Tag: body

I have just returned from a dinner I had with some friends in a nice restaurant. One of my friends is a neurologist. During the dinner he happened to mention an interesting neurological disorder called the Alien Hand Syndrome that one of his patients is suffering from. All were fascinated by the strange phenomena concerned with this disorder. My attention, on the other hand, was immediately drawn to the ridiculous light this syndrome sheds on our deep-rooted belief that we are the body and that this I-body is a consistent uniform solid entity.

1. Accepting and observing whatever is now.
2. Self Inquiry - Observe your sense of "I", your many personalities, all these false "I"s you can observe as objects and therefore are not truly you, the observing subject. Make sure to observe these "I"s with no identification. Use the question "Who Am I?" but do not try to answer it intellectually, wait for the mental pointer to arise spontaneously from the question and direct you to a current sense of "I"

*** Important Note: This spiritual technique, though enormously beneficial, might be too extreme for certain people due to the hard emotions that might arise during the practice of this technique. It is intended to be used only by advanced seekers. Do not run this test in case you are not sure you are emotionally stable, balanced and strong enough. This test is not recommended for people with mental problems or/and extreme fear of death. In case you feel that the emotions experienced are too strong, stop the test immediately and continue later, in moderate stages ***

Close your eyes and observe for some time the tip of your nose for any sensations. Just observe and feel the place, just be there.

3 key reasons why you believe you are your body

Each time you leave home, check the 2 doors and 5 windows of the house to make sure they are well closed:

According to Guenka's Vipassana (and maybe the Buddha, who knows), what we call feelings and emotions are merely patterns of body sensations. Everything is mapped to body sensations.

Look at your body as an external object.

See the new guru profile for Thomas Metzinger.

These findings are of fundamental importance because they identify the perceptual processes that make us feel that we own our entire body.

Karolinska Institute study report.