Moving on from Neo-Advaita
one divinely human step at a time 💕
one divinely human step at a time 💕
I am one among many Neo-Advaita survivors who "while initially finding their free-floating, infinitely empty, de-personalized perception as profound, eventually came to find it gnawingly devoid, numbly disconnected, and generally alienating." 10 years ago, I was called towards Neo-Advaita and I've spent the last 4 years untangling myself from it's self-explosive indoctrination and ego dissolution path that left me in the most desolate state of annihilation, trying to piece back together my mangled sense of inner and outer reality. It's been a profound ordeal coming down from the mountaintop I was stranded on and coming to terms with all that I'd sacrificed and repressed for that lofty transcendent view. A chilling experience to be a bird trapped in the sky because it cannot land. Like others, I was ravaged for years by harrowing depersonalization, disorientation and immense grief over this deal with the devil I'd made, tormented by impossible choices and questions that hardly anyone could relate to. There were times when I truly wasn't sure if I was alive or had died, but I was driven by my soul's instinct to live this human life fully, embodying my own flesh, free to enjoy and meaningfully participate in the precious world of form and relationships. It is my soul's calling to begin creating what I wish I'd found sooner - a space where other casualties of Neo-Advaita's assisted suicide can help breathe one another back to life, joining together in a collective soul revival, moving away from non-duality that denigrates humanity to one that sees it as divinity and that uplifts us, joins us together with one another and the entire world, in tender-hearted intimacy as inseparably separate beings. In this reality, we've stopped stop looking through things to see their true nature as formless, because we see form's true nature as formlessness enformed.
Neo-Advaitins appear like a team of demolition wrecking crew men who delight in exploding and collapsing all the old beautiful buildings in a neighborhood, and then triumphantly standing atop the pile of rubble. Timothy Conway
"To go beyond duality is to resolve opposites by integration, not by the denial of one side of the polarity. We do not go beyond the dualism of the subject-object split by denying that objects (the universe) exist, or by denying that the subject (‘I’) exists. Either denial is a type of insanity." P.T.
Denial of subject "I" existing is depersonalization and denial of objects existing is solipsism...
"as an epistemological position, solipsism holds that knowledge of anything outside one's own mind is unsure; the external world and other minds cannot be known and might not exist outside the mind."
"Transcending ego doesn’t mean destroying ego, it means plugging it into something bigger.
Soul and Spirit include body, emotions, and mind, they do not erase them. The whole point is to be fully at home in the body and its desires, the mind and its ideas, the spirit and its light—to embrace them fully, evenly, simultaneously, since all are equally gestures of the One" - Ken Wilber
nondual as in only arising together - one can't arise without the other. they don't have independent existence from the other. independent meaning not depending on anything else for it's existence. not meaning no separateness, but that one can't exist without the other also existing. they co-dependently arise.
Denial of subject "I" existing is depersonalization and denial of objects existing is solipsism...
"as an epistemological position, solipsism holds that knowledge of anything outside one's own mind is unsure; the external world and other minds cannot be known and might not exist outside the mind."
"Transcending ego doesn’t mean destroying ego, it means plugging it into something bigger.
Soul and Spirit include body, emotions, and mind, they do not erase them. The whole point is to be fully at home in the body and its desires, the mind and its ideas, the spirit and its light—to embrace them fully, evenly, simultaneously, since all are equally gestures of the One" - Ken Wilber
nondual as in only arising together - one can't arise without the other. they don't have independent existence from the other. independent meaning not depending on anything else for it's existence. not meaning no separateness, but that one can't exist without the other also existing. they co-dependently arise.
Ask these questions to assess whether a teaching is balanced:
Is this truth claim ever not true?
Are there times when it is not true?
If the answer is yes, then you're probably dealing with an imbalanced teaching.
Is this truth claim ever not true?
Are there times when it is not true?
If the answer is yes, then you're probably dealing with an imbalanced teaching.
