Clearing

[Alexa]

Morning!

Thank you for the extra time to do the exercise! It was a fun activity but I couldn’t focus a few times.

Is there any connection between the felt sensations and the image in the mirror?

Or just thoughts (and/or mental images) suggest that there is?

There was no connection except the image I saw in the mirror.

(3) While still paying attention to the sensations move one hand and observe the movement from the mirror.
Is there any connection between the felt sensations (labelled ‘hand’) and image of movement in the mirror?

No connection. Only thing I found was a visual image of movement of hand and sensation of movement.

Is there any connection between the felt sensations (labelled ‘hand’) and the image ‘of movement’? Or only thoughts suggest it?

No. Only thought says the sensation of hand is coming from something called hand. In direct experience, there is only an image or visual of a ‘hand’ and sensation.

(5) Now, pay attention only to the image in the mirror.
Does the image by itself suggest in any way that is ‘you’ or ‘your body’?

Does the image itself suggest in any way that it is a ‘body’ at all?

Or are there only colours and shapes?

No, the image doesn’t have ‘body’ written on it, nor does it say ‘your body’. There are only shapes and colors appearing.

(6) Where the mirror ends, some parts of the body (probably legs) cannot be seen.

Just by the image in the mirror, is there any ‘knowledge’ that there must be legs, or only thoughts and mental images suggest so?

There is no knowledge of legs, they cannot be seen. There are thoughts and images suggesting there are legs, but by looking at the mirror alone, direct experience doesn’t show ‘legs’.

Is there a ‘body walking’, or are there only sensations?

There is no ‘body’ walking. There is sensation of movement, or more direct experience, just sensations.

Is there actual experience of ‘walking’ at all?

Or just THOUGHTS ABOUT ‘walking’?

Can such a thing as ‘body’ be found OR just THOUGHTS ABOUT a ‘body’?

Can such a thing as ‘walking’ be found?

The experience of walking is not ‘walking’. That’s thought labeling it ‘walking’. In reality, there are sensations and then thought saying ‘body is walking’ or ‘walking’.

‘Walking’ is just a word pointing to sensations.

(9) Are the sensations localized in space, like ‘going through the room’; OR is there only an image that is labelled ‘room’ and appearing sensations without any location?

There is no ‘room’....that too is a label. Just sensations appearing without a known location. Sensations appear regardless of ‘where’ I am, and a ‘room’ is a word to point to nothing.

Best,

[Anastacia42]

Good morning, Alexa!

Quite beautiful replies. All in alignment with Direct Experience.

Let's do this one, and then maybe some on time.

Hand on Desk

Please close your eyes for this exercise, just notice any ‘mental’ images or thoughts that appear and put them aside.

Place a hand on a desk or table (flat surface) - Close your eyes.

Now 'go to' the feeling/sensation which we would normally refer to as 'hand on desk' and answer from what you can FIND.

1) How many things do you find? Are there two things (hand and desk) or is there one
thing – sensation?

2) Can a ‘feeler’ be found in 'what is being felt'?

3) Do you notice 'one thing feeling another thing'? Or is there just 'a sensation'?

4) Do you find an 'I', a body, a hand 'feeling' . . . or is there just 'a sensation'?
What do you find?

Can an INHERENT FEELER be found? Would anything that is suggested as the feeler, be anything other than a concept/idea/thought?

Happy first day of spring! At least, here in the US.

Loving,

[Alexa]

Happy first day of Spring! It’s sunny and in the 50s here in VA.

1) How many things do you find? Are there two things (hand and desk) or is there one
thing – sensation?

There is only one thing, sensation.

2) Can a ‘feeler’ be found in 'what is being felt'?

There is no ‘feeler’. Whatever is felt happens on its own without a feeler. There is only sensation.

3) Do you notice 'one thing feeling another thing'? Or is there just 'a sensation'?

There is just sensation. However, thought is telling me that the sensation would not occur if I didn’t put my hand on the desk. Is this thought narrating in the action?

4) Do you find an 'I', a body, a hand 'feeling' . . . or is there just 'a sensation'?
What do you find?

There is only sensation. Can’t find an ‘I’ that is feeling the sensation, it seems impossible to find an ‘I’. Where exactly would this ‘I’ be located? I can’t find it.

