Looking for a Guide

[DebbieGinnie]

“I” labelling

Get a sheet of paper and draw a line that divides that sheet in half. Label one half 'self' and the other side 'other'. Sit down and start a timer for 5 minutes. Every time you have a thought make a mark on the sheet. If that thought is about the self put a mark on the self side, if it’s about something else, mark the other side. If a thought about food occurs due to feeling hungry, mark that on the self side. Any thought that refers back to a self should go on the self side. (I'm bored, I'm tired, is the door locked (my safety) that video was funny (I was amused), my back hurts, I am frightened) get it?

Let me know how you go and what you notice.

I had at least 24 self-referential thoughts in 5 minutes. I had zero thoughts that didn’t refer back to me in some way. Some thoughts were repetitive, some were of imaginary conversations. It’s no wonder I find podcasts, music, and TV so comforting.

[Elad]

I confess to having some “worrying about displeasing the teacher” kind of thoughts with this report back to you. Anyway, here goes: When I remembered to do it, noticing seeing was the most common sense field that came up. When I was outside simply seeing, there was some sense of quiet/calm/brightness.

Of all the sense fields though, it is clear I spent so much more of my time lost in the thought world and retreated to my typical downtime habit of listening to YouTube videos as one of my ways to soothe my uneasiness in silence. Today, I tried not to start another video when one ended. I noticed hearing the wind rattle the dead oak leaves. I labeled the sensing of my hand on the pruner then labeled the thought “this is boring” before escaping back into YouTube podcast world.

"The teacher" (🤪) is pleased with your attentiveness and honesty in this.

You might want to take a cold turkey from videos while we do this. You will surely experience aversive or painful emotions in doing that. If you embrace them with patience and love, this will open and deepen things. Are you up for trying that and reporting on how it goes?

[Elad]

“I” labelling

Get a sheet of paper and draw a line that divides that sheet in half. Label one half 'self' and the other side 'other'. Sit down and start a timer for 5 minutes. Every time you have a thought make a mark on the sheet. If that thought is about the self put a mark on the self side, if it’s about something else, mark the other side. If a thought about food occurs due to feeling hungry, mark that on the self side. Any thought that refers back to a self should go on the self side. (I'm bored, I'm tired, is the door locked (my safety) that video was funny (I was amused), my back hurts, I am frightened) get it?

Let me know how you go and what you notice.

I had at least 24 self-referential thoughts in 5 minutes. I had zero thoughts that didn’t refer back to me in some way. Some thoughts were repetitive, some were of imaginary conversations. It’s no wonder I find podcasts, music, and TV so comforting.

This is really clear attending here, very good. In next post comes the next exercise for you.

[Elad]

Mind labelling 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.

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

At the end of the twenty minutes compare the two ways in which the experience was labelled and answer the following four questions:

1. What is here without labels?
2. Do labels change what is directly observered?
3. Are the phenomena less directly observed without adding "I"?
4. Did you notice any differences in the body?
5.Is one truer than the other, and If so, which one?

[DebbieGinnie]

At the end of the twenty minutes compare the two ways in which the experience was labelled and answer the following four questions:

1. What is here without labels? Being

2. Do labels change what is directly observed? Not at the deepest level, but they kind of limit and confine the observation

3. Are the phenomena less directly observed without adding "I"? No. Adding “I” is actually more confining

4. Did you notice any differences in the body?
Maybe less tightening but not much because of my runaway anxiety related to thoughts above giving up my YouTube diversion

5.Is one truer than the other, and if so, which one?
The one with just the verbing feels truer

[DebbieGinnie]

"The teacher" (🤪) is pleased with your attentiveness and honesty in this.

Two reactions to this: Phew! 😅 And laughter at the crazy face!

You might want to take a cold turkey from videos while we do this.

Wow! There is cold clenching in the belly as I contemplate the meaning of “cold turkey.” Lots of racing thoughts like negotiating, justifying, strategizing about this new assignment.

You will surely experience aversive or painful emotions in doing that. If you embrace them with patience and love, this will open and deepen things. Are you up for trying that and reporting on how it goes?

I will surely experience aversive or painful emotions in doing that. If I embrace them with patience and love, this will open and deepen things. I am willing to try that and report on how it goes.

If I embrace them with patience and love, this will open and deepen things. If I embrace them with patience and love, this will open and deepen things.

