite possibilities, this life is a gift for it can become a fountain of joy and happiness not just for oneself but for many others as well.

It's been a few days but, wow, I've had some POWERFUL and life-changing experiences. My perspective on the world has begun to completely transform. I'm going to have to re-read/listen to a variety of personal development content because I just see things so differently now. I am only through about 2/3rds of the "core concepts" but I believe I have already found my "bliss". It came to me spontaneously one night while lying in bed reflecting on a very unsatisfying and, somewhat unpleasant, conversation with my girlfriend. I was talking to her about some of thoughts related to enlightenment and described this conflict I was having between my "inner demons" which were pushing me to pursue that which would manifest material wealth instead of pursuing enlightenment. Throughout our "conversation" she just sat and stared at me blankly, offering nothing. I had solicited for feedback from her a few times but it was all very cold and forced. This bothered me. A lot. As I was lying in bed I was reflecting on a variety of things related to this experience and why this bothered me so much. But, it just sort of hit me "it bothers me because deep conversations are my thing. Oh, deep conversations are my thing!" The language used to describe this isn't very powerful but it was a moving experience. Deep conversations are something that many people enjoy but I have always sought out friends and strangers alike to better understand what their life-experience is like. A genuine curiosity. Throughout this process I have raised my awareness and become conscious of this. Other people have also recognized this in me as well. I still want to keep my mind open to other possibilities but if nothing else, this has been a great experience for how I could find other purposes should this one not pan out to be as practically applicable. The conversation around enlightenment was triggered by Leo's most recent video about enlightenment and had an enormous impact on me. I was already suppressing the belief that I should be pursuing enlightenment and he pretty much said "you're a fucking idiot if you're not pursuing enlightenment". For a while I was conflicted about how that would fit in with my life purpose but, I realized "Enlightenment wouldn't get in the way of my passion, it would supercharge it". The depth of compassion and rapport that I would be able to develop in conjunction with my natural analytical abilities, ect.. How I've Consumed the Course's Material The method that I have developed has been very effective in saturating my mind with these concepts and I think it has facilitated this transformation. The videos for this course are not downloadable or accessible offline in any way and initially I thought that was kind of annoying but I recognized that this is actually a hidden gift. Here is what I do: First time through, I watch the video seated at my desk, free of distractions. I take notes via a digital notepad and review the notes at the end of the video. I have only skipped notes on a few of the videos as they covered concepts presented in books that I had already read and was very familiar with. Throughout my day I will re-listen to the videos that were particularly interesting/valuable while doing other activities (driving, doing chores around the house, ect..) to make sure that I fully understand the concepts presented. I also have friend at work and my girlfriend who are interested in some of these concepts so, where possible, I teach them about the ideas presented and their application. This way, I have to understand the concepts completely and fully so that I can explain them and answer questions about them. As Leo has mentioned in some of his earlier videos, you need to work the course harder than it is working you. Your results will be proportional to the amount of energy you invest in the program. If you actually want to change your life, it is going to take a lot of work. That's why nobody does it!

Monika i was looking at the number of topics already on the forum, 13 pages i think, and looking at the titles of those topics tell a lot about forum members and where they are. Monika, solutions only work for those who first can hear the solution without their programing and false belief system shutting it down, most people hear according to what they believe, their belief limits their hearing, Most will not go against their belief system to implement change. Most already think they are more awake than they are. Just reading other peoples text will tell you where they are by the questions and remarks that they make. Once awakened the self realized not only know themselves but know all others as well. To a self realized being, the lives of others is an open book, seen at a glance. There is only a very small percentage of people who will ever take a real solution seriously doesn't matter that it is coming from a person who has walked the path ahead of them. There are so many newage theories and philosophies today there is nothing but mass confusion. I have been involved in two or three chat rooms on the internet for a number of years, talking about consciousness, personal growth, liberation from the insanity of the human condition and generally instead of taking you seriously, most who are running on programing and belief are just waiting to give you their opinion and instead of trying to understand the real solution that you are giving, they say well that is your belief or that is your opinion, they don't even realize that all they have is belief and opinion trying to talk to real life experience. The reality is that only a handful of the people in your lifetime will awaken to the reality of life and who and what they are, most of it will be rationalized, intellectualized, and many will actually believe they are awake, in reality they have no idea what awake means, have no idea of the transformation that happens to a person when they awaken and become self realized. Honestly most of it has become nothing more than a social forum with people expressing their opinions on things they know nothing about. I know this may sound harsh to you and many others but once awakened you can no longer accept the nonsense and you cannot help people by giving them more nonsense, and when you give reality you get accused of being to harsh or talking over the heads of other people. I am not trying to discourage you, go for your solution forum, and when you do observe everything, the questions asked, the answers given, look for living experience and not opinions and belief, observe the difference. The living experience of a human functioning as the fictitious identity that they have created, and the living experience of a human who has made the transition from the human being to the being of consciousness that we really are, are a world apart, but then they tell us there are many levels to all of this, that there are many paths, and journeys which never seem to have a real destination or expectation of arrival at a destination but leaves everyone with an excuse for where they are, and this is normal behavior in a world of human beings with fictitious identities. I realize that all things change moment by moment and that consciousness is in a process of evolution, I also know that when reality sets in the illusions and dreams dissolve and everything changes because you are no longer a human being but a being of consciousness that observes life and functions from that space of being. Having said all that, good luck with your proposal and your own personal growth.

