Just One Look Forum Archives

I think perhaps it was mentioned in Look at Yourself that the veil gets removed and we can no longer feel separate from suffering in other sentient beings. Ouch. I guess we're not in Kansas anymore. Anyone noticed this feature of the more and more noticeable reality that comes into view? Actually I think John called it a bug.

I might be wrong and it's something I heard him say on a YouTube. Either way, raw stuff.

I haven't experienced any significant changes or increased sensitivity to the suffering of others. I have always been sensitive to this aspect of life, and it's probably why I went into clinical social work. However, I think there may have been a shift in the underlying energy which creates the sensitivity. Before the looking I was in pain myself and could see that pain in others. We shared the pain, or my pain was just spread out over a larger area. Since the looking, my suffering has been reduced dramatically while my sensitivity is about the same. On second thought, it's not the same. I am not overwhelmed by the suffering of others to nearly the same extent and it doesn't trigger my own suffering. I have more space to look at it, be thoughtful about it and to try to see if I can help, or not.

The sensitivity has always been a struggle in my personal and professional lives. I don't think I feel as much pressure to try to help people as I did in the past. I realize people have to go through their own suffering and I try to help where I can. I'll try to tell people about the looking, especially when they are deeply suffering. I just did this with a work colleague and she seemed responsive to it. I've seen the looking take effect in the lives of several people I've been close to and it is very satisfying to watch the changes in their lives. In this limited way I understand why John and Carla are so keen about their work. It's satisfying.

Thank you Jack. I've always been sensitive as well but with the removal of the self protection/isolation, the suffering of others is more real. Words are escaping me here but I hear what you're saying. I shared the Looking with a friend a few days ago. I am curious about how this will go as I work with this person (his boss).

Back to the suffering of others, it isn't overwhelming. I think my reactions in the past flooded me in an attempt to perpetuate duality, like most of the fear based reactions.

Now I can't hide from it but that's ok because I'm not adding mental fiction to it. But it's raw, like I said. No slick packaging or advertising.

Right! Not predictable. I may eat my words tomorrow! I often have proclamations, certainties, insights, rants, etc. for breakfast.

On an almost daily basis new fresh insights seem to pop into my awareness. The immediate thought following these ah hahs is usually 'this new clarity is due to the looking'. The ah hah about the ah hah. Or something like that. It's more of an understanding than a logical reason. The mind still likes to find reasons.

I think the recovery takes a lot of energy. Some habits that used to motivate are now dead weight and suck up energy until they pass.

I heard John say that thinking about all this is a very natural thing to do. This is helpful after so many years of feeling that thinking was in the bad column. Let the hamster wheel run even if it goes nowhere.

You might notice that people seem to always need something to worry about in the future. Like some kind of reason for this moment to be worthwhile. I didn't become really perceptive to this until someone mentioned it to me and since then I see it all the time and find it very hard to relate to since looking. Other than that, a bit like Jackx, I have always been pretty sensitive to others who are suffering.

My thought today on this is that the looking opens your heart. Of course, these are just words trying to explain the experience and lack any technical scope but so what.

I like this ever expanding feeling of open-heartedness. Very much.