The Gate

Hi Paula

Yes I was aware when writing that it was intellectual understanding, so I'm glad that's been picked up. Nowhere to hide :)

Does what you call “awareness” exist?

I can't point to it, in the same way I can't point to a "me".
Maybe they are the same thing, ie awareness is the "me" feeling and vice versa.
Right now there is awareness of head aching. Which is one level back from there is head aching.

More tomorrow

Thanks Paula!

Part two....

Whether yes or no, what is it that you experience that some people call "awareness"? What does it look like and feel like to you?

I've been looking, and it seems "awareness" is only experienced in the present moment. So lost in thought...no experience of awareness. Then present moment awareness will come in, closely followed by a thought "you've been thinking". Awareness is like an attentiveness to what is happening - a noticing. Of breath, sounds, discomfort, tension, thought etc etc etc. So I guess it's a noticing of direct experience. Awareness of direct experience.

Could you please tell me what “conciousness ” is in your everyday life? Please describe it in mundane words, based on clear examples

I can give two examples although not in every day life. Ie these were two memorable moments.

1) during a journeywork process I was experiencing pain and anguish ( which wasn't there at the start) and then suddenly - like flicking a switch - it stopped and instead everything was filled with an utter peace. Boundaries - like the walls in the room - seemed to vanish.

2) in August this year, following 6 difficult months, i was lying in the garden looking up at the sky - and the more I looked, the more I couldn't decide whether the sky looked like sky or ocean. And i felt that utter peace again in the same way. And I started to laugh, belly laugh, because I realised that this peace had been there all the time and all I needed to do was to connect with/ be aware of it.

Is this consciousness or an experience of consciousness? I don't know if that's the right label. I don't really know how to label it other than peaceful and spacious.

This translated into everyday life is perhaps that moment of seeing something truly extraordinary - like rays of sun bursting through clouds. It happens when the mind stops chattering, when there is present moment awareness.

For me, awareness and consciousness feel like the same thing.

That's all I can come up with for now!

Thanks Paula

Lynne

Thank you, Lynne! I will keep you posted.

Have a wonderful day :-)

Cheers,
Paula

Hi Lynne,

I just wanted to let you know that the guides are still considering your posts, thank you for your patience.

I hope you are enjoying and deepening your ability to Look in your day to day life and finding more ease and freedom.

Have a beautiful day!

Warm wishes,
Paula

Hi Paula

I'm doing my best to keep the fire burning ;-)

Thanks so much for the update

You have a wonderful day too

Lynne x

Hi Lynne,

I hope you are having a wonderful day!

Kento, a wonderful guide (aka Bananafish) will be asking you some additional questions to further deepen your process.

Enjoy!

Warm wishes,
Paula

Thank you so much Paula!

You too :)

Warmest wishes

Lynne

Hi Lynne. :)

Sorry for the delay in contacting you ... it's been really hectic these days.


As a kickstarter, could I ask how life is led these days?

Also, please tell me as much as you can about what awareness or consciousness is
for you.


Warm regards,

Bananafish

Hi Bananafish

That's fine, I really appreciate your time, thank you.

As a kickstarter, could I ask how life is led these days?

Pretty much the same as before I guess - just with a different perspective. There is a lot more just being. At the same time some confusion (just a thought) with old belief systems (such as intention which is recognised as another thought). There appears to be less motivation, but at the same time allowing life to live itself simply.

Also, please tell me as much as you can about what awareness or consciousness is
for you.

To me they are the same thing. I've also heard the names "spirit" and "grace" which I take to be the same thing.
First of all the thought "I am aware". So breathing, hearing, seeing is noticed. This can happen when the mind is quiet. And then when I ask "what is it that is aware of my experience?" it seems obvious that there isn't a personal entity that is aware. That that which is aware (the watcher) isnt looking out from within the confines of the body. So it must be awareness itself? I ask myself if the body died, what would be left. The awareness would remain, unchanged. I don't have any direct experience of awareness - apart from the noticing of seeing, hearing etc - and sensations of stillness, peace, time standing still when deeply present in the now.

Best wishes

Lynne

Hi. :)


You said you don't have any experience of awareness, while telling that
awareness would be left after death.


Is that a guess?

What makes you pose that question "if the body died, what would be left"?

Hi Bananafish

I just found this in my junk mail - sorry I thought you must have been busy hence was being patient!!

Will reply later

Best wishes

Lynne

Hi :)

You said you don't have any experience of awareness, while telling that
awareness would be left after death.

Is that a guess?

guess I've heard that "that which we are" is unchanging. But I can experience it too as this stillness that is there always - just sometimes we're too busy to experience it. But every time I mindfully look for it (or become present) it is there.

So I can see when the body dies, the stillness, awareness would be unchanging. It feels like a knowing but I suppose it is a guess.

What makes you pose that question "if the body died, what would be left"?

I heard an Eckhart Tolle quote "Death is the falling away of everything we are not...." it seemed to make sense, it struck a chord.

Hi. :) No worries about the reply.


Ok, here's the question; can you experience awareness?
Could you answer in just yes or no?


And I would prefer that you don't guess here, as that has no
place in this inquiry.


Also, you wrote that a quote made sense. Is that an intellectual understanding?
Have you experienced the death in which everything fell away?

Hi

Ok, here's the question; can you experience awareness?
Could you answer in just yes or no?

There will be a yes or no at the end and this is how I arrived at it, through looking, no guesswork.

Can "you" experienced awareness - "I" am not the body (I have looked, I know this). If not the body, what can "I" be, other than awareness, consciousness, vibrating energy - the ether - theres nothing else it can be? So "I" am aware of "my" experience = awareness is aware of itself.

So thoughts "I am aware of the body breathing" = awareness is aware of the body breathing (direct experience as it's a thought). "I" notice/become aware of stillness, peace - stillness and feelings of peace are sensations = direct experience. So again, "I", awareness, is aware of (stillness, peace = awareness) ie itself.

So the answer is yes, "I" can experience awareness.

Also, you wrote that a quote made sense. Is that an intellectual understanding?

It resonated with me. Is that intellectual?

Have you experienced the death in which everything fell away?

Perhaps? but there is no memory of it. So effectively no.

Thanks. :)


This time, please answer the question without any reasoning
like in the previous post. :) No "A so B" nor "A because B."


Are you experiencing awareness right now?
Could you answer in just yes or no?


I'll be asking questions about "resonating" and "death" later.


Best regards,

Bananafish