Overview & Traditional Lineage
Not This, Not This (Neti Neti) is a classical meditation rooted in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. Setting aside everything you can observe, on the grounds that whatever is observing cannot be the thing observed. The most demanding practice here.
Primary Goals: Perspective, Stress. Themes: Identity, Inquiry, Self-Criticism.
Full Guided Practice Script & Cue Timeline
| Timestamp | Spoken Cue / Instruction | Pause |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00 | Sit upright. This one is more like thinking than like resting. | 18s |
| 0:25 | Notice your hands. You can feel them, so they are something you are aware of. | 28s |
| 1:02 | Whatever is aware of your hands cannot be your hands. Set the hands aside. Not this. | 32s |
| 1:45 | Notice the breath. You can observe it. So it too is being observed. Not this. | 32s |
| 2:26 | Notice a sound. Observed, therefore not the observer. Not this. | 30s |
| 3:02 | Notice a thought. You saw it arrive. Not this either. | 35s |
| 3:44 | Notice a feeling, and the same is true of it. Not this. | 35s |
| 4:26 | Now look for the one doing the noticing. You will not find it as an object, because it is not one. | 50s |
| 5:29 | Rest in not finding. That is not a failure of the method. It is the method. | 90s |
| 7:10 | Come back gently. Pick the hands back up. | 30s |
Contraindications & Guidance
- Inquiry into the sense of self can be destabilising if you are already feeling unreal or detached. Use a grounding practice instead on those days.
