The Gate

I haven't been able to find any deezer that is making choices. This is quite unnerving as it gives me the feeling of something other than deezer having control. This has also made me think to much about it rather than trust in the experience

Good, glad you held back from drifting into thinking ABOUT that experience. Keep that focus and you'll do well here.

So what is making the choices/reactions to stimuli?

Does there HAVE to be a 'what' making choices. This reminds me of an old zen saying - 'Spring comes, and the grass grows by itself'. Perhaps look to nature to investigate this one - if you plant a seed and water it, does it not grow? Does it need a something else to grow it? Anyway, I won't load you down with too much 'homework', you seem to be right on track with your investigations.

Looking forward to hearing your experience of the 'jump test'.

Paulo.

No problem, we can look at this one right away. If you 'thought' you were a millionaire and walked into a Rolls Royce showroom to buy a car would they give you one, or call security? If you 'thought' you could walk on water and wanted to test that theory could you actually do it, or would you be taking an early bath? If you were hungry and 'thought' you had eaten a meal, would your belly be full and your appetite fulfilled?

We can think anything we want - that we can fly, walk through walls, run like the wind, but if we actually look at direct experience these are just thoughts, illusions, fantasies.

Well explained.

The thought is real - it's actually experienced, but the content of that thought is not.

It thought experienced as a physical sensation?

But again, don't take my word for it, let's try a little exercise to explore how the mind mistakes the imaginary character 'I' for a real being and how it will attempt to protect or preserve what it believes itself to be.

This little exercise demonstrates how the mind mistakes the imaginary character 'I' in thought for a real being, and tries to protect it. It's what we might call the 'jump test'.

Step 1: Stand in a room where you have some quiet and some space
Step 2: Close your eyes and imagine as vividly as you can that you are standing on the roof of a tall building. Feel the wind around you, hear the traffic and noise of the street below, check if it's night or day, have a look around and note what you can see - engage as many senses in the imaginary experience as you can.
Step 3: In your imagination walk to the edge of the building - look at how far the street is below, see the traffic and people if there are any, see your feet on the edge.
Step 4: Both in your imagination and with the physical body take a step forward over the edge.

Observe how the body reacts, observe how the imaginary characters falls - did you reach the bottom, landing on the ground?

So I can have quite a detailed imagined scene, but when I step off the scene stops and I am left in the dark behind my eyelids with no falling.

Try that exercise again until you can successfully fall and land.

Will do

The laws of physics don't apply to the imagination - why do you think people find it so difficult to fall to the bottom?

Attachement to the self?

Thanks,

d

The thought is real - it's actually experienced, but the content of that thought is not.

It thought experienced as a physical sensation?

Patience young grasshopper - we'll explore the physical aspect of direct experience in a little while. For now we'll keep a focus on thought, and whether a separate entity called Deezer can be found there.

The laws of physics don't apply to the imagination - why do you think people find it so difficult to fall to the bottom?

Attachement to the self?

No need for guessing here. When you succeed in falling to the bottom of your imaginary building you may have a clearer insight, and be able to answer that question from your own experience.

Good work!

No need for guessing here. When you succeed in falling to the bottom of your imaginary building you may have a clearer insight, and be able to answer that question from your own experience.

If dying because of the fall is a repercussion then I can't fall to the bottom. The role play just blacks out before I get there.
If it is part of a spiderman/matrix scenario where I land on my feet without any problem, then I can so it, easily.

d

The role play just blacks out before I get there.

That's fine, maybe that scenario didn't suit you, so I've included an alternative role play below which you might like to try, and share your findings here.

Again, this exercise explores how the mind mistakes the character called 'I' in imagination for something real, and takes steps to protect it from imagined danger.

Step 1: Stand in a room where you have some quiet and some space
Step 2: Close your eyes and imagine as vividly as you can that you are standing on a beautiful warm sandy beach. See the clear blue sky overhead, hear the waves gently breaking on the shore. Look down and see your feet there in the sand, wiggle your toes and feel the soft sand move. (Again, engage as many of the senses as possible)
Step 3: In your imagination walk to the edge of the water. See the waves coming gently up and onto the sand and then receding.
Step 4: In your imagination walk into the water. Keep walking until the water gets up to your waist, feel the coolness of the water on your body. Keep walking once again into deeper and deeper waters. Continue walking until you are completely covered in water and carry on deeper and deeper still, walking on the ocean floor.

