An Investigation of The Self and The Site

[vinceschubert]

Good evening Casey,

No. Well… I definitely have a body and thoughts. Or, I’m encased in a body (and thoughts).

So who/what is the "I" that has a body ? ..who/what is encased.

There is no fixed Self.

Is there a non-fixed Self ?

The biggest shift has been further letting go of the thoughts.

Can you describe how this happened ? What changed for this to occur ?

It was more like I was aware but there wasn’t anything to think about. At that particular moment I was just sitting.

Who/what "was aware" ? ..and "just sitting."

Backed away it’s clear that there is just a constant reacting taking place.

Can you give some examples from your life-ing today, of how apparent choice/decision/control actually happen ?


love

vince

[CaseyAPayne]

Good evening Casey,

Good afternoon vince.

No. Well… I definitely have a body and thoughts. Or, I’m encased in a body (and thoughts).

So who/what is the "I" that has a body ? ..who/what is encased.

I suppose there's just an "awareness".

There is no fixed Self.

Is there a non-fixed Self ?

Got me. lol There is, as far as I'm gathering, no Self to be fixed or unfixed.

The biggest shift has been further letting go of the thoughts.

Can you describe how this happened ? What changed for this to occur ?

It was the day I was looking for the "source" of thoughts. I flashed back to the day I saw Karate Kid and decided to "be" Mr. Miyagi when I grew up. I've been very deliberately spinning a tale based on that tale. Then everything just stopped. [It stopped now as I'm forming thoughts.]

The best way to describe it is that there isn't anything for the thoughts to "stick" to. There isn't anyone there to "own" the thoughts. They are just thoughts. They're not "my" thoughts. They're just thoughts.

It was more like I was aware but there wasn’t anything to think about. At that particular moment I was just sitting.

Who/what "was aware" ? ..and "just sitting."

I don't have a good answer for who/what. By "just sitting", this body was on the floor in half lotus, breathing with no thought happening.

Backed away it’s clear that there is just a constant reacting taking place.

Can you give some examples from your life-ing today, of how apparent choice/decision/control actually happen ?

I can tell you when it felt like control was happening. I have a really flexible work schedule. I hadn't run yet today and it was 10 o'clock and she often likes starting at 10 o'clock. I could have ran first and called, but I "decided" to call to see if she wanted to start then (and she did).

When I got back for lunch I "decided" to do my run right then. After I ate I "decided" to respond to this, but I intuitively know that all of those "decisions" were premade from the conditions (a reflection of feeling, environment, thoughts...) If the feelings and thoughts aren't "mine" and "I" am merely reacting to situations based on past conditioning and present feelings and thoughts, there aren't decisions being made.

That (Karate Kid) was the single most influence thought/idea that happened. Everything happening right now can be traced back to that moment. But there were moments that led to that moment. I happened to be the right age with the right conditions for that thought to be so impactful. "I" had nothing to do with creating those conditions, they just happened.

Now "I" am here. Experiencing THIS with the illusion of choice.

With love.

Casey

[vinceschubert]

G'day Casey, Another guide asks; Q5. You describe how there is 'intuitive knowledge that all of those "decisions" were premade from the conditions'. How is this known? Looking in direct experience at the moments where 'choice' seems to have been made, what is observed?

v

[CaseyAPayne]

5) Do you decide, intend, choose, control events in Life? Do you make anything happen? Give examples from your experience.

No. I don’t think so. I’m just constantly reacting to things. Every “decision” I’ve made has been preceded by a million decisions I haven’t made. Within the Casey (or I) construct it certainly feels like I am making decisions. Backed away it’s clear that there is just a constant reacting taking place.

G'day Casey,

Good evening vince.

Another guide asks; Q5. You describe how there is 'intuitive knowledge that all of those "decisions" were premade from the conditions'. How is this known? Looking in direct experience at the moments where 'choice' seems to have been made, what is observed?

So I decided to take this question and meditate. Decided to set the timer for 36 minutes. I went looking for a time in my life when I made a decision. I went back to Karate Kid then moved forward through grade school, then middle school, then some "big decisions", it eventually became "painfully" obvious that I've never made a decision in my life. Then that blankness that descended upon me like the first time I went back to Karate Kid in meditation. Last time I got there I sat, blank, for a while and then the thought came "that was cool, let's get up".

