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In Buddhism there are “three marks of existence” which are suffering, no-self and impermanence. As you sit in silence for prolonged periods of time (or, as we’ve seen, even as little as 15 minutes a day), you can directly witness these different flavors of reality and have some very interesting — and potentially frightening — experiences. These can bring you closer to the whole point of meditation, which is awakening and dissolution of your egoic self. Although having these cool/scary experiences isn’t really the point, they’re more like side-effects along the way and they do happen the deeper you go.

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The Buddha takes dukkha as the starting place for the spiral to freedom. This is the condition that we find ourselves in. We find ourselves in the world in a state of dissatisfaction much of the time. We take that existential condition—the way that we find ourselves ordinarily in the world—and ask: what do we have to do to create freedom in our lives?

John Peacock

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Meaning and explanation of Bhagavata Purana chapter 14 verse 22 and verse 23.

"The universe appears by Maya in you, the Infinite, the eternal Bliss-consciousness. Though the universe is only like things seen in a dream (and so unreal), and is devoid of consciousness and ever full of misery, it appears as real (and also conscious and blissful)". (Bhagavata Purana Chapter 14 Verse 22)

In Vedanta Reality is defined as that which does not undergo any change whatsoever in all the three periods of time, i.e., past, present and future. Brahman is the only Reality. Because of Maya, Brahman appears to us as the universe of names and forms. Maya conceals Brahman and projects the universe. Just as everything seen in dream ceases to exist as soon as the dreamer wakes up, the universe ceases to be real when Brahman is realized. The universe appears to be real only as long as we are under the spell of Maya (or Avidya or ignorance). The fundamental principles of Advaita Vedanta are brought out in this verse, namely, that the universe has no absolute reality, it is only a superimposition on Brahman and appears to be real only because of our ignorance of the substratum, Brahman, just as a rope appears as a snake in dim light when its real nature is not known.

You (Krishna, the supreme Brahman), are the non-dual Self, the primordial Person, the Reality, self-luminous, infinite, the first Cause, eternal, imperishable, ever Bliss itself, taintless, perfect without a second, devoid of all adjuncts (Nirguna) and immortal. (Bhagavata Purana Chapter 14 Verse 23)

This is exactly the description of the supreme Brahman as contained in the Upanishads. The expression "devoid of all adjuncts" indicates Nirguna Brahman or Brahman without attributes. The concept of Nirguna Brahman is peculiar to Advaita Vedanta.

Bhagavata Purana Chapter 14 Verse 25 to 28

Those who do not know the Atman as their own Self, look upon the entire phenomenal universe as real because of ignorance, but the universe disappears when Self-knowledge dawns, just as a snake seen on a rope disappears when the rope is known. Bondage and liberation, which are both products of ignorance, have no existence apart from the Atman whose nature is Truth and Consciousness. For, rightly considered, there can be neither ignorance nor bondage, and neither knowledge nor freedom from bondage for the supreme Self that is eternal and absolute Consciousness, anymore than there can be night and day for the sun. Taking the Atman for something else, and something else for the Atman, the Atman is sought for outside oneself; how marvelous is the folly of the ignorant! Men of discrimination seek the Infinite within the body itself, negating the unreal; without negating the unreal snake first, how can one know the rope, though it is very close?

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• Awakening/Enlightenment is our natural state, simply What Is at any given ‘moment.’ In that ‘state,’ there is no judgment, no path, no concepts or verbal descriptions, and no separate “you” experiencing something ‘special’ or hoping to sustain that experience into the ‘future.’ Only What Is, Now and Now and Now. Indeed, it is not having any ‘experience’ at all, just pure Being or Is-ness. It is not being aware of something that’s happened or is taking place, like “I am awake or now enlightened.” It is simply Awareness Itself. In that sense, no distinction, terms or labels are possible, so you could definitely say “awakening” or “enlightenment” are lies, and believing they are real could lead you down a path of false hope.
• When still in the veil of the separate identity, the illusion of the separate “me,” Awakening/Enlightenment can only be concepts and hopes in the mind, and as such, be lies.
• If & when the veil falls away (through no volition of “your” own, sorry,) the first and most impactful thing you realize is that you are right back in your natural state, where You always were, immediately rendering any distinctions like awakening or enlightenment and any ‘path’ to it also a lie, an attainment or achievement that never was. (It’s quite common, at this point, to have a good laugh at yourself :-)

That said, simply Being in & as What Is, Now and Now and Now, is the ultimate Truth of existence.

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BDHA

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RM 

We have filters on the brain that block information not conducive to survival. However we can bypass the filters via dreams, hallucinogens, NDEs, OBEs, using hypnotherapy, mediumship or meditation.

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