Non-duality is probably the most overlooked worldview, while it's at the core of almost any Eastern wisdom tradition. It's impossible to prove its validity – you're supposed to experience it – but there are several arguments that make the case for investing time and energy in learning how to perceive life (including yourself and others) through a non-dual lens. Here's a summary:

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1. Neuroscience
   Findings in the field of neuroscience seem to point more and more to non-duality as the most likely explanation for the nature of consciousness

2. Scientific method
   When applying principles of the scientific method, it would make most sense to take non-duality as a starting point for life. It takes less assumptions and is less prone to biases

3. Quantum physics
   The more we find out about the cosmos on a micro level, the more it points toward an interpretation that the universe is somehow not really tangible, which aligns with the non-dual interpretation that the universe and its (conscious) inhabitants exists within Consciousness (that which we're all supposedly part of)

4. Psychology
   The founding fathers of modern psychology seemed to agree with Eastern wisdom traditions about the non-dual idea of the self being an illusion. They just didn't see a way to overcome it

5. Etymology
   When looking at the shared roots of words referring to nature, self, mind, heart, reality and illusion, it would fit the hypothesis that those words arose in a time when the non-dual perception selfhood was the most common one

6. Philosophy
   Ancient Greek and Western European post-Enlightenment philosophers can easily be interepreted as non-dual and often credit Eastern wisdom traditions as a source of inspiration

7. Religions
   While Buddhism and many Hindu sects are explicitly non-dual, Christianity, Islam and Judaism can also be easily interpreted as non-dual, suggesting it might have been the original meaning of their holy scriptures

8. Experiments
   Several experiments provide first-hand experiences of non-conceptual perception (which can be applied to perception of the self), of the blind spot people have for the non-dual idea about selfhood – even those in spiritual circles – and how the mental process of identification can happen with objects that are not you.

 

Surprisingly many well-known people seem to support the idea, from Einstein to Freud to Socrates to perhaps even Jesus (depending on your interpretation). But also popular modern-day authors such as Eckhart Tolle, Sam Harris, Joe Dispenza, Alan Watts, Deepak Chopra and Byron Katie.

 

There are many ways to obtain non-dual awareness. However, in this mental age, for obtaining non-dual awareness focusing your mental capacities on this matter seems to work better than trying to silence the mind.

 

Once you grasp what non-duality (really) is, the integration is a change of perception – creating the habit of reframing. We know about mindset changes that it takes more or less 21 days before neural pathways catch up with new beliefs.

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A more detailed discussion of some of the topics above can be found in the book Considering Non-Duality by Bukuru founder Richard van der Linde.

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If you like to read more about different methods to break identification with the mind and perceive life through a non-dual lens, have a look at our overview of methods and resources.​

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