Table of Contents
Self-Observation and Self-Remembering
Self-observation and self-remembering are two distinct but interconnected practices in Maurice Nicoll’s work, both crucial for inner development and the expansion of consciousness.
While self-observation is a more continuous and foundational practice that should accompany daily life, self-remembering is a higher-level state that requires a different kind of effort and a certain emotional quality.
Here’s a detailed comparison of the two.
Self-Observation
Self-observation is fundamental to the practice of the Fourth Way. And fundamental to self-observation is to observe negative emotions in ourselves.
Negative emotions are (but are not limited to!): annoyance, criticizing, self-pity, impatience, malice, vengeance, frustration, complaining, feeling offended, irritability, envy, sadness, restlessness, boredom, depression, anger, smugness, indignation, hopelessness, shame, nervousness, melancholy, insecurity, embarrassment, dissatisfaction.
1. Purpose
The primary goal of self-observation is to become aware of one’s own existence and to see the mechanical aspects of one’s behaviour. It’s about getting behind one’s usual self and allowing a ray of light to enter. It is aimed at creating a space in one’s mind to observe the incoming and outgoing impressions. It serves to separate oneself from the automatic reactions of the personality and to understand how the different ‘I’s operate.
2. How It Works
Self-observation involves using an inner sense, called Observing ‘I’, to look inwards at the kind of person one is. It requires noticing one’s thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and actions without judgment or criticism.
3. Focus
Self-observation involves observing one’s centres, how they behave mechanically, and the specific qualities of the different ‘I’s that dominate at different moments. It also includes observing one’s reactions, typical attitudes, and the various forms of internal considering.
4. Uncritical Approach
A key aspect of self-observation is that it must be uncritical. It’s not about analysing or finding causes, but simply about becoming conscious of what is happening within. It is about acknowledging and accepting all sides of oneself.
5. Active Engagement
Self-observation is an active process of consciously directing attention to oneself. It involves a kind of inner spying, observing the heavily guarded fortifications of one’s personality.
6. Relationship to “Knowing”
Nicoll distinguishes self-observation from merely knowing, where one can “know” they are in a negative state, but do not actually “observe” that state.
Self-observation is an active means of change, while knowing is passive and does not lead to change.
7. Initial Step
Self-observation is often described as the first step in the work, and it must precede any attempt at self-remembering.
8. Continuous Practice
Self-observation is intended to accompany ordinary life, and once this accompaniment ceases, one knows instantly that one is asleep.
I have watched people in the work often for many years, who have not yet caught a single flash of the meaning of self-observation—that is, people who still take everything that takes place in them as ‘I’ and say ‘I’ to every mood, every thought, every impulse, every feeling, every sensation, every criticism, every feeling of anger, every negative state, every objection, every dislike, every hate, every dejection, every depression, every whim, every excitement, every doubt, every fear.
To every train of inner talking they say ‘I’, to every negative monologue they say ‘I’, to every suspicion they say ‘I’, to every hurt feeling they say ‘I’, to every form of imagination they say ‘I’, to every movement they make they say ‘I’. To everything that takes place within them they say ‘I’. In such a case the work can only be something listened to externally, something they hear said to them, the words of which they remember, or not, as the case may be.1
Self-Remembering
1. Purpose
Self-remembering aims to achieve a different state of being, a higher level of consciousness where one feels the extraordinariness of one’s existence and wonders who one truly is. It is about drawing into oneself all the scattered elements of consciousness that have become attached to external events.
2. How It Works
Self-remembering requires an emotional quality and an element of acknowledgement of something higher.
It often involves an internal movement, a back-and-forth motion of attention between the inner and outer . It may also be achieved through a complete stopping of thought, or by becoming no one for a moment.
3. Requires “Inner Stop“
Self-remembering requires stopping the chain of automatic associations every day. This can be done through the practice of an ‘inner stop’ – that is, stopping all thoughts and internal movement.
This process must be initiated by a lifting of oneself into total silence and a loss of the ordinary sense of oneself, which can take some time.
4. Focus
Self-remembering involves a relation of consciousness to one’s body and through it to the world as rendered by our senses. It’s about feeling a triple relationship: ‘I,’ the body, and the external world. It can be focused on the feeling that there is something more to life than just what is apparent, or focused on what one dislikes in oneself and seeks to change.
5. Not Contending
Self-remembering is not about contending with inner and outer things, but rather about raising oneself above the usual flow. It is about not identifying with oneself for an instant, as if one is merely acting and has forgotten.
6. Connection to Higher Centres
Self-remembering is closely linked to the idea of something higher than oneself, an element of greater mind. It’s about allowing higher influences to reach you.
7. Different Forms
Nicoll explains that self-remembering takes different forms at different times. There are many ways to remember oneself, and they depend on a feeling that this life on this bad planet is not explicable in terms of itself, that there is something else.
8. Not Continuous
Self-remembering is not something one can do continuously, but only at certain times. However, one can remain a little awake and self-observant all the time.
…if you experience a moment of real consciousness, a moment of self-remembering, you will feel that it is just as if you were insulated from life and that nothing could touch you. And such would be the case if we were always in a state of self-remembering. Our task is to try to imitate higher states of consciousness, so as to attract them.2
Key Differences Summarised
1. Level of Practice
Self-observation is a foundational practice that is always applicable and should accompany daily life. Self-remembering is a higher level state that requires a different kind of effort and is not a constant state but rather an experience that one strives to achieve.
2. Primary Focus
Self-observation is about seeing what one is, while self-remembering is about feeling that one is. Self-observation is geared toward the mechanical aspects of oneself, whereas self-remembering involves seeing and feeling a higher aspect of oneself.
3. Effort
Self-observation is achieved through a conscious effort of watching, while self-remembering involves a conscious emotional effort to separate oneself from what is habitual.
4. Emotional Element
Self-remembering always has a certain emotional quality, which is what puts one into higher parts of centres, and bigger ‘I’s.
5. Relationship to Each Other
Self-observation is a necessary step towards self-remembering. Self-observation provides the raw data, while self-remembering is a way of acting on that data to achieve a new state of being.
In essence, self-observation is about creating a space to see oneself as one is, while self-remembering is about raising oneself to a new level of being by connecting with something higher.
Self-observation is the ‘what’ and self-remembering is the ‘that’. Both practices are essential for inner transformation and moving beyond the limitations of one’s mechanical personality.