I've been studying this for years, literally every day, the rubber band analogy was inspired. Also the title piqued my interest, first time I've seen you! But for a long time lately I've been saying to people 'I understand all of this conceptually, but I don't seem to be able to really understand' and by that, I mean, when things happen in life - rather than 'automatically/unconsciously' responding, I feel I should be able to have a certain amount of detachment. Even in the mundanity of everyday things, like sitting at the desk at work, why can't I make that 'joyful/peaceful', not joyful like a crazy person of course, but just peaceful and relaxed. I think it's as simple as: I need to actually create a meditation practice, rather than just reading/learning. So I probably already know the answer.
I find immense utility in that rubber band analogy. There is another aspect which is interesting. A rubber band is in a technical definition "a knot" and in the study of knots it is known as the "not knot". Topical, I find the playfulness of it attractive.
I understand their point, because I feel the same 95% of the time. But plant medicine made me see that the duality and nonduality play must occur, but that the nondual reality is the start and endpoint of everything. The individual experience exists as a contrast, as dark precedes light, and viceversa, and so forth...
Yes! Non-duality is not exclusive of duality. It just recognises that it's not the fundamental reality. As you alluded to, we seek to know ourselves by contrast. Freedom can only be experienced if apparent limitation appears to exist. That's how the whole dream is created. The fact it's ultimately illusory does not negate its significance. In fact, it makes it even more profound.
@@AlexShailer we seek to understand logically the things that we are meant to experience from the soul. Humans who already get it in touch with non-duality concepts already are familiar with philosophers who explore the awe inspiring mistery of life itself such as Alan Watts. Something inside of us points to integrate the transcendent beyond our own lives, yet we seek to confine every single thing to a logical concept inside of our minds so that we can get the sensation we are in control. What im trying to say is, when you speak about "surrendering", you lose virtually everyone who hasn't (yet) understood we are the strenght that beats our heart in deep sleep, more than we are the conscious ape that works behind the desk Surrendering implies that having the capacity to "understand the concept", is not as important as trusting that "innerstanding" no concept at all is what paradoxically leads to making all concepts valid inside their own sphere of influence. The fact that 2 things can be true simultaneously is the same as saying that every viewpoint has its blindspot, and there, you can surrender the "experience" and logical reasoning for the awe that makes you cry when you see a newborn child in the arms of his or her mama
@@AlexShailer reflecting: I said I understood their point. But their point was my point at one time. It ebbs and flows from moment to moment, and there is where I particularly focus my present moment for real time inquiry. Asking God,Grace,Source,Tao or whatever you resonate with to send you a sign Is a bit diff for each individual existence, but the point remains. If not, Surrender to the fact you don't feel it and move on, then it won't matter Till it matters for your individual self Or doesn't. Let go of the outcome. If plant medicine finds you, it might be it's will and not your luck, so I would suggest researching if its viable for yourselves Not talking to you Alex, as a self, I think you might get what i'm pointing to , and I think most commonsense path to follow is surrender, even more if your logical mind rationalizes awakening so much
Very well said, Reliance on the mind is vital to making sense of the physical world but is an obscuration to non-physical reality. "I don't understand nonduality! " Never mind then.
Great job with this video. This is probably as good as you can possibly do with words. I don't say these types of things very often, thank you for your work.
Brillant analogy! ความจริงเหมือนกับมีอีกประเด็นหนึ่งที่นอกเหนือจาก analogy นี้ คือการ identify กับสิ่งที่เราให้ attention. A problem arises when there is an identification with what we are giving an attention to.
Thats so clearly and lovely articulated.It feels crystal clear to me. I am still trying to figure how to articulate this to my husband.He is so deeply convinced he is “the caracter/his thoughts” and so resistant to all these non duality teachings. Any suggestions?
Heartfelt gratitude and thank you for explaining this with metaphors, analogy . I totally agree and accept your invitation , thank you again for helping me for this clear seeing ❤🙏🙏
Well said Alex. New sub here. We need more common people talking about this in common ways. I find some of the teachers, Rupert Spira etc to be like pulling teeth.
Well this video popped up with the exact dilemma I find myself in. Everything you said at the beginning was word for word my thoughts. Paused it to write this so my hopes are high for for this video.🙏
Amazing video. I subscribed yesterday. For the over-thinkers: recently I read Alan Watts "The book" and it's a great guide to take the mind to the edge.