[Elad]

At the end of the twenty minutes compare the two ways in which the experience was labelled and answer the following four questions:

1. What is here without labels? Being

2. Do labels change what is directly observed? Not at the deepest level, but they kind of limit and confine the observation

3. Are the phenomena less directly observed without adding "I"? No. Adding “I” is actually more confining

4. Did you notice any differences in the body?
Maybe less tightening but not much because of my runaway anxiety related to thoughts above giving up my YouTube diversion

5.Is one truer than the other, and if so, which one?
The one with just the verbing feels truer

Lots of clear attending here, that is great!

[Elad]

"The teacher" (🤪) is pleased with your attentiveness and honesty in this.

Two reactions to this: Phew! 😅 And laughter at the crazy face!

You might want to take a cold turkey from videos while we do this.

Wow! There is cold clenching in the belly as I contemplate the meaning of “cold turkey.” Lots of racing thoughts like negotiating, justifying, strategizing about this new assignment.

You will surely experience aversive or painful emotions in doing that. If you embrace them with patience and love, this will open and deepen things. Are you up for trying that and reporting on how it goes?

I will surely experience aversive or painful emotions in doing that. If I embrace them with patience and love, this will open and deepen things. I am willing to try that and report on how it goes.

If I embrace them with patience and love, this will open and deepen things. If I embrace them with patience and love, this will open and deepen things.

Cold turkey = the abrupt and complete cessation of taking a drug to which one is addicted.

I am using the term here just slightly playfully. For so many of us what we habitually do to avoid experiencing aversive states is slightly addicted/addictive, and many addictions are to a large extent driven by the avoidance of painful or scary feelings. So please be ready that fear or pain might come, and this could be a great opportunity to sit just be with it with love which will open more peace and compassion for both you and countless other beings who experience similar states to what you experience. Every moment of acceptance and kindness counts. And report to me about how this unfolds so we walk step by step the balanced path for you.

Now please do the exercise in the following post.

[Elad]

Word “I”

Let’s look at thought and the content of thought a little more:

Write the word "I" on a piece of paper. Look at the word, is that YOU?

Speak the word “I” silently; be aware of any sensations or responses to this word. Are any of these reactions in your body or mind by themselves YOU?

Now say the word “I” aloud. Is that sound YOU?

Is the combination of any of these, the word, the sound, the thought YOU?” Is the thought, "I exist" you?

Is the thought "I" you?

[DebbieGinnie]

Neither the word, nor the sound, nor the thought “I” is me.

In other news, I made it through day #1 of my YouTube detox. So far the anticipation was worse than the abstinence, but I did have the distraction of a busy workday.

[Elad]

Neither the word, nor the sound, nor the thought “I” is me.

In other news, I made it through day #1 of my YouTube detox. So far the anticipation was worse than the abstinence, but I did have the distraction of a busy workday.

Clear answers and well done on the "detox" :)

Please do this exercise and also the next one.

Cup Exercise

Here is an exercise which points out the difference between direct experience and content of thought.
There are two types of thoughts:

(1) Thoughts with words “Here is cup”
(2) Visual mental images of a ‘cup’

So I invite you to do this exercise:

Think of a cup. Get a very clear picture in your mind. See clearly the size, shape, colour and volume of the cup. Notice whether it is decorated or plain. Notice whether it has a handle. Notice whether it is heavy or fragile. Do you have a clear picture in mind?

Now, can you physically grasp that image of a cup? Can you pour tea into it?

Can you drink from it?

Is there a ‘real’ cup or just an image of a cup?

Is there an appearing mental image?

Is the content of the mental image (the cup) ‘real’?

The thoughts and mental images are real only as arising thoughts and mental images, their ‘presence’ cannot be denied. However their contents, what are they about are not ‘real’, they are just fantasies. Can you see this?

Over the course of the next day or so, I'd like you to notice the content of thoughts. Whenever there is an arising thought or mental image, check whether its content (what it’s about) is really happening, or the content is just pure imagination. Let me know how it goes.

[Elad]

Drink Exercise

The aim of the following exercise is to discover whether the function of choice can really be found or confirmed in actual experience. The idea of making ‘choices‘ is a very clear example of a function that we wrongly identify as the basis of our identity.

Here's what’s needed - a chair, a table and two different drinks. Any two drinks you like are okay for this: coffee, tea, milk, water, juices, smoothies, beer, wine, etc.
Preparation - Place the two drinks side by side on the table in front of you, sit comfortably on the chair and mentally label them as drink A and drink B.

