Home › Michael Gonzalez77 › Posts

Posts by Michael Gonzalez77

260 posts shown.

Colton Burpo: The boy who visited heaven in Spirituality · Sep 6, 2014

electrictinker26 said:Based on what I’ve learned—though I haven't experienced it firsthand—hell is a reality, and one could potentially spend an eternity there. However, if you have managed to do even one good thing in your lifetime, there remains a possibility for healing.

First off, a person can't actually wrap their head around hell because it's just a concept born of the mind; they can't grasp eternity either, because it goes far beyond anything the human brain can process. Now, having lived through my own version of "hellish suffering"—through long, deep, and incredibly heavy bouts of anxious depression and everything that comes with it—I can tell you that I have truly been "in hell." That is a far cry from just imagining it or blindly accepting some miserable theory that requires nothing but blind faith.

The idea of eternal damnation feels like a torture tactic built on pure imagination. Most people can't even conceive of it; they probably just mistake it for a phobia or try to link it to some fear they felt once in their lives. To me, hell isn't a destination—hell IS a state of consciousness. For some, it lasts a lifetime; for others, it comes in waves. If someone is enduring a lifelong struggle similar to what I endured for months, I tip my hat to them. They are truly living in a hell that feels endless—which, in a way, makes it eternal—even though we know it eventually ends. When you're hurting, a single day can feel like forever.

Colton Burpo: The boy who visited heaven in Spirituality · Sep 6, 2014

Amy Brooks12 said:I guess you actually enjoy it when he claims that hell isn't just temporary, but that it doesn't even exist at all. Yeah, right. That sounds like something straight out of a Hollywood script.

It’s honestly ridiculous. Most of what we think we know is just a game of telephone. You hear something from one person, who heard it from someone else, who heard it from some other guy, who then decided to write a book about it. So we read the book, swallow it whole, and suddenly we’re all walking around acting like we’ve mastered some profound "knowledge" or "information." It's all just secondhand noise passed down through a chain of people who probably didn't even get it right the first time.

Exactly. That’s how it goes. You’ve got one group of people just chasing whatever happens to be topping the bestseller lists this week, following trends like sheep. Then you’ve got everyone else—the ones who actually know what's up—who listen to the only Source that actually matters: Jesus Christ.

We really need to get to that point where we encounter the Truth within the absolute privacy of our own souls. No middleman. No barriers. Just direct access.Look, it’s not like the Church can do this for you. It doesn't matter if it's the Pope, a priest, a pastor, a patriarch, an imam, or a rabbi—none of them can pull this off on your behalf. No one else can step in and do the heavy lifting here. You have to reach that point yourself, where you've done the work and finally arrive at the stage where the Truth reveals itself to you.

You’re only half right. Honestly, whoever whispered that in your ear only gave you a fraction of the Truth. If you want the raw, unfiltered, all-powerful, and Victorious Truth, here it is...

There is only one Jesus Christ.

But instead of actually opening themselves up to those experiences, they just end up becoming slaves to their own surroundings. It’s like they get trapped by their environment, which ends up shutting them off from anything new or any chance at deeper understanding.

Everyone who chooses to be clothed in Jesus Christ through baptism doesn't have any business talking about bondage. In Him, there's no such thing as Jews or Greeks, no men or women, and no master or slave. Period.

And besides, who on earth are we to be JUDGING anyone?!

Let’s be real: most true prophets were branded as frauds by the religious gatekeepers of their day. They were persecuted and hunted down simply because their message threatened the status quo and the power those elites held over society. Then, fast forward a few generations, and the children of those very "murderers" and "persecutors" end up repenting for their fathers' sins, honoring those same prophets and giving them eternal glory. It’s pure irony—they end up doing the exact same things to the prophets preaching in their own era that their ancestors did.

Just half-truths and improvisations designed to brainwash people.

Jesus told the Samaritans:

It's just like how Stalinists had no clue they were bowing to a system that would have wiped out brothers like Cyril and Methodius, completely indifferent to the fact that they'd leave everyone illiterate in the process.

What you're actually talking about here are those false prophets, because Jesus Christ, the Alpha and Omega, is the final prophet.
Jesus said:

Watch out for any prophet who refuses to acknowledge what Jesus established, or any modern teacher who tries to elevate themselves above God.

the laziness of his mind

Whose mind? Are we talking about the one you claim knows nothing, or the one that Dr. Jerk calls an “unconscious mind” 😲 which is apparently too preoccupied suffering through these bottom-tier "insights," "awakenings" (if you want to use the jargon from this PDF), and those “out there memories” (in Dr. Jerk’s little vocabulary)? EEEK!

I’m honestly not surprised you're siding with Dr. Jerk while trying to guard yourself against every other "influence." You’re falling headfirst into his "out there" narrative—which, by the way, is a much more sophisticated attempt to dodge responsibility for the millions in legal fees, debts, and malpractice suits he racked up before being kicked off the list of practicing neurosurgeons. And that happened right before his little trip to the "other side." It’s a lot smarter than the attempts made by poor Michael Jackson, who, facing similar private crises, bounced from Judaism to Islam. Hmmmmm... well, this doctor actually managed to pull it off where Jack couldn't: returning from "beyond the veil" with amnesia and somehow managing to fix his pituitary gland back from what was likely, in my opinion, an eternal hell he was probably 😲 EEK creating by squeezing information out of his neurosurgery patients while they were in post-op amnesia.

It would be tragic if it weren't so hilarious.
There is only one Jesus Christ.

But instead of actually opening themselves up to those experiences, they just end up becoming slaves to their own surroundings. It’s like they get trapped by their environment, which ends up shutting them off from anything new or any chance at deeper understanding.