Observe how the body reacts, observe how the imaginary character acts when the water is getting deeper. Did you manage to get submerged and stay submerged?

Try that exercise again until you can successfully remain submerged.

Once more, the laws of physics don't apply to the imagination - why do you think people find it so difficult to walk into the water completely?

Let me know how that goes for you, Paulo.

Observe how the body reacts, observe how the imaginary character acts when the water is getting deeper. Did you manage to get submerged and stay submerged?

Yes I managed to stay submerged. It is funny. As I walked into the water there was a stong feeling of me/I but when I went under and stayed under this feeling of I diminshed.There was still the sense of being under the water, but it lost is seperate I and just relaxed into being at the bottom looking around. A very open spacious feeling.

Once more, the laws of physics don't apply to the imagination - why do you think people find it so difficult to walk into the water completely?

Because they believe the 'I' is real so much that, even when imagining a role play, it is difficult to let go.

I have had some difficulty trying to find the moment when choices are made. It has been annoying because I thought my awareness was quite well tuned in. :-)
By trying harder to be aware I was actually taking a step back from the experience. Is it that the choices, etc, come already before awareness? Like the car they just pop up> Funny I thought that awareness was king, that awareness is the base of .... but now there seems to be something happening pre-awareness.

Hope you are well,

d

Hi Paulo,

While driving today I had my first experience of how a thought occurs and is an experience, but that the content is not real.

d

Thanks Deezer, glad you were able to 'get into' that second role play.

why do you think people find it so difficult to walk into the water completely?

Because they believe the 'I' is real so much that, even when imagining a role play, it is difficult to let go.

That has been my experience too - a character called 'I' in imagination is mistaken for something real and we act 'as if' it were true. But when we look a little closer that doesn't seem to be the case.

You can have some real fun with that too - jumping off buildings or out of planes. In my experience it can be very liberating to 'feel the fear and do it anyway', like you say - it's a very open and spacious feeling.

I have had some difficulty trying to find the moment when choices are made. It has been annoying because I thought my awareness was quite well tuned in. :-)

Don't stress, we'll continue looking at the various elements of direct experience, and everything will become clearer as you progress.


Today we look at the PHYSICAL in more detail –

Observe your movement in the moment.

The body moves, but is there a Deezer here making this movement occur?

How is it that all those muscles and joints work so perfectly to enable you to type on a keyboard with such precision?

If you tried to grow your hair longer by sheer force of will, could you? What are the implications of this?

That last one is just for fun, but consider it, and let me know if you needed an emergency haircut :-)

Also, feel free to share the experience you had while out driving (in relation to the content of thought), if you wish.

Paulo.

Today we look at the PHYSICAL in more detail –

Observe your movement in the moment.

The body moves, but is there a Deezer here making this movement occur?

Hi Paulo,

Nope, no deezer. Every movement seems to be happening of it's own accord. I wonder if the way thoughts are a reaction to stimuli, so to are our movements.

How is it that all those muscles and joints work so perfectly to enable you to type on a keyboard with such precision?

That takes practice and learning, not the super fine motor skills but the skill of typing is. In fact all our phyiscal skills are learnt at some level, but not all.

If you tried to grow your hair longer by sheer force of will, could you? What are the implications of this?

I like this one. The implications of this is that there is no controlling deezer whatsoever, no matter how much he wanted to control, it's not possible.

Also, feel free to share the experience you had while out driving (in relation to the content of thought), if you wish.

Well, as driving I realised that thinking is an action of sorts. One is thinking, or one is not thinking. The content is irrelevant, but the act of thinking is experienced as is the act of sitting. Not thinking (the act of) is also experienced.

Lots to experience... :-)

d

One is thinking, or one is not thinking. The content is irrelevant, but the act of thinking is experienced as is the act of sitting. Not thinking (the act of) is also experienced.

Very well explained, nice work Deezer! I think you're getting into the swing of things now - no thinking ABOUT thinking, or big analysis - just simply looking, perfect.

