Existing, as yourself

I know this is evident... but it's something I'm on occasion completely amazed by. Look at your reflection for some moments, move your facial muscles, observe your bipedal vessel. It's an inexplicable feeling knowing simply that you exist right here, right now. Asking yourself who you are --- what you are. Every little action you make & its effect.

I can only explain the feeling as somewhat psychedelic. Like lifting the veil of ego to let the notion that you're alive sink in. Does anyone else get this feeling sometimes? Simply thinking about what you actually are, for just a few seconds.

I must say, it's slightly disconcerting, while at the same time one of the most comforting & enigmatic realizations I've ever felt.

George Harrision once said he stared at his reflection and observed countless demons within himself coming and going in the mirror.
I acn fel what you are getting at ..but not all will.
This should be a long thread...and people should really think what you are getting at.

True, important philosophical point. We get so caught up in the various aspects of our lives that we too often forget to observe our own existence.

Every once and a while I'll be in the middle of some odd thing and be randomly overcome with an awareness of my being. Pretty rare, though. I'd like to spend time making this type of thinking a larger part of my pattern.

reply to post by Raelsatu
The truth is that it is so evident that we don't see it at all. So thanks for reminding us!

I often get sidetracked in the mirror observing the shape of my skull.
It's a very interesting structure, and sometimes It's hard to fathom that all you are occurs in there.

reply to post by ancientthunder

reply to post by PatrickGarrow17


Strange how it's the most inherent, fundamental aspect of us; yet one that eludes conscious thought almost the entirety of our lives. Thanks for the post.

reply to post by Raelsatu


I can relate to the feeling you are describing. With all the pressure these days associated with being thin, being good looking and physically attractive to others, it's easy to look in the mirror and be met with little but disappointment in yourself. Your judgemental side will begin to critique what can improve.

But when you begin to focus on the eyes and search for the centre of your being, there is a gentle tingling sensation; wonder and curiosity fill your body as you try hard to remember who you are.

While the answer is elusive, your mind cannot help but be in awe of the fascinating creation that stands before you.

Try looking at yourself without a mirror. Can you see a face? Is there any edges to where the face (the missing face) is ? Look deep into where the missing face is and see what it feels like. And keep looking.
What is looking is what you are looking for.

John Sherman awoke by looking at himself (inward looking) and can show you how to look in this video.
youtu.be...
"I'm going to try and show you directly how to rid yourself of the incessant background murmur of anxiety that ruins life for most of us once and for all, and where to find the treasure of abiding satisfaction with life using a simple act of inward looking that is very easy to perform. I would be grateful if you would follow closely what I'm about to say, even if you have been with us for a long time, and even if you have direct personal experience of the effects of the looking. I would also be grateful if you would put aside anything else you are doing now other than following what I am saying here and trying to do what I am suggesting. It won't take long -- 10 to 15 minutes at the most." John Sherman

Originally posted by Itisnowagain
Try looking at yourself without a mirror. Can you see a face? Is there any edges to where the face (the missing face) is ? Look deep into where the missing face is and see what it feels like. And keep looking.
What is looking is what you are looking for.

John Sherman awoke by looking at himself (inward looking) and can show you how to look in this video.
youtu.be...
"I'm going to try and show you directly how to rid yourself of the incessant background murmur of anxiety that ruins life for most of us once and for all, and where to find the treasure of abiding satisfaction with life using a simple act of inward looking that is very easy to perform. I would be grateful if you would follow closely what I'm about to say, even if you have been with us for a long time, and even if you have direct personal experience of the effects of the looking. I would also be grateful if you would put aside anything else you are doing now other than following what I am saying here and trying to do what I am suggesting. It won't take long -- 10 to 15 minutes at the most." John Sherman

edit on 21-11-2012 by Itisnowagain because: (no reason given)

That's not looking. That's called reflecting. But this technique is a good way of finding abstractions and figments of yourself in your own mind.

Originally posted by LesMisanthrope
But this technique is a good way of finding abstractions and figments of yourself in your own mind.

Is it? Have you tried?
Did you listen to the video?

I often spend time looking at myself in the mirror. I'm not especially attractive but I enjoy the way I look. I've said to people before, I think that when our souls are in limbo waiting for our next incarnation, we spend time designing our bodies to supplement our purpose in life.

I know that sounds a little put there, and relies heavily upon the ideas of reincarnation, but something about it just feels true to me.

reply to post by Itisnowagain


I cannot look at work. I was basing my assumption on your words. Namely:

Try looking at yourself without a mirror. Can you see a face? Is there any edges to where the face (the missing face) is ? Look deep into where the missing face is and see what it feels like. And keep looking.
What is looking is what you are looking for.

One cannot look at himself without a mirror or reflection, unless you are going out of your way to be vague.

I look in the mirror, at my head.....the eyes, ears, nose, tongue...an information gathering apparatus that feeds the unit housed within data from the world around it. A sensory proccessing center. As well equiped with a sound return system, speech center for communicating with other units by way of sound. All this from the splitting of one cell....and so I laugh at evolution.

A very 'out of body' technique anyone can use is look in the mirror. Stare into your eyes for a very long time.
It can become very uneasy at first and incredibly uncomfortable when you start to step outside yourself.
We live inside ourselves looking out but we never look in physically.

You will start to see someone else. You will feel like it is another person staring back.

Once you get this 'out of body' feeling start to tell yourself out loud "I love you".

reply to post by Raelsatu


Sometimes when walking by a roadkill - a crushed and bloody skunk or squirrel - I imagine a human in its place, and I see nothing different. We are a LOT of bloody meet and bone. If we place ground cow meat next to a pound of ground human meet, I doubt anyone would notice a difference.

Hamburger, anyone?

Originally posted by LesMisanthrope
reply to post by Itisnowagain

 

I cannot look at work. I was basing my assumption on your words. Namely:

Try looking at yourself without a mirror. Can you see a face? Is there any edges to where the face (the missing face) is ? Look deep into where the missing face is and see what it feels like. And keep looking.
What is looking is what you are looking for.

One cannot look at himself without a mirror or reflection, unless you are going out of your way to be vague.

Sorry - i thought you knew what you were talking about but you were just assuming.
There is a video to clarify the assumed vagueness.

reply to post by Nicole101

A very 'out of body' technique anyone can use is look in the mirror. Stare into your eyes for a very long time.
It can become very uneasy at first and incredibly uncomfortable when you start to step outside yourself.

This works and is weird, interesting and scary. You start to see some one who is not you.

Originally posted by AthlonSavage
reply to post by Nicole101

 

A very 'out of body' technique anyone can use is look in the mirror. Stare into your eyes for a very long time.
It can become very uneasy at first and incredibly uncomfortable when you start to step outside yourself.

This works and is weird, interesting and scary. You start to see some one who is not you.

Nothing that appears is you.

What you see is the real you through the eyes of the vehicle you are using.