Everyone who chooses to be clothed in Jesus Christ through baptism doesn't have any business talking about bondage. In Him, there's no such thing as Jews or Greeks, no men or women, and no master or slave. Period.

And besides, who on earth are we to be JUDGING anyone?!

Let’s be real: most true prophets were branded as frauds by the religious gatekeepers of their day. They were persecuted and hunted down simply because their message threatened the status quo and the power those elites held over society. Then, fast forward a few generations, and the children of those very "murderers" and "persecutors" end up repenting for their fathers' sins, honoring those same prophets and giving them eternal glory. It’s pure irony—they end up doing the exact same things to the prophets preaching in their own era that their ancestors did.

Just half-truths and improvisations designed to brainwash people.

Jesus told the Samaritans:

It's just like how Stalinists had no clue they were bowing to a system that would have wiped out brothers like Cyril and Methodius, completely indifferent to the fact that they'd leave everyone illiterate in the process.

What you're actually talking about here are those false prophets, because Jesus Christ, the Alpha and Omega, is the final prophet.
Jesus said:

Watch out for any prophet who refuses to acknowledge what Jesus established, or any modern teacher who tries to elevate themselves above God.

the laziness of his mind

Whose mind? Are we talking about the one you claim knows nothing, or the one that Dr. Jerk calls an “unconscious mind” 😲 which is apparently too preoccupied suffering through these bottom-tier "insights," "awakenings" (if you want to use the jargon from this PDF), and those “out there memories” (in Dr. Jerk’s little vocabulary)? EEEK!

I’m honestly not surprised you're siding with Dr. Jerk while trying to guard yourself against every other "influence." You’re falling headfirst into his "out there" narrative—which, by the way, is a much more sophisticated attempt to dodge responsibility for the millions in legal fees, debts, and malpractice suits he racked up before being kicked off the list of practicing neurosurgeons. And that happened right before his little trip to the "other side." It’s a lot smarter than the attempts made by poor Michael Jackson, who, facing similar private crises, bounced from Judaism to Islam. Hmmmmm... well, this doctor actually managed to pull it off where Jack couldn't: returning from "beyond the veil" with amnesia and somehow managing to fix his pituitary gland back from what was likely, in my opinion, an eternal hell he was probably 😲 EEK creating by squeezing information out of his neurosurgery patients while they were in post-op amnesia.

It would be tragic if it weren't so hilarious.
There is only one Jesus Christ.

But instead of actually opening themselves up to those experiences, they just end up becoming slaves to their own surroundings. It’s like they get trapped by their environment, which ends up shutting them off from anything new or any chance at deeper understanding.

Everyone who chooses to be clothed in Jesus Christ through baptism doesn't have any business talking about bondage. In Him, there's no such thing as Jews or Greeks, no men or women, and no master or slave. Period.

And besides, who on earth are we to be JUDGING anyone?!

Let’s be real: most true prophets were branded as frauds by the religious gatekeepers of their day. They were persecuted and hunted down simply because their message threatened the status quo and the power those elites held over society. Then, fast forward a few generations, and the children of those very "murderers" and "persecutors" end up repenting for their fathers' sins, honoring those same prophets and giving them eternal glory. It’s pure irony—they end up doing the exact same things to the prophets preaching in their own era that their ancestors did.

Just half-truths and improvisations designed to brainwash people.

Jesus told the Samaritans:

It's just like how Stalinists had no clue they were bowing to a system that would have wiped out brothers like Cyril and Methodius, completely indifferent to the fact that they'd leave everyone illiterate in the process.

What you're actually talking about here are those false prophets, because Jesus Christ, the Alpha and Omega, is the final prophet.
Jesus said:

Watch out for any prophet who refuses to acknowledge what Jesus established, or any modern teacher who tries to elevate themselves above God.

the laziness of his mind

Whose mind? Are we talking about the one you claim knows nothing, or the one that Dr. Jerk calls an “unconscious mind” 😲 which is apparently too preoccupied suffering through these bottom-tier "insights," "awakenings" (if you want to use the jargon from this PDF), and those “out there memories” (in Dr. Jerk’s little vocabulary)? EEEK!

I’m honestly not surprised you're siding with Dr. Jerk while trying to guard yourself against every other "influence." You’re falling headfirst into his "out there" narrative—which, by the way, is a much more sophisticated attempt to dodge responsibility for the millions in legal fees, debts, and malpractice suits he racked up before being kicked off the list of practicing neurosurgeons. And that happened right before his little trip to the "other side." It’s a lot smarter than the attempts made by poor Michael Jackson, who, facing similar private crises, bounced from Judaism to Islam. Hmmmmm... well, this doctor actually managed to pull it off where Jack couldn't: returning from "beyond the veil" with amnesia and somehow managing to fix his pituitary gland back from what was likely, in my opinion, an eternal hell he was probably 😲 EEK creating by squeezing information out of his neurosurgery patients while they were in post-op amnesia.

It would be tragic if it weren't so hilarious.
Hell isn't some physical location or a specific point in time; it exists within the human consciousness. It’s not even a permanent state—that’s one of those ancient myths people struggle to wrap their heads around. Much of this was cooked up during church councils, much like other heresies that have bled into the Holy Bible. One major example is the distorted depiction of Satan, which has caused nothing but massive anxiety for countless people.

