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Absolutely. I actually don't call myself a Buddhist either, though in truth I find the most inspiration/truth from a mixture of Zen teachings and the Pali teachings... Specifically I have found the teachings of Thich Nhat Hahn to be very inspiring... If you want a pretty in depth book I would checkout "Understanding our mind" by him.. I have read this book several times and continue to deepen my understanding of these matters every time I read it.

BTW I do whole heartedly believe psychedelics can help lead one to the complete understanding of no self. Without a doubt they were instrumental in my break through on this point. However, I think the utility of psychedelics pretty well stops there for this path... and this isn't to say that they have no other use or that they should never be done or enjoyed again. Psychedelics are amazing tools, but they are only tools on this path. Once you see no self you don't need them for this kind of work any more. A hint I will give you here is that the fancy visions basically mean absolutely nothing, (I know I'm about to get flamed for this), but seriously the visions are just more of the same mind stuff that everything else is.

In buddhist terms psychedelic visions are rampant with the 3 characteristics of existence:
1) They are impermanent.
2) Because they are impermanent clinging to them will lead to suffering.
3) Because of 1 and 2 they are also not self.

I think the Buddhist teachings on mindfulness are hugely beneficial in every day life without any of the other philosophical concepts. The Dalai lama agrees and in fact there have been several scientific studies on mindfulness meditation that have also suggested this to be the case.

Honestly mindfulness meditation (vipassana) has done more for me than anything else. I practiced several forms of yoga meditation and had solid concentration before I took up this practice, but this practice continues to strengthen my ability to remain present in this moment. Why is this useful? Well it helps you see things as they arise.   In my case anger has been one of my greatest teachers. It turns out that with mindfulness I can see the anger arise, with the complete understanding of no self I understand it's not actually me, and with equanimity built up from a continuous practice of meditation I am able to endure the sensations without becoming immersed in them....

Mindfulness really is the key to finally eclipsing the ego. When your mindfulness is strong you will be able to observe thoughts come and go, but more importantly you will see when the mind feeds back on itself and tries to inject a story line about how there is an 'I' to which things are happening. In truth there isn't anything happening to you or me. We are in fact that which is happening. Understanding noself deeply leads to this realization, but mindfulness enables one to live the teachings...

Some claim (most in the neo Advaita Vedanta) that simply seeing no self is the end game, but in reality you can see through the self and then fall right back into ego. Anyone that has experienced a true ego death under psychedelics knows this to be true. So no self really is only a half teaching in and of itself. If you want to fully walk this path and bring an end to Dukkha then you will have to employ mindfulness to catch the ego overlaying itself on top of reality repeatedly until it finally tires out and disappears... though I have not had that happen yet nor do I really expect it will as long as I am immersed in the world with a job, mortgage, wife, etc...

For me the biggest gain has been greater equanimity in the face of difficulties. I still feel anger, but the anger is observed more as a sensation that moves through my body than something I have become. Thoughts no longer belong to me, but are more like mental suggestions. I am no longer defined in the same way I was before because I understand fully that I am just a part of a continuous manifestation.

