Anon-I-mous,
I hope you’re still answering questions as you’re the only one I feel could be of help for my current “dilemma”.
I seem to have hit a lull in my journey of coming to know my true nature. The subject/object illusion is still quite prevalent and I’m honestly unsure of what if anything, can be done to help me to collapse this illusion of separation.
Perhaps a better understanding of time (or lack thereof) would be helpful as I’ve noticed I really only have an intellectual understanding of it, not direct experience. I recall hearing a non-dual teacher mentioning that if we truly grasped the concept of time and actually experienced it directly, it would help collapse the entire idea of a subject/object. How true that is—I’ve no idea.
I know effort is futile in this process, so I know I cannot force an “awakening” or whatever you’d like to call it, I just have zero idea how to even approach this. It seems I’ve been stuck in this same spot for months. Self inquiry honestly hasn’t done a whole lot as far as actually causing a shift in perspective. I still very much feel as if there’s a mind/body and then there’s also Awareness. I know this is a common pitfall amongst those going through this process, but how does one break through it? It seems like everytime I gain any sort of clarity, it’s gone by morning.
I know meditation can also aid in coming to this realization as well, but I seem to have hit a wall with that as well. I cannot get past the mind to be able to progress any further. Essentially this is because I still feel like a person, trying to meditate.
Hopefully this isn’t redundant and please forgive me for my ignorance on the subject. Words are pretty useless when it comes to this stuff. As you can see, my identity is still tied to the mind even though I know it is nothing more than a collection of thoughts and beliefs.
So from your perspective, is there anything in particular you’d recommend or is there perhaps a certain direction you’d point me in? I respect your opinion as you seem to be incredibly knowledgeable on this topic and you are so articulate with your posts.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
🫶🏼
ANON I MUS: Thank you for reaching out and wanting to find some clarity in your journey. You must understand that it is the mind trying to control and figure out the problem that you are facing. This is the loop most people live in without ever realizing it. People believe that more thinking and analysis will eventually bring them peace and clarity. But it never does because the mind doesn’t resolve problems—it creates more of them (every thought leads to another thought, every question leads to another question). The deeper you go into thinking, the further you get from the serene space of clarity. This is why you feel stuck and nothing seems to fully resolve for you. It is not because you’re doing something wrong but only that your using the wrong tool. You have to stop chasing clarity with the thinking mind—and start recognizing it. This isn’t about controlling the mind and stop thinking. This is about recognizing the difference between the mental activity and the unperturbed awareness behind it.
You are in this predicament not because you want to suffer but because the familiar feels safer than the unknown. You don’t need to win the internal battle of your mind, you simply need step out of it. What feels like control is actually the mental loop that keeps you trapped. When you notice yourself getting pulled into your thoughts, don’t try to fight them (through force) or fix them. That is the trap. Instead, be still and recognize what is happening without getting identified or involved in it. Let the thoughts run if they want to, but stop engaging with them and give it your full attention. Bring yourself back to something simple and real—your surrounding, your breath and your physical sensations. You don’t need to force clarity or chase peace. It shows up naturally the moment you stop feeding the mental noise.
The shift in awareness is not about controlling your thoughts—it’s in realizing you were never inside the mind to begin with. The moment you can see the pattern as it’s happening—without immediately reacting to it—you begin to create distance from it. You move from being trapped inside the mind's loop… to witnessing it from a space of safety, presence and silence. It is about finally seeing clear enough to stop mistaking yourself for the version of you that keeps repeating the same pattern. There is something deeper in you that doesn’t need to solve anything to be at peace. This is the awareness beneath your thoughts, emotions, and identity. The part of you that has been present through every repeating cycle—untouched by the story. I hope this helps you in some way, Anon I mus
