Nondualism: My Understanding So Far

Heyy i'm the anon who sent that long ask, thanks for answering my question. You explain things so well, your posts are very easy to read. For some reason I feel connected to them :) so what i'm understanding is that you need to just stop identifying with the "ego" and accept that you're only the awareness, not connected to any of it, just experiencing it. All you have to do is to be aware of what you want and let go of the things you don't need (this reality for example) and this is very easy since neither the ego or reality IS you or connected to you, right? Shifting is only hard or takes long when you identify as the ego, but when you're only awareness all you have to do is become aware of it and it's instant.

(So sorry for rambling again, I can't help it since the topic is very interesting to me, hope it's not a bother to you)

I really try my best to explain the things I know, but sometimes I forget that many of you don't know the basics of ND and I have to figure out how to explain it as simply as possible :-D

First of all, you as awareness are connected to everything, because everything is you. The phone you hold in your hand, the friends you have, the food you ate. It's all you - just forms of your consciousness. The body you are aware of, the family or the people around you - they are all you. They all exist because of you. Nothing is ever separate from you. Any world or reality that you can imagine is just you. The source behind every seeming appearance is only you. Once you realize that nothing is not you, and give up the separation between the physical and the imagined, you as awareness can transform any form into anything you desire in an instant. You will realize that your life has always been a lucid dream.

When it comes to the “ego”: There's a quote by Rupert Spira that I really like:

“We do not have to eradicate a separate self in order to be knowingly eternal. There is no separate self to be eliminated. To attempt to dissolve or annihilate a separate self simply perpetuates its illusory existence. To discipline the separate self is to maintain the separate self.”

Calling the false self "an ego" makes it more important than any other form of your consciousness. But why should the ego be more important than any other “object” in your apparent physical reality? IT IS ALL YOU. Don't give importance to the ego and its thinking, but please don't ignore your responsibility either. There is a difference between indifference and ignorance. Simply notice everything that is happening around you. Be present. Stay in that awareness until you are fully aware of yourself. Once you do that, the rest is effortless. You can shift with just a thought. For someone who hasn't fully accepted that they are already pure awareness (which is absurd, otherwise you wouldn't be aware of reading this answer), they should really put their awareness on their DR and there's no way, you won't make it.

Please read this success story, it perfectly describes how you can align your awareness with your “desired life”:

THANK GOD I WAS LAZY :)

“Sitting in silence is more potent than any words you can ever hear” -> Robert Adams

“All that is required to realize the self is to be still. What can be easier than that?” -> Ramana Maharshi

It’s in silence where your problems just dissolve try it ! It really works -> Robert Adams

hi, sophie.🩷 i'd like to share my success story. i know you are no longer active on tumblr so i apologize in advance for sending this ask. i've been waiting for the longest for you to turn on your anon asks again, i was hesitant to share this on my own account, since people on loa tumblr can get very desperate or attempt to harm you out of envy (i've seen it happen with too many people sharing successes), so i just waited for you to turn your asks on again and say it freely.

my journey with ND has been... long to say the least. it was only long because i refused to act on the truth as soon as i discovered it, when 4dbarbie was still active. i put it off because i was afraid of what would happen, i was afraid of truly disbelieving the idea that i was a person. that was really stupid. and the only reason i wasn't experiencing my ideal version of life.

MY NOW. many months later, but... at least it's finally over.

i don't hold anything in the mind, no memories, no thoughts about the future, my life is completely spontaneous and always in a state of harmony. i materialize things instantly. each time i have a thought about something i'd like, i experience. there have never been any exceptions.

this is not the void, this is your natural state. you don't need to be in any void for this to be your regular, everyday life. the only thing that stops you from experiencing this complete power and freedom is your mind, which is unreal. until you're ready to discard it you're not going to demonstrate much.

what holds you back, i know because it was the same thing holding me back, is the fact that you don't take the word 'false' seriously. the ego is false, all thoughts are false. nothing is real. nothing at all. this is all a lucid dream. it's all what you're saying it is.

thank you, and thank you 4dbarbie for opening my eyes. i admit, there comes a sense of superiority in regards to others from knowing the truth, and if others on the ND path have felt the same before, don't be ashamed of this feeling, it's just how it is. no reason to be ashamed, you worked hard to get here. with it also comes a weird compassion. i just pity them, the way i pity my past self but having no courage. no sense in dwelling on a non-existent past now. it's done. nothing has ever existed. nothing will in the future. all is now, if i want it to be, and all is my will. i think of you both as more my family than my actual family, which i was able to give a comfortable life to because of you. thank you, thank you. i will never forget you.

the concept of living life so effortlessly has never occurred to me in my life, and yet i'm living it. all from being lucky enough to be on tumblr... of all sites, at the right time.