That`s hard... Just some words of my Guru; Once a gentleman came to a doctor complaining that there was something severely wrong with him. He was hurting all over and was very sad but all the tests came out normal. The doctor said, “There is nothing wrong with you. Go to the circus and watch the clown there. He will make you laugh.” The gentleman said, “Doctor, I am that clown.” It is one thing to entertain others and be humorous, but quite another to be happy yourself. Happiness does not come by a talent or skills that you develop. Unless you realize who you are, what the nature of consciousness is through your own introspection, happiness remains a far-fetched reality. The spirit of self enquiry in the true sense which leads to meditation is absolutely essential in this quest for happiness. The 6th century Indian philosopher and thinker Adi Shankaracharya has said that it is dispassion towards the ephemeral and connection with the eternal that brings true joy. In fact, he goes further and asks, ”What joy does detachment not bring?” The word for solitude in Sanskrit is ‘ekant’, meaning ‘the end of loneliness’. Loneliness cannot end by changing company, even if it is more sympathetic and understanding. It can only end when you discover your real nature for yourself. Robin Williams, though he made millions of people laugh, could not end the deep seated loneliness inside him. This shows clearly that only spiritual solace can take you out of despair and misery. External pomp and show, wealth, admiration and adulation are not helpful in dealing with inner discontent. While alive, he made people laugh and in his death, he gave people a message to lift their eyes above the mundane towards something higher. You can bid goodbye to misery by connecting with an altogether different dimension, that I would say is solidified silence, a bolt of bliss and a glimpse of eternity, which is in you as you. You simply have to tap into it. There is little use in having a machine which you cannot operate without a manual. Spiritual knowledge is like the manual for life. Just like to drive a car, we have to learn how to operate the steering wheel, the clutch, the brake and so on, to move towards stability of the mind, we must know the basic principles about our life force energy. This is the whole science of pranayama. When our prana or life force keeps fluctuating, our mind also goes up and down through the roller coaster of emotions. One cannot handle the mind from the level of the mind. It is for this reason that although counseling or psychiatry seems to help in the beginning, it is not able to provide a complete cure in the longer term. Just forcing positive thoughts on oneself is not enough and more often than not leads to a relapse. Medication like anti-depressants also seem to help only in the beginning and eventually make the person dependent on them rather than free him/her from the tendency. This is where knowing the secret of breath can really transform lives. Breathing techniques like Sudarshan Kriya stabilize our life force and consequently the mind. The inner dimension unveiled by the practice of meditation deeply enriches us and its impact slowly spills over to all aspects of life. As prana rises in the body, one starts to feel a transformation as direct experience and not as a forced mental exercise. One starts becoming happier, creative and more in command of their mind and emotions. Another thing that can be really helpful in coming out of depression is developing an attitude of service. Thinking ‘what can I do for society’, getting involved in a bigger cause shifts the whole focus of life and can take one out of the rut of ‘what about me’. Societies where values of service, sacrifice and community participation are ingrained do not have these issues of depression and suicides. The Sikh community is a great example of this. Life is a combination of happiness and pain. Pain is inevitable but suffering is optional.Having a broad perspective on life gives you the strength to move forward through painful times. Know that you are very much needed in this world. With all its infinite possibilities, this life is a gift for it can become a fountain of joy and happiness not just for oneself but for many others as well.

The idea of faith came to my mind while at gym, exhausted at the moment and decided to go few reps further. The will power at that moment is so concentrated just at one thing, to accomplish it. I felt so powerful. It lead me to think, what is that power? I wonder, it is the faith. Where faith come from? what faith actually is? I questioned, i believe, faith is inherited from the mother, the sufferings and determination at the point of giving birth. Your survival was built upon the mother's willpower. That's also a transformation of the mother's life. It is the source of true power. Make sense?

Ralston actually talks a bit about this in his book Pursuing Consciousness. He calls self-realization as "having enlightenment experiences" and self-negation as "transformation". Basically, he says that enlightenment experiences can help speed the process of transformation, but they are not a substitute for transformation. I agree for the most part. You may realize Truth in a flash, but your entire self-structure full of neuroses and hidden beliefs will likely still be intact afterwards. His bottom-line contemplation is an excellent tool for chipping away at that self-structure (that one's in The Book of Not Knowing). Also, writing/journaling can be used to uncover your psychological hang-ups. Even during meditation you can sometimes become aware of self-agendas. I'm sure you'll be able to find at least one technique out there that fits your preferences!