Sitting there this time, I saw that it's not that I make decisions. Thoughts arise, or some event takes place which create reactions. I experienced this by watching thoughts about the clock arise, thoughts about getting up, I watched them. Then blank. Emptiness, but aware. A thought would arise and descend. Once I thought "either a thought is going to have me get up, or the clock will, let's let the clock do it."

Even why I'm on this page.

Karate Kid -> Kung Fu Center -> Desire to learn Chinese -> Master Wang (Taiji Teacher) -> Teaching Taiji -> Meeting Bill -> a trip to Puerto Rico where I happening to bring the Gateless Gate with me -> Bill telling me about this website ->...

Not one thought or one decision is "mine". If I don't think them, who or what does? Where do they come from? I'm asking rhetorically. Some "deep abyss" it seems.

[vinceschubert]

Good evening Casey.
Another guide asks; "Can a thinker be found? Can thoughts themselves think?"

I'm asking rhetorically. Some "deep abyss" it seems.

Yes, (the great mystery). Now this is an important (ha) portal.
Your story of the sequence, that started with Karate Kid, may be approximately accurate, but i expect that you can see that there were many conditions that contributed, that remain unknown ?
i would go as far as to say, that every story is incomplete. Can you grok this ?
So how are stories (thoughts) useful ?
Is it essential that for a story to be useful, that it has to be believed ?
Is it true, that ALL stories are ABOUT something ?
That is, they describe.
Thoughts seem obsessed with explaining and describing. (they then apply meaning) i imagine that this is a language thing, and a purpose of that is to communicate.
But a lot of the time we are communicating to ourselves (literally)
A story about an experience is communicated to (and incorporated into) a story of Self.
With a 'self story' that consists mainly of useful chapters, (all of the personal stuff is gone) there is no need for most of the 'self communication'. ...and that which does happen, is recognized. (hopefully)
Does it take an experiencer to experience the experienced ? (don't think the answer, look to the experiencing of the sensation of the bum (concept) meeting (concept) chair (concept).
With intense focus in this sensation, what exists experientially ?

love

vince

[CaseyAPayne]

Good evening Casey.

Good evening vince.

Another guide asks; "Can a thinker be found? Can thoughts themselves think?"

No, a thinker can not be found. The second question seems trickier. I imagine it is due to language. Within the matrix of concepts, yes, thoughts clearly can think. Peering in to the abyss though... Leaves me with ERROR/INVALID. Like asking "Does the wind think?"

I'm asking rhetorically. Some "deep abyss" it seems.

Yes, (the great mystery). Now this is an important (ha) portal.
Your story of the sequence, that started with Karate Kid, may be approximately accurate, but i expect that you can see that there were many conditions that contributed, that remain unknown ?

Practically infinite. Yes.

i would go as far as to say, that every story is incomplete. Can you grok this ?

I just learned a new word. Yes, I grok this.

So how are stories (thoughts) useful ?

As a means of communication. To communicate what though...

Is it essential that for a story to be useful, that it has to be believed ?

Are these two separate questions? Stories definitely do not have to be useful... I was going to say that they don't need to be believed, but it seems as though, at minimum, "I" must believe them.

Is it true, that ALL stories are ABOUT something ?
That is, they describe.
Thoughts seem obsessed with explaining and describing. (they then apply meaning) i imagine that this is a language thing, and a purpose of that is to communicate.
But a lot of the time we are communicating to ourselves (literally)
A story about an experience is communicated to (and incorporated into) a story of Self.
With a 'self story' that consists mainly of useful chapters, (all of the personal stuff is gone) there is no need for most of the 'self communication'. ...and that which does happen, is recognized. (hopefully)

I followed that. I feel as though I should have started this with what I'm about to write below.

[Inserted after the below: "I took this with me when I meditated..."]

(all of the personal stuff is gone)

This seems to be giving it the "movie" feeling. Going to the abyss, coming back, seeing that there is no "I" (in the sense that I've been conditioned) allowed "me" to drop... everything (not completely and magically so as of yet). All that story. Not who/what I am. Seeing this "truth" within myself and applying it to all... is weird.

It's almost as if... I'm having a conversation with myself! (Talking to "you". lol) Two "thoughts from the abyss" communicating through man mediums and the internet... heh.

Does it take an experiencer to experience the experienced ? (don't think the answer, look to the experiencing of the sensation of the bum (concept) meeting (concept) chair (concept).
With intense focus in this sensation, what exists experientially ?

I took this with me when I meditated this morning.

