Isn't it funny how some concepts, which once felt so far away, are now popping up everywhere? It's as if non-duality is having its moment, suddenly appearing in podcasts, on social media, and in various spiritual circles. We've got to wonder what it even means to us, here and now, in the middle of our chaotic, modern lives. Non-duality, a simple idea with a big history, literally means "not two." It's the understanding that there's no fundamental separation between you and everything else, between the observer and the observed, or between the self and the universe. A hundred years ago, this concept was mostly reserved for mystics and monks in remote monasteries. It was something you dedicated your entire life to, often giving up worldly possessions and human connections to pursue. The non-duality of a century past was often about escaping the material world to find a deeper, singular truth. But today, the conversation is different. It's more about how to live this truth right here, in the messy, dualistic world we inhabit. We aren't all moving to a mountaintop. We're trying to figure out how to be "not two" while paying bills, raising kids, and navigating social media. This is where the struggle comes in. It's easy to read a book or listen to a talk and feel a glimmer of non-duality, but putting it into practice is a different matter. That's a whole other story. Here are some challenges: - The "I" is Sticky: We've spent our entire lives building up this identity, this "I," with all its stories, preferences, and fears. Suddenly being told it's not real, that it's just a concept, can feel disorienting and even threatening. How do you go to work and get things done if there's no "doer"? - Emotions vs. Detachment: Non-dual teachings can sometimes be misinterpreted as being emotionless or apathetic. People worry that if they don't experience anger or sadness about things, they won't be able to stand up for themselves or others. Non-duality isn't about getting rid of emotions; it's about seeing them for what they are, just passing sensations, without letting them run the show.

Very occasionally, I have lucid dreams. I had one a couple of days ago (don't worry, I'm not going to bore you with lots of details 😉). It started in a busy bar, where I ordered a drink and just sat, listening to the conversations around me. The content isn't important, but what amazed me, being fully conscious and aware, was that it was identical to waking reality. Not similar, completely identical. It made me realise that our instinctive suspicion of the concept of Maya is unfounded - there is nothing about reality that can't be a dream. Anyway, I've bought a book about lucid dreaming because it's something I would like to do more. I would be interested in hearing if anyone else has had similar experiences. Peace. 🙏

Exploring 5-MeO-DMT as a pharmacological model for deconstructed consciousness

This deep and often challenging topic gets to the heart of spiritual understanding. The post you provided offers a great starting point, using the insights of Sri Ramana Maharshi and Albert Einstein to question our conventional understanding of free will. Let's elaborate on this from a non-dual perspective, exploring why this view can be profoundly liberating, far from being a source of despair. The Conventional View vs. The Non-Dual View Most of us operate under the assumption that we are a separate "self" or ego, a conscious agent who makes choices and directs actions. We believe we have a "free will" that allows us to choose between options, and that we are the authors of our lives. This view, while deeply ingrained, is the source of much of our suffering. When things go well, we take credit, fueling our ego. When they go wrong, we blame ourselves or others, leading to guilt, shame, and resentment. The non-dual view, however, challenges this fundamental assumption. Non-duality, or Advaita Vedanta, points to the ultimate reality of a single, indivisible consciousness. From this perspective, there is no separate "me" to have free will. The sense of being a separate agent, the one who chooses, is an illusion. Sri Ramana and the Investigation of "I" Sri Ramana's statement, "Everything is predetermined," isn't meant to be a fatalistic decree. It's a pointer to a more profound truth that can only be realised through self-inquiry. When asked about free will, he often redirected the questioner to investigate the one asking. "Who is it that has free will?" he would ask. By investigating the source of the "I" thought, one realises that this separate "I" is a construct, a thought-form, not a solid, independent entity. If there is no separate "I," then who is there to have free will? Actions happen, thoughts arise, and the body-mind complex functions, but no separate entity directs the show. The sense of authorship, of being the one who "wills" an action, is seen as a kind of cosmic misattribution.

The practice of Neti, Neti isn't about rejecting the world or denying your experience. Instead, it's a profound exploration of what you truly are by gently letting go of what you are not. It’s an ancient yet entirely modern approach to self-discovery, deeply rooted in the Advaita Vedanta tradition. Think of it not as a process of adding something new to yourself, but rather as shedding layers of misunderstanding. We often define ourselves by our bodies, our thoughts, our emotions, our roles in life. But Neti, Neti—meaning "not this, not that"—invites you to question these identifications. It's not about becoming an intellectual skeptic or embracing nihilism; it’s about using discernment to see through the illusions that obscure your true nature. The sages of the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad understood this deeply, proclaiming, "Neti, neti—It is not this, it is not that. It is ungraspable, for it is not grasped; indestructible, for it is not destroyed…" This isn't a dismissal of reality; it's a recognition that the ultimate Self cannot be captured by language or concept. Language defines by setting boundaries, but the Self is prior to all distinctions, beyond all duality. So, Neti, Neti isn't a denial of your existence, but a clearing away of all that limits your understanding of it. It’s about releasing every idea the mind clings to as "me," until what remains is not an object you can grasp, but pure, self-illuminating Awareness. The logic is beautifully simple: Anything you can perceive, anything that comes and goes, cannot be what you fundamentally are. Your thoughts arise and dissolve. Your emotions shift like clouds. Your body changes and ages. Even the sense of "I" as a separate ego—the doer, the thinker, the one who suffers—is something that appears within your Awareness and vanishes in deep sleep. What then, is the unchanging constant that observes all these fleeting phenomena? This is precisely where Neti, Neti points: not towards an empty void, but towards the only "no-thing" that is eternally present—pure Being. Your true Self isn't found through accumulation or self-improvement; it's revealed through the process of removal. As Adi Shankaracharya so succinctly put it, "Brahman is known when the ego is destroyed." This isn't a poetic fancy; it's a precise spiritual instruction. The ego isn't a solid entity; it’s a mistaken identification with temporary forms. When your attention stops clinging to name, form, personal history, or societal roles, what remains is the formless witness, untouched by the flux of becoming.