@Nomad @JevinR @Leo Gura Yes. Our purpose in life is to remember and experience who we are. That is the purpose of expression, of form, of creation. It is our ultimate gift of love. To remember and experience the beauty that we ARE. It is so powerful that it generates an internal transformation that inevitably changes the way we perceive ourselves as well as the way we perceive the people and the world around us. It is an extremely beautiful process. Enlightenment is meant to be experienced by EVERYONE, not only a few luck or special people. Humanity is finally starting to look inside instead of outside to find the truth. This is why enlightenment is accelerating. More and more people are looking inside and discovering the beauty that they ARE. This is why your question becomes very relevant and very important. There is a lot of confusion out there about what enlightenment IS and the impact it has in your life. One misunderstanding comes from the fact that most of the enlightened people we know and read about have (or are) dedicating their lives to teach others. Which is great. The problem is that now when we hear about an enlightened person we immediately assume he/she has to be a teacher. This is not necessarily true. The world needs enlightened teachers, but also enlightened fathers, mothers, executives, politicians, workers etc.. The world needs love, compassion, understanding and peace. Every single one of us needs to find this inside ourselves if we want to see this in the world. The reason is very simple. What we see outside is a reflection of what we have inside. I have to run now.. but I will be here and continue to answer any questions that come up. I'm only here to help.

@cetus56 @Emerald Wilkins in these (mini) experiences you get brief glimpses of this extended reality and yes they are VERY beautiful. @AngeArthur I think these experiences are important because they spark your curiosity, you realize there is something more to yourself and to reality. They are kind of a reminder and an invitation to look inside ! Every enlightenment is probably a bit diferent it depends on your life situation and past experience. During enlightenment what happens is that you experience (sort of become) your essential true nature. That side of you that shined a bit of light during these (mini) experiences reveals itself completly. you become IT. The level or joy and love you experience is off the charts. You kind of melt in loving tenderness and light surounds you completly. You feel as if you are becoming pure light. Its as if every cell in your body cryies in Joy and you feel deeply deeply loved and blessed. The Enlightenment experience triggers an internal transformation that can last months or probably even years. I would divide it in several fases. First fase: Is the deep deep sense of happines, completness and grace. This lasts months. Your vibration alignes with Love and compassion. That is how you vibrate all day. Second Fase: Deep emotional healing and liberation. You sort of face your past demons and all your past emotional baggage is washed out of your system. Past emotions simply cant stay inside you any longer. This is not an easy process. It is painful to face your past emotions. Fase 2 happens during fase 1. Fase 3. Remembering. You get tremendouse insights about life, humanity, the universe, nature of reality, creation etc.. In other words, you remember the original plan. The reason for everything. But its more remembering than learning. Fase 3 also happens during fase 1. Fase 4. Deepening of compasion and increase in empathy. It almost like you can read the emotional state of people. Feel tremendouse love. Fase 4 also happens during fase 1. Fase 5 Finding Balance. You start to realize that you are not meant to vibrate only like love and grace all the time. You are human also. You accept your humanity again but this time you love it and accept it completly. You kind of integrate everything. You still keep an underlying feeling of gratitude and grace that never leaves you. etc .. This is just a quick summary. Its important to understand that enlightenment is and experience but it is also a process.

Leo also mentioned that different aspects of your life will be at different stages related to each other, so you could be more advanced in some things while underdeveloped in others, which is ok. There are also overlaps of stages, so the whole system gets quite complicated. Take the course, if you're ready for it - it could be a solution to a transformation dilemma for that particular aspect.

Green has already done the work. Their focus has shifted from "I" to "We" and now use their personal transformation resources for social transformation from the bureaucratic model of protecting the institution at the expense of the individual needs of the human being, to reorganising the institution to protect the individual needs of the human being. If you are still focused on personal transformation then you are not at the green stage.

You are absolutely right thank you. Even befor I made a big transformation I allways had this pride and high self asteem even if I wasn't confident.

For me enlightenment is experiencing who you really are. In essence. You become pure light and pure love. It is also the transformation process that comes after. Nirvana or paradise is the bliss, the ecstasy, the state of mind, the realization and the peace that you get and stays with you every single day of your life after enlightenment.

I feel you!! I can't stress how awesome this is. I am working with coaches and NLP trainers on my working hours. Having coaches or/and an NLP trainers as a coworkers with whom you spend 8h a day is priceless! I've never experienced so much transformation in such a short period of time!! You answered your own question, Indeed. How does working on something take you to fantasy land? I would strongly disagree. Perhaps you meant to say something else?

