Tried meditating and living healthier, guess what?

Originally Posted by JosephineBloggs

I don't think it's possible to get rid of the ego completely, maybe some have, but if possible to try and start recognising it at least, in ourself and others. The characters or personalities that we are. The surrender part, to let go of believing that these characters are what we truly are.

That's my experience. Call it a truce between what I am and who I am. Ego seems to be essential for the who in navigating the illusion of duality.

[NoOne]

Originally Posted by JustASimpleGuy

I'm curious what is meant by otherworldly experiences beyond recognizing at an experiential level the deepest "I" just about everywhere one looks? That would be the Atman. Beyond that it's my understanding one can never witness Brahman as that would imply Brahman is an object, not The Subject.

It means experiencing worlds beyond our own and the beings that inhabit them. That would be the literal meaning of the word, but perhaps SOL meant something else.

Originally Posted by NoOne

It means experiencing worlds beyond our own and the beings that inhabit them. That would be the literal meaning of the word, but perhaps SOL meant something else.

Ah, like in an NDE. Gotcha.

[JustBe]

Originally Posted by SlayerOfLight

After having been recommended by so many 'spiritual' people to live and eat healthier and meditate in order to get some spiritual results, I don't notice anything different about myself. I decided to eat more vegetables and healthy while also cutting down the amount of alcohol I consume on a weekly base (which wasn't too much already to begin with) and a few days ago tried meditating while I was at it, but no otherworldly experience or spiritual awakening whatever you call it happened. For me this is enough evidence that there is absolutely totally nothing at all. But of course there's probably always something I'm doing wrong, no matter what I do or try. If a God and/or my so-called invisible cheerleaders (guides) exist then they probably failed me as I failed them. But am I disappointed? Not really. I mean, it's not like I expected anything to change, but hey at least I gave it a shot so the joke is on them and everyone else who recommends this practice.

The changes in diet are one aspect of your total being.

Going into meditation with an expectation nothing would change is part of the issue.

On some level you did this to prove a point only. And you won..

I could add that this is controlling the outcome even before you start.

In sharing this, maybe your not meant to have any defining spiritual awakening but just get on with your life and live it.

In the end I’ve learned from thirty years of practice, I just wanted to be myself, accept life as things are, as I am and just move and live as I can. Of course most of the awakening processors was to rid myself of others defining my reality within me.

Maybe your more in tune with yourself than many spiritual seekers are.

[ThatMan]

I have a little more than one year of continuous meditation, it needs practice, a lot of practice.I meditate usually just before sleep because this is the "perfect" time for me to meditate.You know that I had many experiences, probably some were just a product of my mind but there are other who are beyond this.

I remember that at first I used to meditate just few minutes, then, out of nowhere, for two weeks, continuously, I used to meditate 1-3 hours every night, that was the time when I "fell in love" with meditation, it felt so good!! Imagine, I was extremely depressed for more than 3 years, I used to have a good day once in a month or even more than a month, it was horrible... then when I discovered meditation, everything changed, now I have many many good days but I still have some bad days when I feel really down for no reason... My anxiety decreased, I used to hide myself from the world, now I am not anymore like that.One of goals is to reach a state of deep peace and unconditional happiness that stays 24/24.

I had 4 good days in a row just in the last days, this was not possible a year ago...

Just keep doing it, try to meditate every day and do it for longer periods of times.People say that you should not plan ahead, you know, to simply meditate and that's it, but remember, even Buddha himself had a goal... You just have to plan ahead and leave this goal you want to achieve in the back of your mind.

[Shivani Devi]

Originally Posted by SlayerOfLight

After having been recommended by so many 'spiritual' people to live and eat healthier and meditate in order to get some spiritual results, I don't notice anything different about myself. I decided to eat more vegetables and healthy while also cutting down the amount of alcohol I consume on a weekly base (which wasn't too much already to begin with) and a few days ago tried meditating while I was at it, but no otherworldly experience or spiritual awakening whatever you call it happened. For me this is enough evidence that there is absolutely totally nothing at all. But of course there's probably always something I'm doing wrong, no matter what I do or try. If a God and/or my so-called invisible cheerleaders (guides) exist then they probably failed me as I failed them. But am I disappointed? Not really. I mean, it's not like I expected anything to change, but hey at least I gave it a shot so the joke is on them and everyone else who recommends this practice.

So, let me get this right...

The other day you included more vegetables in your diet, tried meditation for the first time, didn't instantly become enlightened, so now you are believing it is a crock of rubbish?

How long did you expect it would take?

Spirituality isn't about instant gratification...quite the opposite, and you really have to be in it for the long haul.

You can't really put a timeframe on it either, because everyone is different... everyone has different degrees of karma to work through.

If you say "I will give it three months and if I don't notice any improvement, I will stop" because you are sabotaging your very efforts and setting yourself up for failure from the get go...and for what? To convince yourself that it is a load of baloney when you don't need any convincing to begin with..do you understand?

It is better to go into Spiritual practice without any expectation, but not everyone is cut out for that....the same can be said about life as well...if you don't expect anything, then you cannot be disappointed, isn't it?

Do you think a weight lifted is gonna get muscles by lifting weights and drinking protein shakes for a week? Nope...all he is gonna get is sore muscles and diarrhea and he will be left questioning whether going through the agony is worth it...but how much does he want it? How much do YOU want it? Because if you really don't, you are not going to get it and if you DO, you would realise that it can take thousands of lifetimes in some cases.

[Shivani Devi]

Originally Posted by SlayerOfLight

12 years is a very long time, and I'm not willing to go that far to get only a little 'compensation' for all the time I've spent on it. If that means I am unworthy to be spiritual, so be it. I don't really give a rat's buttocks anymore.

What is stopping you from just living your own life regardless? Just doing whatever you want? Not trying to convince others on a Spiritual Forum that Spirituality is bogus just because YOU don't have the patience to see it through when many others DO?

It is not their fault that they are "ready" to receive the Lord's Grace but you are not, which leads you to say that there is 'no such thing" because you don't want there to be such a thing because you also believe that if it doesn't happen right NOW, it won't happen at all.

This is why, in the age of instant gratification, that Spirituality is a thing most people don't bother with.

Originally Posted by SlayerOfLight

I don't notice anything different about myself. For me this is enough evidence that there is absolutely totally nothing at all.

There you have it, you reached the sacred nothingness.

Now you go live your life. Learn as you go and you will see the sacred nothingness everywhere.

[Sunshine111]

You are making me laugh, Slayer of Light, in a good way. I Know you have already been meditating long before you joined this group, just not in the traditional sense and from which you did have certain realizations that are Your own truth.

[ocean breeze]

Here's a how to guide to meditation. After watching this vid, everything should work perfectly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1UQSLuSqyQ

It takes a good 20+ years for anyone to gain superpowers through meditation. I have the power to teleport from place to place, reverse aging, and shoot a fireball out of my hand. The more better you are at meditating the more powers you have.