The Gate

How does it FEEL to SEE this?

I want to say "amused" but that's not a feeling. I'm not aware of any bodily sensation I can name. LIghtness?

Good. Yes.

Lightness is a body Sensation.

Body Sensations are *very* important in this process.

How to Identify a Lie

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First, can you remember a time when you lied to someone you loved?

Here we count anything, lies we think of as "big" or "small" that "matter" or don't "matter."

How are you? I'm fine. No, your knee hurts, but you don't feel like discussing it with the grocery clerk.

It's a lie. A seemingly "bigger" one will work better for this exercise.

Find the lie. I don't need the whole story, just a few key words to refer to it.

Then scan your body for any Sensation (DE), particularly in the gut or maybe the heart. Check very closely. What is found?


Lies are usually felt in the heart or solar plexus as a contraction that we may label as tight, heavy or tense.

In contrast, truth is usually expansive. We may call it loose, light or relaxed.

Loving,

First, can you remember a time when you lied to someone you loved?

It's very hard for me to find a specific memory. I know there were times when my ex-wife asked me if anything was wrong and I denied it rather than telling her my grievance. I feel a pressure in my chest but it's very faint. So faint, I'm not sure it's really there.

Good enough.

Can you feel how this lie is in your body?

Lies are usually felt in the heart or solar plexus as a contraction that we may label as tight, heavy or tense.

We often lie every day & don't realize it.

For example, the grocery clerk asks, "How are you?" You reply, "I'm fine." While, yes. there is a sense in which we are always fine, even in the middle of suffering, at that moment, you were grieving the death of your dog, you had a slight sore throat & you had a headache, but you didn't feel like sharing all of that with the grocery clerk, so you lied, "I'm fine."

Also, it matters none at all how "distant" the remembered lie is. Besides the fact that time itself is fictional, a kind if lie, as we recall the lie it becomes present in this moment, as if it were happening now. This brings the body Sensation that accompanies lying.

Lies can be intentional or unintentional, conscious or unconscious, even so automatic that we ourselves are fooled.

The story of a separate "self" is a lie.

This is the lie you came here to see through. Therefore, it is helpful to notice the body Sensation of lying as one of the tools for finding the truth of no self.

So far, you've shown that you're in touch with body Sensations & can clearly express them in words. This will help.

Now, if the memory you used wasn't clear enough, find another one or lie to yourself right now, make something up.

1 + 1 = 14 is a lie.

The Sun rises in the West is a lie.

I love eating worms is (probably) a lie.

Or call up a video of a lying politician & notice what Sensations arise as you listen.

Please report back with what body Sensations (not interpretations) you feel. Bodies can feel hot or cold, heavy or light, contraction or expansion, etc.

Loving,

Hi Stacy,
I'm struggling with this one. The best I can do is find a barely perceptible sense of tightness or heaviness in my throat or chest and a fluttering. I watched politicians lying, remembered the time in first grade that I threw away my first exam because I got a zero, which I was supposed to show to my parents, the years (!) I wouldn't wear my glasses in school until my father dropped in and saw I wasn't wearing them--this last one got the strongest response. But that was getting caught in a lie.

Good!

It is possible to be ignoring lies for so long that we no longer recognize the sensation. But you've got it. That tightness that sinking feeling the heaviness. That's a lie feeling.

Now try this:

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 ie 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.

Post this list.

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.

Post this list, too.

(Again, watch what is happening in the body.)

At the end of the twenty minutes compare the two ways in which the experience was labeled 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? Describe this.

Relax, have fun. Looking forward to your replies.


Loving,

I am walking.
I am looking at the thermometer.
I notice "70 degrees"
I decide to leave the thermostat alone.
I am sitting down.
I am feeling into my body.
I am hearing nada.
I am walking across the room
I am noticing a constricted sensation in my chest.
I am looking at a coffee cup.
I am raising the coffee cup and drinking.
I am tasting the coffee.
I am feeling its warmth.
I am looking at a computer screen.
I am noticing sensation in my legs.
I am noticing traffic noise.
I am checking in with the body.
I am noticing tension in my belly.
I am hearing the computer fan.
I am feeling an itch on my scalp.
I am holding my breath now.
I am feeling waves of pressure in my throat.
I am gasping.
I am feeling my chest relax.
I am opening my eyes.
I am hearing geese.
_______________________________________

Sitting on a chair.
Looking through window.
Seeing environment.
Feeling tightness in spine.
Burping.
Hearing computer fan.
Feeling into body.
Feeling relaxation in neck.
Closing eyes.
Standing.
Tightening thigh muscles.
Opening eyes.
Walking.
Feeling tightness and relaxation alternate in legs.
Sitting.
__________________________________________

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

The second one felt truer. "I" feels a bit like a lie.

