Garret Kramer's Blog

Throughout history, and in all fields, there’s been a select few who have challenged current models. You know some of the names: Jesus, Copernicus, Gandhi, King. In the face of vast backlash, these innovators or change agents have helped strip away our culturally conditioned beliefs.

What you might not know is that the work you read about here each week—which points away from the belief that who you truly are is a separate self, person, or ego, and toward the intimacy or indivisible nature of all experience—is also the subject of backlash. Why? Because the ego, in order to maintain its apparent existence, must resist. It must fortify its “humanness.” It will accuse the one who points toward true nature, the change agent, of not living in the real world. It will insist that he or she is woo-woo, impractical, or divisive. It might even poke fun and belittle.

But here’s the thing: There’s nothing more impractical and divisive, let alone unproven, than the belief that who you are shares the limits and destiny of the body and mind. In fact, understanding that the true Self is infinite and eternal, that it does not lack—that who you are is Freedom, Love, or God’s Being itself—is what allows life to be authentically lived in the so-called “real” or objective world. In other words, a productive physical life is contingent on first understanding that true nature is anything but physical.

At a time or two, you’ve had the inkling that there’s more to a body and mind, more to life, more to the appearance of separation than meets the eye. So, explore this inkling with all your heart. Regardless of ego, even when it mocks or kicks back with vengeance, keep going. If you need support, look to fellow explorers on this direct or pathless path.

To no avail, the world has turned outward to objects and others, insisted that answers are found in an illusory human experience, for long enough.

It’s your sacred calling to set a resolute example and, no matter what, courageously head for Home.

In a self-help world of experts, methods, and techniques, here’s a brief reminder:

Pushing discomfort, anxiety, or fear away; trying to be more upbeat or positive; coping or managing thoughts and feelings—serves but one purpose. It reinforces the culturally conditioned belief that certain thoughts and feelings are unbearable. In other words, when you attempt to distract yourself from certain thoughts and feelings, without realizing it, you are perpetuating them.

Rather, before you seek or resist, simply pause. Draw close to thoughts and feelings. Be with them.

You’ll find that, in your actual experience, nothing is unbearable. Who you are is completely open. Who you are is resilience, freedom and peace, itself

In many self-help and spiritual circles, including this community, the advice, “Look for and find a good feeling” is common. And for obvious reasons. What person doesn’t covet a so-called “good” or “beautiful” feeling? One of relief, satisfaction, or comfort.

And while the objective search for a good feeling is logical, when it comes to getting to the root or nature of experience, when it comes to an exploration of who you are, when it comes to the eradication of belief, when it comes to long-term peace, please consider that a good feeling is not the place to look.

Here’s why:

Feelings have an objective quality to them. Like all objects, they are known. They are transient. They are insecure. They come and they go. Thus, a good feeling provides no lasting guidance. In fact, looking for and finding a good feeling—absent of an experiential understanding of true nature—is at the heart of addiction. It provides glimpses of respite, only to be veiled by insecurity once more.

On the other hand, the realization that who you are does not share the limits or destiny of the body, the realization that you are Consciousness itself, is neutral. It arrives with no bells, no whistles, no fanfare. Actually, since Consciousness is found in the absence of a separate self, ego, or body, it’s also found in the absence of feeling. With no sense of self, there are no feelings at all.

Remember: Feelings are an impermanent thrill ride. Consciousness, however, remains lovingly indifferent, steadily at peace, and eternally present.

Seek and get hooked on a good feeling—still seem like a good idea?

How about: Explore who you are. Find what does not come and go; what has never left your side.

Get hooked on that.

About five years back, a player/client asked me:

“G, how exactly do I experience my thinking as you say I do? Can you explain how that works in the body and mind?”

My answer:

I didn’t have one.

The question had me pause. While I had been taught and believed it to be true, I couldn’t actually explain how a body-mind experiences thought (or itself, an object, a circumstance, the world, or anything for that matter).

In fact, no one has ever uncovered how a body-mind can know or experience. And this includes neuroscientists.

And yet, of this I’m sure:

I am the knower. I am the one who experiences.

So, perhaps—if a body-mind is not capable of experiencing, yet I am the one who experiences—who I am is not a body-mind.

Perhaps in ’19, “Who I am” is worth a genuine look.

Happy New Year, everyone. Here’s to a courageous journey ahead. A journey into the very heart of experience.

Garret

“I am the one who chooses.”

“I am the one who forgives.”

“I am the one who’s grateful.”

“I am the one who accepts.”

“I am the one who suffers.”

“I am the one who thinks.”

“I am the one who feels.”

“I am the one who’s resilient.”

“I am the one who loves.”

“I am the one who’s aware.”

Yet, when I try to find the part of me, the part (or parts) of my body, that has the power to do any of the above—I can’t.

In fact, nobody can or ever has.

That’s because I am not a body.

I am the one who knows; the one who experiences a body and all other things.

Who am I?

I am = God’s infinite Being,

I am = Awareness or Consciousness itself.

I am = me, you, us.

This holiday season, and beyond, let’s keep exploring who we are—the sacred answer to peace.

Love,

Garret

If you’re reading this post, odds are that you have a strong sense that digging into the past, the future, personal situations, relationships, possessions, environments, rituals, or techniques—the objective world—is a step away from Source. A step away from the true Self. A step away from answers. A step away from peace, happiness, and love.

And that is wonderful.

But could you be overlooking a big piece to the puzzle?

