Invitation to start here:

[Elizabeth]

Hi Dennis, much shorter, and better answers to questions.
To the question of why you keep seeing patterns and thoughts about patterns and choice, the very short answer, which you can ascertain for yourself by simply looking, is that consciousness has the habit of imprinting patterns on itself.
Mind looks for the pattern, the linking threads.
We find them restful and interesting, and certainly useful. Music has patterns that repeat with variation, for instance. Harmony in design and appearance enjoys some symmetry and some repetition of form or theme. And people are happiest when they can discern an honest or reliable person, one with stable patterns of behaviour :-)
Predictable, in other words. What we can predict, we can feel is within our control, and can be exploited.
You are asking about our need for control, to think that a chooser is real.

Your answer references this:
3) What is liberation?
It is seeing through that illusion. The illusion of the separate self. When really looking at what we've believed to be true all those years without questioning, one can find out that truth. By investigating one finds there is no 'self', only happening. Happening, constant change, flowing, and this body/mind is interwoven with that. All is connected and the idea that one has control, or needs to do things, is seen through as part of that same illusion.

So this needs, and thank you for bringing it up, a little more looking.
As you walk about today, turning left and right, hand reaches for the phone, you stop and pick up groceries, you get the car washed....look for a separate self, an entity, in the thoughts or anywhere else, that is separate from the day. Is a you part of the whole happening? Rain or shine, dirty car, your dad told you that a clean car was essential to a good person's image :-) you are picking up a girlfriend who you want to impress because you've been noticing women (or men) for some time now, which is something that evolved to drive you towards the great bother of acquiring a car and a cool job and an education and possibly a family and.....how far back can you trace the decision to wash the car?
Did a you make every decision back to (I'm not kidding) choosing parents who could give you the means and the motive to wash a car?
To make an apple pie, first create a universe....
Has Dennis ever been separate?
Has anything ever happened that should not have?
Is there any way to choose? Or just label?
GREAT question...now give me your answer, what you see when you look at your day. Does this make life smaller or bigger?

[DennDJ]

I definately get what you're saying, I have come to realize this recently. There is no such thing as cause and effect. I didn't choose my parents, and if they weren't born I wouldn't have been. If my great great great grandparents died before getting children this whole branch of the family wouldn;t have existed. Any apparant cause can be traced back to the very beginning, the big bang, and then? Even that is not traceable back anywhere.

"Has anything ever happened that should not have?" Only in my mind. A lot of times. This is I guess why the notion of choice and belief is still pretty firm..

When I look I see this. When I don't, mind/thoughts tend to creep in. I catch them as such very easily though. It's like their final attempt to try to convince me that there is a me in there somewhere.

[DennDJ]

I am really making an effort to look, and when I look there is really nobody there. It's just certain beliefs or conditionings seem to have trouble being dissolved.

[DennDJ]

I've already seen through the illusion, but what keeps coming up: "is this really it? could it really be this? am i not missing something?" these are expectations and I see those through too. Why do they keep coming up?

[Elizabeth]

Hi Dennis,
Awakening is not the end :-) it's the beginning. This step allows the unraveling of all those thoughts, habits, and patterns. These thoughts continue to come up for looking. As a friend puts it, there's a mountain of crap that's been innocently believed. And we are now going to blow it up.
I'm still finding packets of thought that can be directly traced to my parents, are simply wrong, and been believed right up till I questioned them for the truth of them. And I'm closer to 60 than 50. We notice that awakening kicks the seeing and integrating of truth into high gear. Few people get the whole blow-up in one go, and that seems merciful to me.
Dennis, if you are the type to question everything, this is going to be entirely your cup of tea! We have a couple of great groups for that very thing.
I'm going to check with other guides now, see if they have any questions for you. If you feel ready?
Love, Elizabeth

[DennDJ]

I would absolutely love to :) Bring it on :)
Thank you

Love,
D

[Elizabeth]

Awesome. Will want to hear that piece of music one day, too :-)

[DennDJ]

Of course :) Official videoclip is in the process of being made. A fair warning though, it's pretty rough music :)

[Elizabeth]

Ok, sooner than later. I'll PM you and arrange the details, let the musicians know a kindred spirit is here. No more questions from us. Welcome, Dennis!

[DennDJ]

Thank you :)
Feeling a lot of gratitude towards you for helping 'me' see it. The search is over.
Can't wait to deepen this.

Much Love
This forum and you people are a good crowd to hang with (virtually) ;-)