Non duality

[Fluffy]

Okay jokes aside.

I’m really enjoying this discussion and see validity to all sides of the debate. We are here now on earth in this physical body, emotional and mental entanglement with our senses and experiences, which is often wrought with a miasma of difficulty and suffering, there’s no mistake about it, for no other purpose but to learn and for 99.999% of us is absolutely necessary or we will just wallow about doing nothing, repeating over and over again in stagnation.

What I so see is the egoic attachment to this suffering is what the real challenge to overcome is. The suffering might still be there, say when someone we love dies, the heart will ache at that loss no matter what, but it's the awareness and knowledge of the situation of death and the afterlife that brings that suffering into a place of peace where acceptance, joy in memories, tears of pain that are anticipation of an eventual reunion, honouring the life lived and knowing it was not lost.

I think the suffering of the ego resonates as a negative polarity and the soul with its gentle touch and guidance, when allowed, can turn the suffering into a positive polarity of a higher frequency.
So I think it comes down to frequency resonance vibration on how the suffering is perceived and which lens one chooses to see it through.

If we simply know we are the Creator having an experience does this not lessen the burden of the suffering we are experiencing? I think so, because then we can be more objective about the suffering and potentially become the observer, who has empathy and compassion for self and all other selves, in gratitude and love… then the ego falls away naturally.

 

[Wandering Star]

I don't remember making any complaints about creation. But I might be complaining subconsciously, and not being honest with myself about it.


I'm not sure about the validity of that statement but, yeah, we seem to be mainly "on our own" anyway:

I found it:

January 10, 1995

Q: (L) Well, I don't exactly get what you mean. The whole point of this article is to say that ET's who abduct people are here to help us evolve and that it is only us, if we have dark and dirty unconscious minds, who perceive them as negative.

A: Wrong, you do not need "help" evolving, nor does anything else.

 

[romseguy]

I'd say it's only if people have "dark and dirty unconscious minds" that they are potential subjects for abductions.

 

[bozadi]

"no one needs help to progress" (I'm paraphrasing)

I found it:

January 10, 1995

Q: (L) Well, I don't exactly get what you mean. The whole point of this article is to say that ET's who abduct people are here to help us evolve and that it is only us, if we have dark and dirty unconscious minds, who perceive them as negative.

A: Wrong, you do not need "help" evolving, nor does anything else.

Glad you found it. But you should also take into account the fact that "evolution" doesn't always mean "progression" (as in "upwards progression"). Evolution can also mean any changes that occur, not necessarily upwards. Thus it might just mean "continuing". I'm not sure but this might be exactly what the C's suggesting in that quote. That is, they might have meant to say, "You do not need 'help' to continue".

Consider this, for instance:

If your great grandchildren wind up tossing spears, that is 'evolution' too.

I might be misunderstanding the C's explanation, though. Still, your paraphrase "No one needs help to progress" sounds a bit too assertive. I think "help" is indispensible from an STO point of view, but, surely, the respect for free will is also paramount, so there's an issue of balance between.

 

[bozadi]

I think the suffering of the ego resonates as a negative polarity and the soul with its gentle touch and guidance, when allowed, can turn the suffering into a positive polarity of a higher frequency.

I think our trust in the fairness, acceptability, or lovability of the "Universe" (intelligent wholeness of which we are a part) is a deep "positive" thought or faith. Lots of tortures occur in the worldly life, and this probably decharges our positivity, and we recharge it in 5D before reincarnating (also, apparently, during deep sleep although in a smaller scale). Despite the recharge, the depth of our sufferings during an incarnation might risk a significant loss of positivity, although deep sufferings can also result in positive "awaking" effects depending on the situation.

So, there's always an interaction and a possible conflict between our positive and negative charges (in thoughts and feelings).

I think the "Matrix" strikes a deep, diverse, and uninterrupted bombardment of negativities on us to deplete our positivity, which, however, is probably almost always deeper than our negative charge, thanks to the recharges of positivity (in the case of STO candidates, at least).

