The Gate

Dear Riley,

Sorry for the hiatus! I'm back.

I’m glad you’re back :)

I’m starting to see that nothing really changes with this process. It’s just seeing what was there all along.

And what hasn’t be there (the ‘me’).

all there is is sensation and though interpreting the sensation. But the thought is nowhere to be found. So there is no body, no qualities of the body.

Good LOOKing

More and more “I’m” beginning to feel a sense of a wide open space all around me.

What is this ‘me’ that “a wide open space can be felt around”?
With which of the 5 senses this can be felt?
Can this be felt at all?

Or “I am beginning to feel a sense of a wide open space all around me” – is just the content of an arising thought that are believed?

So many of the stories I’ve identified with are falling away because I'm just getting sick of them and dropping them.

What is this ‘I’ that could identify with stories?
Is there a ‘me’ at all that could identify or identification just happens by ‘itself’?

Are ‘you’ getting sick of them and dropping them, are ‘you’ doing all of this?
Or do getting sick and dropping happens, but without an owner (you)?

I’m sick of the search.

What is this ‘I’ that could be sick of the search?
Or is this just another thought believed?

Is there any chooser or decider of any kind?

Is there an 'I' of any kind whatsoever that could be responsible for anything at all?
Do others have responsibilities?

Is there a 'you' that started this investigation?
Has there ever been a 'you' doing anything?

Any confusion at all or anything you would like to address?

Love, Vivien

What is this ‘me’ that “a wide open space can be felt around”?
With which of the 5 senses this can be felt?
Can this be felt at all?

Or “I am beginning to feel a sense of a wide open space all around me” – is just the content of an arising thought that are believed?

No, it’s just a thought. It’s hard to express the feeling of seeing through the thoughts, of not feeling so closed in by them. But there’s no one to be closed in by them and never was. Hard to describe.

What is this ‘I’ that could identify with stories?
Is there a ‘me’ at all that could identify or identification just happens by ‘itself’?
Are ‘you’ getting sick of them and dropping them, are ‘you’ doing all of this?
Or do getting sick and dropping happens, but without an owner (you)?

Right. Oh wow. Even the falling away process is happening by itself. Yes, none of this has been ‘me’ doing anything, since there’s no me to do it. There’s no me doing the clear seeing. There’s just clear seeing. It’s all just part of the mechanical process.

What is this ‘I’ that could be sick of the search?
Or is this just another thought believed?

Just another thought. An interpretation. There never was a search.

Is there any chooser or decider of any kind?

Nope. There was never a choice.

Is there an 'I' of any kind whatsoever that could be responsible for anything at all?
Do others have responsibilities?

No. No I, no other. No responsibility. Just life moving mechanically, by itself. There are no choices, no actions.

Is there a 'you' that started this investigation?
Has there ever been a 'you' doing anything?

No. That was all just thought.

Any confusion at all or anything you would like to address?

Honestly, I can’t think of anything, right now anyway.

Thank you,
R

Dear Riley,

Right. Oh wow. Even the falling away process is happening by itself. Yes, none of this has been ‘me’ doing anything, since there’s no me to do it. There’s no me doing the clear seeing. There’s just clear seeing. It’s all just part of the mechanical process.

Very good LOOKing :)

As a next step, there are further six questions to ask as part of this guiding process. The response is then shared with other guides. They may or may not have further questions.

Once it is confirmed by other guides that seeing through the illusion of the self has happened, our conversation in this thread will come to an end, however you won’t be left alone. As I've already mentioned, there is a whole community of others on FB, who have also seen through the ‘self’. Actually, there are several groups to join.

So here are the questions. Please answer as clearly as possible and with as much detail as needed. Don’t forget to add everyday examples from your experience for question 5.


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

2) Explain in detail what the illusion of separate self is, when it starts and how it works from your own experience. Describe it fully as you see it now.

3) How does it feel to see this? What is the difference from before you started this dialogue? Please report from the past few days.

4) What was the last bit that pushed you over, made you look?

