Stuck in awareness trap

[graceabounds]

Yes, this is a common presumption, this ‘awareness,’ and here are a couple of exercises to work with a little more refinement on this. Though there is understanding that the me thought comes after it may support to catch it in action.

Close your eyes.

With eyes closed, you will now experience 'blackness'. There may be other things you can find going on, sure. If you are looking at a bright light, there may be a red glow. (There may be sparkly bits or cloudy flecks appearing and disappearing - It really doesn't matter about
the specifics.) Just to make things simple, whatever you can see with eyes closed, I'm going to refer to it as 'black' or 'blackness' just for simplicity.

1) With eyes closed, can you confirm that what is experienced is 'blackness' as I mentioned?
2) Is there anything else in 'seeing' other than 'blackness'?
3) Can what is witnessing the blackness be found?
4) Can a pair of eyes, an 'I' / 'me', a person be found that is witnessing the blackness? Or is there just 'blackness' to be found?
What do you find?

Can an INHERENT SEE-ER be found? Would anything that is suggested as the see-er, be anything other than a concept/idea/thought?

Let's move on to opening the eyes now.
Again, address this very simply - The 'seeing' sense only for the moment.
With eyes open, a world of objects appears . . . a room . . . a computer screen etc. What you can specifically see isn't of interest here, and whatever it is, I am simply going to refer to it as 'what can be seen'. This might be a little more tricky, but give it some consideration.

1) With eyes open, can you confirm that what is experienced is 'what can be seen' as I mentioned?
2) Is there anything else in 'seeing' other than 'what can be seen'?
3) Can what is witnessing 'what can be seen' be found?
4) Can a pair of eyes, an 'I' / 'me', a Whitney be found that is witnessing 'what can be seen'?
Or is there just simply 'what can be seen' to be found?
What do you find?
Can an INHERENT SEE-ER be found? Would anything that is suggested as the see-er, be anything other than a concept/idea/thought?


Does “noticing” have a location?

Does it have a shape?
Does it begin and end?

Or is there simply the appearance of a thought saying, “this has been noticed”?

[Inthegarden]

1) With eyes closed, can you confirm that what is experienced is 'blackness' as I mentioned?
2) Is there anything else in 'seeing' other than 'blackness'?
3) Can what is witnessing the blackness be found?
4) Can a pair of eyes, an 'I' / 'me', a person be found that is witnessing the blackness? Or is there just 'blackness' to be found?
What do you find?

Initially closing my eyes, there is just what is- the blackness but it's not even recognized as blackness yet. Then comes the recognition of oh yep that's the blackness I was looking for. That is a thought. Then the thought to search for who/what recognized the blackness. Another thought. There is just the blackness. The labeling/recognizing is thought and the questioning/searching is thought.

1) With eyes open, can you confirm that what is experienced is 'what can be seen' as I mentioned?
2) Is there anything else in 'seeing' other than 'what can be seen'?
3) Can what is witnessing 'what can be seen' be found?
4) Can a pair of eyes, an 'I' / 'me', a Whitney be found that is witnessing 'what can be seen'?
Or is there just simply 'what can be seen' to be found?
What do you find?

There is just shape/color when I first open my eyes. Then the mind starts kicking in with the recognition/labeling thoughts like wall, hands, screen, etc. Again, all that can be found are the sensations and thought. The Whitney/I thoughts are just labeling this shape I call my body. So again, there is just the 'what can be seen', then thoughts are added to it.

Can an INHERENT SEE-ER be found? Would anything that is suggested as the see-er, be anything other than a concept/idea/thought?

No. I can't find anything other than sensations (sights, sounds, etc) and thought when I look. Previous to the thoughts, there is simply 'what can be seen'

Does “noticing” have a location?

Does it have a shape?
Does it begin and end?

No. These would all just be more thoughts or added labels. They aren't what actually is.

Or is there simply the appearance of a thought saying, “this has been noticed”?

Yes, the noticing is just another thought. The first thought that appears.

[graceabounds]

Very good.

Here’s an exercise to support in slowing down a little bit that labeling mechanism you are noticing.

Here's an exercise that I would like you to try as many times throughout the day as you can. Label daily activities simply color/image, sound, smell, taste, sensation, thought.

So for example, when having breakfast, become aware of:
Seeing a cup, simply= image/color
Smelling coffee, simply = smell
Feeling the warmth of the coffee cup, simply = sensation
Tasting the coffee, simply = taste
Hearing the spoon stirring the coffee, simply = sound
Thought about drinking the coffee, simply = thought

Just break down daily activities into these categories (which are all actual/direct experience) and report back how you go.

Have a look at an apple. If you have a ‘real’ apple, you can use it for this exercise, otherwise search online to use a photo of one.
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.

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?