after I dropped ego, the first thing i decided to express was a different body, it was pure intention. my mind was clear, doubtless, it was and always is now with god. i was lying in my bed, it was a slight thought of what i wanted my appearance to be, i got up and checked it out in my bathroom mirror, and there it was. there was no wow feeling, no ecstasy. i didn't cry, i wasn't happy. i was completely neutral. like a simple 'cool, nice'. i did it multiple times since then, i want to experience as many bodies as i can while on earth, i like comparing the different lives of different egos. but after the first body, i just set everything about that ego's life straight. i imagined everything being perfect, having enough money to live more than comfortably, my own apartment, funding my siblings' education, etc. the basic things everyone wants, i realized they belonged to me. and no, i don't work. i don't lift a finger to have.

this will sound too good to be true to many, but it's actually the sole reason you were put here on earth. to realize yourself. everything really doesn't exist. nothing is. the quicker you let it all go, the quicker you'll live an effortless life. the journey only persists because you won't stop thinking you are the person, you already are the Self, you have always been nothing but it. everything else is your own imagination, a lie you can choose or discard. wake up. haven't you had enough? there is nothing to fear.

I don’t think this one needs my input. :)

Proud of your courage and intellect 🤍

how to change - realisophie 🌻

You see, when you're yourSelf, before you say anything your work is done. You need not say that you should be successful. You have no idea ... if someone puts the dust of the path upon which you have just walked to their forehead, their wishes are fulfilled. This is not noticed by you. Unless there is full confidence in the awakening of the Self, your concept is futile. If this awakening is there, what is there to be astonished about if some work is done? In due time, the mango tree becomes full of fruits. Similarly, in due time, you are sure to be fully powerful.

However, for now, let it be definite in your mind what you are, and where your attention is focused. Then you become as vast as the universe. You become unlimited and immeasurable. Why should there be any anxiety about whether you, who are God, will get any food or shelter? You will get anything you want. You are the whole world, but wait until that inner conviction becomes strong. Do not be too eager. Wait until your mind, which is only attuned to the Self, becomes itself "The Totality." By devotion to the Self and humility of the ego, unlimited power is attained.

— Nisargadatta's Guru.

This made me think, back on my manifestation journey, I didn't want fulfilled desires as much as I wanted control and power. I wanted it to be WHEN I SAY. I wanted real knowledge and I wanted freedom. I wanted the how, I didn't want any confusion. I wanted to be the decision-maker. I didn't want to get, I wanted to give. I wanted to be powerful enough so that I would never need to get, that I would always be the one to give. I am truly blessed to have been born with a mind intelligent enough to make the right distinctions on this path. Discernment, logic, understanding – those were the ones which truly moved mountains.

This body is totally imagined. As I sit here on the couch, with my eyes closed, I see images of the body, I feel sensations associated with it, and it all happens within my perception; there’s nothing external in it. I open my eyes, I look at my hands and feet, and these so-called parts of my so-called body are still images and sensations within my perception. I can separate them from the rest of my visual world and call them my body, but that separation is still an act of mind, and the images are always of a past, even if the past happened a nanosecond ago. They’re part of a movie of reality; they’re not reality itself. Why would I believe that a movie on the mind’s screen is real? Every time I try to focus on what is real about this body, it’s gone, and the “I” who focuses is gone too. 

There’s nothing solid. Not only the dream but even the dreamer is forever gone. And the dreamed body—I sit it, I stand it, I walk it, I feed it, I brush its teeth, I dress it in clothes, I put it to bed at night and lift it from bed in the morning, and none of that is real. It’s all a projection of mind. To imagine that there is anything outside the mind is pure delusion.

Even physical pain is imagined. When you’re asleep, does your body hurt? When you’re hurting, and the phone rings, and it’s the call you’ve been longing for and you’re mentally focused on the conversation, there’s no pain. If your thinking changes, the pain changes.

Byron Katie

I have something to share. I debated making a throwaway or just sending it to one of 4dbarbie's backups but I settled on this because I just was too impatient to share

---Backstory: I've been patiently applying all that I've learned from 4dbarbie's asks and letting go of chunks of the ego mind---

Today, while at the beach with my group of friends, I realized that I was still somewhat stuck. I let go of big parts of what "I" thought I knew, but I still felt like I was missing something to have my realization. If you ask why I was thinking about that at the beach, there has been nothing on my mind aside from realizing my self since I discovered it. Nothing interested me more than this.

---Disclaimer because I'm sure I was only able to do this because of how free my mind was and what is now cannot be compared to the way my brain worked months ago---

So you can have a mental picture, we were all on the beach, some of us, mostly the girls, were sat on our towels. Conversation was going on around me and I was nodding but my mind was elsewhere. I was thinking what could I do to prove it to myself not only that I understood but that I can apply it.

