1) Was ‘me’/‘myself’ ever a living being that moves, speaks or thinks?
No. It was thought held together by false assumptions that one is either unwilling (too uncomfortable) or unable (due to being hidden behind assumptions) to really look at to examine.

2) Explain in detail what the illusion of ...

You might think I'm being a bit picky. :) You wouldn't be the first.

But I feel a responsibility to say that 'no self' is all very well, but rather than state 'there is no self', what we're looking at is the particular experience of being 'me', and closely observing that 'me' doesn't stand up to ...

Well, I have an objection. :)

This is good. My impression is that LU focuses exclusively on getting people over the no-self hurdle. I do believe I'm over that, and will explain my take as asked. But how is it I'm able to put something into words when I'm told "The Understanding cannot be ...

Because unless I can observe I then I can't....?
Hmmmm. What can't I do unless I observe I? Tell me that again?

Exactly.

OK, John, I'm now feeling like this goose is cooked. I began this inquiry half expecting some sort of "seeing no-self" peak experience rapture moment but the seeing has been ...

Honestly, the lengths we go to to not give shit up. :D

OK, your gentle (!) nudging here helped.

When first encountered, the idea of "no free will" rubs one the wrong way because it's interpreted to mean no choice. But "we" apparently make choices all the time. I'm on an airline and they give me ...

Maybe it's Brent? :)
Oh, stop! :P

Perhaps all we can say following such observation is an arm can be lifted with precision at any time, and were there to be a means whereby that is initiated, it is not observable.

Couldn't have said it better. One thing started bothering me though. I've ...

Now, it is a 'self' that conventionally we deem to be the one with free will, the one responsible, the one who makes decisions. As 'self' is unequivocally seen as a fiction, then all these functions - capacities of 'self' - fall away too. Seen as fictional capacities of a fictional 'self'.

Agree ...

If I had time, I'd waste it all on you. :)

Too kind!!

So, what rubbed up against 'clearly and cleanly'?

This took a loooong time but I think I can finally verbalize it. I realized that I have to do inquiry but make myself answer quickly - from the viscera - before the mind can edit it. Like ...

That's a no then. :)
Siiiiiiiiiiiiiigh.

And in inquiring directly, you see there is no ground to it, it, 'me' ,'brent', has no place to stand.

It drops out.

Honestly I don't want to waste your time, I just don't know how high of a bar to have for the "seeing" experience and having had "it ...

It may have followed on from: what if everything I had believed to be true, wasn't . :D
Although, its a handy question to have in lots of situations, not just inquiry.
Love it. I often ask myself that very question in my work - rarely about daily life experience though.

Well, if you can give me ...

You might notice how much the mere existence of identification is treasured.
For then we are placed, and not adrift. :D - from the perspective of self-image/self.

Beautifully said. As adrift is normally understood to mean lost and without guidance... instead of free!

For a period, my favourite ...

Going back to the question - what could possible identify with...?

Remember the hint: we rarely question the perception of identification.

A Zen master would look at identification and non-identification and just piss herself laughing.

I explored my own perception of identification yesterday ...

What could possible identify with the birds singing in the trees?

I can feel my non-duality "book learning" trying to take over here and have me give what I believe to be the "right" answer. If you identify as "life", then the life here could identify with all life everywhere, including the birds ...

*hint
Folk rarely check their perception of 'identification'.

Well I sat with this for a day just to make sure, but nope, that bounced off my forehead like a football! :P

Experientially, I'm not really identifying with anything now, so there's no toehold from which to explore identification ...

Nevertheless, there are sensations associated with observing - which is nice. :D

Agreed. I would also say that there is a sensation to just being which can be so pleasurable as to be distracting if you really turn you attention there.

It would never have occurred to us to make up an Observer to ...