Is there a difference between knowing the thought and seeing the thought?

[Tine]

This a question I got asked, and I'd like to open it up to the whole community to gather more ideas.
What's you take on this?

My idea would be that there is a subtle yet profound difference.
You know - inside your head. When you see your thoughts, there's a distance between the one who sees and what is seen.
To me, it emphasizes the experience that you are not your thoughts when seeing them.

Here's the take of the 12-year-old Emma I asked about it over breakfast:
Thoughts you know are logic, like knowing an answer to a math problem. Thoughts you see are fantasy and memories.

[Li****]

Interesting question! I never thought of it before, but I like Emma's reply ?

[um****]

4 hours ago, Lizzie said:

Interesting question! I never thought of it before, but I like Emma's reply ?

Very well explained. So , I have understood it theoretically. “ We are not your thoughts “ .  Experience and the experiencer. But how do we bring it practically. I am in my week 5 ofMBSR. Will it take lot of practice? Best regards...Uma  

[cr****]

hey.. must say very interesting question. 

i would say huge difference in knowing the thought and seeing the thought. they differ in depth.. frequency...and ratioi.  the journey of thought from known to be seen is very importnat. when we try to reflect our thoughts into action ..its then when we start seeing them. before that they can be at different levels of depth and are known to our mind and subconscious mind.

[Candy]

That's an interesting question... and I have no idea how to answer it, except scratch my head in puzzlement haha

[Te****]

wow.... love it, never thought about it, the thought we know and the thought we see.

And seeing this line "there's a distance between the one who sees and what is seen" awaken me to study myself where I'm most of the time.

 

[Mo****]

When you detach a part of your self to give it role of spectator, initially it emerges as a thought only. But yes Seeing can assist to have sound sleep if one is struggling with rush of thoughts inside.
On the other hand in order to spread that calm and awareness in your being one has to keep on seeing the thought in isolation and in connection with others. This way when we are able to identify the root, the possibility and the journey of the thought at the same time, that state is the state of knowing.
So, we can say that seeing is a practice and knowing is the outcome.
But keep it as a note that Seeing is not Analyzing.

[Tine]

On 4/30/2020 at 3:05 PM, umanair said:

Very well explained. So , I have understood it theoretically. “ We are not your thoughts “ .  Experience and the experiencer. But how do we bring it practically. I am in my week 5 ofMBSR. Will it take lot of practice? Best regards...Uma  

Thank you, @umanair for yet another profound question. (Uma initiated this topic to start with)

 

I can only speak for myself and my current level of understanding and living (with changing "success") "I am not my thoughts":

 

I thought I have to me is far more true. Or at least the thought when had still seems to be a part of me. A profound truth that isn't questioned or investigated on. The thought when had claims truth.

Once the thought is had and I manage to bring it in front of me - to see it as such I see that the thought is real. It has always been real, but that doesn't necessarily make it true. Seeing the thought gives me the chance to examine it's truth and to choose my response.

[wa****]

I would tend to associate this "knowing" with the 'I' or self being involved; like having a thought that I know the thought is going on or had gone past. Seeing would be more of a light that shines onto this thought process, which surfaced the thought through a pure awareness. Shining a light casts a shadow, hence the awareness is immediate without thinking and yet able to see the shadow. When there is no object (e.g. thoughts), there will be no shadow.

I'm having fun here.. ?

[Cl****]

Hello, friends,
I want to share something with you.
Some information that has been hidden from you.
Well, to be upfront and honest with you, it was taken away from you.
You already had it.
When you were born, you already had what you needed to live a wonderful life.
More specifically, you had no limitations.
But based on your upbringing, and the environment, you developed limiting beliefs from the people you were surrounded by.
Who is to blame?
Well I guess you could blame them, but they probably don't even know that they have limiting beliefs that were passed down to them also.
Fact of the matter is that SOMEONE started this mess that you're in.
Generation after generation, the baton has been passed.
Now it is in your hands.
But you must let it go because it is a lie that needs to be replaced with the truth.
The truth to who you REALLY are.
And here's how?

https://bit.ly/3g1HD9U

I believe that I will be useful ???

[Pe****]

Hello all, this is my point of view on this.
When you have the sensation in your mind of knowing something, you feel awareness; you are aware. For example: when you hear music, you are aware of the music. To explain further, you are awareness. So you are the music.
If you reflect on the music, like "This is music" or "This music is good", you are thinking. But if you hear the music without reflecting, you are not thinking.

 

Cheers,
Per