The Gate

Hi Stacy,
Just checking in. Thanks.
Love
Patrick

"Checking in" means telling me what is being experienced, please?

Thanks!
Stacy

Hi Stacy,
I feel as though I have had a major shift but somehow it's mostly faded away now. I will go back through all our exercises over the next couple of days and see if that triggers anything. Emotions are coming up that feel pretty heavy after a period of lightness.
Thanks
Love
Patrick

Hi Patrick, that is normal. Let me know when you're ready to tackle the final questions. You are likely to be working on this for years.

Loving,
Stacy

Hi Stacy,

Is there any connection between the felt sensations and the image in the mirror? Or just thoughts (and/or mental images) suggest that there is?

No there is no direct connection, thoughts or story make the link. It's not in direct awareness.

(3) While still paying attention to the sensations move one hand and observe the movement from the mirror.

Is there any connection between the felt sensations (labelled ‘hand’) and image of movement in the mirror?

Again thought has to make the connection. There is no necessary connection in direct awareness.



(4) Now do the same movement with the hand, but this time look at the hand directly, not from the mirror.

Is there any connection between the felt sensations (labelled ‘hand’) and the image ‘of movement’? Or only thoughts suggest it?

No connection on direct awareness. Only thoughts or story suggesting it. (Amazingly)


(5) Now, pay attention only to the image in the mirror.

Does the image by itself suggest in any way that is ‘you’ or ‘your body’? Does the image itself suggest in any way that it is a ‘body’ at all? Or are there only colours and shapes?

No the image in direct awareness does not suggest it is me or my body or a body at all. Only thoughts and stories make that link. Habits of mind, habits of thinking. These are so powerful still but.....


(6) Where the mirror ends, some parts of the body (probably legs) cannot be seen.

Just by the image in the mirror, is there any ‘knowledge’ that there must be legs, or only thoughts and mental images suggest so?

No, not in direct awareness. Only in thoughts.


(7) Now turn away from the mirror and look forward (don’t look directly to any body parts).

Is there a ‘body’ anywhere when all thoughts and images are ignored, or are there only sensations?

Only sensations.



(8) Start to walk slowly.

Is there a ‘body walking’, or are there only sensations?
Is there actual experience of ‘walking’ at all?

Only sensations. No actual experience of walking at all.

Or just THOUGHTS ABOUT ‘walking’?

Thoughts, stories make the link between the sensations and "walking".

Can such a thing as ‘body’ be found OR just THOUGHTS ABOUT a ‘body’?

Just thoughts, a story of a body. We have sensations and we make a story about a body using the sensations as the basis. The thoughts though are completely arbitrary.

Can such a thing as ‘walking’ be found?

No

(9) Are the sensations localized in space, like ‘going through the room’; OR is there only an image that is labelled ‘room’ and appearing sensations without any location?

In direct experience there is only sensations. There is no location the sensations must be happening in. They are happening here and now but the room etc is a story, thoughts.


This exercise is really powerful Stacy. I will keep at it. Thank you.
Love
Patrick

Hi Patrick,

Fun, aren't they?

Here's an exercise on Time:

Time Exercise

There is a general assumption that there is 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 a linear line, coming from the past and advancing to the future.

But is there an experience of the ’now’ moving along the line of time?

Any experience of one ‘moment’ giving way to the next?

Is there any actual or direct experience of one event following another?

How fast is the ‘present moment’ actually moving?

Just look at 'this moment', can you find a point where it began?

How long does the ‘now’ last?

Where does the ‘now’ start, and where does it end?

When does the ‘now’ exactly become the 'past'?

What is the ‘past’ in actual experience?

So is there actual experience of ‘time’ or thoughts about ‘time’?


Loving,

~ Stacy

Hi Stacy,

I have been working with the time questions today but would like to save my answers till tomorrow so I can go over the questions again a couple more times.

I am hoping you won't mind answering a question. The last couple of days I have been feeling very much back stuck in seeing things the way I've always seen them. With that came heaviness and suffering. Then when I worked on some of the exercises again today, the mirror/body ones, the time ones, the hand tilting etc., I started to feel a lot lighter and my suffering lifted. For a minute or two I felt like "there's nobody here to suffer". Then that went away but I felt much lighter overall after I'd practiced "seeing" for a bit.

So my question is, am I flip flopping in and out of seeing because I need to keep repeating the exercises? Or am I flip flopping in and out of seeing because that's just how this unfolds?

Any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks.
Love
Patrick

Good morning,

Or am I flip flopping in and out of seeing because that's just how this unfolds?

