Speaker A
Something I used to do a lot, and people who've been around me for a while will know this. So, this time I'm teaching life is like a dream. Everything exists in consciousness. But going back a few years now,
Exploring consciousness, non-duality, and the nature of reality through guided imagination and scientific ideas.
Key Takeaways
- Experiencing a concept does not necessarily confirm its truth.
- Guided imagination can help people access deeper layers of consciousness.
- Quantum physics supports a view of reality as mostly empty space filled with creative potential.
- Non-dual experiences can be ideational or non-ideational, affecting how they are understood and taught.
- Personal spiritual experiences shape the speaker's approach to teaching consciousness.
Summary
- The speaker discusses teaching life as a dream and everything existing in consciousness.
- Introduces 'SCI sensing' as a method to imagine and experience new perspectives of reality.
- Explains how quantum physics reveals solidity as mostly empty space filled with creative energy.
- Highlights the difference between experiencing an idea and its truth.
- Critiques ideational approaches to non-duality, especially in relation to Rupert Spira's teachings.
- Shares personal spiritual and non-dual experiences dating back to childhood.
- Describes pointing out exercises and guided meditations as structured ways to imagine and experience consciousness.
- Emphasizes the importance of experiential testing for truth, akin to scientific methods.
- Mentions the limitations of ideation in truly understanding non-dual experiences.
- Reflects on the evolution of understanding and teaching these concepts over time.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction to Teaching Life as a Dream
- 01:01SCI Sensing: Imagining New Realities
- 02:13Guided Imagination and Pointing Out Exercises
- 04:15Quantum Physics and the Nature of Empty Space
- 05:06Epistemological Naivety in Non-Dual Experiences
- 05:52Critique of Ideational Non-Duality and Rupert Spira
- 07:24Personal Spiritual Experiences and Teaching Methods
- 09:15Testing Truth Through Experience and Science
- 10:57Reflection on Evolution of Understanding and Teaching
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
things I don't believe at all now how would I introduce people to that experience and I did I introduced people to that experience would be to shake them up a bit first in a nice way so I get them to I I'd explain that
Speaker A
things I don't believe at all now. How would I introduce people to that experience? And I did. I introduced people to that experience by shaking them up a bit first, in a nice way. So I get them to, I’d explain that
Speaker A
was can you get that and what I meant by that was in my language I use now can you SCI sense that which meant try imagining that is true and see what happens so go on try imagining that is true that on
Speaker A
physics had come along, and as it has, and gone, "Hey, you know this solid matter? It's 99.9999999999999999999% empty space." And everything that's like, blows your mind, doesn't it? Wow, really? But the thing I would want to move on to
Speaker A
and when you do it's quite exciting isn't it it's like whoa okay and you've moved from just going an interesting idea to oh [ __ ] right that's a description of reality we're dealing with here my favorite one at the moment
Speaker A
was, can you get that? And what I meant by that was, in my language I use now, can you SCI sense that, which meant try imagining that is true and see what happens. So go on, try imagining that is true, that on
Speaker A
level this solidity is empty you can go and that emptiness is effervescent with creativity so now you're in the same moment that you were in before but if you enter if you if you imagine it and you can step into it
Speaker A
another level of what this reality is, this spectrum of emergence, on another level, that feeling of solidity of your bum on the chair, it's all empty space and particles too small for you to possibly register. And what I think is that you can do that,
Speaker A
so at that time I was teaching everything exists in Consciousness life is like a dream how would I get people there well what gets called pointing out exercises or guided meditation well what are those actually they're really guided ways of imagining
Speaker A
and when you do, it's quite exciting, isn't it? It's like, whoa, okay. And you've moved from just going, an interesting idea, to, oh [expletive], right, that's a description of reality we're dealing with here. My favorite one at the moment
Speaker A
over there see and you're not you're going look over there with these ideas see this is my my whole critique with Rupert Spira when I realized that's what I've been doing all these years that I was setting people up to see it
Speaker A
is to do that with this idea, again from quantum physics, that what we think of as empty space is actually pulsating with creativity of particles and anti-particles coming into existence and canceling each other out. So once you've got down to, oh, on another
Speaker A
experience it that's what I was trying to say to Rupert he couldn't see it it wasn't the way of experiencing it it wasn't it wasn't non-ideational it was heavily ideational in fact he had put the ideas in people's heads like I
Speaker A
level, this solidity is empty, you can go and that emptiness is effervescent with creativity. So now you're in the same moment that you were in before, but if you enter, if you imagine it, and you can step into it,
Speaker A
but if I think about say because I'm talking about non-duality if I think about my two big non-dual experiences the way that I have thought about them when I've been what you might say is epistemological epistemologically naive in other words not really understanding
Speaker A
your experience will change. Now that's just with scientific ideas because they can do it. Here's the thing: just because you can experience it doesn't make it true. It just means it's one way in which you can experience it.
Speaker A
the reality actually that's not true so my first I mean I've had because you know I've had spiritual experiences since I was 12. well my 12 year old experience you know it was spontaneous and it was and it happened with me just
Speaker A
So at that time, I was teaching everything exists in consciousness, life is like a dream. How would I get people there? Well, what gets called pointing out exercises or guided meditation? Well, what are those actually? They're really guided ways of imagining.
