So there is no "Me". Now what?

[tor]

Thanks to a few members of this forum I have realized the illusion of ego false mind identification with the idea of Self.

I can see that my innermost essence is complete peace or nothingness.

This has given me a complete new perspective on life.

However, there is still this mind-body that I used to refer as Me, and it still feels anxious, has trouble communicating with people, enters into a flight or fight response when I push it beyond the comfort zone...

The two things I started to do are exercising
and improving vocabulary-grammar. The benefits from these two things are obvious.

How should I approach dissolving fears and anxieties from this standpoint?

Of course, I could just start approaching girls like mad from this impersonal perspective, but the anxiety wwould still make me stumble for words and my body would still be nervous.

[alphamind]

I also came to the conclusion that 'I do not exist' since my first ego death. But it would be foolish to dismiss your ego as non-existent, since it is quite apparent that there actually IS an 'I' in you contemplating whether it exists or not. I think this relates to 'We are God's children/creation.' Yes there is a God self in you, but your ego/conscious mind is in fact a creation/fragment of your higher self. While in Truth your essence might be One with All, dismissing the ego as false is another illusion within itself. So work with what you have, and make friends with your ego. Unless you want it to hit back defending its existence and creating within another duality within the duality.

[sonde]

Originally Posted by tor

I can see that my innermost essence is complete peace or nothingness.

This has given me a complete new perspective on life.

How should I approach dissolving fears and anxieties from this standpoint?

Just see what happens.

[ChrisGinsburg]

Who asks the question "So there is no "Me". Now what?"? Is this not also the Me that has simply transformed to see something or take on a new perspective? The mind plays many subtle tricks and while I don't discount your experience as being invalid, I would challenge you to look within and see why the question of 'now what?' still arises for someone who says they realize there is no me and if this statement is even correct. I would say that there is still clearly a belief in a separate volitional self that is being identified with and so both ideas are being entertained as equally true.

[theuprising]

i can never come to this conclusion, it makes no sense. I am consciousness would make more sense, there is no "egoic me". But there is a subjective perspective, which is not a "you". Rather, it is a "me".

[theuprising]

Originally Posted by ChrisGinsburg

Who asks the question "So there is no "Me". Now what?"? Is this not also the Me that has simply transformed to see something or take on a new perspective? The mind plays many subtle tricks and while I don't discount your experience as being invalid, I would challenge you to look within and see why the question of 'now what?' still arises for someone who says they realize there is no me and if this statement is even correct. I would say that there is still clearly a belief in a separate volitional self that is being identified with and so both ideas are being entertained as equally true.

and, this, if you've really concluded there is no me, there's no "then what". There's now.

[lifetimelearner]

please forgive me but sometimes when people have these discussions about self and me and the mind and the ego etc
it reminds me of Dr Seuss

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” Dr Seuss

[tor]

Originally Posted by ChrisGinsburg

Who asks the question "So there is no "Me". Now what?"? Is this not also the Me that has simply transformed to see something or take on a new perspective? The mind plays many subtle tricks and while I don't discount your experience as being invalid, I would challenge you to look within and see why the question of 'now what?' still arises for someone who says they realize there is no me and if this statement is even correct. I would say that there is still clearly a belief in a separate volitional self that is being identified with and so both ideas are being entertained as equally true.

The mind asks the question 'now what?'. Even thought there is no person, there's still this mind which is still able to judge experience. it still considers certain things and experiences more pleasant than others. It stills prefers certain sensory input over other.
Also, the body still has a memory of certain stimuli like female touch or relaxing on a beach and sends the signal to the mind to search for similar experience in the future.

The only thing different after this realization is that there is a thought that can stop other thoughts and there is the experience of peace behind all that is happening in this mind-body.

[ChrisGinsburg]

Originally Posted by tor

The mind asks the question 'now what?'. Even thought there is no person, there's still this mind which is still able to judge experience. it still considers certain things and experiences more pleasant than others. It stills prefers certain sensory input over other.
Also, the body still has a memory of certain stimuli like female touch or relaxing on a beach and sends the signal to the mind to search for similar experience in the future.

Right. Preferences do not dissolve. Putting a hand on a hot stove is still quite undesirable. The mind poses many questions and makes many authoritative statements. Why is it a problem that the mind has asked 'now what'? What makes that thought any more significant than any other thought?