I felt the bum (concept) meeting (concept) floor (concept). What happened was "my" "bum" "quickly" "fused with" "my" "foot/ankle", which "moved up" "my" "legs", and the "meeting" "fused with" "my" "bum"...

What started to happen was there was no separation between the bum, the floor and the meeting. Then, there was some wind outside. There quickly became no ear, or listening or wind. It all just was. It wasn't "outside" or "inside" of "me". What was interesting was then someone started talking downstairs. At first I listened to it like I normally would, but then each word started getting broken up and seeing all of the different concepts around it. Then it became apparent that the speaking was the same as the wind.

I didn't sit very long because there was other stuff I needed to do but what I left with was that... "I" am just kind of riding this wave. It's funny because it's experienced like I'm doing something (at least... it used to be... more than it is now) but really... it's all just happening.

The parallel between the wind and the speaking was interesting. I want to compare the listening (concept) to the meeting (concept) in that it got "fused" (no lines separating). When the speaking came in, concepts and lines were all over the place (something about a "bag" and "getting" and...) But "really" it was just wind (but it wasn't. :P )

Anyhow, I didn't get up trying to be "connected to all" but... the day wasn't really exactly weird, but extending that "abyss of thoughts" from "myself" out to others ("their" thoughts) and "fusing" (no borders between) left me with... a great sense of calm.

It was (is) like watching a movie (and not).

[vinceschubert]

Good evening Casey, Another guide asks; "What determines if a thought/story is believed or not?"

How do you feel about this stream of questions ?

love

vince

[CaseyAPayne]

Good evening Casey

Good afternoon Vince! Perhaps it was due to the site maintenance, but I didn't get an alert for this post and when I last checked the site was down.

Another guide asks; "What determines if a thought/story is believed or not?"

The first thing that came to mind was experience.

How do you feel about this stream of questions ?

They have been excellent!

To expand on experience, I have a small group of friends who discuss this and other related things on a regular basis (and have been for years). For the last few years I had been wrestling with "freewill" and came to the logical conclusion that it did not exist but, so what?

I suppose I believed it didn't exist... So perhaps experience isn't necessary for belief... I suppose belief comes from a combination of thought/story and experience reinforcing each other.

Anyhow, I can explain to my group of friends (and most people if they ask) how freewill doesn't exist. They either believe me, or they don't (based on a combination of story and experience). I was telling one of my friends in the group about what I experienced when I sat deeply with the "Have I ever made a choice?" He immediately came back with "Yeah, I used to think about that in high school, I get it." Talking to him more made "me" (heh) understand the difference between understanding something and experiencing something and why there is such an emphasis on the experience over the understanding.

The three questions which have which have stuck out the most through this process are:

• Do I make decisions?
• Where do thoughts come from?
• What do you experience when you remove the concepts of the bum, floor and meeting?

Going back to "What determines if a thought/story is believed or not?" it seems that the thoughts/stories ("we" "are" "encased" "in") determines whether the thoughts/stories are believed or not. Often times experience reinforces belief. Belief is totally dependent on thoughts and stories.

Removing thoughts and stories there isn't anything to believe (or not).

[vinceschubert]

Good evening Casey,

Perhaps it was due to the site maintenance, but I didn't get an alert for this post and when I last checked the site was down.

Yes, the site has become so busy that they had to migrate to a better server. You should have received an email about it.

Belief is totally dependent on thoughts and stories.

i agree, although i would say that there is an experiential aspect to belief too.
Consider how you feel when you check with the belief that daylight will appear again after tonight.
Now consider the feelings when you clearly don't believe that the sun will never shine again.
Was there a difference ?
A logical story might be something like; A belief is accompanied by permission to act, without first checking consciously.
There has been a suspension of (critical) consideration associated with whatever has been believed.
Some level of cognitive dissonance may emerge when a belief is challenged or exposed to conflicting beliefs.
Living in the dream, a body may need to behave AS IF something is believed. For practical purposes.
Does that mean that the experiencing that occurs, when confronted with conceptually based behavior (somebody living out the script of their story), does that mean that this is not what is experienced ?

Casey, if your up for it, i'd like you to have a go at Haiku.
(in case you don't know, already) A Haiku has 3 lines.
The first line has 5 sylabals.
The second has 7
and the third has 5.
If the intention arises,
to do a Haiku, for you.
It would look like this.
..or this one, on Truth.
Truth is meaningless,
unless there's some benefit.
Pure convenience.

