A willingness to go through the Gateless Gate

[Anastacia42]

Hi Dorothy,

It seems I lost track here. I apologize. Shall we continue?

Did you attend Ilona's Deep Looking? My calendar reminder didn't happen so I missed it. If so. how was it?

Peacefulness, Happiness, Joy is a result of the body sensation of light and expanded,
Panic, Anxiety, Restless is a result of body sensation of contracted and heavy.

Yes! Exactly, except that all of the words you capitalized are story. Only Sensation is Actual Experience. Can you see this?

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.

Loving,

~ Stacy

[Unmanifest]

Hi Stacy,
Great to reconnect. The time out to reflect was good on my part. Yes I did attend the Deep Looking with Ilona on May 8th. It was calming and impactful. I was abit late as I had booked myself into a Prayer Centre (after being inspired by watching my first LU video on Youtube and a lady there spoke of going through the Gate before New Year in a hotel room as it was so busy at home). This space ensured i focused and alone time with Ilona and the community of the Mighty 5 of us.
I heard at the end of the meeting from Ilona another Deep Looking meetup in June.
Wow! its amazing after asking for years when will I finally cross the unreal? I find Direct Pointing in the LU community.
I am grateful to be here.

[Anastacia42]

Yes, that's great Dorothy. You are so welcome.

Have you done the pointer that was included in the earlier message?

Much love,
Stacy

[Unmanifest]

Stacy,
Here is the assignment:

Yes! Exactly, except that all of the words you capitalized are story.

Only Sensation is Actual Experience. Can you see this

?

It is amazing I had it backwards all this time. My main focus was Always on the story not being aware it masks the Actual Experience. I do feel a bit silly and am laughing at myself. Phew! I only ever believed a narrative that does not exist yet it seemed so real!

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

I feel I have been cheated since when was the colour Green looking Red!

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

Initially, No, it feels all so confused. Like what just happened to the colour scheme?

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)?

No, the label 'GREEN' has no one to one correspondence with 'reality'.
A meaning has been attached to the label and the apparent colour. It keeps some sort of order.

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?

No, I feel conflicted. It the GREEN experienced as the colour Red deviates from my learning.

Yes, GREEN is just a label that overlays the actual experience of red. It is my previous learning that gets in the way.

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

The redness is not affected in any way.

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

It is only when I go back and fetch memories of the colour red that is used to indicate marks in an exam. This then feels 'BAD'. The redness that feels 'GOOD' is to indicate passion.

In reality the labels have no effect at all. It is just my learned story to make sense of a mad world and to fit into society.

What is SEEN.

I have been mistaken for taking Labels way too seriously and losing all common sense. I have caused serious conflict just from Labels that I misunderstood to mean my identity being disrespected or threatened.
It has been quite an eye opener today.
Thank you,
Dorothy.

[Anastacia42]

BEAUTIFUL, Dorothy.

Here's another bit of the same idea:

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,

~ Stacy

[Unmanifest]

Hi Stacy,
Thank you for the encouragement.
Here is today's assignment:

Is there a difference in these thoughts?

Yes there is a difference when I think about a "friend" I feel they are safe, trustworthy and be leaned on can in hard times
as compared to a "stranger" who feels unknown, a constant need to beware and cannot be relied upon with serious leaning on during hard times.

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

It is just different content as both "friend" and "stranger" do not exist outside of who I am.

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

I can spend time with a "friend".

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

The "me " character is a mask of who I think I am. I have grown accustomed to this "me".

Is there a difference?

Yes a "friend" is a mirror I can use to see who I truly am.
While "me" has so many masks on, it is not easy to decide who is who.

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

It feels very familiar as it is a narrative I have been telling myself for so long. I feel I know the "me-character".

What is found.

The pile of rubbish is astonishing. Just where did I manage to get this make belief stuff? The " me-character" I had long assumed is very much who I am. Only to find out that I did not know who I was in the very first place.. everything I believed in with so much belief was all made-up!
Gratitude,
Dorothy

[Anastacia42]

Yes, everything you wrote is made up stories: trustworthy friends, unknown strangers, friend is a mirror, "me" with masks, all of it.

The pile of rubbish is astonishing. Just where did I manage to get this make belief stuff?

We all did it.

How does it FEEL to see these are all made- up?

Can you SEE there is no separate self outside of thought?

Direct or Actual Experience is

Seeing
Hearing
Feeling (Sensation, not emotion. Emotion is Sensation plus made-up thoughts & labels)
Tasting
Smelling
Thoughts Arising (but not their content)


The whole problem you have is that you've been believing the content of your thoughts (doubts).


Observing Thoughts

Here is a thought exercise. Sit quietly for about 30 minutes and notice the arising thoughts.

Just let them appear as they appear. Try your best to COMPLETELY ignore what they are saying and just notice how they appear without you doing anything at all.

Where are they coming from and going to?

Did you do anything to make a particular thought or thoughts appear?

Could you have done anything to make a different thought appear at that exact moment instead?

Can you predict your next thought?

Can you select from a range of thoughts to have only pleasant thoughts?

Can you choose not to have painful, negative or fearful thoughts?

Can you pick and choose any kind of thought?

Is it possible to prevent a thought from appearing?

It seems that thought has some logical ordered appearance, but look carefully and just notice if there is an organised sequence? Or is that just another thought that says ‘these thoughts are in sequence’ or “they take content from previous thought”, or that ‘one thought follows another thought’?

Can you find an inherent self anywhere, outside of thought?

Can thought experience thought?

