Softness & Receptivity or Hurt
Some thoughts came through about being let down by a group (they didn't live up to my story about them), and I noticed I felt hurt, which in turn fed the initial stories and gave birth to some new stories as well.
Just noticing the sensations associated with it, I saw that without the stories, they were just sensations in the chest area of softness and receptivity. On their own, they were actually quite interesting and pleasant.
With the stories, or rather with the attachment to the story of hurt and the stories of how they did not live up to my expectations, the overall experience was quite unpleasant. The sensations themselves drowned in the overall confusion and turmoil, and to the extent they were in awareness - appeared uncomfortable and intolerable.
Just noticing the sensations themselves, distinct from any stories, makes all the difference. Then, attention can be with them, and notice them without any stories. Just sensations. Simple. Clear.
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