..will you do one on Belief(s)

..and while it is happening, check for sensations. Don't apply meaning to them, just describe a 10 second snapshot. (then go finish the Haiku)

love

vince

[CaseyAPayne]

Good evening Casey,

Morning vince!

Yes, the site has become so busy that they had to migrate to a better server. You should have received an email about it.

Yeah, I didn't get any emails or an email alert about this post. I adjusted some setting in the control panel, maybe that will fix it.

Belief is totally dependent on thoughts and stories.

i agree, although i would say that there is an experiential aspect to belief too.
Consider how you feel when you check with the belief that daylight will appear again after tonight.
Now consider the feelings when you clearly don't believe that the sun will never shine again.
Was there a difference ?

I can't even imagine the sun not shining again! I can imagine what it would be like, but I can't imagine that it is even remotely possible.

A logical story might be something like; A belief is accompanied by permission to act, without first checking consciously.
There has been a suspension of (critical) consideration associated with whatever has been believed.

Yes, I follow this. For example I believe that when I press the keys on this keyboard the matching characters will pop up on the screen.

Some level of cognitive dissonance may emerge when a belief is challenged or exposed to conflicting beliefs.

Like learning about the tooth fairy or a conflicting economic model.

Living in the dream, a body may need to behave AS IF something is believed. For practical purposes.
Does that mean that the experiencing that occurs, when confronted with conceptually based behavior (somebody living out the script of their story), does that mean that this is not what is experienced ?

The final question confused me. I reedited in my mind as such:

Does that mean that the experiencing that occurs, when confronted with conceptually based behavior (somebody living out the script of their story), is not what is experienced ?

The phrase "perception is reality" is the first thing that came to mind. It's something I used to like saying but it seems to greatly oversimplify some "key" concepts. Perhaps "perception is experiential reality" is a more fitting statement.

Perception, being the body behaving AS IF something is believed combined with conceptual based behavior, creates one's "experiential reality", which people confuse for reality.

I wanted to comment further on "living in the dream" but not before explaining the above. "Living in a dream" is perhaps the best way I can phrase what I'm, more and more, "seeing" but... I've heard that countless times before! It doesn't do a very good job of describing things and it, at the same time, describes things almost perfectly.

To answer the question (that I believe was asked), we experience what we experience and it's "real" (the experiences), but it's not reality.

I just said this somewhere else for a different reason, but the phrase "the map isn't the territory" seems as though it could be fitting here if you plug experiences in as the map.

Casey, if your up for it, i'd like you to have a go at Haiku.
(in case you don't know, already) A Haiku has 3 lines.
The first line has 5 sylabals.
The second has 7
and the third has 5.
If the intention arises,
to do a Haiku, for you.
It would look like this.
..or this one, on Truth.
Truth is meaningless,
unless there's some benefit.
Pure convenience.

..will you do one on Belief(s)

..and while it is happening, check for sensations. Don't apply meaning to them, just describe a 10 second snapshot. (then go finish the Haiku)

What's to believe NOW?
Frozen in time, void of thought
Who can believe what?

The second line describes what happened after writing the first line. I sat there looking for something to believe NOW (if that makes sense). Conceptual ties to my surroundings vanished.

I love haikus! :D

[vinceschubert]

Good evening Casey,

but I can't imagine that it is even remotely possible.

So this is a belief that it will never happen ?

Does that mean that the experiencing that occurs, when confronted with conceptually based behavior (somebody living out the script of their story), is not what is experienced ?

Yes, of course, experiencing is always THIS.
So how does belief, fit in with experiencing ?
..and if we behave AS IF something is believed, and recognize that this is a social convenience, how does that fit in with experiencing ?

Perhaps "perception is experiential reality"

When you perceive the color red, your brain will have a different color red, to what my brain generates. It does this without the corrupting overlay of thought.
So, i would describe perception as the awareness of the sense input, before description (and certainly before judgement).
Try this; take an object sitting on your desk and put it where you can see it clearly.
Now just look and watch both the input from your visual sense, and watch what thoughts do.
Don't focus sharply on either until things quieten down, then intensify the acuity of the visual sense while withdrawing focus on what thoughts are happening. Eventually just aware of the existence of thoughts without any need to know what they are about. Looking... Seeing, as if for the very first time...

Report your memory of experiencing.

but it's not reality.