Following are words of UG. 1.To be yourself is the easiest thing. And you don't want to be in your state. You'd rather be somebody else, imitate the life of somebody else. That's your problem. To be yourself doesn't need any time at all. But you talk of timelessness, which is a mockery. To be yourself, do you need time? To be a good man, to be a marvelously religious man, to be in a state of peace, to be in a state bliss, naturally you need time. That will always be tomorrow. When tomorrow arrives, you say, "All right, day after tomorrow." That is time. [I am] Not [talking about] this metaphysical or philosophical thing. I am not talking about metaphysical time and timeless. There is no such thing as the timeless. 2.What takes you away from your state is this movement in the direction of wanting to be in some state other than yourself. To be yourself doesn't need time. If I am a village idiot, I remain a village idiot. Finish. I don't want to be an intelligent man. Even if my neighbor takes advantage of his extraordinary intelligence and exploits [me], good luck. What can I do? To accept the reality, this is the reality of the world. There is no other world. There is no other reality, ultimate reality. This is the only reality. You have to function in this world. You can't run away from this world. How can you run away from this world? Because you are that world. Where you can you go? Hide yourself in a cave? Yes, you are taking your thoughts wherever you go. You cannot run away from your shadow. It's there all the time. So, you can't do a thing about thought. That's all that I am saying. When you realize the absurdity of all your effort to do something about the thought -- it's creating the problem; it's misery for you; you can't do anything -- when you can't do anything, when you realize that you can't do a thing about it, it's not there. You are not using it [thought] as a means to get something for you. 3.I want to say this again. You desire. If you do not want anything, there is no thought at all. You understand? Wanting is thinking, it doesn't matter what you want -- want self-realization, want God-realization -- you want anything, that means you have to use this instrument. These are not your thoughts, these are not your feelings. You may not like it. They belong to somebody else. You want to make them your own. You have unfortunately made them your own. That's why you ask all these questions. Why do you ask all these questions? These questions have been put before to so many people -- all the sages, saints and saviors of mankind, the holy men dead and alive. They are all ready to answer. They have composed a lot of lullabies. You go and listen to them and go to sleep, if you want to. That's what you are interested in. You want somebody else to pat on your back and say, "Oh, fine, just fine, you are doing very well. Do more and more of the same and you will reach the destination you want to arrive at." 4.You want comfort. You want affection from the person you are living with. You want this, that and the other. But what you want to get -- the GET of all the 'gets' -- you are not going to. That [what you want to get] is in relationship with your enlightenment, your freedom, transformation and all that kind of thing. There is nothing to get from me or from anybody. You want to be at peace with yourself. You will not get anything from anybody. All this is disturbing the peace that is already there. Your idea of peace is altogether different. 5.Because there is a constant demand on your part to experience everything that you look at, everything that you are feeling inside. If you don't do that, 'you' as you know yourself and as you experience yourself is coming to an end. That is a frightening thing. You don't want to come to an end; you want continuity. All the spiritual pursuits are in the direction of strengthening that continuity. So, all your experiences, all your meditations, all your sadhana -- all that you do is strengthening the 'self'. They are selfcentered activities. Whatever you do to be free from the 'self' is also a selfcentered activity. The process you adopt to attain what you call 'being' is also a 'becoming' process. So, there is no such thing as 'being'. Anything you do -any movement, in any direction, on any level -- is a becoming process.

Thank you.There are Generic definitions for self-actualization.but there must be an specific answer for each and every question. something like this : "self-actualization is self satisfaction in every aspect of life." or "It is transformation from 'being in the shadow of our desires and feeling regret' to 'living in our desires and feeling happy' "

@Ayla This is all self-actualization in nutshell and might be the best post in this forum by far. When i realized this 1 year ago, i was shocked. It is just webs and webs and webs of lies. This is why my favorite quote "Repeat a lie a thousand times and it becomes the truth." (But in reality, it is kinda more complex that this) @Leo Gura Leo I am in strange dilemma now. As i mentioned, about 1 year ago i realized that the nature of our beliefs taken as truth are false. I was doing self inquiry for a while and i got really nice insights. But i have a gut feeling that i need to do the next thing : I stumbled upon Eben Pagan's course Man Transformation where he mentions how some really important person in his life asked him : Who are you ? What is your story ? Eben later realized that, at the school party, he was the one who was standing outside the crowd just for sake of ''looking cool.'' He wanted to be ''outsider.'' That was his so called script. The second interesting thing i stumbled upon Jed Mckeena way of asking What is true. For example : Circle has 360 degrees. I did not finish the book yet so there might many more far more interesting examples but these two stories really planted a seed inside me to ask myself. What is my story ? What is my script i tell myself i am ? So my dilemma is to start writing a journal here on forum. I am kinda scared to share every lie that i say to myself but i know if i do not know do it, i will be just stuck inside my head and i will just let my ego swing. If i write in my own journal at home, i dont know how beneficial it will be. Here on forum, it looks like i wont slack (i do not know if i will , but still i would not like to be only own judge of my thoughts ) So can you share your own opinion ? My goal is to get awareness over my beliefs and lies i am telling to my self. I want to get to my core beliefs and dig them out. This video really made question if i should really do it so i ask you now what you think ? Do you think is it worth it or not ? I am already doing good with my mindfulness and awareness during the day and i started to recognize parts of self that have tendency to react in certain way. One example wold be i hold beliefs that i am smart and my subconscious and ego seeks mild validation in certain situations and in opposite situations, my ego just cant accept to be open minded because it can not accept reality. When i get awareness over that, when there is great emotional tendency and ''negative pattern'' of thoughts come in those situations, i just let go. Sometimes i can not do it because i am not aware, but as time passes by, i am letting go more and more of control. EDIT : I got insight what i should i do. I am focusing on the wrong stuff. Even tho journaling is useful, i know which part of me is pulling me to do this and it is not right thing to do.

