Unlabelled

What to expect

The names come off what you see, then what you hear, then the body. You ask where a sound is and how far away, and leave the question there. You look once for the one doing it all. Then the names go back on, one at a time, on purpose. We first tried this on ourselves, to see how the world looks for a while without its names.

How to listen:

• Sitting or lying down, awake, with your eyes open for the first part.
• Best on headphones. A few plain sounds come from around you, some near and some farther off.
• Seeing without names can feel strange at first. That’s part of it.
• Never while driving.

About

Safety and aftercare. You can stop whenever you want. If things start to feel unreal in a way you don’t like, name a few things around you out loud, and feel your feet on the floor. Before you stand, let every name settle back into place.

Credits. Seeing past the labels the mind puts on things, and looking for who is looking, comes from Michael Singer. Asking where a sound is heard draws on Rupert Spira.

Written by Lee and Lucas + Twins. Voice: Lee.

Transcript

Opening

Keep the eyes open for now.

Take one slow breath in.

Let it out slowly.

Nothing here needs improving.

Stay awake the whole way through.

Part One: Seen without names

Look at whatever is in front of you.

Rest the eyes on one thing.

Notice whether a name comes for it.

If one does, let it go.

Keep looking.

See its colour.

Its edges.

The light on it.

Any shadow near it.

When a name comes back, let it go.

Now let the eyes close.

Look at what is behind the lids.

Whatever shows there, leave it unnamed.

Part Two: Heard without names

Turn to the sounds.

If a name comes for it, let it go.

Keep the sound itself.

Let that one’s name go, too.

Hear how loud it is.

Its pitch.

The texture of it.

Leave that one unnamed.

Part Three: How far

Now ask where a sound is.

How far away is it?

Where exactly is it?

And where is it heard?

That one, how far?

Ask, and leave the answer.

Part Four: The body without names

Now come to the body.

If a picture of it comes, let it go.

Feel what is there instead.

Find one place in the body you can feel.

If a word comes for it, let it go.

No need to change it.

Feel its warmth or coolness.

Its weight.

Any movement in it.

How big it is.

Feel the whole body, with no names.

Part Five: The one doing it

Now look, once, for the one doing this.

The one taking the names off.

Stay with what is here, unnamed.

Keep awake through the quiet.

Part Six: The names put back

Feel whatever you are resting on.

Breathe in slowly, once more.

Now put the names back, one at a time.

Name a sound you can hear.

The breath.

This body.

The room.

Then your own name, inwardly.

Let the eyes open.

Name one thing you see.

Each name, put back by choice.

Part Seven: Into what comes next

Move a little, as you like.

Take this looking into what comes next.