doing self inquiry mechnichally (real problem, not some BS)

[Alien]

@Leo Gura i have now a habbit of meditation. im now planning to install a habit of self inquiry but every time i do it , i always seem to ask these mechanical questions like "what am i really?" and all these other things . but it just doesnt do something for me. i felt my awareness rising in the last months when meditating and concentrating on my breathing and managed to make 20 minute sessions of meditation. i started with 5 min and its becoming more effortless to sit and to not interact with my thoughts even if im thinking just plain BS. but my problemn is with the self inquiry as i said. i just cant seem to get something going, to challenge the idea of a "me". 

please give me a tip for this one (and btw no psychedelics NOW for me. im 17, in germany and doing a work training at the state attorney , so no buying drugs for me YET)

[Max_V]

@Alien I have these sessions too, where these questions are being asked mechanically. It can be really frustrating sometimes.

So what's important to do is first get in touch with this feeling of self you have. Where does I reside? What is actually 'you' in your direct experience?

Then when you have this feeling- or thought, label, etc--  start inquiring and asking questions. Are you really me? Am I only a mental image? Am I only a sensation? Go on like this. Keep focus on this 'I' feeling and bring yourself back every time you go into monkey-mind.

Watch Leo's video on how to get enlightened if you haven't already, it helped me a ton with this issue. 

 

[Alien]

@Max_V i will do that , look on my profile. theres a post labled "self inquiry panic" that was a first expirience where i "catched" the ego lets say

[Viking]

@Alien I went on a single day meditation retreat and that problem of "mechanism" was completely gone. this process is not supposed to be done intellectually, but intuitively! that's why in zen they give koans to participants to tire the intellectual mind and use the intuitive mind. long sessions of meditation help immensely with this. you become so intuitive and answers just flow to you.

[Joseph Maynor]

Use the Socratic Method.  This is where you take nothing for granted.

E.g.

What is the Socratic method?  What is a Method?  What is Socratic?  What does it mean to take nothing for granted?  What does it mean to mean?  What is a question?  What is truth?  What is a belief?

Edited December 25, 2017 by Joseph Maynor

[Alien]

@Joseph Maynor sounds interesting, and quite effective ?. Will do, thanx