I can't argue with this discovery as it breaks our substance down to its core materials. Often times the answer is not transcending into another realm of reality or consciousness, it is descending within our own selves, being humble enough to accept there are discoveries within our mortal frames and conscious that are needed to benefit the world around it. We have to remember that pain is inevitable, yet misery and suffering is optional.
The human brain has two centers of consciousness; the inner self and the ego. The inner self is much older and is the center of the brain's operating system. It is connected to our DNA. The inner self is connected to evolution and selection. The inner self is also the center of animal consciousness; different DNA. The ego is much newer and appears to have evolve due to civilization; 6-10K year ago. Animals do not have an ego, but only an inner self.
In humans, having two centers is like having two eyes. Like our two eyes, each center sees the same world, but in different ways; angles. The inner self sees in a more natural and instinctive way; long trends within our human DNA that defines our natural human propensities. While ego is more about learned knowledge within our own lifetime. When both eyes are used to see at the same time, we will see in 3-D; enhancement beyond two separate eyes. The ego seeing along with the inner self gives us this feeling of conscious enhancement, that the ego often attributed to itself. I think therefore I am.
Jeff Leiberman appears to be starting to isolate his other eye; inner self. He is smart and artistic. He still appears to be attributing the 3-D consciousness enhancement affect to his ego, and he is wondering if we shut that off, what will be left; inner self. That was me decades ago. It is good young people are making that old journey in this modern era.
The idea of the inner self is nebulous to most people. Most assume the ego is all there is the rest is unconscious waste. A good home experiment to slightly open the door to the inner self, a get a peak, is to ask a friend to scare you when you are off guard. He or she can wait several days until you appear to forget and are not ready. What will typically happen is the inner self will see and react before the ego, via instinct. This could cause you to feel an adrenaline thump in your heart, you may scream, run or move you fists. The ego eye will come on line, shortly thereafter. It may start to laugh waiting for the adrenaline to fade. The inner self is trying to survive and will not always wait for the ego. In this scenario, with lots of martial arts training; ego learning, the two eyes can focus together, sooner, under similar circumstances.
The pain and suffering of the world is when the two eyes see different things that cannot overlap and come to a focus. The natural eye cannot come to a focus with the focus of unnatural learned knowledge. The inner self may separate from the ego to help lower the potential and stress on the brain and body; loss of soul. But when both are on the same page the enhancement of 3-D appears; self actualization.
Most religions are about enhancing the inner self more than the ego. For example, the idea of blessed are the poor does not make sense to the ego, since so much ego self enhancement can be self induced with money. Monet allows for positive sensory experiences and lots of yes men. Without that external leverage for the ego, it is harder for the ego to inflate. But the induced lack of the ego, often opens the door to the inner self; natural eye. Where science and spirituality combine is by studying the ancient ways of many religions; rituals, symbols and prayers, one can learn to use these command lines to open up the brain's operating system, and to improve connection to the inner self's eye; inner knowledge.
It is more complicated and dangerous than is sounds, since there are many layers within the brain' operating system, between the ego and the inner self. Each layer can appear to be the final goal and can be misleading; ego inflation for a step back. To make a rough list we first need to address the persona or mask of the ego, then the ego proper, the personal unconscious, the shadow; gatekeeper, then three layers of archetypical firmware connected to our the DNA, then the inner self. If and when you finish, but still live in an ego-centric world, you do not belong anywhere, except somewhere between nature and the creative flux.