5) Do you decide, intend, choose, control events in Life? Do you make anything happen? Give examples from your experience.

6) Anything to add?

Love, Vivien

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

No. Not at all. There never was. It was always an illusion, a thought. There never was, is or could ever be a self.

2) Explain in detail what the illusion of separate self is, when it starts and how it works from your own experience. Describe it fully as you see it now.

If I had to speculate, I’d say the “I” thought is just a tool for the organism to assist its survival. It seems just to be a thought-based ordering mechanism for classifying and ordering experience, which is then reinforced with emotion to motivate the organism to act in particular ways. Of course, none of this guarantees that the organism will actually be adaptive. But it's not some sort of terrible thing that needs to be overcome, just seen through, and then it can function automatically without the illusion of being real.

3) How does it feel to see this? What is the difference from before you started this dialogue? Please report from the past few days.

It feels like a big relief. At the beginning of the dialogue, I thought I was going to have to fight some epic battle. I was afraid and sad for what I’d have to leave behind. But there turned out to be nothing to battle, and nothing to leave behind. There’s just the continued emergence of life with no one in the driver’s seat. This body is unoccupied. Other bodies are unoccupied. There’s no one home.

4) What was the last bit that pushed you over, made you look?

It was finally realizing that there didn’t have to be destruction of the “I”, only see clearly that it never existed. There was this stupid illusion that the whole “I” thought had to be gone somehow, and all these unrealistic scenarios running around in thought. The change came with realizing that nothing really changes, and that I was just trying to see what’s always been there. There was this misconception that to get through the “self” illusion, there would have to be total isolation, resistance to all relationships, love, etc. But that was just the fear talking, trying to keep the illusion together. Now it’s clear that all of those things go on--life goes on. It just goes on without the illusion of self.

5) Do you decide, intend, choose, control events in Life? Do you make anything happen? Give examples from your experience.

Nope. Not at all. There’s no one to choose or intend. Things just happen. And since there’s no real difference between “me” and “not-me,” it’s not even possible to say “things just happen in me and around me,” which is what I almost typed. But immediately that fell away. There is no distinction between “me” and “not-me,” so I can only say, “things happen,” or “life happens.”

A small example is sitting here typing this now. There’s no one here doing it, it’s just happening. “I” didn’t decide to come over here and do this. It just occurred (though thought is more than happy to make up stories about how I decided to come over here and why…)

A “larger” example (though, what is small or large, really?) is the end of a recent love relationship and all the events leading up to it. Thought tells stories about decisions each of us made, or who is to blame for what...but truly, neither of us ever made a choice or could possibly to blame since neither of us were ever there to act.

6) Anything to add?

What comes after this? It's strange because it really does appear that nothing has changed. It seems like such a subtle shift. But as habitual thought patterns adjust to this it seems like there will be a continued shift in the organism's functioning. I suppose that's what the FB groups are meant to assist?

Thank you for your guidance!
Riley

Dear Riley,

Thank you for answering the questions.

But as habitual thought patterns adjust to this it seems like there will be a continued shift in the organism's functioning. I suppose that's what the FB groups are meant to assist?

Yes, the purpose of FB groups is to help deepening, deal with any residue and discuss anything that may come up.
I’ve just passed our dialogue for other guides to read. There may be more questions to follow.
I will write again shortly.

Love, Vivien

Dear Riley,

One of the guides has a question about thoughts.

"It just occurred (though thought is more than happy to make up stories about how I decided to come over here and why…)"

and

"It just occurred (though thought is more than happy to make up stories about how I decided to come over here and why…)"

In direct experience, is there an entity called thought that can make up stories, tell stories and be happy about it?

Love, Vivien

In direct experience, is there an entity called thought that can make up stories, tell stories and be happy about it?

No, saying "thought makes up stories" was just a manner of speaking.

Dear Riley,

I'm happy to say that the guides are satisfied that you have seen through the illusion of a separate self and none of them has any further questions.

I'm sending you a private message, so please check your inbox.

Love, Vivien