2. What is here without labels?

Direct experience is present without labels, but with fewer thoughts.

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

Labels don't affect the experience, but I felt more awareness without labels.

4. Did you notice any differences in the body? Describe this.

I was more aware of body sensations in the second round. Also, the very subtle sense of discomfort and resistance present when I artificially inserted the word "I" in the first round wasn't present in the second round.

Yes. exactly.

Here's another pointer to try:

Please close your eyes for this exercise, just notice any ‘mental’ images or thoughts that appear and put them aside.

Place a hand on a desk or table (flat surface) - Close your eyes.

Now 'go to' the Sensation which we would normally refer to as 'hand on desk' and answer from what you can FIND.

1) How many things do you find? Are there two things (hand and desk) or is there one thing – AE of sensation.

2) Do you notice 'one thing feeling another thing'? Or is there just 'a sensation'?

3) Do you find an 'I', a body, a hand 'feeling' . . . or is there just 'a sensation'?


Look very carefully. Where does ‘feeling’ end and sensation begin? Can a dividing line between ‘feeling’ and sensation be found? Or is there just sensation?


Can a ‘feeler’ ever be found in 'what is being felt' – AE sensation?

If that is all, and no INHERENT FEELER is found . . . would anything that is suggested as the feeler be other than a concept/idea/thought?


Loving,

1) How many things do you find? Are there two things (hand and desk) or is there one thing – AE of sensation.

One thing - AE of sensation.

2) Do you notice 'one thing feeling another thing'? Or is there just 'a sensation'?

Just sensation

3) Do you find an 'I', a body, a hand 'feeling' . . . or is there just 'a sensation'?

Just sensation.

Look very carefully. Where does ‘feeling’ end and sensation begin? Can a dividing line between ‘feeling’ and sensation be found? Or is there just sensation?

Just sensation. No dividing line.

Can a ‘feeler’ ever be found in 'what is being felt' – AE sensation?

No 'feeler' is found.

If that is all, and no INHERENT FEELER is found . . . would anything that is suggested as the feeler be other than a concept/idea/thought?

The 'feeler' would be just a thought. Nobody is feeling. Sensation is.

Great, Jeff

Now let's do the same thing with the Sensation of your butt on the chair. I call it "ButtChair"and it is the only pointer I was given here. I did the same thing for 3 months until I SAW.

Same process of LOOKING & finding out whether there's any dividing line between your tush & the chair.

Of course it's LOOKING that matters, not replies to any questions. How does to FEEL to SEE clearly there is only Sensation?

Loving,

How does to FEEL to SEE clearly there is only Sensation?

Deeply relaxed and accepting. Nothing needs to be done.

Sensations are remaining in awareness. It's like I've never FELT before. This is not familiar. I feel lightness and fluttering.

Good morning!

Sensations are remaining in awareness. It's like I've never FELT before. This is not familiar. I feel lightness and fluttering.

How does to FEEL to SEE clearly there is only Sensation?
Deeply relaxed and accepting. Nothing needs to be done.

Excellent! Good. This could all be a sign of waking up.

Is there a separate entity 'self', 'me' 'I', at all, anywhere, in any way, shape or form? Was there ever? LOOK What is found?

Loving,

Is there a separate entity 'self', 'me' 'I', at all, anywhere, in any way, shape or form? Was there ever? LOOK What is found?

There is no separate entity 'self', 'me', 'I" to be found. It is a story (thought) and always was. However, there is still a point of view or center of experience sometimes. It's not present during butt-chair, but it's almost always present in the visual field. I see that this center is also a thought, but it's tenacious. The thought is less sticky than it used to be, since I'm now more aware of it as a thought. Also, there' are thoughts about planning. For example, I see a pear, I label it, I have a visual thought in which I'm enjoying eating the pear. Most often, I go and eat the pear. So I'm getting hooked by the thought.

Right."Self" is nothing more than a thought. A lie.

but it's almost always present in the visual field

Describe this "visual" exactly. What is seen? Exactly. Shape, color, size of this hallucination?


Loving,