I personally use the word feeling to point toward the physical sensation (just in the same way you 'feel' roughness, smoothness, heat, cold) , and emotions as the combination of sensations plus the thoughts
This was such a great video! Thank you!! When you say power of consciousness, what have you personally experienced that displayed the power of your consciousness?? I’m very interested!! Thank you!
The absolute nonsense begins when these people claim that we are not this body mind. Of course we are also this body. Our true nature may be something deeper, but as long as you are alive, you are this body period.
I wonder if most who come to advaita vedanta had bad depression or recurring depression.....usually rooted in the mis-match of "self and otherness" - I wish events were like X instead of Y - past/present/future. I just feel its a pre-step into this relief path for many, I could be wrong.
Hi Alex. Greetings from Adelaide Australia!! As a subscriber I am viewing your videos numerous times, and loving them. I have one question which is slightly off topic however, in one of your videos you briefly talk about using Hemi Sync for manifesting.Can I ask which title it is? I have purchased the complete gateway series & was wondering if it is one of the specifically?
This is timely! Within days of my posting a similar question! Regardless of how "enlightenment" is achieved or realised, it would be helpful to know what the indications are that you've arrived, as it were? Another question: Do people who've "got there", recognise each other? Or are these merely distracting questions?
❤❤best video well explained thanks a lot from my heart,i am totally new to nonduality and was trying to understand what this concept is and I was really frustrated listening to all nonduality teachers 🤭 technology helped me pushing your video to me😅,you do make sense to me and I was really wondering about so many teachers talking about nonduality and not making any sense for me Thanks I have tried everything 😅all methods and beliefs systems and i was in a whirlpool state... Lots of love ❤
I'm not sure why you'd want to do that specifically. But you can soften the attention so that two or more sense perceptions are more pronounced at the same time, like a diffused spotlight.
@@AlexShailer oh yes, I meant I notice it in 2 places. It's like split attention. I don't prefer it at all. I have the intention to move to sound, but thoughts remain. It feels like I don't know how to remove attention from the thought space.
So is this just a mental conceptvor can something positive happen? Is there a falling away and a relief of something? If it's just a concept I'm out. If something special awaits I'm in. I've never ever had any spiritual awakening or anything like that, and I wonder if this is simply nothing else then a concept or idea.
If you meditate with a goal in mind, you miss the point, because you're looking towards the future. Since the future is a concept, then you will never get there. All you have is the 'now'. (quote from Alan Watts) This kind of thinking allows you to be in the 'now' but, more freely, to truly experience it. To detach from constantly having your attention dictated and directed. Because the 'now' is all you've ever had, and all you'll ever have, then enhancing the state of the 'now' will enhance your experience of existence and your entire life.
Hey Alex, really nice video ! I was wondering if I could help you with Best Quality Editing in your videos better than your Editor with good pricing and also make a highly engaging Thumbnail which will help your videos to reach to a wider audience ? Pls let me know what do you think ?
The problem is, while the idea of Non-Duality and One Consciousness seems to all be sound, its at a Universal level. And while it does permeate all of Creation and the basis of all things, the Human Being is not capable of Non-Duality Consciousness. Its a fundamental attribution error, and to put it as simply as possible as long as your Soul is incarnating an expression of itself as a Human- the Human expression existing in biology in the physical plane of matter and the Universal Laws of physics that govern it - is not able experience Non-Duality. This is not the plane of Creation where that experience is had, its not meant to be and is not what a Soul comes here for. The danger that Non-Duality poses is when it denies the path that actually leads one forwards, upwards and to the direction of Non-Duality, to a Soul/Monad/I AM merge. It appears to leave individuals in a void, adrift without direction and with no lifeline.
You can’t actually pay attention to most thoughts in present tense though. You can notice that you were just lost in thought but as soon as you do then the thought is gone. So therefore to me it feels like it’s just another part of the mind recognising that it was just thinking a split second ago which makes it stop. It suddenly wakes up and remembers. I can intentionally think something and know that I’m doing that but again I don’t see any evidence that it’s not the mind. I mean I guess it’s all happening within consciousness though. Like without consciousness then I don’t really know anything.
