I was wondering about doing a practice that the expected results are already known. We can take the exercise 26 on the book Time Space and Knowledge, for example. The comments and the unfolding of the exercise are known by the practitioner.
It is tricky because the practitioner can “direct†the results or “manipulate†the practice in order to get the results or reach the state of mind described in the book. The question is: did the practitioner really did the practice? Did the practitioner embodied the practice or did he/she transformed it in a mental exercise?
The book presents a vision unfolding from appearances in sequence pointed by the self, deepening to read-outs independent of each other, and eventually meaningless wholeness/openness.
How the practitioner knows that he/she reached this third level of knowingness? If he/she says, “now I knowâ€, it is the “self†describing the experience and then he/she is out. It was just a flash then. Just first level experience.
It is necessary to transcend meanings to go the third level. How does the practitioner know that meanings were transcended if our ordinary way of knowing is through meanings?
Great knowledge in the third level knows everything as being open. It is difficult to reach a point of real openness. How the practitioner knows he/she is not repressing thoughts? How the practitioner knows that the body is relaxed? How does he/she know that he /she is really open?
When all tendency to be manipulated by meanings and goals has died away, real balance can then shine through. TSK 206
Does real balance really shone through in our practice?