How would you describe it to somebody who has never heard about this illusion but is curious about it

I would say look at your experience openly without thinking , without books what is really seen. Are memories, thoughts, words, ideas emanating from somewhere. In awareness thoughts etc happen by ...

HI Metta,
Is there a 'me', at all, anywhere, in any way, shape or form? Was there ever?

no there isn't. The search could go on indefinitely. no there was never a "me" to be found or to find

Explain in detail what the illusion of separate self is, when it starts and how it works.

the illusion ...

HI Metta,
thanks for your kind guidance. i re read the ongoing conversation between u sand believe i am ready for the final questions. I have to say "are there others question" has really done something i didnt expect it would. It was admitting that there is no self "in here" so to speak nor none ...

HI Metta,
forgive me, you asked this question in your last post and i missed it
Are there others? Other I's ? If there is no self, can there be other self's?
yes there are others but not other fixed "i" s and no other self's. if there was such a thing then there must a self here in me which ...

HI Metta,
There is existence . What exists?
awareness and mental events arise together and disappear. followed by another and another. I don't see a thing that exists or a being that exists. theres is existing but not a thing call existence as a guaranteed fixed event
If someone were to say ...

HI Metta,
There is nothing happening to Jaya. Only new thoughts arise, thoughts strung together become concepts, then disappearing as life goes on living itself. Experiences of the senses happening, smelling, seeing, hearing, touching, eating, this is what is happening. Energy, transforming ...

ps i don't view the process to be a thing in itself of which other things happen to!

HI Metta,
The body cannot be self, can it?
no it changes and does what it wants gets colds, wrinkles, ages diseases and stops functioning in the end. if body was self it could be controlled but it cannot be. when i cut my hair, lose teeth, and fingernails i am not shedding the self.
there is no ...

HI Metta,
Are labels self?
i think i may be have been one step ahead here! this very concept crossed my mind last week so i played about in one instance( other readers take care when trying this at home!!) i pronounced myself as "very wopnderful" seing if i could get this label to stick. apart ...

HI Metta,
thanks for keeping up with me as best you can i really appreciate it!

Is awareness limited? If you see a field and a line of trees at the end, you can see where the field ends and the trees begin. When you close your eyes ,can you see an edge to awareness, where it ends?
hmmm i see ...

HI Metta,
no problems hope the move goes well. i did read another thread of yours and so assumed that!
Is there a you anywhere that you can pin point? Where does your identity reside, or is there one?


awareness of the object and object itself seem to arise simultaneously. when "me" tries to be ...

Sorry some spelling errors I could not find edit tool to sort my main reply out! Second para should read " I experience anxiety and the anxious mind to arise together"
" I need labels to get about in the world but these solidify objects which then are assumed to be fixed and immovable"
Mixed ...

oops forgive the empty quote marks! no pun intended i will get it right next time hope my reply still works. note the 2nd paragraph should say "agreed"!

HI Metta.
yes i agree i will leave aside my beliefs for now!

agrees anxiety is caused by beliefs. i experience anxiety and the anxious to arise together and then change. There is no identity that can be anxious. a momentary awareness of an unpleasant sensation in the stonach then throat then ...

HI Metta,
my expectations of this process is simply to talk about and put into words what has changed in my experience of life. i also want to see what views i have that cause me and others to suffer. I must have unconscious expectations but i obviously don't know what they are!
Anxiety is ...