I know what you're on about, as in, when you pay attention to thought, consciously, the identification with it can drop along with the thought. But you can pay attention to thoughts, mental images, and imagination, consciously, ie. At the same time, aware that I AM that/Consciousness
@@AlexShailerbut how do you know that the part paying attention to the thoughts is not just another part/system of the brain? I'm not sure if there have been any studies that prove that the mind can or cannot observe itself. On that note what even is "the mind"?? It's kind of like a crowd. A crowd doesn't exist until there are people. Does the mind exist without thoughts?
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 89 | คู่เอก "ยอดไอคิว vs คิริลล์"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Z3vYkHJ_5Ig/mqdefault.jpg)
It's so simple yet I've been making it far more complicated than it is! Thank you!
I've been studying this for years, literally every day, the rubber band analogy was inspired. Also the title piqued my interest, first time I've seen you! But for a long time lately I've been saying to people 'I understand all of this conceptually, but I don't seem to be able to really understand' and by that, I mean, when things happen in life - rather than 'automatically/unconsciously' responding, I feel I should be able to have a certain amount of detachment. Even in the mundanity of everyday things, like sitting at the desk at work, why can't I make that 'joyful/peaceful', not joyful like a crazy person of course, but just peaceful and relaxed. I think it's as simple as: I need to actually create a meditation practice, rather than just reading/learning. So I probably already know the answer.
This really made me aware of what 'prior to thought' actually means, thank you!
I find immense utility in that rubber band analogy. There is another aspect which is interesting. A rubber band is in a technical definition "a knot" and in the study of knots it is known as the "not knot". Topical, I find the playfulness of it attractive.
I understand their point, because I feel the same 95% of the time. But plant medicine made me see that the duality and nonduality play must occur, but that the nondual reality is the start and endpoint of everything. The individual experience exists as a contrast, as dark precedes light, and viceversa, and so forth...
Yes! Non-duality is not exclusive of duality. It just recognises that it's not the fundamental reality. As you alluded to, we seek to know ourselves by contrast. Freedom can only be experienced if apparent limitation appears to exist. That's how the whole dream is created. The fact it's ultimately illusory does not negate its significance. In fact, it makes it even more profound.
@@AlexShailer we seek to understand logically the things that we are meant to experience from the soul. Humans who already get it in touch with non-duality concepts already are familiar with philosophers who explore the awe inspiring mistery of life itself such as Alan Watts. Something inside of us points to integrate the transcendent beyond our own lives, yet we seek to confine every single thing to a logical concept inside of our minds so that we can get the sensation we are in control.
What im trying to say is, when you speak about "surrendering", you lose virtually everyone who hasn't (yet) understood we are the strenght that beats our heart in deep sleep, more than we are the conscious ape that works behind the desk
Surrendering implies that having the capacity to "understand the concept", is not as important as trusting that "innerstanding" no concept at all is what paradoxically leads to making all concepts valid inside their own sphere of influence.
The fact that 2 things can be true simultaneously is the same as saying that every viewpoint has its blindspot, and there, you can surrender the "experience" and logical reasoning for the awe that makes you cry when you see a newborn child in the arms of his or her mama
@@AlexShailer reflecting: I said I understood their point. But their point was my point at one time.
It ebbs and flows from moment to moment, and there is where I particularly focus my present moment for real time inquiry.
Asking God,Grace,Source,Tao or whatever you resonate with to send you a sign
Is a bit diff for each individual existence, but the point remains.
If not, Surrender to the fact you don't feel it and move on, then it won't matter
Till it matters for your individual self
Or doesn't. Let go of the outcome.
If plant medicine finds you, it might be it's will and not your luck, so I would suggest researching if its viable for yourselves
Not talking to you Alex, as a self, I think you might get what i'm pointing to , and I think most commonsense path to follow is surrender, even more if your logical mind rationalizes awakening so much
Very well said, Reliance on the mind is vital to making sense of the physical world but is an obscuration to non-physical reality. "I don't understand nonduality! " Never mind then.
I like your way of pointing at it, subbed
Nice one, Alex. Thanks for this.
Great job with this video. This is probably as good as you can possibly do with words. I don't say these types of things very often, thank you for your work.
This was brilliant!
Re Cognising the ordinarily obvious. Great analogy. Thanks 💜
Thankyou for doing your very best to explain this with limiting words.💗
Wow- so clearly explained!! Thank you!
He said look at it , but what to look , did you get that ?