Originally Posted by tor

The only thing different after this realization is that there is a thought that can stop other thoughts

Please elaborate on this.

Originally Posted by tor

and there is the experience of peace behind all that is happening in this mind-body.

Indeed. Does this peace require someone to be experiencing it and if so, who is experiencing it?

[ChrisGinsburg]

Originally Posted by lifetimelearner

please forgive me but sometimes when people have these discussions about self and me and the mind and the ego etc
it reminds me of Dr Seuss

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” Dr Seuss

Yep. It's a bit like reading through a big Dr. Seuss book and seeing how silly the stories we have assumed to be true really are.

[lifetimelearner]

Originally Posted by ChrisGinsburg

Yep. It's a bit like reading through a big Dr. Seuss book and seeing how silly the stories we have assumed to be true really are.

[seeds]

Originally Posted by lifetimelearner

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” Dr Seuss

A simple statement declaring the everlasting dualistic nature of reality and the sovereignty and existence of the individual "YOU."

Thank you Dr. Seuss and lifetimelearner.

[Reefs]

Originally Posted by alphamind

I also came to the conclusion that 'I do not exist' since my first ego death. But it would be foolish to dismiss your ego as non-existent, since it is quite apparent that there actually IS an 'I' in you contemplating whether it exists or not. I think this relates to 'We are God's children/creation.' Yes there is a God self in you, but your ego/conscious mind is in fact a creation/fragment of your higher self. While in Truth your essence might be One with All, dismissing the ego as false is another illusion within itself. So work with what you have, and make friends with your ego. Unless you want it to hit back defending its existence and creating within another duality within the duality.

Did that conclusion get you anywhere? I would say it might do so as long as you remember what your conclusion was, hehe.

[lifetimelearner]

Originally Posted by seeds

A simple statement declaring the everlasting dualistic nature of reality and the sovereignty and existence of the individual "YOU."

Thank you Dr. Seuss and lifetimelearner.

[Reefs]

Originally Posted by tor

Thanks to a few members of this forum I have realized the illusion of ego false mind identification with the idea of Self.

I can see that my innermost essence is complete peace or nothingness.

This has given me a complete new perspective on life.

However, there is still this mind-body that I used to refer as Me, and it still feels anxious, has trouble communicating with people, enters into a flight or fight response when I push it beyond the comfort zone...

The two things I started to do are exercising
and improving vocabulary-grammar. The benefits from these two things are obvious.

How should I approach dissolving fears and anxieties from this standpoint?

Of course, I could just start approaching girls like mad from this impersonal perspective, but the anxiety wwould still make me stumble for words and my body would still be nervous.

If it is a realization you should be done.

But since you are still asking and are interested in answers it seems it was just a conclusion. And conclusions are only relevant as long as you remember them.

[Reefs]

Originally Posted by ChrisGinsburg

Who asks the question "So there is no "Me". Now what?"? Is this not also the Me that has simply transformed to see something or take on a new perspective? The mind plays many subtle tricks and while I don't discount your experience as being invalid, I would challenge you to look within and see why the question of 'now what?' still arises for someone who says they realize there is no me and if this statement is even correct. I would say that there is still clearly a belief in a separate volitional self that is being identified with and so both ideas are being entertained as equally true.

Exactamentente.

[Reefs]

Originally Posted by tor

The only thing different after this realization is that there is a thought that can stop other thoughts and there is the experience of peace behind all that is happening in this mind-body.

A thought can stop a thought????

A thought can replace a thought. And a specific thought with lots of emotions behind it can placed with a very general thought with almost no emotion behind it and that shift will indeed feel like peace.... for a while.

[Reefs]

Originally Posted by lifetimelearner

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” Dr Seuss

Your Dr. Seuss is really tuthin'!

[alphamind]

Originally Posted by Reefs

Did that conclusion get you anywhere? I would say it might do so as long as you remember what your conclusion was, hehe.

Well, it did give me a strong memory to hold onto, to know that I've actually experienced what is called Oneness. But like you're implying, attempting to be in that state intentionally is basically chasing our own tail. So accepting and working with the duality is what's going to be most beneficial long term, until that state of being one with all is ready to anchor itself into awareness.

