ready!

[ankersmid]

Hi all,

I am very drawn by the statement that "I" is just a thought.
I would love to be able to see th illusion for what is it.

Anybody wants to help me get there? (In English or Dutch please)

Thanks!

Love,
Eric

[mark_tywharton]

I can help you.
Tell me about yourself.
What do you think of as "I"?

[ankersmid]

Hi Mark, and thanks for wanting to help!

I am a 44 yo Dutchman, living in Belgium. Left the Netherlands in 1997 and after 5 years in Copenhagen i have been in Antwerp for 9 years now. I got married 5 years ago and am very happy with my partner. I have a steady job, that I quite like - not asif it were the fulfillment of a lifelong dream, but I do like going to work :)

What do I think of as "I"... Hmm, difficult one to answer.
I guess it would be the image I have of myself as a person, with my personality, likes and dislikes.
"I" describes the person Eric...

[mark_tywharton]

Let's take a closer look at this person Eric - what it is like to be 44 - Dutch - married - let's look at who it is who has a job and likes going to work - start to describe how you know it is you who owns the experience - is there a sense of "I" doing this? Please describe it.

[ankersmid]

Do I "own" the experience, you ask. Not sure about that. I guess there is a certain sense that things happen to me personally, or that I personally experience, yes. Had I not been at a certain place at a certain time, some things might not have happened.
I mean, I did have to be at a certain place at a certain moment in order to make "first contact" with my partner, for example. And my life would probably be very different if I had made different choices in the past.

How do I know it is me? my senses and thoughts tell me so :)

[mark_tywharton]

I guess there is a certain sense that things happen to me personally

Okay let's start there. If this was not true what would your expectation of seeing this be like?

I mean, I did have to be at a certain place at a certain moment in order to make "first contact" with my partner, for example. And my life would probably be very different if I had made different choices in the past.

Yes, life may have been different. Let's look at how you know it is your life though. Tell me a bit more about choices and how you know there is a you making choices. Where do choices come from?

How do I know it is me? my senses and thoughts tell me so :)

Tell me a bit more about that please. Where do the senses come from? Where do the thoughts come from?

Thanks

Mark