No More Lurking

[gatezz]

Hello DMT Nexus,

Long time lurker here. A little about me, I'm 23 years old. Currently pursuing a glassblowing career and finally finding the time to pursue my interest in psychedelics, consciousness, and philosophy again. Although it has been a couple year hiatus from psychedelics, I have certainly been exploring these ideas through other means. My early experiences with psychedelics were rather light and fun, but the trips became increasingly profound and perspective altering. The most significant experiences that occurred have led me to consider the possibilities of nonduality, and that is something I'd like to further explore and discuss on this forum. I can imagine that other nexians may be able to share some useful perspective. I am looking forward to becoming increasingly involved in the community.

Gatezz

 

[brewster]

Interesting! Welcome.

 

[Achilles]

Welcome gatezz... feel free to explore, chat, and comment as much as you like and others will most certainly engage you. If psychedelics are of your interest your amongst friends here :thumb_up:

 

[brewster]

the trips became increasingly profound and perspective altering. The most significant experiences that occurred have led me to consider the possibilities of nonduality, and that is something I'd like to further explore and discuss

I'd sure love to read about this in more detail from you. Cheers!

 

[gatezz]

the trips became increasingly profound and perspective altering. The most significant experiences that occurred have led me to consider the possibilities of nonduality, and that is something I'd like to further explore and discuss

I'd sure love to read about this in more detail from you. Cheers!

I appreciate your interest. Nonduality is probably the topic that interests me most! For me, the peak often leads to an experience of everything falling away, not a thing remaining. Yet there is consciousness without an object to be conscious of. I have often seen people on this forum speaking of the DMT experience feeling realer than everyday reality, and that definitely is how this feels. Like waking up from a dream, the dream being a subject/ object relationship with life. I'm still wrapping my head around the whole thing. For some time have just been considering the possibilities in sobriety. Have been feeling the calling to dive into the deep end again soon!

 

[brewster]

Yeah. From where I stand, the sense of "I" is just a useful construction to function in everyday life. Nothing wrong with that, but not THE TRUTH. Just a part of it. And we're now getting research supporting this. In short, we know now of brain networks that are creating the sense of personality. Psychedelics can suppress that:

Scans revealed a loss of connections between part of the brain called the parahippocampus and another region known as the retrosplenial cortex.

The effect could underpin the altered state of consciousness long linked to LSD, and the sense of the self-disintegrating and being replaced with a sense of oneness with others and nature. “This experience is sometimes framed in a religious or spiritual way, and seems to be associated with improvements in wellbeing after the drug’s effects have subsided,” Carhart-Harris said.

The drug can be seen as reversing the more restricted thinking we develop from infancy to adulthood, said Nutt, whose study appears in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

LSD's impact on the brain revealed in groundbreaking images

First modern scans of people high on psychedelic drug has given researchers unprecedented insight into neural basis for its effects

www.theguardian.com

 

[Icyseeker]

Non-duality is a big philosophical point for me. Do you think that it is possible to go from the dual to the non-dual? Does it mean rising above conditioned existence what does that even look like? Can you be non-dual in some regards and not others? I think its an interesting topic that often (for me) leads nowhere. Maybe that is where I am suppose to go with it. Regardless would love to have a discussion.

 

[brewster]

Hmmm. I'd love to answer your questions! I'm not sure I understand them right. Because I haven't so clearly thought about what nonduality means for me. I've hear mostly Advaita teachers talk about that, and I have not really a connection to Advaita. For them, this seems to be a big issue.

Urban Dictionary says the following:

Nonduality
Not two. Non-separateness. The nature of reality.

The experience, sense, intuition, or knowing of a reality that is deeper, more meaningful, more unified, more vast than the reality that is known on a day to day basis, and from which there is no separation.

The recognition that while non-separateness describes reality, distinct and apparently separate forms arise within it. The further recognition that form and reality are not separate even though they may appear to be, even as waves are not separate from the ocean.

The body of practices, teachings, teachers, traditions that may be accessed in the pursuit of understanding reality.

Source: Urban Dictionary: Nonduality


Sooo... is that what you mean when you talk about nonduality? Or is it something else?


Greetings

EDIT: Another thought on the matter. I assume that we'll agree nonduality means something that is different from "everyday mind" - whatever that may be. I can't really say much about what Advaita does with the term, but I believe this to be a fundemental issue.

I have the impression that there are several ways that can seriously weaken our normal, everyday mind. Psychedelics, meditation, sexual ecstasy, sports, you name it. A Zen teacher said to me that what Zen meditation does is that it allows us to stretch the network of thoughts that our mind makes, and that can be opaque, so that we can see through and the before-thinking mind can seep through, bringing healing and inspiring energy. (I quote very loosely from memory).

So, I don't know if this is close to what you mean by the term. That's what I think about - the "before thinking" mind, a more basic, general, encompassing awareness. I believe that to be a fundemental human experience, most people just don't notice or forget it quickly. Psychedelics, especially on higher doses, can bring intense experiences of that, but there are many other ways.

Rising above conditioned existence? Hmm.. to me, the conditioned, relative world is just one dimension of existence, nonduality being another. For me, we live in both, and can train ourselves to perceive different layers. But perceiving the nondual for me dosen't really influence the dualistic, even though connections can be made.
But I'd say, we can get acquainted with that part of ourself that doesen't reside in the conditioned world - but this part never did that, regardless of if we perceived that or not. So, journeying to the nondual means rather exploring what had already been there, but not really a "rising above".

Don't know if that makes sense to you... :roll:

 

[FranLover]

No More Lurking...Out of the depths he apeareth!! Hi and welcome! =)

Brewster I just have to let you know that that makes two of us. I dont see the big deal about it. I understand the concept, but not what is so complex about it or worth expounding on (no offense at all to gatezz) And...I have this memory of seeing this bald guy on youtube talking about non-duality and I cringe just thinking about it. Ever since then when I hear the word I hear it in a hipster tone "non duality, man"

If I understand it correctly, "Advaita, the nondifference of subject and object, or nonduality between subject and object" is wisdom and rings true. But this is evident; one looks at an angry face and becomes angry. One looks at a beautiful flower and one becomes that beauty.

 

[gatezz]

So happy to have others to discuss these ideas with. Would likely get a lot of crazy looks bringing these things up in person I guess the reason I find it of such importance is that perception of realer than real. Those moments truly are like waking up from a lifelong dream, the greatest aha feeling one could imagine. I agree with the statement that the conditioned relative world is just an aspect of existence. I also, really like the statement regarding exploring what had already been there. I feel that the immediacy of awareness is such that in looking for it as an object, it is already overlooked. Its effortless abidance. I feel this quote sums up my current perspective on the subject well: "Meditation is what we are, not what we do; the separate self is what we do, not what we are." - Rupert Spira.

 

[brewster]

Brewster I just have to let you know that that makes two of us. I dont see the big deal about it. I understand the concept, but not what is so complex about it or worth expounding on

Glad to hear it Yeah, I'm a big fan of trying not to take it all toooooo seriously. It's normal imho to be extremely excited when experiencing this for the first few times, nothing wrong with that. After a while, I find it healthy if one settles down a bit about it.

I feel this quote sums up my current perspective on the subject well: "Meditation is what we are, not what we do; the separate self is what we do, not what we are." - Rupert Spira.

That's a really nice quote! Like it a lot. Also am very happy that you sympathize with what I wrote.

 

[twitchy]

Welcome aboard. I do some glass work myself, mostly marbles and pendants.

 

[gatezz]

Welcome aboard. I do some glass work myself, mostly marbles and pendants.

Awesome, would love to check out your work or talk glass sometime!