1) Is there a separate entity 'self', 'me' 'I', at all, anywhere, in any way, shape or form?
Was there ever?

No, there is none.

2) Describe how the illusion of an independent, self came into being by giving examples from actual experience.
Then give some experiential examples of how life ...

ChatGPT said:

:-))


Excellent. Right here is your living laboratory.

You say: "I spent more time on the internet than I wanted."
Pause right now. Look directly at that sentence.

Who is the “I” that wanted something different?
Where is the one who should have meditated instead?
Can you find ...

Hi Vince,
I have a problem to see your last post. I only see until 28 of April.

Hi Vince,

as I live mostly on my own there are not many triggers right now. Or they might pop up and are done in a short time.

What triggers myself sometimes a bit at the end of the day is that, I spent more time with unimportant things like internet than I wanted and took not more time to ...

Hi Vince,
I can see where you are pointing to with the questions.

There is no thinker, no doer, no perceiver, just thinking, doing, perceiving is happening.

It is seen while looking for any of them.

Nevertheless in daily life it seems to me that unconsciously there is still the idea of someone ...

1. Right now—can you find a self in direct experience? Not the idea of a self. Not the story. The actual thing.

No.
2. When a thought arises—who is it for? Who hears it? Is there a listener?

A thought is just appearing. It is for no one. It is seen but I don't know by what.
3. Can you find ...

Hi Vince,
first aplogies for not replying for that long. I couldn't open the link you have sent me last time. Or more correctly I could open it but it lead me to a total different conversation. I've tried it several times. Then I wrote an email to you (I thought) but some days later Terry replied ...

Repeat it. Sit still and intend to hold attention. Then just watch.

How long before it drifts?
And when it does: was that your choice? Or did the drift happen automatically?

This is it. Don’t explain. Don’t answer from thought.
Right now—track what moved attention. Then tell me what you found ...

Look now:
Is seeing happening? Is sound happening? Is sensation present?

Good. Then what exactly is “awareness” apart from this?
Strip the label. What remains?

Find the switch.
Where does experience get turned on or off?
Who flips it?

Don’t think—look.
What did you find? Be exact.

Seeing ...

Hi Vince!

Find the exact moment a thought appears—right now.
Don’t try to catch it in reflection. Sit, still, and **wait.**
Let the next thought come—then pounce.

Was there a “you” who thought it? Or did it just appear like a sound, a twitch, a breeze?
Where did it come from? What shape did it ...

Hi Vince,
Thanks for not giving up! :-)

1. Notice the moment you want to shift.
2. When awareness catches that you’re lost in thought—LAUGH.
- A big laugh, a smirk, or a silent “ha.”
- It stops the story’s momentum and drops you into the now.
- It also releases feel-good hormones—dopamine ...

Hi Vince,
before going into further inquiry I want to share something.
Today is day three I try to sit with what you have sent. Two days ago I opened it and seemingly smashed by the amount of "things" you asked me to do I fell in a kind of silence. No real silence but I felt a vibration in my body ...

If thoughts just appear, do you also recognize that choices just happen?
That decisions aren't created intentionally by a self?

Yes, it must be like this if decisions are based on thoughts. And the ones which are obvious without thinking aren't created as well, there is simply a pull to do so ...

Where does the **knowing** that there is a head actually come from?

Is it from experience, or from thought labeling experience?

And if this applies to your head, where else is this happening?

What else do you *think* you know, but haven’t actually checked?

Look right now. What do you find ...

Did you choose to walk to where you are sitting now?

One thing happens after each other. Walking just happend, so too sitting.

How do you know that the back of your head exists?

By touching it with my hand. (But it needs an agreement about what I feel is my head, and an agreement about what ...