--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "suziezuzie" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > The term 'outside' as in 'outside the body' is used from a > physical- > > > limited understanding, that things are understood to be outside > the > > > body because this is how we experience the world, subject-object > > > relationships. So for lack of a better word or description, since > the > > > Self is unlimited by space and time, i.e., nonlocalized, the > > > description, 'outside' in the case of witnessing would refer > to 'not > > > connected' or un connected or disconnected, viewing from a > different > > > point of dimensional-fulness-reality, etc. The idea of being out > of > > > the body also refers to grosser astral perceptions in which a > denser > > > (astral) spirit can move out of the physical-body dimension. > > > Witnessing gives an idea of watching but not necessarily from a > > > distance. > > > > > > > However, the disfunctional kind of witnessing found in the DSM-IV > often speaks of having > > a viewpoint as though outside and above and/or behind the body with > a definite sense of > > geographic location.> > > > Right. This is why I keep emphasizing that an experience of CC does > not involve a sense of geographic location as being behind, over, or > in front of the body. Witnessing does not give a sense of location of > the Self as in the body or out of the body. On the other hand, mental > illness or drug induced dislocation of the personality out of the > body can be described as pathological as you've stated. I can > understand the confusion since the term witnessing or flatness of > experience could be interpreted as the pathology described in the > article on Depersonalization but if you read the article carefully, > you can only conclude that what is being spoken of is not what we > experience in the practices of TM unless an individual is already > prone to this state. > > If you were to ask where the self or sense of personality is located > before CC, you would have to conclude that the I-ness seems to be > located in the head just behind the eyes. This is where the habit of > thinking takes place, seeing, hearing, etc. The habitual location of > the small self seems to be in this location. As the Self becomes more > generalized, this location becomes less and less pronounced but > definitely not outside the body. > > People whose sense of self resides outside the body cannot meditate > since one of the requirements for a successful TM experience is for > all the bodies from the grossest to the most subtle, seven in all, > must be perfectly aligned, one within the other. This is why people > on drugs cannot meditate. Drugs, alcohol, anesthetics, etc., place > the self or personality out of the body. >
I question this conclusion,. however. If you can think, you can meditate.
