Welcome it all....

[Glenda]

Can you see that you reversed the list?
You are asked to notice things & then classify the Direct Experience on the right.
Can you see how that's different that looking for something you See and then something you Hear. etc? Your labels are correct, but backwards.

My apologies. Yep, I got it wrong. I have a bit of Dyslexia and was trying hard to do it right, but that's no excuse, other than lack of attention.

I will give more attention to instructions in the future,

I appreciate your time Stacy.

Sincerely,
Glenda

[Anastacia42]

Okay. Dyslexia happens.

Try this now.

Mind Labeling Experience

Here is an exercise which examines the way in which the mind labels experience - it takes about 20 minutes and you will need a pen a paper.

This exercise is broken into 10 minute lots. For each 10 minute period pay attention to any bodily sensation i.e. is there any tightening, or any relaxing?

For the first ten minutes write down what you are experiencing right now using the word “I”.

For example:

I am sitting on a chair,
I am hearing a clock ticking,
I am looking at a computer screen,
I am feeling hungry.

Get right to the point, no past or future fantasy, just a plain description of your experience right here and now.

Then for the next ten minutes continue writing down what you are experiencing but this time without using the word “I”. Just describe the experience as it is happening using verbs.

For example:

Sitting on a chair,
typing,
breathing,
blinking,
hearing the clock.

(Again, watch what is happening in the body.)

At the end of the twenty minutes compare the two ways in which the experience was labelled and answer the following four questions:

1. Is one truer than the other, and If so, which one?

2. What is here without labels?

3. Do labels affect the experience or just describe it?

4. Did you notice any differences in the body?

Loving,

[Glenda]

Mind Labeling Experience
Here is an exercise which examines the way in which the mind labels experience - it takes about 20 minutes and you will need a pen a paper.
This exercise is broken into 10 minute lots. For each 10 minute period pay attention to any bodily sensation i.e. is there any tightening, or any relaxing?
For the first ten minutes write down what you are experiencing right now using the word “I”.

I am sitting on chair
I am hearing the heater
I am feeling a contraction in the jaw, neck, shoulders
I am feeling a twitchy eye
I am tasting tooth paste
I am thinking
I am smelling shampoo
I am feeling full
I am touching a pen
I am feeling my arms on table.
I am looking a blue marker
I am looking through eye glasses.
I am feeling swirling engery in body.
etc….

Get right to the point, no past or future fantasy, just a plain description of your experience right here and now.
Then for the next ten minutes continue writing down what you are experiencing but this time without using the word “I”. Just describe the experience as it is happening using verbs.

writing
looking outwards
breathing
twitching
hearing noises
touching pen
thinking
sensing feet
sensing engery moving in body
Tasting toothpaste
sensing forearms
etc….

(Again, watch what is happening in the body.)
At the end of the twenty minutes compare the two ways in which the experience was labelled and answer the following four questions:

1. Is one truer than the other, and If so, which one?

The list without the “I Am” is truer.

2. What is here without labels?

Awareness of experiencing. Presence.

3. Do labels affect the experience or just describe it?

Labels affect the experience, they create a “me”, “mine”, “I”. The labels create a comparison, past & future, a story , a doing.

4. Did you notice any differences in the body?

Yes, there was a relaxing, less effort , contractions relaxed, with second list. There was more presence, just Being, with second list. During the first list I identified with each experience of the body, as if I was the sensation, but in the second list there was no "me" to identify, just sensation was present.

[Anastacia42]

Good awareness!

Just this one thing:

Labels affect the experience, they create a “me”, “mine”, “I”. The labels create a comparison, past & future, a story , a doing.

Is there really a "me" created? Or only the *story* of one?

Try this:

Here is an exercise that makes it clear that labels are not the things they refer to. They are merely the content of thought that we made up.

Label-Reality Correlation

There is a belief that labels have a one-to-one correspondence with something called "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 red color "experienced" or is color green "experienced" as the label suggests?

Do the labels have a one-to-one correspondence with "reality?"

Or do the labels suggest something else other than what is here now (red color)?

Is green-ness an inherent attribute of the "experience" of the red color; or is green just a word label on the experience of the red color?

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 effect whatsoever on ‘reality’?


Loving,

[Glenda]

Dec. 29th

Good Morning Stacy,

Thank you for this exercise, it was very helpful ! The question arose in me from this exercise, "where am I living from, conditioning or reality?"

Label-Reality Correlation-There is a belief that labels have a one-to-one correspondence with something called "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?

Immediately there is an attempt to conger up something “green” from memory through thought. In actual experience “there is no experience”.

Is the red color "experienced" or is color green "experienced" as the label suggests?

In memory, green appears from what I have been conditioned to believe green is. No red.

Do the labels have a one-to-one correspondence with "reality?”

NO. There is no direct correspondence between a label and “reality”.

Or do the labels suggest something else other than what is here now (red color)?

Yes, labels create a limited, imaginary/conditioned circumstance.

Is green-ness an inherent attribute of the "experience" of the red color; or is green just a word label on the experience of the red color?

