NOTE: Throughout this e-book, you will see the word “God” used. I do this for the sake of simplicity. The label “God” is succinct and universally recognized. The drawback is that not everyone relates to it. Further, some people even have a “negative” connotation with the word “God”. As a result, please substitute “God” throughout the text for ANY term you prefer. For example, here are a few options: the Source, Consciousness, the Universe, Higher-Self, Infinite Being, Love, Soul, Source Energy, Spirit, Supreme Being, the Creator, the Almighty, Father-Mother God, Light, Truth, Divine Being, Christ, Holy Spirit, Mind, etc. Chapter 4 – Testimonials It’s often beneficial to read about the actual experiences of others. Reading the accounts of people who have had the experience can provide insight and inspiration. As a result, I have included a few Testimonials below. The first one is my own experience of noself. My Testimonial 1) How did it "hit" you? In other words, what triggered the experience (i.e. What were you reading, thinking, etc.)? “I was in bed one night and I was deeply contemplating the concept of ‘There is no me’. I was even saying it over and over again to myself in a relaxed state of mind. Earlier that day, I had also read an online book (Butterflies are Free to Fly by Stephen Davis) that made me start to question everything.” 2) Tell me what happened in detail. What did you experience? “All of a sudden I became completely ‘hollowed out’ and I expanded out to include everything and everyone. It was as if “I” was everything and, at the same time, “I” was the only thing. Very strange occurrence. Very hard to describe. I ‘expanded out’ and I found ‘myself’ in complete darkness. It was a bit disconcerting.” “Then, in my mind’s eye, in bright, white, luminescent letters, came the words, “I AM”. My mind thought, “What’s going on?” Again, in my mind’s eye, in bright, white, luminescent letters, came the words “I AM”. That was it for me – complete peace and calm followed.” “I then felt ‘myself’ back in my body, but I still felt ‘hollowed out’. That’s the best way I can describe it, it just felt empty. I was in a daze for a couple of days when I started to notice that the ‘hollowed out’ feeling was being filled up with Love. And, it continues to grow stronger.” 3) What insight did you gain from this? “I realized through this experience that this loving “I AM” is both the darkness and the Light. It is everyone, everything, and all the space in between. It is the Alpha and the Omega. After the experience, I could feel a ‘holy presence’ within, and around, me. The more I focus on it, the more aware of it I become. It feels like it’s ‘getting stronger’ in me.” “The weird thing is: I deeply love this presence, and at the same time, I know this presence is my true Self. There is no other ‘me’. I also know that this presence is everyone. So, when I look at others, I focus on their Inner Being rather than their outer, false ego-selves. When I do this, it’s hard not to feel deep Love for everyone and everything. It’s hard to explain, but I guess I see the “I AM” everywhere “I AM” goes.” “I keep using “I” throughout this commentary and it doesn’t feel right. However, I don’t know how else to relate the experience to others. Language is very limiting in context with the No-Self experience.” “This experience changes you. You don’t look at people in the same way. You know the ego is just an illusion so it becomes very difficult to relate to people on an ‘outer level’. It’s like being an alien on a strange planet. An adjustment period is something I am definitely going through. Another thing I’ve noticed is that this ‘holy presence’ guides you and gives you access to an awareness (or knowledge) that you did not have before. This has changed my life forever.” Testimonial (Submitted by Ken) "It really is so simple, yet hard to put into words. Words don't work. And thanks, really thanks. You really taught me something important." 1) How did it "hit" you? In other words, what triggered the experience (i.e. What were you reading, thinking, etc.)? ”As I began to read [Chapter 2], I slowly felt it hit me. It kind of came on slow, but it really got me near the end of reading. I felt like this for the rest of the night and also the next morning when I went to school. Seeing so many people was a little overwhelming after having this experience, but I was okay.” 2) Tell me what happened in detail. What did you experience? ”Well, in the weeks before I found your webpage, I was researching DMT on Google and YouTube. I found an article talking about Jim Carrey and his spiritual experience. This was the day before I found the webpage. The next day I searched Jim Carrey's video on YouTube. There was a link to the No-Self.com website in a comment on the video. I proceeded to the site and I began to read.” “At first I was pretty confused, especially when I got to the part with the questions. I pondered them for a good 15-20 minutes, but I couldn't really grasp anything. The whole time I was reading I felt a little uneasy, maybe even a little scared. It wasn't until I got to the math equations when it hit me: it was so simple. At this point my body was tingly all over, and my heart began to race.” ”I had been trying to find a way to look past my ego, and I finally had found it. I felt great. I felt a release. I was so astonished by