Nicole's Summary

This first week of working with the working hypothesis was...interesting. In an attempt to communicate the experience, many pictures and metaphors come to mind.

The first is that of a rubber band, with one end around a left hand finger, the other end around the right. The band starts out at rest (?) and then without warning, every so often begins to move (be pulled?) away from the left. When the left and right are close, no tension exists within the band or within me/Me/my Mind/my Body. Then without warning or awareness, I see/feel that tenseness of the right being far from the left. Within the tenseness is a feeling of being caught in a swirling tornado/storm of thoughts. When aware of this storm - I suddenly am outside of it. I have reflected in my morning meditation how all thoughts are essentially equal and important - how next semester's classes will be, how happy or unhappy my sister is, the plot of the trashy novel I'm reading - essentially NONE of these thoughts are important, yet I attach meaning and significance to some and spend more time with them - unnecessarily keeping myself in the Storm.

The second image that comes to mind is that of an expanding and contracting mass, a ball of fire or something, that pulses and throbs, yet in this state, it is not clear which end is lightness and which is heaviness, yet both feelings are there.

Overall, what has the effect of my daily meditations and relaxed attempts at observation been? I'm not sure, or it's unclear if any significant changes have occurred. On the practical side, it has been getting easier and lighter to do my morning meditation and a few significant thoughts or personal insights have occurred: Attachment to non-attachment. Having pre-determined expectations of an outcome can lead to the exact opposite of those expectations occurring. The focus therefore - right now - is to ease myself into this gently. To Stop Trying so hard and simply allow things to unfold and materialize effortlessly within and around me.