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[chris lewis]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your update and it's good to hear that something's shifted in a positive way. If at any time you'd like to go through the final questions, this might help to clarify things for you and would also give you access to many popular facebook forums etc... for people who have been through this process and 'where to go from here'. This isn't any necessity of course so if you're happy with how things are, then it's great to hear :-)

I think I will try answering the questions, maybe 1 or 2 a day.

Here goes:

To question 1. No there is no separate entity. There certainly is the belief in a separate self, but that is a myth. There is just a body, with a body in action, and thoughts claiming that a particular body is "me" and claiming responsibility for actions the body makes. But on closer inspection the whole idea of a body being
and thought together being a self falls apart. There is no point in time when the body/thought combination actually constituted a separate identity, it is and has always been 100% false.

2. The illusion of separate self is the belief, created by unconscious thought processes, that a particular body is a separate being. It starts around age 3 or so, when egos, who also believe in the self, claim that a particular body is a
"self". The thought processes of the collective ego invariably convince and hook up the young body/mind combination to the belief that it is a separate entity, with a particular identity. This identity is based on mere beliefs. It is not true reality.

The supposedly separate identity attempts to find happiness and peace based on its constant mind activity, constantly thinking of past and future, often including blurry movies and pictures about supposed past/ future events. It is never at one with the present moment, and tends to ignore what is actually happening in real life. "Reality" becomes a chatty Cathy with a story, usually unhappy, and even if "happy" , rarely in true peace. It is also obsessive about the body, believing falsely that it chooses what the body does as well as believing that it is it.

[eyeman]

Nicely done Chris - will wait until you've finished as I don't want to separate these posts too much :-)

[chris lewis]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your update and it's good to hear that something's shifted in a positive way. If at any time you'd like to go through the final questions, this might help to clarify things for you and would also give you access to many popular facebook forums etc... for people who have been through this process and 'where to go from here'. This isn't any necessity of course so if you're happy with how things are, then it's great to hear :-)

I think I will try answering the questions, maybe 1 or 2 a day.

Here goes:

To question 1. No there is no separate entity. There certainly is the belief in a separate self, but that is a myth. There is just a body, with a body in action, and thoughts claiming that a particular body is "me" and claiming responsibility for actions the body makes. But on closer inspection the whole idea of a body being
and thought together being a self falls apart. There is no point in time when the body/thought combination actually constituted a separate identity, it is and has always been 100% false.

2. The illusion of separate self is the belief, created by unconscious thought processes, that a particular body is a separate being. It starts around age 3 or so, when egos, who also believe in the self, claim that a particular body is a
"self". The thought processes of the collective ego invariably convince and hook up the young body/mind combination to the belief that it is a separate entity, with a particular identity. This identity is based on mere beliefs. It is not true reality.

The supposedly separate identity attempts to find happiness and peace based on its constant mind activity, constantly thinking of past and future, often including blurry movies and pictures about supposed past/ future events. It is never at one with the present moment, and tends to ignore what is actually happening in real life. "Reality" becomes a chatty Cathy with a story, usually unhappy, and even if "happy" , rarely in true peace. It is also obsessive about the body, believing falsely that it chooses what the body does as well as believing that it is it.

3. At first there was a sense of relief. Thank God I don't have to be "me". It was great that I actually knew that the only reality is what actually happening. There has been a search and it can now be seen that the seeker was the problem, just stop trying to find it in an experience other than now.

Unfortunately, the story continues out of habit. It seems that for many people the story teller fades into the background or disappears entirely almost instantly or within a few days. Other people it continues for a while. It seems like more work is required to stop the suffering false self from continuing to appear real.

It seems like childhood psychological abuse is the culprit. I am going to be getting help for this. This seems to have caused the character to have become particularly fearful of giving up the story. There may be other factors too.

However, things do seem to be slowly unraveling. It just seems ego must isn't giving up without a hell of a fight.

[chris lewis]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your update and it's good to hear that something's shifted in a positive way. If at any time you'd like to go through the final questions, this might help to clarify things for you and would also give you access to many popular facebook forums etc... for people who have been through this process and 'where to go from here'. This isn't any necessity of course so if you're happy with how things are, then it's great to hear :-)

I think I will try answering the questions, maybe 1 or 2 a day.

Here goes:

To question 1. No there is no separate entity. There certainly is the belief in a separate self, but that is a myth. There is just a body, with a body in action, and thoughts claiming that a particular body is "me" and claiming responsibility for actions the body makes. But on closer inspection the whole idea of a body being
and thought together being a self falls apart. There is no point in time when the body/thought combination actually constituted a separate identity, it is and has always been 100% false.