Historically speaking, if you look at art or the historical perspective of Christianity, there are far more depictions of hell (personal impressions of suffering) than there are of heaven. Heaven is also a state of consciousness, though the difference is that heaven can be a collective experience, whereas hell is individual—it's happening right now inside the minds of many. Liberation from all of this is guaranteed to everyone. That is what Christ talks about, not threats, torture, or eternal punishment by fire. Christ—as the embodiment of God in human form—is incapable of hate, let alone inflicting eternal torment.

Anyone else getting this? in Spirituality · Aug 25, 2014

electrictinker26 said:I’ve been reflecting lately on what it actually is within us that perceives and understands—that "who" is doing the perceiving. I’ve come to realize that the ego’s comprehension, or even the knowledge we acquire, has to be viewed as something entirely separate from our core essence. Who we truly are isn't tied to the ego; that existence simply *is*. It remains indifferent to what we happen to know or fail to grasp. For instance, knowing that 5 times 5 equals 25 doesn't change the fundamental reality of my existence. It’s a trivial fact that holds no weight regarding my being, aside from perhaps shifting some fleeting internal emotions.

The thinker is always an illusion. That same entity thinks it understands things, but none of that touches one's core existence. The true self isn't thought out; it is revealed. Until that revelation happens, you can't actually experience existence—everything else is just layers upon layers of illusion. No amount of thinking can touch Reality, because as long as there is an individual mind operating, there is no direct experience of true being. The goal isn't to destroy the ego, but to move beyond the mind entirely. The ego is always "real" in its own way, but it mistakenly experiences itself as limited based on the labels and attributes we give it. In short, the ego is simply the vessel for consciousness.

Anyone else getting this? in Spirituality · Aug 24, 2014

electrictinker26 said:Who truly understands? Who can grasp the actual significance of something? Who really gets it? Who actually knows?

The Discipline of Spiritual Self-Improvement in Spirituality · Jul 19, 2014

There are two ways to practice asceticism:

1. Total external renunciation. This is pretty much impossible to pull off in the US unless you're living in a monastery following strict religious canons;
2. Internal detachment. This means letting go of everything within yourself while still staying fully engaged in your day-to-day life—and honestly, that’s the real imperative.

Is physical reality just an illusion? in Spirituality · May 7, 2014

brisknomad13 said:I’m pretty sure I’m missing the organ required to sense soul vibrations...

Think of the aura as an "extra-sensory organ." In principle, it acts as a physical component of the aura itself—a dense energy segment or a specific energetic state. It reflects everything science usually attributes to the physical body: intelligence, creativity, health, spirituality, and general vitality. Of course, mainstream scientists won't acknowledge this because they don't recognize anything more complex than the physical body, even though it's actually an integral part of a much larger whole.

The very nature of the human nervous system is to pick up subtle stimuli. We spend our entire lives doing exactly that through the aura’s information channels and our nerves. The catch is that most people's nervous systems aren't optimized for it. Because of that, information gets stuck in the subconscious. It only really reaches conscious awareness when the brain is "unloaded"—like during REM sleep—where it undergoes sublimation and turns into a sort of mild chaos. That’s how it works with auras, health, and especially spirituality (which, let's face it, is almost non-existent in most people nowadays).

What are the results of your spiritual journey? in Spirituality · Apr 24, 2014

Zachary Gonzalez8 said:

I’m totally with you on that—dwelling on things just doesn't make sense. I’m rooting for you as you move forward
on your life's journey 🙂

But I don't really get what you guys mean regarding thoughts:
'' I'm talking about the thoughts before and after, and the emotional experience that evolves from them. ''

See, an emotion hits you as a reaction to something REAL—it's a signal, sure, but it's also the fuel you need to actually take action. For me, pairing thought with emotion was never the issue. Thoughts are there to sort things out, spot the problems, scan for obstacles versus opportunities, and weigh strengths against weaknesses. You build a strategy... the focus should be on the reality right in front of your face. When you’re in the middle of white-water rafting through a gorge, trying to dig through your internal monologue about how you felt five minutes ago or how you'll feel later is just nonsensical and totally unproductive. 🙂

On one hand, you've got a point, but emotions aren't just reactions to physical reality—they're reactions to our own thoughts too. But whatever, it doesn't really matter right now—it sounds like we're thinking along pretty similar lines, even if we're framing it differently.
I’d argue that thoughts and emotions are basically joined at the hip. And honestly, I'm not even sure what you mean by "reality." Thoughts include everything from recognizing a face to catching an impression or hearing a sound, right? It's all part of the same messy loop.
When people say "real," I assume they’re talking about external reality or actual events—as opposed to an emotional reaction triggered by something purely internal, like replaying old memories.

Think of emotions as an energy field within the aura. It’s this arc-shaped field surrounding the head. You see it in classic American art when saints are depicted with halos; it suggests that people could actually perceive this phenomenon. While those halos are traditionally painted gold, they really represent that yellowish-pink glow a person emits when their consciousness is centered and their mood is steady.

As a person's mood shifts based on their mental state—whether it's anxiety, grief, fear, or sadness—that pinkish-yellow field starts picking up other colors. Usually, it looks mottled or multicolored because those heavy emotions linger, influencing the flow of thought itself. The thoughts then feed back into the field, creating a continuous loop where mind and emotion are locked together.

Some people can actually see this. I’ve experienced certain states where it became visible to me, though my perception isn't perfect. Someone with highly developed vision could trigger this at will. For instance, I can see a wider aura around people, animals, or even plants, but for me, it looks like a thin, shimmering, misty haze—kind of like cigarette smoke. This field extends several feet around a person and moves right along with them.

