The Gate

Hi Sanne!
It was so great talking with you today! I'm really looking forward to working with you. :-)

Okay, let's take care of the formalities first, and then we'll dig in!

It doesn't sound like this applies to you, but you’ve read this disclaimer, right? http://liberationunleashed.com/disclaimer-2/

Beware that the forum sometimes goes down. I would highly recommend composing your responses in another program and pasting them into the forum. I would have lost many hours of typed messages had I not done this!

We'll use a mixture of conversation and direct pointing exercises to aid your inquiry. I won't be asking you to believe or accept anything. I’ll be asking lots of pointed questions, but the actual work of Looking and accurately reporting what is found (or not found) is totally up to you. The pointers work really well, but only if you do them. :-)

To get an idea of exactly where you are right now, can you please answer these questions? One of the biggest hindrances to Seeing no-self is the habit of creating falsely grandiose expectations. We’ll need to address those right away if they are showing up for you. Please answer as honestly and thoroughly as you can.

What is wrong with things as they are now, and in what ways do you expect them to change after “crossing the Gate”?
I don’t think that anything will change but I expect that my perception of thing will change. I will not be attanched to any thoughts or feelings. The ”things” just is. Not bad – not good – just is.

Do you expect any changes in your personality/relationships/mental states, etc.?
I expect that I will see everything more with ease. Laugh at people, situations, the weather, my economy, concerts, my husband (I already do ;-) – everything.
So my personality will change. I expect that I will be more quietly with others. Just beeing, without any opinions. I expect to be less energetic – I sometimes get to much energy. On the other hand I expect to be better to just follow my energy and do more creative things – e.g. ceramics. In stead of seeing tv.

How will being “Awakened” feel?
To be in a flow – just drinking a glass of water, practicing on my oboe, being in my garden, cleaning the windows – just flow

Is there something missing now that you expect to find?
Yes – confidence in life

Do you have any fears, anxiety, or reservations about this process? (Please feel free to be very honest about this if you do.)

I fear that I will change so much, that other people will find me strange. They already do – but much more.
I fear I will stop being responsible – e.g. our economy (I’m the one who take responsibility about our economy)

If I have written questions in blue text, please try to answer each one as specifically as possible.

Also, for the sake of clarity, please answer questions using the Quote function for each, if it’s not too much trouble.
Step one: select the text to quote.
Step two: press the "Quote" button above the text edit field.
Please let me know if you have any questions or problems.

Okay, now that that's out of the way, the name of the book is “Being You” by Anil Seth. Again, his categories of the self-illusion are:
The Body as Self – the feeling that I am my body
The Narrative Self – the memory of past events, my name, family, address, etc.
The Perspectival Self – the feeling of being an entity looking out from behind my eyes, located somewhere in the middle of my head
The Volitional Self – the feeling that I can make choices, and choose whether or not to perform an action
The Social Self – the way I perceive others perceiving me

Lastly, I know we talked about it, but here's just a little exercise about Direct Experience to make sure we're totally clear on it:

Direct Experience - Labeling Daily Activities

When we talk about Direct/Actual Experience, what we’re talking about are simply the raw experiences before thought attaches concepts, names, or meaning to them.
This is what you’re going to use to Look and report back in all of the pointers I’ll be giving. In a handy reminder form, Direct or Actual Experience is:

Seeing
Hearing
Feeling (Physical sensations, not emotion. Emotions are just physical sensations mixed with thoughts)
Tasting
Smelling
Thoughts Arising (but not their content)

Here's a labeling exercise that I would like you to try multiple times throughout the day. Label daily activities with the raw Direct Experience (DE) that you experience – color/image, sound, smell, taste, sensation, thought.

So for example, when having breakfast, become aware of:

Seeing a cup = image/color/shape
Smelling coffee = smell
Feeling the warmth of the coffee cup = sensation
Tasting the coffee = taste
Hearing the spoon stirring the coffee = sound
A thought about drinking the coffee = thought

Just break down daily activities into these categories as you really experience them.

