Is Nonduality Dangerous? | Nonduality
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- Опубліковано 3 кві 2024
- When we dive into the contents of the mind, can we rest assured the process is safe?
In short, the contents of our own minds pose the relative threat (applying only to the mind body, not to the true self) when greater attention is placed on them, not the practices themselves. This is an individual choice based on perceived readiness. If you don't feel ready, you are not ready. In which case, Heather recommends simply working on the dropping of your existing belief system. It is not free of unexpected outcomes in itself, but it cannot be seen as spiritual or risky and stands up to irrational mental objection.
This video is part of the Companion to "One Thing at a Time," published November 23, 2023. This book is a guide for those who wish to go beyond suffering, to realize who they really are and awaken to the true nature of reality. The book is a primer for much of this material and may require some digestion/contemplation. For more information, visit Heatherralston.com.
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The content provided in this UA-cam channel/video is for informational purposes only. The information presented in this channel is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician, mental health provider, or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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I like your channel ❤
I think it can definitely be dangerous. I committed to daily meditation for 60-90 minutes/day in 2004, and kept it up close to 2 years. Wasn't as much spiritual seeking as I wanted to be more focused and centered.
In 2006 tears started flowing for no reason, and every day I was extremely fatigued, uncomfortable it felt like a high pressure hose pointing straight up the pressure was nearly unbearable at times. I would have to leave work and go home. At random times, like getting gas, tears would start with no sad thoughts, tears, discomfort, felt like being in a toxic fog, digestive issues, etc.
After another week of this, I abandoned meditating completely for 10 years. That's about how long it took to subside. It got less and less frequent over the last few years and eventually it slowly subsided ~90%.
It took a few years of reading and studying to understand what it probably was, and just started up meditating again last year.
hi heather, welcome back. Trying to both maintain and operate from a fleshy supercomputer simultaneously is a really weird experience. That is all I have to say for now 😁
It is very weird :) thanks Bro
Hi, I just discovered your channel today and everything you’ve said really resonates! I feel like I’ve seen through the belief in being a character and separate self, but I don’t think I’ve quite felt it deeply or energetically. Thoughts and limiting beliefs are still very prevalent, so I’m thinking that working through some of these sticky beliefs could help. Could you possibly do a video on working with beliefs specifically?
Very much understood, there can be layers to understanding, and experiential understanding (I’ve actually experienced open awareness as myself and mind can’t tell me otherwise or convincingly interpret it differently) is the deepest. Intellectual understanding by itself can be pretty back and forth, and it’s ok. Beliefs vid coming soon. ❤️
very helpfull thanks x
you are welcome :)
Thank you for this Heather, it has arrived at a time of need! 🙏
I’m so glad. It seems popular to sow fear about this topic, I’ve seen it around too. My video tomorrow talks a bit more about this, not blindly trusting a teacher. I plan to make one specifically about spiritual bypassing soon too. 🙏
@@heyitsheatherralston thank you again, your making perfect sense, I’ll look forward to the follow up!
Being able to dismantle is the illusion.
Yes, CAN be dagerous.
The illusionary person has (at least to some extend) to fuction in work, family, society.
Some loose all interest, loose empthy and only focus on nondual perspective.
Some years later they find their illusionary selfes in big trouble and difficult situations.
Not saying that this is necessarily bad. (Depends on perspective)
I'd NEVER try to push someone down this rabbitwhole, it's not for everyone.
But I'd support those with all my power and time, who really want to see/experience truth.
The question I’m playing with subtly here is what belief is this based on, what is “danger”? Who says we have to “function in society,” the Buddha certainly didn’t, Eckhart tolle didn’t, Jesus was killed, many gurus don’t function in society either. And yet they are entirely at peace. Adverse outcomes like kundalini gone awry are a different story but still applicable to the following: it has to be our personal choice that we are willing to pursue this fervently knowing what can happen, but also when we follow our own path at our own pace, not forcing, we are far less likely to experience overwhelming outcomes. In my book I tell people what can happen and that they have to choose. Little UA-cam videos can be problematic and lacking context which is why I’ve started by discussing the “read this first” kind of topics. Thanks for your comment!
@@heyitsheatherralston
yes, depends an what is 'danger'. (And for whom)
I get your point.
Can only repeat my answer: It depends on perspective: Nondual or personal...
This determins which reality is experienced.
This is a really interesting video!
Glad you enjoyed it :)
🙏
Just to be.
Beautiful. Dropping the shields to avoid emotions to me is painful and freeing at the same time. I'm in the process to go back to them, with help of therapy. Even spirituality was a shield for me. Feeling and sharing emotions with people is such a wonderful way of being with each other. I just realized how much connection this 'realness' is. To me, better then non-dual everything away as a coping mechanism.
