Strange area I found inside feeling of ”I”

[Procyon]

I have been doing following exercise. I imagine someone looking at me and saying ”You”, which I answer ”Yes, me” or “Yes. I.” And at that moment I have been watching my mind and tried finding the feeling of self. The feeling of ”I”. After some time I found this feeling. It was always associated with some tension in my throat. I continued doing this exercise and consciously tried relax my throat. I had some success with my throat and I found a small area in my mind. Thinking ”I” causes this feeling of self. That feeling is somehow associated with tension in my throat. And inside this I-feeling, in my mind, I found this area.

It is hard to describe except that it is spot or area in my mind. When I concentrate on it, I feel this peculiar feeling of happiness and warmth. It isn't entirely clear feeling because it feels like there is some noise in it, like when radio has bad reception. The strange thing is that concentrating this area is like pressing a button. When I concentrate on it, I feel this particular feeling of happiness and when I stop concentrating, the feeling disappears. I have never noticed anything like this in my mind.

Any thoughts?

[Alan1986]

What do you mean by you found a small area in your mind? How do you get to see a spot or area in your mind? Is it like an area of the outer physical reality? Where is it exactly?

[Hemlock]

That's uber interesting, hope you don't mind if I try it out.

[Procyon]

Originally Posted by Alan1986

What do you mean by you found a small area in your mind? How do you get to see a spot or area in your mind? Is it like an area of the outer physical reality? Where is it exactly?

I don't see it, I feel it. Same way I feel my body and mind. Pain in knee covers certain area in your body. Thought of lemonade covers certain area in your mind. Sadness covers large area both in mind and body. Same way sensation of your hand contains sensations of your fingers, thoughts and feelings in your mind contains things that they are made of. And this area seems to be somehow part of the feeling of "I".

It seems I found small part of my mind I wasn't aware before.

[Alan1986]

It's quite different from other people that you associate the feeling of self with the feeling of happiness.

According to Jill Taylor, she experienced a sense of joy and peace when she had a stroke, in which she felt her sense of self expands to include the whole universe, could no longer know herself as an individual person, her past and her identity in her family, profession, etc. I would regard this feeling as a reduced sense of self.

I think for most, if not all, people the sense of selflessness, rather than the sense of self, brings about joy.

Could you describe what are the other feelings and visuals associated with your experience?

[stealth87]

According to Jill Taylor, she experienced a sense of joy and peace when she had a stroke, in which she felt her sense of self expands to include the whole universe, could no longer know herself as an individual person, her past and her identity in her family, profession, etc. I would regard this feeling as a reduced sense of self.

I think for most, if not all, people the sense of selflessness, rather than the sense of self, brings about joy.

Exactly. I have delved deep in the past in self-help material, and spiritual texts, from Christianity to Buddhism and New Age stuff, like LoA. Liberation finally came after the recognition that the 'self' is just a concept.

After this recognition, there wasn't really a reduction of 'self' or life, rather recognizing everything just for what it is. There´s no longer a thought form of 'me' clouding experience with thoughts and concepts. True joy and childlike curiosity arises, after realizing that life just is. It's truly liberating.

The need for 'self' help is gone, because there isn't a self to help. There is no 'self' to improve, heal, promote, build up or aggrandize. Happiness, peace, love,thoughts, perceptions, etc. all arise naturally in this moment freely without resistance. There's no need to try to be present, there is just presence.

It is hard to describe except that it is spot or area in my mind. When I concentrate on it, I feel this peculiar feeling of happiness and warmth. It isn't entirely clear feeling because it feels like there is some noise in it, like when radio has bad reception. The strange thing is that concentrating this area is like pressing a button. When I concentrate on it, I feel this particular feeling of happiness and when I stop concentrating, the feeling disappears. I have never noticed anything like this in my mind.

Sounds very interesting. Would like to hear some more if you decide to keep going with this. Kinda curious if it's a feeling what you are going after by doing this.

[Lakshyayidhi Lakshmihi]

Originally Posted by Procyon

I don't see it, I feel it. Same way I feel my body and mind. Pain in knee covers certain area in your body. Thought of lemonade covers certain area in your mind. Sadness covers large area both in mind and body. Same way sensation of your hand contains sensations of your fingers, thoughts and feelings in your mind contains things that they are made of. And this area seems to be somehow part of the feeling of "I".

It seems I found small part of my mind I wasn't aware before.

Well that made me think of this recent research I was reading on people with severe bipolar mood disorder that does not respond to psychotropic medication treatment.

There has often been a comparison made between epilepsy and bipolar, and in fact they share some of the same treatment protocols...

Anyways: Happiness is a Warm Electrode | Popular Science

Perhaps that is the part of your brain you are stimulating directly with your thought experiment?

[Procyon]

Originally Posted by Alan1986

Could you describe what are the other feelings and visuals associated with your experience?

The experience at the moment is following: I think "I". Feeling emerges inside. I concentrate on it. I feel good. Feeling that emerges has this feeling of self. It isn't this whole large feeling of myself, but some kind part of it. There really isn't much else going on. Just this certain feeling of self that doesn't feel any stranger than, lets say, breathing consciously. And then there is this quite normal feeling of happiness.

I have tested this “trick” by using it few times a day to make me feel better. It works, but at the same time my general mood has gotten slightly more irritable.

[Alan1986]

Originally Posted by Procyon

The experience at the moment is following: I think "I". Feeling emerges inside. I concentrate on it. I feel good. Feeling that emerges has this feeling of self. It isn't this whole large feeling of myself, but some kind part of it. There really isn't much else going on. Just this certain feeling of self that doesn't feel any stranger than, lets say, breathing consciously. And then there is this quite normal feeling of happiness.

I have tested this “trick” by using it few times a day to make me feel better. It works, but at the same time my general mood has gotten slightly more irritable.

Is that the same area as when you think "I am my body"? Like when you concentrate on your being within your body.

[Eirrikr]

Well, of course it's a strange feeling inside I - I is the metaphysical element of the Universe.

Here are some of the characteristics of I:

Eternal
Immortal
Infinite
Void
Perfect
Ineffable
Unobstructing
Unmoved
Immaterial
Omnipresent
Omniscient
Omnipotent
Omnibenevolent
Omnicompassionate

Strange indeed, being this thing called "I."

Peace,

Ik