I have arrived

[coolpillows]

Lemme try that again. I hope this is right.

Waiting for someone
Seeing front lawn, house = image/color
Smelling car odor = smell
Hands resting, back and legs, feet planted = sensation
Tasting saliva = taste
Hearing sounds around, birds, car running. cars driving by = sounds
Thought about waiting = thought

Sitting at computer
Seeing computer screen, the countertop it sits on, periphery = image/color
Sitting, feet crossed, back in chair, fingers, hands on computer, keyboard = sensation
Tasting saliva = taste
Hearing TV on in other room, fan of heater, distant car, sounds from computer = sound
Thought about writing = thought

Eating fruit
Cut up fruit, bowl, fork = image/color
Odor of fruit = smell
Holding fork, bowl, metal, ceramic = sensation
Tasting fruit, flavors = taste , wet
Fork on bowl, chewing, eating = sound
Thought about eating = thought

Drinking coffee
Coffee cup to mouth = image/color
Smell of coffee = smell
Warmth, coffee cup = sensation
Tasting coffee = taste
Sipping, swallowing, ambient noise = sound
Thought about coffee, ritual = thought

[Anastacia42]

Yes. Now you've got it. Let's take it a step further.


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 i.e. 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. 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?

Loving,

[coolpillows]

Glad I got that last thing right. I wanna pass with flying colors and do everything correctly! :)

I know you were saying you want people to post once a day, so I am. But this exercise looks to take some time and I've got a pretty full day ahead of me. I'll try to get to this but probably won't post until tomorrow. Everything else is humming along just fine and nothing else to report. :)

peace......

[Anastacia42]

That's fine Just let me know when you need more time.

[coolpillows]

First 10 minutes
I am sitting on the beach
I am hearing the sound of the ocean
I am seeing the waves lapping on the shore
I am tasting some food I just ate
I feel the wind
I am looking at my phone

Second 10 minutes
Sitting at the beach
Seeing the ocean
Feeling cool air on my face
Grinding my teeth
Worrying about grinding my teeth
Seeing clouds moving

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?

1. It’s hard to say which is “truer” without some more clear definition around what we mean by truer. But I’ll attempt to answer the question. When I write “I am…” I am definitely more aware of their being a self, an “I” that is writing and thinking.
2. Without the labels, I feel more in touch with the experience. The chair, the beach, all feel less ‘seen’ if that makes any sense.
3. I think labels do affect the experience. Like I wrote above, when I add “I am…” it feels like something is involved in the experience, as opposed to just the experience itself.
4. I did not notice any difference in the body. I was monitoring for any change, but nothing to speak of.

[Anastacia42]

Okay. Isn't it a shame you feel the need to define truth? Please look it up.

Two follow up pointers will help with that & with whether or not labels have an effect.

First this:



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.

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 or Direct Experience), 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.

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 peaceful Sensation you felt before when you omitted "I." (refers to an exercise I gave before this one)

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 the Sensation itself, for example.

Do you see that?

Loving,

[Anastacia42]

Okay. Isn't it a shame you feel the need to define truth? Please look it up.

Two follow up pointers will help with that & with whether or not labels have an effect.

First this:



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.

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 or Direct Experience), 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.

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 peaceful Sensation you felt before when you omitted "I." (refers to an exercise I gave before this one)

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 the Sensation itself, for example.

Do you see that?

Loving,

[coolpillows]

What is found?

There was a small lie I mentioned to my wife yesterday about my son. He was texting something and I didn't want to give the exact details, the amounts of money we were discussing, because she would get pissed off. It's not important to go into much more detail. But when I mentioned it I felt some slight gnawing in the gut, something sorta less than pleasant. Not agonizing but definitely a sensation that was not positive. Couldn't put a temperature of hot or cold on it necessarily but not good. How's that?

Do you see that?

This exercise was subtle I have to say. I didn't get any strong reactions to it.

[Anastacia42]

That sounds quite clear to me, not subtle.

So go back and read all those statements with the lie of "I" in them. Similar feeling? There is no temperature involved, usually.

Loving

[coolpillows]

Similar feeling?

Interesting to re-read the “I” statements again. Didn’t so much feel[/] something in the body, but feeing just less of “me.” Some of this is from this work of course but prior to beginning this, as I noted in the beginning, I have been winnowing away the self. It has been a process but this work is fascinating too. I’m win it to be sure.

peace…….

