Hi Fred,

Here are my answers.

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

No there clearly isn't. Only mental images and sensations of a self identity are detected and now seen for what they are. When combined with awareness they ...

Hi Fred,

I'll work on this and send later today.

Thanks,
Jim

Hi Fred,

I will look forward to the questions. Thanks for all of your help, I have benefited greatly from this.

Thanks,
Jim

Hi Fred,

No the point of the exercise is not to remove the illusion of self, but to see it as an illusion. Once seen in experience, it may or may not return, but it is no longer a problem.

I mean the same thing; the illusion is the belief it is self, that is what I say is removed, although the ...

Hi Fred,

« I expect to live life with less weight ». Look at what is actually happening right now. Is life weighty? How so? Can you breathe without impediment? Can you stand up? Walk around?

These are word traps again. What is the point of the whole exercise other than to remove the illusion of ...

Hi Fred,

I'm not sure I get what you are saying here? What expectations do you have about what enlightenment is? What do you think liberation would be like?

The term enlightenment is a tongue in cheek plug word to reference this whole process of liberation. Frankly, all I really expect is to ...

Hi Fred,

When those subtle aspects of the ‘me-thought’ are still present, is there a problem with them? Who or what has a preference for these to go away completely?
Later you write ‘This can be confusing, the goal seems to be to make it go away and having it still be present feels like failure ...

Hi Fred,

My post acknowledges that simplicity and the need to step away. That was pretty much the intended theme of the post. It just started with looking at the thoughts then realizing the need to drop it all.

Thanks,
Jim

Hi Fred,

More detail later, but I have been looking at my self identity thoughts (what I said felt like a steady state "Me"), then looking at who's looking and creating this looking process - more identity thoughts, then stepping back from the whole conversation. It is becoming clearer the ...

Hi Fred,

Sorry about that, I had them typed out on my editor but forgot to move to the post.

Look at a thought and observe the ‘corresponding’ sensation, in direct experience. Granted that another thought may pretend to establish a link between the two, is there a real, tangible correlation ...

Hi Fred,

We are back from a whirlwind vacation. With very little time alone it was a good time to just observe events and life as it proceeded. In the past this type of trip would have produced far more stress that it did this time. Some objective validation that perhaps progress has been made ...

Hi Fred,

I'm travelling again tomorrow then Sunday is consumed with a family gathering that I'm in charge of catering.

Could you explain your use of the word ‘vacancy’? Was there a ‘me’ and now there isn’t? Has an entity left? Can you be more specific?

There used to be that "knot" I referenced ...

Hi Fred,

I sense that something is shifting. Am I correct?

Yes, there is a shift. Several weeks ago there was a shift, in contrast to now it seems it was more intellectual although still important. Now there is a vacancy where "Me" used to reside. There is a lightness, like some weights have ...

Hi Fred,

I set aside time to sit with the "It" thing and saw a couple of things.

In the process I naturally went back to look at the sense of "Me" with a renewed level of focus and energy. I quickly saw two things: the thoughts of "Me" and, again, a feeling or sensation of beingness which I last ...

Hi Fred,

This beingness (I don't know what to call it, all words are useless here, but "it" is in my experience) an experience without a sense of self and then there are all of the forms with the buzz and tingle. "It" has been there ever since I was a small child, it has never changed, it feels the ...