Loving,

[Unmanifest]

Hi Stacy,

How does it FEEL to see these are all made- up?

It is such a relief! Its all made-up by me! Its funny.

Can you SEE there is no separate self outside of thought?

Yes, there is no one out there. I just made up and lived with an imaginary self who I thought I was.

Where are they coming from and going to?

I do not know where thoughts come from and where they are going to.

Did you do anything to make a particular thought or thoughts appear?

No the thought(s) just appeared.

Could you have done anything to make a different thought appear at that exact moment instead?

No there was nothing I could do to make different thoughts appear.

Can you predict your next thought?

No, I have no idea of my next thought.

Can you select from a range of thoughts to have only pleasant thoughts?

No, I cannot select to have only pleasant thoughts.

Can you choose not to have painful, negative or fearful thoughts?

No, I cannot choose not to have painful,negative or fearful thoughts.

Can you pick and choose any kind of thought?

No, I cannot pick and choose thought.

Is it possible to prevent a thought from appearing?

No, it is not possible to prevent a thought from appearing.

It seems that thought has some logical ordered appearance, but look carefully and just notice if there is an organised sequence? Or is that just another thought that says ‘these thoughts are in sequence’ or “they take content from previous thought”, or that ‘one thought follows another thought’?

No, thoughts appear randomly.
Another thought says 'one thought follows another thought'

Can you find an inherent self anywhere, outside of thought?

No, there is no self outside of thought.

Can thought experience thought?

No, thought cannot experience thought. It just appears randomly.
Thank you,
Dorothy

[Anastacia42]

Yes, it IS funny. You're doing great & seeing clearly.

ACIM never showed me this. :)

So, let's look at this idea that there's a "self" that chooses or controls anything.

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?

Much love

~ Stacy

[Unmanifest]

Hi Stacy,
Thank you for guiding me in this process of Self discovery that is subtle, easy to ignore in a world of logic and form and one that focuses on matter above all else!

Yes, ACIM has issues with the use of dualistic language while still being Non Dual. The fantastic 4 team of founders did not fully Awaken first in to the Happy Dream and then Boldly Beyond to bring us back the report and take us there with them. Though this may be considered blasphemy in some Course communities!

I have been lucky to receive teachings from Living Miracles Community, Take Me To Truth, Joining In Light Devotional Centre,Teachers of God Foundation who acknowledge the focus of many students was on the metaphysics and not the Here and Now.
In addition to this I am on the second year of scholarship from the Gangaji Foundation and Gangaji's lineage is Papaji and Ramana. It is amazing that Eastern teachings have a lot to offer us in many surprising ways.
But still when you are not sighted or in vision your entire world is backwards. Hence we require Liberation Unleashed to pinpoint areas we took for granted or did not value.

Here is this week's assignment.

How is the movement controlled?

I do not know how the movement is controlled.

Does a thought control it?

No, I did not think at all on controlling the palm movements.

Can a ‘controller’ of any description be located?

No, I was not aware of a 'controller' anywhere.

How is the decision made to turn the hand over?

It appears to be an automatic decision.

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

I do not know who or what chose which hand. The hand appeared to move by itself.

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

No, there is no separate individual that is choosing when to turn the palm up or down. It just happens.

Thank you,
Dorothy

[Anastacia42]

Good.

How does it FEEL to SEE no one is controlling the palm flipping?

Please remember to reply only with what the 5 Senses experience or say a thought arose, but ignore its content.

Loving,

[Unmanifest]

Hi Stacy,

How does it FEEL to SEE no one is controlling the palm flipping?

The senses experiences are:
- I can see no one is controlling the palm flipping,
- I can hear no one is controlling the palm flipping,
- I can smell no one is controlling the palm flipping,
- I can sense by touch that no one is controlling the palm flipping

The thoughts arising are:
Freedom,
Wow,
How Simple

Thank you,
Dorothy

[Anastacia42]

Very good, Dorothy.

Can you find any separate "self" anywhere? Was there ever?

How does it FEEL to SEE this?

Much love,

[Unmanifest]

Hi Stacy,
Thank you for guiding me out of what seemed impossible.

Can you find any separate "self" anywhere? Was there ever?

No, I cannot find a separate self anywhere.
No, this separate self that I thought was me did not exist at all. It was like a phantom I took to be real and then could not tell the difference anymore between the real and unreal.

How does it FEEL to SEE this?

I can tell you it is a relief , a burden has lifted from my shoulders, I can look at my thoughts and say " you know what, that is active imagination, I do not have to follow you anymore".
Its helpful even in daily conversations now I can step back and "see" I was having a crazy moment and it does not have to happen in "that set way".
The crazy arguments to prove I am right are easing out. I have "no point to prove" and my what a relief! Phew!!

Grateful,
Dorothy

[Anastacia42]

Good, Dorothy.

Thank you for guiding me out of what seemed impossible.

This is not impossible, as you can see from all of the threads here where someone saw and from all of the folks out in the world writing blogs and books, etc. about this.

it is a relief , a burden has lifted from my shoulders

Yes! A physical sensation, a seeing with your eyes. It is different. Follow that! This visceral shift is what we find when you are LOOKING here.


The shift to seeing no self is much like seeing those optical illusions that can be 2 different pictures. Such as old woman/ young woman or candlestick/ faces.

https://images.app.goo.gl/qAyhfP9RXPc8nQwD7

https://www.thenakedscientists.com/fil ... s-illusion

Or seeing that Santa Claus is just a man in a red suit.

Can you see that there is no self?

Loving,