<blockquote data-quote="joedirt" data-source="post: 3687187" data-attributes="member: 6370">Absolutely.&nbsp; I actually don&#039;t call myself a Buddhist either, though in truth I find the most inspiration/truth from a mixture of Zen teachings and the Pali teachings... Specifically I have found the teachings of Thich Nhat Hahn to be very inspiring... If you want a pretty in depth book I would checkout &quot;<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Our-Mind-Buddhist-Psychology/dp/1888375302" target="_blank">Understanding our mind</a>&quot; by him..&nbsp; I have read this book several times and continue to deepen my understanding of these matters every time I read it.&nbsp; BTW I do whole heartedly believe psychedelics can help lead one to the complete understanding of no self.&nbsp; Without a doubt they were instrumental in my break through on this point.&nbsp; However, I think the utility of psychedelics pretty well stops there for this path... and this isn&#039;t to say that they have no other use or that they should never be done or enjoyed again.&nbsp; Psychedelics are amazing tools, but they are only tools on this path.&nbsp; Once you see no self you don&#039;t need them for this kind of work any more.&nbsp; A hint I will give you here is that the fancy visions basically mean absolutely nothing, (I know I&#039;m about to get flamed for this), but seriously the visions are just more of the same mind stuff that everything else is.&nbsp;&nbsp; In buddhist terms psychedelic visions are rampant with the 3 characteristics of existence:1)&nbsp; They are impermanent.2)&nbsp; Because they are impermanent clinging to them will lead to suffering.3)&nbsp; Because of 1 and 2 they are also not self.I think the Buddhist teachings on mindfulness are hugely beneficial in every day life without any of the other philosophical concepts.&nbsp; The Dalai lama agrees and in fact there have been <a href="http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&amp;as_sdt=0,22&amp;q=mindfulness+meditation" target="_blank">several scientific studies</a> on mindfulness meditation that have also suggested this to be the case.Honestly mindfulness meditation (vipassana) has done more for me than anything else.&nbsp; I practiced several forms of yoga meditation and had solid concentration before I took up this practice, but this practice continues to strengthen my ability to remain present in this moment.&nbsp; Why is this useful?&nbsp; Well it helps you see things as they arise.&nbsp;&nbsp; In my case anger has been one of my greatest teachers.&nbsp; It turns out that with mindfulness I can see the anger arise, with the complete understanding of no self I understand it&#039;s not actually me, and with equanimity built up from a continuous practice of meditation I am able to endure the sensations without becoming immersed in them.... Mindfulness really is the key to finally eclipsing the ego.&nbsp; When your mindfulness is strong you will be able to observe thoughts come and go, but more importantly you will see when the mind feeds back on itself and tries to inject a story line about how there is an &#039;I&#039; to which things are happening.&nbsp; In truth there isn&#039;t anything happening to you or me.&nbsp; We are in fact that which is happening.&nbsp; Understanding noself deeply leads to this realization, but mindfulness enables one to live the teachings...Some claim (most in the neo Advaita Vedanta) that simply seeing no self is the end game, but in reality you can see&nbsp; through the self and then fall right back into ego.&nbsp; Anyone that has experienced a true ego death under psychedelics knows this to be true.&nbsp; So no self really is only a half teaching in and of itself.&nbsp; If you want to fully walk this path and bring an end to Dukkha then you will have to employ mindfulness to catch the ego overlaying itself on top of reality repeatedly until it finally tires out and disappears... though I have not had that happen yet nor do I really expect it will as long as I am immersed in the world with a job, mortgage, wife, etc...&nbsp;&nbsp; For me the biggest gain has been greater equanimity in the face of difficulties.&nbsp; I still feel anger, but the anger is observed more as a sensation that moves through my body than something I have become.&nbsp; Thoughts no longer belong to me, but are more like mental suggestions.&nbsp; I am no longer defined in the same way I was before because I understand fully that I am just a part of a continuous manifestation.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="joedirt, post: 3687187, member: 6370"] Absolutely. I actually don't call myself a Buddhist either, though in truth I find the most inspiration/truth from a mixture of Zen teachings and the Pali teachings... Specifically I have found the teachings of Thich Nhat Hahn to be very inspiring... If you want a pretty in depth book I would checkout "[url=http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Our-Mind-Buddhist-Psychology/dp/1888375302]Understanding our mind[/url]" by him.. I have read this book several times and continue to deepen my understanding of these matters every time I read it. BTW I do whole heartedly believe psychedelics can help lead one to the complete understanding of no self. Without a doubt they were instrumental in my break through on this point. However, I think the utility of psychedelics pretty well stops there for this path... and this isn't to say that they have no other use or that they should never be done or enjoyed again. Psychedelics are amazing tools, but they are only tools on this path. Once you see no self you don't need them for this kind of work any more. A hint I will give you here is that the fancy visions basically mean absolutely nothing, (I know I'm about to get flamed for this), but seriously the visions are just more of the same mind stuff that everything else is. In buddhist terms psychedelic visions are rampant with the 3 characteristics of existence: 1) They are impermanent. 2) Because they are impermanent clinging to them will lead to suffering. 3) Because of 1 and 2 they are also not self. I think the Buddhist teachings on mindfulness are hugely beneficial in every day life without any of the other philosophical concepts. The Dalai lama agrees and in fact there have been [url=http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0,22&q=mindfulness+meditation]several scientific studies[/url] on mindfulness meditation that have also suggested this to be the case. Honestly mindfulness meditation (vipassana) has done more for me than anything else. I practiced several forms of yoga meditation and had solid concentration before I took up this practice, but this practice continues to strengthen my ability to remain present in this moment. Why is this useful? Well it helps you see things as they arise. In my case anger has been one of my greatest teachers. It turns out that with mindfulness I can see the anger arise, with the complete understanding of no self I understand it's not actually me, and with equanimity built up from a continuous practice of meditation I am able to endure the sensations without becoming immersed in them.... Mindfulness really is the key to finally eclipsing the ego. When your mindfulness is strong you will be able to observe thoughts come and go, but more importantly you will see when the mind feeds back on itself and tries to inject a story line about how there is an 'I' to which things are happening. In truth there isn't anything happening to you or me. We are in fact that which is happening. Understanding noself deeply leads to this realization, but mindfulness enables one to live the teachings... Some claim (most in the neo Advaita Vedanta) that simply seeing no self is the end game, but in reality you can see through the self and then fall right back into ego. Anyone that has experienced a true ego death under psychedelics knows this to be true. So no self really is only a half teaching in and of itself. If you want to fully walk this path and bring an end to Dukkha then you will have to employ mindfulness to catch the ego overlaying itself on top of reality repeatedly until it finally tires out and disappears... though I have not had that happen yet nor do I really expect it will as long as I am immersed in the world with a job, mortgage, wife, etc... For me the biggest gain has been greater equanimity in the face of difficulties. I still feel anger, but the anger is observed more as a sensation that moves through my body than something I have become. Thoughts no longer belong to me, but are more like mental suggestions. I am no longer defined in the same way I was before because I understand fully that I am just a part of a continuous manifestation. [/QUOTE]