Culadasa April 2018 Patreon Q&A

Timestamps: 01:45 Alcohol and marijuana versus 5th precept, self exploration, and their effects on anxiety. 10:24 Follow up to the above on psychedelics, importance of set and setting. 13:34 Use of earplugs in meditation. 15:38 Creativity and mindfulness. 21:28 Peripheral awareness and development of meta-cognitive awareness. 34:39 Alternating practices likely to lead to insight experiences versus alternating different "insight" systems (i.e. Mahasi noting vs Goenka bodyscanning). 40:58 Emptiness and ultimate truth. 55:24 Depersonalization, derealization and "the dark night" vs no-self. Recommended meditation practices and emphasis on continued access to professional mental health therapy. 01:08:36 Bernadette Roberts' (Christian mystic) development of insight, "the dark night". 01:22:48 Is intent part of the ego ( self ) or is it something ingrained deep within consciousness, like peripheral awareness? If the latter, how can something be used to dissolve the very thing out of which it arises? 01:36:50 Benefits of the smorgasbord (practice it all, awaken along the way) vs. the kaiseki or sushi bar (follow one method all the way to awakening, then practice/learn the rest if interested) approach to awakening. Buy Culadasa's books on Amazon: amazon.com/author/culadasa Follow Culadasa on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Culadasa.John.Yates Much more at: culadasa.com/