Here a simple exercise is described that introduces the felt sense, and how this can differ as we give our attention to different stimuli - in this case, different people.
Here, we adapt this exercise, with a deeper aim:
- Bring to mind two people in our life. Could be parents, children, friends.
- Bring the first person to mind.
- Notice what happens in your body. Feel the bodily experience that happens when we bring them to mind.
- Now get a fuzzy sense of who it is that is noticing this body sensation.
- Bring to mind the second person.
- Again, notice what happens in your body.
- And again, get a fuzzy sense of who it is that is noticing this body sensation.
- Now compare these two fuzzy senses. Are they the same? Does the “me” that is noticing the sensations change with a new perception? Or is it exactly the same?
- If the same, pay really close attention, look for subtleties. Can you find any subtle differences in the “me” that notices?