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[Anastacia42]

Csaba, you asked this, and it's outside of the final questions, so I am replying separately. You may want to do these before you reply to my previous questions. This may help clarify things.

Do you have some exercises for the attention, directing the attention? Would like to investigate that.

Really, all of the exercises are exercises in attention. LOOKING is attention. Attention is more of a relaxing and allowing than any kind of "directing." Why? Because there is no decision-maker and no decision. It is a paradox, yes.

Let me offer 3 exercises for you to check into attention. Take your time with these. There's no hurry.

First one:

Finding the Gap

This exercise has a dual purpose. Firstly, to become aware of each and every though as they appear. Secondly, the careful looking for the gap is an example of how carefully to look when looking for the ‘separate self’.

Here is a step-by-step description of how to look at thoughts. First thing is to sit for at least 10-15 minutes quietly somewhere, several times throughout your day. Close your eyes and just notice thoughts. Don’t engage with any thought, just notice them.

1. Notice the current thought that is present.

Like when you sit observing the body, a thought might arise “this is my feet” or “here is a
pain” or “my breathing is too quick” or “I am bored with this exercise” or “I have better
things to do” or any sorts of thoughts.

2. This thought will pass and another thought will come. So just observe this thought
passing.

3. Then wait for the next thought to come.

4. When the next thought is present, just notice it, and see how it passes.

5. Then wait for the next thought to come.

6. Repeat #4 and #5 many-many times.

Between the 2 thoughts there is a gap. It can be very short or subtle, just a second or a
few seconds before the next thought come in.

This is how to look at thoughts:-

Looking how they come and go, and

Observing the short gap between them.

Noticing how the current thought is passing.

And waiting for the next thought to come.

Please do the following exercise:

Throughout your waking day, try to observe the gap between thoughts as often as
possible. It can be done by noticing that ‘thinking’ is happening right now, then stop and
just simply wait for the next thought to come. In the ‘waiting’ there is a gap between two
thoughts.

Let me know how it goes for you.

Here is another exercise for attention:

Close your eyes and sit quietly for 10-15 minutes. Watch what focus does. Focus on focusing, watch attention itself. Do you move it? Or it moves by itself? Hold focus on breath. See how it moves to thoughts, sensations, feelings, sounds. Is this something you control?

And a third exercise for attention:

What moves attention? Is thinking in control of attention?

Describe what you see.

You can reply with one at a time.

Much love,

[Casper]

Dear Anastacia

Thank you for your kindness,

I know about the gap and is good to practice thank you.

I recognise also that the attention keeps wondering by itself, without to control. That is clear.

In the direct experience, this is all fine and understood. But what about a chain of thoughts and why it wanders off from the present moment or from the direct experience? When I noticed that I was lost in thoughts I can direct it back to the present moment. There is some sort of directing even if I know there is no I. Could you help me whit this?
Best wishes
Csaba

[Anastacia42]

Hi Csaba,

You're quite welcome. Yes, I can help you with this.

What is really happening is that thought and the idea of directing arise by themselves before we even know it's happening. Then our tricky minds tell the story that "we" did it. There's actually scientific proof, in an often-repeated experiment dating back to about 1986.

In this experiment, subjects are asked to make a choice and to ring a bell as soon as they know they've made the choice. Meanwhile, the experimenters have something attached to their brains to read brain waves. Their brain waves register the decision something like 2 seconds before they ring the bell... Every time. In other words, the decision happens in the brain and then we tell the made up story that some "I" did something.

There is still no evidence at all that anything called "I" did anything. Awareness was aware of something arising. That is all.

This and a lot of good information on this phenomena and similar ways that our minds fool us can be found in two of my favorite books. One of them is called"The Mind's Past," by Michael Gazzaniga. The other one is called, "On Being Certain: Believing You're Right Even When You're Wrong." It's written by Robert A Burton.

Do you want to look at these books or do you want me to pull mine out and find some quotes about it? Or is what I have told you about enough?

No "chain of thoughts." That is also an illusion as you have seen before. Watch carefully. It happens before you actually know it.

Definitely no "I." Simply awareness. Just life life-ing.

Do any of those three exercises until you can notice that there is no directing anywhere. It is simply another content of thought arising, a story of directing, not actual directing. We are never in any moment but the present. We just tell a story about some other thing that does not exist.