@FindingPeace In a way, you're right. In a way, you're wrong. Note, what I wrote here is not necessarily that refined, I just went on writing with the flow, and most of it not addressed to you finding; It's not intended to be hostile to you finding I didn't mean what I said about overemphasis in relation to this thread if you thought that mate, I meant of what I've personally come across in a more general sense. Sometimes I write a response to a thread without reading the comments others have done You're right. As I said in my post, I think maybe one of the best things to do when confronted with danger, is to respond with what is needed, but without making any personal problem of it. Like, if someone engages a fight with me, I will respond, either with escape or countering attack. And preferably, if possible, to avoid generating a personal hate for the person in question or for his action. Just a problem solving phenomena, like opening an umbrella when it rains. Or not even battling it at all, calling it a day and just gtfo:ing to inside a building. I don't necessarily need to start a drawn out process of hating the rain. You're right that I might have used "forgiving" in a loose way, but notice that I said OVERemphasis. What my intention to mean was, that I'm a little bit sick of the overarching mentality of "turn the other cheek". Yes, we may all be one consciousness and boundaries are illusion. But I don't fucking care. Yo, if I want to hurt myself, I'll let myself know that I'll hurt myself if I want to hurt me. This is my incarnation as a human being. Don't tell me that there isn't a logical phenomena that I should defend myself if needed. That is the reason humanity has survived, if this instinct was not evolved, we wouldn't even have the chance to experience duality; how it is to be a separate perception. I think I'm tired of it because so many bullshitters use this rhetoric of non-defensive mentality. I am sick of some people's unhinged-to-reality opinions of how to interact in the world. I mean, just because it feels good to say that oh we're all one, make love not war, doesn't mean that it's actually a valid thing. In doing so, you're abandoning logic for your feelgoods, and leaving everyone else to do the reasonable thinking. I'm interested in truth. I prefer to look at the harsh reality of our bloody past. To consider the fact that in the future, there will statistically speaking probably be a horrific painful death in store for "me". Yes, the ego I have might just be an identification of consciousness, and that death simply might be a change of consciousness that leads to another story, the transformation to something else. However, we're living in this kind of story now, and I want to understand this incarnation with sober analytical eyes. How this dimension operates, this certain setting of experiencing. To not delude myself and lose touch with logic through the feel-good way of spirituality. hm ok simon ok The ego has spoken, but let it, because I think it has some valid points. Note, what I wrote here is not necessarily that refined, I just went on writing with the flow, and most of it not addressed to you finding; It's not intended to be hostile to you finding JK, this is what I really wanted to write to you @FindingPeace : DONT FUCKING TELL ME WHAT TO DO FINDING . UR WRONG. FUCK UR DELUSIONAL SHIT ABOUT HOW THE WORLD WORKS, IF U WANNA DIE CUS U PRIORITIZE GOOD FEELINGS OVER ACTUAL CRITIAL THINKING GO AHEAD FAGGET GO DIE LOL IDC BUT DONT TELL ME WHAT TO DO FUCK U KTHXBYE