We understand the biological side of emotions—how the endocrine system, biochemistry, and synapses react—but energetically, it’s tied to that field around the head. That field is just one small part of the much larger aura that can extend up to 80 feet around an adult. The physical body is actually just a dense segment of this energy; we are permeated by subtle energies and higher levels that could theoretically be measured with instruments. However, the human being is an infinitely more complex "instrument" than anything we have ever created. In theory, our perception can expand immensely through proper development. Unfortunately, most people dismiss this as "nonsense" or "delusion," which is just a byproduct of a mainstream scientific worldview that demands blind faith in its own established dogmas.

What are the results of your spiritual journey? in Spirituality · Apr 21, 2014

coastalskipper92 said:🙂 Lovely.

Could you please clarify what you meant by the points I highlighted? Semantically, I am completely lost, which forces me into a futile attempt at rationalizing these impressions 🙂. It is quite a long sentence; I don't grasp the concept of "disidentification," nor do I understand what you intended by "in" consciousness—is this referring to the collective?
Help me understand.

And could you explain how one fights, or rather, how one unburdens oneself from these impressions? Did you arrive at this realization on your own? Currently, I am locked in an argument regarding this very thesis—one I reached deep within my own soul—while the opposing impression argues that life consists of beauty and WILL.
They have been stripping me of my will ever since I became aware of how they force me against my own volition, pushing me out of my spiritual circle, my sense of purpose, and my alignment with the will of One.
Everything feels rigged against me when I engage in battle with them. I have armed myself with will and patience, yet it simply isn't enough.

Assuming we respect a certain spiritual standpoint that generally holds true across all major traditions—regardless of the different discourses where people draw lines based on ancient teachings or various philosophies—I won't muddy the waters too much. Here, the specific names or debates aren't as important as the core essence that connects them all.

Basically, the view is that all souls (Atma) are part of one single, existing Over-soul (Paramatma).

In the same vein, every individual Atma has always been, is, and will always be not just a part of the Over-soul (let's call it God), but every single Atma is, in fact, Paramatma itself. What makes each Atma experience itself as a separate soul is purely a type of impression surrounding the consciousness of each Atma (much like a soap bubble, which is essentially Nothingness; even though these impressions are necessary for the Atma's consciousness to progress, they are inherently Nothingness, causing the Soul to temporarily experience a false duality against its eternal, infinite existence).

It’s a complex idea, so I’ll try to keep this as brief as possible.

The reality is that the entire Creation is actually the sum of these individual souls at various stages of evolution. This seems intuitive enough: all are Atmas that are fundamentally no different from one another. In fact, they aren't just parts of this Paramatma or God in a general sense—they *are* God. They simply experience themselves semi-consciously or with latent consciousness as gas, stone, mineral, plant, insect, bird, animal, and finally, as a human being. Humans have a fully developed consciousness, making us the only form among these stages capable of acting as an Atma—since while our consciousness is full, it is also filled with countless finite impressions (animals have impressions too, but they exist at a semi-conscious level and can't achieve fully formed consciousness; even a stone experiences impressions through its medium in a latent way, progressing accordingly).

Now, because evolution within Creation is structured so that increasingly complex impressions of the Soul's consciousness are acquired, an Atma needs different developmental stages or evolutionary forms to actually live through those impressions. That explains the diversity of forms we know—from stone, metal, and plants to insects, fish, birds, animals, and ultimately, humans.

To keep myself from drowning in this thought, look at it this way: a human being is essentially the ultimate endpoint of evolution—both for physical bodies and for media. Our bodies are complete, finite vessels, and our consciousness is equally fixed. We experience the impressions of the world (Creation) as final, absolute truths. But here’s the catch: since Creation is actually just Nothingness or an illusion (Maya), our consciousness perceives that "Nothing" as "Everything." It’s the only thing we know. Because of that, we view ourselves as finite beings trapped in a specific world, tethered to its objects as if they were undeniably real. In reality, the entire Creation is completely unreal when compared to true Reality and the infinite existence of Paramatma.

The goal of spiritual growth is pretty straightforward: first, a person's consciousness has to turn inward. Once that happens, you enter what I call the Path of Involution. This is where you start "unwinding"—basically stripping away those heavy, coarse impressions you’ve spent your whole life experiencing in the material world. Think of it like peeling back layers of an onion. As you shed those old, clunky perceptions, your consciousness advances further along this path of Involution. The more spiritually developed you become, the subtler those impressions get. You’re essentially freeing your consciousness from all those illusions. Eventually, you reach the highest level of Involution, where you can only be guided by the Perfect Teacher—the Sadguru—who is always present in the world, even if most people don't have the eyes to recognize him.

Real God-realization only happens when a Sadguru lifts the veil of ignorance. When that happens, a person's consciousness becomes fully involuted. They aren't just thinking about it; they are consciously experiencing the state of "I am God." Being God-realized means your Consciousness of souls is no longer tricked by illusions. You stop collecting those mental imprints of duality—that constant tug-of-war between good and bad, or useful and harmful. It’s the highest peak any human can reach. Now, let’s be honest: hitting that summit entirely on your own is incredibly rare. Most people need the guidance of a Sadguru throughout the entire Journey, and in the end, God-realization is granted to those who have truly earned that grace.

Think of cosmic evolution as an imaginary process unfolding within God itself. It all starts because the Atma is driven by this intense urge for self-discovery. That very impulse creates the first definitive impression—the fundamental question: "Who am I?" Even though this consciousness possesses infinite attributes of power and knowledge, it initially perceives itself as being completely limited. To fix that, it travels through eons of imaginary time, cycling through countless different forms designed to build increasingly perfect impressions. This allows the Consciousness of souls to evolve until it reaches its ultimate stage: the human form (or perhaps a similar being on a distant planet—there are plenty of such races out there in the cosmos). This stage represents the peak of evolutionary form. At this point, consciousness is fully realized. A being becomes capable of recognizing its own infinite existence through the process of Consciousness Involution—essentially, by untangling those various impressions held within the Consciousness of souls. These impressions are the only things standing in the way of realizing the truth: that we are actually the Boundless Ocean, the only thing that truly exists, while everything else is just a grand, unreal imagination of the Over-soul.

