Non-Dual States of Mind: Touching Stillness Beyond Concepts
Is Non-Duality Something I Can Really Experience?
Non-dual states of mind—sometimes called Advaita or “not-two” awareness—have always felt, to me, at once impossibly close and frustratingly out of reach. For years, I tried to understand what consciousness truly was, pouring over books and spiritual teachings that used phrases like “direct experience” and “perceiving from stillness.” None of it landed in my body. I thought I wasn’t evolved enough or doing it right. The more I searched, the more I stumbled into questions like What is consciousness, and found myself spinning in circles, trying to grasp an idea that kept slipping through my fingers.
There was an ache in wanting to get somewhere beyond myself—out of all the noise, the stories, the dividing lines between me and the rest of the world. I’d close my eyes and try to imagine stillness, but my thoughts kept churning. I secretly wondered if non-duality was a myth, something only a lucky few could ever taste. When I learned about the Levels of consciousness, it gave me some gentle context for how layered our experience really is—and that allowed a bit more room for my own stumbling process.
Direct Experience Is Not What I Thought
Somewhere along the way, I realized I’d been hunting for a feeling, a special state—something dramatic or pure. But so much of the wisdom in advaita (non-duality) gently points somewhere quieter. What if non-dual awareness is simply noticing what’s always here, before the mind divides things into categories? It isn’t about transcending my human messiness, but letting myself sense this exact moment, body and all, without the usual commentary. For those seeking a clearer explanation, I found solace in exploring the Meditation topic: Non-duality explained, which unpacked some of the ideas with gentle simplicity.
One afternoon, I was sitting outside, obsessing over my to-do list, when a breeze brushed my face. For a second, I stopped. Just the coolness, the hairs on my skin—nobody observing, nothing to analyze. There was just experience, before it became “mine” or “the world’s.” The division, for a breath, softened. I didn’t even realize it until the mind kicked back in. Moments like this remind me that You are not your thoughts, and that awareness itself can hold both the confusion and the clarity.
You Don’t Have to Force Stillness
I think the biggest misunderstanding is that a non-dual state of mind is something you accomplish—like a badge you earn for perfect meditation. But when I look honestly, the moments that feel closest to non-duality often come uninvited: when I let go of chasing stillness and allow everything, including restlessness, to exist. For me, learning the difference between Awareness vs attention allowed for more softness, so I could simply let awareness be, without the need to focus or parse every detail.
If the language of "what is consciousness" feels intimidating, you might experiment by simply asking, “What is here, right now, before I label it?” You don’t have to merge with the cosmos or empty your mind. Instead, you might practice letting awareness be as it is—broken, tangled, or shining—for a few seconds at a time. My own journey opened more when I finally let myself explore the Advaita vedanta meaning with my own questions, instead of trying to imitate someone else’s path.
Body, Safety, and the Truth of the Moment
My relationship with non-duality hasn’t always been gentle. Trauma can make the idea of losing boundaries terrifying, especially if my sense of self feels fragile. I learned, slowly, that permission is everything: if feeling the unity of things feels overwhelming, it’s okay to come back to the edges, to the simple sense of hands in my lap or feet on the ground. True non-duality, for me, doesn’t mean forcing myself to dissolve—it means knowing I can always come home to my own skin. Some traditions call this the Observer self concept, and I hold it gently as one way to honor my boundaries and my wholeness at once.
Gentle Science: Why Non-Dual Awareness Feels Different
Researchers studying non-dual states of mind have found they’re linked to quiet activation in brain networks associated with self-referential thinking. Some studies suggest these states may bring feelings of spaciousness, connection, and reduced anxiety, but they also point out that the journey is deeply personal—and not always comfortable. You don’t have to rush or force transcendence; sometimes just sitting with what is, no matter how messy, is enough.
May you know you’re allowed to touch stillness in your own way, and that even confusion is part of awareness. The longing to experience non-duality is itself a gentle reminder—what you’re searching for is already part of you.