What is Non Duality?
Non-duality points to the state of being after the collapse of your everyday subject/object perspectives of any degree. Whether you are subject and the world is object, or even if your witnessing presence is subject and all internal or external phenomena are object, non-duality is the integration of the two. It is clear being-knowing one infinite field of experiencing and you are that field. It is simultaneously the collapse of time and space as perceptual filters, though they may still be understood conceptually.
Effective therapeutic methods and non-dual investigations both begin with your immediate experience. The distinction between them is in the layer of experience they intend to explore.
Therapy exists within a history of scientific frameworks and the study of human development. It attempts to bring harmony and health at the level of the individual body/mind. This might include exploring all kinds of beliefs and worldviews but it remains focused on your character development.
Non-dual explorations focus on only the most basic and fundamental belief structures. These are; time and space, a material objective world, a material subjective self.
Upon close examination, these filters of perspective that we often take for granted appear less solid than they seem. If you look carefully, it doesn’t take long to stumble soberly outside your familiar beliefs of a solid world and the tick of the clock.
Non-duality is the integration between the self and the world, self and others. Perceiver, Perceived, Perception are all One without distinction.
This is a direct change in normal waking perception.
A common mistaken belief is that having an awakening experience will quickly solve all your personal relationships and life issues. It doesn’t! Though it may make you more aware of them. Therapies & shadow work are very important before and after these experiences because the body/mind is still your instrument for action and communication.
Whatever the kind of spiritual experience or state you have, no matter how vast or unifying it will get interpreted through your developmental filters and their limitations.
Therapies, genuine connections with others, and somatic practices are valuable in helping the profound changes that come with an awakening of perception. These changes can lead to a natural sense of connection, responsibility, and goodwill toward the greater community.
In summary, therapy involves harmonizing relationships and reconciling internal character polarities. Non-dual explorations aim to integrate the perception of self as a subject and the world (or other person) as an object.
In general, I’ve had personal success with three approaches to accessing and dissolving the fundamental perceptual filters. If these explorations are done with natural curiosity, and a relaxed attitude, they are restorative and integrative. They all require a slow deliberate exploration of your immediate experience.
Exploring sight, sound, and sensation through focused inquiries or sustained open focus. (either zooming in on one aspect or zooming all the way out to include them all)
Actively investigating the source of and residing in that which you call "I" or "I Am."
Engaging in meditative, logical reasoning to attempt to validate the reality of time and space with experiential evidence.
These methods are straightforward but require patience and genuine curiosity to yield results.
My personal favorite teachers have been, Rupert Spira, Adyashanti, and Nisarghadatta - each with tons of free talks or readings on youtube.
More information about one-on-one sessions can be found here.
