The first step towards direct experience is to understand that we have the capacity to watch activities of the mind. Watching means that we observe our mental structures like thoughts, emotions, scientific theories, cultural, social and religious prejudices, opinions and so on as clearly as we can observe our body. By constantly watching the mind we start taking a distance from it, we don t identify with it anymore. Mind becomes like our hand, we use it when we need it and when not, it is resting. Whilst watching the mind we start building a direct connection to our perception, as we have glimpses of direct experience.
Mind creates distortion between perception and experience.
The more we are identified with rigid ideas, thicker is the mind and greater is the distortion. Mental health depends on the thickness of the mind. All kinds of nationalism and religious fundamentalism are creating such mental distortion that contact with consciousness is lost. Watching the mind is a safe method to dive into the individual and collective unconscious and clean it of rigid mental structures that prevent us from entering into contact with our consciousness. Watching is the function of consciousness.