Green is just a word label on the experience of the red color.

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

I don’t like (bad) the color red. Both the label “bad” and “red” are seen as just thought, they have nothing to do with “reality”. I learned what red was, I learned what bad was, that could change in an instant…nothing to do with reality.
A label can affect nothing in “reality”, only in thought/imagination. The redness is unaffected by the label.

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

In reality labels have no effect on “reality”.

[Glenda]

Forgot this question;

Is there really a "me" created? Or only the *story* of one?

Only a story of me ! As I say this resistance is arising, fear is arising, something wants a label/identity...I am now seeing that too as labels. Engery is moving, big deal.

I continue to watch the "letting go of fear" video..I find it helpful.

[Anastacia42]

Good. Yes, Keep using the freezer video as long as you need it.

Keep this SIMPLE.

These are not trick questions!

Red is experienced.

Otber than that, you got the idea.

Remember those body feelings of contraction and expansion from the exercise with and without "I?"

Here is how to distinguish truth from lies.

We often lie every day & don't realize it.

For example, the grocery clerk asks, "How are you?" You reply, "I'm fine." While, yes. there is a sense in which we are always fine, even in the middle of suffering, at that moment, you were grieving the death of your dog, you had a slight sore throat & you had a headache, but you didn't feel like sharing all of that with the grocery clerk, so you lied, "I'm fine."

Also, it matters none at all how "distant" the remembered lie is. Besides the fact that time itself is fictional, a kind if lie, as we recall the lie it becomes present in this moment, as if it were happening now. This brings the body Sensation that accompanies lying.

Lies can be intentional or unintentional, conscious or unconscious, even so automatic that we ourselves are fooled.

The story of a separate "self" is a lie.

This is the lie you came here to see through. Therefore, it is helpful to notice the body Sensation of lying as one of the tools for finding the truth of no self.

You want to be in touch with body Sensations & able to clearly express them in words. This will help.

Lies are usually felt in the heart or solar plexus as a contraction that we may label as tight, heavy or tense.

In contrast, truth is usually expansive. We may call it loose, light or relaxed.

First, can you remember a time when you lied to someone you loved?

Here we count anything, lies we think of as "big" or "small" that "matter" or don't "matter."

How are you? I'm fine. No, your knee hurts, but you don't feel like discussing it with the grocery clerk.

It's a lie. A seemingly "bigger" one will work better for this exercise.

Find the lie. I don't need the whole story, just a few key words to refer to it.

Then scan your body for any Sensation (DE or Direct Experience), particularly in the gut or maybe the heart. Check very closely.

What is found?

If you think the memory you used wasn't clear enough, find another one or lie to yourself right now, make something up.

1 + 1 = 14 is a lie.

I love eating worms is (probably) a lie.

Or call up a video of a lying politician & notice what Sensations arise as you listen.

I will give you a clue: it is not that peaceful Sensation you felt before when you omitted "I." (refers to an exercise I gave before this one)

Please report back with what body Sensations (not interpretations) you feel. Bodies can feel hot or cold, heavy or light, contraction or expansion, etc.

"Peaceful" is an interpretation of a body Sensation, not the Sensation itself, for example.

Do you see that?

Loving,

[Anastacia42]

Fear video.

I used talk to text in the car.

[Glenda]

Find the lie. I don't need the whole story, just a few key words to refer to it.
Then scan your body for any Sensation (DE or Direct Experience), particularly in the gut or maybe the heart. Check very closely.

What is found?

Lie : I have a mean 89 year old Aunt who I told I have a full time job ( I don’t , I am retired), because I do not want to visit her. So I lie and tell her I am working so don’t have time to come see her, but call her once a week and pretend I care.

Sensations..when I go to call my Aunt: nausea comes up from the stomach and sits in the esophagus and throat. Contractions in the shoulders, neck, jaw. Chest area is tight. Flushed, hot, skin. Jittery engery moving throughout body. Shallow breath.

Please report back with what body Sensations (not interpretations) you feel. Bodies can feel hot or cold, heavy or light, contraction or expansion, etc.
"Peaceful" is an interpretation of a body Sensation, not the Sensation itself, for example.

Do you see that?

Yes. The over all sense of the body while experiencing a lie is “contraction”.

[Anastacia42]

Good!

The over all sense of the body while experiencing a lie is “contraction”.

Yes. Or any contraction. mainly in the solar plexus

Now let's bring these together with this one:

Actual/Direct Experience - Apple

Have a look at an apple (or any fruit you like.) If you have a ‘real’ apple, you can use it for this exercise. Google for a picture of an apple.



When looking at an apple, there's color; a thought saying ‘apple’; and maybe a thought saying, "I'm looking at an apple."

What is known for sure? Color is known and thoughts are known.

What about the content of thoughts, what they describe?

Actual experience does not refer to thoughts ABOUT something…because that is only just more thought.

Actual experience is sound, thought, color, smell, taste, sensation and the fact of thought arising, but not its content.

