I recently mentioned the Headless experiments to someone, and he said that they are fun but they only give a temporary glimpse of our nature.
BRINGING THE NOTICING INTO THE FOREGROUND
That’s not my experience. For me, the experiments bring my more fundamental nature more into the foreground of attention.
My nature recognizing itself is always there. Sometimes it’s in the background of attention, when attention is on more daily life tasks. And sometimes in the foreground of attention, sometimes helped by the Headless experiments.
BRINGING ABOUT SHIFTS
Also, I have experienced Headless experiments shifting my system more fundamentally. About fifteen years ago, it brought the no-self aspect of my nature strongly and clearly into the foreground for about six months, and that has made it much easier to find since then. It’s more available to notice.
GLIMPSES BECOME A NEW HABIT
And I also suspect that a habit of glimpsing our nature – through Headless experiments or anything else – brings about a shift over time. It becomes easier and easier to notice our more fundamental nature. Our nature more easily recognizes itself through daily life situations. And our metaphorical center of gravity shifts more and more into our nature recognizing itself.
WHAT WORKS IS DIFFERENT FOR EACH OF US AND DIFFERENT AT DIFFERENT TIMES
I understand why he said what he did. It’s likely his experience, and he may not be drawn to exploring the Headless experiments regularly or over time. It may not be for him. And that’s more than fine.
And it’s different for others. For others, it shifts our nature recognizing itself into the foreground. Or repeated explorations and glimpses shift into a more stable recognition and living from and as that recognition.