Heady inquirer stuck in stagnation: The Self resolidifies in social interaction
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2026 10:14 pm
LU is focused guiding for seeing there is no real, inherent 'self' - what do you understand by this?
That only what you see, hear, feel, taste and smell is real. Thoughts are also part of experience but their content isn't real. Therefore, for the self to exist, it should be possible to find it in raw experience. Self cannot be found anywhere other than in thought and beliefs.
What are you looking for at LU?
To keep clarifying what I already know deep down. To identify the sticking points that still makes it seem like there is an independent entity with a history and that is a subject in experience. I want to break the stagnation. I feel something akin to spiritual stagnation, and perhaps a guide would help me in getting out of seeking and back into direct experience and inquiry.
What do you expect from a guided conversation?
I have done several spiritual retreats, where I investigated the nature of self and deep perceptual shifts have happened. My experience has changed since to be more peaceful and grounded in the present, but in many situations I feel like the self resolidifies, specially in social situations. I am a heady person, and by trade I do need to use my mind constantly and engage in thought.
I would hope that a guided conversation keeps me looking and engaged in direct experience and investigation on the self, despite the challenges of everyday life where it seems that inquiry must take a secondary place.
What is your experience in terms of spiritual practices, seeking and inquiry?
I started meditating about 15 years ago. About 10 years ago, while experiencing intense emotional pain, I experienced a shift that made me feel in absolute peace and contentment in the midst of the storm. That experience passed, but I have since had no doubts that this process is real and that there is a way out of suffering. After that I took meditation more seriously. I have tried different approaches, TMI, TWIM, Goenka and Mahasi vipassana. More recently, 2-3 years ago I encountered the talks from Angello DiLulo which resonate more deeply. My practice has then been more focused on self-inquiry.
I have done several spiritual retreats, where I investigated the nature of self and deep perceptual shifts have happened. I generally feel more at peace, but social interaction still feels personal and mind-identification still happens often. I think further clarification and insight into no-self needs to happen.
On a scale from 1 to 10, how willing are you to question any currently held beliefs about 'self? 11
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That only what you see, hear, feel, taste and smell is real. Thoughts are also part of experience but their content isn't real. Therefore, for the self to exist, it should be possible to find it in raw experience. Self cannot be found anywhere other than in thought and beliefs.
What are you looking for at LU?
To keep clarifying what I already know deep down. To identify the sticking points that still makes it seem like there is an independent entity with a history and that is a subject in experience. I want to break the stagnation. I feel something akin to spiritual stagnation, and perhaps a guide would help me in getting out of seeking and back into direct experience and inquiry.
What do you expect from a guided conversation?
I have done several spiritual retreats, where I investigated the nature of self and deep perceptual shifts have happened. My experience has changed since to be more peaceful and grounded in the present, but in many situations I feel like the self resolidifies, specially in social situations. I am a heady person, and by trade I do need to use my mind constantly and engage in thought.
I would hope that a guided conversation keeps me looking and engaged in direct experience and investigation on the self, despite the challenges of everyday life where it seems that inquiry must take a secondary place.
What is your experience in terms of spiritual practices, seeking and inquiry?
I started meditating about 15 years ago. About 10 years ago, while experiencing intense emotional pain, I experienced a shift that made me feel in absolute peace and contentment in the midst of the storm. That experience passed, but I have since had no doubts that this process is real and that there is a way out of suffering. After that I took meditation more seriously. I have tried different approaches, TMI, TWIM, Goenka and Mahasi vipassana. More recently, 2-3 years ago I encountered the talks from Angello DiLulo which resonate more deeply. My practice has then been more focused on self-inquiry.
I have done several spiritual retreats, where I investigated the nature of self and deep perceptual shifts have happened. I generally feel more at peace, but social interaction still feels personal and mind-identification still happens often. I think further clarification and insight into no-self needs to happen.
On a scale from 1 to 10, how willing are you to question any currently held beliefs about 'self? 11
Admin note for Janojo: You can only see answers in your thread when you’re logged in. Please check your thread regularly while logged in, as email notifications don’t always work.