'Enlightenment' Totally Mapped Out and Where Psychedelics Might Fall Short

[Preetom]

Note: By Enlightenment, I mean the irreversible real deal, not the states or levels that come and go. This might be a long post. Hope those dealing with confusion due to many contradictory statements and theories will find some clarity and get some ideas on what they can do to move forward. I am not gonna post a single thing based on speculation, things that are outside ones daily experience and things that cant survive logical scrutiny.

Part 1: What Enlightenment is and how it happens.

There is an ego/mind/I/subject perceiving everything else. This ego projects the entire field of experience and knows all the objects by paying attention. So attention is the power or mechanism through which ego projects and knows experiences both in waking and dream states.

Now the nature of this ego is it can only sustain an experience as long as it is paying attention to it. Turn your back on the sun, there is no sun to see. Similarly, literally everything starting from thoughts to physical matter are objects for ego, projected by ego. They are there ONLY as long as ego is there to perceive them.

Sounds like solipsism? Hell yeah it does. But notice whether one accepts or rejects solipsism, it is still done by the final gatekeeper which is the ego. Literally there is no object without this subject being present to perceive.

Now Enlightenment tells that this entire mode of subject-object experience is an illusion and it only persists due to inadvertence or lack of scrutiny. And all of human suffering and problems are fundamentally a result of errors stemming from this illusion/ignorance.  But there is a real substratum 'underneath' this illusion. Lets call it the Self. Now how to practically go about it?

There is an unique feature of this subject or ego. It runs amok, solidifies itself and sustains this illusion ONLY as long as it is paying attention to things other than itself. But when this same attention is relaxed from objects and turned towards the subject, this subject starts to shrink and thus the illusion starts to break apart.

The proof of it will be understood by those who ever did self inquiry in dreams. Whenever attention is directed toward the dream subject instead of on the dream objects, one either wakes up or sinks into deep sleep or in yoga nidra(conscious sleep). In other words, the dream state illusion  cant survive for long.

So focusing attention on the subject=Breaking free of the illusion.

Self inquiry is just another name of this process. Lets have a look at that.

Part 2: Self inquiry and the mechanism through which it works. (Note: very advanced pointers here. It might be in total contradiction to how that word is often thrown around)

So basically for enlightenment, one simply needs to stop paying attention to all objects. Period. But what is there other than attention or conventional mode of experience?

Interestingly, when one deliberately, progressively stops paying attention to objects, one lands on a very new mode called Being. The knowing consciousness gets replaced with being consciousness. This Being doesn't know any object of experience. It simply is awareness of being the subject itself.

The usual confusion here is whether everything goes blank or one passes out. Neither of those. There are still sights, sounds etc but they are not known as phenomena. As no attention is paid to them, the entire idea of a world or objects collapses. There is no stream of attention going out and checking whether there is still a real world or not.

All usual self inquiry methods and pointers like searching for the I, asking questions, trying to be the witness of thoughts,  trying to disidentify etc are really the antithesis of what self inquiry at its core is. Those are all activities of the ego aka paying attention. They all must come to this tipping point where objective attention ceases and gets replaced with Being. Most of the time it happens by accident and thats why most people dont know what is really going on here. 

But if one conceptually understands that it is this Being cognition that is originally meant by self inquiry, now one knows what to 'do'(relaxing attention on ones own self) and what to avoid(paying attention to things). This is simply a skillful attention game one gets good at by repeated attempts. 

When one lands on Being, mind automatically gets silenced. There is no more effort to witness the thoughts, or trying to be in the present, or trying to be spiritual etc. This is the highest and final practice one can 'do' until Enlightenment happens. The subject simply being itself without attending to other objects.

Now what is going on here during this Being session that leads to Enlightenment? Basically the ego is having satsang with the Self. This is the true meaning of Satsang. The satsang we watch on YouTube is a caricature and a pale reflection of the real deal. The true Satsang is Sanga(communion) with Sat(That which IS/Reality/Self). The Self is the real guru aka Sadhguru(not the guy with white beard ?)

There is a nonverbal, direct, nondual transmission that goes on from the Self to the ego. And this transmission is really the ONLY way one ever gets enlightened whether one may know it or not. Whatever yoga, meditation, psychedelic one is doing, their only real purpose is to bypass all the bullshit and thoughts of the mind and come to this silent transmission. If one's spiritual practice is providing exactly that, then its a direct method. If not, it is something indirect.

