Just like the Rainbow Mountains pictured here, there are layers to your consciousness that will stun you into silence.
Your consciousness is the instrument you use to perceive your world. No consciousness, no world
The most direct and effective way of exploring these layers is through self-inquiry.
Simple, but profound questions that open your mind and take you deep into what you’ve taken for granted your whole life.
Over the last 5 years I’ve developed my whole life into a practice of self-inquiry and meditation, supported by my work, family life and other roles I play.
Today I’m sharing a taste of that practice. As a doorway to explore a curiosity that’s emerging in you.
To show what happens when you take a question and wait for a deeper response to emerge, rather than grasping the initial reactions it provokes.
We may as well start with the fundamental one and follow its thread:
Who am I?
⸻ Try it yourself:
Sit for one minute. Let go of any efforts to quiet the mind. Just observe it. Watch your thoughts.
Let the question rise:
“Who is thinking this thought?”
Then listen, not with your ears, but with your whole being. You’re not looking for a label, you’re noticing what’s there before the label.
Become aware of the space that holds your attention. A unity that doesn’t need a name. A peace that cannot be contained. ⸻
What I’ve come to understand:
The “I” that I think I am… is a thought. A sentence. A sound in my mind.
And every time that thought appears, it draws a boundary:
→ Me vs. not-me.
Thought slices the unbreakable whole into fragments. And then asks…. Why do I feel separate?
But “I” as a feeling… a soft ache in my chest, a warm hand on my heart, a breath that dissolves me…
Suddenly there’s no division. No question. Only presence. Whole.
This is the paradox: The self I think I am isn’t real… the self I truly am makes the illusion appear real.
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Don’t believe me. Investigate it. You’ve been listening and believing for too long.
It’s time to face the beauty of reality directly.
This part of the journey can feel lonely. Most will not understand what you’re drawn to and why. What you’re going through and why it matters to you. You may want to give up.
Persist. Don’t give in. It’s right here.
⸻
Who am I?
As a thought, I divide. As a feeling, I unite. I don’t exist. But I cannot be denied.
© 2026 Zaheer Merali.
