Welcome the Totality of Experience

In this meditation, we welcome the totality of our experience without being interested in any particular aspect of it. We note that whilst the content of experience continually changes, the fact of being aware remains consistently present throughout and renders all experience knowable. Awareness lies in the background of experience, but also intimately pervades all experience. Normally, we are exclusively aware of the content of experience – thoughts, images, feelings, sensations – and we ignore the fact of being aware, or awareness itself. The content of experience stands in the foreground and the fact of knowing recedes into the background. In meditation, it is the reverse, whereby the content of experience recedes into the background and awareness emerges into the foreground. This recognition is brought about by a relaxation, rather than a focusing of attention. This is the peace of our essential self.

A woman asks for clarity about the act of breathing and the experience of the body. Rupert responds that whilst breathing requires no discipline, the tension that accompanies the sense of being a separate self can affect breathing.

A woman with a history of anxiety asks how to deal with thinking in the middle of the night. Ruperts suggests she notice the awareness that she already is, which is the field in which thoughts appear.

A man asks if the question 'Who am I?' redirects the focus of attention away from mental objects. Rupert suggests that we need not create a fight between the content of experience and the source of our attention.

A man asks how enlightenment fits into Bernardo Kastrup's river and whirlpool analogy. Rupert responds that enlightenment, in this analogy, refers to the recognition of water as our true nature.

A questioner asks if negative thoughts and emotions arise after enlightenment. Rupert responds that they still arise due to conditioning but no longer revolve around the separate self.

A woman asks about the recognition of the infinite by the finite mind. Rupert replies that whilst the belief in the separate self can disappear, the finite mind continues.

A questioner asks if animals have a sense of being a separate self. Rupert suggests that an animal has no awareness of being an animal. For instance, a bear has no awareness of being a bear.

A man says that as he has brought non-duality into his day-to-day life, the crazier his life has become. He asks about the place of the intuitive self in the unfolding process. Rupert responds that as the persona begins to thin out, we become more in touch with the intuitive self and develop the capacity for compassion and empathy.

A woman who attended Rupert's retreat says that she has abandoned her self-improvement program, feels less self-conscious and experiences a lightness. Rupert responds that when we drop the self-improvement project the qualities we sought after naturally arise.

A man uses the Mary and Jane analogy to ask if Jane recognises she is a character in a dream and whether she can do anything to wake Mary up. Rupert clarifies that the recognition of being a character in a dream doesn't happen to Jane, who is an imaginary character, but to Mary, who is the dreamer.

A woman asks about why consciousness manifests itself and experiences violence and suffering. Rupert responds that consciousness does not have to manifest, but does so knowing that happiness is the price paid in manifesting.

A question is asked about whether manifestation will cease in the human realm. Rupert responds that it is possible that humans could cease to exist, but there is no way to know for sure.

In this meditation, we welcome the totality of our experience without being interested in any particular aspect of it. We note that whilst the content of experience continually changes, the fact of being aware remains consistently present throughout and renders all experience knowable. Awareness lies in the background of experience, but also intimately pervades all experience. Normally, we are exclusively aware of the content of experience – thoughts, images, feelings, sensations – and we ignore the fact of being aware, or awareness itself. The content of experience stands in the foreground and the fact of knowing recedes into the background. In meditation, it is the reverse, whereby the content of experience recedes into the background and awareness emerges into the foreground. This recognition is brought about by a relaxation, rather than a focusing of attention. This is the peace of our essential self.

A woman asks for clarity about the act of breathing and the experience of the body. Rupert responds that whilst breathing requires no discipline, the tension that accompanies the sense of being a separate self can affect breathing.

A woman with a history of anxiety asks how to deal with thinking in the middle of the night. Ruperts suggests she notice the awareness that she already is, which is the field in which thoughts appear.

A man asks if the question 'Who am I?' redirects the focus of attention away from mental objects. Rupert suggests that we need not create a fight between the content of experience and the source of our attention.

A man asks how enlightenment fits into Bernardo Kastrup's river and whirlpool analogy. Rupert responds that enlightenment, in this analogy, refers to the recognition of water as our true nature.

A questioner asks if negative thoughts and emotions arise after enlightenment. Rupert responds that they still arise due to conditioning but no longer revolve around the separate self.

A woman asks about the recognition of the infinite by the finite mind. Rupert replies that whilst the belief in the separate self can disappear, the finite mind continues.

A questioner asks if animals have a sense of being a separate self. Rupert suggests that an animal has no awareness of being an animal. For instance, a bear has no awareness of being a bear.

A man says that as he has brought non-duality into his day-to-day life, the crazier his life has become. He asks about the place of the intuitive self in the unfolding process. Rupert responds that as the persona begins to thin out, we become more in touch with the intuitive self and develop the capacity for compassion and empathy.

A woman who attended Rupert's retreat says that she has abandoned her self-improvement program, feels less self-conscious and experiences a lightness. Rupert responds that when we drop the self-improvement project the qualities we sought after naturally arise.

A man uses the Mary and Jane analogy to ask if Jane recognises she is a character in a dream and whether she can do anything to wake Mary up. Rupert clarifies that the recognition of being a character in a dream doesn't happen to Jane, who is an imaginary character, but to Mary, who is the dreamer.

A woman asks about why consciousness manifests itself and experiences violence and suffering. Rupert responds that consciousness does not have to manifest, but does so knowing that happiness is the price paid in manifesting.

A question is asked about whether manifestation will cease in the human realm. Rupert responds that it is possible that humans could cease to exist, but there is no way to know for sure.