@Water @Sigma @shouldnt Well... Thanks to you guys ^^ First time ever doing masturbation for me, age 19 x) I know, my name is Ken, so I should already have f***** a couples of barbies at this age, but that's not the cas at all for me ^^ This morning, I woke up, and told to myself... I need to try and see by myself what's that, and to overcome my fear of doing it. I try to force mysel doing while watching porn... but it didn't worked at all, porn just disgusted me. Later during the day, I fely naturally turned on by a youtube video I watched (but it wasn't forced, I was just like following the flow of my feelings) and I did it ;p I forgot the fear and the pride I had, and it worked I can tell you that this first time for me just blew my mind I wasn't expecting that much pleasure... I have to manage that now, thanks x) I see that as a powerfull drug, because I never experienced it before, anf that what it feel like... And indeen, looking at the society today, it is a powerfull drug. My body was asking me more 5 hours later x) It was just so great... I only spend less that 5 or 10 minutes doing that, and when I finshed I encounter a very new sensation for me that I never really felt before... Amazing, great invention x) It released a lot of tensions out of my body, and I felt like my brain had a pleasure shot... During the all day after, I was felling better than before, and I was able to avoid sugar much more easily than usual (because I'm addicted to sugar for a couple of months now... I'm not fat, but I just eat too much of it, sometimes it can be insane for me). I was thinking that in order to do that, you had to spent so much of your time that it was insane, but what I experienced is that, following a natural rise (and not forcing it), it can be just 5 or 10 minutes spend, and the result can be a great relaxation of the body and the mind. Well, It's kind of very weird to masturbate for the first time at 19... But I'm glad I didn't do it earlier, because now that I'm really into self actualization, I'm gonna be able to avoid falling into an addiction... I was just feeling like a human being without sex before... I I was feeling very good as well. I don't change my poinion, sex isn't a need I'm able to perfectly live without it. Now I understand that if I have this human body, and if I have the desires and feelings, I have first to fully apreciate that, and to live experiences, and only then will I be able to transcend that in order to discover a full enlightenment. I see sex and masturbation as... a tool, something pleasurable we can enjoy, similar to good food, similar to football. I live it as somethong more fulfilling than good food, and fooball actually, but that's the same basis, chemicals in our brain telling us that our body is feeling great. Like everything in life, there is a middle way with sex... You can blive one extreme (Like I was) and totally forget it, or live the other extreme, being sexaddict for example... But the best way might be the middle one... Just enough, listening to what you feel in the inside, to what you feel is right for you at this moment. I think that having sex (alone or with someone else) something like once every two days for example (depending on what each individual is feeling), in order to relax and enjoy a good pleasure is great That's what I'm gonna do from now on, and also because I know that it will help me a lot in order to control sugar addiction. Now, shouldnt, I wasn't stopping me from having pleasure... well, I wasn't feeling this way at all... Or maybe that I was doing it, but unconsciously, I wasn't aware of it... simply because I didn't know what it felt like... That the first time I had an orgasm today... I didn't even knew this pleasure existed... Great invention, yeah. Now that I now that sex is pleasurable and that I can enjoy it, I'm gonna use it wisely, in order to release tension when I too stressed... I'm quiet on the outside, but sometimes, I'm angry in the inside... angry at the world (too blind in the opinion of my ego...) and angry at myself (when I eat too much sugar for example... afterward, I'm like "Why did you just do ? You are gonna be sick ! You're rubbish"). I'm also feeling that I might replace my sugar addiction for that... but the root of the problem wouldn't be resolven I would still feel a lack of something in the inside... That's why I'm reading an interesting book from Peter Ralston (pursuing consciousness) about transformation and enlightenment, in order for me to really transform myself from the deep roots. There are so many stuff deeply rooted in us that we are unconscious of... that's crazy... but it's so interesting to do self inquiry. Sex is a need... untill it isn't (or feel like a need, util it doesn't anymore). I feel that I need to experiment before transcending it, and that's what I'm gonna do. Thanks so much to you guys, and to this forum, it's making me self actualizing even more

Name: Ryan Gleeson Age: 19 Gender: Male Location: Luton, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom Occupation: Commis Waiter at 5 star Hotel Marital Status: Single Kids: No Hobbies: Nature, Foresting, Hiking, Consciousness, Awareness, enlightenment, meditation, personal development, making big personal goals, you-tubing on my personal development journey In summer 2015, I came across personal development through Actualized.org and ever since that time, I could not be any more happy that I did. Since the discovery of lifes potentials I have been on a journey of growth ever since. As a Kid I always used to think about deep topics but then family and society was a huge major distraction from that curios and inquisitive nature I always knew that I had. NOW however after all that I have been through, I want to continue to grow and expand! Nothing can stop me now I have to knowledge..I could talk about what I have been through now BUUUUT why!? It happened but it dosent exist now, it is not real really! I am free! I want to grow and expand to now where every month that goes by, I am a new Ryan Gleeson...The fire and passion inside of me has now been ignited once again and limiting beliefs will never again now hold me back from my true capabilities. I can do this alone! I now love Ryan Gleeson!! I can move to Canada! I can forget the past and keep on growing! <3 peace out!! Personal challenges I've overcome: *over three years of therapy and the life altering transformation I gained! *Serve Anxiety *Low self belief *Horrific bullying throughout my school life *Mothers abusive boyfriends *Moving out of home in to a care system that got me to independent living through 4 different places I lives alone *My flat *Caring what people thought of me, gone!! What I'm working on now: *Travelling to Canada to consider migration *aligning my life to my values *A future potential business in enlightenment, awareness and presence at a forest retreat in Canada *Self inquiry *A total shift in my self image *Eliminating limiting beliefs and childhood lies I happened to be conditioned too *Ability to be content whenever I shift my thoughts and gaining to knowledge on how to accomplish this simultaneously *Change in External circumstances *Future Gym goals! & diet! *A potential friendship or relationship of companionship where we help and support each others growth on a deep and intense level. * Youtube video journey and communication skills

