The mystery of life itself

nimblewolf11 said:It’s like they say, don't focus on the finger—look at where it’s actually pointing, right?

They strip away the context first, then just twist individual words however they want. Maybe I'm being a bit too intense about it, but that's how it feels.

Michael Gonzalez77 said:Just try to see where I'm coming from. Thanks.

btw, time isn't even a thing.

I can't, honestly. You're trying way too hard to make this complicated when it's actually super simple.
Time exists right NOW, whether you call it a moment or whatever. Words are just limits, I guess—they kind of push that whole dualism thing on us. But if you're willing to look at it and really get it, you'll understand what I mean. 🙂

Michael Hernandez77 said:I can't get behind that. You're trying to make this complicated when it's actually incredibly simple.
The NOW exists, whether you call it a moment, an era, or whatever else you want. Words are just limitations—they naturally feed into dualism—but if you approach this with an open mind and a little insight, you’ll see where I'm coming from. 🙂

You just misunderstood my point and jumped to the conclusion that I was saying the exact opposite of what I meant. Does that clear things up?
My point was something else entirely, but you grabbed one introductory sentence and twisted it to fit your own perspective without looking at the context. Time doesn't exist, regardless of what label we slap on it. On the other hand, we recognize three different layers: chronological (tied to physical matter), subtle, and mental. But there's no need to dive into that right now, just as there's no need to discuss how most people don't actually experience timelessness, no matter how "simple" it might sound.

Yeah, just like how you keep insisting that time doesn't exist, even though I never actually said it did. I mean, the whole idea that the only thing that exists is "now" kind of clashes with the very concept of time itself, I guess. 🙂

Michael Hernandez77 said:Right, just like how you keep insisting that time doesn't exist, even though I never actually claimed it did. The simple fact that the only time that exists is *now* actually contradicts the very concept of "time" itself.🙂

The truth is, this has nothing to do with what people call being "in the moment." That whole "living in the now" thing is just a subjective nudge—something anyone can parrot after they feel a brief lapse in their perception of "physical time." It’s basically when you stop identifying so heavily with your physical body for a second (which isn't timelessness; let's just call it a short meditative state). As for the actual non-existence of time? We don't even need to debate that. Whether you believe it or not doesn't change the reality; having an opinion on it isn't the same as experiencing it.

Timelessness, as a dimension, isn't contradictory—and nothing illusory (like time) could ever be contradictory to it.
(The term is just conditional; it's just a way to point toward something related to time).

Every single one of the 7.5 billion people on this planet shares just one experience: time doesn't actually exist. It’s the only thing that’s truly real, simply because it is.
The real issue, I guess, is that people tend to trust their programming and all those old conditions instead of just trusting what they actually feel.
I mean, go ahead and ask anyone anywhere—try to get them to point their finger at the past or the future. They can't.

Michael Hernandez77 said:The only experience shared by all 7.5 billion people on Earth is that time doesn't actually exist. That is the one true, fundamental reality because it simply is.
The real issue is that people choose to believe their programming and conditioning rather than their own direct experience.
Try asking anyone on the planet to point to the past or the future—just try pointing your finger at them.

In reality, it’s the opposite; 99.99% of people will fight to prove that time exists. In their lived experience, time is everything—they check their watches, they track the sun, the moon, and the stars.

So, we aren't going to see eye-to-eye here. It’s incredibly difficult to explain to people that time isn't actually "real," even though it functions as a concept within the physical realm—much like other phenomena that transform how we hear things or how consciousness perceives reality, not to mention the psychological dimension of existence.

I guess the only real reason is that people just don't trust their own experiences. It doesn't even matter what they try to prove; they'll just keep doing it because they believe the programming more than what they've actually lived through. That's really where all the problems start, I think.

Michael Hernandez77 said:The core issue is that people simply don't trust their own lived experience. It doesn't matter what they try to prove; they'll keep doing it because they believe their social programming more than what they actually feel and know deep down. That's where all the trouble starts.

Human experience is a complex web of different dimensions. It all depends on how strongly someone identifies with their "I" identity—that sense of self tied to a physical body or a mind built mostly from unconscious patterns. For most people right now, awareness is limited to certain thought processes. But a thought is just the result of past accumulation; it’s always rooted in the "past." In many ways, projection isn't much different from this accumulation. This creates a repetitive cycle of drama, where people get stuck in a loop of impressions that drive constant desire. It’s like being caught in a whirlpool. Within that loop, there is a flow, and wherever there is flow, you inevitably have the subjective experience of time.

Yeah, it's subjective and totally unfounded based on actual experience—it's more about being programmed and conditioned (which I guess is what you're calling accumulation).

Michael Hernandez77 said:Exactly. It isn’t based on actual experience; it’s just programming and conditioning (which you call accumulation).

