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Do you believe it is possible to experience a state of pure awareness?

Gambit

Gambit

Well-Known Member
FunctionalAthiest said:
Interesting. My experience would have included both, as I said, the total of my consciousness, whether 'inherited' or individually developed. I don't see how the claim is any more modest. If I'm reading the article correctly, Jung is saying that part of each persons consciousness can't be explained by personal development, but rather by inheritance of a primordial unconsciousness. I.e. collective unconsciousness does not refer to a shared unconsciousness.
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There are basically two interpretations of Jung's collective unconscious - the minimal and maximal interpretations.

Others point out however that 'there does seem to be a basic ambiguity in Jung's various descriptions of the Collective Unconscious. Sometimes he seems to regard the predisposition to experience certain images as understandable in terms of some genetic model'[7] - as with the collective arm. However, Jung was 'also at pains to stress the numinous quality of these experiences, and there can be no doubt that he was attracted to the idea that the archetypes afford evidence of some communion with some divine or world mind', and perhaps 'his popularity as a thinker derives precisely from this'[8] - the maximal interpretation.

(source: Wikipedia: Collective unconscious)
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FunctionalAtheist

FunctionalAtheist

Hammer of Reason
Gambit said:
There are basically two interpretations of Jung's collective unconscious - the minimal and maximal interpretations.
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There was a time when natural explanations of my experiences (these and others) failed me. It gives me a perspective from which I can easily see how individuals can easily convince themselves that there must be a supernatural explanation. But continued questioning, continued searching, and maintaining an open mind has actually led me to accept my experiences as the strongest evidence I have that there is no (relevant) supernatural.

I have experienced god, visions, prophecy, tongues, etc., and I know they are naturalistic.
 
Storm

Storm

ThrUU the Looking Glass
Seyorni said:
God is a thing, and God's usually thought of as different from the other things He created, implying a duality, not the Unity you ask about.
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Not necessarily. For one thing, that's only the theistic model of God.

More to the point, for many mystics, myself included, 'God' and similar words are mere placeholders referring to experiences that simply can't be captured in words.
 
YmirGF

YmirGF

Bodhisattva in Recovery
Storm said:
Not necessarily. For one thing, that's only the theistic model of God.

More to the point, for many mystics, myself included, 'God' and similar words are mere placeholders referring to experiences that simply can't be captured in words.
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Where other "mystics", like myself, avoid using the term so that those not in the know do not get confused. I'd hate it if a theist got the impression I was being supportive of their primitive notion of god. That would be most unseemly.
 
Indira

Indira

Member
YmirGF said:
Where other "mystics", like myself, avoid using the term so that those not in the know do not get confused. I'd hate it if a theist got the impression I was being supportive of their primitive notion of god. That would be most unseemly.
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For me GOD/ONE is the same for All..the difference is only in the perspective of human beings. Seems the dual and non dual perspectives is where understanding breaks down. By searching the similarities in practices, doctrine and history of the beneficial religions a thread of universal truths runs through them.
This is not to say we need to be passive about the differences but by pointing out the similarities an understanding is more likely to be reached.. a bridge for tolerance to cross..and perhaps one day peace.
 
N

Nietzsche

The Last Prussian
Premium Member
You'd need a sensory deprivation chamber that also lacks gravity. You'd probably lose your mind, but you probably could.
 
Storm

Storm

ThrUU the Looking Glass
Gambit said:
I'm not saying that it is not possible. I just saying that it is an extraordinary claim.

I noticed on your profile that you are interested in process theology. So, let me put this in terms of Whitehead's metaphysics. Such an experience would be the equivalent of experiencing the consequent nature of God.
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I am, but I incorporate it in a very different way, and it's not really what I'm talking about.

My point was that, it's not really an extraordinary claim at all. Peak experiences are rare and difficult to aachieve (hence the name), but a well documented phenomenon with a known neurological mechanism, and they're the goal of every mystic.

The subjective experience and is difficult to describe and impossible to imagine if you've never had one, but it's not an extraordinary claim.
 
Gambit

Gambit

Well-Known Member
FunctionalAthiest said:
There was a time when natural explanations of my experiences (these and others) failed me. It gives me a perspective from which I can easily see how individuals can easily convince themselves that there must be a supernatural explanation. But continued questioning, continued searching, and maintaining an open mind has actually led me to accept my experiences as the strongest evidence I have that there is no (relevant) supernatural.

I have experienced god, visions, prophecy, tongues, etc., and I know they are naturalistic.
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How do you define naturalistic?
 
Willamena

Willamena

Just me
Premium Member
Gambit said:
Do you believe it is possible to experience a state of pure awareness? That is, do you believe it is possible to experience a state of consciousness in which awareness is only aware of itself?
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If you don't already have it, you never will.

And you have it.
 
Rick O'Shez

Rick O'Shez

Irishman bouncing off walls
Aupmanyav said:
I do not need anymore of them.
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I do - I want to see where they lead. For me it's like having reached the first high peaks of a mountain range, the views are fantastic and amazing, but I look wistfully up to the highest peaks and wonder what the view is like from up there.
 
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Aupmanyav

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
It is peace and amusement at what is happening in the world. One of these days I will explain how I reached their singing a song (in this topic itself).
 
Indira

Indira

Member
Spiny Norman said:
That's good, but not enough for me.
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Have you used the visualization technic of the Tree of Energy Flow? Or something similar? I have used this meditation technic for over 25 years and it has become quite beneficial, as it helps to bring the flow of energy into harmony.
 
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