Say more on this..

The second line describes what happened after writing the first line. I sat there looking for something to believe NOW (if that makes sense). Conceptual ties to my surroundings vanished.

Yes, i do love it.
That which appears when looking.
Fucking WonderFull !

love

vince

[CaseyAPayne]

Good evening Casey,

Morning vince! Still not getting emails... I'll have to fiddle with the setting again.

but I can't imagine that [the sun not rising] is even remotely possible.

So this is a belief that it will never happen?

I suppose so. Well... maybe less of a belief that it will never happen and more of a belief that it will happen when I wake. Similar, but different. Based on experience, if someone wanted to bet me $100 each night as to whether the sun would rise or not, I'd take that bet EVERY TIME. It would only be logical. Whether I believed the sun would rise or not the next day doesn't really matter. If it didn't... there would be a different set of challenges to face! lol

Does that mean that the experiencing that occurs, when confronted with conceptually based behavior (somebody living out the script of their story), is not what is experienced ?

Yes, of course, experiencing is always THIS.
So how does belief, fit in with experiencing ?
..and if we behave AS IF something is believed, and recognize that this is a social convenience, how does that fit in with experiencing ?

It takes me back to the "it's all an elaborate a dream" thought.

Perhaps "perception is experiential reality"

When you perceive the color red, your brain will have a different color red, to what my brain generates. It does this without the corrupting overlay of thought.
So, i would describe perception as the awareness of the sense input, before description (and certainly before judgement).
Try this; take an object sitting on your desk and put it where you can see it clearly.
Now just look and watch both the input from your visual sense, and watch what thoughts do.
Don't focus sharply on either until things quieten down, then intensify the acuity of the visual sense while withdrawing focus on what thoughts are happening. Eventually just aware of the existence of thoughts without any need to know what they are about. Looking... Seeing, as if for the very first time...

Report your memory of experiencing.

I read things off kind of step by step. I guess I had a feeling of where things were going. I read this:

Try this; take an object sitting on your desk and put it where you can see it clearly.

And just stared at my wallet. Thoughts and things kind of vanished immediately. Then I just noticed a bunch of little details. It was like I was zooming in and out of different parts of it.

I read the other instructions but thoughts were gone the first time. When I read "Seeing, as if for the very first time..." and looked at it it briefly turned into a sandwich. lol

To answer the question (that I believe was asked), we experience what we experience and it's "real" (the experiences), but it's not reality.

Say more on this..

Hmmm... I want to say that there's an "objective reality" but... THIS reality is the only one I can ever "know" (perhaps experience is better stated).

I suppose it's the tangle of thoughts coupled with experience of THIS (the NOW). What you seem to refer to as "behaving AS IF something is believed" for convenience. Whilst behaving AS IF something is believed it, experientially, seems to be no different from believing it.

I'll go further. It seems like if a person walked around with an "AS IF" filter, it would be another concept one is carrying around. For example, "exercising the seeing" and then experiencing things "AS IF" they are believed, opposed to conceptually experiencing things "AS IF" they are believed seem like two completely different things (if you follow me).

It seems as though a lot of people, "my" Self included, can very easily fall into the conceptually experiencing things AS IF they are believed.

There is a subtle, but powerful, difference between the two.

The second line describes what happened after writing the first line. I sat there looking for something to believe NOW (if that makes sense). Conceptual ties to my surroundings vanished.

Yes, i do love it.
That which appears when looking.
Fucking WonderFull !

Language is funny
What does Stevie Wonder see?
WonderFull seeing!

[vinceschubert]

G'day Casey,

Morning vince! Still not getting emails...

Yeah, me neither. Something didn't happen when the site was migrated. (i will ask) Ha, there was a thread on this issue. Gmail put all of my notifications in the Spam folder. (i guess it started coming from a new ip address) Either put Admin address in contacts or just tell your mail program that this is not spam. (it that is what happened to you too)

more of a belief that it will happen when I wake.

This lost me. Say more..

I'd take that bet EVERY TIME.

Can you recall the feeling that this one is associated
with ?
Does that feeling (of confident sureness) come before or after the story that the sun will always rise ?

Hmmm... I want to say that there's an "objective reality" but...

Yes, it's such a handy concept.
So, for the sake of satisfactory interaction with your fellow organisms, do you behave AS IF an objective reality is actual ? ..even though you don't (can't) know if it is true ? ..even though you can't find one (in experience) ?

