Thoughts

As you continue reading, please be receptive to your bodily sensations and notice any doubts, fears or any sense of uncertainty. As soon as you notice them, stop reading and be right there with the raw sensation, in the same way you were able to place your attention on your left foot, and see it as just a sensation - that’s really important.

One of the main characteristics of self inquiry is this bouncing back and forth between the conceptual and the non-conceptual. The rebounding happens because the long-term regularity of the self structure cannot yet reconcile with non-conceptual reality, because it means the end of its linear, form-based reality. So it kind of pushes the door ajar a little, then returns to the saftey of its self-concept.

Therefore, when challenging your identity, it doubts, fears and entertains various uncertainties about moving into the non-conceptual reality. It becomes its own gatekeeper.

This is a natural mechanism that helps keep you safe from the unpredictable nature of the unconscious mind, which is not often spoken about in these circles. Once you break that identity layer, all sorts of shit can come flooding up, and it can carry some poeple away, like how a lion would carry away a dead impala. If you prefer that false sense of safety and you don’t want to look any further, that’s completely fine.

This rebounding comes directly from doubt. Here are just a few of the ways doubt shows up, but doubts can get really creative:

• How can this be right if it feels so unsettling?

• I’m scared of this website… I’m leaving!

• I'm probably not getting this right.

• I’m just not interested in these things

• I’ve looked, and I can’t find the self

• Maybe I'm not capable of understanding this.

• I'll never really see through these things; I'm too….

• What if I'm fooling myself?

• This man is a crazy person, because he says there is no-self.

• Is this actually true or reliable?

• This doesn't make sense with what I already believe.

• Perhaps this approach isn't for me; maybe there's a better/easier way.

• But my enlightened teacher/guru says I should do service and meditate

So, you're looking for what it experientially feels like when you feel identified with some aspect of thoughts, symbols and sensations - when you feel like you. Then you’re looking for anything that turns you away from that inquiry.

Therefore, the anchor or constraint right here is ‘identification,’ but as you start to challenge your identity in the ways I suggest, you will also unearth all sorts of doubts, fears & uncertainties. Your mind will fool you in very creative ways to stop the inquiry, mainly becouse it has gathered a collective impetus.