Hi Jon, . It felt great to exist. To just be. And to not be separate from anything. To feel fulfilled. Without having to do anything. I felt very accepting of everything. Grateful for existence. This in particular is wonderful and natural. Maybe intellect can't make this happen and can't prevent it ...

Hi Jon, Thanks for the encouragement! I find it harder to do the nature exercise indoors for some reason. It’s harder to get the same experience. I find it a lot easier in wide open spaces outside. It may not be that you need to work really hard to look at this, but just notice, quite easily, how th...

No worries, Jon. My post was only from yesterday. Enjoy your vacation!

Hi Jon, This is all very good investigation. Well done. I think you have been reading other threads on the forum? That's OK and it has obviously helped you to look. Thanks for the encouragement. I actually haven't read any other threads on the forum since we had the discussion about the different in...

Hi Jon, Thanks for the exercise. I still have to find some time to get outside to try it. I’ll report back when I get the chance to do it. Who, or better still, what, is 'doing the investigation'? Find that one. Who or, what is experiencing the experience of inquiry?... Of being somehow 'separate' f...

Hi Jon, I've heard this type of analogy before about the whirlpools. But my level of realization is pretty low I guess, so most of it is probably going over my head. I can only kind of imagine what it is referring to. I will definitely keep it in mind though. However, a question does come up for me....

Hi Jon, I've been continually looking with your pointers these past few days. I don't notice a separate self in sensations, but the idea of it being somewhere is still strong. But not as strong as before. It has gotten weaker in some aspects, such as visually or a "me" in the body. I think I see sig...

Hi Jon, Yes, and it is really helpful now that this is seen. Is there less grasping now, would you say? Definitely, there is less grasping now. I guess I wasn't going in the right direction before. I'm more relaxed now. I'm still investigating with your recent pointers. I feel like I want to spend m...

Hi Jon, I can see that thoughts are not aware or alive when I notice them. They're just sort of an appearance. I can see that it is just another thought saying that thoughts are aware or alive. It was other thoughts commenting and getting caught up in the content of thoughts. It seems like it takes ...

Hi Jon,

Still trying to look at how thoughts create the imaginary me. Should I just keep trying this for now? Is there anything else I should look at?

Thanks,

Allen

Hi Jon, Is that because verbal thoughts tend to be appearing in the moment and are noticed as such but assumptions seem more general, as if 'in the background' or even unconscious? Yes! Exactly this. The assumptions you point out to me make a lot of sense, but I wouldn't be able to notice them witho...

Hi Jon, The appearance of thoughts is real enough. No doubt about that. Is that what you mean? I meant it seems harder to be aware of thoughts that are assumptions or ideas as opposed to verbal thoughts, which are easily noticeable. It's harder to see these assumptions and ideas clearly. So what is ...

Hi Jon,

No problem focusing on your questions.

Still looking at how "the voice in my head talking to myself" can be just an idea.

Can't find a "me" who is controlling the voice or a "me" who is listening to it.

Thanks,

Allen

Hi Jon， You had asked me if I was clear about something after doing an exercise and I replied that I wasn't. You didn't address this and continued on with other questions. This confused me so I asked you about it. That's all. If this is how the inquiry works sometimes then that's fine. I just didn't...

Hi Jon,

Thanks, I will continue to look at thoughts and investigate.

Also, what about bodily sensations and thoughts? Will we just come back to this later? I'm not sure I'm clear on this.

Thanks,

Allen