Is Consciousness ALSO the nature of thought?

[Recursoinominado]

If Thought = What we perceive as an external reality, why we value one over the other? 

What are the limits of imagination?

What is an illusion, then? 

[Thewritersunion]

You should probably keep this as a contemplation within the journals. 

[Recursoinominado]

2 minutes ago, Thewritersunion said:

You should probably keep this as a contemplation within the journals. 

I would like some clarification, it is not rhetorical questions.

But i posted on the wrong section, should be on Meditation/Consciousness.

Thanks anyways.

[peachboy]

Consciousness is the receiver.

A thought is something that is projected on to the canvas of consciousness.

It's the difference between the movie screen and the movie projector.

[electroBeam]

8 hours ago, Recursoinominado said:

If Thought = What we perceive as an external reality, why we value one over the other? 

valuing one over the other = illusion.

8 hours ago, Recursoinominado said:

What are the limits of imagination?

the only limit is, there are no limits. 

8 hours ago, Recursoinominado said:

What is an illusion, then? 

A lack of letting go. A holding onto an existing contextualisation at the face of suffering.

[Guest SirVladimir]

Not sure whether it answers your question, but thought is imagination, and you can do beautiful things with it. In a way, there are no thoughts, but this sounds like a terrible cliche until you pierce the ice like an icebreaker and unravel the nature of thoughts. But hey, let's look at this through a fun analogy.  Wherever you feel you are right now in life, think of it as your "default starting position", your own little cubicle where you feel separate from others and constrained by thoughts. Your noble quest is to approach the Source from whichever direction as all of us. There is a "space" beyond thoughts where all of us arrive and meet. This "place" beyond thoughts, the Unity, is like a great blender where everything stays contained. (T)herein will only one thought remain.
 

Edited November 2, 2020 by SirVladimir

[Fran11]

12 hours ago, Recursoinominado said:

If Thought = What we perceive as an external reality, why we value one over the other?  

 

12 hours ago, Recursoinominado said:

What is an illusion, then? 

Yes, thoughts are consciousness just like the "external world", but the default way of thinking causes identification with the thoughts and creates a false sense of duality (subject-object illusion), that's why sometimes we talk about silencing thoughts / stilling the mind.

For example, having a car in your direct experience is no problem becouse it won't make you feel like you are just a car, but with thoughts you get identified, and that splits your experience into subject-object.

Why does consciousness gets identified with thoughs?

- Becouse they are much subtler (less dense) forms of cosciousness than "physical objects", so it's harder to realise them as just objects of perceptions. They feel "too close".

- And becouse of their specific form / content: "I" in the personal construct sense (often called "I-thought").

12 hours ago, Recursoinominado said:

What are the limits of imagination?

None.

Edited November 2, 2020 by Fran11

[Recursoinominado]

3 hours ago, electroBeam said:

valuing one over the other = illusion.

19 minutes ago, Fran11 said:

Yes, thoughts are consciousness just like the "external world", but the default way of producing thoughts causes identification and creates a false sense of duality (subject-object illusion), that's why sometimes we talk about silencing thoughts / stilling the mind.

For example, having a car in your direct experience is no problem becouse it won't make you feel like you are just a car, but with thoughts you get identified and that splits your experience into subject-object.

Why does consciousness gets identified with thoughs?

- Becouse they are much subtler (less dense) forms of cosciousness than "phsyical objects", so it's harder to see them as objects of perceptions. They feel "too close"

- Becouse of their specific content: "I" in the personal construct sense.

I am grateful for all other answers but this one hit the nail on the head! 

They DO seem too close, personal, subtler and appear almost non-stop which explains our identification with them.

They have this natural "pull", i can see how this is but a life-long habit.

So, EVERY thought implies duality?

[Fran11]

35 minutes ago, Recursoinominado said:

So, EVERY thought implies duality?

For non-enlightened beings, almost every thought has an implicit "I", the personal thinker.

That's why in order to experience non-dual consciousness we need to either completely still the Mind (by Meditation), or rise our consciousness to the point where false identifications are not possible even if the Mind is active (by taking Psychedelics for example).

An enlightened Sage can think and talk to you without "coming out" of non-dual consciousness becouse his Mind is rewired in such a way that thoughts no longer create the sense of duality, plus his Consciousness is so high that it cannot confuse itself with thoughts anyomore.

Edited November 2, 2020 by Fran11

[Mvrs]

6 hours ago, peachboy said:

Consciousness is the receiver.

A thought is something that is projected on to the canvas of consciousness.

It's the difference between the movie screen and the movie projector.

But really in the end these two are the same thing. There’s no actual space to differ them. 

[Moksha]

Just now, Mvrs said:

But really in the end these two are the same thing. There’s no actual space to differ them. 

Consciousness is the illumined sky. Thoughts are the clouds that float across the sky.