eyes wide shut? lets open them

[sophie1]

No need for "me" to conduct life

[MerlinC]

because what are thoughts?

[sophie1]

mental sensations

[MerlinC]

doing?

[sophie1]

Coming and going, appearing and disappearing

[MerlinC]

but what are they doing?

[sophie1]

Labeling things

[MerlinC]

and can a label do anything other than label?

[sophie1]

No

[MerlinC]

this is an interesting video which deals with free will that might help clarify any belief in a you that controls
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6S9OidmNZM
but its important not to just accept what's said and to see whats real here and now this just raises questions to our assumptions.

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

[sophie1]

thanks for the video, it's hard to see what is real if unconscious processes are involved like in the movie. I see myself making a complex decision by weighting pros and cons, analyzing situation, using intuition. There are probably unconscious processes involved, but they are hard to see.

There is no separate entity "me" except for an illusion that appears in thoughts.

[MerlinC]

how do you think?
can you stop thinking?
how long can you stop thinking for?

[sophie1]

I can stop thinking for a couple of minutes. If I observe thoughts, I see them come and go.

[MerlinC]

when don't you observe thoughts come and go?
and who chooses to stop them?

[sophie1]

When I don't observe them, they are a constant noise in my head. It's hard to say who chooses to stop them. First, there is an idea to stop them. Last time it the idea came from you. Then there is an impulse to do it. Then there is an effort to do it. And then it happens. The thoughts stop. It's quiet. I can't find the doer. It just happens.