Mike11

[Anastacia42]

Okay, here you go:

Try this one:

Palm Flipping Exercise

1. Hold a hand in front of you; palm turned down.

2. Now turn the palm up. And down...and up and so on.

Watch like a hawk.

Don't go to thoughts – examine your direct experience.
Do this as many times as you like, and each time inquire:

How is the movement controlled?

Does a thought control it?

Can a ‘controller’ of any description be located?

How is the decision made to turn the hand over? Track any decision point when a thought MADE THE DECISION to turn the hand over and the hand turns over immediately.

Who or what chose which hand - the left or right hand for the exercise?

Can you find a separate individual or anything that is choosing when to turn the palm up or down?

As always, remember to LOOK (not think about it) and quote each question separately with a reply underneath it.


Loving,

[Mike11]

Hello Stacy!

Gonna have to wait until tomorrow. Exhausted from first work day after vacation. Rather don't do it half heartedly so I will give it a full go tomorrow instead.

/Mike

[Anastacia42]

That's fine. Rest.

I go back to work next Monday.

Loving,

[Mike11]

Hello Stacy,

Hope you doing well. Feel much more rested today :) First day of work after being off is quite the shock to the system haha.

So this is what is going on. I keep looking and questioning throughout the days. So for example: Frustration and thoughts about me wanting something to be different, train of thoughts, noticing, questioning assumptions and stories, looking for this "Mike" who is frustrated with something. Going to direct experience, finding tightness and thought content. Broadening awareness, looking for something that can hold this awareness, carry it, where is "Mike". Seeing that there is nothing that can. Staying with awareness....

Enjoying doing this over and over. I want to meditate a lot, so I do. I have mediated regularly for many years, but never wanted to do this much of it. Which is interesting.

How is the movement controlled?

Controlled seem to be the wrong word. Movement is just happening. In the same way that when the hand is still it is just still. Thought wise this seem illogical. There must be something controlling it. Well, maybe, I cant see it though. Feel totally fine with it being the case nothing needs to control it.

Does a thought control it?

No. Thoughts don’t mind taking credit though. But looking at what’s going on, thoughts aren’t controlling it.

Can a ‘controller’ of any description be located?

No.

How is the decision made to turn the hand over? Track any decision point when a thought MADE THE DECISION to turn the hand over and the hand turns over immediately.

So decisions seem to be the wrong word. This chopping up what’s going on in before and after doesn’t seem to be it. More fluid than that. So cant find the decision point.

Who or what chose which hand - the left or right hand for the exercise?

Cant find someone or a what that chose. Do not know how this happens. It just happens. Why the specific hand? Well..can only speculate. Maybe a combination of all that has happened before. The fact of being right or left-handed combined with body position…. But this is only thoughts about it. Not sure this actually can be known.

Can you find a separate individual or anything that is choosing when to turn the palm up or down?

I cant find a separate individual or something that is choosing. There is awareness of turning of the palm in the form of: seeing the hand turning. Feeling the sensations in the wrist and arm of tension and release. Hearing the sounds of crackling from the wrist and fabric creasing.

Happy new years!
/Mike

[Anastacia42]

Happy New Year, Mike,

It's always such a thrill to read that a client can see what's true & what is not. Just beautiful. Thank you.

Yes, it's often delicious to meditate. That will ebb & flow. Just like your replies - no control or decision- life life-ing.

That "tightness" or contraction just shows what us untrue. Expansion or relaxation shows what is truer. I think we went over that.

I hear you about the shock of going back into work. To me. everyone is sleepwalking. Many have written about this. Richard Bach's books come to mind: Jonathan Livingston Seagull & Illusions, if you know of those.

Here's another fun thing to notice. It's about labels.

Label-Reality Correlation

There is a belief that labels have a one-to-one correspondence with ‘reality’. But there isn’t. Just like it is a generally accepted belief that labels like ‘good’ and ‘bad’ are inherent characteristics of ‘things’. But actually, they are not.

When you look at the word label ‘GREEN' , what is the actual experience?

Is the color red ‘experienced’, or is the color green ‘experienced’ as the label suggests?

