How to stay functional while awakening?

[Kalki Avatar]

For those that have gone deep in awakening here, how do you manage awakening and managing stuff in the world and people? 

After awakening, is easy. I mean during the process. That shit was challenging as fuck for me cuz I was loosing my mind. I couldn't function with the speed and memory as before. 

Any suggestions? 

[mandyjw]

One step at a time. Don't get ahead of yourself. Important things take care of themselves and the unnecessary things fall away. 

Mediation, exercise and good diet goes a long way. Also using a timer and focusing on doing what needs to be done in small time increments can really help since focus is so off sometimes. 

Edited December 15, 2020 by mandyjw

[Forestluv]

In terms of functionality, My experience is that the higher functionality needed, the more identification into a character. When there is near complete detachment, I’m not very functional. A low level of identification with simple tasks and a high level with complex tasks. When I’m at work engaged in complex inter-personal interactions I feel more of the character to be able to function. Then later, that can dissolve. I’ve heard some talk about complete, permanent dissolution of person or a constant awareness observing, yet that not my experience when trying to function in complex societal situations. 

And I also try to be kind to the mind and body, trying to reduce unnecessary inner criticism, regret, worry, inner turmoil and do some healthy things.

[Kalki Avatar]

@mandyjw Yep. 

I think the faster one can get a task done the faster one can let go thinking about it.

Im building my mind on a notepad like a system to function automatically for when I loose it. I wish I could have a robot or tech mind A.I. to think for me in the process, lol. 

What app do you use for timing tasks? 

Edited December 15, 2020 by Kalki Avatar

[Kalki Avatar]

@Forestluv I get you there. But, actually at sometime you will have to even let go of that karma. You are dissolving it and re creating it. 

I have gone to extremes of being socially awkward just to not create karma. You must see people reaction, lmao. 

The good thing is that even if people reject, react or criticise you for not following their commands to create karma, you will be detached and unaffected by such surface-world phenomena. Then you can go deeper and deeper and stabilize and be socially normal again.

[Someone here]

@Kalki Avatar how are you functioning at all? Awake or not? How is your body breathing and digesting and your heart beats when you are asleep and lost in nothingness or some crazy ass dream? It's pure magic. You never did anything in the first place. It's all functional perfectly fine without any you doing anything. Just get out of gods way ffs. 

Edited December 15, 2020 by Someone here

[Forestluv]

1 hour ago, Kalki Avatar said:

@Forestluv I get you there. But, actually at sometime you will have to even let go of that karma. You are dissolving it and re creating it. 

I have gone to extremes of being socially awkward just to not create karma. You must see people reaction, lmao. 

The good thing is that even if people reject, react or criticise you for not following their commands to create karma, you will be detached and unaffected by such surface-world phenomena. Then you can go deeper and deeper and stabilize and be socially normal again.

You had asked about functionality and I was describing functionality living as a human in society, not social acceptance or karma.

When my consciousness is within areas often described as “nondual”, the mind and body is not highly functional in a human context. I can walk through nature and perhaps make a sandwich, yet I’m not in a mental space to be functional in a complex business meeting in which we are evaluating our roles and the impact of inter-departmental policies on personnel. In that context, there needs to be attention and assumption of “things” to function. If the mind is so far detached, I’d just sit there observing appearances as if I were watching a night sky. I may melt with others as one and laugh as I make everyone’s mouths move to create silly sounds. To be functional, I need to be aware that there is a plot and roles being played as if I was participating in a movie. Yet the other extreme of using a highly personalized filter reduces functionality.

Yet this depends on how one defines “no self” and “nondual”. My sense is you are asking for more practical input than theory on terms.

[Gesundheit]

I may be the weird one here, but I generally find myself much more grounded and rational when I am experiencing an awakening, even though I clearly see through the illusion. It's like realizing that reality is all a pretend, but at the same time becoming the best actor there is. Zero resistance, zero effort, and total awareness.