False self / ego, which I think is more or less synonymous with the propensity for 3D-thinking and body-centricity, can often cause negative effects to be felt stronger, resulting in a deepening of agony, stagnation in the positive charge, or an increase in the negative charge. This can manifest as a decrease of trust in the fairness, acceptability, and lovability (maybe even the reality) of the Universe as an intelligent whole. There's also the issue of our "identifiability" with the Universe/God/One. True positivity inspires "oneness". That is, the big(gest) reality is not only good, but it is also not in the least separate from us or from anything; it is really "one". Ego means "separation", a fundamentally, almost eternally, separated self. False self.

Theories aside, I think we can practically and easily observe and confirm that negative thoughts and feelings are "harmful". They damage us. Yes, their damage can also make awakening effects but what we need to check regularly is how positive and/or negative we really are. I think we should be watchful for our tendency to justify and ignore (i.e. assimilate) negativity in our thoughts and feelings. Despite all the negativity bombardments by the mundane life, we should make sure that we can consciously access, experience, and enjoy positivity, ideally independently of the mundane. I believe positivity is us. Thus, to be positive is to be us, our true self. Our right to be positive is our right to be ourselves, the most fundamental right, responsibility, and honor. Yeah, easier said than done. As I said before, I have great difficulty in doing this regularly. I mean, checking my positivity vs negativity status and, upon confirmation of a predominating charge of negativity, consciously raising the positive charge.

 

[bozadi]

Correction: decharge -> discharge

 

[Fluffy]

I think our trust in the fairness, acceptability, or lovability of the "Universe" (intelligent wholeness of which we are a part) is a deep "positive" thought or faith. Lots of tortures occur in the worldly life, and this probably decharges our positivity, and we recharge it in 5D before reincarnating (also, apparently, during deep sleep although in a smaller scale). Despite the recharge, the depth of our sufferings during an incarnation might risk a significant loss of positivity, although deep sufferings can also result in positive "awaking" effects depending on the situation.

So, there's always an interaction and a possible conflict between our positive and negative charges (in thoughts and feelings).

I think the "Matrix" strikes a deep, diverse, and uninterrupted bombardment of negativities on us to deplete our positivity, which, however, is probably almost always deeper than our negative charge, thanks to the recharges of positivity (in the case of STO candidates, at least).

False self / ego, which I think is more or less synonymous with the propensity for 3D-thinking and body-centricity, can often cause negative effects to be felt stronger, resulting in a deepening of agony, stagnation in the positive charge, or an increase in the negative charge. This can manifest as a decrease of trust in the fairness, acceptability, and lovability (maybe even the reality) of the Universe as an intelligent whole. There's also the issue of our "identifiability" with the Universe/God/One. True positivity inspires "oneness". That is, the big(gest) reality is not only good, but it is also not in the least separate from us or from anything; it is really "one". Ego means "separation", a fundamentally, almost eternally, separated self. False self.

Theories aside, I think we can practically and easily observe and confirm that negative thoughts and feelings are "harmful". They damage us. Yes, their damage can also make awakening effects but what we need to check regularly is how positive and/or negative we really are. I think we should be watchful for our tendency to justify and ignore (i.e. assimilate) negativity in our thoughts and feelings. Despite all the negativity bombardments by the mundane life, we should make sure that we can consciously access, experience, and enjoy positivity, ideally independently of the mundane. I believe positivity is us. Thus, to be positive is to be us, our true self. Our right to be positive is our right to be ourselves, the most fundamental right, responsibility, and honor. Yeah, easier said than done. As I said before, I have great difficulty in doing this regularly. I mean, checking my positivity vs negativity status and, upon confirmation of a predominating charge of negativity, consciously raising the positive charge.

I do agree, and this is confirmed in me by the feeling of resonance while reading texts such as you quote, Q’uo for example. I’ve mentioned before in other threads that I think there is an importance for us to visit and revisit books such as The Wanderer’s Handbook which is essentially a guide on how to raise our positive frequency in everyday life and interaction with self and others. In no way am I dismissing the need to observe, study and understand the negatively charged environment that we life in and are subjected to but as a means to navigate our way through it- not to ignore or block it out, but consciously choose to align with the choice of a higher perspective, a very difficult thing to do, but what I would call, self mastery, if accomplished.

