What is actuality?

[TheAvatarState]

So I'm rewatching Leo's "what is actuality" video and it's hitting me really hard. I had a couple of great insights, but they were kind of horrifying and startling. I'd like to share those with you. 

Every single friend you think you've had or do have is actually an imaginary friend. We unconsciously construct libraries of context around people we interact with. And of course we kind of have to in order to interact with others. Body language, facial expressions, etc are actually a second Language (symbols) to us. I can guarantee you that you've never seen what's actual when a person speaks to you, that is, stripped bare of all social and metaphysical context and meaning. Notice that when you talk to someone, you're not talking to an actual person, you're talking to a complex idea of a person. That you constructed. Every friend you've ever had is imaginary. 

The second insight came when I was trying to actually explore the question "what is actuality?" I thought, so if looking at your hand is actual, then would looking at someone else's hand also be actual? What if you looked at a picture of your own hand (of course this would add another layer of complexity by trying to strip the context of what image is on the paper from the actual paper and ink). I kept going down this rabbit hole of trying to get to the bottom of what is actual, thinking I was being really clever, until of course it dawned on me. Wait... What is all this but more concept and imagination? I operated under the logic that the words "looking at my hand" pointed to an actual experience I could have, but my blunder was that I was going through these scenarios in my head, and that "an actual experience I could have" cannot be quantified or thought about! When I had this epiphany, I was like "holy shit! Leo isn't joking!"  In fact, the whole endeavor was completely pointless. 

So, how would I answer my original question: what is actuality? Of course it's ultimately pointless like I described above, but it's still helpful. Well this is super tricky now, because I can't try to describe "a real experience I could have" now can I? That already says way too much, it's misleading, and it comes with way too much baggage. What about "everything?" That's closer I guess, but it comes with the baggage of there being an objective universe, and you can't see everything so you start to create concepts of what you think everything to be. What about "nothing?" Oooo, maybe we're getting somewhere! Nothing immediately dispels visualization. Nothing is an inward dive into the void, while everything is an outward search. We've all heard "God is nothing." Is this the closest we can get with words and symbols? If you have any ideas on this, please let me know! 

Now to go look at my hand... 

Edited February 24, 2019 by TheAvatarState

[Vingger]

Yeah, 

actually all the complexity of the human mind is mean to support us the way we experience things like relationships,

just to maintain us alive

[Truth Addict]

@TheAvatarState

Actuality is the appearance of the present moment. No matter how it is interpreted.

[Highest]

Blink your eyes, what you saw after blinking is actuality, Right now, right here, this very moment. Now become conscious and aware that this very moment is God. It’s not ‘’yours’’’ direct aware experience. It’s God’s experience.

[Inliytened1]

@TheAvatarState its YOU.  You ARE the actuality itself.  You -- the real you..behind the illusion - ARE being itself.  You ARE consciousness.

Once this really hits you that is enlightenment.  Not the theory of it but actually the actuality of it!  Becoming directly conscious right now that you ARE right now IS enlightenment!