By attending to this satsang or being over a long period of time, the patterns and tendencies of ego keeps getting weaker and weaker simply due to not paying attention to them, as the attention is relaxed in sweet being and receiving nondual transmission from the Self. This is the culminating phase. At one point, when the egoic patterns are mostly erased through indifference, the ego/subject along with its projections(universe) literally gets devoured into the Self once and for all. This is the meaning of mind sinking into the Heart, Everything being reduced and sunk into Consciousness. This great assimilation is also known as the final surrender. Done.

After the collapse of the subject, its projection called objects are devoured simultaneouly. So the subject-object mechanism collapses once and for all and only nondual Being of the Self remains as the substratum.

So no ego ever gets Enlightened with its own activity. It is only the grace or power of the Self which facilitates enlightenment.

Important note: This nondual transmission is NOT an experience one can know. So please dont search for it as if it was another object. Its like a mechanism running in the background, like updating an OS.

Part 3: Where psychedelics may fall short.

So we can see that  Enlightenment can ONLY happen by attending to the non dual transmission from the Self, the real Satsang. Simply said, Being. It can NEVER happen by any activity of the ego-mind, that means thinking, concentrating on objects, insights, models, experiences, efforts done by the mind etc.

So it turns out that if one wants to get Enlightened, it is all about being, being, being; until one literally 'forgets' how to know something as an object in a dualistic view. Its NOT about insights, understanding, trying to embody, learn, do something, getting flashy experiences, trying to be spiritual.

Basically, Enlightenment can happen without the ego ever knowing or figuring out anything at all! Enlightenment can happen without ever bothering about god, universe, other people, karma, cosmology etc. It only happens through that silent transmission. 

Now my hunch is these are the 2 main setbacks of psychedelics.

1) Psychedelics are not sustainable over a long time. Yes it bypasses the delusions of ego and goes to the nondual transmission very quickly(given its a potent one like 5 meo). But alas the satsang is too short and repeated dosage hour after hour would fry one's system.

2) An even greater danger. After the psychedelic peak experience, the ego is back again. Fresh and rejuvenated, ready to get back on its JOB which is attending to objects with its voracious appetite! It cant help but going back and mistranslating that silent transmission in the name of insights, understanding, improvement, levels, figuring out reality, breakthroughs, living on the memory of becoming god, embodiment and whatnot; thinking that it will get enlightened by its own accumulated activities. Distortion upon distortion. Stuck in a twisted web of knowledge. Condemned to remain as this votalie complex between the real and the unreal.

 

Note: The purpose of this post is not to fight with other paths and people. Just giving a general practical map of this highly confusing topic. If it sounds logically fair, take whatever helps. If not, may god help you

If there is any question from anyone, I'll try to answer it.

Edited June 15, 2019 by Preetom

[Inliytened1]

@Preetom i can't speak to part 3 but as for all of the rest i loved reading it.  Great post!

As far as part 3 just from what i have seen from Leo's experiences with it, it does alter consciousness and expand it permanently - so maybe that's why he says they have to be done right - which is probably very tricky for most people - hence your point?

Edited June 15, 2019 by Inliytened1

[Gili Trawangan]

I can't talk about the psychedelics part, as I don't have enough experience, but I wanna thank you for the summary - or mapping out

It does match with my own mapping out, which took so long to make sense of, so I really resonated with it. It is very well explained. 

Is it fair to ask you how long you think one has to spend in Being before enlightenment happens? I know that it must vary from person to person, but maybe you have a rough idea of how long it might take...

[Preetom]

5 minutes ago, Inliytened1 said:

@Preetom i can't speak to part 3 but as for all of the rest i loved reading it.  Great post!

As far as part 3 just from what i have seen from Leo's experiences with it, it does alter consciousness and expand it permanently - so maybe that's why he says they have to be done right - which is probably very tricky for most people - hence your point?

My only concern about psychedelics or any 'flashy' experience is the keen possibility of ego turning everything to its own advantage. 

Being is all thats necessary and it is the straightest path to Enlightenment, if there is a path. There is no need for figuring out anything and if one can really conceptually understand it and comes to terms with it, one can dodge many deceptions of the ego. There is no burden of collecting insights, going up levels, trying to be spiritual,  trying to map out ones peaks and realizations in the Self inquiry/Being path.

