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From: departed@netcom.com (just passing through)
Subject: Re: Thought Question
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Date: Mon, 6 Mar 1995 06:20:29 GMT
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In article <3jcdlh$4eo@oznet03.ozemail.com.au>,
Alan Tonisson  <tonisson@ozemail.com.au> wrote:
>prem@ix.netcom.com (Prem Sobel) wrote:
>>
>> In Alan Tonisson <tonisson@ozemail.com.au> writes: 
>> 
>> >> >at least I think (therfore?) I am.
>> >> 
>> >> Do you or would you still exist if the mind was silent, not thinking?
>> 
>> >Good question! I guess "I" wouldn't exist if I wasn't thinking.
>> 
>> Try it (it is not easy but it is achievable). You will find that
>> something does continue to exist - it is closer to (but not yet)
>> the real you. There are quite a few layers. Far more interesting
>> than a video game and free(ing).
>> 
>> Prem
>
>It takes many years to acheive a state of mind where you are not thinking,
>according to Buddhist monks who practise meditation.  I have tried this
>stuff every day for about 5 years and achieved some success, but that was
>over 10 years ago and I'm not sure what I achieved.  I know what you mean
>about layers, and I agree that it is very interesting.
>
>There was one time when everything seemed to disappear but something was
>left, but I can't say whether I really stopped thinking or not.  Since I
>can remember it, some thought processes must have been going on for my short
>term and long term memory to have recorded the experience.
>
>If I did stop thinking, how could I remember it?  It seems to me that it
>does not make sense to talk about not thinking because if I stop thinking,
>I wouldn't remember it or be able to talk about it anyway.  It's a
>meaningless topic like "What lies beyond the end of the universe?".  If
>you could go and see what is beyond the end of the universe it would be
>part of the universe.  If I could tell you about my state of mind when I'm
>not thinking, then I must be telling you about some thought processes.  I
>don't think that my mind can be completely silent and still exist.  It may
>become silent but "I" would cease to exist for a while and reappear.  I used
>to think that God or Tao or something would be left but the older I get the
>less religious I become.  I still call myself a Taoist, though.
>
>What do you think?
>
>Alan Tonisson (tonisson@ozemail.com.au)
>Rune Research Pty Ltd
>

Forgive me for including the entire article, but I thought it was
interesting.

Anyhow, I like to think of consciousness as a sheet.  It makes layers
folded over onto itself, and each time it is folded, it touches all of
the previous folded layers again.

Including a higher layer in a lower layer (by being simply-mindful of
high-level processes) in effect unfolds it.

If it's unfolded, it would still be happening, but be unaware of it.  It
might still construe reality, but simply be unaware that anything was going
on.

-- Richard Wesson
(departed@netcom.com)

