The One Who Notices

TL;DR

The One Who Notices — a 17-minute guided meditation, read by Lee

Right now, a voice is speaking and you’re hearing it. All of it is being noticed. So who is doing the noticing? This one settles the body, rests in the space around you, and lets go; then it looks for who is noticing, now, in a plain moment from yesterday, and in one from years ago, and rests there before an easy return. Under it: a slow piano and a long low cello line mirroring each other, with soft binaural tones through the first half. It is the pair of Simply Notice, which turns to what is noticed.

How to listen:

• Sit or lie down somewhere quiet where you won’t be disturbed. Never while driving or walking.
• Headphones help: the music carries soft binaural tones.
• The voice leaves long silences between its lines. They are part of the practice.
• If anything feels like too much, open your eyes, move, and feel what is holding you up.

About

Description. A guided meditation of about 18 minutes that settles the body, rests attention on space, lets go, and then looks for the one who is noticing: now, at a plain moment from yesterday, and at one from years ago. It rests in the noticing and returns to the room.

Before you listen. Sitting or lying down, somewhere you can close your eyes for a while. Not while driving.

Safety and aftercare. You can stop at any point: open your eyes, move, look around the room, and feel what is holding you up. If the breath is not a comfortable place to rest your attention, rest it where your body is supported, or on the sounds around you; the practice is the same. Paying close attention can sometimes bring up fear, old memories or a sense of unreality. That is known, it is not a failing, and it is a reason to stop for now. If you have a history of trauma, dissociation or panic, keep it short, and consider having someone you trust nearby or talking with a professional first. If you feel unsettled afterwards, move, walk, eat something, and talk with someone. The moments it asks for are small and ordinary. If one that comes to mind is heavy, leave it and find another, or open your eyes and stop.

Credits. The descent follows the guided meditations of Dr Joe Dispenza. Looking for who is noticing, now, yesterday and years ago, is after Michael Singer’s question, Same you. Same you. Just looking at something different.; the attending itself, rather than what is attended to, is Jon Kabat-Zinn’s phrase. The words are ours, except the one line that says what the listener is, You’re the one who notices., which is Michael Singer’s.

Written by Lee Brown, with AI assistance (Claude).

Transcript

Opening

Right now, a voice is speaking and you’re hearing it.

The words, the room, the feel of where you’re sitting.

All of it is being noticed.

So who is doing the noticing?

So there’s no answer to reach for a while.

Nothing to figure out just yet.

Make yourself at home.

Close your eyes.

Let one long breath out.

Allow the next breath in.

Notice what is holding you up.

Let it take your weight.

Part One: Space

Notice the space in front.

Space behind you.

The height above you.

Width on either side.

Depth below you.

Let attention spread out wide.

Rest attention in the space.

Part Two: Letting Go

Soften the face.

Unclench the hands.

Drop the shoulders.

Set your plans down.

Loosen any hurry.

Release any effort.

Leave your name aside.

Let go of your edges.

Part Three: Now

Just look, without words or pictures. Now look for who is noticing.

Let busy thoughts be noticed too.

Look for who notices them.

Part Four: Yesterday

Now take this looking to yesterday. Find one plain moment.

Notice it, here, now.

Look for who was noticing then.

Not how you looked. Who was looking.

Leave yesterday where it is.

Look for who is noticing now.

Part Five: Years Ago

Find one plain moment, years ago.

Notice it, here, now.

Look for who was noticing then.

Leave the moment where it is.

Come fully back to now.

Look for who is noticing now.

Is it any different?

Part Six: Rest

Rest in the noticing, here, now.

You’re the one who notices.

Let everything else be.

Just rest, here, now.

Part Seven: Return

Now notice the body again.

Let the room come back.

Move a little, your own way.

Take a fuller breath.

Open your eyes.

Keep noticing, lightly, as you go.