The most basic way to look at it is this: within the Trask consciousness, the Atma gives rise to a mind that persists through eons, drifting through endless forms across every stage of evolution. It stays with you until a Sadguru—appearing in human form—finally liberates it, provided you've actually done the spiritual work to earn that release. So, when people talk about being born or dying, they're usually missing the point. True birth is the emergence of the mind, and true death is its passing.

Every single form of spiritual discipline or technique shares one fundamental goal: to gradually untether our consciousness from external impressions. It’s about shifting those influences from the heavy, physical stuff to much more subtle, mental vibrations. Think of it like maintaining an aura. If you focus on keeping that field clean and refined, you’ll notice a massive surge in creativity—especially if you have a restless, searching spirit. As your aura matures and becomes more "noble," it starts to hold specific patterns of high-frequency energy. Through this process, a person's consciousness becomes permanently etched as an individualized essence. Some people call these beings Ascended Masters—spiritual energies that remain present on Earth to guide us.

Basically, the limited ego—that part of Consciousness of souls where we experience ourselves as mere humans (like me being Mark, or someone else living in Chicago, working a specific job, and having certain likes and dislikes)—is just an illusion. It’s a collection of fleeting impressions that isn't actually real or permanent, unless a person reaches true enlightenment and matures enough to preserve their individual consciousness for eternity.

Sorry if this feels long-winded or a bit messy; this Knowledge is massive. I'm just throwing some thoughts down on paper hoping to say something coherent, though I might have missed the mark on the actual question. 🙂

What are the results of your spiritual journey? in Spirituality · Apr 20, 2014

Anthony Cook8 said:I don't know, I really don't see it being that complicated... everything you're saying to me just doesn't resonate...
I see what people call innate health—I see beauty, laughter, ease, simplicity, and true strength... I feel like everything is alright right now, and everything will be okay no matter what happens... that's what lives inside me, and it is clear, powerful, and peaceful...

All this stuff you're stressing over means nothing to me...

Look, this isn't about me "stressing out," and there’s nothing "scary" here that requires running away because it feels overwhelming. Quite the opposite. But since we're discussing these topics, there are certain things you simply aren't aware of yet. I bring them up, but if they mean nothing to you, then fine—I'll stop mentioning them. 🙂

Unfortunately, innate health is one thing, but due to a massive amount of trauma in those first few years—especially during the prenatal stage and childbirth—that natural health gets seriously damaged. It can manifest decades later, or for many kids, within the first few months or years of life. If you’ve managed to maintain your health, that’s fantastic; it’s how it should be, and I celebrate that. Honestly, I don't quite get why you'd feel the need to defend yourself against anything by claiming you see things in a way where there's nothing to worry about. Of course, there shouldn't be worry, and the fact that you feel good and everything seems perfect is a wonderful thing—if only everyone felt that way. However, someone with actual knowledge needs to recognize the absurdity of what's happening around them—situations where the cause is the exact opposite of the reason for their own well-being. That cause is human ignorance, which is basically the defining characteristic of this world. A person who can actually see all the suffering people inflict on themselves and others—truly understanding the root of that pain—will realize that even though the world is perfect, there is a deviation in human thought that people have been fighting since the dawn of history. This realization shouldn't cause them distress or negative thoughts; instead, they should see the solution to that very problem within themselves. By looking at the whole picture and identifying the issue internally, that methodology can then be applied to others. That kind of person becomes an incredible asset to anyone they encounter who is open to those truths.

What are the results of your spiritual journey? in Spirituality · Apr 20, 2014

Anthony Cook8 said:I don't actually think that's the human will... I believe it belongs to our Soul, our Higher self—to who we truly are as God-realized beings.

Free will belongs to the individual human being, but the Soul is the Soul-all. It exists far beyond the mind or even imagination. The Soul creates the Creation and weaves itself into it. When the soul becomes unified, it actually loses awareness of this process and becomes subject to the very laws it established—laws created solely for the purpose of self-discovery, moving from total unconsciousness to complete consciousness. All aspects that are Higher (like the Shining body, for instance) don't possess "free will" in the way a human does; they are super-intelligent energies that cannot deviate from the will of the One. Because humans have regressed spiritually over tens of thousands of years, we've drifted away from our true nature. We lost that connection to spiritual energies—which should be the natural context for any living thing—and lost the ability to consciously tap into the information we rightfully belong to. Instead of advancing, we filled that void with negative thought patterns and flawed logic, which is incredibly damaging to the individual and the entire human race. That’s why humanity is currently trailing behind other cosmic races, even though we carry the genetic blueprint of demigods.

A person only truly becomes divine when they actually reach that state. Just having the genes of a demigod doesn't mean anything if you don't actually realize it. There is a massive difference between dreaming about greatness and actually embodying it and expressing it consciously. That is the gap between ordinary human consciousness and being God-realized. One person is merely chasing an illusion, while the other is One with God.

What are the results of your spiritual journey? in Spirituality · Apr 20, 2014

Nicholas Gonzalez8 said:Beautifully put, and I'm mostly on board here. My only gripe would be ditching those "should" and "shouldn't" words entirely. I truly believe souls have total free will to become whatever they want and do whatever they feel like. If they want to dive into something brand new, the door is wide open. If they want to stay right where they are and just live their lives as they are in this lifetime, that's allowed too—at least until they decide to change things up again.

