Seeking, constantly seeking

[Anastacia42]

Hi Kara,

You did the exercise right

Now please quote one question at a time and answer each one underneath, not all in one quote box, ok?

Like this:

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

I don’t know. Maybe the second list but I don’t know if I’m just saying that because I think it’s the correct answer

2. What is here without labels?

Things just happen if you don’t label them.

Please do that for practice.


Yes. The second list is truer. The first list contains a myth, a lie: I

Here is how to distinguish truth from lies.

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.

You want to be in touch with body Sensations & able to clearly express them in words. This will help.

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.
[/b]
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?


If you think 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.

I will give you a clue: it is not that lighter Sensation you felt when you omitted "I."

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

"Peaceful" is an interpretation of a body Sensation, not a name for the Sensation itself, for example. Do you see that?


Loving,

~ Stacy

[KB1]

Hi Stacy

Understood.

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

Yes, I can recall a time.

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

A tight band across the throat, almost as if it is closing.
A nervousness in the stomach and a feeling of nausea
A heaviness in my chest and a tightening
A pain above my eye
Such tightness in my throat

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

The sensations are as above. My body is tense. My chest is tight and the feeling lingers long past the memory. It is an overall horrible feeling all over.

"Peaceful" is an interpretation of a body Sensation, not a name for the Sensation itself, for example. Do you see that?

Hmm, not sure. Are you saying, feeling peaceful is not the same describing yourself as “feeling a sense of peace”

Thank you

Kara

[Anastacia42]

No, I am saying that peaceful is a thought story not something a body can feel. It's tricky, but you can feel heaviness and lightness or expansion or contraction or relaxation and tension but you cannot feel peaceful or nervous or excited or any of these other very story-laden words.

All emotions are a simple sensation like the above plus a story about it. We do not want to look into the story. That is what we're looking to ignore.

Can you see this?

Loving,
Stacy

[Anastacia42]

So all of those tight sensations you feel indicate a lie.

tight band across the throat, almost as if it is closing.
A nervousness in the stomach and a feeling of nausea
A heaviness in my chest and a tightening
A pain above my eye
Such tightness in my throat

Nervousness is an interpretation.

The rest are Sensations.

This distinction is very important to SEEING there is no separate "self."

Are you clear on the difference between AE and stories?

Much love,
Stacy

[KB1]

Good morning Stacy

I have been trying very hard to understand the following

Nervousness is an interpretation

I think I am overthinking it. Are you saying the list I provided is all “acceptable” in terms of what is a sensation except for the word nervousness.

I struggle to see the difference between the word nervousness( or the feeling) and the words tightness and pain ( or the feeling).

Are you clear on the difference between AE and stories

I thought I was pretty clear on this. Using the coloured socks, I can think about the colour of my socks and the story associated with that when asked what colour they are or I can look at my socks. But now I’m trying to see how I’ve created a story with the feeling in my stomach. So I know I felt something in my stomach. That’s a direct experience. But the word I’ve used to describe it is a story? Is that correct? So I didn’t describe the direct experience, I created a story about the direct experience?

I’ll keep reading your second response to try and see/understand.

Thank you

Kara

[Anastacia42]

Good morning, Kara,

Right. "Nervous" is not a physical Direct Experience.

You have to use thoughts & stories to get to "nervous." Or happy or sad or excited or depressed or any other emotion.

What are the Actual physical Sensations that you're interpreting as "nervous?"

For example, a shaking Sensation? Where in the body?


Yes, do look closely here. We tell the same type of stories to make up the non-existent "self."

Loving
Stacy

[KB1]

Hi Stacy

What are the Actual physical Sensations that you're interpreting as "nervous?"

A shaking in the stomach.

I am struggling with this because shaking and nervous are just the same. They are adjectives. The outcome of the feeling or the feeling doesn’t change because I put a different word on it.

There does also seem to be the story of fear when digging here. Something is making a sensation coming up that feels like what I would usually describe as fear.

Thank you

Kara

[Anastacia42]

Shaking & nervous are different.

Shaking describes what the body does. Nervous describes an emotional response. That's different.

Yes. they're both adjectives.

Try this:

1. Describe the physical Sensations of fear.

I'll send the second piece after you do that.

Loving,

Stacy

[KB1]

Good afternoon Stacy

1. Describe the physical Sensations of fear.

A tightness in the throat
An increased heart beat
A heaviness in the chest
Tension in the jaw
Tingling in the lips

Thank you

Kara

[Anastacia42]

Very good. Now please describe the physical sensations of excitement.

[KB1]

Good morning Stacy

Now please describe the physical sensations of excitement.

I struggled with this. At first I thought/felt? the sensations seemed to be similar to fear…….

1. A tingling in the chest
2. A restriction in the throat
3. A heaviness in the chest/throat area

Thank you

Kara

[Anastacia42]

Exactly, that's the whole point. They are usually nearly identical to fear!

Our thoughts about the Sensations are the only difference. Thoughts are overlaid on Direct Experience.

So now, what are the physical Sensations of the thought-story "nervous?"


Loving,
Stacy

[KB1]

Hi Stacy

So now, what are the physical Sensations of the thought-story "nervous?"

Tingling in the stomach
Tightness/heaviness in the chest
Restriction in the throat

I’m still processing/shocked that fear and excitement felt the same physically when I actually tuned into the feeling.

Thank you

Kara

[Anastacia42]

Good work, Kara!

Now you see why it's important to distinguish Direct Experience from the stories we make up - just like the made up story of a non-existent "self."

Take time to get used to this & I'll give you another pointer in a little while.

Loving
Stacy

[KB1]

Good afternoon Stacy

Thank you very much.

Speak soon

Kara