Can an INHERENT FEELER be found? Would anything that is suggested as the feeler, be anything other than a concept/idea/thought?

No inherent feeler is found. The ‘feeler’ is an imagination, an idea that assumes the the role of the feeler, when only the sensation appears on its own.

Hope you’re enjoying your day :-)

[Anastacia42]

Hi,

Yes, exactly.

There is just sensation. However, thought is telling me that the sensation would not occur if I didn’t put my hand on the desk. Is this thought narrating in the action?

Yes, narrating & labeling. That's it.

Let's play with "time."

Time Exercise

There is a general assumption that there is linear time that started (if started at all) somewhere very far in the past and advances to the distant future. The present moment (now) is considered to be a very small fragment of time, or an event that is moving forward on a linear line, coming from the past and advancing to the future.

But is there an experience of the ’now’ moving along the line of time?

Any experience of one ‘moment’ giving way to the next?

Ts there any actual or direct experience of one event following another?

How fast is the ‘present moment’ actually moving?

Just look at 'this moment', can you find a point where it began?

How long does the ‘now’ last?

Where does the ‘now’ start, and where does it end?

When does the ‘now’ exactly become the 'past'?

What is the ‘past’ in actual experience?

So is there actual experience of ‘time’ or thoughts about ‘time’?

Have fun!

Much love,

[Alexa]

Hi Stacy,

But is there an experience of the ’now’ moving along the line of time?

I can’t experience the now moving along a line of time. The only thing I experience is this.

Any experience of one ‘moment’ giving way to the next?

By the ‘time’ I hypothetically experience one moment giving away to another moment, it’s ‘gone’. There is no ‘momenr’. There is only this, and I’m always in this.

Ts there any actual or direct experience of one event following another?

There is no actual experience of one event following another since each event happens in this, now, always.

How fast is the ‘present moment’ actually moving?

The ‘present moment’, if there is such a thing, is always this, always now. I am stuck in the ‘present moment’ and cannot go anywhere else. So there is no such thing as a present moment moving in any speed.

Just look at 'this moment', can you find a point where it began?

It’s always now, so no, I can’t find a point where it begins or ends.

How long does the ‘now’ last?

The now can’t me measured in linear way or any way. It’s always now. It doesn’t begin or end. If there was a way I could explain it in words, it would be like a straight vertical line that you cannot see the tip or end and you are always on the line.

Where does the ‘now’ start, and where does it end?

It doesn’t start or end, it’s not a thing that can me measured. It’s always now and now.

When does the ‘now’ exactly become the 'past'?

The now becomes a past in thought and stored somewhere as memory, which is thought. And the memory of it, is remembered in the now. But in reality, I can’t step out of the ‘now’ and physically go back to the ‘past’. The word ‘past’ I think is a description for a change that happened, but the now can only be now. But thought holds on to a memory of a now moment and stored it as something that happened in the now.

What is the ‘past’ in actual experience?

In actual experience the past is just a thought.

So is there actual experience of ‘time’ or thoughts about ‘time’?

No actual experience of ‘time’, where exactly is ‘time’ in this, in now? No where. So actual experience is just thought about time.

Best,

[Anastacia42]

Hi Alexa,

Yes, you've got it.

thought holds on to a memory of a now moment and stored it as something that happened in the now.

Hmm, where exactly is it stored? And tell me how something called thought is holding onto something called memory.


Memory Exercise

Almost everybody believes that a memory thought is referring to something that has happened. That a memory thought is a different thought than a non-memory thought.

Please don’t go to thought explanations, but just let a memory be there, and look at it.

Look at what is actually going on and not what thoughts say - but what actually is.

What is memory exactly?

What is the memory ‘made of’?

WHEN does the memory appear?

What is the exact difference between a ‘general’ thought and a ‘memory’ thought?

How is it known EXACTLY that a ‘memory’ thought refers to something that has happened?

Then, look at a thought about the future.

What is the future thought ‘made of’?

WHEN does the future thought appear?

What is the exact difference between a ‘general’ thought and a ‘future’ thought?

How is it known EXACTLY that a ‘future’ thought refers to something that will happen?