A Fatally Flawed Formula for Discerning Truth
how it persuades, entices you to commit spiritual suicide
Philosophies are based on truth claims...this is how Neo-Advaita philosophy conceptually discerns truth:
-Degree of permanence as a measure of how real and valuable something is (What's impermanent, what comes and goes, is not only less real than what is permanent and unchanging, but less significant.
-Transcendence = exclusion
Going beyond something, renders it non-existent. (not necessarily, it can mean going beyond the limitations of that thing - example of shared crisis, common humanity, clashing political views - no longer limited by that clash you're now free to engage with them, think fondly of them)
-Rigid dualistic, binary, black & white thinking
The truth of something must be either this or that, it cannot be both at once.
-Reductionism
Something can be fully understand by breaking it down into it's constituent parts, things are only their constituent parts (no, things are greater than the sum of their parts and can't be fully understand by looking at their constituent parts. Pillow, table, example, person)
-Intangible things don't exist
(doesn't that mean that all that exists are tangible things?)
impalpable, immaterial...
if that's true, and the self isn't real because it's intangible, then how can you say that all that is real is what is intangible, beyond form? so the self isn't real because it's formless, but what is really real is also formless?
immaterial things don't exist - scientific reductionism - reduces immaterial to material
immaterial things don't exist - reduces material to immaterial - but in doing that it claims something that is immaterial cannot truly exist - thoughts, images, stories, etc. don't really exist because they are immaterial/intangible -
spiritual reduct - things you think exist don't exist because they are actually just immaterial - thoughts = formlessness
science- things you think exist don't exist because they are actually just material - thoughts = brain
Foundational Fallacies - things that are simply not true or are simply opinions and serve as the basis for the path
-Eliminating suffering necessarily leads to wellbeing
Wellbeing is the absence of suffering (no, look at numbness for example)
-There is no value in suffering (other than inspiring you to "put an end to it")
-Nothing is worth suffering for
-Illusions are delusions
An illusion is something that does not exist (no, it is something that doesn't exist in the way it appears to, that is different than the way it seems to be. Does a rainbow not exist? No, it's a phenomenon that is real and intangible.)
-If something has the potential to cause suffering, we should get rid of it/renounce it
Being a human causes suffering, so we should renounce being human
Fatally Flawed Formulas for Alleviating/Eliminating Suffering that lead to more suffering (oversights & blindspots)
-Counter the suffering caused by the extreme of something (dependency on others) with the opposite extreme (rugged self-reliance/isolationism)
-Assume that the absence of negative affect is the presence of positive affect
-You can block out painful emotions without blocking out the positive ones too
-Degree of permanence as a measure of how real and valuable something is (What's impermanent, what comes and goes, is not only less real than what is permanent and unchanging, but less significant.
-Transcendence = exclusion
Going beyond something, renders it non-existent. (not necessarily, it can mean going beyond the limitations of that thing - example of shared crisis, common humanity, clashing political views - no longer limited by that clash you're now free to engage with them, think fondly of them)
-Rigid dualistic, binary, black & white thinking
The truth of something must be either this or that, it cannot be both at once.
-Reductionism
Something can be fully understand by breaking it down into it's constituent parts, things are only their constituent parts (no, things are greater than the sum of their parts and can't be fully understand by looking at their constituent parts. Pillow, table, example, person)
-Intangible things don't exist
(doesn't that mean that all that exists are tangible things?)
impalpable, immaterial...
if that's true, and the self isn't real because it's intangible, then how can you say that all that is real is what is intangible, beyond form? so the self isn't real because it's formless, but what is really real is also formless?
immaterial things don't exist - scientific reductionism - reduces immaterial to material
immaterial things don't exist - reduces material to immaterial - but in doing that it claims something that is immaterial cannot truly exist - thoughts, images, stories, etc. don't really exist because they are immaterial/intangible -
spiritual reduct - things you think exist don't exist because they are actually just immaterial - thoughts = formlessness
science- things you think exist don't exist because they are actually just material - thoughts = brain
Foundational Fallacies - things that are simply not true or are simply opinions and serve as the basis for the path
-Eliminating suffering necessarily leads to wellbeing
Wellbeing is the absence of suffering (no, look at numbness for example)
-There is no value in suffering (other than inspiring you to "put an end to it")
-Nothing is worth suffering for
-Illusions are delusions
An illusion is something that does not exist (no, it is something that doesn't exist in the way it appears to, that is different than the way it seems to be. Does a rainbow not exist? No, it's a phenomenon that is real and intangible.)
