I'm a big fan of direct, personal experience, and being encouraged into my internal exploration when I hear/read other's words. I guess these days I feel that either everything is spiritual/metaphysical or nothing is, either way I want to be as present in life as much as possible.
Throughout the years I've found myself variously attracted to certain concepts based on what my clarity/conflict has been. Here's what I've discovered about discovering the truth for myself:
If I can gain some wisdom and not just intellectual understanding, then I'll keep diving and exploring with it.
If I can feel some internal knowing with a concept/understanding, then I'll marinate in it with curiosity to see what happens, then try to practically apply it. If I can't practically apply something, it's not helpful.
I'm not looking for an outside answer as much as how to keep diving into layers of awareness and watching the questions and answers change.
If a concept challenges who I know myself to be, rubs up against my own version of reality, helps me to die in each moment - then I'm curious.
Valkryie - I can't say that I have an answer for you about ascertaining truth. I feel like that's a deeply personal experience that may change throughout our lives. I do feel that it's vitally important to embody what is truth for us - and I wish you the very best on your journey. What I can offer you is questions, because it's the questions of my life that help me to find my truth beyond intellectual understanding. Having said that, I ask myself questions like:
- How can I be more present, more accepting right now?
- How can this truth be practically applied in my life?
- Is this a truth for me, or just for someone else?
- If it's a truth for someone else, how can I honor that person's experience instead of trying to disprove it?
- Am I self-validating, or just trying to be right/loved/approved/accepted by others? How do I know this in my body?
- Do I trust my own experience? What is my experience?
- When I know the truth of something, how will I let myself feel that I'm not allowing right now?
- How can I see the truth in what someone else is saying?
- What truth is trying to be expressed in someone else?
- Am I being truthful?
- What is my visceral, body experience with something? Contraction? Expansion? Where do I feel it? Do I try to not feel it?
- What is my body experience when I know the truth of something? Deeper breath, relaxed face, energy flowing more?
- Am I conflicted about something and just looking for a validation about it?
- Am I truly asking a question to have an experience, or just looking for an excuse to give my answer?
- How is my truth different right now based on my experience?
Thank you for asking!