Then let’s compare a thought about past and a thought about the future.

What is the EXACT difference between the thoughts about past and future?

If there is difference and how is that difference is known exactly?



Enjoy!

Much loving,

[Alexa]

Hi!

Hmm, where exactly is it stored? And tell me how something called thought is holding onto something called memory.

So I read my response and it didn’t make any sense, haha. There is nothing stored, no place stored....just imagination/thought. what I call memory is a thought in the form of an image, but it’s still thought.

What is memory exactly?

Memory is a thought. Images dressed in thoughts.

What is the memory ‘made of’?

Thoughts.

WHEN does the memory appear?

It appears now.

What is the exact difference between a ‘general’ thought and a ‘memory’ thought?

I can’t find the difference. They are both made the same way.

How is it known EXACTLY that a ‘memory’ thought refers to something that has happened?

The thought appears ‘now’ and it’s part of direct experience. But I don’t know for sure it’s a ‘memory’ thought about what happened unless I label it or refer to it about something that happened. If I don’t label it, it’s just thought.

What is the future thought ‘made of

Thoughts like all other thoughts.

WHEN does the future thought appear?

Happens ‘now’.

What is the exact difference between a ‘general’ thought and a ‘future’ thought?

I can’t find the difference. Future and General thoughts are the same quality, just named differently.

How is it known EXACTLY that a ‘future’ thought refers to something that will happen?

The thought appears now then another thought labels it ‘future thought’? But if it’s not labeled, it’s just another thoughts appears in the now.

What is the EXACT difference between the thoughts about past and future?

I can’t find a difference. They are all thoughts with different names.

If there is difference and how is that difference is known exactly?

No difference. I realized when I was typing my answers that one thought labels another thought and so on. I thought I was doing that! Or am I wrong on this? :-)

Side question: why did we choose to use the ‘word’ thought to describe ‘thinking’? Isn’t this another label to describe something we don’t know about. Can we describe ‘thought’ as something else and just call it a ‘that appears’?.

Thank you for all these exercises, it really helps to open up more understanding.

Alexa

[Anastacia42]

Good morning!

Side question: why did we choose to use the ‘word’ thought to describe ‘thinking’? Isn’t this another label to describe something we don’t know about. Can we describe ‘thought’ as something else and just call it a ‘that appears’?.

First, no question that begins with "why" can actually be be answered. :) Even "how" is just about impossible when you get to the root of things. The true answer is, "Unknown."

Otherwise, you are right. Using language at all is inaccurate to the reality that is found when we look. Most people do not arrive in this forum with the insight that you have had. They may sometimes, or may have had a partial glimpse, but more often they've only heard of these things and words are helpful.

Thank you for all these exercises, it really helps to open up more understanding.

I'm so glad. There is not much more I can give you after this one. Oh, there are other exercises, but they cover things that we've already covered. I would be happy to send you the document that has a lot of our exercises in it, if you'll Private Message me your email address. I tend to use it quite a lot because it's so easy to share these insights with these exercises. Some guides do a more spontaneous type of conversation, but I like the exercises. It also helps me to keep track of what has been done and make sure none of the major aspects of looking have been skipped.

If you've never done it, I can give you the Headless Way exercise, also.

There's a book that I'm reading right now called Direct Experience by I think, Greg Goode. Similar exercises, a little bit differently described. He has another book that I think is titled After Awakening.

I hope you will consider guiding.

When we are finished, I will post those final questions to you again and you can reply to them. Then when your seeing yourself is confirmed buy another pair of eyes, they will turn your name to Blue in the Forum and send you a private message (upper right corner of the page here) telling you about the Facebook groups and after care groups that you can join. I hope you will. I think you would offer a lot to others there as well as find a community of people who see things as you have.

Space & Distance -
Ceiling & Body Exercise

Lie on your back and relax. Have a look at the ceiling.

There is thought to be a distance between that what is thought to be known as ‘body’ and that what is labelled ‘ceiling’.

Close your eyes. Now focus on the space between body and ceiling.

Take your time, breathe in and out and simply look.

Keep the eyes shut.

What do you notice?

Is there a body? Is there a ceiling? Is there a distance?


