Things just happen, caused by circumstances, and we give them the label "decision" afterwards. If you observe closely, you can notice that in your own "decisions".

1. The difference between us and clouds is that clouds also don't have desires, while we have.

2. If there is no choice, and things ...

I don't know if they are pretetemined. Is the course of clouds pretedetermined? Is the way a river takes, pretedermined?

Clouds don't have free will as well as rivers, and no choice in life. If there is no ego/self, this means we don't have free will and no choice in life. This is just logical ...

your brainwiring is fortunate
Not agree. This was done with intention , it's not the question of luck or fortune. When we can't make it - this is just lack of intention. The fact that I don't know how I did it - well, I also don't know how my stomack digests food, but it does somehow.

Usually a ...

Your preferences change, but not because you make them change. They change with circumstances.

I don't agree. One case from my life. Because of stomach problem I had to eat food which I had never liked (like porridge, etc.). After 1 or 2 weeks I thought - what's the sense of eating the food I don ...

Can you change these preferences, or life values?

Yes, I can, though slowly. My preferences both for life values and girls are not the same as 20 years ago, and also not the same as 10 years ago.

But what is it that makes you prefer blondes, or not?

Genetics, or perhaps some imprints from I ...

The preference (=like/dislike) is like software on the computer. It's in idle mode until input is made.

For example: IF "girl = sexy" THEN "I like her"

Until input (girl) is done (real or imaginatory) the preference is sleeping (does not manifest/show itself). When it arises - there is a feeling ...

With "active thoughts there is intention which comes before the thought. In some way with active thoughts I know which thought will come next - perhaps this is the main difference between active and passive thoughts. For example, if I start to sing without voice (mentally) a song, first the ...

Are you making your thoughts? How?

There are several ways how thoughts come.

One is active when I actively start to think, e.g. "not to forget to do ..."

However, mostly they are passive, coming themselves. They may be "clear', i.e. have clear meaning. But while dreaming, and also in ...

First, find out what is there in your direct experience. What is real, an what is assumed.

How direct experience is connected with what is real?

X-rays are not in our direct experience, at least not until we got too much of them. Do you mean that they are "assumed"?

It is not a magic pill against suffering. It opens the possibility to look through the whole self - thought - suffering mechanism. The problem is that the process won't work when done with a motif. Then (perhaps) I'll get you to admit that there is no self, and you'll say: "so what".

Any process ...

there are no advantages to be won on the other side

Could you clarify? If there are no advamtages (like eliminating/diminishing of suffering) - why to do it?

Certainly I'm seeking practical advantages. I want to be more happy, and have less suffering in my life, etc.

Eliminating the sensation of physical pain - first, if it were possible, certainly I would jump into it; however, I understand that this is not possible (at least using the method we are ...

That's right, it is an assumption that amoebas don't tell stories. Maybe a piece of clay has a story, too, when it is rolling down the hill, trying to keep its pieces together.

There is a difference concerning self (which we are discussing). The reason that amoeba and also my hand jerk away is ...

You can't feel what you don't feel. You feel only what you feel, and this is either touch or itch or whatever. You don't feel a table that is not touching your body. There are only touchpoints to be felt.
These only amount to "boundaries" or "body shape" if you compare the feelings to the memory ...

With eyes closed, you don't know what surrounds you. So, what is left is the feelings you mentioned above. Or not?

I don't know what surrounds me, correct. But I have a distinct feeling; (a0 That there is something else apart fro me (b) that this is NOT me. Because I can feel a part of me, and ...