 

[bozadi]

Recently, I've been trying to concentrate mostly on a single practice: Consciously increasing my positivity more, more, and more. I believe that in this way I'm gradually getting rid of my ego / false self, increasing my STO polarization.

Being positive (STO polarization) is directly compatible with the essence of being (7D). Being negative, however, is not. It's not directly compatible with 7D although this incompatibility (significant resistance, friction) doesn't necessarily prevent STS beings from getting closer and closer to 7D up to a certain point, despite the enormous difficulties involved. Unlike positivity, however, negativity is surely to be given up "before" reaching 7D.

So, I see the obvious naturality and necessity of being positive. It's me! My (and everyone else's) essence is pure positivity. My failure to be my real self is essentially all the problem that I need to deal with. I think this is why the C's say "Self knowledge and ones own weaknesses" are the main area of knowledge that people should be focusing on. Then I check my negativity, which I find to be unacceptably high, and I see that almost all my negativity is associated with "the world", directly or indirectly. Negative hyperdimensional influences also become influential on me through the gaps or weaknesses in my relations with the worldly life, with its peoples, events, and things, which, of course, also offer a certain amount of positivity but not sufficiently for me. Yeah the worldly life "demands" a lot of attention, some of which is natural and some unnatural. I mean it's only natural to give our attention to various aspects of our life, but the status quo launches uninterrupted bombardments of direct and indirect negativities and this often makes it difficult to access and keep in contact with "higher centers". So, I suppose, under these conditions, one must concentrate all one's strength to counteract all the inner and outer negativities and manage to increase one's positivity more and more. I think this is closely related to the C's strong suggestion, "Stop thinking 3D". I think this means lowering our mundane ambitions or expectations. The STS realm is at the very end of its lifetime on Earth, so we need to acclimatize ourselves with the STO realm "as much as possible" to increase our FRV compatibility with the STO realm more and more.

The traumatic shocks caused by the increasing "storm" of the reality transformation is and will also be making some "awakening" effects obviously but I think the higher our STO-compatibility (candidacy) is, the less we'll need to be traumatized and/or shocked to be forced to get rid of our egoic blockages that prevent or weaken some higher center connections.

What do I do to consciously increase my positivity? Relaxing is often the first and almost the only thing, just as in a preparation for meditation. Both bodily and mentally. This also makes it easier, almost automatic, to breathe deeper and more effective, which in turn supports relaxing deeper and deeper. The intention is to continue and deepen this relaxation and the resulting joy as long as possible. Bothering or distracting thoughts can naturally arise and sometimes diminish or disable the effort for deepening positivity. Normally, the idea or conviction to be maintained should be something like "nothing is more important than my journey of ever increasing my positivity" but it's not always possible to have sufficient faith in this conviction due to our affairs with the worldly life, but "practice makes perfect", with patience.

In my case, one of the beliefs that supports this conscious positivity effort is that the positivity gained in this way heals, to a gradually increasing extent, not only the present stresses but also "everything about us", independently of the "present" time and space. It sends a positive signal to everything associated with us anywhere in the field of information. The cycling of energies or frequencies brings in our minds consciously or subconsciously various thoughts associated with our experiences. When our positivity is sufficiently high, we are automatically giving positive/healing signals or responses to whatever thoughts arise during the continuous cycling. When our negativity is higher, our responses to the arising thoughts in the natural cycling are often not healing, if not worsening. Our relations with the people in our lives is also included in this. So, I think, when we're more positive, we are consciously or unconsciously sending healing signals to them telepathically. So, being more (and more) positive or negative makes all the difference.

 

[Haldeman]

This thread is near and dear to me and my experience. And I have yet to attempt to explain and distill my experience so far in my life, so forgive me if I am rambling or nonsensical. I am yet trying to make sense of my journey thus far, and the Cassiopaea forum is rather new in my life.