Right, that's what we call human free will. But here's the thing: that will exists within the framework of the physical being—what we label a "human" (usually just seeing ourselves as a physical body). In reality, it's much more complex than our current self-perception allows. In this dimension, that being is unintegrated. Think of it like a biological organism where the individual organs aren't quite working in harmony; even though all those parts are supposed to come together to create a whole, functioning system to allow for growth, they often act as if they're disconnected.

What are the results of your spiritual journey? in Spirituality · Apr 19, 2014

Anthony Cook8 said:Love, kindness, and helping others are just part of being human. You don't have to force it; you just have to be. We shouldn't struggle to achieve or reach something that we already are. Instead, we need to stop fighting and just let go...
We are light...
That is my truth, and it's the truth shared by the people I'm lucky enough to surround myself with... and that is enough for me.🙂
You can't force love, and you can't force Effort. Everything flows when it's meant to... that's where the real beauty lies.

I totally agree, but I want to expand on that slightly. In this context, those ideas often sound like the classic platitudes you hear flying around everywhere lately. While they are beautiful stories and positive intentions—which are great foundations—they can unfortunately become a slippery slope if taken too literally.

Look, if a person doesn't truly work out for themselves how they are actually practicing this, or fails to realize the actual consequences of their actions (or how that energy returns to them), then what you’re calling "non-doing" isn't literally about doing nothing. It’s actually about a mental 'detachment' from the action itself. That’s what "stopping the fight and letting go" means. It doesn't imply a lack of methodology or effort. If someone wants to act "good" as a universal principle, then that "goodness" is something that is actively developed and experienced by investing all available energy into it. Consciously directing oneself in that direction is actually the primary way we increase our awareness and detach from impressions.
A lot of people say this just because it sounds nice. They imagine their whole lives and everything they do fits this beautiful narrative of "not doing anything" to separate consciousness from impressions. In reality, they are just piling up new experiences and spinning in circles, telling themselves exactly what they want to hear to satisfy the ego.

Anthony Cook8 said:Love, kindness, and helping others are just part of being human. You don't have to force it; you just have to be. We shouldn't struggle to achieve or reach something that we already are. Instead, we need to stop fighting and just let go...
We are light...
That is my truth, and it's the truth shared by the people I'm lucky enough to surround myself with... and that is enough for me.🙂
You can't force love, and you can't force Effort. Everything flows when it's meant to... that's where the real beauty lies.

Effort also stems from awareness, and awareness is built upon Knowledge (Truth).
Working tirelessly and being persistent in what matters—specifically for the sake of uncovering the Self in relation to what words describe—is purely a matter of expressing one's freedom. 🙂
Obviously, you can't act in opposition to your spiritual growth (whatever you want to call it) and still progress. Being passive in all this is also a choice, but even a "passive" path of development requires extreme discipline, a life dedicated to meditation, and guidance.
To think a person is perfect exactly as they are, meaning they don't need to do anything regarding their development, feels to me like an insufficient understanding of latent human nature versus what a person actually manifests as growth (or the lack thereof, which would at least be the start of liberation). But I'm sure that isn't the case with you; perhaps your descriptions just come across that way due to how you choose to express yourself or simply the semantic nuances of our language. That's why I'm mentioning it.

I totally get what you're saying about how you can't force love, just like you can't force Effort—it has to happen naturally. It’s kind of like if someone wants to drive from New York to Los Angeles. They aren't going to make it if they never actually put the car in gear and start driving. But even then, if they hit some heavy traffic or a storm along the way, they won't reach their destination if they decide to just pull over at some scenic rest stop in Nebraska, set up camp, and spend the rest of their lives talking about that distant coast they once dreamed of reaching. I know you realize that nothing just happens out of thin air; everything arises from specific reasons or circumstances. Whether we actually recognize those reasons or not is a whole different conversation.

What are the results of your spiritual journey? in Spirituality · Apr 19, 2014

Anthony Cook8 said:Well, I guess what you're saying just isn't my truth. It hasn't come through as an insight for me, and it doesn't resonate...

Anyway, we can help every single day, every second, just by snapping at someone or offering a kind word or a hug...

My own experience has been a transition from the despair, hopelessness, and malice surrounding me into a sense of paradise, peace, beauty, and love... it's been a pretty good experience. A person can live in paradise right here on Earth, on this very same soil where we all stand...

And I realize I'm writing this from the ego, but I'm trying to reach for something deeper... it's not for nothing.

Absolutely. There is no other Paradise besides the one on Earth (for us), much like any other planet in the cosmos inhabited by advanced material races. This is simply the state of the body (of all bodies, beings, or forms) and the evolution of consciousness (knowledge and potential). It’s our ancient experience of form and conscious growth that we’ve messed up (something anthropologists recognize, though they look at it through a completely different lens regarding Paleolithic or Neolithic cultures, their mindsets, and mythologies—they weren't living in "Paradise" back then, but their intuition functioned better. Later, religions mentioned this in different ways, and barely an echo remains today). But we can start thinking about this actively. However, if we approach it with the mindset of "everything is perfect and should stay this way," we won't move the needle much from where we are now. I'm not saying we should collapse into misery and gloom, either; I'm just saying we should do whatever we can to contribute to improvement—which is perfectly natural.

