The debate has raged for centuries. Ancient religions have wrestled with the notion of the existence of a separate “individual self or soul,” which might actually be a mental illusion (Maya) blocking our efforts to eventually attain true enlightenment. According to the Eastern philosophical view, release from the relentless cycles of Samsara (Moksha) requires abandonment … Continue reading Taking Care of Your “Self?”
A Teacher’s Dream On the Nature of Time After enduring an intense and startling dream about a difficult personal experience, upon rising it was apparent to me that during the dream, I had acknowledged an important aspect of my own way of being, which has occasionally created challenges for others, due to my … Continue reading A Teacher’s Dream
Anil Seth Twitter Finally made substantial progress with Philip Goff’s recent offering on the subject of consciousness, and as someone equally intrigued by the advancements of science and their implications for both neuroscience and the efforts to develop a science of consciousness, I must admit that I find myself in agreement with many of Goff’s … Continue reading Galileo’s Error
"Artwork by Daniel B. Holeman " http://www.AwakenVisions.com "The inner self is not part of our being, like a motor in a car. It is our entire substantial reality itself, on its highest and most personal and most existential level. It is like life, and it is life: it is our spiritual life when it is … Continue reading Inner Experience
The silence in my room hangs over me Like a wet towel draped across my legs. It feels heavier than it should since The song about you that used to play Repeatedly in my head finally stopped. I don’t remember exactly when it stopped. Distracted so long by chaos and confusion, I had … Continue reading The Silence In My Room
As I write, there is a single candle burning in front of me, its flame dancing in the corner; the light bouncing off the wall behind it and beside it sends tumultuous shadows dancing across the wall. A selection of beautiful music accompanies the swirling shadows. At the heart of the candle, at the very … Continue reading The Flames of Life
The moment our eyes aligned I instinctively held my breath; Ordinary time collapsed and condensed While I read your face. Our smiles blossomed simultaneously Like silly twins looking in a funhouse mirror; The sweetness of your spontaneous response was met With an avalanche of reciprocal harmony. Days passed with no encounter; Hours dragged and pulled … Continue reading Your Web of Joy
A few years ago, I wrote a book review of David Gelernter’s book, “The Tides of Mind,” which opened new avenues of thought, and in particular, I appreciated his use of the imagery of a “spectrum of consciousness,” with descending and ascending layers from being wide awake and alert to dreams and unconsciousness. Although interesting … Continue reading Consciousness and Dreaming
Recently, I have been reviewing the collections of photographs and other memories from my journey of discovery which began more than forty years ago now, and several pieces of the puzzle have started to be filled in with particular memories, which have sparked new levels of awareness about just how important some of the events … Continue reading A Teachable Travel Moment
There is a movement within me, an awareness—a deeply personal transcendent awareness—which, from my perspective, clearly does not originate from some temporal source in the world. There are those who might say such concepts are an illusion. I have often thought that they said such things to make the world seem more comprehensible—to make them … Continue reading The Soul That Rises With Us
John's Consciousness 