Weird moments of awareness

[Tad]

Sometimes I get a pretty strong sense of awareness of my human existence. They are short moments of awareness but they feel very real. They come like a shock making me wonder why I am stuck in a body in this crazy world of forms. Does that ever happen to you?

[Jhanananda]

Tad, this sounds like insight, which is an intuitive and abstract sense of awareness into seeing the nature of things. I have found it to be a direct product of deep meditation.

[Alexander]

Sometimes I will get a strong sense of 'revealed knowledge' come into me, which feels qualitatively different from other kinds of knowledge. To me it feels like it comes from a higher source. It was this same type of knowledge that brought me here.

I think it's important to seek it and value it. If you open yourself up to it then it will come when it comes.

The world we live in is such a fascinating, complex place... there are many layers. The layman would say it is just some loon talking to himself... and yet it is likely the highest source of knowledge. Socrates allowed it to guide him when he was put on trial at the end of his life.

[Jhanananda]

well said, Alexander.  These are examples of intuitive, revelatory, insight.

[Tad]

Thank you for replies. I noticed that it happens spontaneously in relationship to awareness of the body. Probably that is why Buddha talked so much about benefits of mindfulness of the body. I wish I could extend that awareness but I guess I need to keep working on stillness of the mind.

One somewhat related question for you. Do you agree that lots of suffering over extended periods of time can induce certain insight even if samadhi is weak? It seems that suffering can burn ego and it forces to reevaluate beliefs and self identity.

Alexander, this world is indeed fascinating when considering the amount of intelligence that is behind it. Just the beauty of the nature can be quite impressive. At the same time, it is just a bunch of forms and colors. BTW, how did Socrates use insight in difficult times?

[Jhanananda]

Thank you for replies. I noticed that it happens spontaneously in relationship to awareness of the body. Probably that is why Buddha talked so much about benefits of mindfulness of the body. I wish I could extend that awareness but I guess I need to keep working on stillness of the mind.

If we examine the 4 sati suttas we see that the senses are used as a vehicle of meditation. I think the point is the senses are our major distraction in the material world, so if we use them as a vehicle of meditation then we cultivate letting go of the senses.

One somewhat related question for you. Do you agree that lots of suffering over extended periods of time can induce certain insight even if samadhi is weak? It seems that suffering can burn ego and it forces to reevaluate beliefs and self identity.

I think suffering forces us to come to terms with the cause of suffering which is our obsession with the sensory world.

Alexander, this world is indeed fascinating when considering the amount of intelligence that is behind it. Just the beauty of the nature can be quite impressive. At the same time, it is just a bunch of forms and colors. BTW, how did Socrates use insight in difficult times?

If I may contribute to this question, the material world is compelling and attractive, and it always pulls us away from the interior life. So as we develop our interior life we pull away from the material world.

[Alexander]

Here is something we wrote back in 2014 that might interest you, Tad.

Socrates refers to the divine ear, if I recall correctly, as his "daimonion." That word does not have the connotation of our modern English word "demon," but the meaning in ancient Greek is closer to "deva," or "divine," so I believe it translates as "divine ear."

In The Apology, Socrates explains that he listens to his daimonion in all things, and that it is what guides him to behave as he does at his trial. On another occasion, when Socrates has the opportunity to escape from his sentence in the Crito, he cites his daimonion as the reason why he does not. (Finally, I believe his premonition of his fate after death in the Crito, "that he will go to the land of Phthia," is also a result of his daimonion.)

One of the discussions I had with Jhanananda recently was about the topic of "revealed knowledge." I think that in reference to the trial and his escape, the daimonion is very closely tied to this phenomenon. In this way, we can see it as an Inner Voice. But, at the same time, I do not think what Socrates is referring to is at all different from divine hearing, as well.

To go further, I think it is very worthwhile to return to Plato with a mature, mystical perspective. Often, modern scholars do not see the mysticism of Socrates. I personally have become absolutely convinced of the mysticism of both Socrates and Plato, but especially Socrates.

It is interesting how a contemporary philosophy professor might read Socrates' long discussions of metempsychosis in a way very different from how we might. He might gloss over it, not read it literally, or not understand it in the way in which it was intended to be read. Aside from that, we have other signs of Socrates' attainment, in his discussions of love, his trances, and so on.

[Rodan]

This is an interesting thread, something like this happened in a dream the night after I read your post Tad. I thought I was still awake and I thought to myself how fake everything felt and nearly achieved semilucidity in that dream.

[Alexander]

Sometimes I think we get confused and use the same word for different experiences. It is similar to the word "contemplation," which has different meanings depending on the mystic. But it is important to be affirmative, supportive.

[Tad]

Alexander,
thanks for the post about Socrates. Not surprising that most professors would ignore that supernatural aspect.

Rodan,
sounds like nice experience. I wish I could get more lucidity in my dreams more often. Regarding dreams, sometimes I feel dreams are more satisfying experience than the physical world.

[Tad]

If I may contribute to this question, the material world is compelling and attractive, and it always pulls us away from the interior life. So as we develop our interior life we pull away from the material world.

Jhananda,
that is a very fair warning. Sometimes I feel though that I have too much repulsion from the material world without yet having developed enough inner goodness/peace. What would be your advice regarding that?

[Jhanananda]

Peace and righteousness come with the interior life.  Just keep moving forward.

[Rodan]

Alexander,
thanks for the post about Socrates. Not surprising that most professors would ignore that supernatural aspect.

Rodan,
sounds like nice experience. I wish I could get more lucidity in my dreams more often. Regarding dreams, sometimes I feel dreams are more satisfying experience than the physical world.

You will gain lucidity more often as you deepen your practice as will I. I sort of agree with you, my out of body experiences and lucid dreams felt like I was finally "home" if that makes any sense. I think that's because our material world is not truly our final destination but merely a pit stop along our creation as beings created by God. In many religions we are told to not regard this life as having much importance and thus why materialism is to be shunned. That's not to say one should not enjoy oneself or care for loved ones, but rather not to be disheartened by your standing or state in this world as the contemplative life builds you up to fully enjoy the fruits of the *real* world in my opinion.

[Jhanananda]

You will gain lucidity more often as you deepen your practice as will I. I sort of agree with you, my out of body experiences and lucid dreams felt like I was finally "home" if that makes any sense. I think that's because our material world is not truly our final destination but merely a pit stop along our creation as beings created by God. In many religions we are told to not regard this life as having much importance and thus why materialism is to be shunned. That's not to say one should not enjoy oneself or care for loved ones, but rather not to be disheartened by your standing or state in this world as the contemplative life builds you up to fully enjoy the fruits of the *real* world in my opinion.

I agree. Dedicating my life to the contemplative life has certainly been the most fulfilling thing I ever did.

[Cal]

Sometimes I get a pretty strong sense of awareness of my human existence. They are short moments of awareness but they feel very real. They come like a shock making me wonder why I am stuck in a body in this crazy world of forms. Does that ever happen to you?

Hello Tad, I understand this post is a few months old, but nonetheless I’d like to share. Intuitive insights - I have found them best described in the words “De ja vu”. For me, they could come moments before an event, but also for events that might occurs months later - some, I still have no understanding of to date. A sense of knowing what’s to come - delivered as such that you have already lived this. I invite you to write them down as they occur, so that you may find understanding of them eventually.