Some things fall outside the scope of human cognition because most human understanding exists solely at the level of the mind. Yet, intuitively, we accept them once we come into contact with them. People aren't capable of pulling themselves out of the messes they've made on their own—that’s a vital fact one must realize. They can only, and exclusively, do so with massive help from spiritual energies. That’s exactly what this is about. Otherwise, neither you nor I would be sitting here right now discussing spirituality. It isn't just some personal achievement that we see things differently than most people, nor is it just a general trend of people turning back toward nature (to themselves).

What are the results of your spiritual journey? in Spirituality · Apr 19, 2014

Anthony Cook8 said:What about those children born with innate knowledge, who won't find things difficult? The only thing that's actually hard is the ordinary illusion you've chosen to believe in, nothing more, nothing less...
If you believe in something, you'll receive a wealth of evidence—perfect proof. Open yourself up to diversity, to the infinite, and you will receive the infinite...
We keep spinning in circles around self-deception, but who cares who is deceiving whom? People can never truly be themselves if we constantly see them through the lens of their mistakes... You can't help someone by trying to lead them or by reciting your own unique path back to them. No one is here to be a carbon copy of someone else. Instead, by staying true to yourself in every moment, you allow the other person the chance to be true to themselves in that same unique moment...

And what I'm saying is ultimately irrelevant, because two souls create the perfect situation for growth. That’s why mistakes don't exist—everything is perfect...

Every soul carries its entire evolutionary history within it. In human form, that includes our biological development and even the very concept of descending into this dimension. This means they carry memories linked to incredibly advanced levels of civilization. Kids aren't born with "knowledge" in the way we think of it; they are born like everyone else, but they are granted easier access to their Self. This isn't a credit to the children or their parents—it's a result of an immense Grace that has been unfolding over the last two decades (largely because humanity has reached such a point of hopelessness). This will continue until things align with the will of the Creator, and people simply need to accept that. Looking at it from a broader perspective, they have already accepted it, which is why this knowledge exists. We are still a long way from the Creator's will and far from perfection. Ask any random passerby if they share your vision; you'll realize whether you're speaking poetic truth or just looking at things through an extreme lens where neither you nor they are close to what Is. Regardless, if things are exactly as they should be, no one is obligated to die of worry, but no one is required to be resigned either. You can absolutely help where you can. Don't fall into the trap of thinking your help is pointless just because "everything is perfect."

Things either follow their built-in principles toward Growth, or they drift toward self-destruction, much like how human civilization behaves. But let's not call it "perfect." While poetic license is always allowed, remember there is something more than just man—there is the One who wonders, who Is, and who orchestrates everything. If we say we surrender everything to Him, that doesn't mean we sit idle; it means we do our absolute best to align ourselves with those universal principles. That is more than enough.

What are the results of your spiritual journey? in Spirituality · Apr 19, 2014

Anthony Cook8 said:Every single moment is brand new. Nothing is permanent, or rather, nothing *needs* to be. Every one of us has the opportunity for a fresh experience in the very next instant. Labeling someone as "enlightened" is honestly pointless and unnecessary... nobody holds more value or deserves more respect than anyone else. We are all one, simply serving one another.

I completely agree when looking at things as they are. In that sense, a person is no different from a stone because everything falls under the domain of the Creator. However, when we talk about consciousness, a God-realized person is as far removed from ordinary human awareness as ordinary awareness is from the consciousness of a stone. This isn't about whether humans should show respect or not; it's just a matter of how things actually exist. "A human lives and a stone exists; neither knows the Truth."

It’s self-deception to try and "recognize" enlightenment (which is itself an anomaly for someone viewing a God-realized teacher), but it’s even more deceptive for those who claim to be enlightened when they truly aren't—and believe me, those people exist. On the other hand, anyone on a spiritual path, whether consciously or not, is trying to recognize their own Self within a God-realized teacher. Of course, there are no hard rules here, but there is always a greater or lesser risk of self-discovery versus self-delusion.
As long as someone is wandering through Maya alone, they’re like a blind person. If they pick another blind person to lead them, you just have two blind people stumbling around—one is deluded, and the other is just following the delusion. It makes it incredibly hard to reach the depths of one's own imagination quickly. That’s the gap between a God-realized being and the consciousness of even the highest saint, who becomes Perfect through a single "touch" from the Guru, provided they are ready. I'm not talking about comparison or competition here; I'm talking about the nature of Maya. It has to be this way so that, eventually, every soul can realize its Highest state—to be God.

There’s a strange phenomenon on this planet: Maya is one, and it is exactly what it is—natural. But humans have a slightly bigger problem: we are unnatural, tangled up in the mess of our own egos. You won't find a world quite like this anywhere else; it’s a unique example of how things aren't supposed to evolve.

What are the results of your spiritual journey? in Spirituality · Apr 19, 2014

Anthony Cook8 said:I didn't quite catch the point of this post... I just wanted to say that living in ignorance is actually full of possibilities...

My point was that you can't just "shed ignorance" without actual learning—or what we might call expanding your consciousness. Think of it as de-identifying from those deep-seated mental impressions, which are really just Maya. But look, when we're talking about the final stage—completely freeing consciousness from those impressions—you can't just wish it into existence through pure imagination. In fact, using imagination too early in a spiritual journey often leads people straight into self-deception. They start convinced they've reached enlightenment. Honestly, even on a forum like this, you'll find people claiming to be enlightened just as often as you'll find them anywhere else in the world. It doesn't really matter.
I was building on what you said about how "nothing is mandatory"—meaning, sure, you don't *have* to snap out of a delusion immediately. In a natural sense, a misconception eventually gets overcome, and you "move on." How or when that happens isn't the priority, because time isn't a factor in the grand scheme, though life itself certainly feels like it has an imaginary duration.

