how does contemplation increase consciousness ?

[levani]

so I just sit there and have a question in mind like "who am I" or "what is" and think about it ? and that's supposed to be the best way to incr condciousness according to peter ralston ?

[Tim R]

@levani In contemplation, you don't just intellectually think about a question. They key to contemplation (at least the way I understand and do it) is intuition.

Intuition is not really the same as thinking. Intuition is non-conceptual intelligence. And contemplation is the cultivation of a connection to this intelligence, out of which you let answers come to you. This intuitive intelligence is inherently yours - better still, you are this intelligence. 

But because it is non-conceptual intelligence, the answers will not be conceptual, too.  Intuition can't be explicated. Therefore, contemplation is 100% implicit. 

[mandyjw]

Don't just sit there and effort to contemplate, contemplations don't begin and never end. I've had questions I've sincerely asked and forgotten about when I was a child get answered in profound, satisfying, unexpected ways in my 30's. 

Genuine curiosity is a very aligned quality with Awareness or that which you really Are. In other words, you're already that. Yay! Go you! 

[Thought Art]

I like doing morning pages, just letting whatever is on my mind write out on to the page. I find from installing this habit, writing in general and contemplation becomes easier. 

[r0ckyreed]

@Thought Art Morning pages sounds like a form of spiritual autolysis, an exercise endorsed by Jed McKenna.

[Thought Art]

Through contemplation, you are basically using your spot light of awareness and mind to actually think about things. To ask questions, find answers, feel how you think about something.

When we are not writing down thoughts we tend to just repeat the same thoughts again, and again and again. Anyone else have parents or know people who have had the same problem or argument line for line for the past 20 years? I see this in my parents.

This is why we do this work I think in part. Not only to realize we are God and to take back our sovereignty but to break free from the mechanical prison that is the thought loops of people who never used their minds. Most people are mechanical because they never even bothered to question "am I a machine? How so?"

By contemplating we create space and room for our thoughts to explore, problem solve. We are actually literally increasing our consciousness through deliberate practice. Each question we ask, each list we make, each source we reflect on.. We grow wiser, deeper and build out thinking muscles. We develop new ideas, have catharsis etc. 

When we think things through ourselves we come up against emotional labour. This is a sure sign we are doing something right. When we think things through ourselves, using our own words, ideas, feelings etc we are building new neural connections that are stronger, more robust and prone to creating new creative and deeper insights. 

Edited August 6, 2021 by Thought Art

[The0Self]

Alter the viewing lens -> the view itself is altered. Repeat. Observe trends. Use what you learn to intuitively experiment more deeply, with more ingenuity, with the alteration of your lens of viewing experience.

Doing this with increasingly more subtlety and power simultaneously.

A good place to start is viewing phenomena as impermanent, then stressful, then not-me/mine, then empty of having separate existence.

Edited August 7, 2021 by The0Self