If you tried to grow your hair longer by sheer force of will, could you? What are the implications of this?

I like this one. The implications of this is that there is no controlling deezer whatsoever, no matter how much he wanted to control, it's not possible.

Yes, it's been my experience that the body just does it's own thing. Digestion, growth, it's all happening without a 'self' there organising which cells will go where or how fast they will grow. It all seems automatic - Spring comes and the grass grows by itself.

Next we will explore another element of Direct Experience - FEELINGS/EMOTIONS –

Think of something that made you happy.

Is there a Deezer there making you feel happy, or creating that emotion?

Did the experience of happiness you’ve just had last, or did you begin feeling something else after some time?

How did this change happen, did you choose another thought to make the happiness change to something else?

Onwards and upwards, Paulo :-)

Next we will explore another element of Direct Experience - FEELINGS/EMOTIONS –

Think of something that made you happy.

Is there a Deezer there making you feel happy, or creating that emotion?

No the experience of happy is a result of external stimuli, or in this case thinking about them.

Did the experience of happiness you’ve just had last, or did you begin feeling something else after some time?

No, it changed.

How did this change happen, did you choose another thought to make the happiness change to something else?

No 'I' didn't choose another thought. The experience itself just changed of it's own accord. Naturally.

d

No the experience of happy is a result of external stimuli, or in this case thinking about them.

At this point you can probably see that 'automatic' process happening in your everyday experience. My own experience has been, that just like thoughts, emotions too are reactive and almost mechanical in their nature, arising in response to stimuli, whether those stimuli are directly experienced, or imagined (believed to be real).

I've experienced too that this process is in a constant flow of change, with new reactions arising as new stimuli come into awareness. Even the emotion of happiness seems to trigger other emotions, and so on, like a river flowing.

--------------------------------------------
Just to do a quick recap at this stage -

We've looked at thought and found no 'I' there directing the whole show and choosing thoughts.
We've also explored the physical and seen that the body just does it's own thing.
We experienced emotions, and seen they arise in response to stimuli too, with no separate entity there creating them.

No we will look at an important element of direct experience - the HERE and NOW

Consider the following statement –

Nothing exists outside the present moment.

Have a good look at that statement and consider it as you go about your daily routine.

Did you find ANYTHING at all outside the present moment?

(There’s a prize of a brand new Ferrari if you can find anything outside the present moment).

Paulo :)

Nothing exists outside the present moment.

Have a good look at that statement and consider it as you go about your daily routine.

Did you find ANYTHING at all outside the present moment?

Hi Paulo,

no red ferrari for me :-)

I have been acutely aware of this for a long time. However still there is a veil of conceptuality which dampens the significance of this experience.

We are in a continuously unfolding moment of being, Similar to what we said about thougths: the experience of being is real, but the content is irrelevant.

d

Nice work Deezer, looks like that Ferarri is safe for another day :)

However still there is a veil of conceptuality which dampens the significance of this experience

This is why we look to direct experience (that which we are actually experiencing) to look at what is outside of the illusion created by conceptualising.

Take a time from your day when you know you won't be disturbed. Sit quietly for 5 minutes and notice all that is happening (yes, even thoughts too), without any movement, or reaction. Just let it all be there. Notice the sensations in the body, (even that itch that needs scratching), notice the flow of thought, notice feelings/emotions, sounds, tastes, just experience it all.

Do any of those experiences need a Deezer there in order to happen?

Is there a Deezer there, anywhere, experiencing what's happening, but separate from that experience?

Paulo.

Take a time from your day when you know you won't be disturbed. Sit quietly for 5 minutes and notice all that is happening (yes, even thoughts too), without any movement, or reaction. Just let it all be there. Notice the sensations in the body, (even that itch that needs scratching), notice the flow of thought, notice feelings/emotions, sounds, tastes, just experience it all.

Do any of those experiences need a Deezer there in order to happen?

Hi Paulo,

No there is no deezer needed to facilitate these experiences.

Is there a Deezer there, anywhere, experiencing what's happening, but separate from that experience?

No there is no deezer seperate from the experiences.