What are the results of your spiritual journey? in Spirituality · Apr 19, 2014

Anthony Cook8 said:There are just too many words like "must" and "impossible" for my liking... In my experience, concepts like obligation, impossibility, or even "universal truth" have faded away. It's all just trivial chatter 😁..

It’s similar to those descriptions where people lean on imagination or a fictional version of enlightenment instead of experiencing the real thing.
If we’re just talking about semantics, then it isn't a "problem" in the way humans usually define it. On the flip side, you could call it what it actually is: classic self-deception. This happens inside a person's psychological bubble—it happens to everyone, really—but it hits those with vivid imaginations even harder, especially when they fuel that fantasy with intense psychological drivers. But since nothing is ever truly mandatory (and it really isn't), you eventually move past that too.

When someone hits an absolute abyss before reaching enlightenment, there is simply no amount of mental gymnastics that can leap over it—that’s the paradox of the leap. But, naturally, the nature of Wholeness isn't going to change just because someone's semantic or categorical definitions don't align with it. The continuation of that solution lies within Sadhguru or the One-in-multitude.

What are the results of your spiritual journey? in Spirituality · Apr 19, 2014

Anthony Cook8 said:Everything really is perfect. Once we finally accept ourselves and stop fighting, all that internal junk we've collected starts to fall away... the illusions dissolve and we find our way back to who we truly are. We aren't actually learning anything new; we're just stripping away the lies.

Look, you absolutely have to internalize—really wake up to—the Knowledge first. That’s the only way to strip away the ignorance (those little ego-driven delusions about what the Truth actually is and how it works). You can't just have something fall away without replacing it with what was missing in the first place. Otherwise, the ignorance stays. It's a steady process, moving through layers until you hit even the most subtle impressions. Any pause along that Path feels like "idling" or just spinning your wheels. At the end of the day, an unenlightened person can't just power through and enlighten themselves. You might be able to pull a mental somersault, sure, but that isn't true annihilation of the mind. It's a law of nature. We are fundamentally tied to the unity of two principles: the masculine (that false, individualistic ego) and the feminine (the One-in-multitude, which is held exclusively by the Perfect ones or those who have realized God—though the rest of us carry it latently, buried under endless layers of impressions). And since even those Perfect beings didn't achieve it alone, but through the "touch" of Sadhguru, no one can reach that state solo. It's simply impossible. You can work your way to the very edge of your mental impressions—people like that are known as saints—but from there, all that's left is that single "touch" from a real Sadhguru.

What are the results of your spiritual journey? in Spirituality · Apr 14, 2014

rustymaker5 said:After spending so much time diving into different spiritual authorities and exploring all the various paths people take toward enlightenment, I’ve come to one inescapable conclusion: all the theory in the world is completely useless if you don't embrace it from the core of your being... if you aren't following it out of a genuine, raw connection to Absolute Love.
So, every single day, I find myself praying to the Absolute Truth—to God—asking for help to wake up my heart, basically trying to pry my soul loose from this heavy illusion that material things actually matter... and as for my mind, I’m working on keeping it in check, constantly trying to steer my thoughts toward doing good for others.
Since I can't really pull any of this off on my own, I just surrender everything to the Higher Will, handing over the reins of my life's chariot to the universe, while I just try my best to follow the Golden Rule and not do to others what I wouldn't want done to me... though, honestly, my success rate with that is still pretty hit or miss... 🙄
All in all, for now, I’m mostly noticing improvements in the physical side of things... I feel a sense of calm more often during situations that used to totally throw me off balance, and I'm finding it easier to keep my anger and rage under control; there's also this growing ability to accept people and circumstances exactly as they are, without that feverish, desperate need to change them or bend them to my will; I'm becoming less attached to people, stuff, and events... I'm more patient, and somehow more peaceful in my daily life... and well, I'm really just at the very beginning of this spiritual journey, so I'm not even sure how far I'll actually get in this lifetime, especially since I'm still struggling with certain desires and passions I just can't seem to shake. 🤷

👍

*Love

Selfless service and meditation only become spontaneous when they are fueled by love. That’s why it’s rightfully said that love is the shortest path to achieving the Highest. Through love, the soul is completely dissolved into the Beloved, ceasing to be bound by the actions of the body or the mind. Love stops the creation of new samskaras and destroys old ones, giving life an entirely new direction. No other state allows self-forgetfulness to occur as naturally and spontaneously as the state of greatest love. This is why love holds the leading position among the methods that lead to liberating consciousness from its samskaric chains.*

What are the results of your spiritual journey? in Spirituality · Apr 13, 2014

Ryan Rogers5 said:And honestly? Taking things way too literally is just a fast track to being totally delusional.
I wasn't suggesting people shouldn't sleep at all—or when I write a post, I’m not saying you should skip meals entirely, right?
It's more about cutting back to just what's necessary.
p.s. Personally, I find it pretty weird when I see some out-of-shape preacher.
How can someone even try to teach others if they can't seem to practice what they preach themselves?

Sri Chinmoy, as one of the greatest modern Gurus, was actually quite heavy during his last fifteen years. Does that mean we should assume a 70-year-old man—even one who has reached the absolute peak of spiritual leadership as a Sadguru—is somehow "lesser" just because he carries extra weight?

Honestly, that wouldn't even be a spiritual perspective; it would just be a personal bias. Asceticism isn't everything. Serving humanity matters way more than maintaining a certain physique or catering to psychological prejudices. Now, if you had a fitness instructor preaching veganism while weighing 220 pounds, that would be a totally different story.