People respond to the interview question "Describe your self," in different ways, depending on the physiological state of their nervous system.
Researchers on the effects of Transcendental Meditation asked for people who had been practicing TM who were reporting a certain kind of experience -- ["pure consciousness"](http://www.psychosomaticmedicine.org/content/44/2/133.full.pdf) -- as a permanent trait outside of meditation practice, to respond to that question, and correlated their answers with physiological measures. They did the same with 2 other groups of people, people who had never learned TM but wanted to, and people who had been practicing TM for several years, but didn't report permanent pure consciousness outside of meditation or very frequently during. Researchers than correlated the answers to the question with the physiological measures, and established a "Brain Integration Scale," with the [psychological](http://www.totalbrain.ch/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/eeg-of-enlightenment.pdf) and [physiological](http://www.totalbrain.ch/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/brain-integration-progress-report.pdf) measurements of the first group clustered to the right, and the psychological/physiological responses of the no-meditation group to the left. The "non-enlightened" meditators tended to be less experienced than the right-most group, and clustered their responses/EEG in the middle. The responses to the question were roughly in three categories, ranging from very "object referral" to very abstract "self referral": . **Non-TM Group: Self is identified with thoughts, feelings, and actions** N1: I guess I'm open to new experiences, and I tend to appreciate those things that are different N2: I kind of like to forge my own way N3: I am open to change and new ideas. . . I'm an adventuress. I like to go out. . .and experiment with new ideas N4: I tend to appreciate those things that are different, even in my style of dress. I like something usually because its odd or strange or something that other people absolutely wouldnÃt wear N5: I'm happy, caring, helpful, I like people who like to help other people; I hate seeing anyone in trouble . **Short-Term group: Self is the director of thoughts, feelings, and actions** S1: I'm my own awareness. My ability to perceive and be aware. I'm my own potential, my own power, S2: I'm my own capabilities; my ability to learn; my ability to do things. . . in it's essential natureâ"my ability to act S3: There are many different levels to who I am. I'm a sister, a daughter, a friend, an athlete, a nature lover, a seeker of the truth. I'm a very spiritual person. I believe that I can do and accomplish anything that I set my mind to S4: I am a little bit more silent, more reserved, and thoughtful than most, with a deep desire to just succeed in all activities and at the same time to develop spiritually very quickly S5: Who I am is who I am inside. How I think. What I believe. How I feel. How I react . **Long-term Group: Self is independent of and underlying thoughts, feelings, and actions** L1: We ordinarily think my self as this age; this color of hair; these hobbies . . . my experience is that my Self is a lot larger than that. It's immeasurably vast. . . on a physical level. It is not just restricted to this physical environment L2: It's the ââI am-ness.ââ It's my Being. There's just a channel underneath that's just underlying everything. It's my essence there and it just doesn't stop where I stop. . . by ââI,ââ I mean this 5 ft. 2 person that moves around here and there L3: I look out and see this beautiful divine Intelligence. . . you could say in the sky, in the tree, but really being expressed through these things. . . and these are my Self L3: I experience myself as being without edges or content. . . beyond the universe. . . all-pervading, and being absolutely thrilled, absolutely delighted with every motion that my body makes. With everything that my eyes see, my ears hear, my nose smells. There's a delight in the sense that I am able to penetrate that. My consciousness, my intelligence pervades everything I see, feel and think L5: When I say ââIââ that's the Self. There's a quality that is so pervasive about the Self that I'm quite sure that the ââIââ is the same ââIââ as everyone else's ââI.ââ Not in terms of what follows right after. I am tall, I am short, I am fat, I am this, I am that. But the ââIââ part. The ââI amââ part is the same ââI amââ for you and me . . --- In [email protected], Bhairitu <noozguru@...> wrote: > > This is the crux of what enlightenment is about. Those who are > experiencing it don't experience localized awareness unless it is > demanded (like a bill or tax collector comes knocking). The experience > is like "you don't exist." > > On 07/16/2013 10:17 AM, turquoiseb wrote: > > --- In [email protected], Emily Reyn wrote: > >> So, *you* don't exist? I have the hardest time with this concept. > >> *Who* posted what you posted? > > > >> ________________________________ > >> From: "doctordumbass@" doctordumbass@ > >> To: [email protected] > >> Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2013 10:01 AM > >> Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: "I create my reality" Yeah, right... > >> > >> Her: > >> Beliefs (b) + Thoughts (t) + feelings (f) = Internal Reality (IR) > >> > >> Circumstances (c) + people (p) = External Reality (ER) > >> > >> Me: > >> Silence = (Internal) Reality > >> > >> All the stuff moving around in the silence = (External) Reality > >> > >> That's the difference. She is still operating on the assumption that > >> *she* primarily exists. > >> > >> --- In [email protected], Share Long sharelong60@ wrote: > >>> Doc, I think she addresses both of these issues when she writes > > about noticing thoughts and feelings rather than trying to change them, > > get rid of them, etc. I think in the Buddhist tradition noticing is a > > way of quieting the mind. And she doesn't say to only notice one kind of > > thought or feeling. I don't see how you and she disagree. > >>> ________________________________ > >>> From: "doctordumbass@" doctordumbass@ > >>> To: [email protected] > >>> Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2013 4:03 AM > >>> Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: "I create my reality" Yeah, right... > >>> > >>> I personally think she is full of it. *Of course* our thoughts > > create our reality. Not just the positive, affirmative ones, but all of > > the thoughts. > >>> Most people have a non-stop mind, like yours. It is the spinning and > > looping of energy that creates most of the resonance in a non-stop mind. > > This then leads to their reality, WHETHER THAT IS THEIR INTENTION, OR > > NOT. > >>> The issue she is talking about is owning certain thoughts and > > intentions, and subconsciously disavowing others. But she is clueless > > enough about her inner state of mind, resulting in this ego-based > > drivel. > >>> More excellent evidence that you don't know yourself very well, if > > you agreed with this half-baked article. > >>> --- In [email protected], turquoiseb wrote: > >>>> A friend posted this to another forum. I do not know > >>>> the author or even of her, but I thought much of it > >>>> was a breath of fresh air in the often stale cyber- > >>>> chatrooms of New Age thought. > >>>> > >>>> Let's see what people here think of it: > >>>> > >>>> > > http://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/07/your-thoughts-do-not-create-your-\ > > reality-stupid/ > > >