Speaker A
and I've been told that God is love and I kind of got that and then what do you know I'm sitting in a field and suddenly God is love and there's God and it's amazing because that is a way you can experience
Speaker A
Imagine it like this, imagine it like that. Can you see it this way? And, you know, why this matters is because there's a whole sleight of hand, as if you're not doing that, as if literally all you're doing is going, look
Speaker A
which I wrote about in one of the books I've written about all of these I think you can read about them in how long is now I think which is kind of autobiographical a bit out of date but algebra graphical
Speaker A
over there, see? And you're not. You're going, look over there with these ideas, see? This is my whole critique with Rupert Spira when I realized that's what I've been doing all these years, that I was setting people up to see it
Speaker A
get it and was trying to get it and then one day in an amazing strange thing in my recording studio of repeating this line you are not a person [ __ ] me I wasn't a person there it was I was not a person I was
Speaker A
in a certain way. And so they did, and when they did, they experienced it, and it was [expletive] mind-blowing because it's possible to experience life that way. Didn't mean it was true, just meant that's one of the ways you can
Speaker A
and there was a shift between no I'm imagining it no I'm imagining it no whoa It's actually like this and that was full-on same thing happened with Ramesh balsakar when I saw him I was sitting with Ramesh balskar he was
Speaker A
experience it. That's what I was trying to say to Rupert. He couldn't see it. It wasn't the way of experiencing it. It wasn't non-ideational. It was heavily ideational. In fact, he had put the ideas in people's heads like I
Speaker A
think about it you know one of the things I've noticed is with the retreats you know I've done I've done gazing big gazing events 100 people in an evening and they've been great but nowhere near as good as the ones I
Speaker A
did for them to have it. So this seems important, you know? It's like if I go back to my primary, I could say this about all my experiences because it's true of all experiences, all experiences, all of them.
Speaker A
sharing when I was discussing this earlier in the week with Jessica who's here and she mentioned um uh uh damn it I've covered his name now um the guy who does um on having no head Douglas Harding on having no head who I
Speaker A
But if I think about, say, because I'm talking about non-duality, if I think about my two big non-dual experiences, the way that I have thought about them when I've been what you might say is epistemologically naive, in other words, not really understanding
Speaker A
and you can have it can lead to a real experience but it can only lead to a real experience if he set you up to ideate it in a certain way you know if you went out into this you
Speaker A
or even thinking about how do I know any of this, how am I experiencing any of this, my story has been, was at that time these experiences just happened and I saw the way reality is, and they were great.
Speaker A
it's happening no one will be going oh my God none of that would happen but if you've set it up it will happen now so what I'm saying here is on the epistemological side this is how it works
Speaker A
The reality actually, that's not true. So my first, I mean, I've had, because you know, I've had spiritual experiences since I was 12. Well, my 12-year-old experience, you know, it was spontaneous and it was, and it happened with me just
Speaker A
go like I did with my non-dual experiences and go was that right is this all happening in you know Consciousness and the thing that did that for me was when I realized that I'd be I'd set myself up for that or so I'd
Speaker A
sitting in the field, and it did. But I'd been going to church, I've been sitting in this old, old building and listening to people reading out these amazing stories from the Gnostic tradition without even knowing what they are,
Speaker A
it's false either I'm not poo pooing these things and you can start seeing how through history we have been ideating it in these ways imagining it new ways and then whoa so then the importance becomes also to be able to reflect on it and that's what
Speaker A
and I've been told that God is love, and I kind of got that. And then what do you know, I'm sitting in a field and suddenly God is love, and there's God, and it's amazing because that is a way you can experience
Speaker A
fact that you're experiencing it certain way is not enough now how do you test out an idea whether it's true well you it has to be experiential you know it has eventually that's what science has really really it's that's what called that's what
Speaker A
reality. Doesn't mean it's true. In this case, I think it is true, but we'll talk about how you can tell later if we get on to that. But when I experienced the non-dual thing, the first experience which I had,
Speaker A
so it's not as simple as that just because I had a big experience that I was not a person under the influence of Serena's goddatta did not mean that I was not a person turns out I was now just and that's the same with those
Speaker A
which I wrote about in one of the books, I've written about all of these. I think you can read about them in How Long Is Now, I think, which is kind of autobiographical, a bit out of date, but autobiographical.
Speaker A
all those great books I wrote and they're great books Lucid living is a great book it just wish it wasn't wrong and but it is and but it's a brilliant book I mean it's just brilliant it's terms of pointing out that and in a nice
Speaker A
Is I would literally read Sreenivas, who is the most influential non-dual teacher on me, and I'd read him and read him and read him and read him and read him and read him and read him and kind of was trying to get it and trying to
Speaker A
and massive changes over the last just few years astonished myself but I hope that actually this is my Saving Grace with it it feels like ah but maybe that's a good thing maybe having someone come out and going hey
Speaker A
get it and was trying to get it. And then one day, in an amazing strange thing in my recording studio, of repeating this line, "You are not a person." [expletive] me, I wasn't a person there. It was, I was not a person. I was
Speaker A
hear politicians go there
Topics:consciousnessnon-dualityquantum physicsguided meditationspiritual experiencepointing out exercisesrealityimaginationRupert Spirascientific ideas
