Ok, I'm ready for a guide

[Alexw]

Hi October,

Just one request from another guide:
"Can you please ask for examples from experience to Q5? I want to see a description of experience."

Love
Alex

[octoberc]

Sure : )

I can decide to get a drink, I can even decide what I want to drink but even in all the actions taken up to the point of getting a drink, it all originates from thought and there's no originator of thought. No doer, no seer, no thinker. There's no separate self that makes any of that happen, no owner.

With Love,
October

[Alexw]

Hi October,

I am not sure if I understand correctly... are you saying that decisions are only a thought but there is no entity "thinker or originator" that thinks/generates thoughts?
Are you aware of all the decisions that are made on a constant basis? Are decisions made by thought or is there awareness of the thought that a decision was made after deciding happened?

What you are saying sounds a bit like this:
I am sitting in front of the TV and I see an ad for mineral water. This triggers a feeling of thirst. I think "Hmm... I am thirsty, what should I drink... I don't have mineral water at home so lets just get water or... no, lets have a tea... or... hmmm... maybe just water is ok". So you get up and open the fridge and there is mineral water anyway... juhuuu.. I pour myself a glass of mineral water...
Do you think this story is one cognitive, thought based process of making a decision or might this be a process that includes many decisions that all have been made without an entity "chooser" - with thought just commenting what has been decided? Also keep in mind that a decision can be made, but before the action follows something else might happen that overrides/nullifies the earlier decision.

Most decisions are like this:
You drive in your car. You see a pedestrian stepping onto the road. You jump on the brake.
Was there any thought involved that you have been aware of before you jump on the brake?

Love,
Alex

[octoberc]

lol, wow, that's confusing... What I was trying to describe was that thoughts happen and you can make choices but the originator of the thoughts can't be found. When I trace back the origin, there's nothing there.

[Alexw]

thoughts happen and you can make choices but the originator of the thoughts can't be found

Yes, thoughts happen - no originator to be found, but who "makes choices"? If there is no originator (=thinker) of thought then who is making decisions? Thought itself? Any other entity? Or do decisions just happen - nothing there to make them..?

[octoberc]

Decisions just happen, nothing is there to make them. Il

[octoberc]

Oops, phone posted prematurely...

I asked of myself who makes the decisions and nothing is there... It feels like decisions come from a "me" that is running the show but like thoughts there is no originator, no doer making things happen. There's a disconnection from
control that is just aware of things happening and goes with the flow... If someone requests a decision of me, thoughts come up that seem like they could come from "me" but a prediction can't be made of where they come from or what they will be, they can only be witnessed when they come into awareness...

[Alexw]

It sounds a bit like you would not really be surprised if a "me"-entity suddenly popped up and declared - "haha, here I am - i have just been playing hide and seek, I was there all the time anyway..! how could you believe I don't exist..."
Do you feel there might still be something hiding "inside you"?

[octoberc]

It's nearly impossible to not refer to "yourself" in all cases... Might there be a situation that could arise in which the "self" could pop up & try to make an argument for itself, sure, but it's an illusion... Is there something that needs to be done to find out??

[Alexw]

No, there is nothing to be done, the realisation that this is happening is good enough - this will result in "I" residues slowly falling away over time.

[octoberc]

: ) thank you for all you have done to help being about this awareness.

[Alexw]

It has been my pleasure!

Do you have a Facebook name? Please let me know so I can invite you to the LU groups.

[octoberc]

Thanks! It's October Calkins : )