what had happened. I was one with everything. I felt a change in my actual vision; I actually saw things differently.” “I kept thinking about this experience all night, and the feeling continued also. It was very hard to sleep. Every time I would come close to falling asleep, and I was consciously aware of falling asleep, I would immediately wake up and feel extremely nauseous. The nausea only lasted for that split second though.” “I was very confused, but I was fine, calm. My room looked so different. At this time I felt...kind of like a pulsation I guess in the middle of my brain. I truly thought I was going to have some kind of spiritual vision if I fell asleep. I'm not really sure if I slept that night, but I didn't exactly feel tired the next day...just kind of in a daze.” ”I felt really strange when I got to school. Being in the hallway with so many other people sort of overwhelmed me at first. Everything was just so....so different. When I walk through the hallways now, I see all the way down, over everyone's head....this is the best way I can describe it. I used to just see the little area around myself, but my vision is now expanded.” “The rest of my school day was great. I felt really good, really free. All day today I've felt very light, like I've been lifted or something. My body feels very relaxed and my mind is at peace.” 3) What insight did you gain from this? ”I see now the illusion of ego. I feel I've lost the capacity to hate people; I just can't after having this experience. How can I hate another person if we are all part of something grand, something small......even nothing, but still everything? This might sound weird, but it's hard to put this idea into words, they don't exactly work.” “I want to pass this experience on to others and I truly believe this site is a great start. I mean, it helped me....” “We must see that we are all part of the same thing. I'm truly thankful, from the bottom of my being, for what you have taught me. It is so beautiful and simple. Please continue to reach as many people as you can, and I will too. Again, thank you, I hope we will meet in another place. Love to you brother.” Testimonial (Submitted by Rich) "The experience of no-self occurred yesterday. Today it went deeper to a complete release of all thinking as being "me". I am free. Jim [Carrey] echoes the experience of it very well." 1) How did it "hit" you? In other words, what triggered the experience (i.e. What were you reading, thinking, etc.)? ”It didn't ‘hit’. It was more like a slow release or an untying of a knot. It continued all day yesterday. It started to open in this mind when on your page, reading slowly (as instructed) the part where you asked to ponder for 15 minutes.” “There’s the part about, ‘If your Consciousness IS "YOU", why did it create another "YOU" to be Consciousness also?’ All of these questions and the pondering thereof, triggered it.” 2) Tell me what happened in detail. What did you experience? ”That day began as usual with reviewing emails. One of the emails contained a link to NoSelf.com. Typed in the web address. Looked at the screen and saw black. Began reading, slowly, looking for complete understanding. It was at this point that an increase in heart rate and increased loudness of heartbeat were noticed.” ”As the awakening began, there was a relaxation of muscles and tendons of the right knee. Like a knot slowly releasing. This release continued to where it felt like the whole body was experiencing it. It was quite subtle though.” “It was very noticeable within the brain (release or undoing of a knot). Did have to close eyes to fully grasp what was happening and things felt a little other (no words to really express what it was in the mind). It also felt a little frightening and a comparison of looking over the edge of a very tall building would be a great metaphor. A sense of lightness of being became apparent.” ”It is easy to understand, harder to experience and even harder to explain. Language is inadequate for this. Maybe a painting could express it....sometimes it feels like a light is shining on a truth or reality that was always there, but not looked at.....or something has been turned over and uncovered and once discovered can never be covered again....sometimes it just feels like being startled.” ”The rest of that day felt like there was a very heightened awareness in the mind. It continued yesterday with a huge realization as my body passed by a mirror and the realization of no-self unlocked. That is how it felt; like a lock was released...liberation has been won.” 3) What insight did you gain from this? ”The thoughts and emotions that occur within this mind are illusion. They are not me. It is ego that makes us believe it and ego is illusion. It's right there in front of all of us, yet we don't see, or refuse to see. It is a tiny thing. It is a huge thing. It is everything and ultimately nothing. It is something to let us see our true situation and then to be let go.” “THANK YOU. My life will never be the same. Thank you for clarifying it and distilling it. It's all that was needed to crack open the realization and when looked at, it is there always.....shining. Free.” Testimonial (Submitted by Yann) "I am French and my English is not perfect. Thank you." 1) How did it "hit" you? In other words, what triggered the experience (i.e. what were you reading, thinking, etc.)