[Reefs]

Originally Posted by alphamind

Well, it did give me a strong memory to hold onto, to know that I've actually experienced what is called Oneness. But like you're implying, attempting to be in that state intentionally is basically chasing our own tail. So accepting and working with the duality is what's going to be most beneficial long term, until that state of being one with all is ready to anchor itself into awareness.

That's right. Trying to get back there is just torture. It would increase the suffering. So if you go with the illusion, with what comes natural (sense of doership, free will, being creator of your own reality etc.) the suffering will be less severe.

[Anagogy]

Originally Posted by tor

How should I approach dissolving fears and anxieties from this standpoint?

Fear and anxiety arise because you are focusing on some idea/interpretation/belief/aspect that contradicts what you desire. So, if I were you, I would do some soul searching and find out where your attention is going when you feel these negative emotions arise. Then, simply shift your focus to aspects of the situation that don't cause these emotions to arise. Train yourself to focus on aspects that make you feel good when you focus on them. It's just a practiced habit of thought, I assure you.

Can it really be that simple? Yes, it can. Cognitive behavioral therapy is more or less predicated on this simple idea.

Originally Posted by tor

Of course, I could just start approaching girls like mad from this impersonal perspective, but the anxiety wwould still make me stumble for words and my body would still be nervous.

The anxiety is evidence of disconnection, or resistance, which results in disharmony in your experience. Your emotions are your best friend. Seriously, they are giving you precise feedback about the relationship between your beliefs and desires -- whether that be a harmonious relationship or an inharmonious relationship.

[Arz Sra]

'No me' is just another belief... the question of 'what now' rises in respect to me.. The very rising of issue shows that there IS a me.. Denial at the mental level is just another trick of the mind...

[tor]

Originally Posted by ChrisGinsburg

Right. Does this peace require someone to be experiencing it and if so, who is experiencing it?

No, there is just peace. Nobody to experience it.

But there is still something that prefers this peace to constant mental chatter.
Is that a belief? If not, what else?

[tor]

Originally Posted by Reefs

If it is a realization you should be done.

But since you are still asking and are interested in answers it seems it was just a conclusion. And conclusions are only relevant as long as you remember them.

I tried to look and see if there was a self, and couldn't find it. And there was the realization that there is nothing to find.

[tor]

When I was going back home from college the other day, I was full of neurotic thoughts about how I'm socially awkward and sometimes unable to have a normal conversation. I decided to pretend I don't exist. This mental trick stopped all my thoughts and really made me calm.
It made me want to be nothing. Just a body going around and enjoying or not enjoying, just being.

[Reefs]

Originally Posted by tor

I tried to look and see if there was a self, and couldn't find it. And there was the realization that there is nothing to find.

Then there are no unanswered questions left?

[tor]

If peace is our true nature and is always present is there something wrong with informing the mind about it or even identifying with it.
If I hold the thought 'I am peace' or 'I am emptiness' I can't identify with anything else. I can't see how this could be a bad thing if my true nature is complete emptiness.

[ChrisGinsburg]

Originally Posted by tor

No, there is just peace. Nobody to experience it.

But there is still something that prefers this peace to constant mental chatter.
Is that a belief? If not, what else?

Again, preferences don't fall away. In the same way there's preferences against physical pain, there's preferences towards peace.

Can you address my other questions as well?

[ChrisGinsburg]

Originally Posted by tor

I tried to look and see if there was a self, and couldn't find it. And there was the realization that there is nothing to find.

Okay. And now the mind is trying to figure out the rest of the equation?

[ChrisGinsburg]

Originally Posted by tor

When I was going back home from college the other day, I was full of neurotic thoughts about how I'm socially awkward and sometimes unable to have a normal conversation. I decided to pretend I don't exist. This mental trick stopped all my thoughts and really made me calm.
It made me want to be nothing. Just a body going around and enjoying or not enjoying, just being.

Right. The mind has taken the idea of 'no self' and twisted it in a way where the 'you' can pretend to not exist for a bit in order to help transform you in various ways and you are very much still identified with this. You realized you don't exist but you're also pretending to not exist. Do you see where it's just the mind tying knots in itself?