Homunculus, the idea of a little person observing and experiencing, can be seen as a silly idea. And it would be, today, if we take it as real and “out there” in the world.
But it can also be a source of great insights and interesting explorations, if it is taken as real in terms of our experience and images of the world.
What do I find if I look for the “doer” in my experience, here and now? Do I find an image of a doer? (This may be easier, at first, with eyes closed.) An image of “me” as a human in the world doing things? And an image of a “doer” pulling the strings and making this “me” do things? Can I find it outside of these images? Is the image of a doer different from any other images? Is it different from any other content of experience?
What do I find when I look for the “observer” in immediacy? Do I find an image of an observer? An image of someone, an object, observing and experiencing? Where is it located? Is it “anchored” on certain sensations? Does it shift location as attention is brought to it? Can I find it outside of these images?
Also, what happens when the image of the doer or observer is noticed? What happens if identification with the doer or observer is softened, or even released? What happens when either is identified with?
