Guide me please

[Anastacia42]

Yes,, the site was down.

Now please re-read the instructions & reply EXACTLY like the example. You inserted a lot of extra thinking. Thinking is the problem. not the solution.

Thank you,
[/quote]
[/quote]

[Anastacia42]

Yes,, the site was down.

Now please re-read the instructions & reply EXACTLY like the example. You inserted a lot of extra thinking. Thinking is the problem. not the solution.

Thank you,

[Anastacia42]

[
Yes,, the site was down.

Now please re-read the instructions & reply EXACTLY like the example. You inserted a lot of extra thinking. Thinking is the problem. not the solution.

Thank you,

[zerGo]

Seeing a screen, simply= image/color
Seeing gray buttons, simply= image/color
Feeling the smoothness of the cloth, simply = sensation
Thought about the practice, simply = thought
Itchy sensation on the back of my head, simply = sensation
The thoughts about scratching come up, simply = thought
Noticed breathing, simply = sensation
Thought about what else can I notice, simply = thought
Felling desire to close my eyes, simply = thought
Eyes close, simply = image\color
Hearing breathing in silence, simple = sound
Hearing birds from the outside, simple = sound
Felling tension on the face and neck, simply = sensation
Deep breath, simply = sensation


Like that?

[Anastacia42]

Exactly. Now try this.




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,

[zerGo]

I go offline till the next Saturday, I will respond with experiment results then.

Thank you

[Anastacia42]

Okay

[Anastacia42]

Welcome back!

[zerGo]

Hi, Stacy. I’m back.

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

The one without “I am” feels simpler and truer.

2. What is here without labels?

Without the labels, there’s only sensations, sounds, images, smells, etc.

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

.

They only describe it, but they can condition next thoughts and emotions.

4. Did you notice any differences in the body?

Yes, with “I am” there is more tension in the forehead.

[Anastacia42]

Exactly!

How does it FEEL to see this?

Loving,

[zerGo]

It feels like a relief but with a bit of bitterness because of the thought : “why does it never feel like this in the ordinary life ?”

[Anastacia42]

Good!

It feels like a relief but with a bit of bitterness because of the thought : “why does it never feel like this in the ordinary life ?”

It will.

We are looking for a shift in perception. The relief is part of that. Pay attention to how things feel.

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,

[zerGo]

"How are you?" is a good example. It is the most obvious and frequent case when I lie to somebody in an answer to a direct question. My boss asked me how I am. I complained about my seasonal allergy, but did not tell about my frustration at work.

What is found?

It's a tension in the upper abdomen and chest, and a slight tremor and contraction in the centre of the chest.

Do you see that?

Yes. The sensations are a completely different dimension of experience than words. Even calling them "tension" or "contraction" feels like oversimplification; they have more nuances that are hard to put into words.

[Anastacia42]

Yes. Well done.

I'm not sure that nuances matter. I don't think we want to overinterpret the Sensations, but if you find out differently, let me know.

Here is another aspect for you to become aware of.

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,

[zerGo]

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

When I look at the word “green” the actual experience is an image of letters and a thought-image of the green colour.

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

Not when I am looking at the word. But I can have an experience of an image that I can refer to using words “red” or “green”.

Does the label ‘GREEN’ have a one-to-one correspondence with ‘reality’?

I can refer to different experiences using the same words. For example, there could be slightly different tones of green, all of which I will label as "green".

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

The “green” label suggests that it is not “red”. Which particular tone of green is being experienced (here now) is not clarified by the label.

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?

Not sure that understand this question. The “green” label is not associated with the experience of the red colour. We can use the label “green” to refer to the experience of the red colour, but it will be a lie.

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’?

No. The experience of the colour is not affected by the change of the label.