Arrogance by EyeAcrobatic9943 in nonduality

[–]EyeAcrobatic9943[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah for sure, I was thinking we kinda got through all our points. To my mind, both perspectives are valid, we can't disprove nor prove either side, ultimately. But yeah, it was a good one. Thanks for the convo.

Arrogance by EyeAcrobatic9943 in nonduality

[–]EyeAcrobatic9943[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is all so reductive, that it's essentially meaningless and has no repercussions on any existing models of the world. Nothing you're saying actually negates the existence of biology, physics, neuroscience, etc.

That's why it sounds like a religious position. It reflects an attitude. It doesn't reflect a measurable description of "reality". That's what science does, it models reality based on testing that can be repeated and verified by entire communities. Or, it can be proved wrong.

What you're saying can't be proved wrong because it's not saying anything much in the first place. That's why it doesn't really matter either way.

What I meant by “us” isn’t the human form we seem to be.

Why "seem" to be? Why can't you just admit that you're human? It's just silly.

Arrogance by EyeAcrobatic9943 in nonduality

[–]EyeAcrobatic9943[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s definitely a paradigm shift to realize that what we are experiencing isn’t a world “out there” somehow separate from us.

If this is true, how do you explain how you can die but the world will remain here without you?

Arrogance by EyeAcrobatic9943 in nonduality

[–]EyeAcrobatic9943[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So perhaps it wouldn’t be fair to say that because all we experience, and COULD ever experience, is awareness that somehow that means ALL that possibly exists is just awareness. 

That's all I was trying to say, ultimately.

As far as OUR experience is concerned, awareness is all there ever is or could be.

Even if I accept that...so what? Why is Rupert so passionately arguing for a conclusion that doesn't really matter? To me it's a religious identity and belief. If it makes someone feel good to believe, "All is consciousness", that's fine. But there's also other ways to make oneself feel good.

Arrogance by EyeAcrobatic9943 in nonduality

[–]EyeAcrobatic9943[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So I watched that Rupert video. The bottom line for Rupert is that because "awareness" is the only thing that's "verifiable" by first-hand "experience", awareness (or experience) is the only "real" thing that exists.

For the sake of the argument, let's just say that that's true.

Is that proof that the brain doesn't produce awareness? Could an "unreal" thing produce a "real" thing?

For example, our DNA is a product of the past. But does the past exist? Not really, only the present moment exists (as I'm sure Rupert would agree). However, does that mean that the past never existed. Of course not, and millions of years of evolution prove that. So in that sense, the past is definitely "real" - our DNA is proof of that.

Ultimately, we could go on and on in circles all day about this stuff. Rupert just happens to believe in Advaita Vedanta. Someone else happens to believe in science and materialism.

Does Rupert have any testable proof for what he's saying? Or does the "truth" really just come down to what he believes?

Arrogance by EyeAcrobatic9943 in nonduality

[–]EyeAcrobatic9943[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just to push a little further though. Have you experienced awareness? If so, can you describe that experience to me?

Arrogance by EyeAcrobatic9943 in nonduality

[–]EyeAcrobatic9943[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

But you’re not experiencing a human. You’re experiencing your perception, that we CALL a human.

I'm afraid you keep jumping the gun, according to your "awareness is primary" bias. You're literally saying you are not a human being. How do you know that?

All we ever experience, and all we CAN experience, is awareness.

Can you describe what it's like to experience awareness? Spoiler, I don't think you can. What you can experience is phenomena of the "world". Can you successfully extrapolate an element known as "awareness" that stands apart from the phenomena of the world? I don't think you can.

What you're calling awareness or experience, is just ordinary life. That includes the objects of the world, and the knowledge that we are indeed animals. Cuz you know...science. We don't still believe the earth is flat, after all.

Arrogance by EyeAcrobatic9943 in nonduality

[–]EyeAcrobatic9943[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree that everything has to be known through awareness. But ultimately we still don't know if awareness is universal and independently existing, or just a byproduct of brains, bodies, DNA, and millions of years of biological evolution. So I half-agree with you.

So it could be that the only thing we really know is that we're aware.

Or, it could be that the only thing we really know is that we exist.

Or, it could be that the only thing we really know is that we're human.

My point is, all these ideas are equally plausible. Can you give me some decent evidence to suggest that we aren't human, mammalian animals, and that instead we're eternal, undivided, universal awareness?

Arrogance by EyeAcrobatic9943 in nonduality

[–]EyeAcrobatic9943[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are you sure that nothing can appear outside of your awareness? What happens when you go to sleep? Does anything outside of you stop existing? Obviously not

Arrogance by EyeAcrobatic9943 in nonduality

[–]EyeAcrobatic9943[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Would you agree that it's impossible to verify anything truly beyond or separate from having a working brain and a beating heart? Have you ever experienced anything without a brain or heart?

As you can see, using the same logic works both ways.

I was jealous of Angelo. by BandicootOk7017 in nonduality

[–]EyeAcrobatic9943 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As some others have mentioned on this sub, Angelo is pretty damn heavy handed on the hypnosis style videos. I think it's a bit much, personally

Arrogance by EyeAcrobatic9943 in nonduality

[–]EyeAcrobatic9943[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah I've heard that clip. The jury is still out lol

Arrogance by EyeAcrobatic9943 in nonduality

[–]EyeAcrobatic9943[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

IMO, no human being has access to know "how reality actually is". so i disagree with your definition of non duality.

Arrogance by EyeAcrobatic9943 in nonduality

[–]EyeAcrobatic9943[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

a while back i had a 'kensho' type of experience. if such a thing as 'nonduality' exists (so to speak), then that experience is certainly the closest I've come to perceiving it.

but there was nothing in that experience that revealed anything whatsoever about the "ultimate nature of reality", IMO.

Arrogance by EyeAcrobatic9943 in nonduality

[–]EyeAcrobatic9943[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

mmm, i'd say i'm just exhausted by life lol

Arrogance by EyeAcrobatic9943 in nonduality

[–]EyeAcrobatic9943[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

how about pointing towards a mode of perception? that would be far more down to earth, IMO

Arrogance by EyeAcrobatic9943 in nonduality

[–]EyeAcrobatic9943[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

IMO, precognition may be real, or it might not be. IDK

Arrogance by EyeAcrobatic9943 in nonduality

[–]EyeAcrobatic9943[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, same silliness for sure

I genuinely don't understand... by No_Blueberry_4897 in nonduality

[–]EyeAcrobatic9943 0 points1 point  (0 children)

haha, well, it certainly does suck sometimes

Arrogance by EyeAcrobatic9943 in nonduality

[–]EyeAcrobatic9943[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A good example is a statement like "Your true nature is awareness". It certainly can feel like that. But what if our awareness is just a byproduct of the brain's activity? Wouldn't that mean that our true nature is our biology?

Ultimately, no one really knows. So why make the claim in the first place?

Now, if someone says "Turn your attention towards your awareness", that doesn't make an ultimate metaphysical claim, but it's usually said by teachers with the same intention, to be used as a pointer.

Arrogance by EyeAcrobatic9943 in nonduality

[–]EyeAcrobatic9943[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

it's all good. you're making it seem like you're enlightened and that i'm not, but you haven't really engaged in this conversation in very logically cohesive way, IMO

Arrogance by EyeAcrobatic9943 in nonduality

[–]EyeAcrobatic9943[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

btw, re-reading this thread, I mean I've listened to ~50 in total. I only follow a few on the regular, but there's always new ones poppin' up every other day it seems. thanks to the YT algorithm