 

[Preetom]

2 hours ago, Gili Trawangan said:

I can't talk about the psychedelics part, as I don't have enough experience, but I wanna thank you for the summary - or mapping out

It does match with my own mapping out, which took so long to make sense of, so I really resonated with it. It is very well explained. 

Is it fair to ask you how long you think one has to spend in Being before enlightenment happens? I know that it must vary from person to person, but maybe you have a rough idea of how long it might take...

You are welcome. Part of the reason of writing it is how I too struggled to make sense of it for several years haha

Now about the question of a timeframe to get enlightened. This Being path is extremely deirect and fast. It yields the final blow within 6 months-3 years depending on how consistent and deep ones absorption is. But there is a catch.

The catch is one needs to remain in Being a lot. I mean A LOT. Almost all waking hours both through activities and deep meditation sessions.

And that sort of alignment only comes when 

1) One conceptually understands both the primal human dilemma and  enlightenment and the direct path leading to it.

2) One clearly sees that nothing in the world or no state of mind or no piece of knowledge can replace Enlightenment and why it is desirable

3) A restructuring of ones value system, worldview and lifestyle to prioritize the path the most

4) One finally has had enough of so called 'life', at least to a degree. Or else one will never surrender ones tendency to grasp, formulate, become and project. So on and so forth.

Now THAT takes A LOT of time depending on people's tendencies and attitudes. One may make this alignment within few years while for others it might take decades or dozens of lifetimes to finally have had enough.

But after that alignment takes place and no major contradictory forces delay one, then the actual consistent Being transmission phase doesn't usually take more than a year or so. 

Edited June 15, 2019 by Preetom

[Shin]

So I'm basically «doing» self-inquiry non stop for 1 year.

I WAS FOOLED !

[Preetom]

13 minutes ago, Shin said:

So I'm basically «doing» self-inquiry non stop for 1 year.

I WAS FOOLED !

If you've been sinking attention into yourself(the first person subjective feeling I) instead of letting attention out to attend to other objects then yeah you're doing self inquiry. 

Expect the final blow soon

(Kidding dont think about that ?)

One should notice a significant drop in ones tendency to think, know, grasp, visualize, fantasize about stuff if it is done rightly. But that doesn't mean one becomes dumb or blank.

It is fierce alertness alert on itself ?‍♂️

Edited June 15, 2019 by Preetom

[Shin]

10 minutes ago, Preetom said:

If you've been sinking attention into yourself(the first person subjective feeling I) instead of letting attention out to attend to other objects then yeah you're doing self inquiry. 

Expect the final blow soon

(Kidding dont think about that ?)

One should notice a significant drop in ones tendency to think, know, grasp, visualize, fantasize about stuff if it is done rightly. But that doesn't mean one becomes dumb or blank.

It is fierce alertness alert on itself ?‍♂️

Especially about the past and future, that's only relevant to remember something practical or to plan something.

Oh boy there is no way to stop it, it's totally automatic, you can't do anything ?

[Preetom]

52 minutes ago, Shin said:

Especially about the past and future, that's only relevant to remember something practical or to plan something.

Oh boy there is no way to stop it, it's totally automatic, you can't do anything ?

Well yes its automatic...until its not

Notice that the long past memories which are like empty insignifant ghosts to you, are very vital elements of most others indentities.

For them, seeing through the 'long' time horizon seems impossible and yet you mamaged to do it. 

Similarly you'll eventually see through the small time horizon like yesterdays and tomorrows as well.

Edited June 15, 2019 by Preetom

[mandyjw]

Needed this, thanks. 

[okulele]

@Preetom  Great! Did you reach 'the irreversible real deal'?

[Preetom]

51 minutes ago, okulele said:

@Preetom  Great! Did you reach 'the irreversible real deal'?

Haha still phasing in and out of it. Thus its not ''irreversible real deal" yet.

But self inquiry has been extremely clear to me and I understand exactly what is going on.

Really, the 'taste' of enlightenment is not that much of a big issue. A 5 meo trip can show one what it is like to be enlightened. Its the permanent absorption and sinking of the ego that is the issue here.

Same thing with self inquiry/being path. One needs to be absorbed in Being until the illusion of coming and going ceases. 