Not as a criticism by the way, non-duality has it's place too
We certainly don't need to nondual everything away, that is bypassing. I take and advocate for both the direct and indirect path simultaneously, because most minds cannot handle the kind of "forcing it to be okay" that is presented by some teachers. I also incorporate a few techniques I learned in cognitive behavioral therapy because they are consistent with the nondual approach. Even though the constructed self is illusory, it is both the veil obscuring reality and a tool we work with to see the truth (by this I mean using the mind to deconstruct our beliefs to make it easier to redirect the attention away from it). We can't dismiss it. Each of us knows what we are contending with and we should have the last word on our own "journey." Thanks!
@@heyitsheatherralston Beautifully spoken. “We should have the last word on our own ‘journey’” resonated. I recognize I’ve put my power in the hands of teachers before, without realizing it. Not knowing how to handle my own truth. One non-duality teacher laughed about the fact I was going to therapy. In his perspective, there is no ‘I’, so why even bother?
I’m doing Schema therapy and EMDR sessions for releasing blocked energies and emotions from childhood, and it works like wonders. A lot of pain is covering up the freedom of this body. Even though we can realize the non-dual nature of everything and nothing, we’ve still got a body to walk this earth. I saw your video about Psychical signs of Awakening/Healing and this resonates a lot here. Thank you so much for sharing your perspectives, experiences and stories!
@@vincentfn I heard something a while ago that changed my perspective - when kundalini rises suddenly, especially without preparing for it, you can end up “enlightened” but without emotional intelligence. I do not see teachers as being beyond questioning. But while we’re at it, Eckhart Tolle has said that energy work and other bodywork is a wonderful way to get the body on board (my wording) and it seems my background as a bodyworker prepared the body somewhat for kundalini and the mind somewhat to withstand it. I wrote about all of this. Dismissal only makes advaita look like a stark and unfeeling journey. I only hear very good things about EMDR! As long as we don’t think it’ll lead to our unconditional happiness or replace the spiritual journey it poses no threat or distraction! You’re doing great. 🙏
@@heyitsheatherralston Kundalini is a new word to me, I’ve also heard in one of your videos. An energy that appears a lot especially in the West? I’m interested to learn more about Kundalini, maybe it opens new doors for me and my surroundings.
I’m not quite sure what you mean by ending up enlightened without emotional intelligence. Maybe you could collaborate? ☺️
Indeed I see the therapy work as a tool to free this human I also am, next to the non-duality that is a freeing realization as well. To me it doesn’t seem possible to elevate spiritually, without doing the work as a human being as well. That’s exactly what I like about your approach you talk about in your videos. It could be you’ve got another intention with them, but this is how they resonated with me.
It seems here, I’m unintentionally waking people up in my surroundings, and I’m looking for new work. When you talked about your work with body work and massage therapy, it definitely rang a bell here!
Thank you again for your encouragement, support and wise words about your experiences and knowledge 🙏🏻
@@vincentfn kundalini is a whole other can of worms but I’ll say a bit here. It is consciousness energy contained at the base of the spine. It rises often with awakening but sometimes completely randomly by itself (in which case someone experiences being knowingly enlightened but they haven’t done any “work” to get there, can’t understand others’ processes, as I mentioned). There are practices you can do to awaken it, but often this is how it happens in those whose nervous systems and minds aren’t prepared for it, kundalini yoga gets criticized for that. It happens everywhere, people in the west mistake it for various kinds of disease symptoms, get scared, and it goes awry. I don’t actually recommend pursuing this, but allowing it to happen if it will through other means. The reason I talk about it is so people know it is happening to other people and it’s not a dysfunction - the sooner you ease into it the sooner it can flow through. As my sense of individual self began to weaken it happened automatically, and it was scary. I will talk more about it when I feel prepared, but it is still happening for me, this is by no means a complete description of what it is. What you are doing is great prep for it.
it is , you may start to see the world more and more dreamlike . ;)
If you can’t handle being in the middle of a reiki session and experiencing that you are both the client and the practitioner, don’t study nonduality! 😆
@@heyitsheatherralston said that bc i do see the world more and more dreamlike . :)
@@danieleslava115 yes my comment wasn’t directed toward you but a general statement that that kind of thing can start to happen… the world is more dreamlike here as well :)
Is meditation necssary for self-realization? There was a point on my journey where it seemed like i saw that it actually didnt really matter, because meditating and not meditating is the same (the distinction being just a thought or label). But now it seems like there's something too meditation that is relevent to like.. clearing up the person? or clarifying? o.0
Here it seems like self-realization 'has happened' but the body-mind keeps overlaying -- fogging it up. even though its obvious that that's not really possible (because even being foggy is it too). hard to explain...
Also about the manifestation thing: its obvious to me that we do create our realities but its not obvious to me that it can really be directed in any particular direction.. it seems like its all just unfolding on its own (even when it seems like im causing it). Thoughts on this? This is relevent because i feel a strong pull toward becoming more of service to others by helping them to self-realize, and there are things in my life and body-mind that sometimes present as barriers to this work. And yeh, the kundalini seems to make things even trippier.