Non-duality was certainly a part of my journey, and I have had distinct experiences of non-duality in the form of the teachings of classical Advaita Vedanta (Shankara, the Siva Puranas, Ramana Maharishi, Srila Prabhupada [for all that its worth given his delving into money-based manipulation of Vedantic teachings], Vivekananda, Yogananda, et al.) and Neo-Advaita, whose teachers are (arguably) divorced from the lineage of pre-mentioned teachers and teachings, but still expound upon ways and means to "get beyond the ego 'I'", such as Papaji, Gangaji, Paul Hedderman, Nisargadatta Maharaj, Rupert Spire, Lisa Cairns, Jim Newman, et al...I mean, god!, there are so many these days! But they can be summed up in their teachings as those who propose that their teaching is the "end of seeking".

All of the above may (and this is a rather large caveat, given that all of the above [and especially the neo-advaitans] have as much potential to inspire depersonalization as they do "true" realization of what this forum may call 7th density awareness) bring one into a sublime and temporary experience of "all is truly well".

Given my predilection to melancholy and depression, the allure of non-duality was its promise to "go beyond" the aching concerns of my present identity. And while it did make good on its promise in one respect, it in no way allowed me to confront life as it is. It only gave me a respite from it. My relationship to my family, to my work, to my partner, etc....all these have been incrementally helped by the non-dual broadening of my existential horizons, yet the facts remain (meaning my psycho-emotional makeup, my default identity-profile, my confronted and un-confronted trauma, the reality of evil in the world, etc.)

And so I agree this previous post based on my experience.

focusing too much on the idea of non-duality can lead one to eventually remove oneself from participating in life by choosing a path to walk on, regardless of whether this represents a choosing one side of a duality.

Focusing on one side of a duality (and ignoring the other) is like willfully ignoring an entire face of the Whole Reality, since the "Creator" deemed it well and necessary to manifest both sides of the coin.

The intention is to continue and deepen this relaxation and the resulting joy as long as possible. Bothering or distracting thoughts can naturally arise and sometimes diminish or disable the effort for deepening positivity. Normally, the idea or conviction to be maintained should be something like "nothing is more important than my journey of ever increasing my positivity" but it's not always possible t

The above ties in to a dilemma of mine on the previously-mentioned path. I'd go as far as to say that it is the crux implicit in any Eastern or Western teaching that suggests that a person can make their life truly better (or positively evolutive) via work upon "bothering or distracting thoughts" or changing one's egoic orientation in the direction of "deepening positivity". If any teaching is really worth its salt (imho), it asks of the aspirant just who exactly it is that is seeking the change or shift. For this reason...

The circumstantial (inner or outer) change or shift may certainly occur via whatever means you employ, but the "you" who desires the change or shift towards positivity is still underlying any change of circumstance that enters into your life. The "you" who desires change is plagued by the gap (and all that may fill it) implicit of its identity being defined in terms of that which it is not.

To put another way, the 'you' that desires a shift toward positivity is defined in terms of lack or negativity, or not-self (that which you don't have or don't do to don't possess, etc.) Meaning that the "you" that feels in some way too negative is defined in terms of a future ideal self that is more positive (which is ironically posited as not-self or not-yet-self, and therefore ever just out of reach).

(Here we seem to come to the Buddha's dilemma of Dependent Origination, the eternal whirlpool of Paticca Samupadda)

So what to do?

I don't say all this to discourage personal attempts to become more positively oriented than negatively oriented. Hell, I want to feel more positive than negative, and act more positively than negatively in the world! It just seems that personal attempts to do so are rife with the co-inhering reality of "self" and "other", "self" haunted by "not-self". And the common phrase takes on new solidity- "the more things change, the more they stay the same".

 

[Haldeman]

For the sake of putting my previous post into more concrete personal terms, I've noticed that focusing on positive thoughts, feelings, emotions, etc. tends to have a rebounding effect, where I at some inevitable point feel negative thoughts and feelings all the more strongly following the work on focusing positively. Or if I focus on positive relationships with my local community, invariably there is a person(s) who show up who bring a lot of friction or negativity into those relationships. Does this reflect any of you-all's experience with the work of developing your positive aspects and associations?

