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From the perspective of normal consciousness
we mostly experience ourselves as “somebody” – an
identity however named – to whom time and
reality happens. We experience the course of
life as an
event which is separated from us and at the mercy
of which we more or less are. Or we doing our
best
to take some influence on it.
To explore the essence of time and reality as
it really is, we first have to turn to “the
one” to whom time
and reality seemingly occurs. The question is
whether “the one” who experiences
time and reality really
exists? Does an experiencing person really exist?
And is the one we call the experiencing person – the
”I” which experiences – really
separated from “his/her” experience?
But how can we explore what the “I” is
and if it really exists? Let’s start together:
Who is thinking? Is it
you who is thinking or are there just thoughts,
which emerge and leave again? Who is feeling?
Is it you
who is feeling or are there just feelings which
emerge and leave again? Who has physical sensations?
Is it you who has sensations in the body or are
there just sensations which emerge and leave
again?
If you want to check this, then just try to
stop your thoughts. Simply like that -STOP. Does
it work? If you
are completely conscious and honest for a moment
you will realize that it is not so easy to switch
off the
experience of thinking, feeling and sensing.What
you recognize is a never ending stream of movement
(experience) which just happens.
Now, to whom does this movement occur? Who has
always been conscious of this? What is it exactly
that is conscious? Normally you will say: I am
conscious. Check it briefly if you like: Are
you conscious
of the present experience, whatever it may be,
just now? Of course you are. Now, what is this “I” that
is
conscious? It is consciousness itself. Therefore
you are consciousness, aren’t you?
Time is movement in consciousness
As we find out by close investigation there is
consciousness, in which the movement of thinking,
feeling
and sensing in the body emerges and leaves again.
This movement in the consciousness feels like
an
occurrence (appearance) in time. But if you again
allow a moment to be quiet and conscious you
will
notice that time itself is an illusion, which
is created by the ever changing experiences in
consciousness.
Without the movement of thinking, feeling and
physical sensations there is no independent time,
which
can be measured i.e. experienced.
So time is not separated from experience but
(an) included part of it, well, it IS experience
itself. Time is
movement in the consciousness. And also the “feeling
of I” is included in the movement and therefore
not
separated from it.
Let us now stop for a while and strike an interim
balance: We see that consciousness only comes
into
being by movement. That is all. There is no one
who experiences anything. It is the experiencing
which
experiences itself as movement in consciousness – that
WE ARE. What may confuse us sometimes is that
the movement of attentiveness is mixed up with
pure resting awareness. Let us make clear this
difference
also.
The movement of attentiveness
Attentiveness is the natural ability to focus
energy on a certain object, to observe it.
For example this can
be an object “in the outside”, but
also an object “in the inside”, like
a thought or a feeling. So we can
focus with attentiveness. If you inquire precisely
now, you will see that by mere focussing the
feeling of
an ‘I-observer’ on the one hand and
at the same time the observed object appears
separated from you.
Observing only creates the feeling of an “I” and
an experience separated from “you”.
But both don`t exist like this. Neither is there
really an “I” nor
the object separated from “I” e.g.
an experience. Both of
it only emerges seemingly as a dual reality when
attentiveness focusses.
“I” nor the object separated from “I” e.g.
an experience. Both of
it only emerges seemingly as a dual reality
when attentiveness focusses.
If you look closely you will realize that attentiveness
itself is part of the movement. It is moving
permanently from one object to another. Similar
to a monkey it jumps about. The faster and the
more
restless attentiveness moves, the more varying
is the experience of time. Abrupt, erratic movement
of
attentiveness creates a rapid feeling of time.
Slow and quiet movement creates a feeling of “having
time” and slowness. So not only time itself
is an illusion but also the experienced speed
(quality) of it.
Now back to consciousness again, through which
all of this is recognized. So you – consciousnessitself – are
conscious of the experiences including the movement
of attentiveness. To make it clear once
again: you are already conscious of this – now
-in this moment.
Experience comes into being
by observation
Where is the border between consciousness
and the experience (including the observing)
that emerges
and leaves again? If you investigate further
you will find no border. The border does not
exist. There is
consciousness and in consciousness experience
happens – but none is separated from the
other one.
Consciousness – YOU – and
experience are already ONE. There never were
two. Or to put it in a
different way: the one who experiences and an
experience separate from him has never really
existed.
They have been and are being created only by
the act of observing itself. Also modern quantum
physics
realizes that there is a relation between the
observer of an experiment and the outcome of
the
experiment. But in fact the observer IS the observed
reality. There is no separation. YOU ARE THAT
what is recognized in consciousness.
Does time differ from reality? And do both exist
separated from us? As we have investigated so
far, time
and reality cannot run outside of us, so to speak
as an “external film” in front of
our eyes. Rather
everything that happens is already included (comprised)
in us. To remind you: YOU ARE consciousness
AND YOU ARE that which emerges in consciousness
at the same time. Everything you see is always
just
you. Nothing exists and happens independently
of you.
Now the question arises whether anything happens
at all, or whether reality itself is an illusion.
As we
have already found out the experienced speed
of time depends on the fastness of the movement
of
attentiveness. It constantly varies how fast
or slow time i.e. reality is experienced. What
is it that
determines the speed with which attentiveness
in consciousness moves from object to object?
If we
again allow a moment and are conscious of the
physical sensations of this moment we can find
out: the
more stress energy is stored in the nervous system
the faster and more erratic attentiveness moves.
Usually we can notice it as a kind of flickering
energy and trembling excitement in the nervous
system.
Similar to an animal startled by fright attentiveness
is driven by stress energy. Connected with it
are
restlessness, being driven, fear, restless thinking
and feeling and physical tension. Exactly this
unreleased
stress energy in the neuronal cells creates the
tendency to observe and the speed, including
the
automatic thinking, feeling and physical sensations.
From there life appears to us as the habitual
course
of time and reality.
If all this is correct – and you are invited
cordially once again to think it over and to
see for yourself –
then consistently the following question arises:
as I AM consciousness and time and reality are
an
experience IN ME – are they invariable
forever? Or can experienced time and reality
change if stress
is released from the cells of the nervous system
and if it returns to its natural state of rest?
My experience is a clear YES.
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