But, as always, do not believe me! You must LOOK and SEE for yourself, as paradoxical as that sounds.

Let me know how you would like to proceed.

Much love,

[Casper]

Dear Anastacia!
Thank you for those book recommendations, I ordered them and will study them once they arrive.

I am stuck with the directing the attention. I see that it is partially uncontrollable, and thoughts popping up constantly, but i can see that if would like to focus on something I can direct it as well. I can think of something or I can bring my attention to the present moment. I can't make that my focus is staying just on one subject but I can direct it. That is some kind of control no?

Have a good day, tomorrow i will have more time to write.
Best wishes
CSaba

[Anastacia42]

Hi Csaba,

Well, no, it's not.

It is late here and I only popped in to remind you to copy your post to something you can save before posting here. We are receiving a lot of hits from Bots and the site is timing out a lot, so you could lose your work. Save it elsewhere then post. I'll post again tomorrow.

Thanks!

[Anastacia42]

Good morning!

Okay let's see if this exercise helps you clarify what is Direct Experience and what is not.

Doership Exercise

Although you see that there is no noticer/ observer/ witness, there may still be the feeling of identification of being the ‘doer’. That it still ‘feels’ like there is a self that is the ‘chooser’.

So let’s have a look at this as it has to do with the sense of seeing.

Take a few relaxed breaths to let the dust settle for a while, and then:

Look on your right.

Then look on your left.

Finally, bring your head back to centre, close your eyes and look in front.

Okay, so when you look on the right, the view on the right is seen (whatever that is).

When you look on the left, the view on the left is seen (whatever that is).

And then, when you look in front of you with eyes closed, the view in front is seen (ie ‘black space’).

So, when the view on the right is seen, do you have the ‘choice’ not to see? I’m not asking can you ‘choose’ to see something else like another view or ‘black space’ if you close your eyes.

The question is; can you turn seeing off? Can you NOT see what is seen?

Same thing with the view on the left, can you NOT see the view on the left?

Same thing with the view in front with closed eyes, can you NOT see the ‘black space’?

Can you turn off seeing?

What did the 'chooser' choose? Did a 'self' choose something?

If you are unable to choose what you're aware of, then what else is there to choose?

Let me know how this one goes.

Much love,

[Casper]

Dear Anastacia

Sorry for taking so long with writing the last couple of days was really busy for me, usually, Fridays and Saturdays are my longest days.
When I wrote that I am responsible for staying present, it made me think that my attention could be directed.
I have no problem to see that decision is not made. If there is no time only the continuity of the present moment there is no decision at all. The decision is something pointing to the future or compared to the past. In the totality, any possibility is the same.
Anyway looking forward to reading those books.
Thank you for the exercise as well, that is a great example that there is no choice.
The decisions and attention are a form of thinking in the direct experience are all labelled as content.
Thank you again, sorry for dragging this a bit. Now I will send you the final answers.

Best wishes Csaba

[Casper]

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

No there is not

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.

There is NO separate self in the actual experience, and there is NO separation.
The separate self is a collection of thought about an entity who does not exist. It is a judging character, highly competitive, seeking attention, recognition and rewards. It is a selfish self and tries to filter everything, most of all it tries to control and secure everything for his future good. It believes in material things and always like to be right. Often feels it needs to defend itself, fix and foresee future problems.
Luckily this character is only on the thought level. In direct experience there is no separate self, this is where the illusion could be seen. Once this is recognized the thoughts are losing their importance.

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 great, though my significant realisation happened earlier, I was surprised when my lovely guide showed me the depth of the emptiness. I had no expectations and still found many deepening experiences through the exercises she put me through. I feel grateful, humbled and happy and glad that I could interact with a guide. With the deeper realisation, it is easier to stay with the present moment and not to believe too much the thoughts. The emotions are lost form their saturation as well and easier to control them. Time will tell. Sorry presence shall tell. Thank YOU, Stacy Ann!

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

My lovely guide asked me to look without the labels what is there?

Somehow it made me look deeper. I had the idea that there is only the experience. And that was my understanding; there is no experiencer just the experiencing. But this time I felt there is something more, and I really looked and understood that whatever is the experience it is nothing as well. It no one experiencing it is nothing. Before I was stuck with the understanding that whatever there is it is, that there is always something. I don't know why but I ignored that there is nothing. It might be because this is making no sense to the logical mind, everything is empty.

