Guest guest Posted August 12, 2001 Report Share Posted August 12, 2001 Here I am not talking of out of body experiences. Frankly I haven't had any out of body experience. Here I am talking about the times when most of us have, possibly due to shock, 'lost interest' in 'controlling' our bodies. It is as if we are frozen with fear but we do not have any fear, in fact we are rendered emotionless and unconcerned about what happens to our body. Let me give two examples to explain. [i am not very proud of what happened in either case!] I was on a flimsy motorbike on a narrow bridge when I saw coming towards me a truck and trailer veering from side to side apparently out of control. I just froze, yet I did not feel any fear or concern for my safety. I had turned into an indifferent observer! The same thing happened when I saw a drowning boy in a swimming pool. There was no danger to me in any action to save that boy. Yet again I turned into an indifferent observer. [Luckily in both cases nothing serious happened.] Anybody have similar experiences? And is this similar to what Nisargadatta et. al. refer to when they advise us not to identify with our bodies and minds? I cannot resist the temptation of quoting from my favorite guru, Nisargadatta: Having seen that you are a bundle of memories held together by attachment, step out and look from the outside. You may perceive for the first time something which is not memory. You cease to be Mr-so-and-so, busy about his own affairs. You are at last at peace. You realize that nothing was ever wrong with the world, you alone were wrong and now it is all over. Never again will you be caught in the meshes of desire born of ignorance. (390) ______________________ With Love, Cyber Dervish ```````````````````````````````````````` Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 12, 2001 Report Share Posted August 12, 2001 Hi Jan, > Anybody have similar experiences? I've noticed both the indifference and freezing but I don't think they are necessarily connected. In times of extreme danger, I've noticed a phenomenon that seems to be exactly the same as when the ego stops in meditation: the mind becomes quiet, there's no sense of " me " , time seems to dilate, peripheral vision seems to widen, perceptions intensify, emotions either stop or no longer occupy attention, etc. Since the emotions stop there is no fear, and therefore we " feel " indifference. Actually, I believe we aren't feeling anything. I would imagine that this happens during danger because a survival mechanism causes the brain to stop devoting resources to generating the ego illusion so that every possible ounce of the brain's capacity can be devoted to observing the situation and reacting to it. I've seen a discussion of this in at least one book, relating it to enlightenment, but can't remember which one. I think the freezing happens when it's too late to act or when we can't decide fast enough what to do. I noticed it once at the last moment before a car crash (when I was also experiencing what I just described above) and another time when somebody else was in danger (like your episode with the drowning boy). But I think it was only coincidence that in my first example, the indifference and freezing coincided. rob - " Jan Sultan " <swork <Realization > Sunday, August 12, 2001 3:06 PM Non-identification with body > Here I am not talking of out of body experiences. Frankly I haven't had any > out of body experience. > Here I am talking about the times when most of us have, possibly due to > shock, 'lost interest' in 'controlling' our bodies. It is as if we are > frozen with fear but we do not have any fear, in fact we are rendered > emotionless and unconcerned about what happens to our body. > > Let me give two examples to explain. [i am not very proud of what happened > in either case!] > I was on a flimsy motorbike on a narrow bridge when I saw coming towards me > a truck and trailer veering from side to side apparently out of control. I > just froze, yet I did not feel any fear or concern for my safety. I had > turned into an indifferent observer! > The same thing happened when I saw a drowning boy in a swimming pool. There > was no danger to me in any action to save that boy. Yet again I turned into > an indifferent observer. > [Luckily in both cases nothing serious happened.] > > Anybody have similar experiences? And is this similar to what Nisargadatta > et. al. refer to when they advise us not to identify with our bodies and minds? > > I cannot resist the temptation of quoting from my favorite guru, Nisargadatta: > > Having seen that you are a bundle of memories held together by attachment, > step out and look from the outside. You may perceive for the first time > something which is not memory. You cease to be Mr-so-and-so, busy about his > own affairs. You are at last at peace. You realize that nothing was ever > wrong with the world, you alone were wrong and now it is all over. Never > again will you be caught in the meshes of desire born of ignorance. (390) > > ______________________ > With Love, > Cyber Dervish > ```````````````````````````````````````` > > > ..........INFORMATION ABOUT THIS LIST.......... > > Email addresses: > Post message: Realization > Un: Realization- > Our web address: http://www.realization.org > > By sending a message to this list, you are giving > permission to have it reproduced as a letter on > http://www.realization.org > ................................................ > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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