Reference: The Discipline of Subject Clearing
Not suppressing anything from yourself is being totally honest with yourself. Follow your attention wherever it goes and do not suppress. Do not avoid something just because it seems shameful or painful. It is the suppression of perceptions, memories, knowledge, visualizations, thinking, etc., that causes all difficulties in life. By not suppressing you establish complete integrity of your perceptions.
Purpose:
To practice not suppressing anything from oneself.
Pre-requisites:
Complete Exercise 7: Experience Fully.
Instructions:
In this exercise you practice not suppressing anything from yourself. You may do this exercise while sipping coffee in a café or strolling along a river. You may even find a place where you can sit comfortably for a while without being disturbed. Then patiently observe the world go by.
Address any medical condition appropriately before starting this exercise. Make sure the body is well-rested, well-fed and free of stimulants. Make sure the environment is safe and free of disturbance.
Observe without suppressing anything. Be totally candid with yourself. If something shameful appears then observe and experience the shame. If something threatening appears then observe and experience the threat. Do not pre-judge and avoid something just because it seems painful. Experience it without suppressing anything. The pain won’t be as bad as you thought.
Allow all thoughts, memories, visualizations, etc., to come up regardless of their nature. If you feel sleepy or blank, then do not suppress it. Simply go through whatever reaction is there.
Expand your span of attention to as wide a context as possible, and let the physical and mental perceptions pour in. Review earlier exercises as needed to ensure that you didn’t suppress anything.
Continue this exercise for at least 20 minutes. You may repeat this exercise as many times as you wish.
End of Exercise:
When you can comfortably look at even your darkest secrets without suppressing anything, then this exercise is passed.
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