Most effective way to raise Awareness

[Shroomdoctor]

What are the most effective ways to raise your awareness?

I have been meditating for about a year now, but my awareness has only slightly improved. My neurosis have improved a lot, the bare awareness sadly just a bit.

At the moment I am doing half an hour of do-nothing in the morning and squeezing in ten minutes of extra meditation when I feel like it. Another problem is the fact that I really struggle with long meditation sessions, not being able to meditate for long periods of time. 

Should I try to force it with Strong Determination Sitting? Are there other more effective ways to raise awareness?

 

Thanks for your replies in advance

[Hsinav]

In my experience - classic Bikram Yoga. (If you are lucky enough to live near a studio) This will supercharge you. It´s very intense and effective.

Lifechanging!

[Shin]

If you're not doing this 24/7, then you'll never make real progress.

There are people who meditate for DECADES, and still get triggered by stupid things ...

 

 

[Viking]

IMO you have 2 options:

1. more meditation until the meditative state stays without meditation. that means strong determination sitting, remember that the worse the sitting, the more results. - this way works if you're more devoted

2. 24/7 mindfulness, as @Shin mentioned- in case you dont have enough time that you're willing to spend meditating.

[AleksM]

@Marco_the_Ape How do you define the increase in awareness? Awareness is always the same, but the perception changes, perception contracts and expands. Thoughts are like clouds that, awareness is like the sun above the clouds.                              My recommendation: Be aware in a non-judgemental way, without labeling, without constructing meaning out of arising thoughts (focus on breathing), aware of as much content as possible in a detached way (being the sun, not the one below attaching to temporary phenomena of the senses). Awareness of as much body sensations as possible, awareness of the breath ( slowing it down after a dualistic pattern shows up), awareness of all of the sounds in the environment (acknowledge the source of the sound without labeling), awareness of the light that is present. All of this combined, all the time, for ever. Remember: it is extremelly easy but when you use thinking a simple truth becomes complex and hard to grasp.

 

 

 

[Shroomdoctor]

Thanks for the answers! So I am gonna try to do longer meditation, as well as being more mindful through the day, which I find to be the harder thing, because you so easily forget. 

[Shin]

14 minutes ago, Marco_the_Ape said:

Thanks for the answers! So I am gonna try to do longer meditation, as well as being more mindful through the day, which I find to be the harder thing, because you so easily forget. 

At first it's very neurotic and painful, then it will be easier and easier.

At some point you don't even need to remember it, it's on auto-pilot, it's awareness doing you.

[LaucherJunge]

@Marco_the_Ape
What I found to increase the length of my meditations is:

1. Switching techniques, like multiple techniques in one session in order to extend it.

2. Self-inquiry, ask yourself the question who is the one that wants to stop meditating and realize that he doesen't exist and with that the desire to stop should disappear, repeat this always when it comes back.

 

[Shroomdoctor]

53 minutes ago, Shin said:

it's awareness doing you.

Oh yeah, I want do be done by awareness. 

Seems reasonable though. My current way of practicing daily mindfulness is focusing in on the body and senses, is that the right track?

 

 

54 minutes ago, LaucherJunge said:

1. Switching techniques, like multiple techniques in one session in order to extend it.

 I really like that idea. Might work well.

[Alex K]

@LaucherJunge Yeah thanks a bunch for the ideas. 

[phoenix666]

On 28. November 2017 at 8:27 PM, Shin said:

At first it's very neurotic and painful, then it will be easier and easier.

At some point you don't even need to remember it, it's on auto-pilot, it's awareness doing you.

neurotic and painful, exactly what it feels like! can't wait for it to become more integrated into my subconscious. can't wait for awareness doing me 

[Joseph Maynor]

PILLARS OF ENLIGHTENMENT (REALITY EXPLORING REALITY FULLY) 

1.  Daily Meditation Habit (Microscope on the Mind)

2.  Non-Dual Theory (Scaffolding to orient the Mind to favor awareness over the Ego)

3.  Psychedelics (Exploring inner-being)

4.  Self-Inquiry (Realizing no-Self fully)

5.  External World-Inquiry (Realizing no-World fully)

6.  Cosmopolitanism/ World Travel (Exploring outer-being, world cultures through travel, learning other tongues)

7.  Education (Exploring world ideas and history leading to reliable knowledge and wisdom)

8.  Cultivation of the Authentic-Self (Maslow's Pyramid, Life Purpose, Self-Actualization, Self-Transcendence)

9.  Spirituality (Reconnecting to being the Watcher and purifying away illusions)

10.  Cultivation of the Body (Nurture and fortify the Body, it's your constant companion)

11.  Exploration of Art (Exploring non-linguistic ideas and patterns of ideas, exploring linguistic arts like poetry and fiction)

12.  Life Practice (Perfecting your strengths in a way that makes you feel good/proud, eradicating weaknesses if authentically desired)

13.  Being Good (Being a source of love and inspiration to others rather than not doing this, assisting others)

14.  Authentic Relationships (Where you realize and perfect the idea that we are all One)

[The White Belt]

On 28 Nov 2017 at 7:27 PM, Shin said:

it's awareness doing you.

This really made me laugh out loud man.

[Nahm]

@Marco_the_Ape what is reality made of? 

[Nahm]

Awareness doing us. Loving this stuff!

[Shin]

On 28/11/2017 at 9:23 PM, Marco_the_Ape said:

Oh yeah, I want do be done by awareness. 

Seems reasonable though. My current way of practicing daily mindfulness is focusing in on the body and senses, is that the right track?

If you only do that you aren't that aware that much of your thoughts pattern, because if you focus on the body thoughts tends to disappear pretty quickly.

Try both approach for let's say a full month each and then see what changes.

BTW, awareness is doing you all along, except now you think you have free will, but you're still its little bitch 

Edited December 1, 2017 by Shin

[Ether]

1. Disbelieving thoughts

2. Paying no attention to thoughts

3. Meditating