EBTs and Out of Body Experiences: The concept of Once-returner in Robert Monroe's books

[Viveka]

O-Ohh now I’m in trouble
I feel like I’m cracking the lid on Pandoras box here …
Just something to ponder - the conditionality of everything to do with Mind…

Just as normal perception is dependently arisen, so too is ‘perception’ within other states of consciousness. Which is why it is possible to ‘create’ or manifest certain experiences as per the Ajahn Brahmali quote posted above.

@Brahmali

The more specifically you describe the nature of insight, the more likely it is that an individual meditator will “manufacture” a similar experience, which is then misinterpreted as the described state.

I suppose that we are used to seeing and thinking about dependent arising in the 6 mundane consciousnesses/sense bases, but not so much in higher states of consciousness - but ultimately they are both subject to Dependent Arising…

So my take is - that care needs to be taken not to conflate the ‘experiences’ with the description or belief system created around it . - The details are distractions, just like each image within the kaleidoscope, and have no independent “metaphysical or ontological connotations”.

@Viveka

Quoted from Analayo: The distinct contribution by the Buddha seems to have been the perspective that such experiences are merely the product of specific conditions.

Enjoy!