? ”There Is No ‘YOU’; read this several times with a working internal observation of what is happening in my head.” 2) Tell me what happened in detail. What did you experience? ”My experience started with the creation of a new observer in my head. I realized that all my thoughts were not me. Then, I was in the center of a tree trunk. I saw nothing around. I was like a cell, but I knew there were lots of things around me. I could not see them, but I could feel their presence.” ”I felt the greatest thing in my life. I was everything and everything was me. At the same time I felt a peace eternal, as if nothing mattered. It is hard to explain, but you feel good in this state.” “At the same time, I saw nothing; I was the cell in the tree. It's a really strange feeling, I also felt like it was Christmas every day. We were going to have a big gift. A gift so huge we could not see. Then, in my head, came a thought. I am. I wanted to know more, but this feeling was gone.” ”The experience of being everything is incredible. And we all know too. But this is not knowledge that we can share or that you can understand. We know - that's all. Why share knowledge if we are all one thing?” “We are God, which raises the question: Who am I? And he built all these people to answer this question. Who am I? Who do I want to be? That is the primary occupation of God. We are God. It's unbelievable. It hides itself, what it is to grow. What I felt was not the state of a single soul but of a God that I was; who regained consciousness from what it was in full.” 3) What insight did you gain from this? ”Experience increases awareness of everything. If someone asks me, ‘Are you in favor of the death penalty?’ I can not give an opinion because now I'm between yes and no.” “I became aware of my every thought and I can analyze those thoughts. Sometimes I laugh at my thoughts. I became aware that this is the 5th time that my mind tells me the same thing. I tell my mind to shut up. It can take us for fools. But who is the crazier of the two? One who identifies with his thoughts or one who is aware of his thoughts and analyzes each decision to be made. It’s not needed to give the best answer, but to know why I chose it.” ”I know now that I am immortal. I am not a form. If I die tomorrow, it does not matter. I am everybody and everything. I could give my life for a foreign person. That's what I feel deep within me. I would like to understand more of what we are, but I think what this website offers is the maximum that can be achieved on earth.” For more Testimonials, go to: http://www.no-self.com/Testimonials.html e-Book Testimonials The following provides two additional Testimonials that occurred while reading other Chapters of the e-Book (other than Chapter 2 – Triggering the Experience). Testimonial “This morning I had the deepest and most beautiful experience of my life. I was reading [Chapter 16] again. This time, it truly sunk in past my ego-self. I began to cry and to feel ALL that it meant to BE GOD. To have Unconditional Love for the ALL. I was blown away. Stepping into the shoes of Creator.” “In a strange way to know that you ARE ALL THAT IS...ALL CREATION is humbling. So, I want to thank you brother for helping me to step into the Truth. What a gift. I am infinitely grateful. There is something that you share that takes away the fear in this process.” “Much Love, Light and deep Appreciation,” -Jayde Testimonial “Well, basically I tried the whole "No-Self experience" [Chapter 2] and was saying to myself.."well..it DOES make sense" however I got done with the whole experience part and nothing really changed or happened..but something told me to keep looking for something, just wait. (now..if you know me, I am not the biggest reader) LOL.” “So then I went to the 'More Info' section and downloaded the e-Book, and I got to a certain point and it was like BOOOOOM.. I want to say it was where it was talking about looking at life like...you are here for God to experience life through you and once you let go of the "ego-self", you can let in the "God-Self" [Chapter 6].” “That's when I felt an energy..an amazing energy. 30 or so minutes before everything really happened my head started tingling ..more than usual. Then it stopped for a little. Then it almost felt like a wave of absolute positivity and the purest love went all through me. I could not stop smiling! (and I rarely smile...especially when it's just me in my room, lol).” “I was doing a lot of reading and thinking about it all and understanding it...it was like looking at everything through glass just imagining what it felt like. The feeling I had was amazing, it is actually hard to describe the actual FEELING, aside from it was something I had never felt before!” “I woke up today with a huge smile on my face and could see God is everyone and everything!” “I told my friend's mother..who is like my second mother (a yoga teacher / very awake) and she told me that I had a spiritual awakening, so I can now say I am awake. ALSO, I wrote this really fast because I was excited to tell you! My grammar is usually much better, HAHA.” “Peace and Love ! =)” -Avaire Copyright © 3/1/2011 www.NO-SELF.com All rights reserved. [The information in this e-Book was freely received. It is therefore freely given. The copyright remains in place to prevent this material from being sold.]