Just One Look Forum Archives

Hi all!

I just bought and started reading "Look at Yourself," and am really excited to get going in this "looking" process because of reading all these success stories and positive reviews about the book and method. I'm still not through the book but would love to be able to get started with this looking before getting to the end. However, I'm a little confused on what "looking at oneself" is. I came across one paragraph in the book where John recommends imagining looking backwards through the back of the eyeballs; is this your practice as well? How long do you do this for daily?

Thank you so much for your guidance!

Circumspice

Dear Circumspice,

The Look at Yourself book was written a long time ago, based on the transcriptions of our 2007 Retreat here in Ojai. At the time, we were still trying different approaches to the act of looking at yourself to see what would be most effective.

Since then, we have developed simple instructions that are very easy to follow. The complete instructions on how to look at yourself are available on our website at:

https://www.justonelook.org/index2.html

Welcome to our forum!

Carla

Thank you, Carla! It sounds like Step 2 only is needed after Step 1 is successfully completed; is that a correct observation? As the description to Step 1 says, this is a tricky thing to do or even know if one did it correctly. Do you have any guidance on this point?

The Complete Instructions are really wonderful. This is a valuable document. Not one wasted word.

You will find a couple of suggested approaches to the act of looking at yourself here:

https://www.justonelook.org/texts/no-more-fear-no-more-anxiety.html

And for an explanation of how Self-Directed Attention is NOT Mindfulness Meditation, read this blog post here:

https://www.justonelook.org/natural/the-difference-between-self-directed-attention-and-mindfulness-meditation/

Thanks again, Carla. I read those articles that you linked in your messages.

Can you or anyone else who may be watching this conversation give a little insight into your experience with looking for that "faint feeling" of being / existing? I've been trying the exercise but am not sure exactly what the feeling should be of or like or even where to look. In the book, it talks about pretending to look backwards into oneself, which would be a hint that the feeling is inside the body and outside of one's perception. However, the book also talks about how everything, the whole world, is "me," which makes me think to look "out there" for that feeling of myself - as in the computer screen, this desk, or anything else in actual perception. Guidance would be greatly appreciated Thank you!

Circumspice,

The book Look at Yourself was meant to be an introduction to our approach and had little to say about the practical methods for accomplishing the looking itself.

So please follow the instructions on our website ( https://www.justonelook.org/index2.html ) and don't look for practical instructions in that book. I really like that book, but it does not have much in terms of practical instruction. So, now that you are here, it's best to ignore it.

As for where to look, try one of the two approaches suggested in No More Fear, No More Anxiety ( https://www.justonelook.org/texts/no-more-fear-no-more-anxiety.html ) These are pointers; they give you a direction to the feel of you, which is inward.

Other than the presence of you, everything else in your mind - thoughts, feelings, emotions, memories, etc. - that's all outward from you.

Another useful tip is to look for the source of attention. Think of your attention as a flashlight whose light shines outwardly. Now, trace that light back to its source.

No one can tell you what it feels like to be you. You have to find yourself for yourself. The good news is that, if you try, you cannot fail, no matter what you think. The act of looking at yourself takes place in the instant your begin trying to do it.

This is, after all, you looking for yourself "”in a manner that cannot fail.

I too worried that I didn't do it right.....but I did. It sounds like you are committed enough that it will happen, as Cala says, you cannot fail.

Bring questions and difficulties to Talk With John on Wednesday nights at 7pm Pacific. This is an online meeting and the instructions for joining are on the website under Events. This is a great, informal way of getting insights into the looking and to the practice of Self Directed Attention.

Everything said here is great advice imo. To add, in talking with John he had said to me that he doesn't like to go into too much detail about his experiences because everyone is a unique individual and will have their own unique experience. He wouldn't want someone to be disappointed if they didn't have a similar experience to what someone else described. It's something I hadn't considered so much before talking with John, but it now makes sense to me. The way I talk about all this now is just to say to trust that your own unique experience will be positive and benefit you in your life.

Circumspice

i am a month or so in just1look.

i also started on 2007 ojai retreat literature found online.

i tried to trace the thought (I) and it was elusive and where I landed was ME.

Like John said it is your intent that will make "you find the real YOU".

satish