I agree, but life experience and spiritual progress are incredibly layered and surreal. They feel even more unreal when consciousness perceives them as "real." Everything is built on memory—this massive buildup of impressions. You can't have life without impressions, you can't have evolution without them, and you certainly can't have spiritual growth without them. Even though the spiritual path represents a kind of "truer unreality," everything essentially exists within the realm of imagination fueled by those impressions. Consciousness slowly lets them go, levels them out, and neutralizes them. But before that happens, we live through them, all while simultaneously picking up new ones. We exist in these sudden bursts, stuck in their presence for a long time, mistaking it all for "experience."

Everyone's subjectivity is rooted in memory until consciousness finally breaks free from it. That's why there are endless nuances of experience, not just in everyday life, but even on the spiritual path itself.

What you and I are talking about presents a spiritual paradox. Even if we’ve wrapped our heads around it intellectually—or maybe caught tiny glimpses of it through experience—actually experiencing it directly requires being completely free from the weight of those old impressions. It demands total spiritual maturity. To be honest, I haven't seen that level of maturity from anyone on this forum yet (and I'm nowhere near it myself; I'm just barely keeping pace on the path). That's why it's always so easy for us to talk about enlightenment or God. It’s just intellectual play, a cocktail of ideas. We subconsciously defend these thoughts as if they were profound insights or God-given revelations, when really they are just tiny sparks hinting that something is being revealed. Yet, we love to talk as if we’ve actually grasped Reality. We haven't. The people who truly have are rare; you won't find them easily on forums, though some do speak about it publicly.

People who have truly encountered Reality, as you put it, might seem rare, but I think there are actually more than you’d expect. There are even some right here on this forum.
Just keep in mind that encountering Reality—truly realizing who you are and living in that fullness of being—isn't just some sudden "click." It's a very, very long path. So, there are definitely people out there who have opened those doors, regardless of which "step" they're currently on.
The truth is simple. It's incredibly simple and massive, and it's right under your nose—I'd almost say it's right inside your nose 🙂!
Maybe just ask yourself what St. Francis meant when he said, "the place from which you seek is the place you are seeking from," or what Jesus meant when He said, "the kingdom of heaven is within you."
Or, you could just be more direct and ask, "Who am I?" I guess anyone who puts all their cards on the table for that question is truly blessed.

Michael Hernandez77 said:The people who have realized Reality, as you put it, are rare—but there are actually more than you might think. There are even some right here on this forum.
Keep in mind that realizing Reality—fully stepping into who you truly are and living in the fullness of "I Am"—isn't just an instant click. It’s a very, very long path. So, there are definitely those who have opened those doors, regardless of which "step" they are currently on.
Truth is simple, incredibly simple, and massive; it's right under your nose (I'd almost say it's inside your nose 🙂).
Just ask yourself what St. Francis meant when he said, "the place from which you seek is the place you are seeking from," or what Jesus meant when He said "the kingdom of heaven is within you."
Or, even more directly, just ask: "Who am I?" Anyone who puts all their chips on that question is truly blessed.

I spent 16 years walking alongside an enlightened Teacher, and unfortunately, that experience taught me that we don't have anyone like that here. I know plenty of guys out there making all sorts of claims, but most of them are just kids lost in a carnival of cotton candy and spinning rides.

I know firsthand that the path is a long one, especially if you're wandering without any guidance.

So, there's no point in me beating around the bush; it's obvious to me. When I say "rare," I mean rare individuals out of 7.3 billion people. On this forum? Zero. But that’s not really the point.

Michael Gonzalez77 said:... which is why an individual—whether they consider themselves pious or not—has to seek "inner peace." They exist in a half-world composed entirely of their own thoughts, feelings, and perceptions. From actual life, all they have ever truly known are the thoughts they think and the emotions they experience based on those internal impressions, memories, and mental snapshots—mostly unpleasant ones. Consequently, they suffer, feeling as though they aren't actually living, but merely sleeping atop a landfill of accumulated impressions gathered at random, haunted by self-created ghosts they no longer know how to manage.

I'm with you on this.

Are you familiar with the work of Katie Byron?
Her story is quite compelling.
I’m curious to hear your take on her liberation from everything you just described as "impressions, thoughts, and memory"...
Katie refers to all of that as "the story." She poses a question to everyone: Who would you be without your story?

Anyway, since you claim to be at the edge of the path, how do you interpret the idea of a human becoming a mere "psychological machine"?
Is that inevitable, and was there ever actually an alternative?
And finally—how much longer is this cycle going to continue?
(How much longer, for God's sake?!!?! 🤣)

Being "without a story about yourself" is just our natural human state, I guess.

Jacob Cruz42 said:Enivej, since you’re basically walking the end of the path, how do you interpret people turning into "psychological machines"?
Was there even an alternative to this?
And finally—how much longer is all this going to last?
(Seriously, how much more can we take, for God's sake?!!?! 🤣)

I don't think you quite caught my drift.