So while on the beach, I was thinking... what seemingly impossible thing could I do to prove I can do it. Gee, an appearance change in the moment, that's pretty "hard", isn't it? So I decided on that. I didn't want to be something small like change my hair color, but completely change my face so that I can show I can. If I couldn't, so be it, I would continue disbelieving I was this character until I felt even freer. But I still wanted to try.

Because I am not fully realized so I still had some resistance, I thought- what would my ego have the least resistance me looking like? I was looking around the people at the beach trying to pick someone I had no desire to look like, but also no fear of being that person.

---- Backstory again: my original body had bleached blonde hair, tan skin and green eyes-----

So I picked a brunette, pale and with brown eyes. I thought in my head for what a cute brunette would look like, then I leaned back on my towel, closed my eyes and imagined being IT for a few seconds. Again, I didn't care if I succeeded, I just did it.

I didn't sit long like this, after I saw myself looking like that, I sat up again and looked at my reflection in my phone.

I looked exactly like I saw in my head.

I swear to God, I was so panicked- my heart was beating wildly in my chest. I was freaking out so bad internally. I could believe it and couldn't. You know when something shocking happens that ego just can't accept? Yeah, it was like that.

Then, I looked at my friends to see if they would notice any change. I called out to one of my guy friends (who was standing up) to pass me the water so that I could bring attention to myself. He gave it to me no problem, the girls turned to me too when I spoke up and nobody said a thing. I was scared to ask. What was I even supposed to ask? I felt like my mind was breaking.

I stood like that for minutes and nobody said a thing to me about looking different. I'll be honest I was really spooked, my heart was still racing. So I decided to go back to my "original" appearance to see if they say something then.

---The process was the same---

When I stood up this time I did it more confidently, because I didn't feel like I would be caught doing something crazy since everybody knew me as this body. I changed "back" no issue, and nobody said anything. AGAIN. This time I dared ask if I they think I changed somewhat, and they all looked like me like ? what do you mean?

My heart was beating again but in a different way. In euphoria, in joy. I still felt like my brain was completely broken but i was so happy I felt like I could fly.

My next instinct was to imagine myself with what used to be my "desired" appearance, I felt like I just gained a superpower I could lose so I had to do everything quickly, before it goes away.

There was no resistance now that I did it once, none at all. I was aware of no impossibility of changing.

We spent two more hours there and I felt more alive in my new body than ever. It was like the whole world opened to me.

On the way home, while I was in the car (one of the guys was driving) I felt like I now had the time and opportunity to imagine again. I was relaxed, and just daydreaming, but in the present. Just imagining myself with everything I wanted with no expectation.

...and they all came extremely quickly. They didn't spawn but some I got in the most bizarre of ways, Ways in which my ego could have never thought of receiving them. And everything I imagined happened until the end of the day. It's night now when I'm writing this and I'm getting ready to sleep, thinking of things to "wake up to".

Now I know a lot of people aren't going to believe me, but that is really not my problem. I am still processing it myself to be honest. I don't even know how to go forward with all this "power".

Anyway, you truly imagine everything and everything is in your mind. Including other people. No one exists without you, including the body.

I already have an idea for what to do tomorrow and it's to try and be invisible.

I'm thinking of what else could be really important to say so others can also do it... the lack of doubts? Or me not thinking of it being impossible rather? Having it in the back of my head always that the only real thing is ME? Everything I learned I learned from the 4dbarbie account, I didn't read any books because I don't like reading.

Lastly, just try without expectations of it not working. Accept it could not but still do it, if it doesn't now it may in the future, all depending on your ability to let of of the reality of the body and seeing your real Self.

I think that's it, PEACE OUT :)

Finally posting this one as well... sorry I left you hanging for so long 😭😭😭

Wish you well!! Continue to have fun in the dream ♡

You must remain constantly in that awakeness. The individual was harassed by sorrow and he awoke, and met Himself. He who has realized Himself in this way, became God. Such a one is the "Incarnation of God." Only He is victorious in this world. Only the one who is fully convinced that He is the Self becomes and remains victorious.

What would you say to someone who's new to nd\av and doesn't wanna read too much to overconsume and just literally get it to the point ?

The pointers I'd share are:-

This person you believe yourself to be, is an illusion. The mind, and the body are unreal and illusory.

Experience is only ever through Awareness, and that awareness is what you are.

There is no listener of sound, just the sound. There is no one seeing, only the sight. There is no one feeling, only the felt. And this sound, sight, and what's felt is all awareness. It's all YOU. So senses are another illusion, just like your body.

There is no past and future. Only the NOW. Because Awareness always is. It never was, and never will be.

