alfa

What is glossolalia? Is it some kind of method to penetrate the subconscious using random words and sounds?

Phowa?

I just want to experience orgasmic bliss (without sex), not interested in insights. It's something new I'd like to try. I am not saying insights aren't important, just that it's cool to experience orgasm the unconventional way. I'd simply like to experiment with it...can you tell me more on this exercise? As I said in the earlier post, it's born of a desire to taste something new and different. Anyway, how did you develop this ability? Is it due to physical exercises?

If we control the sexual urge, it may lead to madness. Moreover, it cannot be controlled. If we try, we may ejaculate while asleep. It results in anger as well. So it's better to indulge than control. Whoever said sexual urge must be controlled (I mean priests and other 'religious' people) must've been a sadomasochist.

When I try to be aware of the body, I notice some tingling sensations every now and then. Do I continue doing this? What is the value of meditating on one's body in this way? So far, my mind hasn't stopped its chattering but my body is becoming somewhat still and I notice some sensations every now and then. Is this the movement of chi? Could this awareness (of the body) be of any use in controlling one's mind indirectly?

Almost all religions, especially taoism, declares that each moment is new and must be enjoyed. But I don't see how. Every moment seems to be the same moment repeating itself endlessly. Why else do we feel boredom, then? Boredom would be impossible if every moment were fresh and new. It seems to me that permanence is the only reality, which is why we feel bored with everything. If things are always changing and new, we'd never be bored with anything. Every moment would be meditation! Alfa

Whenever we feel the sexual urge, we can do something (have sex, masturbate etc.) to release the energy. But if we want to conserve the energy, there are tantrics who say we must simply *imagine* the sexual act but make sure there's no ejaculation/discharge. That way, we not only avoid sex and transform energy but also do away with suppression. Any thoughts on this?

What's sufi whirling, and how is it beneficial? I understand one should simply whirl until one gets tired but how does it help? Is it dangerous? How long can we do it? Do we have to do it on an empty stomach?

When you sit down and do nothing, are you bored? While watching this world, the trees, birds etc., one may not feel bored. But when yo do nothing, you feel bored. That's true of everyone.

How is this different from the Socratic method?

One feels the energy in the penis. How does it go upward to the crown?

Do tantra and tao both teach conscious indulgence. What I mean is: they both say repression of desires, thoughts, and impulses is dangerous. And if that's the case, the only other option is indulgence. It seems we have to indulge consciously. When you have sex, you have to do it consciously, and so on. But in what way is it different from what we normally do? We're normally conscious while doing these activities, including sex. We're already indulging consciously, and it hasn't gotten us anywhere. So what's the difference between this and tao/tantra?

Osho's books are quite entertaining. He explains things from different angles, his meditation techniques are different, and all that. However: * he contradicted himself * acted as if he were paranoid (blamed US govt. of having poisoned him) * Claimed toward the end of his life that Buddha had occupied him and he was a vehicle * Many such outlandish comments and behavior What do people think of him? Was he just an entertainer and nothing more? Which means, do we have to avoid his books on tao (or any other subject matter)? Or, was he doing this on purpose so as to shock people for whatever reason? Alfa

I've heard about this man, but what did he do? What's his philosophy, if he had one? I don't seem to find anything comprehensive on the net, no books at all written by or about him.

Don't know. I didn't invent tantra.

Hi, In sleep paralysis, your body shuts down but the awareness is still there. Does that mean the awareness is now ready to expand beyond the body? What I mean is: normally, our awareness is restricted to the body. If not, we're asleep, in which case there's not much awareness of the body. But in sleep paralysis, it's neither. The body shuts down, so your awareness isn't restricted to your body. But you're not asleep either, so your awareness is still very much present. Does this mean the mind is now ready to expand? EDIT: Is sleep paralysis similar to what Raman Maharishi experienced the first time he pretended he was dead. Alfa

Hi, While watching my thoughts while lying down (I didn't sleep!), I suddenly experienced something around the throat. I can't describe it exactly. Then the sensation disappeared. What could it be? I wasn't doing kundalini or any physical asanas or breathing. I was lying down and watching my mind when this happened. Alfa

If one asks 'who am I,' what next? I am getting nowhere with this. People say one can experience the non-dual state. But after asking who am I, the same mental processes continue. So what difference does it make?

Can someone tell me in simple words what his teaching is? I have a slow connection.

Osho has mentioned that one must get both eyes to the middle while concentrating on the third-eye. In other words, we close our eyes and squint until we hit the middle of the brow. Doing this, one can feel the pressure in the spot between eyebrows. But will this lead to a squint? Will it affect the eyes? Besides, what must one do? I feel the pressure alright, but where to go from there? I am not good at visualization, either. Do I simply meditate on the pressure between eyebrows, hoping something will happen?

Is there a danger of the squint becoming permanent? I can't let that happen, you see, not even for the third-eye.

Thanks everyone for your replies. And Xabir, thanks for posting Ramana's self-inquiry method. I've read it before, and I find it a little confusing. When one tries to find out 'who am I' there is no "I" to be found! That's why I am wondering how one can abide in the "I am" awareness when there's no I apart from body, mind etc. What I mean is, when one asks 'who am I' there's simply a blankness, after which the mind continues its perpetual chatter.

Thanks for a wonderful post. But I am finding it virtually impossible to put this into practice, because whenever we think of observation, it's always observer vs observed. It's not possible - even theoretically - to think of everything as consciousness, especially smells, sounds etc. The duality seems to be ever present, MORE real and concrete than non-duality. Perhaps, you can expand on that, namely how consciousness itself is the world that we perceive (if indeed that's what you were trying to say), and NOT behind these things as a perceiver.

This is fascinating, but how can there be a listening or seeing without the listener/seer separate from listening/seeing? Does that mean instead of listening, we must first eliminate the "I" so that there will be listening, and not an "I" that listens? Is this what you're getting at? Besides, non-dual experience cannot be an experience-can it?-because there's neither experiencer nor experience. Does that mean it's an unconscious state?

That's funny! I've been experiencing the same thing, but sometimes it also happens behind my right. I wonder what this is, though. I haven't been doing any rigorous meditation, either.