Does the label ‘GREEN’ have a one-to-one correspondence with ‘reality’? Or does the label suggest something else other than what is here now (red colour)?

Is 'green' associated in any way with the experience of the colour red; or is green just a label that overlays the actual experience of red?

If the label ‘GREEN’ is replaced with the label ‘GOOD’ or ‘BAD’ , is the redness affected in any way as the labels suggests?

Does redness become ‘good’ or ‘bad’, or do the labels have no affect whatsoever on ‘reality’?

Let me know what is SEEN. Leave out content of thought.

It still sounds like you're SEEING there is no self. These exercises are just showing you various facets of how things are when you only look at AE, Actual Experience. This will help you get used to this newness.

There's another exercise about labels & then some on time, memory & the body that will be helpful.

Loving,

[Mike11]

Hello again Stacy,

It is helpful doin these exercises at it seems to ground things a bit.

When you look at the word label ‘GREEN' , what is the actual experience?

Seeing the red color. Seeing shapes that is recognized as the word ”green”.

Is the color red ‘experienced’, or is the color green ‘experienced’ as the label suggests?

The color red is experienced.

Does the label ‘GREEN’ have a one-to-one correspondence with ‘reality’? Or does the label suggest something else other than what is here now (red colour)?

Labels don’t have a one to one correlation to reality.

Is 'green' associated in any way with the experience of the colour red; or is green just a label that overlays the actual experience of red?

It is not associated with the experience of the color red. I wouldn’t say it overlays. It is there. It doesn’t affect the experience of seeing the color red.

If the label ‘GREEN’ is replaced with the label ‘GOOD’ or ‘BAD’ , is the redness affected in any way as the labels suggests?

No. The seeing of the color red is still there.

Does redness become ‘good’ or ‘bad’, or do the labels have no affect whatsoever on ‘reality’?

It does not affect it. It can be helpful, it can be unhelpful. But what is goin on and experienced is what is going on and is experienced.

Hope you doing well.
/Mike

[Anastacia42]

Good morning,

Doing great. You may notice that there is no other way to be when we see through stories.

Now another version of the previous exercise:


Friend/Stranger

Bring up a thought about a character labeled "friend."

Then bring up a thought about a character labeled "stranger."

Compare these thoughts.

Is there a difference in these thoughts?

Is there a true difference or is it just different content?

Now, bring up a thought about a character labeled "friend."

After that, look at a thought about the character labelled "me.”

Is there a difference?

Is there anything special about thoughts with the content "me-character?"

Let me know what is found.

Labeling the day, the Sensations, etc. does nothing to reduce their beauty or joy, but can hide them from our awareness.

Loving,

[Mike11]

Hello again Stacy,

Had an interesting day with quite a lot of tension in the body and trains of thoughts about minor things being irritating. So spent quite some time to relax, noticing what is going on, recognizing thought content as thought content and looking if there is actually any one here who can carry this awareness. A bit bumby day, but hey, makes things interesting.

Did the exercise, really short answers, hope it is not too boring to read haha. There was nothing to add. I first wrote some more about the difference in felt sensations different characters brought up. But rereading it I saw it wasn’t part of the questions so I erased them.

Is there a difference in these thoughts?

Difference in content.

Is there a true difference or is it just different content?

Just difference in content.

Now, bring up a thought about a character labeled "friend.
After that, look at a thought about the character labelled "me.”
Is there a difference?

No. No true difference.

Is there anything special about thoughts with the content "me-character?"

Not anything special about them. As with the friend and stranger, it is a thought content character, and that is very clear.

Labeling the day, the Sensations, etc. does nothing to reduce their beauty or joy, but can hide them from our awareness.

Thank you, that is a very good way to describe something I have had trouble to formulate with words. Yes, it really can hide them from our awareness.

/Mike

[Anastacia42]

Great, Mike,

Okay, let's look at "body."

Introductory Body Exercise

Sit with eyes closed for about 15 minutes.

Paying attention only to the pure sensations, without relying on thoughts or mental images:

Can it be known how tall the body is?

Does the body have a weight or volume?

In the actual experience does the body have a shape or a form?

Is there a boundary between the body and the clothing?

