Witness-Consciousness and outside of meditation

[salamander]

Hi Guys,

In my meditation it is often the case that I am no longer identified with my thoughts. "I" am watching my thoughts but I am not those thoughts anymore. I call that witness-consciousness.

Is it possible that this witness-consciousness can manifets itself 24 hours seven days a week? In essense: Is it possible to develop that witness-consciousness to such a degree that it never fades away when one is practising meditation on a regular basis?

[Dharmic Tui]

I guess it's possible but unlikely, especially living a non monastic life. Too many distractions.

[Goofaholix]

That's what you should be working towards.  In daily life awareness of what is going on can lag or drop away, notice the quality of the awareness as it fluctuates, give importance to that and it will improve over time.

[Just A Simple Guy]

I don't think 24x7 awareness of that nature is a reasonable expectation, however there is certainly a degree of carryover from practice to everyday life.

What I do outside of practice is apply mindfulness to everyday tasks as often as it comes to my attention. Mindfulness of walking, eating, cleaning, driving, whatever. This compliments my formal practices and cultivates/reinforces mindfulness outside practice.

[Matthew]

Hi salamander,

The kind of awareness you are speaking of sounds like what is sometimes called "the watcher", it's a transitional stage of practice and my experience is in agreement with Goofaholix:

That's what you should be working towards.  In daily life awareness of what is going on can lag or drop away, notice the quality of the awareness as it fluctuates, give importance to that and it will improve over time.

Kindly,

Matthew

[Dharmic Tui]

I don't think 24x7 awareness of that nature is a reasonable expectation, however there is certainly a degree of carryover from practice to everyday life.

Yep, I can't see how a layman's life could escape the tendency to get mentally lost having to plan or contemplate things. That said I can identify that over time, with practice one is able to maintain a greater sense of attention on what is at hand and be more mindful of how they are acting in general.

[salamander]

Does the buddhist philosophy acknowledge the witness consciousness? I mean is it written down in a sutta?

As I searched the internet I get the idea that the witness-consciousness come fron the hinduism and not buddhism.

Any thoughts?

[Quardamon]

Just one little thought: In Buddhism, the mind is seen as a sense organ, just as the ears end the eyes. I am not sure whether I understand that bit. Although at times, I can wonder where a thought or mood is coming from. So I compare the thought or the mood to a sound, that is coming from something or someone.

[TheJourney]

Treat the condition with attitude of impermanence.

Progress is non-linear. What you are observing is progress, but remember to not get caught up with progress.

Don't try to figure out if this is going to be 24/7.

You are doing good. Stay the path with no anticipation or expectation.

Ego or Mara is tricky.

Be on the journey without a destination in mind.

[Goofaholix]

Does the buddhist philosophy acknowledge the witness consciousness? I mean is it written down in a sutta?

As I searched the internet I get the idea that the witness-consciousness come fron the hinduism and not buddhism.

Any thoughts?

Buddhism talks in terms of the 5 aggregates, these are mental processes.  See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skandha

I think the witness-consciousness concept you refer to is quite different, is it?

[Matthew]

Does the buddhist philosophy acknowledge the witness consciousness? I mean is it written down in a sutta?
...
Any thoughts?

In the Tibetan tradition it is known as "the Watcher", Chogyam Trungpa makes reference to it in the chapter "The Bardo of Meditation" from the book "Transcending Madness" as here:

Next, impulse also begins to develop—into perception. You try to perceive the result of your impulsive actions. A kind of self-conscious watcher develops, as the overseer of the whole game of ego.