On this article, we’re overlaying non-dual consciousness: what it’s, what it isn’t, the three ranges of non-duality, some inspiring descriptions of it, and strategies for find out how to prepare it.
I’ll be sincere and say that it’s a lot simpler to contact non-dual consciousness if we’ve engaged in severe contemplative follow, corresponding to meditation, for a while.
Earlier than we discuss what non-dual consciousness is, it’s finest we clarify what it isn’t.
What Non-Twin Consciousness is Not
Our thoughts loves to connect itself to summary ideas, mistaking them for the truth of what they describe. Within the case of non-duality, this can be a notably harmful highway to go down.
Non-duality is a direct, first-person expertise. If all we do is cling to our concepts about non-duality, we’ll haven’t any likelihood of ever straight contacting it. The phrases “non-dual consciousness”, or some other phrases we might use, are merely a descriptor of it.
By making clear what non-dual consciousness isn’t, we empty our minds and reduce by way of our illusions, and we’ve an opportunity of contacting the pure actuality of what it’s, past all descriptors.
If and after we discover that we cling to any of those false notions of non-duality, we’d do nicely to drop it and go deeper.
So, non-dual consciousness isn’t:
- an existential or epistemological philosophy: we’re not musing on the character of actuality by debating and critiquing philosophical fashions.
- an idea: an idea is by necessity an abstraction, and non-duality isn’t that: it’s a direct expertise or apprehension of how our sense of self and our world come to be in each single second, proper right here, proper now.
- a pointer exterior: as a result of there isn’t any exterior! Non-duality is now, it’s this, it’s proper right here, proper earlier than our eyes, if we learn to understand it.
- an excellent: it’s not a philosophy on how we should always all be part of collectively and stay in concord.
- a political place: it’s not a well-wishing proclamation of how the political world ought to work.
- a logical deduction: it’s not a conclusion reached by way of a sequence of logical steps, and no quantity of logic or philosophy can ever contact it.
- any form of psychological development: so long as we try and depend on our logical thoughts to know it in the best way we perceive grammar or arithmetic, we by no means, ever will.
- a magical excessive: the expertise of non-duality can happen with any emotion or internal state and isn’t an emotional state of any form.
- an achievement: it’s as an alternative a collapse, a coming dwelling, a simplification, the tip of delusion, the tip of separation.
- a cause to really feel superior: it’s the tip of our sense of self and different as we all know it.
- a ultimate state: it’s an ever-present actuality, whether or not we realise it or not, and typically we could also be extra linked to it than others, until we’ve skilled for years and a long time.
- as horny because it sounds: non-dual consciousness is only a phrase – after we expertise it, all concepts of it being a sure manner are dispelled.
That’s a reasonably complete checklist of every part that we falsely consider non-dual consciousness to be. Now that we’ve coated that, let’s describe what non-dual consciousness is.
What Non-Twin Consciousness Is
As we’ll talk about beneath, there are totally different sorts of non-dual consciousness. However earlier than we do, let’s cowl a broad, user-friendly description of what it’s:
- the direct notion that we and the world are essentially not separate;
- realisation that sense of an “I” that’s separate from every part round me is a development or optical phantasm;
- direct understanding that every part we understand is inside “us”;
- the collapse of the target world and subjective world into one, or the unity of topic and object;
- realizing that “I” am not an individual, or a physique, or a thoughts, or any factor, however pure beingness and every part that seems inside it;
- often known as unity, final consciousness, non-dual consciousness, oneness, the Supreme Id, union, and extra.
Although I stated that non-dual consciousness itself isn’t an emotional state, it tends to deliver sure results:
- the sense of being “dwelling”;
- understanding that there’s nowhere to go, there’s nowhere else;
- data that the world is simply an phantasm or a dream, within the sense that it’s not strong, dependable and bodily;
- a radical possession of physique, thoughts, feelings, habits and behavior;
- radical freedom from the clashing and smashing of fixated topic and object;
There are usually not two worlds—topic versus object—there’s simply one style, and also you ARE that; it’s all arising inside your very being.
Ken wilber

Three Kinds of Non-Twin Consciousness
On this speak, Shinzen Younger describes two conventional definitions of non-dual consciousness – sabija samadhi (merging with an object) and nirbija samadhi (formless merging) – and proposes what I perceive to be a third, greater stage.
