That level of focus can and does create powerful realization.

An EI (Enlightenment Intensive) is a residential retreat where you devote 3 days to self- inquiry. What is self-inquiry? It is a Zen-like practice where participants focus on a koan, or a question with no finite answer. During EI’s a finely tuned and powerful technique for self-inquiry is taught. Koans include: “Who am I?”, “What am I?”, “What is Love?”, “What is life?” and “What is another?”

This Zen-like practice is combined with a Western technique called dyading, where two people sit across from each other taking turns contemplating a question and communicating the thoughts and feeling that arise while the other partner truly listens to the other.

Initially, the mind is allowed to empty all of its monkey mind thoughts. When those thoughts and feeling are truly witnessed by a partner without judgement, often the mind can be cleared - bringing opportunity for breakthrough and transformation. During the process of releasing those thoughts, participants have life changing insights and realizations. Everyday life situations may remain, but they lose their emotional charge. In fact, often they simply no longer look or feel like a problem when one looks from this higher frequency.

Achieving this deep state of PEACE and mindfulness would be amazing enough. But once the mind clears and the participant continues to focus on their koan the magic really happens… A space opens up to experience something new and mysterious. That mysterious occurrence is what we call union, or direct experience.