Thanks as always for your reply. I have been having trouble sleeping the last five or six nights, which leaves my mind foggy during the day. I can feel an old tension in the back of my neck. I have my terror thing coming up, which is in my stomach; hence, I feel, the difficulty sleeping. When I look ...

Did you imagine that the thinking voice, the habitual commentary, would disappear? That the habit of "talking to your self" would drop because there is no self to talk to?

Well, yes, actually, that was an idea. Ramana often spoke of cutting out the root thought; he usually spoke of it as "I am ...

Thank you, Nona, for the impeccable guidance. Read this several times today, will reply and comment tomorrow.

All very gratefully acknowledged,

Richard

Thanks for the extensive response, Nona.

There actually is no self.

The watermelon analogy was perfect - I was reading this on my back deck and holding the imaginary watermelon in my hands. There actually is no self - that's it.

My stubborn refusal to just drop it pops up at these moments. The ...

Hi, Nona, away we go...

What is the worst that could happen if you discovered you are not a self, do not have a self, and never had a self?
Well, the first thing that comes up is that I have wasted so much time; but then, I suppose I really didn't if there wasn't an 'I' to waste it. There is a ...

Thank you for responding, Nona.

I do want to let go of the belief in a separate self. I am very clear that crossing the gate with a self firmly attached is an impossibility.

When I said 'I know the drill' I meant that I have pursued looking at the looker for sometime. That said, I am stuck and ...

I have been on the path too long. Over thirty years ago I spent time with a teacher, in India and the US; in the 90s with Byron Katie and UG. I'd walk up to the lip of the canyon, but always turned away.

Student of Ramana for last four years. I have been holding the intention during that time "I am ...