Hi Allen,
I love your commitment to doing the exercise!
Just break down all experiences into these categories (which are all actual experience) and report back how you go..
not as strong a sense of me doing the actual experience although a constant thought stream throughout.
when tasting with eyes closed seemed to happen in nothing with eyes open seemed to happen in the head.
hearing with eyes closed seemed to arise out of nowhere and disappear into nothing with eyes open i would locate sound with eyes and thought or name what caused it.
Lot of sight with labling objects. What small amount of not labeling happened then less a thought of me doing it.
bright vibrant colors grabbed more focus as did pain and loud noises.
out of twelve hours maybe spent two hours of AE that was intentional. AE very difficult to do with tv or mutiple people ineracting in room. still have four more hours left of evening
Let’s have closer look at actual experience (AE)
If you have an apple, it would be a good to have it in front of you when you read the following.
Have a look at an apple. In the "looking at an apple" experience, there's colour, a thought saying "apple", and maybe a thought saying "I'm looking at an apple."
What is known for sure? Colour is known and thoughts are known.
What about the content of thoughts - what they describe?
Can "apple" be found in actual experience? And actual experience does not refer to thoughts ABOUT something…because that is only just more thought. Actual experience is sound, thought, colour, smell, taste, sensation.
Is there really an apple here, or only colour and a thought ABOUT "apple"?
Can "I'm looking at an apple" be found in actual experience?
Is there really a looker here, or again, only colour and thoughts ABOUT "apple", "looker" and "looking"?
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.
Just continue to break down experience into actual experience. No need to be intense about, just when you remember and when you have a bit of quiet time. When you have some quiet time or remember, just grab a cup and do the same exercise as above. When having a coffee/tea you can add taste and smell to the description as well. You can even do it with people. :)
Let me know how you go :)
Kay
xx