The Gate

This sounds to me like you see that thoughts cannot be predicted. If I'm wrong, let me know!

yes thoughts can't be predicted

Try to predict where your attention moves, before it moves. Can you do it?

I can't predict where my attention moves

Please look again. In direct experience, how do you see this happening?

there is no way to see it happening, it is me trying to make sense of this experience by putting it into thoughts.

What is ego in direct experience, and what is the false sense of self?

That is a great question, I'm not sure of the answer to that question.

The ego is nothing in direct experience.

The false sense of self are these beliefs or thought patterns that you have led to believe about yourself and you attach these to the "self"

This sounds to me like you see that thoughts cannot be predicted. If I'm wrong, let me know!

yes thoughts can't be predicted

Try to predict where your attention moves, before it moves. Can you do it?

I can't predict where my attention moves

Please look again. In direct experience, how do you see this happening?

there is no way to see it happening, it is me trying to make sense of this experience by putting it into thoughts.

What is ego in direct experience, and what is the false sense of self?

That is a great question, I'm not sure of the answer to that question.

The ego is nothing in direct experience.

The false sense of self are these beliefs or thought patterns that you have led to believe about yourself and you attach these to the "self"

This sounds to me like you see that thoughts cannot be predicted. If I'm wrong, let me know!

yes thoughts can't be predicted

Try to predict where your attention moves, before it moves. Can you do it?

I can't predict where my attention moves

Please look again. In direct experience, how do you see this happening?

there is no way to see it happening, it is me trying to make sense of this experience by putting it into thoughts.

What is ego in direct experience, and what is the false sense of self?

That is a great question, I'm not sure of the answer to that question.

The ego is nothing in direct experience.

The false sense of self are these beliefs or thought patterns that you have led to believe about yourself and you attach these to the "self"

This sounds to me like you see that thoughts cannot be predicted. If I'm wrong, let me know!

yes thoughts can't be predicted

Try to predict where your attention moves, before it moves. Can you do it?

I can't predict where my attention moves

Please look again. In direct experience, how do you see this happening?

there is no way to see it happening, it is me trying to make sense of this experience by putting it into thoughts.

What is ego in direct experience, and what is the false sense of self?

That is a great question, I'm not sure of the answer to that question.

The ego is nothing in direct experience.

The false sense of self are these beliefs or thought patterns that you have led to believe about yourself and you attach these to the "self"

This sounds to me like you see that thoughts cannot be predicted. If I'm wrong, let me know!

yes thoughts can't be predicted

Try to predict where your attention moves, before it moves. Can you do it?

I can't predict where my attention moves

Please look again. In direct experience, how do you see this happening?

there is no way to see it happening, it is me trying to make sense of this experience by putting it into thoughts.

What is ego in direct experience, and what is the false sense of self?

That is a great question, I'm not sure of the answer to that question.

The ego is nothing in direct experience.

The false sense of self are these beliefs or thought patterns that you have led to believe about yourself and you attach these to the "self"

This sounds to me like you see that thoughts cannot be predicted. If I'm wrong, let me know!

yes thoughts can't be predicted

Try to predict where your attention moves, before it moves. Can you do it?

I can't predict where my attention moves

Please look again. In direct experience, how do you see this happening?

there is no way to see it happening, it is me trying to make sense of this experience by putting it into thoughts.

What is ego in direct experience, and what is the false sense of self?

That is a great question, I'm not sure of the answer to that question.

The ego is nothing in direct experience.

The false sense of self are these beliefs or thought patterns that you have led to believe about yourself and you attach these to the "self"

This sounds to me like you see that thoughts cannot be predicted. If I'm wrong, let me know!

yes thoughts can't be predicted

Try to predict where your attention moves, before it moves. Can you do it?

I can't predict where my attention moves

Please look again. In direct experience, how do you see this happening?

there is no way to see it happening, it is me trying to make sense of this experience by putting it into thoughts.

What is ego in direct experience, and what is the false sense of self?