@step1 Hello step1, here are the books that really got me on the Journey : Way of The Peaceful Warrior, by Dan Millman Zen and The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance, and Lila, by Robert Pirsig The Wisdom Of Insecurity, The Way Of Zen, Tao: The Watercourse Way, and In My Own Way, by Alan Watts The teachings of Arnaud Desjardins (don't know if they're translated) I Am, by Sri Nisargadata (transcriptions of questions/answers) On Having No Head, by Douglas Harding The teachings of Karlfried Dürkheim Une vie bouleversée, by Etty Hillesum (don't know the title in english) ; the beautiful and impressive day-to-day spiritual transformation of a young woman living under the Nazi occupation. The Razor's Edge, by Somerset Maugham Enjoy !

Religion or rather Mythology is a great language to use if you understand it and don't just go by the dogmatic version. The best part about it is that the symbols go straight to the subconscious mind, no scientific or psychological description or explanation of things will ever do that no matter how well told it is, so if you for example listen to Leos videos your left brain might start to grasp what he's saying really well but you will still be hold back in every aspect by your subconscious mind. This is probably one of the biggest reasons why meditation is so damn important but if you smash the pillars of Religion and Science together you'd probably only need half the meditation to reach the same level of enlightenment (or something to that effect). Rituals is the best shit ever if you want to change your subconscious btw, haven't tried it myself yet but it's pretty obvious, I've been told to read "kabbalah magic and the great work of self-transformation" by a guy who seam to really understand shit on youtube so if anyone is interested check it out. If you say that you will live your life by nothingness and try to explain that to your red brain you gonna fail, if you say that you will live as a Brother or Sister of Christ and become a born again christian, you gonna fail, if you use all of those symbols and understand the meaning behind them you will progress even if it still take some time you will move forward because your subconscious understand that shit far better than your red, left brain do. On the top of the blue pillar on the Kabbalistic tree of life lies Chokmah - Wisdom, this is to see the reflection of the Christ which is the Hidden one - The Nothingness that you are in everything and everyone around you (as strange at that sound seeing how it's nothing but you'll probably understand what I mean one day if you keep at it, it's the "shining light on things" meaning that Leo talked about in the latest video). The blue pillar is the sub-conscious that see everything as one and there's no time or space in that part of the mind. PS. The Book of Enoch say that the Elect will one day come down even on Mount Sinai which is the moon or human consciousness, that is the true enlightenment The Demiurge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g89tzZq98tw

Hello @Ella90, very good question, I will try to give my perspective on enlightment and hope this is of some use for you, I've listened to some of Leo's videos about enlightement and I remember in one of them, he spoke about a theoretical plateau or level of enlightment he didn't want to theoretize about, because it's out of reach for us in our current spiritual development (he put it in his words, I'd need to look for the video to quote him correctly.) You see, he is wise enough to not speculate about things that are beyond comprehension. Even if we on our spiritual path encounter times where we dwell in higher levels of counciousness, it's not easy to convey the experience, the insight we've gathered etc. And encounters of this hightened spiritual awarness (peak experiences) are open to all of us, also to people who are just starting on their journey or even triggered by some event, circumstances, a book they read or a lecture they attend. On a more practical level (which is deeper than the one previously mentioned), we have a realm of "flow" or "being in the zone". With many spiritual practices we can bring us up to a level where we experience "flow" and do so more often. But you see, this "being in the zone" is not only being experienced by spiritual thruth seekers. Even in sports it is being mentioned and you can read about this phenomenon elsewhere. So what does Enlightenment represent to you? See, we have many traditions. Many definitions. Many representations and "fancy" descriptions of what this state is all about. Some compare it to their tradition, others to their "belief system" and so on It sometimes becomes so bizzare that it's hard to stomach, as people wonder about a word, get confused and immobile even. They don't strive for their aim anymore, because they're literally "lost in translation(s)". I'll admit, the term Enlightenment itself is prone to change. It will change depending on what book you read, whom do you listen to and even if you followed an accomplished Master of a particular School or practice, he will give you many scraps of insight, but never the whole picture. Because, it is on you to find the ultimate truth, the truth where words just can't do any justice. Whereas the Websters Dictionary gives a shaby definition for Enlightenment, it gives a good one for its adjective form, enlightened: This is only meant as a starting point. Those are highly practical definitions. I would, from my own perspective, also say that whatever we do in our lives, we should strive to upgrade our level through "enlightments". We can be good and "in flow" in one area of our life but sloppy or "immobile" in others. We should inspect those areas, as only inspection, putting our awarness on some-thing, will alow for enlightenment in this area to take place. The more areas we master and enlighten the more we grow as a whole, integrated being. Therefore it is important to know what we are good in and honor and appreciate those areas and at the same time also looking for and upgrading the weak-points. (I don't suggest to try to get rid of the weak-points only, as it will firmly destabilize your already mastered areas - acknowledge the areas you're good in.) Can someone see if another is actually enlightened? I am not sure about it, because there are so many different expactations connected to it. Also it is hard to comprehend something which is higher advanced then our current paradigm or mindset. But definitely we can see if we can learn something new, gather a new point to view from and expand our insights and knowledge. Enlightenment is also to a large degree subjective -- and on the other hand, as mentioned before, bound to the definition or tradition you're measuring from. And also I think, even an enlightened being can have a bad day as long as he is alive and carries a body around with him :-D What is of interest, though, for me, is if people are striving for positive transformation, not only for themselves but also for the world in general. Those are the people worth having for companions if you yourself are looking for greater spiritual andvancements. I tell you outright, I'd rather be alone in a cave in the Himalayas than surrounded by ignorant people not worth aligning with. Fortuanatly more and more people are waking up and striving for spiritual development. It's really refreshing. Kind regards, Christian P.S. Please bear with my english. It's my second language and I literally learned it over the internet. I try my best, but my skills in using this language are still limited.

