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Random Mind/Self-Shifting
These words are heavy, difficult to form with an experience that can not yet be grasped or understood.
Has anyone had an experience where they are no longer themselves, but shift between the 'shell' of other people, seeing the world 'as' those other people, with their mannerisms and all conditionality forming the thought and interaction that occurs through them? With your 'self' somewhere in the deep background, known but temporarily 'let go' to see and act as if not belonging to a specific set of aggregates?
This is not to say 'being' other aggregates literally, but losing the 'self' and seeing the world as if through others that you have known and all that you have absorbed of their essence within your memory.
If this makes no sense, don't worry.....
Namaste
Has anyone had an experience where they are no longer themselves, but shift between the 'shell' of other people, seeing the world 'as' those other people, with their mannerisms and all conditionality forming the thought and interaction that occurs through them? With your 'self' somewhere in the deep background, known but temporarily 'let go' to see and act as if not belonging to a specific set of aggregates?
This is not to say 'being' other aggregates literally, but losing the 'self' and seeing the world as if through others that you have known and all that you have absorbed of their essence within your memory.
If this makes no sense, don't worry.....
Namaste
0
Comments
I wonder why these words seem heavy for you to write? To me, it sounds like you're describing authentic empathy. When the self is charitable enough to give up its hold on the view, we might let other people's overall 'energy' or 'essence' take center stage within our perceptions, letting ourself look. The practice then becomes to sit with what you're seeing, so that you can be sure that the experiencing is not based on projection, but on absorption. From there, one could, if they were so inclined, be significantly more compassionate toward those people that are finally "seen" or "understood" in a more complete way.
The other nice thing is that, in my experience, the moment is fluid enough that when new information comes in, that the perception shifts, much like zeroing in on a target, knowing others more completely with each word or nuance they offer into the void. As you called it, their 'essence' is absorbed, and if experienced without grasping, the view also changes, expands. Questions are asked and new resonance received, which allows our wisdom to really flourish in another's subjective point of view.
Much like one might sit with and ponder a piece of the dharma, until they have a fairly comprehensive view of what it is... so might one, if they were so inclined, practice to let go of their held self view enough to let other people's experience blossom in their view. Eventually, with practice, perhaps it could be done in real time... where the moment you're experiencing has all of that information with it, as you wouldn't be clouded by self.
Does that seem like what you're experiencing? I know words are imperfect, but I hope my perceptions of the events are spoken well enough to traverse the void we think is between us...
With warmth,
Matt
Maybe in a day or two I might be able to explain it better. It took quite a while to even be able to gather my thoughts on this and to post a thread. Perhaps I should not have posted a thread.
Namaste