Direct Experiences

[FeelFree]

Why are direct experiences so important? What are your views on Direct experience vs Science? Thanks!

[Arman]

One practical example of why I have come to agree with the importance of direct experience was several times coming to places of great pain and confusion. Taking the modern new age path, particularly with the internet these days, often means being bombarded and oversaturated with many ideas, practices, ideologies, techniques, etc; as opposed to historically when I think most people were only exposed to one or two paths at most.

Sometimes I would feel so mixed up. 'Why am I struggling so much?' - then I would try to figure out what I should do. Create? Simply be mindful? Act? Pray? Or how about consider one of any ten million teachings! I felt confused and overwhelmed with options. I was always trying to figure out what was the 'right' choice without necessarily considering my direct experience (aka what is right for ME) with all these paths and hadn't considered on a very basic level what has been effective and what hasn't. My ego was attached so many methodologies that perhaps were not right for me at that time.

When I came to this realisation I decided to strip as many beliefs as I could and simply do what was giving me relief in the moment and not which ideas 'should' work because my ego says they are correct, useful, holy, or any other number of attributes. Direct experience led me to what worked.

 

[aurum]

There's not much to be said about a direct experience itself. In fact, saying anything about it no longer makes it a direct experience.

Later. when you "come back", you can say something like "oh, I was infinity" or something like that. But when it's happening, it's not like that. It's not "like" anything really.

This is important though. When you come back, because the mind is still running, it's going to try and MAKE SENSE of what just happened. It's going to try and take the unexplainable and explain it.

Depending on your conceptual model of the world, this can be disastrous. The mind is going to make all these interpretations that can potentially lead to depression or who knows what else.

You HAVE to balance seeking direct experience with conceptual growing. I made this mistake of abandoning learning for awhile and it cost me.

Inquire, inquire, inquire, but also read, read, read. Why do you think I have a book review blog? Do I just "love books" and reading that much?

Hell no.  I just know that without learning, your life is basically a trainwreck waiting to happen. Books just happen to be something that resonates with me.

[eskwire]

@FeelFree Thinking about conceptual models, including science or spiritual teachings, is talking to humans, including yourself. Direct experience is being with god.

Both have value.  Both are important. You need both. But god's better than humans. ? 

[Bob84]

@FeelFree  One is firsthand and the other is secondhand. Unless you do the science yourself of course.