 

[axj]

So, I see the obvious naturality and necessity of being positive. It's me! My (and everyone else's) essence is pure positivity. My failure to be my real self is essentially all the problem that I need to deal with.

I completely agree. Being consciously present in the here and now, relaxing into 'beingness', the practice of constant Self-Remembering, observing the inner observer in meditation, even 'mindfulness' are all about being the true self - and it seems to be indeed the most important thing we can do. The opposite of dissociation, being 'zoned out' and being stuck in automatic habits.

The biggest challenge we seem to be facing is that being the true self (or consciously focusing on the true self) can be quite elusive, since the true self is not physical and as such there is nothing in physicality to focus on. The true self does have an 'energy sensation' that can be sensed or 'felt' with some practice, but that is basically perception of non-physical energies.

One more thing I wanted to mention regarding positivity and negativity: In my experience, the fastest way to dissolve any negativity is to first go deep into positivity (connection to the true self, love, acceptance, etc.) and then bring the positive and negative together. This always dissolves the negative, whether on the emotional or mental level.

Focusing only on positivity can have the potential pitfall of wanting to avoid facing the negativity (blocking difficult feelings, etc.). It has been one of the biggest challenges for me too, not wanting to feel what I don't like. The problem is that blocking negative emotions also blocks the deeper connection to the true self to some extent, making it more difficult to be the true self.

 

[axj]

I've noticed that focusing on positive thoughts, feelings, emotions, etc. tends to have a rebounding effect, where I at some inevitable point feel negative thoughts and feelings all the more strongly following the work on focusing positively.

One reason for this is that focusing on 'highly-vibrating' positive feelings or energies sort of vibrates up the low-vibrating negative emotions and stuck energies, bringing them to the surface to be acknowledged and let go of or 'dissolved'.

 

[Haldeman]

One reason for this is that focusing on 'highly-vibrating' positive feelings or energies sort of vibrates up the low-vibrating negative emotions and stuck energies, bringing them to the surface to be acknowledged and let go of or 'dissolved'.

Have you found that the “letting go” is just a result of noticing them and understanding how they don’t serve you, so to speak? Or is there more of an effort involved for the sake of dissolving them?

 

[bozadi]

This thread is near and dear to me and my experience. And I have yet to attempt to explain and distill my experience so far in my life, so forgive me if I am rambling or nonsensical. I am yet trying to make sense of my journey thus far, and the Cassiopaea forum is rather new in my life.

Non-duality was certainly a part of my journey, and I have had distinct experiences of non-duality in the form of the teachings of classical Advaita Vedanta (Shankara, the Siva Puranas, Ramana Maharishi, Srila Prabhupada [for all that its worth given his delving into money-based manipulation of Vedantic teachings], Vivekananda, Yogananda, et al.) and Neo-Advaita, whose teachers are (arguably) divorced from the lineage of pre-mentioned teachers and teachings, but still expound upon ways and means to "get beyond the ego 'I'", such as Papaji, Gangaji, Paul Hedderman, Nisargadatta Maharaj, Rupert Spire, Lisa Cairns, Jim Newman, et al...I mean, god!, there are so many these days! But they can be summed up in their teachings as those who propose that their teaching is the "end of seeking".

All of the above may (and this is a rather large caveat, given that all of the above [and especially the neo-advaitans] have as much potential to inspire depersonalization as they do "true" realization of what this forum may call 7th density awareness) bring one into a sublime and temporary experience of "all is truly well".

Given my predilection to melancholy and depression, the allure of non-duality was its promise to "go beyond" the aching concerns of my present identity. And while it did make good on its promise in one respect, it in no way allowed me to confront life as it is. It only gave me a respite from it. My relationship to my family, to my work, to my partner, etc....all these have been incrementally helped by the non-dual broadening of my existential horizons, yet the facts remain (meaning my psycho-emotional makeup, my default identity-profile, my confronted and un-confronted trauma, the reality of evil in the world, etc.)