[Anastacia42]

Okay. I think you're just a bit out of touch with your body & Sensation. Let's move on.


Label-Reality Correlation

There is a belief that labels have a one-to-one correspondence with ‘reality’. But there isn’t. Just like it is a generally accepted belief that labels like ‘good’ and ‘bad’ are inherent characteristics of ‘things’. But actually, they are not.

When you look at the word label ‘GREEN' , what is the actual experience?

Is the color red ‘experienced’, or is the color green ‘experienced’ as the label suggests?

Does the label ‘GREEN’ have a one-to-one correspondence with ‘reality’? Or does the label suggest something else other than what is here now (red colour)?

Is 'green' associated in any way with the experience of the colour red; or is green just a label that overlays the actual experience of red?

If the label ‘GREEN’ is replaced with the label ‘GOOD’ or ‘BAD’ , is the redness affected in any way as the labels suggests?

Does redness become ‘good’ or ‘bad’, or do the labels have no affect whatsoever on ‘reality’?

Let me know what is SEEN.

Loving,

[coolpillows]

Similar feeling?

Interesting to re-read the “I” statements again. Didn’t so much feel something in the body, but feeing just less of “me.” Some of this is from this work of course but prior to beginning this, as I noted in the beginning, I have been winnowing away the self. It has been a process but this work is fascinating too. I’m win it to be sure.

peace…….

[coolpillows]

Sorry about today. I kept coming back to the page and seeing my post at the bottom and thinking you hadn’t replied with the next exercise. I don’t recall posting a quote of my quote but I must’ve done that inadvertently. I have no idea how that happened unless it was when I tapped that quotation mark icon. Not sure. I’ll get on this tomorrow. Too late today.

[coolpillows]

When you look at the word label ‘GREEN' , what is the actual experience?

I think of the color green of course. Although when you presented the word green in red it obviously threw me and I couldn’t think of the color but more just that something was amiss and my brain's wires were crossed in a way.

Is the color red ‘experienced’, or is the color green ‘experienced’ as the label suggests?

The color red crosses my mind; it is thought of. I guess you could say it is experienced but we haven’t gone too deep into what is "thought" and what is "experience."

Does the label ‘GREEN’ have a one-to-one correspondence with ‘reality’? Or does the label suggest something else other than what is here now (red colour)?

I guess I could question what is reality and what is reality in single quotes. But I'm trying to keep it simple here since I think that's what you're after. Again. I would say it's just confusing and my brain's wires are getting crossed.

Is 'green' associated in any way with the experience of the colour red; or is green just a label that overlays the actual experience of red?

I think it overlays the actual experience of red. It's still a little confusing. Plus I'm answering this up in this text box above the text below which I have to keep scrolling back to to see what you're referring to. But again, I'm trying to keep it simple here.

If the label ‘GREEN’ is replaced with the label ‘GOOD’ or ‘BAD’ , is the redness affected in any way as the labels suggests?

Yes in this case, I don't have my wires getting crossed. I definitely had some reaction when the color is applied to the word. Once I see Good and Bad in red it's a little easier to process and figure out what you're asking.

Does redness become ‘good’ or ‘bad’, or do the labels have no affect whatsoever on ‘reality’?

The labels don't really have the same effect at all. I was really thrown with the word "green" in the color "red." Once it was placed on different words, "good" and "bad" it was a lot easier to process in my head.

Let me know what is SEEN.

What is seen are these words (labels) in different colors and also the use of ALL CAPS which drew my eyes. Words are jumping out at me. Things are seeming to call attention to themselves in a weird way. I also am probably conscious of how I'm going to answer these questions with all the quoting and adding the colors the way I would like to answer them. I want it all to be neat so my brain is working on that little detail on top of everything. Maybe other people will not be as meticulous in answering it this way but that's how I work. I hope this makes sense to you. I'm trying!

peace.....

[Anastacia42]

Okay. Back to the beginning.

Reread Colored Socks

what is the actual experience?

I think of the color green of course.

That's backwards. There is no green there at all except in content of thought. (see my sig line)

What does Colored Socks say about content of thought?

You can do this. LOOK with your eyes.

Loving