Loving,

[Alexa]

Hi Stacy,

Thank you so much for the encouragement! I would love to be a guide one day. I teach Kindergarten by day and have two kids and family to take care of - do you think I’ll be able to help others ‘wake up?’, have time to do so and effectively help others? How do you get the time to do this?

I will send you my email address.

Anyway, there is a sense that I have 5% of ‘Alexa’ still running the show, there is something holding that 5%. Especially when doing the ‘Space’ and distance exercise below, it was hard :-)

Is there a body? Is there a ceiling? Is there a distance?

The space this ‘body’ and the ‘ceiling’ appear in is the same. Actually there is no ‘body’ or ‘ceiling’...they are labels describing one thing appearing. I am not able to separate the two from each other, as they are in the same place.

But thought says ‘if I wanted to touch the ceiling, I would have to stand up and jump to reach the ceiling. Which means there is distance’.

There is a contradiction between the experience of the body and ceiling appearing in the same place and thought. It is hard for me to accept the experience.

Alexa

[Anastacia42]

Good morning.

I work a 40 hour a week job and have one cat. Nothing else I have to do with my time. I currently guiding 4 people and that's about right. I think you could probably do 1 because you've been able to keep up with what you and I are doing. I do think you could help people wake up.

Can you simply accept that you see clearly that there is no self and let the Thought Content that says there is 5% take care of itself? Could it be simply a thought of 5% and nothing is really doing that?

There is a contradiction between the experience of the body and ceiling appearing in the same place and thought. It is hard for me to accept the experience.

Thought Content is practically nothing but a contradiction of reality. Thoughts will continue to arise. So what? Do you believe them? Just question them.


Loving,

[Alexa]

Morning!

Yes I can do 1 :-).

Can you simply accept that you see clearly that there is no self and let the Thought Content that says there is 5% take care of itself? Could it be simply a thought of 5% and nothing is really doing that?

I can definitely accept, well I can’t choose to accept but let it be there as I can see clearly it’s content of thought when it appears.

Thought Content is practically nothing but a contradiction of reality. Thoughts will continue to arise. So what? Do you believe them? Just question them.

I love this! Thank you, I needed to hear this. Thought content is a contradiction of reality. I will question them when they come up.

Alexa

[Anastacia42]

Well, my dear, you are "cooked."

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


2) Explain in detail what the illusion of separate self is, when it starts and how it works from your own experience. Describe it fully as you see it now.


3) How does it feel to see this? What is the difference from before you started this dialogue? Please report from the past few days.


4) What was the last bit that pushed you over, made you look?


5) Describe decision, intention, free will, choice and control. What makes things happen? How does it work? What are you responsible for? Give examples from experience.

Be sure to describe each one &give an example - don't skip any.

Give an example for each one from experience.

6) Anything to add?

Loving,

[Alexa]

Hi Stacy,

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


2) Explain in detail what the illusion of separate self is, when it starts and how it works from your own experience. Describe it fully as you see it now.


3) How does it feel to see this? What is the difference from before you started this dialogue? Please report from the past few days.


4) What was the last bit that pushed you over, made you look?


5) Describe decision, intention, free will, choice and control. What makes things happen? How does it work? What are you responsible for? Give examples from experience.

Be sure to describe each one &give an example - don't skip any.

Give an example for each one from experience.

6) Anything to add?

I’m more than happy to answer these questions but I think I answered them already earlier when we started our conversation. Would you like me to answer them again?

Alexa

[Anastacia42]

Hi Alexa,

Yes, you did. I can ask if they want to confirm based on those. They were completely fine as I recall, but I haven't read them in a while.

You might want to give fresh answers. But if not, I'll submit like this and point to the right date to look at. Or we can re-post those to the end of the thread to make it easy for someone who is confirming to find them.

Much love,

[Anastacia42]

Hi,

I looked back at your original answers and I see a couple of things:

One, you got clearer about "responsible for" during our guiding, so that answer may change.

Two, "choice and control" weren't answered at first and are on a different post during the time when the Quote function was still challenging. That makes it hard to find.

We want the answers all in one place at the end to help those who are helping us by double-checking the answers.

So, yes, please post fresh answers - one at a time - quoting as you have been doing since then.

Thank you!

Much love,