Please write back a few of these lists for me to check out. But the more important thing is to do it regularly.

(If it helps, please refer to the green list of Actual/Direct Experience.
Post several of your own observations in a list exactly like the one above, please.)

Okay, that's plenty for today. I know you'll be busy for the next day or so, so take your time.
Have a great day, and I'll talk with you soon!
-Todd

Hi Sanne!
It was so great talking with you today! I'm really looking forward to working with you. :-)

Okay, let's take care of the formalities first, and then we'll dig in!

It doesn't sound like this applies to you, but you’ve read this disclaimer, right? http://liberationunleashed.com/disclaimer-2/

Beware that the forum sometimes goes down. I would highly recommend composing your responses in another program and pasting them into the forum. I would have lost many hours of typed messages had I not done this!

We'll use a mixture of conversation and direct pointing exercises to aid your inquiry. I won't be asking you to believe or accept anything. I’ll be asking lots of pointed questions, but the actual work of Looking and accurately reporting what is found (or not found) is totally up to you. The pointers work really well, but only if you do them. :-)

To get an idea of exactly where you are right now, can you please answer these questions? One of the biggest hindrances to Seeing no-self is the habit of creating falsely grandiose expectations. We’ll need to address those right away if they are showing up for you. Please answer as honestly and thoroughly as you can.

What is wrong with things as they are now, and in what ways do you expect them to change after “crossing the Gate”?
I don’t think that anything will change but I expect that my perception of thing will change. I will not be attanched to any thoughts or feelings. The ”things” just is. Not bad – not good – just is.

Do you expect any changes in your personality/relationships/mental states, etc.?
I expect that I will see everything more with ease. Laugh at people, situations, the weather, my economy, concerts, my husband (I already do ;-) – everything.
So my personality will change. I expect that I will be more quietly with others. Just beeing, without any opinions. I expect to be less energetic – I sometimes get to much energy. On the other hand I expect to be better to just follow my energy and do more creative things – e.g. ceramics. In stead of seeing tv.

How will being “Awakened” feel?
To be in a flow – just drinking a glass of water, practicing on my oboe, being in my garden, cleaning the windows – just flow

Is there something missing now that you expect to find?
Yes – confidence in life

Do you have any fears, anxiety, or reservations about this process? (Please feel free to be very honest about this if you do.)

I fear that I will change so much, that other people will find me strange. They already do – but much more.
I fear I will stop being responsible – e.g. our economy (I’m the one who take responsibility about our economy)

If I have written questions in blue text, please try to answer each one as specifically as possible.

Also, for the sake of clarity, please answer questions using the Quote function for each, if it’s not too much trouble.
Step one: select the text to quote.
Step two: press the "Quote" button above the text edit field.
Please let me know if you have any questions or problems.

Okay, now that that's out of the way, the name of the book is “Being You” by Anil Seth. Again, his categories of the self-illusion are:
The Body as Self – the feeling that I am my body
I know that feeling


The Narrative Self – the memory of past events, my name, family, address, etc.
I know that to

The Perspectival Self – the feeling of being an entity looking out from behind my eyes, located somewhere in the middle of my head
I have been doing that when I been walking I the e.g. forest

The Volitional Self – the feeling that I can make choices, and choose whether or not to perform an action
Yep

The Social Self – the way I perceive others perceiving me
Yep-yep

Lastly, I know we talked about it, but here's just a little exercise about Direct Experience to make sure we're totally clear on it:

Direct Experience - Labeling Daily Activities

When we talk about Direct/Actual Experience, what we’re talking about are simply the raw experiences before thought attaches concepts, names, or meaning to them.
This is what you’re going to use to Look and report back in all of the pointers I’ll be giving. In a handy reminder form, Direct or Actual Experience is:

Seeing
Hearing
Feeling (Physical sensations, not emotion. Emotions are just physical sensations mixed with thoughts)
Tasting
Smelling
Thoughts Arising (but not their content)

Here's a labeling exercise that I would like you to try multiple times throughout the day. Label daily activities with the raw Direct Experience (DE) that you experience – color/image, sound, smell, taste, sensation, thought.

