Messages

You cant have happiness without its opposite. so it is impossible to be happy all the time. Happiness is a state of mind, it doesnt exist on its own and it isnt brought on by external things, but rather our reaction to them or our own personal prefrences regarding those external phenomena.

Rather than try and "work karma out" we should try to break free from the bonds of karma, which comes with enlightenment, awakening, nirvana, bodhi, and so on.

Karma is cause and effect.
If you do something, or experience something, that will condition you and your actions/reactions for future similar situations.

"But we all, in a manner of speaking, we all channel god. Mostly we do not listen, or pay attention to that ability or what we recieve from it."

Thats one theory, or opinion. Some people who do not believe in god might say that it is just a fantasy.

About 5 minutes. The key is relaxation. Its really the only step I use.

There's no purpose.

The best way to bring wealth into your life is by getting a job. Shocking isnt it, who would have thought.

When doing sitting meditation, bring your chin towards your throat a little bit and kind of point the crown of your head straight up. Ive had that problem, relaxing my neck while sitting, and this works well for me.

Thats exactly how it is.

There is only Consciousness, everything else is just a creation of the mind; its not real.

I separate myself as consciousness from myself as personality because my personality is not me. It is a fabrication. It is not real. Therefore, there is no dual view of myself. Only one self, the universal mind. That which is always there. Every other part of the mind, which is always moving, is not who I am. Only that awareness that is ever present.
And that awareness is the same for everyone, which is why we are all one.

Observe your mind. Dont think about clearing your thoughts. Dont think about anything. Take a step back and just observe your mind.

Actually thinking like that is very practical and useful. It just reminds you that you are separate from your opinions and your personality.

Erowid is a killer website

God is just pretend

After a while it does get easier, but after the first break through its almost gauranteed not to work the second time because you will find yourself wanting the feeling of rapture/euphoria and that creates a distraction of the mind. You cant have any goal or desire, nothing exists but the breath. But the breath should just be followed, not controlled. Like you said sometimes your just not in the mood, and the mind  wont cooperate.

I do hallucenogenic drugs. Mushrooms a fair number of times but not alot. Mostly LSD. But its hard to find pure acid these days because its always amateurs making it. Uncle Sam used to make it and it was always pure but now its illegal. Pure LSD is an incredible experience.
Ive never had any OBEs from these drugs but almost always have some kind of huge insight. Always thinking deeply about life. After the peak of course.

Selski, that is a good point I have only made it to the first stage. But the fact that the first one has been verified leads me to believe that there is truth to the others. Also, the different stages or levels of higher consciousness are just distinctions to judge how deep you are. The experience changes the deeper you go, the 8 levels are just changes in the experience.

I did say HIGHER stages of consciousness but maybe that is a poor word choice. I should have said something like stages of altered consciousness or heightened.

The different stages are distinguished by the experience. The lower ones still include physical pleasure and awareness while the higher ones go farther beyond the physcial.

As for my experience with the first stage, I basically followed the instructions left by the buddha. I put my attention on my breath at the nostrils, while sitting in the lotus position. Just watching the breath, in and out. The mind wanders, as it always does, and when you notice it you put it back on the breath. This is Initial and Sustained attention. When the mind can be held on the breath for long enough, it becomes concentrated. You can feel the power of the mind grow as it becomes concentrated and you feel an incredible feeling of pleasure and rapture, euphoria fill your body. At times it was too much I had to break it.

This type of meditation is part of the Path of  Buddhism.
Here is one of many passages where the Buddha talks about the first stage:
"There is the case where a monk — withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from negative states of mind — enters and remains in the first jhana: rapture and pleasure born from withdrawal, with directed thought and evaluation. There is nothing of his entire body unpervaded by rapture and pleasure born from withdrawal."

It is not that I believe in the stages of higher consciousness; I have experienced them. It is beyond belief now because it has been verified.

Of all the boards like this one, this one has the most people who post frequently.

The way to truth goes against the grain of the path of the masses.
Higher truth is not realized by the masses. The way of the masses is a way of indulgence, greed, and ignorance.

Taoita, if someone claims that my experiences are nonsense, can I not do the same. I was just sharing my method and experience.
I was told my experiences were nonsense. A person cannot make an assertion like that and then expect that their own experiences should not also be open to criticism.

And Selski, there is no problem, but you didnt have to call my practice nonsense.

And this prophet Muhammad, how can you be sure what he says is true? Clear proofs do not belong only to one man. That clear proof is not clear to you. So really you have no knowledge of your own, just blind faith in someone elses claims.

nor I.

Little exercise you can try right here and now. Our minds are always filled with random thoughts that never end and always go off on tangents. After a thought of any kind, they are always there, forget about the thought itself and look at where it came from. Look back at your mind. Observe the observer. Observe your own mind without judgement. This leads to kensho/satori (seeing into ones own nature).

Selski, Im glad you think thats nonsense. But I have gotten tangible results from my practice. Have you? I have felt higher stages of consciousness. I dont see how that stops life from being easy and flowing. The way to truth goes against the grain of the path of the masses.

Why do you say I enjoy twists and turns as opposed to a straight line? It seems more the other way around. I delve straight back into my mind whereas you flow along helplessly with the endless stream of random thoughts and mental chatter.

Abraham Im just curious, why do you believe what you do? Because of what others have told you to believe? Intelligent people use their own judgement and discernment of their own experiences; they dont just parrot things they've heard. Polly want a cracker?