Another set of tips for looking

Exactly what it says on the tin - Ghost 2014

I actually decided to write more tips for looking because this is what everyone gets hung up on. Even though I have some new realisations to share, I thought I would spend more time stating the obvious... To be fair that is what I am doing but I spent a few days repeatedly asking myself “how do I look?” So I totally sympathise with you :)

1. LOOK

The first thing you need to realise is that thinking IS NOT actually looking. This is the core problem, thinking is the biggest obstacle to looking.

My flag metaphor, which goes “Hey look at the flag, what do you see?”

Person 1: I see the national symbol of England, I see a symbol of nationalism, I see blah blah...

Person 2: There is a metal pole with a square piece of material flapping in the wind.

The first person is thinking about it.

The second is looking in real life.

This is because person one is analysing the concept of the flag and what the flag represents.

Person 2 is observing what is in reality. There is the direct experience of looking at a metal pole and the material. No assumption has been made.

Self does not represent anything in real life. “You” is a concept and any thought about self is also a concept. Any idea you have about self no matter what, is a concept that you have thought about. This is not looking.

2. Dishonesty

This one pisses me off. (Do shutup Mr Virus)

You actually have to use honesty when you do this. You can not make assumptions, you can only see what is real. If you expect a result and don't do the work, then just go away, I don't want to help you. Honesty is in what can be directly experienced in real life. Anything that is not directly experienced, is a concept about what direct experience is and as such is thinking. NO EXCEPTIONS

3. Meditation

Ok, you don't need to use your eyes to see no self but you need to use your inner vision as it were.

The best way to explain this, is by meditation experience. When you are starting your session, you are trying to let thought arise without engaging in it. You are aware of thought and your attention is turned inwards. You notice thought arise. Your attention is turned inwards. Use the same methodology in looking in real life.

If you can't meditate, don't worry it is not rocket science and is not a prerequisite for this. You may benefit from a 20 minute session though just to give you an idea, it may be useful for you.

If you can meditate, go in to a trance and then look at the entity producing the thoughts... Who controls the thoughts during meditation or do they just arise on their own?

4. Indication

How to tell easily if you are looking. Basically you are aware of sight, sound, thought etc...

Close your eyes, stop thinking and then whatever you are aware of is what can be known in direct experience. Then you know you are looking. How do you know your heart is beating? You can't see it but you can know it. As soon as you engage in thought again, then you are not looking. It really is that simple.

5. Hung up

Don't get too involved with cultivating looking. Seriously it is just looking, it is as easy as seeing the computer screen in front of you. There is no special looking involved it is just turning your awareness to what is happening in reality. It seems like a new skill as you have never tried to look at how thought manifests, as you have always assumed there was a “you” doing all the work.

6. Attention

To start out this trick is pretty useful. Be present and focus on the here and now, then watch as your attention will soon become consumed in thought. Then try and focus back on the present moment again. When you have done this a few times, look at this experience and then look at what is deciding to switch awareness. Don't think about it rely on your direct experience for the answer.

7. Caught in the act

As you are doing stuff in your busy routine day, start to notice your unconscious reactions to stuff. Maybe you jump when the Rottweiler jumps up at the fence as you walk past, maybe you jump out of the way of a car, maybe you feel gooey when you see that nice looking person, maybe you shout “fucks sake” when you drop something... Start to look out for these things, as you get better at catching this when it happens, you will start to notice the lack of a thinker behind anything.

8. Frustration

This process is frustrating... I'm sorry but just know I didn't actually condition you to think this way. Keep plugging away at it. If you keep at it, there is no way that you can't not see it. It is so obvious. At times it feels like your banging your head against a wall but generally this means you are on the right track

9. Watch out

The lie has a funny way of tricking you in to thinking your looking when your not. The temptation is to go over the basic stuff without looking. Very often we start out by asking you to start typing and start to watch the thoughts. People some times will just give a stock answer they have heard before from RT instead of doing it. Realise that this first step is important as it gives us a handle on where you are at. If you think it is not worth your time, realise that this is the lie in survival mode.

10. DON'T do this

Looking in reality does not mean looking with your eyes :) Don't be weird!