On the other hand, when I am unconscious, I tend to become a total chimp, completely enmeshed in the illusion. I literally feel like an animal. Awakening makes me human.

[LastThursday]

Keep things simple. Keep busy and ground yourself with tasks that don't require too much thought. Stay in the moment with any tasks you do need to carry out. Take time off. Give yourself as much mental space as possible to integrate. Eat well, exercise regularly, sleep properly. Journal or speak to people about what you're experiencing if possible.

[Corpus]

Think of the character as a navigation-device which serves during certain social and many professional situations; there is a part to play in such scenarios and the character is employed to do the job. The more pressurised the nature of the encounter the more it solidifies, certainly in the professional sphere, yet without it a certain efficiency is not achieved.   

[LfcCharlie4]

This is why Retreats & sabbaticals are helpful when going through the awakening phase, there really is no easy answer. 

As you say post awakening, as you integrate the understanding it gets much easier, but during it and as the Separate Self is seen to be an illusion, as you embody non-doership, that can be brutal for a while. 

Best advice is guidance & working with a teacher closely to help facilitate the process, or spend 2 years on a bench like Eckhart or have people take care of you like Ramana. The more spontaneous = the greater the shock. Usually for seasoned 'seekers' it is an easier 'transition' 

[Forestluv]

1 hour ago, Corpus said:

Think of the character as a navigation-device which serves during certain social and many professional situations; there is a part to play in such scenarios and the character is employed to do the job. The more pressurised the nature of the encounter the more it solidifies, certainly in the professional sphere, yet without it a certain efficiency is not achieved.   

I like this as a practical model. Sensations, feelings, thoughts can help the mind and body navigate. It can have the essence of a “me” character. This can come in handy for many situations, yet I’ve noticed the mind can become so immersed / attached / identified to the “character” that there is only the character and detached awareness is lost. Unfortunately, many minds get locked into this mind state all day, with at best very brief detached glimpses. 

As others have said, trying to get detach and get space for awareness can be helpful - such as a meditation retreat. Or psychedelics can be a radical disruptor, yet can be difficult to maintain and stabilize. Teachers are helpful in that they can be a form of awareness for a mind that has very little awareness power. 

At intermediate “stages”, it can feel like “going in and out” character attachment / identification, which can feel confusing, unstable and uncomfortable. Yet with practice, letting go, detachment and return to mindfulness becomes more natural. There are many “waking up” moments throughout the day and stretches of mindfulneess. A sense of ‘forgetting’ and ‘remembering’ - and the ‘place’ if remembering has some grounding to it. There can also be background awareness even when the mind is investing attention in character phenomena. 

This is just one model that I find helpful. There are many other models and “no model” models that also have truth to them. 

[Nahm]

 

 

11 hours ago, Kalki Avatar said:

I have gone to extremes of being socially awkward just to not create karma. You must see people reaction, lmao. 

The good thing is that even if people reject, react or criticise you for not following their commands to create karma, you will be detached and unaffected by such surface-world phenomena. Then you can go deeper and deeper and stabilize and be socially normal again.

Care to share more on these?   What did those ‘extremes’ look like?  What were ‘their commands’?  

[Ry4n]

19 hours ago, Forestluv said:

In terms of functionality, My experience is that the higher functionality needed, the more identification into a character. When there is near complete detachment, I’m not very functional. A low level of identification with simple tasks and a high level with complex tasks. When I’m at work engaged in complex inter-personal interactions I feel more of the character to be able to function. Then later, that can dissolve. I’ve heard some talk about complete, permanent dissolution of person or a constant awareness observing, yet that not my experience when trying to function in complex societal situations. 

And I also try to be kind to the mind and body, trying to reduce unnecessary inner criticism, regret, worry, inner turmoil and do some healthy things.

Reminds me of Martin Ball's description of the ego being like clothing that you wear; post-awakening it can act as a tool that you use instead of it using you, rather than being constantly selfless like some people describe. Honestly thank god this is the case for most people lol.