2. The illusion of separate self is the belief, created by unconscious thought processes, that a particular body is a separate being. It starts around age 3 or so, when egos, who also believe in the self, claim that a particular body is a
"self". The thought processes of the collective ego invariably convince and hook up the young body/mind combination to the belief that it is a separate entity, with a particular identity. This identity is based on mere beliefs. It is not true reality.

The supposedly separate identity attempts to find happiness and peace based on its constant mind activity, constantly thinking of past and future, often including blurry movies and pictures about supposed past/ future events. It is never at one with the present moment, and tends to ignore what is actually happening in real life. "Reality" becomes a chatty Cathy with a story, usually unhappy, and even if "happy" , rarely in true peace. It is also obsessive about the body, believing falsely that it chooses what the body does as well as believing that it is it.[/

3. At first there was a sense of relief. Thank God I don't have to be "me". It was great that I actually knew that the only reality is what actually happening. There has been a search and it can now be seen that the seeker was the problem, just stop trying to find it in an experience other than now.

Unfortunately, the story continues out of habit. It seems that for many people the story teller fades into the background or disappears entirely almost instantly or within a few days. Other people it continues for a while. It seems like more work is required to stop the suffering false self from continuing to appear real.

It seems like childhood psychological abuse is the culprit. I am going to be getting help for this. This seems to have caused the character to have become particularly fearful of giving up the story. There may be other factors too.

However, things do seem to be slowly unraveling. It just seems ego must isn't giving up without a hell of a fight.

4. It's hard to say exactly what pushed me to see. I was just lying in a park under a tree and saw that the whole search was the problem, and that reality was what was happening right now. A shift occurred where I could actually see it, not just think it.

[eyeman]

Only two more left Chris :-)

[chris lewis]

Only two more left Chris :-)

5. Decisions, intentions, etc. are not made by an independent thinker with freedom to choose. There is only the illusion of choice and free will. What happens is an idea comes as to where to go when going for a drive, for example, on a pleasant Sunday afternoon. Thoughts about where to drive a car come, and movements of a body driving a vehicle occur. Then there is the belief that "I" decided to go to a particular place. But this is false. There is no true choice. Just thoughts and actions.
One is not truly responsible for their actions. A person does not choose their generic makeup or the thoughts and actions of their mind and body. They just happen.

6. There is not much to add except there is still work to be done to make these realizations permanent. Thanks for your help mike and LU community.

[eyeman]

Thanks Chris,

I'll now ask fellow guides to see if they have any further questions :-)

Mike

[eyeman]

Hi Chris, one guide has managed to take a look and suggests the following question:

'You say there is no separate self, but you do say there are separate bodies - What exactly is the difference?
Are you saying that there is no seperate self inside the separate bodies?'

Mike

[eyeman]

Hi Chris, a second question for clarity has been presented by another guide:

"when egos, who also believe in the self" <----- Can you ask him what is the ego? And where can it be found? Is this ego contained somewhere?

Mike :-)

[chris lewis]

Hi Chris, a second question for clarity has been presented by another guide:

"when egos, who also believe in the self" <----- Can you ask him what is the ego? And where can it be found? Is this ego contained somewhere?

Mike :-)

I am in a public place with a lot of so called people walking by. Attempted to stop the thought labels as much as possible. It seems more like moving blobs. The mind comes in and says, that's a woman with a sweater, etc. But what if I removed the linguistic description, and the mind's explanation for what's happening? Just colors, shapes, coming and going.

Nothing separate called " other egos" found either, even if what appears to be swearing or other apparent behaviors that are considered to be of the ego. Just sounds. Then a mind commenting and saying " look at that person. He has a big ego. " But no actual thing called the ego.

[chris lewis]

Hi Chris, a second question for clarity has been presented by another guide:

"when egos, who also believe in the self" <----- Can you ask him what is the ego? And where can it be found? Is this ego contained somewhere?

Mike :-)

I am in a public place with a lot of so called people walking by. Attempted to stop the thought labels as much as possible. It seems more like moving blobs. The mind comes in and says, that's a woman with a sweater, etc. But what if I removed the linguistic description, and the mind's explanation for what's happening? Just colors, shapes, coming and going.

Nothing separate called " other egos" found either, even if what appears to be swearing or other apparent behaviors that are considered to be of the ego. Just sounds. Then a mind commenting and saying " look at that person. He has a big ego. " But no actual thing called the ego.

Also the apparent bodies are not necessarily separate. Just phenomenon. They are just sights, like everything else. The mind just likes to label them separate.

[eyeman]

Thanks Chris - I'll let the guides know you've answered the questions and see if they have anything further :-)

[eyeman]

Hi Chris,

Nicely done - my fellow guides have no further questions for you - please check your private mail

Congratulations

Mike :-)