-If something has the potential to cause suffering, we should get rid of it/renounce it
Being a human causes suffering, so we should renounce being human
Fatally Flawed Formulas for Alleviating/Eliminating Suffering that lead to more suffering (oversights & blindspots)
-Counter the suffering caused by the extreme of something (dependency on others) with the opposite extreme (rugged self-reliance/isolationism)
-Assume that the absence of negative affect is the presence of positive affect
-You can block out painful emotions without blocking out the positive ones too
Tactics
-Bait & Switch - self-development shelf when it's really self-destruction
-Present only the positive
-Deals with the devil - have whatever you want but only after you don't want it anymore - it's version of radical liberation as freedom from ends up being a prison because you lose choice / freedom to - total liberation cannot involve losing the choice/option to do something you want to do - liberation from what you don't want prevents you from doing what you do want
-Doesn't bring to balanced levels but counters one extreme with the opposite
-Bait & Switch - self-development shelf when it's really self-destruction
-Present only the positive
-Deals with the devil - have whatever you want but only after you don't want it anymore - it's version of radical liberation as freedom from ends up being a prison because you lose choice / freedom to - total liberation cannot involve losing the choice/option to do something you want to do - liberation from what you don't want prevents you from doing what you do want
-Doesn't bring to balanced levels but counters one extreme with the opposite
Myths & Misconceptions about Neo-Advaita "Awakening"
-People who have had a powerful awakening experience are "awakened" individuals - having an "enlightening" experience means you are enlightened
-You are learning the "ultimate truth" about reality and knowing that truth will free you from suffering. Neither of these are true, because you're getting partial truth at best, and everything it says can free you from suffering can also be a cause of suffering. There is no separateness. Can help you and also harm you.
-Those who have access to expanded states of consciousness are more moral, healthy and happier than others
-Being awakened means no more suffering
-Supposedly "selfless" (egoless) people act selflessly in the world in the sense of compassionate actions
-You are learning the "ultimate truth" about reality and knowing that truth will free you from suffering. Neither of these are true, because you're getting partial truth at best, and everything it says can free you from suffering can also be a cause of suffering. There is no separateness. Can help you and also harm you.
-Those who have access to expanded states of consciousness are more moral, healthy and happier than others
-Being awakened means no more suffering
-Supposedly "selfless" (egoless) people act selflessly in the world in the sense of compassionate actions
IT'S A MONK'S PATH - IT WASN"T MY PATH BUT I THOUGHT I'D HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE BECAUSE I COULDN"T BE IN SOCIETY AND RELATIONSHIPS
PEOPLE FIND SOMETHING IN IT - BUT DON'T REALIZE AT FIRST THAT IT'S NOT A TEACHING FOR THEM - IT'S NOT A SAFE TEACHING.
NEO REJECTS PATH OF GROWTH AND MATURATION
DIRECT GLIMPSES - YOU AREN"T MORAL OR GOOD - SPEND LIFE TRYING TO GLIMPSE WITHOUT DOING ANYTHING ELSE?
APPLY IT TO YOUR LIFE - BEING KINDER - CONTRIBUTING TO PEACE, ETC.
Insult to god to say that the world and creation is a mistake. IT IS god, it's descanctifying god itself.
THIS REALIZATION/PATH SUITS THOSE WHO HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH PRACTICAL LIFE, WHO HAVE KEPT THEMSELVES APART FROM THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF LIFE, AND HAVE CHOSEN THE WAY OF A RECLUSE.
