Clarity

[Seamist]

Hi Becca
Really lovely answers here. And great noticing! Well done

Get a sheet of paper and draw a line that divides that sheet in half. Label one half 'self' and the other side 'other'. Sit down and start a timer for 5 minutes. Every time you have a thought make a mark on the sheet. If that thought is about the self put a mark on the self side, if it’s about something else, mark the other side. If a thought about food occurs due to feeling hungry, mark that on the self side. Any thought that refers back to a self should go on the self side. (I'm bored, I'm tired, is the door locked (my safety) that video was funny (I was amused), my back hurts, I am frightened) get it?
Let me know how you go and what you notice.

xx

[Seamist]

Hi Becca
How are you doing?
xx

[Plant31]

Hi Sioned,
Sorry I haven’t had chance to reply. I’m just out of the country and so haven’t had much signal and phone battery. However, I have tried the exercise a couple of times.

I’ll try and respond each day or when I can and will carry out the exercises whilst away.

The first time I tried this, I had more self thoughts than other. There were some that seemed like other but were most probably driven by self. Being in nature allowed me to hear the sounds of the waves, wind, cars and general sounds as noise being heard rather than interpreting what each sound is labelled as.

It was a lovely exercise. Thank you.

I will still try and reply each day xx


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[Seamist]

Hi Becca
Great to hear that you've been able to do the exercise and that you've found it interesting. Well done.

Try this one now:
Here is an exercise which examines the way in which the mind labels experience - it takes about 20 minutes and you will need a pen a paper.
This exercise is broken into 10 minute lots. For each 10 minute period pay attention to any bodily sensation ie is there any tightening, or any relaxing?
For the first ten minutes write down what you are experiencing right now using the word “I”.
For example: I am sitting on a chair, I am hearing a clock ticking, I am looking at a computer screen, I am feeling hungry. Get right to the point, no past or future fantasy, just a plain description of your experience right here and now.

Then for the next ten minutes continue writing down what you are experiencing but this time without using the word “I”. Just describe the experience as it is happening using verbs. For example: sitting on a chair, typing, breathing, blinking, hearing the clock. (Again, watch what is happening in the body.)

At the end of the twenty minutes compare the two ways in which the experience was labelled and answer the following four questions:

1. Is one truer than the other, and If so, which one?
2. What is here without labels?
3. Do labels affect the experience or just describe it?
4. Did you notice any differences in the body?


xx

[Plant31]

Another lovely exercise. Thank you Sioned.

1. Is one truer than the other, and If so, which one?
Yes, the second one without “I” is truer.
There is a realisation that the “I” really is just a label, a habit that we have been conditioned to do.

2. What is here without labels?
Experience is still arising without labels. Life is flowing.

3. Do labels affect the experience or just describe it?
Yes. When the “I” is used, there is more identification with a separate self. Things happening feel very personal when they are not in reality.

4. Did you notice any differences in the body?
Yes, there was tightness in the chest and more personal feelings created when identified with the “I” self. In the second example, experience seemed to be flowing and just happening. There was no ‘gripping’ on to a separate identity.


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[Seamist]

Lovely noticing! Well done, Becca
Try this next:
There is a belief that labels have a one-to-one correspondence with ‘reality’. But there isn’t. Just like it is a generally accepted belief that labels like ‘good’ and ‘bad’ are inherent characteristics of ‘things’. But actually, they are not.
When you look at the word label ‘GREEN’, what is the actual experience?
Is the colour red ‘experienced’, or is the colour green ‘experienced’ as the label suggests?
Does the label ‘GREEN’ have a one-to-one correspondence with ‘reality’? Or does the label suggest something else other than what is here now (red colour)?
Is 'green' associated in any way with the experience of the colour red; or is green just a label that overlays the actual experience of red?
If the label ‘GREEN’ is replaced with the label ‘GOOD’ or ‘BAD’, is the redness affected in any way as the labels suggests?
Does redness become ‘good’ or ‘bad’, or do the labels have no affect whatsoever on ‘reality’?

xxx

[Seamist]

Ignore that previous one, Becca, it should read like this:
There is a belief that labels have a one-to-one correspondence with ‘reality’. But there isn’t. Just like it is a generally accepted belief that labels like ‘good’ and ‘bad’ are inherent characteristics of ‘things’. But actually, they are not.
When you look at the word label ‘GREEN’, what is the actual experience?
Is the colour red ‘experienced’, or is the colour green ‘experienced’ as the label suggests?
Does the label ‘GREEN’ have a one-to-one correspondence with ‘reality’? Or does the label suggest something else other than what is here now (red colour)?
Is 'green' associated in any way with the experience of the colour red; or is green just a label that overlays the actual experience of red?
If the label ‘GREEN’ is replaced with the label ‘GOOD’ or ‘BAD’, is the redness affected in any way as the labels suggests?
Does redness become ‘good’ or ‘bad’, or do the labels have no affect whatsoever on ‘reality’?
xx

[Plant31]

The labels don’t have any effect on reality.
The word green was read without experiencing the colour green or the colour red.
When the words good and bad are both red they have different meanings.
Not sure if that’s what you mean.
Are you pointing to the fact that all experience is equal?
It’s a bit confusing this one xx


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[Seamist]

Do labels match reality? That's the point here. I think you got that: do you?

[Plant31]

Yes. I get that labels don’t match the reality. Thank you


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[Seamist]

Morning, Becca,
Here's today's exercise for you:
Bring up a thought about a character labelled "friend".
Then bring up a thought about a character labelled "stranger".

Compare these thoughts.
Is there a difference in these thoughts?
Is there a true difference or is it just different content?

Now, bring up a thought about a character labelled "friend".
After that, look at a thought about the character labelled "me”.

Is there a difference?
Is there anything special about thoughts with the content "me-character"?

xx

[Plant31]

No, no difference at all. The only difference is the content but all of the thoughts were the same and had the same quality.


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[Seamist]

Well done, Becca
When you're ready, do this one:

Wherever you are sitting right now, look for an object to use. Don’t pick up the object or turn it around, only look at what can be seen without touching it or turning it.

Have one?
Now look at it and describe what you see. Give yourself a bit of time with it. Just look, nothing else.

Done?

Now describe the back side of the object.
How is it known what the back side looks like?
What tells what it looks like?
How can it be known that there is a back at all? That the object is 3D?
Can this be known in direct experience?
Can an object be known at all?

xx Sioned

[Plant31]

Have one? Yes
Done? Yes
How is it known what the back side looks like? Only though imagined thought, guessing what might be on the other side through past experiences. It’s taken from memory or imagination, all is thought as we can’t ever know without looking.
What tells what it looks like? Imagination as thought.
How can it be known that there is a back at all? It comes from a belief, a constructed idea about the object.
That the object is 3D? From belief.
Can this be known in direct experience? Only by looking.
Can an object be known at all? No, an object cannot be known as it is all constructed through thoughts, ideas, beliefs.



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[Seamist]

Tell me a bit about what object you used and what the experience was like xx