Hey, I don't really get how people who have read Jed McKenna books are still excited about this enlightenment stuff. For those who haven't read it, he clearly points out that: -enlightenment a painful "process" -is not about finding some cool truth, but the destroying of all illusion until only truth is left -is as radical as committing suicide -is life negative, pointless and should only be pursued by those who have no other options -has nothing to do with becoming a better person, becoming happier or raising consciousness -has nothing to do with love, compassion, bliss or heaven on earth I'll let the guy speak for himself because his analogies are ingenious: "Well, I wouldn't want to give the impression that it's almost pointless. It's perfectly pointless. Awakening to your true nature is like dying; it's a certainty, inevitable. You're going to get there no matter what you do, so why rush? Enjoy your life, it's free. Cosmic Consciousness and Altered States and Universal Mind are names of rides in this vast and fascinating dualistic amusement park. So are Poverty and Disease and Despair. Enlightenment though, is not another ride. Enlightenment means leaving the park altogether, but why leave the park? In the park you can be a saint or a yogi or a billionaire or a world leader or a warlord. Be good, be evil. Happiness, misery, bliss, agony, victory, defeat, it's all here. What's the big rush? When the time comes to leave the park you'll know and you'll go, but there's certainly nothing to be gained by it." "From the U-Rex perspective, "I say, U-Rex is obviously real reality and C-Rex is obviously ridiculous. Also, C-Rex has no upside. There's nothing in its favor, it doesn't go anywhere. Truth is a booby-prize. It doesn't do any good or make anything better. It doesn't provide meaning, it strips meaning away. It takes all the amusement out of the amusement park; no meaning, no significance to anything, no reason to get out of bed in the morning. C-Rex brings nothing to the table, whereas U-Rex creates the illusion of meaning. We must have the context U-Rex provides. Even though it's false, it's still context." "So the lie is better than the truth, you are saying." "Sure. The truth might set you free, but then you find yourself standing in an endless parking lot outside the amusement park wondering why you're out, and how to get back in. Truth has nothing to recommend it except that it's true. U-Rex has everything to recommend it except that it's false." "Me, I don't think so. I know Maya pretty well and i don't see her ever losing more than the occasional stray. A species-wide transformation is a pretty idea, but we have little cause for optimism and plenty for pessimism. It's nice to think we could elevate ourselves, and it's fun to dabble in theoretical scenarios, but the reality is that man will never evolve or transcend or develop beyond his past and present level. If that sounds like a bad thing to us, if Maya sounds like a force of evil, if the terms by which man lives on this planet seem to oppressive or restrictive, then we might do well to take a step back and reevaluate the situation. Where are we? What is this place? Is it a prison to be despised or an amusement park to be enjoyed? Is ego a hideous affliction? Or is it simply the vehicle that allows us to come out and play? When the choice is between no-self and false-self, false-self start looking pretty good and despising and demonizing it starts to seem pretty ungrateful." This demonizing of ego, which i see a lot here, seems to me very ironically, just an ego game Now sure he is exaggerating a bit, there are other perspectives and Jed McKenna is off course not the ultimate authority on enlightenment(although i have little doubt that he is enlightened), and i'm sure Truth can be a very great thing for people, but i really doubt whether enlightenment is something desirable for everyone, when the enlightened guy himself states that it's life-negative.