The Free-self is a word I invented to cover the concept of being free of the ego state and hence the video. I think over the millennia many words have been used to cover this. Some of those are spiritual self, observer self, witness, true-self, self remembering (Ouspensky, 1947). In an area that fosters such potential confusion I have steered clear of the usual jargon and tried to define this afresh. I like the reference to the ego state or the video tape mind as I think it’s much clearer. Works for me as they say!
In simple language the Free-self is where you become aware of your presence and this takes you effectively out of the video or the egoic mind in one jump. My experience of this (since this is not something you can be objective about but merely to share) is that of a discrete state shift. By this I mean it’s a complete jump not a part of continuity like you might get with a rainbow. More like you have a rainbow and then you have the clear sky. Let’s try some analogies.
It’s like moving from sleep to being awake, from out of a fog to a clear road ahead, from being absent to being here, where something was missing from its chair and suddenly it was back or like flicking a switch from off to on.
If it seems like nothing much; that’s not unusual. I think we spend so long in the video that to go back to just being present seems like a small step to the right. However, it’s a vital step and is easy to underestimate. Tolle (2008) says:
Instead of being lost in thinking, when you awaken you recognize yourself as the awareness behind it. Thinking then ceases to be a self-serving autonomous activity that takes possession of you and runs your life. Awareness takes over from thinking. Instead of being in charge of your life, thinking becomes the servant of awareness. Awareness is conscious connection with universal intelligence. Another word for it is Presence: consciousness without thought.
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