Yes, it can go on for years. Watch these, please:

https://youtu.be/vJQcD588g2w

and

https://youtu.be/PUDzrCLlrj4

If you can notice the lies that you are believing that are causing stress, and question those, perhaps with The Work of Byron Katie, you can clear that up.

www.thework.com

WORKSHEET

1. Who (or what) angers, irritates, saddens, frustrates you and why?

I am _________ at ___________ because __________.

2. How do you want them to change? What do you want them to do?

I want ________ to ____________________________.

3. What is it they should or shouldn’t do, be, think or feel?

___________ should/shouldn’t ___________________.

4. What do they need to do in order for you to be happy?

I need ______________ to ______________________.

5. What do you think of them? Make a list.

___________ is _______________________________.

6. What is it you don’t want to experience with this person again?

I don’t ever want to ____________________________.

The Questions:

1. Is it true?

2. Can you absolutely know that it’s true?

3. How do you react when you believe that thought?

4. Who would you be without that thought?

Turn it Around (to self, other or opposite) (find an opposite of each word, one at a time)

Is this Turn Around at least as true or truer than the original stressful thought?

Give 3 proofs of each Turn Around.

There is a helpline, videos, etc. Katie offers weekly groups for $50, but everything is there for free, too.

Loving,

Stacy

Last pointer, when you're ready:

Memory Exercise

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.

Please don’t go to thought explanations, but just let a memory be there, and look at it.

Look at what is actually going on and not what thoughts say - but what actually is.

What is memory exactly?

What is the memory ‘made of’?

WHEN does the memory appear?

What is the exact difference between a ‘general’ thought and a ‘memory’ thought?

How is it known EXACTLY that a ‘memory’ thought refers to something that has happened?

Then, look at a thought about the future.

What is the future thought ‘made of’?

WHEN does the future thought appear?

What is the exact difference between a ‘general’ thought and a ‘future’ thought?

How is it known EXACTLY that a ‘future’ thought refers to something that will happen?

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?

If there is difference and how is that difference is known exactly?


Loving,

~ Stacy

Also, if you'll PM (top right) an email address, I'll share another dozen recorded pointers from my DropBox.

Loving,
Stacy

Hi Stacy,
That's all very helpful, thanks so much. Here are my answers to the time questions. I will do the memory ones next.

But is there an experience of the ’now’ moving along the line of time?

No, not in direct experience.

Any experience of one ‘moment’ giving way to the next?

No there is not.

Is there any actual or direct experience of one event following another?

Strangely no. There is just an experience of an event, to say it followed another event you have to go into memory, which is thought.

How fast is the ‘present moment’ actually moving?

In direct experience it doesn't seem to be moving at all.

Just look at 'this moment', can you find a point where it began?

No

How long does the ‘now’ last?

It is just now. It's always now.

Where does the ‘now’ start, and where does it end?

It is always now.

When does the ‘now’ exactly become the 'past'?

In direct experience it does not.

What is the ‘past’ in actual experience?

The past cannot be accessed in direct experience but only by memories which is to say by going out of direct experience and into thought.

So is there actual experience of ‘time’ or thoughts about ‘time’?

There are definitely thoughts about time but no actual experience of time.

Stacy, wow, this is amazing stuff to look at. It is very disorienting but in a good way.

Thank you

Love
Patrick

Good work, Patrick!

Loving
Stacy

Hi Stacy,

What is memory exactly?

Memory is thought

What is the memory ‘made of’?

Memory is made up of thoughts

WHEN does the memory appear?

The memory appears now. But we have to go into thought to look at a memory.

What is the exact difference between a ‘general’ thought and a ‘memory’ thought?

I cannot find any difference.

How is it known EXACTLY that a ‘memory’ thought refers to something that has happened?

It is not really known, it being something that has happened is a story we piece together


Then, look at a thought about the future.

What is the future thought ‘made of’?

Just made of thought

WHEN does the future thought appear?

It appears now but we have to go out of direct awareness and into thought to look at the content of a memory or a future thought

What is the exact difference between a ‘general’ thought and a ‘future’ thought?

No difference

How is it known EXACTLY that a ‘future’ thought refers to something that will happen?

This is just a story pieced together with thoughts

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?

No difference

If there is difference and how is that difference is known exactly?

There is no difference. Both are thoughts. The content is different but that is all..no difference in direct awareness.

Stacy I'm not sure how I did with these. I probably need to practice this again a couple of times. It's a lot to take in.
Thank you
Love
Patrick

Your answers are exactly right.

There's nothing left to do here, except "final" questions. You're "cooked."

The integration may take weeks or even months or years.

Loving,
Stacy

Thank you so much Stacy, although a lot of integration is needed and although this is profoundly disorienting, it does seem like a big shift has taken place. That would not have happened without your help and I appreciate it so much.
Love
Patrick