Is it possible?

[Maryann]

Hi Stacy,
Is there a sensation other than butt chair that I can be noticing? Maybe foot floor for instance?

[Anastacia42]

Why?

It's the oneness we care about. You can if you want, but it might just be a distraction.

Have I shared these?

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ksba3zhi9uuz ... sk1a?dl=0

Loving

[Anastacia42]

Hand on Desk

Please close your eyes for this exercise, just notice any ‘mental’ images or thoughts that appear and put them aside.

Place a hand on a desk or table (flat surface) - Close your eyes.

Now 'go to' the Sensation which we would normally refer to as 'hand on desk' and answer from what you can FIND.

1) How many things do you find? Are there two things (hand and desk) or is there one thing – AE of sensation.

2) Do you notice 'one thing feeling another thing'? Or is there just 'a sensation'?

3) Do you find an 'I', a body, a hand 'feeling' . . . or is there just 'a sensation'?

Look very carefully. Where does ‘feeling’ end and Sensation begin? Can a dividing line between ‘feeling’ and sensation be found? Or is there just sensation?

Can a ‘feeler’ ever be found in 'what is being felt' – AE sensation?

If that is all, and no INHERENT FEELER is found . . . would anything that is suggested as the feeler be other than a concept/idea/thought?


You can try this with your eyes open. If you can let go of the "separate hand" story, it can be very interesting.

Loving,

[Maryann]

1) How many things do you find? Are there two things (hand and desk) or is there one thing – AE of sensation.

One sensation

2) Do you notice 'one thing feeling another thing'? Or is there just 'a sensation'?

Just a sensation.

3) Do you find an 'I', a body, a hand 'feeling' . . . or is there just 'a sensation'?

No body feeling, no hand feeling but I'm not seeing that there isn't an I feeling. There is sensation, then the thought/assumption that I'm feeling. Just sensation then thought'I', repeating.

Look very carefully. Where does ‘feeling’ end and Sensation begin? Can a dividing line between ‘feeling’ and sensation be found? Or is there just sensation?

I can easily see that there is just sensation and then the description that I'm feeling the desk. I can tell that the feeling is just sensation but I'm not seeing that the 'I' is just assumption/thought.

[Anastacia42]

I'm not seeing that the 'I' is just assumption/thought.

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?

You don't have to do them again, but LOOK. What do they point to? [/color]

Loving,

[Maryann]

You don't have to do them again, but LOOK. What do they point to?

I'm not able to locate what the sense of self is but it still seems to be something real. It does not have any attributes so it must just be thought but I'm not seeing that. I'll keep at it.

[Anastacia42]

Please don't take shortcuts. That's thinking taking over.

Quote each question. separately & answe underneath.

This helps me read it on my phone & will be important later when we share your replies with other guides.

Please re-do these.

Thank you,

[Maryann]

Hi Stacy. I didn't know what you meant by ''You don't have to do them again, but LOOK.''

[Maryann]

I will be answering the questions tomorrow.

[Anastacia42]

Oops. That was part of another answer. Just ignore it. Sorry.

[Maryann]

Does the sense of self have a location?

I can't find it.

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

Somehow this question seems humourous. I can't give a shape or size. Thinking wants to answer the question by describing my body as if that was the sense of self but in actual experience my body isn't appearing.

Does the sense of self say or communicate anything?

No but it seems to be in contact with what thoughts are saying and communicating.

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

I have no answer to this question because somehow it doesn't make sense.

Does the sense of self have any characteristics or attributes?

None that I am aware of.

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

A remembered image. A tightness sensation. Thought ''there is a me here''.

What is found?

Self referencing thought.

[Anastacia42]

Pretty much.

Sense of self is only tight lie Sensation plus thoughts & a label, which is another thought.

It does not & cannot have any existence in Direct Experience.

There is awareness, but that is not a "self." Don't try to make it one

As long as you've mentioned body, let's do this before returning to ButtChair.

Introductory Body Exercise

Sit with eyes closed for about 15 minutes. Paying attention only to the pure sensations, without relying on thoughts or mental images:

Can it be known how tall the body is? Does the body have a weight or volume? In the actual experience does the body have a shape or a form?

Is there a boundary between the body and the clothing? Is there a boundary between the body and the chair?

Is there an inside or an outside? If there is an inside - the inside of what exactly? If there is an outside - the outside of what exactly?

