Now let's get very detailed with DE.See brown color of skin
see different shapes of different body parts
hear the noise of my breath inhaling and exhaling
feel the clothes that touch my skin
taste the saliva in my mouth
thought- different shapesNow let's get very detailed with DE.
Seeing--brown
Thought--it's a color
Thought--it's skin
[previously Thought = mine]
Please continue with the remaining 4 sensory experiences.
No connection, Just thoughts(2) Then open the eyes and look into the mirror while still paying attention to the sensations.
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 connection(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?
no connection, only thoughts to suggest it(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?
Image by itself does not suggest anything, there are only colors and shapes that my eyes see, then thoughts arise and interpret what the color and shape is(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 colors and shapes?
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?
only sensations(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( Start to walk slowly.
Is there a ‘body walking’, or are there only sensations?
only sensationsIs there actual experience of ‘walking’ at all?
just thoughtsOr just THOUGHTS ABOUT ‘walking’?
just thoughts about a bodyCan such a thing as ‘body’ be found OR just THOUGHTS ABOUT a ‘body’?
noCan such a thing as ‘walking’ be found?
sensation associated with images which are labelled by thoughtsAre 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?
I don't really knowNow, let’s have a look at the idea of control, choice and decisions. Please explore the two exercises below and report your findings.
1. Hold a hand in front of you; palm turned down. Now turn the palm up. And down...and up and so on.
2. Put two objects that you like in front of you (e.g. a cup of coffee and a glass of juice), then pick up one or the other, while paying attention to the whole process of choosing.
Watch like a hawk. Don't go to thoughts, examine the actual experience. Do this as many times as you like, and each time inquire…
How is the movement controlled?
not sureDoes a thought control it?
Can a ‘controller’ or and entity that is choosing be located?
I don't know, once i started turning the hand over and over, it did automatically without thought, occasionally a thought would arise, "turn", but i couldn't tell if it was before the turn ordering a turn or if it was after a turn, witnessing the turn.How is the decision made to turn the hand over? Track any decision point when a thought MADE THE DECISION to turn the hand over.
I don't think there is a choice. As Newton said, an object in motion stays in motion. once the hand started moving, it stayed moving. I think a thought to stop stopped it. perhaps a thought to start it also started it, but there were no words-"start" "stop", it just happened as if my conscious knew what to do in that moment.If there is ‘here’ or ‘there’, there must be a refence point, right? Without center, “I” there is no reference point, hence no location. ‘Location’ (left, right, up, down, etc.) is a label, ‘here’ and ‘there’ are labels for various things (hearing, seeing, sensing).
So, is there a choice or just cause and effect playing out?
Let’s explore choice, control and decision-making a bit further.
Can you take me through a biggish decision that you made recently - not something very personal so you share more details about it.
How did it come to be?Actually, today I made an offer to buy a house. I have been looking at buying a house since July 2023. I looked at a lot. A few s everal times, many times I thought I was close to buying one, but the conditions had to be right.A
Consider all the conditions that were necessary for it to happen. If any one of those conditions were different, would the outcome have been the same?
I first had to have my old house sold. The price of the new house had to be about the same. My kids had to like it. IT had to be close to my work and their school I made 2 offers before, but the buyers did not accept so I had to let them go. There are several on the market too expensive but I have been watching the price. Today, I saw a house that my real estate agent told me she did not want to show it to me before, but today when she saw the house, she said it was all redone. I went in thinking it was unlikely that I would buy this house, but it checked all my boxes. It was the first house both my kids liked. I wanted to see it again saturday, but the agent said there was someone else about to offer on it. They I discussed it with several people I trust and all of them said I should make an offer today, so I went to see a house that I least expected to buy and ended up offering for it. It is still possible that the buyer won't accept my offer. If that is the case, I will move on, that house wasn't meant for me. but conditions were ideal for me to make an offer.almost all of them
How many of these conditions were outside of your influence?THe decision to make an offer to buy or notWhat was in your control (according to thought)?
Yes, that's what thought says.What was in your control (according to thought)?
The decision to make an offer to buy or not
his first reaction was a no, but after he heard how much we liked it, he told me to go ahead. no I did not have any control over his reaction/reactionswhat did your partner say? Did you have control over that?
no
Your children like it. Did you have control over that?
noAs you balanced the pluses and minuses in your mind, did you have any control over that?
banks and interest rates did not factor into it. I am paying cash using the money that I received from my previous house. I had no control over when and for how much my previous house sold for. It was on the market in august, at which time I could look at houses but could not buy them. Several of them got sold. I had no control over this. When it wouldn't sell, I did some repairs on my previous house (maybe i had control over this decision, but originally I did not want to, but something "changed" my mind. What is it, i don't know, it wasn't met). I was able to sell last month and received the cash I needed. I had no control over this, during that time I lost some houses I liked because I didn't have the cash. There are now some houses over the cash I have, but the owners wouldn't take my offer, so I have no control over that.What else factored into your decision? Banks, interest rates, selling your previous house, etc.
Did you have any control over those?
NODo cause and effect exist without thought?
I don't know, if they are thoughts they can't be experiencedHow are ‘cause’ and ‘effect’ experienced directly?
time doesn't exist without memory
What is time without memory (thought content)?
no
Can you directly experience ‘past’ or ‘future’? Can you directly experience ‘1 min ago’ or ‘1s ago’?
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