Revealed knowledge

[Alexander]

I have been having visions about different things. I say "vision," but that isn't exactly the right word. What I mean isn't "vision," but "direct knowledge," knowledge that comes to me in a "flash."

The nature of this knowledge is that it is always very poignant; that it takes in itself all the angles of a topic (including its contradictions); and that is far more nuanced and mature than conventional knowledge is.

The trouble I've found, is that my first impulsion is always to try to share this knowledge with other people. However, if I try to share this knowledge without preparing what I say, then I'll sound like an idiot or a child.

So, to share this knowledge, I've found that I have to stop, put what I've had revealed into words, and then share it. However, this process is more quickly said than done - some of my intuitions take years to "unpack," to put it into an explainable form.

[Jhanananda]

As you describe your experience of revealed knowledge is the same kind of thing that I have been experiencing for decades.  Some times I call it insight.

[Alexander]

One of the earliest insights I had was in reference to these two posts I made in our topic on world weariness:

http://fruitofthecontemplativelife.org/forum/index.php/topic,624.msg2309.html#msg2309
http://fruitofthecontemplativelife.org/forum/index.php/topic,624.msg2312.html#msg2312

As I said, it took years to unpack what I knew into the two posts above.

My insight was that medicating depression, anger, and so on, was not the right approach to combating these emotions. Over time it became clear to me that, simply by being honest about these feelings, they can be combated. Through spiritual accomplishment, one can in time no longer be able to experience loneliness, anger, depression, dejection, and so on. And, if spiritual development is pursued at great length, it even leads to the direct opposite of these negative states: when one finds the jhanas, they become replaced by joy, peace, and tranquility.

[Jhanananda]

I agree.  The contemplative life is as much about self-awareness as anything else; and following a contemplative life i am certain, one can overcome any metal illness.