What does the word/label ‘body’ ACTUALLY refer to? What is the ACTUAL experience of the body?

Look very carefully, especially with the last question. Take your time, don’t rush. You can look several times during the day while doing other things (like washing hands, showering, having a short break from work, walking, etc) before replying.

Loving,

[Maryann]

Can it be known how tall the body is? Does the body have a weight or volume? In the actual experience does the body have a shape or a form?

It can't be known how tall the body is and there isn't an experience of weight or volume. There isn't any sensation of shape or form,

Is there a boundary between the body and the clothing? Is there a boundary between the body and the chair?

It's just one sensation so there is no boundary.

Is there an inside or an outside? If there is an inside - the inside of what exactly? If there is an outside - the outside of what exactly?

It's as if an inside is where I am and an outside is where everything else is. Inside of what? I don't know.

What does the word/label ‘body’ ACTUALLY refer to? What is the ACTUAL experience of the body?

Various sensations that are mapped to different body parts. For example this sensation is in my left foot.

[Anastacia42]

Good. Let's take this a little further.


Deeper Body Investigation

Here is an even deeper investigation of the body. Please follow each step, don't leave out any. Take your time. Don't move to the next step until the previous one is clearly seen.

Repeat the exercise several times.

Stand in front of a bigger mirror.

(1) First, close the eyes and feel the sensations labelled ‘body’.

(2) Then open the eyes and look into the mirror while still paying attention to the sensations. Is there any connection between the felt sensations and the image in the mirror? Or just thoughts (and/or mental images) suggest that there is?

(3) While still paying attention to the sensations move one hand and observe the movement from the mirror. Is there any connection between the felt sensations (labelled ‘hand’) and image of movement in the mirror?

(4) Now do the same movement with the hand, but this time look at the hand directly, not from the mirror. Is there any connection between the felt sensations (labelled ‘hand’) and the image ‘of movement’? Or only thoughts suggest it?

(5) Now, pay attention only to the image in the mirror. Does the image by itself suggest in any way that is ‘you’ or ‘your body’? Does the image itself suggest in any way that it is a ‘body’ at all? Or are there only colours and shapes?

(6) Where the mirror ends, some parts of the body (probably legs) cannot be seen. Just by the image in the mirror, is there any ‘knowledge’ that there must be legs, or only thoughts and mental images suggest so?

(7) Now turn away from the mirror and look forward (don’t look directly to any body parts).

Is there a ‘body’ anywhere when all thoughts and images are ignored, or are there only sensations?

(8) Start to walk slowly.

Is there a ‘body walking’, or are there only sensations?
Is there actual experience of ‘walking’ at all?

Or just THOUGHTS ABOUT ‘walking’?

Can such a thing as ‘body’ be found OR just THOUGHTS ABOUT a ‘body’?

Can such a thing as ‘walking’ be found?

(9) Are the sensations localized in space, like ‘going through the room’; OR is there only an image that is labelled ‘room’ and appearing sensations without any location?

Loving,

[Maryann]

Is there any connection between the felt sensations and the image in the mirror? Or just thoughts (and/or mental images) suggest that there is?

There is no connection between felt sensations and the image in the mirror.

Is there any connection between the felt sensations (labelled ‘hand’) and image of movement in the mirror?

No connection.

Is there any connection between the felt sensations (labelled ‘hand’) and the image ‘of movement’? Or only thoughts suggest it?

I found it difficult to answer this question. There does seem to be a connection between the image and the felt sensation because I can feel the hand moving at the same time that I see it.

Does the image by itself suggest in any way that is ‘you’ or ‘your body’? Does the image itself suggest in any way that it is a ‘body’ at all? Or are there only colours and shapes?

The image by itself is only colours and shapes.

Just by the image in the mirror, is there any ‘knowledge’ that there must be legs, or only thoughts and mental images suggest so?

Thoughts and mental images suggest the legs and I can also feel sensations that i identify as legs. But the sensations themselves don't claim that.

Is there a ‘body’ anywhere when all thoughts and images are ignored, or are there only sensations?

Only sensations.

Is there a ‘body walking’, or are there only sensations?

Only sensations.

Is there actual experience of ‘walking’ at all?

Just sensations labelled as walking.
I haven't finished answering the questions but I'm posting this because I don't want to lose what I've written. I haven't got Word on this laptop. I'll be back tomorrow.