That is a great question, I'm not sure of the answer to that question.

The ego is nothing in direct experience.

The false sense of self are these beliefs or thought patterns that you have led to believe about yourself and you attach these to the "self"

This sounds to me like you see that thoughts cannot be predicted. If I'm wrong, let me know!

yes thoughts can't be predicted

Try to predict where your attention moves, before it moves. Can you do it?

I can't predict where my attention moves

Please look again. In direct experience, how do you see this happening?

there is no way to see it happening, it is me trying to make sense of this experience by putting it into thoughts.

What is ego in direct experience, and what is the false sense of self?

That is a great question, I'm not sure of the answer to that question.

The ego is nothing in direct experience.

The false sense of self are these beliefs or thought patterns that you have led to believe about yourself and you attach these to the "self"

It seems you posted almost 20 replies. That can happen if the site freezes and nothing happens, so you click submit a few more times. If that happens, the best thing to do is wait a moment and then try. It's also a good idea to copy your reply so it doesn't disappear.

there is no way to see it happening, it is me trying to make sense of this experience by putting it into thoughts.

In other words, you're making it up :)

That is a great question, I'm not sure of the answer to that question.

The ego is nothing in direct experience.

The false sense of self are these beliefs or thought patterns that you have led to believe about yourself and you attach these to the "self"

Yes, exactly. I wanted to make sure you saw that.

So if you can't predict thoughts or attention, what is the so called self in control of?

Can it make decisions, or do they just arise?

Sorry, now I know not to keep hitting submit

So if you can't predict thoughts or attention, what is the so called self in control of?

The self is in control of nothing

Can it make decisions, or do they just arise?

Decisions just arise

The self is in control of nothing

And that naturally brings us to the next pointer on the feeling of self.

Explore ‘Sense of Self'

Let’s say that you have lost your keys and you swear that you left them in your coat. You go to look and check all the pockets - the keys are not there.

You swear they must be as that was the last place you remember them. You have a vivid memory of putting them there after you left the house. But when you check they are not there. At this point you can keep believing that the keys are in your pocket, or you can admit you were mistaken.

This is just like that. You may see clearly that the self is an illusion but still feel a sense of self - just like the keys. But feeling something to be true and seeing that it is or is not is different. This is why we may find ourselves coming back to your expectations at the start and at the end.

Now, I’d like to ask you to explore this sense of self very-very thoroughly. Not by thinking about it, but by feeling it. Keep the focus of attention on the sense of self and inquire:

Does the sense of self have a location?

Does the sense of self have a shape or a size?

Does the sense of self say or communicate anything?

If the answer is yes, how does the sense do this exactly?

Does the sense of self have any characteristics or attributes?

What is the sense of self ‘made of’? An image? Sound? Taste? Smell? Sensation? Thought?

What is found?

I have one question before I start,

So you said experiencing and believing are two different things. In this exercise I'm going to put all logic aside and do my best to focus on experience. I can believe that there is no self but have yet to experience it. So I'm going to put all previous beliefs about it to the side and just do my best to just complete this exercise.

So you said experiencing and believing are two different things. In this exercise I'm going to put all logic aside and do my best to focus on experience. I can believe that there is no self but have yet to experience it. So I'm going to put all previous beliefs about it to the side and just do my best to just complete this exercise.

Beliefs should always be put to the side because we're only looking at what is experientially true for you. So if you believe that there is no self, that is not so useful.

For example, you don't want to believe that you can't predict thoughts, you want to see it and know it, if that makes sense?

Yes that makes complete sense

Does the sense of self have a location?

The body, the senses, the experience

Does the sense of self have a shape or a size?

No shape or size

Does the sense of self say or communicate anything?

Through speaking, or action with the human body

If the answer is yes, how does the sense do this exactly?

It does this through direct experience

Does the sense of self have any characteristics or attributes?

Yes it does, the attributes you give it

What is the sense of self ‘made of’? An image? Sound? Taste? Smell? Sensation? Thought?

The sense of self is made of a thought