This is my humble attempt to describe the mechanism of experiencing 'I am that.'
situation type | mental process | meaning | belief organization |
---|---|---|---|
A. (I am not that.) Reading a book (in which events refer to the characters within the story) | while reading, extra effort is spent in separating your experience from the story characters' experiences | the meaning of what happens is applied to the story | social convention > personal exploration |
B. (I am that.) Overhearing someone else's conversation (in which the messages can be interpreted to refer to me, even though the speakers don't intend this) | real-time reflection and acceptance | the personal nature of the meaning or instruction is surprising | personal exploration > social convention |
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