I'm not saying human existence itself is just some psychological phenomenon or a figment of our imagination. Rather, I mean that while our existence belongs to the realm of creation (the Creator), the way we identify our consciousness with various impressions—using them to build our own little individual bubbles—is a psychological dimension. This dimension becomes so dominant in the mind that it overshadows actual creation. Life itself ends up becoming nothing more than a shadow cast by a totally fake psychological world within the mind.

Psychological development is a necessary stage of growth. However, because modern civilization increasingly detaches us from natural impulses and floods us with unnatural impressions—basically, what you could call a "faulty way of thinking"—we end up building an accumulator of massive negative thoughts, stress, and toxic emotional states. It limits our ability to grow or refine our perception. These things restrict overall development and cause physical deviations in the body, leading to what we call chronic illnesses. Those aren't natural processes; they are straight-up degradation.
(Unnatural impressions come from identifying with life's fictions, assigning value to things that don't actually possess it, and vice versa. Instead of experiencing life as creation—as both the creation and the Creator—with a natural drive to know the wholeness of life, we get lost. Life isn't just a collection of separate things existing side-by-side; it is entirely whole and unified. It only looks fragmented to our intellect because we try to use our intellect to enter a dimension where the intellect doesn't even function.)

So, look at it this way: you have a person sitting in their armchair, feeling intense fear for their life due to the compulsive force of accumulated impressions. They pass away right there in that chair through an unconscious process of mental emptying. Their brain can no longer distinguish between their actual reality and a projection; it reacts to both exactly the same way. I'm not sure if I've made that clear enough.

Bottom line: I'm not saying human life is a "psychological phenomenon." I'm saying that the subjective experience of individuals is such that they spend most of their lives living inside products of their own thoughts. Often, they are just glorifying their own memories of what life *should* be, even though they didn't create their own bodies. Instead, they feed those bodies nonsense born from a distorted way of thinking. They see almost nothing of real life; they only see the self-made shadow.

Michael Gonzalez77 said:Dak, I’m not suggesting that human life itself is just some "psychological phenomenon." What I am saying is that an individual's subjective experience is so skewed that they spend most of their existence trapped within their own mental constructs. They tend to obsess over a memory of how life *should* be, all while neglecting the physical reality they didn't create—merely sustaining their bodies with nonsense born from a distorted perception. They see almost nothing of actual life; they only see the shadows they've cast themselves.

Look, I never said you were claiming LIFE is a "psychological phenomenon"; I said you were applying that logic to HUMANITY. Isn't that the point?

The fact remains that you misunderstood my position. Go back, read my previous post again, and actually address my questions. Please. PP thanks.

Michael Gonzalez77 said:I spent 16 years walking alongside a realized Teacher. Sadly, that experience taught me that you won't find people like that here. I know plenty of folks who claim to be something they aren't—not just on this site, either. Most are just kids getting lost in a carnival of cotton candy and bright lights.

It’s pretty clear to me that the path is incredibly long, especially if you're wandering without a guide.

So, there's no point in me arguing about it; it's obvious. When I say "rare," I mean truly rare individuals out of 7.3 billion people. On this forum? Zero. But that's beside the point.

Could you share the name of that teacher?
If not here, maybe in the other thread?
Thanks

Jacob Cruz42 said:Look, I didn't say you were claiming LIFE itself is just a "psychological phenomenon"—I said you were saying that about a PERSON. Right?

So, you totally misread me. Go back, read my post again, and please, just answer my questions. Please, thank you, seriously.

"Enivej, since you're supposedly 'at the end of the path,' how do you interpret someone becoming a 'psychological machine'?"

I answered exactly what you asked. Also, this isn't just some "interpretation" of mine—it’s not an opinion I cooked up; it’s a reality anyone can see if they actually pay attention.

It’s all in my previous post, along with an answer to your second question—the one touching on our natural connection to life, rather than feeling disconnected or stuck in those faulty thought patterns and endless stressors that cause almost all the world's suffering and misery.

Third thing: I’m not psychic. Everyone is responsible for their own actions; everyone either ramps up the pressure of falsehood or works to dial it down based on how they choose to live.

Michael Hernandez77 said:Keep in mind that you really need to grasp Reality! To fully realize oneself—to truly become who you were meant to be! Isn't that the ultimate goal? It’s about finding that perfect alignment between your inner potential and your outer reality. It takes work, sure, but wouldn't you agree that nothing beats the feeling of finally stepping into your true purpose?Figuring out who you really are—reaching that point where you feel completely whole and fulfilled? Man, that’s not just a quick "click" moment... it is a very, very long journey!

What exactly is "himself"? And more importantly—how does one actually go about realizing himself?