How do thou contemplate

[fridjonk]

I'm interested in how you structure your contemplation or self-inquiry. 

How often do you do it ?

What's your set and setting like ?

When in the day do you do it ?

Do you use a journal ?

Do you come to a conclusion after each session, if not how many sessions does it take you ?

What has been your biggest realization ? 

If you do not contemplate or self-inquire, why not ? 

 

[Chilli]

I practice self-inquiry for 1h everyday, usually at 18pm. I don't use a jornal, although I think I should. I inquire sitting down on a regular chair in my bedroom, sometimes with the lights turned of but usually with the light on.

 I wouldn't call them conclusions, but insights. My biggest (and most important in my opinion) is the insight of not truly knowing what I am metaphysically. This means that our conceptual understanding of ourself is merely an illusion. I like to picture this as that meme where a guy slaps a band-aid over a leaking tank of water ???, the tank being our existencial crisis of not knowing who we are and the band-aid being the "fake self"

[UnbornTao]

I wouldn’t intellectualize the process too much. Contemplation is setting out to directly experience whatever is true regarding your object of contemplation. It’s an ontological (being) matter. What is X? Also discarding every belief and assumption we can possibly find.

Your questions are rather secondary. Hold a question throughout the day. 

That said, start with 15min/day and remember that persistence is the key, so no matter if we contemplate 3 hours in a given day and then stop altogether the next three weeks. Sometimes it’s better to be in a quiet room without distractions and use a timer. Use a journal as you contemplate if you want, but again when it comes to contemplation, its very simplicity is what makes it hard sometimes. No prerequisites really.

Also check out Leo’s video on how to contemplate using a journal.

Good luck

Edited January 19, 2020 by Arzola

[fridjonk]

@Chilli That's awesome! I'm also debating on weather to start using a journal or not. 

4 hours ago, Chilli said:

I like to picture this as that meme where a guy slaps a band-aid over a leaking tank of water ???, the tank being our existencial crisis of not knowing who we are and the band-aid being the "fake self"

???

@Arzola Yeah I was more so just interested in how others go about doing it. I contemplate on psychedelics quite often so I'm all good. Although i should do it more often in the "sober" state. I mostly meditate to elevate my consciousness.  

3 hours ago, Arzola said:

but again when it comes to contemplation, its very simplicity is what makes it hard sometimes. No prerequisites really.

Yeah, agree on that. 

[Consilience]

The 6 principles of contemplation discussed at Peter Ralston’s ENB workshop:

Focus: You keep your attention on the question at hand. If the mind wanders, bring it back again and again, don’t let up your questioning. 

Intent: Actually intend to become directly conscious of what you’re questioning. Don’t let yourself ask, but in the back of your mind put off becoming conscious for a later point in time. Intend to do it NOW. Now is the only time and way you can do it anyways.

Openness: Be open to whatever truth may be. Enter contemplation without predisposition or opinion, contemplate from a space of pure not knowing and total openness to what is. Truly open yourself up to possibility and be ready for anything. 

Presence: Bring yourself into the practice. Be present with the practice. Tap into existential nowness and be with the question. Observe the question from the position of real presence, as this is the most authentic mode to question and contemplate. How does your question and topic at hand exist right now? 

Clarity: Clearly understand what your questioning. For example, are you contemplating who you are or what you are? Notice the distinction. Clearly define what you’re trying to grasp! If you don’t, attention and mind will wander at subtle levels. 

Possibility: Actually hold it as a possibility to become directly conscious of your question. Often we unconsciously hold that we cant become conscious or we hold the position that it requires x amount of effort and y amount of time. Don’t let yourself take this belief on. Truly hold the possibility that you can become conscious. 

 

Tbh I don't usually formally contemplate these days, Im more focused on embodying the many insights Ive had on my journey thus far but this outline as a technique has worked very well for me. I had a pretty big awakening experience at the workshop using these principles and since then keep these in mind as a probe and question. These also apply for contemplating while on psychedelics which is an absurdly powerful combo. 

Edited January 20, 2020 by Consilience

[RevoCulture]

@Consilience Enjoyed That!  Thanks for sharing..  Felt good... 

[fridjonk]

@Consilience Thank you!    Do you feel contemplation is what contributed somewhat most to your growth? (Besides psychedelics) 

[Consilience]

Just now, fridjonk said:

@Consilience Thank you!    Do you feel contemplation is what contributed somewhat most to your growth? (Besides psychedelics) 

You’re welcome  And yes absolutely. Meditation is a close second. Meditation helps me embody insights, contemplation is what helps me get them in the first place. 

@RevoCulture you’re welcome, Im glad! 

[Aaron p]

@fridjonk im psychotic, I contemplate all the time every time. I'm very very addicted to being right...but that has it's advantages. People don't like you much though. It's brill tho, cuz the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment calms your mind down to, makes you nicer to be around. 

With regards to contemplation I feel like it's important to connect thoughts very carefully. There are "gaps" in people's trains of thoughts which cause incorrect conclusions. For example...within Christianity they say that they are not saved by their good works. But then if you say "ok if I'm a Christian can I just do whatever I want" they'll say no, and that you need to avoid certain kinds of sin. Then you can go between the two questions quickly and confuse them. These gaps are what cause people to end up with partial truths and incorrect thoughts.

Self enquiry is an interesting one. For me it's becoming more about the feeling...there is a place you can go that is not thoughts, and it's invisible to the mind. Every time god talks to me about it he doesn't say much and I know it's on purpose. Conceptualising it creates a trap, I know it. Trying to find that which you are. Very strange practise. What is the thing that is searching, what is it. Beautiful practise.

It's a skill that can be developed. You have to think "ok, if reality is a thing that exists...what is it?" But all thoughts have something cool.in common, they are all watched. Finding the thing that watches is a strange task.

[Aaron p]

8 hours ago, fridjonk said:

What has been your biggest realization ? 

It will be God

[fridjonk]

7 minutes ago, Aaron p said:

which cause incorrect conclusions. For example...within Christianity they say that they are not saved by their good works. But then if you say "ok if I'm a Christian can I just do whatever I want" they'll say no, and that you need to avoid certain kinds of sin. Then you can go between the two questions quickly and confuse them. These gaps are what cause people to end up with partial truths and incorrect thoughts.

@Aaron p  Yeah, i literally just read a chapter on that in Six Pillars Of Self-Esteem where he went on about exactly that. 

 

[Aaron p]

@fridjonk

24 minutes ago, fridjonk said:

@Aaron p  Yeah, i literally just read a chapter on that in Six Pillars Of Self-Esteem where he went on about exactly that. 

 

The brilliant thing about truth and contemplation is, logic and clear trains of thought are all you need. It's brill...and beautiful

[fridjonk]

@Aaron p The power of thought is an art in of it self. Neglected by many spiritual folk. 

[Consilience]

1 hour ago, Aaron p said:

@fridjonk

The brilliant thing about truth and contemplation is, logic and clear trains of thought are all you need. It's brill...and beautiful

Id stay openminded to the possibility that Truth may not be found through logic. 

[fridjonk]

@Consilience God speaks to us through feelings that's right. But he's probably just pointing out it can help you in general and in life to be a good thinker, like the stoics were. 

Edited January 20, 2020 by fridjonk

[Aaron p]

When I say logic I just mean that which makes sense. For example, if there is a thought than there is also an awareness of the thought. Creating unbroken trains of thought that are unbiased and truth driven is a powerful tool

Edited January 21, 2020 by Aaron p