deathprep

[Anastacia42]

Very good.

Here's the next one.


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,

[rmgmacdo]

1) I’m sitting on a chair
I’m feeling/sensing my sit bones on the cushion of the chair
I’m feeling/sensing pressure on the top ofmy head, down into the forehead
I’m sensing the rising of my chest with the ingoing and outgoing breath
I’m sensing the breath moving
I’m hearing the faint rumbling of the heating/cooling system
I’m sensing the skin of one leg touching the other
I’m sensing the sole of one foot flat on the floor, the side of the other crossed-over foot on the floor too.
I’m sensing a prickly sensation below my right clavicle
I’m still sensing tension in my head and forehead
I’m hearing my lower belly rumble
I’m hearing faint steps overhead
I’m sensing (the struts of the chair) against my shoulder blades

2) hearing sound outside, both on left and right
Hearing steps overhead
Sensing tension in upper legs
Watching a small fly
Sensing sit bones
Hearing new sound outside on right
Sensing left arm pressed against body
Writing with pencil on paper
Hearing sound of moving pencil on paper
Drinking some water
Hearing door slam in building
Again
Rumbling of lower belly
Drinking more water
Sensing tension in head
Closing eyes

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?
Possibly the second one; there does not seem to be a clear ‘I’ that is doing all the things in Nr 1.
2. What is here without labels?
I’m not sure how to answer that question. I don’t know what’s meant by ‘labels’. Is the chair a label? Is ‘breathing’ a label; ditto ‘hearing’ and so on? (I’m not being facetious, I really don’t understand.)

3. Do labels affect the experience or just describe it?
If we are talking about simple sensory activities such as the ones I have been observing, then language (if that’s what’s meant by labels) does simply describe the experience.

4. Did you notice any differences in the body?
Not really

[Anastacia42]

Yes. The second is truer without the lie of"I."

2. Direct Experience (see green list in Colored Socks pointer) Everything except the 5 senses & thoughts arising are labels. Really. those are, too, but we have to communicate somehow.

3. Right. It only describes it.

4. There are differences. I'll give you a pointer to help.


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,

[rmgmacdo]

What is found?

Saying I love a certain person wholeheartedly is a lie as I feel conflicted about them.

Body sensation: Tension in the throat

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

Do you see that?

I believe I do. Tension is here apprehended as a bodily reaction, a kind of constriction, a tightening, in other words, a body sensation.. In other circumstances, tension may be an interpretation of a body sensation but here it is not.

[Anastacia42]

Good. Yes. Watch for these Sensations.

Next try 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

[rmgmacdo]

Thank you, Stacy.

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?

The experience is that whatever is labelled ‘green’ is different from the things that surround it not labelled ‘green’. For example, if I look at the foliage of a tree, ‘labelled ‘green’, then the label allows the differentiation from other things not labelled ‘green’ (the street where the tree stands) but there is no intrinsic experience of ‘green’. But the label also allows connecting (mentally) whatever is labelled ‘green’ with other things labelled such, for example, the bushes behind the tree that are also labelled ‘green’.

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

No. Not intrinsically. They are just different phenomena.

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, there is no one-to-one correspondence with 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?

I’m not sure I understand the question. I do not think that green is in any way associated with the experience of the colour red. (Of course, theoretically they are complementary colours but that is of no relevance here, I think.) They may be experienced as contrasts, just as differences. One could just as easily take the label of ‘yellow’ or ‘blue’. Objects labelled as either also contrast with objects labelled as green (or red, for that matter).

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

I’m not sure I understand the question. Of course, labelling something, whether a colour or something else or a person ‘good’ or ‘bad’ has an effect in how the thing or person is conventionally perceived, but in reality the experience as such is not affected. Experientially the thing or person is still the same, neither 'good' nor 'bad'.

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

See my previous response.

[Anastacia42]

No. First, you do see that the word is red, right? Why are you saying it's green?

There 8s no need to.bring trees into this. Please stay with what you see here.

The color red is experienced, isn't it?

No one to one correspondence, right.

Green IS just a label that overlays the actual experience of red.

labelling something, whether a colour or something else or a person ‘good’ or ‘bad’ has an effect

No. It has no effect at all. Words can't change it.

The problem is that you are putting words above experience. That's why you think there's a self. There is not and words do not have the power to create one.

You are all over the place with ideas that have nothing to do with the exercise.

Let me know if you understand this mistake.

Loving,

[rmgmacdo]

Cheers, Stacy.

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

The word label ‘green’ here in this moment on the screen is red. Red is experienced.

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

The colour red is experienced not the colour green.

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)?

In this instance the colour label Green does not have a correspondence to reality as the colour of the label is red.
I cannot answer the second question.

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?

In this instance, green is the 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?

No. Redness is not affected by the replacement of the label.

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

The labels do not have any effect on ‘reality’

[Anastacia42]

Exactly. Good.

cannot answer the second question.

The label suggests something that is not here. There is no green anywhere.


Can you see what we getting at here?

Words are just thoughts & have no effect.

Loving

[rmgmacdo]

Can you see what we getting at here?

I can see what is being pointed to.

[Anastacia42]

I can see what is being pointed to.

And that is?

When you've answered that more specifically, this is next.

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?

Loving

[rmgmacdo]

And that is?

Question:

Or does the label suggest something else other than what is here now (red colour)?

The label says ‘green’ but what is visible is ‘red’, so red is what is visible, available to perception. So the label cannot suggest something that is not here now.

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?

It isn’t controlled. There is the initial prompt and then the movement seems to happen automatically.

Does a thought control it?

No.

Can a ‘controller’ of any description be located?

No. Not really.

How is the decision made to turn the hand over?

I don’t know – it’s quite mysterious. As indicated above, after the initial ‘prompt’ it seems to happen automatically.

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?

No who - intuitive, automatic …

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

Not really. No.

[Anastacia42]

Very good.

How does it FEEL to see this?

Loving

[rmgmacdo]

How does it FEEL to see this?

urious, interesting, surprisingly pleasant

[rmgmacdo]

sorry, that should be:

How does it FEEL to see this?

Curious, interesting, surprisingly pleasant