Hi Elad,
“Looking to "what you should be experiencing" keeps happening. Is that a choice or not a choice that it is happening, rather then focusing fully on your own direct experience?”
It is a thought that comes up on its own. I don’t see any choice being made there by any self when this thought comes up.
To the exercise:
Looking at the computer, simply = image
Feeling tired, simply = sensation
The computer burning my leg, simply = sensation
Raising the computer, simply = sensation
Typing, simply = hearing
Looking at the picture on the wall, simply = image
Hearing the cars on the street, simply = sound
Hearing people on the street talking, simply = sound
Thinking of what thoughts I have now, simply = thought
Thinking about going to the sauna, simply = thought
Looking at the plant, simply = image
Looking at table, simply = image
Picking up the phone, simply = image
Looking through the window, simply = image
Hearing neighbour laughing, simply = sound
Hearing alarm going off, simply = sound
While practising labelling, I don't see any self or any "space left" for the self to be at; there are just experiences appearing one by one on their own. Any attempt at reflection—such as questioning whether I am experiencing correctly or whether I can see the self—is immediately "disarmed" by labelling it as a thought. While there's a sense of clarity.
However, this also means that it seems impossible (And, in a way, meaningless) to try to incorporate any reflections on whether the project's goal (recognizing the lack of self in direct experience) has been achieved or whether a sense of self persists. Any reflection like that just gets labelled as a thought.
(Please note that I only had an hour to run the labelling, but I did a bunch of quick sessions in a row. In case you think it's useful try again when I do more or I spread it more across the day.)
/Geza
Yes, looking to "what you should be experiencing" keeps happening. Is that a choice or not a choice that it is happening, rather then focusing fully on your own direct experience?
Do this exercise:
Direct Experience - Labelling Daily Activities
Here's an exercise that I would like you to try as many times throughout the day as you can. Label daily activities simply colour/image, sound, smell, taste, sensation, thought. So for example, when having breakfast, become aware of:-
Seeing a cup, simply= image/colour
Smelling coffee, simply = smell
Feeling the warmth of the coffee cup, simply = sensation
Tasting the coffee, simply = taste
Hearing the spoon stirring the coffee, simply = sound
Thought about drinking the coffee, simply = thought
Write me 5 minutes in real time that way, in that structure, I.e.:
thinking what to write,simply= thought
hearing car, simply= sound
feeling foot against wall, simply= sensation
Just break down daily activities into these categories (which are all actual/direct experience) as you go through the day. When you do it "paa farten" (Danish expression), just say to yourself:
sound
sight
sensation
sensation
sound
sensation
sight
thought
sight
etc
Report back after a day what was seen/experienced.
