Witnessing

I am in a process of detached observation or witnessing, I am doing what is called "The Bystander" that Kenneth Folk recommended for being aware in daily life; am watching how it/"me" sits, thinks, talks, feels, eats, runs, walks etcetera, but I would like to know if there is any sitting meditation technique that can enhance this ability to detached witnessing in sitting meditation and in daliy life? In other words: I dont want to become absorbed in the witness/feeling of I exist/I AM (2nd gear) I would like to enhance my ability to be a silent witness to all that is happening. Any advice, ideas or comments?

Thank you.

Yes.

Notice that even without having to focus on the witness or on your experience you are aware of it (your current experience).

You can't escape the fact that you are aware. And there is nothing in particular you can point at that you aren't aware of.

Rather than asking who is aware and holding the answer, notice you are/were already aware without even asking the question or looking (you are aware of your decision to look and the process of looking and the response you would normally grab onto).

Take it as a fact that you are the silent witness to what is happening and see if there's anything you can do to escape that fact.

You may become distracted from the fact you are aware. Just remember that you were aware of the distraction while it was occurring. There's no need to reconfirm.

So when sitting. Notice you are aware (that you are having any experience at all). If you seem to get distracted, notice you are aware of that.

When going about your life do the same thing (notice you are already effortlessly aware).

Nice!

Thank you so much mumuwu. it really helps alot. By your advice of sitting: I tried what you said, and I noticed immediately that I could be aware that I was aware. The thing is, something has really happened: For about a week ago, I remember what Kenneth Folk said before about "The Bystander" to simply witness oneself and my surroundings without judgement. I tried it, and suddenly I am about 60-70 percent aware in the waking time, from one day to the next. Before I tried it I was about maybe 5-8 percent aware. It is a really, really powerful technique. If you want to become alot more aware, you could at least try it. I hope it will work as good for you as it has for me. I really have no idea where this practise might lead, (does anybody know?) but I definitely do not suffer as much after I found this wonderful technique, I also feel much calmer, and more mentally and emotionally stable.

Thank you.

Yes,

You will find that everything you can be aware of is happening in awareness already. You will find that you are aware of all distractions and the memory of being distracted and the disappointment in being distracted and deciding to be more aware, etc. In otherwords distraction occurs in awareness too.

An excellent means of practice is

1. Notice you are always, already aware
2. Notice there is nothing you can do to make yourself unaware (aware in the purest sense, i.e. experiencing something at all)

Wonderful stuff.

"In other words: I dont want to become absorbed in the witness/feeling of I exist/I AM (2nd gear) I would like to enhance my ability to be a silent witness to all that is happening. Any advice, ideas or comments?"

To enhance your ability to be a silent witness, give up your desire to enhance your ability to be a silent witness. Desire is what gets us stuck. Giving up desire doesn't mean you lose awareness. Mumuwu is right: there is no need to reconfirm awareness. Doing so is redundant. Wanting to enhance awareness or the silent witness is redundant.

Keep doing what you're already doing. You're seeing improvements and that's good, but that also sets the stage for the hunger, the hunger for more improvements. This hunger becomes an obstacle. What kenneth told you to do is enough. Of course, you can always go beyond the words he used, but the technique is the same: it sits, it thinks, it feels, it cognizes, it perceives, it wants more improvements, it wants to enhance it's ability to be a silent witness, it gives up desire, it... etc.

Thanks a. for bringing up the Bystander. (see how it) has been doing this for over an hour now and it is very stable and enjoyable - (see how it) thinks that when I get lost it has somehow less momentum than normal lostness/becoming.

Thanks!