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Question #1 for John or anyone

Dear John et al.,

You have said many times before that there is no usefulness whatsoever to trying to prolong the act of The Looking. And I think I've also heard you say several times before that there is nothing to gain even from trying to increase the frequency of the moments when the beam of your attention is on You. For reference sake, in the 2011/02/09 Open House Meeting at around 42':30" or so you say: "There is no added value to increasing duration of the time when the beam of your attention is trying to get a glimpse of what it feels like to be You."

I guess I'm just questioning this for verification. Even with the analogy of taking medicine, it is not necessarily true that there is no advantage to taking a medicine more rather than less; keeping up a certain dosage may be crucial.

So my questions are: 1) is it really true that I shouldn't make much effort to increase the frequency or duration of The Looking, and 2) how do you know this? How do you know that successfully increasing the time spent successfully Looking at Yourself will have no effect on the course of your recovery?

I'm just asking for interest & clarity sake and not to be challenging or anything like that. I really appreciate your work and these forums!!!

Thank you,

Gerrit

Dear Gerrit,

1. It's not that you shouldn't, it's that you needn't. It seems that one dose is enough with the looking, although it is common that upon taking that first look, one finds oneself returning to it again and again whether it'is useful or not. It may be that if more is needed it is taken without the need for our conscious involvement.

Of course no harm can come from returning to the experience of yourself, and it is actually impossible to homestead there and go back to sleep. The urge to do so, to set up camp and retreat there, or to somehow merge with myself there, is nothing other than the defensive desire to go back to sleep that is the motive force of many of the therapeutic and spiritual solutions offered these days. It is all symptomatic of the fear, and will all fall away soon enough.

2. I have no way of knowing whether 'successfully' returning again and again to the simple experience of me would be helpful in the recovery since I began to lose interest pretty quickly once I actually did succeed for the first time, even though I did not know at the time that I had succeeded. That knowing came later - after the recovery was well underway. I was briefly looking - more like glancing - often, but not with conscious attention, it seemed just to happen on its own.

I did begin to notice the faint and ever-present feel of me in the corner of my eye more and more and still now, there is not a moment when I do not have the taste of me in my conscious awareness. So far as I can tell, nothing good or bad comes from this, although it is quite pleasant to taste from time to time.

I am very grateful for your presence here Gerrit.

John

Heard Clearly.

Dear John,

Wow, Thank You!! I'm amazed at how soon you responded!

Okay, I see exactly what you mean on both points. I tend to be an analytical sort of guy and so I guess I have a tendency/desire to understand things as best they can be understood, for better or worse...and often worse! I suppose that in all practicality, as you imply, it doesn't matter either way. As long as one whole-heartedly does The Looking (and provided they succeed, which as you suggest is inevitable) at least once, then the recovery process will take its own course, whether that entails more Looking or whatever compulsions arise, consciously or unconsciously.

Thank you so much for the promptness, candor, and downright down-to-Earth usefulness of your reply. I cannot say enough (and I think many share this feeling) how grateful and astonished I am at the wonderful and altruistic nature of your work. Again, thank you!

I am pleased to be here, but will try not to jabber too much!

 

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