Is there a boundary between the body and the chair?

Is there an inside or an outside?

If there is an inside - the inside of what exactly?

If there is an outside - the outside of what exactly?

What does the word/label ‘body’ ACTUALLY refer to?

What is the ACTUAL experience of the body?

Look very carefully, especially with the last question.

Take your time, don’t rush. You can look several times during the day while doing other things (like washing hands, showering, having a short break from work, walking, etc) before replying.


Loving,

[Mike11]

Hello Stacy,

Hope you doing well.
Interesting with exercise concerning the body as it is something I have spent quite some time reflecting over the last couple of days. So these questions are good as I have to formulate some stuff that has been noticed. And what I have noticed is that body don’t make sense in direct experience of felt sensations.

Can it be known how tall the body is?

No. Not when sitting with closed eyes staying with direct experience. Tallness dont fit as such with what is going on then.

Does the body have a weight or volume?

Just sitting being aware of felt sensations, there can not be a knowing of the weight and volume. There is felt sensations of pressure, tension, temperature and so forth, but not the weight and volume of the body. In fact the notion of body gets weird.

In the actual experience does the body have a shape or a form?

Nope, shape and form is not there when sitting with eyes closed just noticing pure sensations. In thought there is an idea of shape/form that is trying overlay it on direct experience. Seeing that and dropping the thought content, the body shape and form is not experienced. Actually the idea of body gets dropped.

Is there a boundary between the body and the clothing?

There is awareness of sensations. Boundaries between body and clothing don’t make sense in the awareness of the sensations. So in that way no.

Is there a boundary between the body and the chair?

Cant not find one. There is awareness of different sensations. Pressure, temperature etc. Where is body and chair in that awareness? It don’t make sense to talk about it in that way.

Is there an inside or an outside?

No, there is awareness of felt sensations so outside and inside don’t really make sense.

If there is an inside - the inside of what exactly?

Good question :)

If there is an outside - the outside of what exactly?

Don’t know, the question don’t make sense in direct experience.

What does the word/label ‘body’ ACTUALLY refer to?

Might not understand the phrasing of the question. But the label refers to a physical mass of bone, flesh and fluids.

What is the ACTUAL experience of the body?

Well, this is interesting, because in actual experience the body don’t make sense as a cohesive fixed form. There is these felt sensations.
Last couple of days the phrase ”dropping away of body” has been playing again and again. Think its referring to something else. but fits very well with experience :)

/Mike

[Anastacia42]

Hi Mike

All true. All beautiful.

Body make no sense. Not in Actual Experience.

What does the word/label ‘body’ ACTUALLY refer to?
Might not understand the phrasing of the question. But the label refers to a physical mass of bone, flesh and fluids.

Here it is seen that the label refers to nothing at all "actual."

Here's another "body" exercise.

Deeper Body Investigation

Here is an even deeper investigation of the body. Please follow each step, don't leave out any. Take your time.

Don't move to the next step until the previous one is clearly seen.

Repeat the exercise several times.

Stand in front of a bigger mirror.

(1) First, close the eyes and feel the sensations labelled ‘body’.

(2) Then open the eyes and look into the mirror while still paying attention to the sensations.

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


Yes, it just got weirder.

Loving

[Mike11]

Hello Stacy,

How interesting that the next exercise is about mirror image. For some time (5-6 days maybe) looking at my face in the mirror has been somewhat of a strange experience. Like there is more distance to it, not in geographical distance, but more distance in connection to it. I kind of avoided looking in the mirror for a while but decided that avoidance was probably not good :) Got no problem with what is there. Its just that there is some added strangeness.

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

No, and it is quite something to stand and just look while staying with direct experience.

/Mike

[Anastacia42]

Hi Mike,

Welcome to The Matrix's "real world," so to speak.

Let's look at 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?

Is 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’?

Enjoy!

[Mike11]

Hello Stacy!

Ironically I am gonna need some more time for this one :) Haven't found enough room to do it properly today so will come back to you tomorrow.

Hope you doing well,
Mike

[Anastacia42]

Funny. Yes, lots of jokes & puns may be made.

I'll "see" "you" "tomorrow. "