So for example, when having breakfast, become aware of:

Seeing a cup = image/color/shape
Smelling coffee = smell
Feeling the warmth of the coffee cup = sensation
Tasting the coffee = taste
Hearing the spoon stirring the coffee = sound
A thought about drinking the coffee = thought

Just break down daily activities into these categories as you really experience them.

Please write back a few of these lists for me to check out. But the more important thing is to do it regularly.

(If it helps, please refer to the green list of Actual/Direct Experience.
Post several of your own observations in a list exactly like the one above, please.)

Okay, that's plenty for today. I know you'll be busy for the next day or so, so take your time.
Have a great day, and I'll talk with you soon!
-Todd

What is wrong with things as they are now, and in what ways do you expect them to change after “crossing the Gate”?

I don’t think that anything will change but I expect that my perception of thing will change. I will not be attanched to any thoughts or feelings. The ”things” just is. Not bad – not good – just is.

Do you expect any changes in your personality/relationships/mental states, etc.?

I expect that I will see everything more with ease. Laugh at people, situations, the weather, my economy, concerts, my husband (I already do ;-) – everything.
So my personality will change. I expect that I will be more quietly with others. Just beeing, without any opinions. I expect to be less energetic – I sometimes get to much energy. On the other hand I expect to be better to just follow my energy and do more creative things – e.g. ceramics. In stead of seeing tv.

How will being “Awakened” feel?

To be in a flow – just drinking a glass of water, practicing on my oboe, being in my garden, cleaning the windows – just flow

Is there something missing now that you expect to find?

Yes – confidence in life

Do you have any fears, anxiety, or reservations about this process? (Please feel free to be very honest about this if you do.)

I fear that I will change so much, that other people will find me strange. They already do – but much more.
I fear I will stop being responsible – e.g. our economy (I’m the one who take responsibility about our economy)

The Body as Self – the feeling that I am my body
I know that feeling
The Narrative Self – the memory of past events, my name, family, address, etc.
I know that to
The Perspectival Self – the feeling of being an entity looking out from behind my eyes, located somewhere in the middle of my head
I have been doing that when I been walking I the e.g. forest
The Volitional Self – the feeling that I can make choices, and choose whether or not to perform an action
Yep
The Social Self – the way I perceive others perceiving me
Yep-yep

It has been wonderful to just be by the Water and working in my Garden. It’s away for me not to have melt-downs.

About the labeling - it’s difficult not to when life goes on.
It’s like a wave I ride on - just go from one thing to another.
It easier for me when I’m at home but as now - this day- I have a lot to do - then I just go ahead- on the wawe
Does it make any sense?

Actually - it is easier for me to listen than it is to read. Of course I can read and understand but when I here things it is easier for me to digest and take in.

I head the introduction and started at "the flow"
THAT I GET!!!
Troughout this day I been thinking flow flow flow

I have a lot on my plate right now.
So dear Todd - I would like to take a pause until after the 28. marts. I'm so sorry. I was so eager without being realistic.

I will come back.

If so, is one more prominent than the others?

I think ”The Perspectival Self” is the most prominent

As far as your response, are you saying that sometimes you don’t feel like an egoic self, and seem to just float through on direct experience, while at other times you get caught up in, and identified with thoughts? Did I get that right?

YES

So let me ask, when you are sitting by the water, or working in your garden, where is the self felt?

As I am in the middle of my head and body - The Perspectival Self

How do you know there’s a self there in those moments? (It might be different in one situation versus another.)

Well – I know that I should’t feel a self but I do. To gaze at night into the dark blue sky is where I take of – into the univers.

2 days ago I was in a flow – just following one now into the other. I had a great day.
Yesterday I felt the same when I was practicing. But in the evening I played a sort of concert at the church and my reed (the mouthpieces for oboe) went completly crazy. My ego was BIG. A lot of thoughts – blaming and shaming myself.
I woke up in the night – felt awful – tried to embrasse the feeling of shame and then I realized that it was thoughts – that help a bit…..:-/