5) Describe decision, intention, free will, choice and control. What makes things happen? How does it work? What are you responsible for? Give examples from experience.

Describe decision, intention, free will, choice and control:

There are no such things only the experience is what is there.

What makes things happen?

I don't know. Would like to name it but that could not cover the totality of it, could make a concept of It, but it wouldn't be that. It is not possible to know the unknown, as soon it would be known it wouldn't be the unknown. Could give many names but it doesn't make it known.

How does it work?

I don't know. Only the actual experience could be known. Concepts, ideas, are a form of imagination, thoughts.

What are you responsible for?

There is no responsibility.


Thanks again, I appreciate your guidance Anastacia/Stacy Ann.

[Anastacia42]

Thank you, Csaba.

I submitted your thread for confirmation or further questions.

It would have been best to see the doership exercise answered question by question. You seem to see there is none.

I'll report back soon.

Much love,

[Casper]

Dear Anastacia
Here are the answers for the doesrhsip exercise

The question is; can you turn seeing off? Can you NOT see what is seen?

No, I can't, I see whatever is presented.

Same thing with the view on the left, can you NOT see the view on the left

No, I can't.

Same thing with the view in front with closed eyes, can you NOT see the ‘black space’?

No, I can't.

Can you turn off seeing?

No, I can't.

What did the 'chooser' choose? Did a 'self' choose something?

There was no choice at all and no chooser as well.
Best wishes
Csaba

[Anastacia42]

Great. Thank you. I'm just waiting to see if anyone has any further questions.

Much love

[Anastacia42]

Hi Csaba,

These further clarifications are requested.

Could you ask Csaba a couple of questions, please?

1. He says "The emotions are lost form their saturation as well and easier to control them."

Could you ask him how he controls emotions?


2. He says "everything is empty." Could you ask him to give one example to show how things are empty?


3. Could you ask him to tell how the illusion of decision, intention, free will, choice and control works, and restate how he has seen through *each* of them?


Please answer as clearly as you can. Use examples from your life.

Thank you,

[Casper]

Hi, here are the answers:

1. He says "The emotions are lost form their saturation as well and easier to control them."

Could you ask him how he controls emotions?

I can't switch them on or off, and cannot not feel them, but when they are experienced their effect is less. Control is not the right word as it assumes someone to control it. Not someone made them less saturated, it just feels less powerful or vivid that's all. No control.

2. He says "everything is empty." Could you ask him to give one example to show how things are empty?

I can't show that things are empty, there are no things, there is only the experience of all things in a merged totality. That is the experience that whatever shape or form it takes and nothing at all at the same time.

3. Could you ask him to tell how the illusion of decision, intention, free will, choice and control works, and restate how he has seen through *each* of them?

There is one problem with all of them, they suggest a person, an entity, someone who is in charge to fulfil something. That is why all of them are illusions.

The intention is a plan for the future. There is no time, but the present moment. I went through the time exercise, I only can know the present moment.

Free will is an idea about a person who is free to do whatever he/she likes. As an idea, it can't exist in direct experience. There is only the experience itself no "doer".

the decision, choice

Both words are meaning similar things based on a self, who is thinking forward or compares the past with the present or simply just overthinking.
If there is no self then who could make a decision/choice?
If there is no time how could be known a decision/choice is made?
If there is only one totality of the experience what is to decide?

Control is about someone controlling something.
I saw in the doership exercise that I can't control my experience. It appears whatever it is and is seen felt or heard without any control. There is no controller anyway.

Thank You, Best wishes
Csaba

[Anastacia42]

Good morning/afternoon, Csaba!

Congratulations, "you" have been confirmed as past the Gateless Gate. Watch your Private Messages link top right on this page for invitation to the Aftercare & Facebook groups if you are interested. You are welcome to continue to communicate with me on Facebook.

It has been a pleasure to guide with you.

Much love!

[Casper]

Dear Anastacia
I would like to thank you from my heart your kindness and help. You showed me a lot of new things and I appreciate it. I am glad that I signed up for this, and got picked by You. It was very very helpful. Thanks again, will be in touch on Facebook.
Best wishes
Csaba