Namely, that the cognitive approach of plunging into thoughts (feelings and mindset, too) as an alternative is also a step away from Source. That thoughts are also objects. Like other objects, thoughts appear and disappear; they have an objective or empirical quality to them; they are known.

Sure, you can claim (as I used to) that you’re talking about the principle of thought, not personal thought. But what’s the difference? Referring to thought as a principle is the very act of objectifying thought. And clearly, pointing toward objects is the opposite of pointing toward Source.

Why, you might ask, do I bring up this topic?

Simple. When I realized where my own confusion around this work was coming from (i.e., stepping away from who I am in an attempt to find who I am), my life and my work changed on a dime.

See if your experience matches mine.

The ego seeks answers in thoughts, principles, and other objects.

The true Self, on the other hand, does not wander.

As you may know, the umbrella term we use for the so-called “physical substance” that is separate from mind is matter. Matter, supposedly, is what all things are made of. In fact, the belief that “I’m made of matter, and other people, objects, and animals are also made of matter,” is what’s used to explain the apparent separation between me and everything else that is “not me.”

But here’s the problem with this belief about separation (and matter): Although scientists keep trying, they’ve yet to find this physical substance called matter. Really. Go ahead and search “Does matter exist?” You’ll be amazed at what comes up.

So, then, rather than keep searching for it, perhaps (and as strange as this might sound) it’s time for scientists and the rest of us to admit that matter doesn’t exist.

Perhaps, instead, we should consider viewing experience from this perspective: All things are an image of Consciousness occurring within Consciousness. Perhaps when this is realized, “not me” will permanently be replaced with “we are one.”

To illustrate, here’s a metaphor I learned from a wise teacher of the Consciousness-only model, Francis Lucille: Imagine you’re on a FaceTime call on your phone or computer with two of your friends. What you experience on the screen is three separate boxes with three separate faces. You see what is “me” and what is “not me.” You see lines of distinction. But take a closer look; even tap on the screen if you will. What are the boxes, faces, and lines of distinction actually made of?

The answer: The screen. All things are made of the screen. Or, to be more precise, all things are the screen. And the screen, of course, is a metaphor for the nature of all things: infinite Consciousness itself. Sadly, in favor of accepting separation as real or true, we’ve completely overlooked that, like a FaceTime call on your phone or computer, the separate characters you see exist in appearance only. Try again to find them. Like matter, they’re not actually there.

Brilliant scientists (physicists and neurologists, included) have researched, analyzed, and experimented. They’ve tried to substantiate the apparent separation between “me” and everything else. They’ve tried to clarify the distinction between a perceiving subject and perceived object. They’ve tried to prove duality. They’ve tried to find separate things made of matter.

All to no avail.

That’s why—among your family, community, organization, country, and world—it’s only through the mutual recognition that separation merely exists in appearance, that every “thing” is an image of Consciousness appearing within Consciousness, that peace, love, and harmony will be found.

Perhaps we are one, after all.

Garret

This week, a super-short post about our culture’s addiction to coping with insecurity.

Here goes:

While you’ve been conditioned to believe that insecurity is bad and confidence is good, when you try to rid yourself of insecurity, what you’re actually doing is fighting the most valuable intuitive sign. Insecurity means that you’re looking outward for answers. You’re falling for the ego’s ploy of connecting well-being to the objects, status, rewards, and relationships of the material world. It’s a reminder to turn back toward Source. To turn back toward who you truly are. To look inward.

In other words, if and when you feel insecure—you’re meant to.

Toward the end of a recent event, I was asked this pertinent question:

“If there’s one message to take from today, Garret, what would it be?”

My answer:

“To understand that your body-mind doesn’t know, it is known. To realize that you don’t have experiences, you are experienced. To ask yourself, what part of the body-mind possesses the power to perceive or observe? And then to courageously admit that this body part doesn’t exist.”

—

Now if, to you, my answer above seems strange. Or if you’re convinced that the personal you (a body-mind) can in fact know or experience itself and a world, then right here and now let’s search for the part of you that actually does this.

Is it your brain?

Well, I get that this is what you’ve been taught, but how can a brain be aware? Even neurologists have yet to find the neural pathways that would make a brain conscious.

How about your heart? Your eyes?

How about your elbow, ears, wrist, or foot?

You get the idea.

Perhaps it’s time to consider that a body-mind isn’t the one that knows or experiences. It’s just a belief that it is. And, again, it was this precise realization that was not only paramount for the audience at the recent event, but for me several years ago as well.

Why was it paramount for me?

Because (and read this slowly) I knew that I was the knower. Yet, since it was not my body-mind who knew—then my body-mind, Garret, could not be the true me.

In other words, it’s not Garret who knows a self (Garret) and a world. Rather, it’s some other me. A true or essential Self that I longed to uncover. And this realization set me on a path of self-exploration—the pathless path of folding inward—that becomes profounder each day.

So, I ask you:

If who you truly are is of interest to you, why not join me on this inward journey back home to peace, passion, freedom, and love?

And then maybe, just maybe, we’ll be in a position to rally the world.

Garret

To make more room, we’ve moved the location of next Saturday’s Morristown, New Jersey day-long meeting (it’s at the same address, but now on the first floor). The link to register is active again if you’d like to join us:

https://teamio.org/events/consciousness-us.

Garret

P.S. For those staying over Saturday night, we’ll be getting together for dinner in Morristown. Contact Sara Priestly (sara@livinglifesideways.co.uk) for information. G