Betty77

[Bethseven]

LU is focused guiding for seeing there is no real, inherent 'self' - what do you understand by this?
Concepts, and beliefs have accumulated about what and who I am over this life. The sense of a "hypnotised" self starts from a young age, gaining in strength as life happens. We identify with the body/mind as an entity that has the capacity to exist as a separate self and is who we inherently are. A guide will dismantle these assumptions.

What are you looking for at LU?
I am looking for a guide and some structure to support my enquiries. I feel that I struggle to enquire alone. I am participating in The Awakening Curriculum with Pernille Damore and ideally would like to find a guide who is familiar with the fetters as Pernille works with them. LU is somewhere that I can explore resources and link with others who are interested in this subject. It provides a forum and community.

What do you expect from a guided conversation?
I would like to have a direct dialogue with a guide that is more interactive than watching teachers on youtube and attending satsangs online . This would be different from doing my own meandering exploration and give me some feedback on knowing where I am in this process and support me to know my true nature. My expectation is that I will be guided to see through the illusion of self and that this will be more than an intellectual understanding. That the concepts, beliefs and ideas that I have accumulated about what and who the learnt "I" is will fall away and be something that I can know and access without the perceived need to have someone facilitate it. I sense that attending satsangs is not helping me realise my true nature because there is not a lot of interaction about my own process.

What is your experience in terms of spiritual practices, seeking and inquiry?
I began seeking for the "truth" since I was a child. I am 61 years old now. About 15 years ago I came across the non dual teachings through Eckhart Tolles' book The Power of Now. Since then I have been come across the teachings of Ramana Maharshi and other sages from India. I have visited Ramanas ashram in India twice. I have attended many satsangs and quite a few retreats through the years. My main teachers have been Lisa Cairns, Roger Castillo, Pamela Wilson, and Jac O'Keeffe. I also like to listen to Francis Lucille and have attended a retreat with Laura Lucille in Paris earlier this year.

I have had some glimpses of direct experience along the way. There was one time when a teacher in a retreat was talking and everything that I could relate to just was gone. Their voice and who and where I thought I was became one. I then experienced fear and gradually it became an experience that I talked about as an event. Other glimpses have happened such as one day on a train I noticed that all thoughts had stopped spontaneously. Each time the state faded and identification returned.

Recently I have been engaging with Vinces group online and Pernilles meetings. I'm enjoying more of a direct interaction with others in these meetings. I am putting myself on the spot more as I can easily stay in the head so to speak.

On a scale from 1 to 10, how willing are you to question any currently held beliefs about 'self?
10

[Luchana]

Hi Beth,
just to write here in the thread (for the other guides) that we are going to see each other via zoom next week.

Till than could you please take a look at these questions:

What are you really looking for?
How your life will change when you find that?
How will you change?
What will be different?


Reflect with each one of those and you can share on our meeting in Monday.

Sending love,
Luchana