- Merging with Object: a sensory phenomenon arises, with no self-sense arising. Simply the phenomenon with no sense of an individual doing it. One seems to be or to change into that sensory phenomenon. Sense of “Simply Listening to”, “Simply Seeing” and “Simply Considering”.
- Formless Merging: Sensory phenomenon arises unfixated and flowing; self-sense or topic additionally arises unfixated as a circulation. The 2 flows merge into one interacting, unfixated wave, in between enlargement and contraction, then die down into nothing.
- Zero, One thing, Zero: Shinzen additionally cash a brand new definition of non-dual consciousness: “recurring abiding within the cycle of zero, polarisation, zero, polarisation, over and time and again”. He describes this because the cycle of every second (self and world) turning into every second out of pure consciousness, lasting for a short while, then collapsing by way of formless merging. By realising that self and world come from Zero, we realise they aren’t separate from Zero, and neither change into absolutely shaped.
As I discussed aove, it appears that evidently these are usually not merely three sorts however three ranges of non-dual consciousness. To contact the primary stage, we should realise that something we’re perceiving is self-arising, and not using a self that directs the method. It depends on the absence of the self-sense.
The second stage requires the primary stage, together with the notice that the self-sense isn’t fixated and that our self-sense is intertwined with what we understand, and that we observe each topic and object again to their formless origin, our True Face, our “unadorned, empty, deep clear Consciousness”, as Wilber describes it.
The third stage requires all that, and that we understand the origin of topic and object earlier than they even come up, witness them arising, after which observe them again to their origin.
You undergo your day, lots of and lots of of instances a day, having an expertise of touching the timeless.
That is non-dual within the sense that there’s not a separation between Supply and the each day life that’s born from Supply.
Shinzen younger
Ken Wilber’s Descriptions
With out being overly technical and choosy about his descriptions, I needed to share a couple of nice descriptions of the varied states of non-dual consciousness by Ken Wilber. It will get you a greater concept of what they imply.
Apparently, he doesn’t differentiate between them as clearly as Shinzen Younger does. That is symptomatic of the paradox of those phrases.
Merging With An Object
What you name the “desk” and what you are feeling as your Consciousness of it are one and the identical feeling. Really feel what you name your self, your Looker, the Watcher, and spot that the desk is arising precisely the place that feeling is!
Permit the quick, direct consciousness of the world to exist all by itself, pushing out any sense of a Watcher or Looker; there’s merely this factor and this factor and this factor, all arising proper right here inside me, arising within the open clearing or area, the place a Watcher or Looker as soon as was.
Formless Merging
There are usually not two worlds—topic versus object—there’s simply one style, and also you ARE that; it’s all arising inside your very being.
Zero, One thing, Zero
The world of noticed Kind and the clear open Vacancy of your Observing Self have change into one—or higher, are seen to have at all times already been one (or “not-two”), the very definition of Enlightenment.
And at last, I can’t assist however finish with this quote. I hope Ken is okay with it.
Earlier than something, this. Earlier than I AM something, there’s easy I AMness, in and of itself, simply so—and you might be conscious of that I AMness proper now, sure? Earlier than you might be conscious of something, you might be conscious of this. Earlier than you are feeling something, you are feeling this. It’s continuously unknowable, this information of All. It’s too complicated to be recognized; too easy to consider; too current to be grasped; too right here to be felt… Your entire universe is arising inside you, and deny it as you’ll, it at all times has. Simply look: you aren’t on this room, this room is in you… Likewise, you aren’t on this Kosmos, this complete Kosmos is in you.

Find out how to Contact It
Now, I do know these descriptions are inspiring and stirring, however as I warned, all of those descriptions are meaningless until we straight apprehend what the confer with.
And although non-dual consciousness is described as revealing the ever-present nature of issues simply as they’re, in actuality, we have to prepare ourselves to contact it. The human situation is considered one of separation and, actually, delusion. Severe re-engineering of our consciousness is important.
If we’re but to have interaction in religious or contemplative follow, I like to recommend we start with these assets:
After a couple of years of an everyday meditation follow, we’re in a spot to make use of these supplies:
You would possibly like my episode on why religious enlightenment is the damnedest factor.
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