Subject-object

The body (sensations) and the mind (thoughts and images) are in fact experienced in exactly the same way as the world (perceptions). In other words, the body/mind is not the subject of experience and the world the object of experience, but rather the body/mind/world are all objects of experience. We then ask what it is that experiences the body/mind/world. What is it that is referred to as 'I?' It is obviously not the body/mind, because at this stage the body/mind has been seen to be the experienced rather than the experiencer. What then can we say about this perceiving 'I?' It cannot have any objective qualities because any such qualities would, by definition, be objects and therefore experienced. However, it is undeniably present and it is undeniable conscious or aware or knowing. For this reason 'I' is sometimes referred to as Consciousness, Awareness or Knowing Presence. At this stage the Knowing Presence that I know myself to be (that is, that knows itself to be) is conceived of as being 'nothing,' 'empty' or 'void' because it has no objective qualities, and could be formulated by saying simply, 'I am nothing.' It is the position of the 'witness.' This position is still a position of dualism in that there is still a subject (Knowing Presence) and an object (the body/mind/world).