It's always THAT(awareness) experiencing THAT(Awareness). THAT(awareness) is the experience.

Everything you see around you, is just you in different forms. Call it whatever you want, consciousness, awareness, THAT, " ".

What you are, cannot be put into words. It's inexplicable.

This is something you will only believe in and understand on surface level for as long as you keep seeking, the moment when it all becomes clear and evident is when you go within and question the nature of your reality and ponder on these pointers.

This realisation is experience based, so experience it directly, by going within. KNOW yourself.

There is nothing to do. Just be. And observe everything around you, notice THAT. Notice the presence behind it all, the awareness behind this play going on, realise it's all YOU.

I think that's all I'd like to share because these are the key pointers that helped me when I was starting a month ago.

If you wanna read some more in detail:-

The character doesn't exist.

There is no thinker of the thoughts.

Everything is an illusion.

That's just the basics but trust me, that's all you need. JUST BE and GO WITHIN. Ask yourself questions, observe and notice. Do not get too indulged with the illusion, instead be aware and present as you notice yourself just being aware of it all. Rest in that awareness.

I really hope this helps, but you still feel like it's not enough you can go through @infiniteko and @mysticsreblogs @penguinpeace (for the best reblogs of the posts).

Remember to not overconsume, and that words and labels are very limiting. Take it all as pointers, pointers which point to your true nature, to " ".

I've been consuming shifting/loa/void info FOR SO LONG, hoping to finally find something that resonates with me. Never really liked shifting methods or the void (it just sounds like another complicated method) and I always kinda half assed them cause I didn't enjoy the process & they didn't really make sense to me. I got into loa & I liked the "imagination is your real reality, the outer world is just a mirror" but tbh I just never FULLY understood it, something still felt wrong about it. Then I found your blog, and holy shit everything just clicked, it made me reflect on all the information I read beforehand and gain a new perspective. It feels like everyone in this community is just way too focused on 'this reality' and my problem is the same too. Looking back on all of my previous attempts, they were all either focused on "forcing" the shift or on the process and how close I felt I was. I never truly put my awareness into my dr cause it was always on the process and my body/symptoms. Thank you S0 SO much for your posts. Now I know what to do and I'm finally ready to quit social media and stop putting importance on this reality.

Just a Lil note: I know I just said I'm gonna stop consuming but I was thinking about something you said "the mind doesn't even exist" very excited to see what you mean by that.

Hi! 💕 I'm sorry for replying so late, and I don't know if you'll ever see this response, but thank you anyway for taking the time to write me this ask. I'm so glad I was able to help you with my posts. It means a lot to me! I remember the days when I tried so hard to enter the void state. One time I laid still for 4 hours and nothing happened lol. I hated it, but I wanted a better life. Looking back on it now or reading some void posts here on tumblr always makes me cringe. I put so much effort into something that was effortless, but I didn't know any better at that time. Nothing you "see, feel, hear.." is what it seems, and that's the beauty of it. The only reason we are here is to enjoy life and do what we want. The self is only entertaining itself.

Now is the only time that will ever exist. Now you are pure awareness; you have never been anything else, but you identify with the mind that distinguishes between imagination and physical reality. Your mind says that physical reality is real and imagination is fake. There is no difference between the house you “see” in your imagination and the one you “see” with your eyes. Both are imaginary. You are only pure awareness that is aware of all of this. If there were no mind interpreting things, would there be a difference between your imagination and physical reality? Think about it. The mind only thinks, based on the senses, that one must be real and the other fake. You are not the senses - you are only aware of them. When you dream you are also aware of the senses. How can you hear, see and smell in your dreams? You are just aware of it as awareness.

But now comes the interesting part: So, if imagination and physical reality are both imaginary. How can the mind be real? You are also aware of the mind, which interprets these senses and everything that seems to be happening. The mind is just a form of the self, so it's not real and it's imaginary too.

Past and future are also just concepts (in the mind), nothing more. The past never happened; it is only what the mind interprets through “memories”. The “past” is always projected into the now because you are aware of it. When you become aware of another past, it must be your experience in the now. Time is an illusion, completely man-made. You have to let go of everything you ever believed. None of it is real, only you are as pure awareness. 😊

Our “life” is basically like a dream, and you have to become lucid. There is no difference between the dreams we have at night and the life we lead during the day. Everything is imaginary. Everything is self. That's why it's also called “spiritual awakening”. You wake up from this mortal life. It was never real in the first place.

IMAGINATION IS NOT THE TRUE REALITY. AWARENESS IS THE ONLY TRUE REALITY.

Awareness is the foundation of everything. The source of everything you experience. Everything you are aware of is just a form of your consciousness. Everything is one. Everything is YOU! :-)