Guidance is usually needed.

With guidance, it is seen that in fact we are not responsible for our thoughts and memories. Thoughts and memories are spontaneous. They are not under our control, and it is seen that there is no-one to control them.

We believe that ‘we think’. It’s a culturally normal belief to have and our experience supports this idea, and what’s more we are supposed to think this. But, on close inspection it is noticed that thoughts appear spontaneously, even when we don’t want them to. Thoughts are so interesting that we immediately ‘jump’ onto them and become absorbed by the entertainment – it’s fun – yes even the horror of that some provide. A series of thoughts appear and we’re off with the fairies!

It’s only after awareness becomes identified with an object that the experience becomes personal. The feeling of ‘personal’ supports the idea that there is a separate entity ‘who’ thinks and acts. Identity leads to ‘personal’ which supports identity, and a cycle is set up. All life’s experiences get added to this belief in the personal – the belief in the separate ‘me’. For most people the idea of looking into this phenomenon never occurs but for a few seekers the search begins.

The long term, or serious seeker, who comes into contact with Advaita is, in my opinion, blessed. Advaita is the beginning of the end. Advaita systematically points out the false beliefs and leads the seeker to identify the self.

You are, before thoughts.

The mind creates a lot of ideas of what realization is. It is the job of the mind to seek solutions to problems. In everyday life mind is well suited to problem solving and a very useful tool. It works non-stop seeking solutions to perceived problems. When it comes to realization, however, it is the wrong tool for the job because the mind is yet another object in awareness and witnessed by subjectivity.

Notice the times in the day when there are no thoughts happening and become more attuned with those times - more familier with them. As you become used to the mental silence, notice that you don't disappear, you don't cease to exist, you are still there - that it just means there are no thoughts. In those moments you still ARE, you are the awareness that watches the thoughts, you are awareness. Your identity is not dependant on thoughts.