I know i've thrown a lot in one comment but if you happen think of a way of connecting these various threads that would be helpful!
Thank you for your service friend!
Namaste
Hi friend! I’ll do my best here, to answer fully would resemble… well, a book, and I wrote it 😆
To me is seems what you’re describing as meditation being just a thought or label is similar to how a teacher would talk about pointing. You have everything you need within you, and yet for a period of time may need to go outside seeking in order to realize that. You use the pointers until you realize you never needed them; you meditate until you realize you never needed to. Embrace the paradox :)
When one is in the actual state of meditation, not just practicing meditation (yoga distinguishes this in the 8 limbed path) they are close to the natural state. “Working” to get to that state is rather silly and yet we learn by doing that until we don’t try anymore. Presently, I easily go into kriyas and feel the body boundaries fall away in meditation - but not with the eyes open talking to someone. To understand and refine the mind would be meditation’s temporary purpose, and yet we can be struck by Knowing at any point and attention is simply diverted from mind without all that - we would call that Grace, and it is to this point rather rare.
Teachers go back and forth on taking the direct or the indirect path. Buddhism is said to be more sustainable as it offers practices and community within which to “work,” but damn if it doesn’t take 3 lifetimes at that rate, and it’s very concept heavy. I took the direct and the indirect. I read the books, watched the videos, meditated, and listened to talks with pointers which seemed to really jolt me forward more than the nervous system liked, then back to the indirect. Key would be to do the things without attachment to the idea that the answer is within them. They’re tools and different people can do it different ways based on the individual karma.
Yes, you can realize the self and still become absorbed in the drama. I make the distinction between partial and full realization. You can’t forget once you know, though. Attention is just absorbed in illusion.
Manifestation is tricky and I’ve stayed away from it so far personally because it feels like an easy and popular ego trap. When personal will is let go of by realizing we are not that, there is more control over the larger story, but at the same time “personal” goals fall away. It would not be like a train of thoughts saying “ok here’s what I want so make that happen by A B C.” It is through surrender and observing inspiration and intuition as they arise. As David Bingham would say, the script gets rewritten.
@@heyitsheatherralston thank you for writing such a thoughtful response! it really resonates. i recall the actual state of meditation from a time before i discovered the non-dual pointers and in a way it was much more natural feeling and pleasent lol, because my nervous system was not ready the jump, so to speak... and then when i did jump / glimpse for the first time the mind revolted by turning the volume on thoughts wayyyy up and the kundalini down. (sorry, my shift button is being funky so caps arent happening right now)
what you say about the body boundaries vanishing in meditation when eyes aren't open feels like it may be the same for me these days., although at one point on my journey it felt like i was in that samadhi type state frequently when i would walk around nyc. lol. it was odd and cool; like someone turned up the video quality from 4k - 8k resolution, and the... width of my vision expanded. also weird stuff like i couldnt tell where sounds were coming from bc it was all just in one place. also no reactions to anything except appreciation for whatever was arising. and the sensing of others energy was off the charts (sorta overwhelming at times). and then i had experience where the sensory body expanded and i could like... feel cars across the street.. and the walls across the room. also was having trippy downloads of information: like once i seemed to see someones current timeline in a flash. this was when i was actively meditating a lot a alot.
Maybe i'm partial realized, i dunno. I know that i can't forget what can't be spoken of.
these days though it's more about the being of service thing and just appreciating the life process.... However, i do miss those hyper blissful and trippy experiences! In the past year the purging has been off the charts, partly induced by meeting a divine counterpart (twin flame if you wanna call it that) -- mirroring was so intense.
I will try both direct and indirect, as you mentioned you did. that sounds about right to me too!
What about kundalini yoga or pranayam practices? was that part of your path?
@@heyitsheatherralston totally! this is how ive been feeling too. Though i dont know about the more control over the larger story thing.
@@Deep_Woodz NYC, you love it or hate it 😆 I’ve always found it a relaxing place to be and spiritually very active and positive, many do not. Sedona, on the other hand, I had a negative energetic reaction to the one time I was there.
The great thing is we don’t need to have continuous “spiritual” experiences like you described and they can even become a distraction, I had one right when I started meditating a long time ago and so I thought it was always supposed to be like that and got frustrated. Receiving reiki from a friend two days ago it felt like I was both of us, the boundaries between bodies fell away, but then mind came back in, and it was fine - it’s all integrating, and it sounds like you’re experiencing that too, and sometimes we have periods where the bodymind takes a rest in prep for the next step. Being service minded, as long as ego isn’t covertly trying to derive an identity from it or get love or something, is a natural outcome of understanding who you are, so that’s a good sign :)