Hi Nina,
i looked a few more times on your questions, but not much new things came up, so i will jus post the letter i wrote some days ago. In giving an answer in words, one needs to think. Many thoughts arise and build up stories, which leads more and more away from AE. Ican see the value in looking again and again, but to answer so many questions with words is simply painful for me. Please only ask 3 questions per day, if you still want to ask more.
Here are two more exercises to look at. The first is about "time" and the second is about "memory":
1)There is a general assumption that there is a linear time that started (if started at all) somewhere very far in the past and advances to the distant future. The present moment (now) is considered to be a very small fragment of time or an event that is moving forward on this linear time, coming from the past and advancing to the future.
But is there an experience that the now is moving along the line of time?
No, without words there is no comparison or measurement and therefore no experience of something moving in time possible.
How fast the present moment is actually moving?
It is not moving in actual experience.
How long does the now last?
It does not last in actual experience.
Where does it start and where does it end?
It does not start or end in actual experience.
When does the now exactly become the 'past'?
It does not become the past in actual experience, only if actual experience is lost and thoughts about it are persieved, believed and followed someone could speak about something like „past“.
What is the past in the actual experience?
In the actual experience there is no past, only if thoughts are there- after the actual experience, naming and labeling it, building up stories- can something like time be assumed. If this thought is beliefed to be real, feelings like stress come into existence and reinforce this belief.
2) Almost everybody believes that a memory thought is referring to something that has happened.
That a memory thought is a different thought than a non-memory thought.
What is memory exactly? (from Actual Experience)
In actual experience there is no memory. Its a concept or label put on experiences, a story line made of thoughts, assumptions and beliefs which dont exist in AE.
What is the memory ‘made of’?
Its made of thoughts which have as content „experiences“ made in the „past“.
WHEN does the memory appear?
It is persieved here and now.
What is the exact difference between a ‘general’ thought and a ‘memory’ thought?
The difference is the content – a memory thought is about „experiences“ made in the „past“ or the labels put on them.
How is it known EXACTLY that a ‘memory’ thought refers to something that has happened?
It is known through remembering, recognizing an experience, that has happened in the past.
Then, look at a thought about th e future.
What is the future thought ‘made of’?
Its made of content about an experience assumed to happen in the future.
WHEN does the future thought appear?
It can appear anytime, it is persieved here and now.
What is the exact difference between a ‘general’ thought and a ‘future’ thought?
Again its content.
How is it known EXACTLY that a ‘future’ thought refers to something that will happen
?
It is known by assuming an experience to happen in the future.
Then let’s compare a thought about past and a thought about the future.
What is the EXACT difference between the thoughts about past and future?
The differnce is the content- wheter it is about experiences in the past or in the future.
If there is difference, how that difference is known exactly?
It is known by assuming, believing that there are past and future and experiences made respectivly in either one of them.
Your last advise to just stay with the AE of sensations and thoughts makes MUCH more sense to me than to answer all this questions with words.
Have a nice day
Stefan