 

Edited June 15, 2019 by Preetom

[Gili Trawangan]

2 hours ago, Preetom said:

You are welcome. Part of the reason of writing it is how I too struggled to make sense of it for several years haha

Now about the question of a timeframe to get enlightened. This Being path is extremely deirect and fast. It yields the final blow within 6 months-3 years depending on how consistent and deep ones absorption is. But there is a catch.

The catch is one needs to remain in Being a lot. I mean A LOT. Almost all waking hours both through activities and deep meditation sessions.

And that sort of alignment only comes when 

1) One conceptually understands both the primal human dilemma and  enlightenment and the direct path leading to it.

2) One clearly sees that nothing in the world or no state of mind or no piece of knowledge can replace Enlightenment and why it is desirable

3) A restructuring of ones value system, worldview and lifestyle to prioritize the path the most

4) One finally has had enough of so called 'life', at least to a degree. Or else one will never surrender ones tendency to grasp, formulate, become and project. So on and so forth.

Now THAT takes A LOT of time depending on people's tendencies and attitudes. One may make this alignment within few years while for others it might take decades or dozens of lifetimes to finally have had enough.

But after that alignment takes place and no major contradictory forces delay one, then the actual consistent Being transmission phase doesn't usually take more than a year or so. 

That's a very clear answer  once again, I really appreciate it.

Reading these caveats has made me realize that I still have a lot of work ahead. There is still ego resistance to the path, and I've only just begun reaching the state of Being in meditation, I have no clue how one can possibly maintain that state throughout daily activities.

[Preetom]

14 minutes ago, Gili Trawangan said:

That's a very clear answer  once again, I really appreciate it.

Reading these caveats has made me realize that I still have a lot of work ahead. There is still ego resistance to the path, and I've only just begun reaching the state of Being in meditation, I have no clue how one can possibly maintain that state throughout daily activities.

We all have these lines of thoughts more or less. But I have good news for you! You dont have to be prey to them or whack your brain around them to figure something out. Why?

Because you've already started tasting Being! So instead of entertaining contradictory thoughts of this kind, willingly tune into Being more and more, as often as you can. 

Tasting the innate peace and silence of Being, your thought pattens, value system and tendencies will automatically start to restructure itself without even your knowing of it.

This is the main attraction of this Being path. You can keep your whole intention on the big fish and slowly relinquish the rest of your life. That slow giving up of resistance will take place by itself.

1 hour ago, mandyjw said:

Needed this, thanks. 

Ask and ye shall receive 

Edited June 15, 2019 by Preetom

[tedens]

@Preetom Have you reached the point where consciousness begins to be self-aware?

[Preetom]

11 hours ago, tedens said:

@Preetom Have you reached the point where consciousness begins to be self-aware?

Consciousness is always self aware.

I have reached the point where i began to forget this simple truth right in front the nose ?

 

Edited June 16, 2019 by Preetom

[AlwaysBeNice]

4 hours ago, Preetom said:

My only concern about psychedelics or any 'flashy' experience is the keen possibility of ego turning everything to its own advantage. 

Being is all thats necessary and it is the straightest path to Enlightenment, if there is a path. There is no need for figuring out anything and if one can really conceptually understand it and comes to terms with it, one can dodge many deceptions of the ego. There is no burden of collecting insights, going up levels, trying to be spiritual,  trying to map out ones peaks and realizations in the Self inquiry/Being path.

Egos love this though, nothing cooler than being someone with 'insight', at lvl 2.4, 74% clean chakras, deeply studied, master at shielding and removing negative energy and going towards buddha-hood extreme special state.

 

 

even though there's some truth to it,

but spiritual ego is probably an underrated trap on the path because most people in spirituality fall for it to some degree, and just looks so 'cool' it seems, hard the accept the kiddo playing in the mud is doing better than most people whom fill themselves with these concerns.

[Preetom]

@AlwaysBeNice

Can't help it. Its part of the process more or less ?

Until one cant live with ones phoniness anymore 

 

[zeroISinfinity]

@Preetom Yup final surrender to Self. 

[Joseph Maynor]

1 minute ago, zeroISinfinity said:

@Preetom Yup final surrender to Self. 

It's a little deeper.  It's a Paradox of Surrender and No Surrender.