Experiment - Finding the function of choice. Sit for a few moments, take a few relaxed breaths and let the dust settle. When you feel ready:

1. Look at drink A and at drink B. Think about their respective qualities, the things you like about them, compare and weigh the pros and cons of each. See if a preference is manifesting for one or the other.
2. Count to 5.
3. Choose one of the drinks. Pick it up and take a sip.

Questions:

Remember that we’re looking for some kind of function, a something, an ‘I’ which is doing the ‘choosing’.
In step 1 when thinking about their respective qualities, did you ‘choose’ the qualities? Or did they kind of appear by themselves? If some preferences manifested, did you ‘choose’ these preferences? Or did they just pop up by themselves?
In step 2 when you counted to 5, if the preferences took the back seat while the numbers took the front seat, did you ‘choose’ this sequence of event? Did you ‘choose’ to shut down the preferences to give way to the counting? Did you directly experience a mental function or faculty doing the ‘choosing’? Have you seen this function in action?

[DebbieGinnie]

Cup Exercise

Here is an exercise which points out the difference between direct experience and content of thought.
There are two types of thoughts:

(1) Thoughts with words “Here is cup”
(2) Visual mental images of a ‘cup’

So I invite you to do this exercise:

Think of a cup. Get a very clear picture in your mind. See clearly the size, shape, colour and volume of the cup. Notice whether it is decorated or plain. Notice whether it has a handle. Notice whether it is heavy or fragile.

Do you have a clear picture in mind?

Yes

Now, can you physically grasp that image of a cup?

No

Can you pour tea into it?

No

Can you drink from it?

No

Is there a ‘real’ cup or just an image of a cup?

Just an image

Is there an appearing mental image?

Yes

Is the content of the mental image (the cup) ‘real’?

No

The thoughts and mental images are real only as arising thoughts and mental images, their ‘presence’ cannot be denied. However their contents, what are they about are not ‘real’, they are just fantasies. Can you see this?

Yes

Over the course of the next day or so, I'd like you to notice the content of thoughts. Whenever there is an arising thought or mental image, check whether its content (what it’s about) is really happening, or the content is just pure imagination. Let me know how it goes.

Every thought is just pure imagination, even the ones that seem to be a fair judgment to me

[DebbieGinnie]

Cup Exercise

Here is an exercise which points out the difference between direct experience and content of thought.
There are two types of thoughts:

(1) Thoughts with words “Here is cup”
(2) Visual mental images of a ‘cup’

So I invite you to do this exercise:

Think of a cup. Get a very clear picture in your mind. See clearly the size, shape, colour and volume of the cup. Notice whether it is decorated or plain. Notice whether it has a handle. Notice whether it is heavy or fragile.

Do you have a clear picture in mind?

Yes

Now, can you physically grasp that image of a cup?

No

Can you pour tea into it?

No

Can you drink from it?

No

Is there a ‘real’ cup or just an image of a cup?

Just an image

Is there an appearing mental image?

Yes

Is the content of the mental image (the cup) ‘real’?

No

The thoughts and mental images are real only as arising thoughts and mental images, their ‘presence’ cannot be denied. However their contents, what are they about are not ‘real’, they are just fantasies. Can you see this?

Yes

Over the course of the next day or so, I'd like you to notice the content of thoughts. Whenever there is an arising thought or mental image, check whether its content (what it’s about) is really happening, or the content is just pure imagination. Let me know how it goes.

Every thought is just pure imagination, even the ones that seem to be a fair judgment to me

[DebbieGinnie]

Remember that we’re looking for some kind of function, a something, an ‘I’ which is doing the ‘choosing’.
In step 1 when thinking about their respective qualities, did you ‘choose’ the qualities? Or did they kind of appear by themselves?

I guess they just kind of pop up on their own

If some preferences manifested, did you ‘choose’ these preferences? Or did they just pop up by themselves?

Again, the preferences just kind of show up

In step 2 when you counted to 5, if the preferences took the back seat while the numbers took the front seat, did you ‘choose’ this sequence of event? Did you ‘choose’ to shut down the preferences to give way to the counting?

Gave way. This is all getting pretty weird. Now I have an inkling why so many of the nondual people I like listen to are often saying something like, “Everything is just happening.”

Did you directly experience a mental function or faculty doing the ‘choosing’?

No direct experience

Have you seen this function in action?

No