Brillant analogy! ความจริงเหมือนกับมีอีกประเด็นหนึ่งที่นอกเหนือจาก analogy นี้ คือการ identify กับสิ่งที่เราให้ attention. A problem arises when there is an identification with what we are giving an attention to.
This was very direct and very helpful. Made things super clear. Thank you!
The "forgetting" is an apparent distraction from what is never not there.
Mate, I’m relatively new to non duality - 5 years or so, but it’s taken your vid to finally get the light bulb switched on. Thanks 🙏
Great to hear!
Thats so clearly and lovely articulated.It feels crystal clear to me.
I am still trying to figure how to articulate this to my husband.He is so deeply convinced he is “the caracter/his thoughts” and so resistant to all these non duality teachings.
Any suggestions?
Heartfelt gratitude and thank you for explaining this with metaphors, analogy . I totally agree and accept your invitation , thank you again for helping me for this clear seeing ❤🙏🙏
Wonderful!
Ive watched Lisa Cairns for years now i find i can find a still state when i sit in silence just taking her in
That was pretty awesome...thank you so much Alex.
Thanks
Thank you very much.
Wow,you are so good at explaining❤
Wow! Amazing video! Thank you Alex!
Love that analogy! Thanks
Gratitude 🙏🏻
Genius! Thank you!
rubber band analogy is brilliant mate thank you
This was so helpful and clear, thank you ❤
Yes, open beyond the rationalities, ideas, survival etc.
Awareness is Consciousness-Existence Bliss
Yup!
We should do a podcast on thinking
Wonderful pointings man! Thank you
Vipassana is an excellent practice. Thank you for teaching it without bias or motive. :-)
Well said Alex. New sub here. We need more common people talking about this in common ways. I find some of the teachers, Rupert Spira etc to be like pulling teeth.
simply & beautifully explained... ❣
Thank you!! ❤😮
This was so helpful! Thank you! 🙏💕✨
Thank you 🙏🏼
Well this video popped up with the exact dilemma I find myself in. Everything you said at the beginning was word for word my thoughts. Paused it to write this so my hopes are high for for this video.🙏
I found this helpful. Thank you.
Brilliant exercise insight..thx
Great explanation Alex.. you’ve helped me breakthrough x
That's great to hear!
Amazing video. I subscribed yesterday.
For the over-thinkers: recently I read Alan Watts "The book" and it's a great guide to take the mind to the edge.
Nice one!
Awesome
Very good Alex but you should be careful not to confuse feelings with sensations. Best !!
I personally use the word feeling to point toward the physical sensation (just in the same way you 'feel' roughness, smoothness, heat, cold) , and emotions as the combination of sensations plus the thoughts
When I try to focus on the revelation, i.e., awareness of awareness, my body starts to convulse. Only started three years ago.
Gracias Alex 🙏
Thank You ____
This was such a great video! Thank you!!
When you say power of consciousness, what have you personally experienced that displayed the power of your consciousness?? I’m very interested!! Thank you!
The absolute nonsense begins when these people claim that we are not this body mind. Of course we are also this body. Our true nature may be something deeper, but as long as you are alive, you are this body period.
I wonder if most who come to advaita vedanta had bad depression or recurring depression.....usually rooted in the mis-match of "self and otherness" - I wish events were like X instead of Y - past/present/future.
I just feel its a pre-step into this relief path for many, I could be wrong.
Hi Alex. Greetings from Adelaide Australia!! As a subscriber I am viewing your videos numerous times, and loving them. I have one question which is slightly off topic however, in one of your videos you briefly talk about using Hemi Sync for manifesting.Can I ask which title it is? I have purchased the complete gateway series & was wondering if it is one of the specifically?
This is timely! Within days of my posting a similar question! Regardless of how "enlightenment" is achieved or realised, it would be helpful to know what the indications are that you've arrived, as it were? Another question: Do people who've "got there", recognise each other? Or are these merely distracting questions?
❤❤best video well explained thanks a lot from my heart,i am totally new to nonduality and was trying to understand what this concept is and I was really frustrated listening to all nonduality teachers 🤭 technology helped me pushing your video to me😅,you do make sense to me and I was really wondering about so many teachers talking about nonduality and not making any sense for me
Thanks I have tried everything 😅all methods and beliefs systems and i was in a whirlpool state...
Lots of love ❤
That's great to hear!
