Experience of the Self Possible?

1 month ago By Yogi Anoop

The Philosophy of Self-experience: The Experience of the Self is Possible!

Question: Gurudev, you say that “that which is being experienced is not me”—can we understand this sentence from the perspective of negation?

Yogi Anoop: Yes, absolutely. This sentence indeed indicates a very subtle and philosophical method to know the nature of the Self, which is known as the path of negation—that is, neti-neti (“not this, not that”).

When we say, “I am not that,” it is the beginning of a deep inner investigation.

For example—when you eat food, it means you are separate from the food, even from the taste or qualities of the food, because you are the experiencer of the taste.

But do not stop here—through what means are you experiencing the taste? Through the senses, that is, through the tongue.

So here it is also established that you are not even those senses, that is, not even the tongue, because you are experiencing through the tongue.

In this way, whatever you can experience—be it an object, a sense, a thought, or emotions—you are distinct from them.

This is neti-neti: “Not this, not that.”

Question: But when I speak of Self-experience, what does it mean? Because it implies the experience of one’s own Self, that is, the Self is experiencing the Self. So does the Self also become the object here?

Yogi Anoop: This is a very subtle question, and its answer takes us to a deeper level.

When someone says, “to experience the Self,” we must understand—can the Self itself become an object of perception?

The answer is: No. Any seer can only experience an object. The one who eats can only experience the taste of the food. If there is no food in front of him, how will he experience its taste?

So, it is evident that for the experiencer, the presence of an object or subject of experience is necessary. If one says he is experiencing himself, it does not mean that he has become an object to himself. It merely means that he experiences himself through the medium of the object.

Here, the object is only a medium, but its importance at that time is negligible.

Just as while eating, the eater experiences the food. While experiencing the food deeply, he enters into peace, satisfaction, and stillness.

This very peace, satisfaction, and stillness that he experiences—that is the experiencer.

Now, without the food and its taste, how can the one tasting experience himself?

Another beautiful example of this is—the mirror. When a man looks into a mirror, he sees the reflection of his own form, not the mirror.

Note that while looking at the reflection, he is not aware that he is looking at the reflection—he experiences that he is looking at himself.

It is also true that without the mirror he cannot see himself, but while seeing, his attention is neither on the mirror nor on the reflection in it—he is centered only on himself.

Even while seeing the reflection, he is experiencing himself. On this very basis, the realized Guru says, “I experience myself.”

Question: Then would it be proper to say that for Self-knowledge and Self-experience, some medium or object is required?

Yogi Anoop: This fact seems entirely valid in the state of duality.

As long as we wish to know the Self in the language of “experience,” then some medium—some object—seems necessary.

This duality transforms into non-duality when the one looking into the mirror neither sees the mirror nor the reflection in the mirror, but through all of these, experiences only himself.

This experience of the Self separates him from the reflection and the mirror. He becomes centered only on himself.

Question: So can Self-realization happen without any experience?

Yogi Anoop: This question itself clarifies the distinction between experience and realization.

Experience is always associated with some other object or perception—a sight, an emotion, a thought.

But realization—it is merely the awareness of one’s own being, not the awareness of any object. The work of object-perception belongs to science, but the awareness of the Self belongs to spirituality and philosophy.

When the term Self-realization is used, there is no object there, no action—only a complete state of being.

It is like this: when one looks into the mirror and sees the reflection, even then there is no awareness that “this is a reflection.”

In that state, you cannot say “I am seeing this,” nor “I am experiencing this”—you simply are.

Therefore, the experience of the Self may begin through experience, but its completion is at the end of experience.

When all objects fall away, when every thought becomes silent, then what remains—that alone is the realization of the Self.

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