Awesome, you're doing really nice work Aster, I'm really happy for you, well done :)
Tell me about little bit more about when you 'got it'. What exactly triggered it? What was it like and how did you feel before/during/after? What has changed? How do feel now?

I'm back now, sorry. I still don't ...

Going to take more time to think about this one :). It wasn't an all-at-once event, though. Took some time for me to become convinced.

What exactly IS self, where did it come from, and how does it work?


It is the illusion of separateness, and of separate identity in particular. It comes from our culture, and to some extent our inherently dual language. To whatever extent it "is", it is just a pattern of ongoing habits and ...

Well, no. For example, nobody owned Antarctica before it was discovered - no logical contradiction there. I was away from the net over this long weekend (Monday, here, was Memorial Day), so I didn't get the chance to post... But I think, yesterday, I got it. I'm *not* the one speaking my thoughts ...

Without getting too lost in reason, I can give only a preliminary reason. They're my thought since I owe the head they're in; likewise, the spark plugs in the driveway are mine since I own the car they're in.

That's a great way of phrasing it. I guess if I had to answer now, I'd say that I am in the sense that I am the one that is speaking my thoughts.

I will take some time, and think about that. I'll post again tomorrow or Friday.

First off, thank you for doing this.

Second off, I know intellectually that I do not, and have had brief moments of clarity (what some call satori). Largely, these moments occurred while smoking pot; I'll admit that up front. I'm a grad student, which means a lot of my work is done from home, and ...