NEO ADVAITA MIGHT SUIT RECLUSES - it also can turn an engaged outgoing person into one!
SPIRITUALITY IS ABOUT PERSONAL FULFILLMENT BUT ALSO ABOUT BEING A PART OF A WHOLE THAT SERVES THE WHOLE
MOST SPIRITUAL TEACHERS HAVE GREAT COMPASSION FOR THE WORLD AND EMPATHY
ARGUING WITH A JESUS FREAK OR TRUMP - YOU CAN'T GET THROUGH TO THEM - THEY HAVE THEIR ANGLE - CUTE LITTLE COMEBACKS - UNDERCUTTING THE VALIDITY OF THE OBJECTION - "THE WORLD IS AN ILLUSION NIXES ANY CONVERSATION ABOUT ANYTHING."
Promoting itself as an "Escape Plan." One book summary outlines the danger."Consciousness is going through the doors of the senses and meeting itself here. The mental process then claims it: I am the one seeing, doing, etc., saying, t’s my body. (fails to see the opposite extreme is even worse). This book offers a plan of escape. (enough said. spiritual bypassing from the get go. self-abandonment)
If your attention left the mental process, if you weren’t so addicted to the idea of being a self (shaming, pathologizing. thinking or caring about yourself, even thinking you ARE or HAVE a self is obsession/addiction/eogcentricity, etc.), if your attention could entertain, (bullying you as being unable or too ignorant to know/handle the truth) “Possibly I’m not this that I’m so absorbed in and as,” you would see there is no need to get out of self because there was never a self to be in. (this is giving confusing mixed messages - crusading against the self and then saying there's no problem with it. Also gaslighting - being taught to think you need to get rid of your ego and then when you say that, being told no that's not what I said, you can't get rid of what doesn't exist. It's also absolutist, de-personalizing, dangerous, and transcending/excluding). Sensations of the body are hijacked (more aggressive language as part of smear campaign) by the mental process which spins out a story of feelings about you. About what was you and what is going to be you. Then the thoughts reinforce that. Obsessing over self all day. (so now self-reflection is automatically obsession, there's no balance here, and it's more bullying and shaming - you're so self obsessed for thinking about yourself! that is not always the case) We are saddled with the proscribed way of looking called self-centeredness. (classic shaming you by confusing ego with egotism and "selfishness") Everything is perceived as to how it pertains to me. (what if you saw everything as not pertaining to you? is that a better extreme?) The thing to do is to turn the light on it to see that all there is, is subject; there is no object called me as a subject. There’s just subjectivity. That’s the truth. Then enlightenment and all these goals become non-goals, because you realize there is nothing to seek. (This is wordplay. Obviously it's a goal, and then you realize oh, it was already here. But then you lose that recognition and it becomes your goal again to realize it was always right here.) You already know what the game is like when you’re identified as the body. Now you might see how it goes when you’re not. (If you're completely disidentified with a body, there's going to be major problems. more either/or and disassociation promoted instead of both/and, you are more than a body). The narration about the journey is the heaviness. You’ll see the solution by the problem’s absence. (getting rid of a problem not by deciding it's not a problem anymore - can you see how that can play into conflict avoidance? Not valuing your own needs enough?) When that narration is dismissed you realize, “That’s what I was suffering from!” Not compassion, just self-derision, convincing you you're your own worst enemy, irredeemable, and if you're smart you'll see an escape route. Book Summary from "The Escape to Everywhere" |
I once wanted the freedom of enlightenment. Now I want freedom from enlightenment! That premature grand exit from your life on a path of no return. There is a path of return. There is re-birth. To see the significance of all I wanted to leave behind Shining in a new light Free to live however I please Free to live again as you and me separate, and yet always one. 💕 Let's reclaim OUR lives as real expressions of what we were taught to efface and de-sanctify in order to reach Let's bring dignity back to individuality, and breathe meaning, preciousness into our divinely human lives |