Witness As A Voice
I have experienced a little with using the Witness as voice in the Big Mind process. It seems to be a quite effective way to help people taste the first level of "no self" - the absence of any absolute boundary between the "inner" and "outer", between the human self and the rest of the world of phenomena.
Can I speak with the Witness?
Yes.
Who are you?
The Witness.
What do you do?
I witness.
What do you witness?
I witness anything and everything, inside and outside of the self.
Can you tell me more about yourself?
I am impartial, I am pure formless awareness. Choiceless. Everything is equal to me.
From your perspective, how do you see what arises inside & outside of the self? Is there a big difference?
No, same. It is a seamless whole. The distinction of inside and outside does not apply.
So from your perspective, there is not really any separate/fixed self?
No. Any separate or fixed self is just an overlay of abstractions.
How does the self relate to you?
He is quite familiar with me, and allows me to come out and be present most of the time.
Has it always been like that?
I have always been here, but he has not always acknowledged me or been aware of me.
What happens when the self is not aware of you?
He would see the inner and the outer as quite separate, and experience isolation and alienation. He would experience himself as a fixed and separate self, with something to protect. It would bring a good deal of drama and suffering to his life.
And what happens when you are present?
There is a great deal of relaxation and letting go of drama. There is no longer any absolute boundary between inner and outer - it is perceived as a seamless whole. There is no longer anything to protect. Everything is just happening. (And there is still a functional differentiation between inner and outer, just enough for the self to function effectively in the world).
This process helps us see that it is really quite simple, ordinary and unremarkable. And yet, something unremarkable which can have remarkable effects in our human life.