During a recent meditation I had a flash back to a movie I saw recently, with the characters, the drama, and the emotions and involvement I felt. Then I realized that from the point of view of my brain, this non-real drama is made of exactly the same stuff that my real life, characters, and emotions are, when presented inside my mind. Even if one is "real" and the other completely made up, inside the mind they are made of the same mind stuff, having the same quality. I am not sure what to make of this yet. But it certainly opens for relating to the "real" life somewhat less seriously. Here and now none of that exists, it is all just concepts.

In my ordinary mindset, I seem to be my body. And obviously I very much depend on it for life and experience. But I don't really know anything about it. There is an infinity of complex processes going on that I have absolutely no idea about. Take breathing - yes, I can control it - but only up to an extent. Try to stop for too long and the body will wrench the control back and do its thing. Try not to sleep, but eventually you will. Aside of control, there is the aspect of awareness. I do "feel" my body to some tiny extent - but all that is indirect, based on where nerves are, what they can transmit, and what of that is made available to my conscious mind. But what is my blood sugar or oxygen level? How many bone cells are in "my" left thumb? I have no idea. The conclusion/observation is that I cannot really say that I am my body. If I was, wouldn't I have first-hand, complete access to all of this? It seems to be more like a (especially modern) car - I have some control over it, various dials give me some information, and I need it to get from A to B, but I only experience it indirectly, and mostly it does its own thing without caring about me. It is a humbling realization. Of course, the key question that really matters remains: who/what am I? There is this strong sense "I am" but I cannot find myself anywhere. The only "thing" I can find is the body, but I've just established that it doesn't really seem to "be me". Being is, but how do "I" fit into it I yet have to find out. Wish me luck :)

📚 Interested to hear which one got you started. Why did you read this book and what did you love or hate about it? (Choose the first one you picked up, even if you're still reading it)

My testimonial of the workshop freedom, power and effectiveness in Holland last week.

Hey everyone! I’m David, and I’m new here. I came across this community while looking for people who share an interest in Peter Ralston’s work, so I’m glad to have found a space specifically dedicated to it. I’ve been exploring consciousness, meditation, and self-inquiry, and I’ve found Ralston’s emphasis on direct experience particularly interesting. I’m also thinking of putting together a small weekly online discussion group for people interested in exploring Ralston’s work, consciousness, and self-inquiry together. The idea would be to read and discuss a short section or topic each week, then spend some time on contemplation or direct-experience exercises.Nothing formal or teacher-led—just a small group of people with a shared interest who want to explore the work together. If that sounds interesting to anyone here, let us know by commenting on this post. I’d love to hear from others who are share the same interests!