And so I agree this previous post based on my experience.


Focusing on one side of a duality (and ignoring the other) is like willfully ignoring an entire face of the Whole Reality, since the "Creator" deemed it well and necessary to manifest both sides of the coin.



The above ties in to a dilemma of mine on the previously-mentioned path. I'd go as far as to say that it is the crux implicit in any Eastern or Western teaching that suggests that a person can make their life truly better (or positively evolutive) via work upon "bothering or distracting thoughts" or changing one's egoic orientation in the direction of "deepening positivity". If any teaching is really worth its salt (imho), it asks of the aspirant just who exactly it is that is seeking the change or shift. For this reason...

The circumstantial (inner or outer) change or shift may certainly occur via whatever means you employ, but the "you" who desires the change or shift towards positivity is still underlying any change of circumstance that enters into your life. The "you" who desires change is plagued by the gap (and all that may fill it) implicit of its identity being defined in terms of that which it is not.

To put another way, the 'you' that desires a shift toward positivity is defined in terms of lack or negativity, or not-self (that which you don't have or don't do to don't possess, etc.) Meaning that the "you" that feels in some way too negative is defined in terms of a future ideal self that is more positive (which is ironically posited as not-self or not-yet-self, and therefore ever just out of reach).

(Here we seem to come to the Buddha's dilemma of Dependent Origination, the eternal whirlpool of Paticca Samupadda)

So what to do?

I don't say all this to discourage personal attempts to become more positively oriented than negatively oriented. Hell, I want to feel more positive than negative, and act more positively than negatively in the world! It just seems that personal attempts to do so are rife with the co-inhering reality of "self" and "other", "self" haunted by "not-self". And the common phrase takes on new solidity- "the more things change, the more they stay the same".

For the sake of putting my previous post into more concrete personal terms, I've noticed that focusing on positive thoughts, feelings, emotions, etc. tends to have a rebounding effect, where I at some inevitable point feel negative thoughts and feelings all the more strongly following the work on focusing positively. Or if I focus on positive relationships with my local community, invariably there is a person(s) who show up who bring a lot of friction or negativity into those relationships. Does this reflect any of you-all's experience with the work of developing your positive aspects and associations?

I'm glad that you've shared your experience and criticism on advaita/nonduality, Hadleman, thank you. I hope that any discussion to ensue in this regard might shed some light to the issues involved.

I also experienced and still experience the "rebounding" effects. In fact, as I mentioned either in this thread and/or another, I began to have deeper and more frequent bursts of anger after I consciously began to focus on deepening my positivity. I think one of the main reasons for this is that fact that I was previosuly less expectant for the external conditions to support my decision to be more and more positive. After I made the decision, however, I became more extectant, and thus became more "sensitive" to, or more acutely aware of, the extent at which the external conditions support (or, rather, don't support) the will for positivity. I think this is a "waking-up" symptom. This is about being more acutely aware of how determined the "status quo" is to deepen negativity more and more. I believe that this very fact is what discourages a lot of people from trying to develop a willpower for being more and more positive. The negativity broadcast by the Matrix is so extensive, so deep, and so uninterrupted that it feels like a "law of nature" not to be messed with, like life itself, like "God".

 

[axj]

Have you found that the “letting go” is just a result of noticing them and understanding how they don’t serve you, so to speak? Or is there more of an effort involved for the sake of dissolving them?

Becoming consciously aware of a negative emotion or thought pattern (acknowledging or accepting that it is there) already dissolves some of it through awareness.

Though emotional healing or clearing usually requires more 'steps', depending on how big an emotional wound is. Very often the first step is clearing or dissolving an emotional charge like anger or grief that got triggered by something. To do that means basically being consciously present and allowing yourself to feel the emotional charge in small steps.

Once that is done, there is almost always a painful emotional wound behind it. The best way to heal an emotional wound is to be at least somewhat present in the here and now (true self) and find feelings of self-love, self-acceptance and self-approval to bring to the hurting place.