- Decision to undertake deep meditation: Leo descriptively talks about his novelty experience with Five Meo DMT, leading him to an awakening like never before. The experience made him realize his deep inherent oneness with everything, destroying all sense of the self and any related problems - from health and finances to relationships. He experienced an intensely deep understanding more profound than the collection of every scientific fact possible. In light of this awakening, Leo plans to deepen his understanding by surrendering to the awakening for 30 days of continuous isolated meditation at his house.
- Expected evolution of Actualized.org: Through the retreat, Leo hopes to change his relationship with Actualized.org and dedicate more time to internal growth. While the process of making videos and managing Actualized.org has supported his own development, he feels that it limits him to a conceptual frame of mind that inhibits his journey to enlightenment. Despite the struggle to make this decision, opting for the retreat over creating videos for Actualized.org seems necessary in order to further his mission.
- The God Mode experience: Leo discusses his experience of entering a state of 'God Mode,' which involves a radical shift in reality where one realizes themselves as a part of everything around them, becoming pure consciousness. This state of awakening meant complete liberation from suffering and concerns related to life issues.
- Transition to no selfhood: In his words, during this enlightening experience, Leo saw the end of selfhood. He aims to extend this awakening experience during his retreat to destroy his sense of selfhood completely. The retreat will involve the absence of any usual daily activity or interaction, aiming at giving in entirely to the emptiness.
- Objective of the Retreat: Through the retreat, Leo hopes to not just deepen his experience of awakening but also achieve a state of 'God Mode' as a default state of being. He aims to go beyond the conceptual and mental state growth he got from managing Actualized.org. Instead, he wants to focus on his journey of deep spiritual growth and becoming more in tune with the reality from his recent awakening experience.
- Scope During the Retreat: Throughout the retreat, there will be no distractions like business, creative pursuits, talking, socializing, phone calls, internet, or reading. Instead, Leo would focus solely on the essence of his awakening experience and surrender until the emptiness consumes him.
- Leo's 30-day isolation retreat plan: Leo Gura wants to take a break from his work for a month to retreat into solitude. The retreat will take place at his home where he will meditate and surrender to the "emptiness" until it consumes him. The aim is to end selfhood or personal identity, eliminate suffering, fear, and boredom, and achieve a conscious state of permanent enlightenment or "God mode". He equates this to Zen master's "no-mind" state of silenced active and conceptual mind.
- Impact on Actualized.org operations: There will not be any new videos, blog posts, or forum posts from Leo for a month. However, the Actualized.org website, the forum, and the store will remain active, and Leo will continue to provide technical support and address billing and refund issues throughout his retreat. He also plans to shoot a summary video once a week to share his reflections and insights, but these videos will only be posted after the retreat has ended, in June.
- Leo's commitment to deepening teachings: Leo stresses that he is seeking to embody the teachings more deeply and become a better teacher. His intent is not to quit Actualized.org, rather he wants to improve the quality and intensity of the content he provides. He aims to understand and live the principles he teaches better, which would allow him to explain them to his audience more straightforwardly and effectively.
- Future plans for Actualized.org: Leo is enthusiastic about shooting future videos covering a wide range of topics, including but not limited to evolution, chaos theory, fear, love, emotions, and more. He aims to delve deeper into each subject, offering potent and concentrated wisdom to his viewers. He plans to use the insights he gains from his upcoming retreat and his recent Hawaii retreat for this purpose. The objective is to help viewers to master their own emotions and to understand the process of meditation and enlightenment.
- Focus on tackling boredom: The retreat is also focusing on battling boredom, which according to Leo, is a significant obstacle in people's lives. Through the retreat, he wants to tackle all remaining fears, such as fears of death, financial problems, etc., and effectively eliminate any remaining sources of suffering. The intention is to fully immerse himself in the process without much analyzing, aiming to reach a state of complete silence in the mind, or 'no-mind' state.
- Understanding Psyche and Obstacles: Leo highlights the interconnectedness and deeper structures of the psyche. He believes understanding this foundation explains why people suffer and repeat harmful actions. It's more effective to tackle the root of a problem rather than individually treating its manifestations.
- Embarking on a Long Retreat: He admits apprehension about going on a 30-day retreat as the longest hes managed is a 10-day event. However, his commitment has deepened since a recent mini-awakening; he's ready to make an "all-in" commitment.
- Surrender and Facing Fears: Despite the established routine of making videos, Leo acknowledges the importance of surrendering attachments to deepen awakening, even positive habits. Positive attachments can be harder to give up than negative ones, making this step a unique challenge.
- Promotion of Practical Implementation: He encourages viewers to implement practices he discusses, such as retreats, psychedelics, yoga, and meditation, rather than only watching his videos. He suggests scheduling time for self-investment and going fully into inner work, especially during summer for students.
- Acknowledging Societal and Personal Obstacles: Leo notes the challenges that come with age, noting that younger individuals may find delving into personal growth easier because their minds are less conditioned by society. But regardless of age, he urges all to make strategic plans for personal growth.