09-21-2014, 05:13 AM
(09-18-2014, 09:27 PM)Folk-love Wrote: ...
How long do you have to practice presence for before you have the same type of awakening experience that Tolle describes he had? Is there that aha moment where everything falls into place? If so, once you have had such an experience, will the workings of your mind and seperate self be understood fully? Don't we have to use our minds to understand our minds, or can we simply practise presence, connect with our true self, and have the answers flood magically to us without putting in any effort in mind?
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I read The Power of Now several years ago when I was semi-confused and semi-depressed. I got great benefit from it, I began to observe, not identify with, thoughts etc. This didn't last though. I eventually slipped back into the maelstrom of the mind and lost that peace. Then after a while a had a massive "dark night of the soul" period in which I was basically lying on the floor crying/laughing in despair. But then suddenly something "clicked" and I experienced some "space" around the thinking, I then remembered The Power of Now and began listening to it again (the audiobook is awesome) and the peace returned. I believe the awakening Tolle had came about through a similar experience of suffering. I think that the space created by presence allows the mind to start investigating itself. There are many levels in the mind and the awareness can be focused on any one of them or even above them.