comments:
The process of Self-realization/Awakening/Enlightenment/Non-dual realization is similar to psychosis in that the mind becomes unmoored. All ‘paths’ are the gradual (or not) disengagement of the attachment to the contents of the mind, which is what leads to the world feeling unreal, bleak and meaningless. The perception of the world as unreal, bleak and meaningless is the beginning or first stage of the awakening process. It’s at this point one can continue, or turn around and either forget about the whole thing or adopt a gentler practice of something like ‘mindfullness’, because what happens next is a doozy, the disengagement of the attachment to “Me”. This is where the path starts to look like psychosis. “I don’t know who I am anymore.” “I can’t relate to loved ones anymore.” “I feel like I’m losing my mind.” etc Realize that “Me” includes the world of “Me”, which is the attachment to the mental world of u/Any-Engineering-7299 which includes family, friends, peers, teachers, society etc etc etc. The whole mental narrative of u/Any-Engineering-7299, past, present and future. The price of truth is Everything. Every. Thing. Every association in your head that you are stuck to and imagine to be “My World”. It’s not about ‘knuckling down’ and ‘pushing through’, it’s about surrendering one’s sense of ‘self’ completely. And yes, as you asked in your other post, it feels as though one is dying. It is the apparent death of the ‘self’, a willing death, because to continue as a ‘lie’ is unbearable. The cosmic joke, seen on the other side of awakening, is that the ‘self’ and its ‘world’ was always an illusion. It’s literally like ‘waking up’ from a dream, the dream of “Me and My World”. Now (after awakening) one knows the truth of oneself and not only oneself but the truth of ‘other’, the truth of ‘wife’, of ‘children’, of ‘friends’ and ‘loved ones’. One sees them as they actually are, not how one perceived them through the filter of the illusory ‘self’. One becomes truly capable of Love and Relationship. So. Can the process be frightening, even terrifying? Yes. Can it be uncomfortable? Yes. Can it be disorienting? Yes. Anxiety and depression? Yes. I highly recommend this book “The End of Your World” by Adyashanti which describes the awakening process and how to navigate it as well as talking about abiding versus non-abiding awakening. Courage and devotion. 🙏