Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Subject, object and dissociation

This is the realm that militates against the idea of even experience itself. It goes beyond experience as the I experiences it.

We are often told to simply watch everything arising. This is the witness consciousness that steps back and sees from a larger perspective - a perspective that is not identified with what it watches.

What is still present in this consciousness, is the duality of the watcher and the watched, or the seer and the seen. There is nothing wrong with this. But we may suddenly notice this duality.

One place where it can really show itself, and thus become the portal into non-dual consciousness, (forgive the use of this language, for it is what we have), is our relationship with others.

One can look at another person and can experience discomfort with some aspect of this other person. Let's say that this aspect of the other is totally alien to you. In other words, you are witnessing someting in this other, that you have never experienced about, or in, yourself. So this aspect feels alien or separate from you, because you have not directly experienced it.

When this aspect is looked upon from the place of 'this is not me', there can be dissociation. The witness consciousness can be hijacked by the me, and still simply watch this alien aspect in the other. But there is a subtle sense of 'I am watching this that is not me'. It is dissociating with tolerance! This is not unkind, or bad in any way. But the dissociation comes home to roost. Stated differently, we become aware of the dissociation, usually through a sense of something missing, or some kind of unease.

The love that is, shines a light by means of the unease, and helps us to go beyond it.

Personal experience too has its limits. And this is where we must let go of even our personal experience. Of course the curious thing is, that this is a letting go that returns us back to experience, only more expanded.

What is meant by all this?

The invitation in the experience of dissociative watching, is to transcend the separation between the experience of the watcher and that of the watched. To ask oneself - is it true that I am not this other person who is so clearly and evidently different from me? Is it true?

Staying in this question can open a realm of awareness which completely dissolves that separation. And it penetrates you that you are beyond your personal experience, and not separate from any experience - no matter who or what it manifests in - that other person, the door, the sky! I am that and that and that. I am all.

Now you look at everything, but there is literally no distance between the one looking, and the one being looked at, - no distance between the subject and the object. It is same. Witnessing without dissociation. Witnessing without object. I witness I.

I am the one - the witness, the witnessing and the witnessed.

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