Deep insights and placebo

[caelanb]

Hello, I have a few questions around deep insights and mystical experiences. How do I know if I'm having a deep insight while doing things like meditation or contemplation or whether I'm just telling myself that I am and believing it? If you are trying to question for example who you are, like asking yourself, questions such as where am I and who am. Then I find an answer that seems quite convincing or have an insight. How do I know if it's just my ego projecting or creating different hypothesis or if it's actually true, because having ego death along with mystical and deep insights (in the way Leo talks about them, seem very abstract and illusive) to the point where I'm not sure if I'm having one or the other or any at all.

Thank you.

[ground]

2 hours ago, caelanb said:

How do I know if I'm having a deep insight while doing things like meditation or contemplation or whether I'm just telling myself that I am and believing it?

If you experience sth, i.e. 'sth' meaning that the experience can be named as this or that, then it is merely a conceptual fabrication. All names/labels are fabrications. In actuality there is no true insight and talking about 'insight in' in the affirmative is ultimately delusional. As a matter of fact many spiritual traditions nevertheless are talking of/about insight. If so it should be understood as an instance of preliminary teaching. All teachings are preliminary because you have to start somewhere.

 

2 hours ago, caelanb said:

If you are trying to question for example who you are, like asking yourself, questions such as where am I and who am. Then I find an answer that seems quite convincing or have an insight. How do I know if it's just my ego projecting or creating different hypothesis or if it's actually true, because having ego death along with mystical and deep insights (in the way Leo talks about them, seem very abstract and illusive) to the point where I'm not sure if I'm having one or the other or any at all.

If you keep investigating into the answer you've found then you'll find out that it cannot bear analysis. Why? Because it is just conceptual  fabrication.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 18, 2018 by ground

[purerogue]

Insights do not have words, they are like feelings that contain information that you understand without any words, expression and are very clear, you do not have to believe, or not believe them , it is really up to you, just magnificence of them is worth it.  

Edited December 18, 2018 by purerogue

[Leo Gura]

@caelanb It can be tricky because the ego is always self-biased and self-deceptive. It will tell itself it knows more than it does. You can count on this.

But if your intent for truth is genuine and you are forcing yourself to self-reflect and question all of your beliefs, that should ultimately lead you closer and closer to the truth. You have to be brutally honest with yourself or else you will settle for wishful and self-biased delusions.

Psychedelics help a lot too. On psychedelics you clearly see what genuine insight feels like. It is undeniable and transcends all belief, ideology, or speculation.

It also helps to have great teachers and great books to keep your egotistical fantasies in check.

[caelanb]

Thanks for the help. Without psychedelics (don't have access to them), what would be the best way to achieve these deep insights and mystical experiences, through yoga (like kundalini or kriya), meditation (like vipassana), contemplation or self-inquiry. 

Thank you.

[Leo Gura]

@caelanb All the above will work. Kriya yoga should be very powerful. But you'll have to see what works best for you.

[caelanb]

How about Hatha? In a past video you said it was better to use books to practice not go take a class? Is this true?

Thank you.