Is there really an ‘apple’ here, or only color and a thought ABOUT ‘apple’?

Can ‘apple’ be found in actual experience?

While these thoughts are known, what they talk ABOUT can't be found in actual experience.

This is what is meant by "looking in actual experience." What you know for sure, and, is always here.

Taste labeled ‘apple’ is known
Color labeled ‘apple’ is known
Sensation labeled ‘apple’ is known (when apple is touched)
Smell labeled ‘apple’ is known
Thought about/of an ‘apple’ is known

However, is an apple actually known?

Have fun and let me know what you find out.

Loving,

[Glenda]

Actual/Direct Experience - Apple
Have a look at an apple (or any fruit you like.) If you have a ‘real’ apple, you can use it for this exercise. Google for a picture of an apple.
When looking at an apple, there's color; a thought saying ‘apple’; and maybe a thought saying, "I'm looking at an apple."
What is known for sure? Color is known and thoughts are known.

What about the content of thoughts, what they describe?

Content of thoughts are not present moment, not a direct experience. Content of thoughts describe past learned information or imagination about the future.

Actual experience does not refer to thoughts ABOUT something…because that is only just more thought.
Actual experience is sound, thought, color, smell, taste, sensation and the fact of thought arising, but not its content.

Is there really an ‘apple’ here, or only color and a thought ABOUT ‘apple’?

Only color and thought about an apple.

Can ‘apple’ be found in actual experience?

In actual experience the sensations of touching, looking, smelling, tasting, the apple can be experienced. Sensations don’t make it an apple. An apple is not found in actual experience.

While these thoughts are known, what they talk ABOUT can't be found in actual experience.
This is what is meant by "looking in actual experience." What you know for sure, and, is always here.
Taste labeled ‘apple’ is known
Color labeled ‘apple’ is known
Sensation labeled ‘apple’ is known (when apple is touched)
Smell labeled ‘apple’ is known
Thought about/of an ‘apple’ is known

However, is an apple actually known?

No. Apple is a label, it could be an elephant if it had been given that label. All that is known is the knowing the direct experience (sensations).

Have fun and let me know what you find out.

I give everything I see meaning. In actual experience, nothing is as I think it is. Only a direct experience is real.

[Anastacia42]

Exactly!

I think you know this, but just to emphasiz it. This is about your experience not about right answers.

Explore ‘Sense of Self’

Let’s say that you have lost your keys and you swear that you left them in your coat. You go to look and check all the pockets - the keys are not there. You swear they must be as that was the last place you remember them. You have a vivid memory of putting them there after you left the house. But when you check they are not there. At this point you can keep believing that the keys are in your pocket, or you can admit you were mistaken.

This is just like that. You may see clearly that the self is an illusion but still feel a sense of self - just like the keys. But feeling something to be true and seeing that it is or is not is different. This is why we may find ourselves coming back to your expectations at the start and at the end.

Now, I’d like to ask you to explore this SENSE of self very-very thoroughly. Not by thinking about it, but by FEELING it. Keep the focus of attention on the sense of self and inquire:

Does the sense of self have a location?

Does the sense of self have a shape or a size?

Does the sense of self say or communicate anything?

If the answer is yes, how does the sense do this exactly?

Does the sense of self have any characteristics or attributes?

What is the sense of self ‘made of’? An image? Sound? Taste? Smell? Sensation? Thought?

What is found?

Loving,

[Glenda]

Now, I’d like to ask you to explore this SENSE of self very-very thoroughly. Not by thinking about it, but by FEELING it. Keep the focus of attention on the sense of self and inquire:

Does the sense of self have a location?

No

Does the sense of self have a shape or a size?

No

Does the sense of self say or communicate anything?

No

If the answer is yes, how does the sense do this exactly?

Does the sense of self have any characteristics or attributes?

No

What is the sense of self ‘made of’? An image? Sound? Taste? Smell? Sensation? Thought?

No.

What is found?

Nothing. At first I wrote down the sense of ’self’ was a thought, but as I felt into it, it wasn’t . OMG this is the first time I recognized by feeling that the ’sense of self’, is non-existent.

[Anastacia42]

EXCELLENT. Stay with that a bit. Write what is arising.

Loving,

[Glenda]

Stay with that a bit. Write what is arising.

All the normal mind stuff is arising, contractions in the body are felt. But, there is a shift in that there isn’t the same amount of grasping/believing in the content of the thoughts. The contractions in the body are felt and there is a curiosity to just allow what is, to be there. The mind is foggy today, like it doesn’t want to think any deep thoughts, but complicated tasks are performed without effort.

I had a dream last night, it felt like I was dreaming my thoughts and emotions of a normal day. When I woke up it felt like I woke up from a nightmare, and I didn’t know the difference anymore from the dream state verse wakening state ( with eyes opened). That is the fogginess I am experiencing, it feels like I am walking around awake (eyes open) in a dream.

Yet, at the same time there is a background of awareness, an awake-ness, that is present allowing it all, it has no comment, no need to change anything, has been here all the time, the attention was just elsewhere.