Any pointers for noticing attention in multiple places- like sounds and thoughts for example?
I'm not sure why you'd want to do that specifically. But you can soften the attention so that two or more sense perceptions are more pronounced at the same time, like a diffused spotlight.
@@AlexShailer oh yes, I meant I notice it in 2 places. It's like split attention. I don't prefer it at all. I have the intention to move to sound, but thoughts remain. It feels like I don't know how to remove attention from the thought space.
Maybe it would be helpful to talk about the characteristics of consciousness.
You're answered it at the very end.
Linguistically, rooting back into Sanskrit, the prefix "a" means 'without'. With full attention, we are, actually, without tension.
“The word attention comes from the Latin word attentiō, which comes from attendere, meaning "to apply the mind to"” (google AI summary)
"look at it" but what to look ?
🙏🙏🙏
So is this just a mental conceptvor can something positive happen? Is there a falling away and a relief of something?
If it's just a concept I'm out. If something special awaits I'm in. I've never ever had any spiritual awakening or anything like that, and I wonder if this is simply nothing else then a concept or idea.
Everything I'm saying is real as far as I'm concerned
If you meditate with a goal in mind, you miss the point, because you're looking towards the future. Since the future is a concept, then you will never get there. All you have is the 'now'. (quote from Alan Watts) This kind of thinking allows you to be in the 'now' but, more freely, to truly experience it. To detach from constantly having your attention dictated and directed. Because the 'now' is all you've ever had, and all you'll ever have, then enhancing the state of the 'now' will enhance your experience of existence and your entire life.
What is thrle true power of consciousness?
Hey Alex, really nice video ! I was wondering if I could help you with Best Quality Editing in your videos better than your Editor with good pricing and also make a highly engaging Thumbnail which will help your videos to reach to a wider audience ? Pls let me know what do you think ?
As long as you talk about helping its not the real deal
I’m new to self inquiry. I hope this isn’t a dumb question but can people with Down syndrome or mental retardation benefit from this as well?
Sure!
how do we know it's not our experience?
The same way you know the movie landscape in a TV is not real but an appearance of the screen.
❤❤❤❤
I went to your website but right away it’s asking me to set a phone consultation.
Go to alexshailer.com There's a whole website and resources there.
The problem is, while the idea of Non-Duality and One Consciousness seems to all be sound, its at a Universal level. And while it does permeate all of Creation and the basis of all things, the Human Being is not capable of Non-Duality Consciousness. Its a fundamental attribution error, and to put it as simply as possible as long as your Soul is incarnating an expression of itself as a Human- the Human expression existing in biology in the physical plane of matter and the Universal Laws of physics that govern it - is not able experience Non-Duality. This is not the plane of Creation where that experience is had, its not meant to be and is not what a Soul comes here for. The danger that Non-Duality poses is when it denies the path that actually leads one forwards, upwards and to the direction of Non-Duality, to a Soul/Monad/I AM merge. It appears to leave individuals in a void, adrift without direction and with no lifeline.
🙏✨♥️
You can’t actually pay attention to most thoughts in present tense though. You can notice that you were just lost in thought but as soon as you do then the thought is gone. So therefore to me it feels like it’s just another part of the mind recognising that it was just thinking a split second ago which makes it stop. It suddenly wakes up and remembers. I can intentionally think something and know that I’m doing that but again I don’t see any evidence that it’s not the mind. I mean I guess it’s all happening within consciousness though. Like without consciousness then I don’t really know anything.
I know what you're on about, as in, when you pay attention to thought, consciously, the identification with it can drop along with the thought. But you can pay attention to thoughts, mental images, and imagination, consciously, ie. At the same time, aware that I AM that/Consciousness
@@AlexShailerbut how do you know that the part paying attention to the thoughts is not just another part/system of the brain? I'm not sure if there have been any studies that prove that the mind can or cannot observe itself. On that note what even is "the mind"?? It's kind of like a crowd. A crowd doesn't exist until there are people. Does the mind exist without thoughts?
@@bsways does there have to be a study? when it helps it helps! People get out of depressions, anxiety just knowing!
🙂❤👍✌💯 . .
That is not a perfectly ripe banana. That is overripe
Alright smarty pants
This is a controversial topic. To me a hint of brown indicates peak ripeness, tastiness, and texture.
Thank you!
❤❤❤