The Gate

All of those details are stories & not Direct Experience.

Try this:



Direct Experience - Labeling Daily Activities

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 with lists exactly like the one above.

Post several of your own observations in a list *exactly* like the one above, please. Same word forms. Same order. EXACTLY.

Refer to the green list of Actual/Direct Experience in the prior post if that helps. Those are the only items any experience can be.

Loving,

Direct Experience - Labeling Daily Activities

going shopping:
feeling the sun=sensation
hearing the cars=sound
choosing items= thought
carrying the bag=sensation

making a phone call:
looking for the number=thought
talking to the robot=sound
taking notes=image

eating strawberries:
washing them=sensation
cutting them=sound, sensation
eating=taste

doing this exercise:
typing=sensation
reading the screen=image
deciding what to say=thought
judging the process=thought

Yes, exactly Those are good. Here's the next step.


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? There are some.

Loving

Mind Labeling Experience

I am writing
I am hearing blood rushing in my ears
I am looking at a painting
I am touching a felt mat
I am seeing the note pad
I am watching my pen
I am hearing my chair squeak
I am thinking about what to write next
I am looking at my left hand
I am bored
I am feeling a tension in my shoulders
I am closing my eyes
I am looking at the stuff on my desk
I am breathing in deeply
I am sitting on my right foot
I am mooving my head back and forth
I am waiting for siri to end the 10 minute
I am looking at the timer
I am listening to the pen on my paper
I am looking at the patterns of my writing
I am straightening my spine


hearing
listening
reading
writing
sitting
turning the chair
leaning on the table
touching the paper
hearing traffic
seeing colors
moving my hand
licking my lips
taking a deep breath
expanding my chest
letting my eye lids drop
playing with a paperclip
wishing I had chocolate
thinking of a lake
tingling on my head
touching my skin
hearing a voice
tension in my jaw
letting my head drop
leaning back
hearing my breath

1. Is one truer than the other, and If so, which one?
the second one seems a bit more open than the first, not sure if that makes it more true or not

2. What is here without labels?
awareness?

3. Do labels affect the experience or just describe it?
they definitely affect it. If there is a label given the experience kind of has to be made to fit the parameters

4. Did you notice any differences in the body? There are some.
in the second round I felt more open than in the first one, more relaxed

Please answer questions individually, remembering to use the quote function to highlight the question being answered.

Below is a link to the video with instructions on using the Quote Function. Please watch it. Use the PREVIEW button to make sure your text looks right before you hit "SUBMIT."

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=660

Please reformat your reply and post it again. This is important for 2 reasons.. First I read these on my phone. Second at the end we will be sharing your answers with other guides who will have to read it and it is best to make it easy on them

Loving,

Mind Labeling Experience

I am writing
I am hearing blood rushing in my ears
I am looking at a painting
I am touching a felt mat
I am seeing the note pad
I am watching my pen
I am hearing my chair squeak
I am thinking about what to write next
I am looking at my left hand
I am bored
I am feeling a tension in my shoulders
I am closing my eyes
I am looking at the stuff on my desk
I am breathing in deeply
I am sitting on my right foot
I am mooving my head back and forth
I am waiting for siri to end the 10 minute
I am looking at the timer
I am listening to the pen on my paper
I am looking at the patterns of my writing
I am straightening my spine

Mind Labeling Experience

hearing
listening
reading
writing
sitting
turning the chair
leaning on the table
touching the paper
hearing traffic
seeing colors
moving my hand
licking my lips
taking a deep breath
expanding my chest
letting my eye lids drop
playing with a paperclip
wishing I had chocolate
thinking of a lake
tingling on my head
touching my skin
hearing a voice
tension in my jaw
letting my head drop
leaning back
hearing my breath

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

the second one seems a bit more open than the first, not sure if that makes it more true or not

2. What is here without labels?

awareness?

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

they definitely affect it. If there is a label given the experience kind of has to be made to fit the parameters

4. Did you notice any differences in the body? There are some.

in the second round I felt more open than in the first one, more relaxed

Iam still not clear on the formatting on these replies: the first list of questions I answered in one block, and you said i should split it up, then you said it's OK to put it in one text. Now you asked me to make separate posts again. What am I not getting here?

It should look like this:

Quoted Question #1

Your answer

Quoted Question #2

Your answer

Quoted Question #3

Your answer

Got it? Sorry it seemed confusing. I don't need to open 6 posts,but I do want Quoted material highlighted.

Thank you,

oh you mean put several highlighted quotes in a single reply?

Correct!

Thank you!

Do not redo these. I can read them, but as we go forward please correct it.