Language is funny
What does Stevie Wonder see?
WonderFull seeing!

Bloody brilliant !
i saw that "he couldn't see."
..but missed, WONDER full. (until just a moment ago. ...and the sudden seeing, hit a funny bone. Hahaha!)


love

vince

[CaseyAPayne]

G'day Casey,

Good afternoon vince! Long time no forum!

Yeah, me neither. Something didn't happen when the site was migrated. (i will ask) Ha, there was a thread on this issue. Gmail put all of my notifications in the Spam folder. (i guess it started coming from a new ip address) Either put Admin address in contacts or just tell your mail program that this is not spam. (it that is what happened to you too)

So it was in the spambox! Hopefully I fixed it. I was off traveling last weekend. Then work. Then some "mania" (I'm bipolar, the energy comes and goes). Now I'm back here! :) Hopefully I'll get an alert and be back to the regularly scheduled investigations.

more of a belief that it will happen when I wake.

This lost me. Say more..

Earlier this week I meditated on that and "saw" something completely different. "Me" being a spec of dust on the planet and the Sun just sitting there and the earth revolving around it and spinning. The rising isn't even rising... There was something odd about the perspective shift.

Anyhow, observation and experience creates the belief that in, what we call morning, the sun will be there to greet me if it is a cloud free day.

I'd take that bet EVERY TIME.

Can you recall the feeling that this one is associated with ?
Does that feeling (of confident sureness) come before or after the story that the sun will always rise ?

Comes after the story has been ingrained.

Hmmm... I want to say that there's an "objective reality" but...

Yes, it's such a handy concept.
So, for the sake of satisfactory interaction with your fellow organisms, do you behave AS IF an objective reality is actual ? ..even though you don't (can't) know if it is true ? ..even though you can't find one (in experience) ?

I do behave AS IF there is an objective reality, when interacting with fellow organisms at least.

Language is funny
What does Stevie Wonder see?
WonderFull seeing!

Bloody brilliant !
i saw that "he couldn't see."
..but missed, WONDER full. (until just a moment ago. ...and the sudden seeing, hit a funny bone. Hahaha!)

What's reality?
Don't look in definitions.
What's happening now?

---
The last week has been a whirlwind of activity. Last weekend I made a trip to Milwaukee, WI (my home town, a big city, I live in a small town right now). While there I took part in a push hands meetup "I" organized and a Black Lives Matter poetry reading "I" organized. At the poetry event I tried to explain how everyone there actually organized it and "I" didn't do much. This was actually true without getting into the "weirdness" of "no self". I created a Facebook event and it organically spread. Anyhow, upon arriving home I was playing "catch up". I'm a creature of habit and when my routine is thrown off it throws me off...

Right now I'm in the mix of discussing the political climate here in the US in a couple places on the web...

Not sure why I'm sharing all of that. Maybe because, since I had been discussing the no self on this site, it has been interesting to watch everything unfold. "Watch" my thoughts at times. Sometimes, because of the mania, I "couldn't" let go of some idea or project I wanted to do even though there was "a part of myself" saying "Let's go to sleep and finish this tomorrow" (for example).

I will say that meditation has actually become my favorite part of the day. lol I sit long enough to briefly commune with... let's call it the void and then I get on with things. Sometimes "I" hang out there longer than others.

I've ramble enough!

[vinceschubert]

Hi Casey,

observation and experience creates the belief that in, what we call morning, the sun will be there to greet me

If we look a bit further at this, we only say that the belief exists when we are talking about it. The rest of the time, when it's not even considered, does the belief actually exist ? Where is it when we are not thinking of it ?

Comes after the story has been ingrained.

So after it is ingrained, we can bypass the thoughts that make up the story. We can go straight to the responding. With consideration of the subject, we can bring the story back, but otherwise it is not required. So is there anything active that has us behaving as if the sun will surely rise ? Is there anything active as a result of the absence of a counter belief ?

Hmmm... I want to say that there's an "objective reality"

Yes, it's such a convenient story. Your "but..." says there is an exception. Can you know that there is or is not an objective reality ?

I do behave AS IF there is an objective reality, when interacting with fellow organisms at least.

Yes, of course. Even if we recognize the degree of illusion in consensus reality, we have to play to it, for communication and cooperation to happen.

What's reality?
Don't look in definitions.
What's happening now?

THIS is not a thing.
Reality can be seen
as objective stuff.