Welcome to The Dog Teachings Podcast, where we explore profound and practical teachings that offer a clear and accelerated path to higher consciousness.

I’m Gary Eggleton, and today, we take a step beyond self-observation—into something far deeper.

You may already be familiar with the practice of self-observation—watching your thoughts, emotions, and reactions without identification. It is the foundation of inner work, the key to understanding yourself mechanically. But there is another level beyond this, one that reveals something even more profound:

Observing self-observation.

Noticing the process of noticing.
Becoming aware of awareness itself.

This shift moves attention from watching thoughts and reactions to watching who is watching.
From observing emotions to observing the observer.
From being aware of objects… to being aware of the subject itself.

And once you see this—you cannot unsee it.

Gurdjieff called this self-remembering, the moment where awareness turns back onto itself, creating a unified state of being. Russell described it as the shift that breaks the illusion of separation, revealing that we are not our thoughts, our emotions, or our fragmented identities.

Today, we explore this shift—what it means, why it is transformational, and how to experience it directly.

In this episode, we will uncover:
🔹 The evolution of awareness—from self-observation to self-remembering.
🔹 Why observing self-observation is the key to dissolving identification.
🔹 How turning awareness onto itself breaks the illusion of the separate self.
🔹 And how this practice leads to true inner stillness, clarity, and permanent presence.

Because when awareness sees itself—
All mechanical reactions stop.
The shifting "I"s dissolve.
And what remains is something entirely different:
A presence that is stable, sovereign, and free.

Let’s begin.

2.  The Fourth Way & The Evolution of Awareness

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Self-observation is where the Work begins.

It’s the moment you step outside yourself and see the machine in motion—
Noticing how you speak, how you react, how emotions arise and take over.

And at first, this is powerful.

Because for the first time, you see it.
You watch yourself get irritated, watch yourself defend, watch yourself justify.
You start catching yourself in moments you would have been lost in before.

And yet… something is missing.

Because even with all this self-awareness, you still react.
You still lose yourself.
You still wake up only to forget again.

Why?

Because you are still observing from inside the system.
You are still the observer watching the observed—
Still in a subject-object relationship, where the observer and what is observed remain separate.

But what if that separation is an illusion?

What if the next step isn’t just watching thoughts, but watching who is watching?

That’s where everything changes.

The Foundation: Self-Observation

Gurdjieff introduced self-observation as the starting point of the Work.
It’s how we begin to see ourselves mechanically, without judgment or justification.

And it reveals something startling:

We are not a single, unified being.
We are a procession of "I"s—each stepping forward, believing it is the whole.

🔹 One "I" makes a promise.
🔹 Another "I" immediately forgets it.
🔹 One "I" seeks self-discipline.
🔹 Another indulges in comfort the moment it gets the chance.

And if we watch carefully, we start to see the fragmentation.

We realize:

We are not choosing our reactions.
We are not in control of our emotions.
We are simply watching the patterns play out.

And while this is a huge step forward—
It is not yet freedom.

Because even though we are watching,
We are still inside the experience.

To go further, we must take the next step.

The Next Level: Observing Self-Observation

At a certain point, something clicks.

You’re watching a reaction—
And suddenly, you realize…

Who is watching this reaction?

In that moment, you turn awareness back onto itself.

Noticing thoughts is one thing.
Noticing who is noticing the thoughts is something else entirely.

Because in that moment, a gap appears.

A brief pause, where for just a second—
There is no thought.
No reaction.
No identity.

Just awareness, looking at awareness.

And then, a deeper realization:

If you can observe yourself thinking…
Then who is doing the thinking?

If you can watch yourself reacting…
Then who is reacting?

If you can see thoughts coming and going…
Then who are you?

And just like that, the illusion of the separate self starts to unravel.

You are not the thinker.
You are not the emotions.
You are not even the observer.

You are awareness itself.

The Ultimate Shift: Awareness of Awareness

This is where the Work moves beyond mere intellectual understanding.

Because now, you are no longer just practicing self-observation.
You are beginning to rest in awareness itself.

P.D. Ouspensky described this as the moment where awareness merges with itself—
Where the observer and the observed collapse into one.

Gurdjieff called this self-remembering.

Russell A. Smith described it as breaking the illusion of separation,
The moment where all fragmentation dissolves,
And what remains is something whole, complete, and untouchable.

And once you see it,
You can’t unsee it.

Because when awareness watches awareness,
Everything changes.

The mind slows.
The shifting of "I"s stops.
Presence becomes effortless.

And what was once a practice
Becomes simply the way you are.

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But why is this shift so profound?
What makes observing self-observation so transformational?

Let’s explore.

3.  Why Observing Self-Observation is Transformational

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At first, self-observation feels like a breakthrough.

You begin to see your thoughts as they arise, notice emotions before they take over, and catch yourself reacting in ways you never questioned before.

It’s a moment of clarity—where you finally see that you are not in control… your programming is.

But something strange happens.

Even with all this self-awareness, you still find yourself pulled back into the same mechanical patterns. You still react. You still identify. You still get caught in emotions, in judgments, in frustration.

Why?

Because you are still inside the system that produces them.

Self-observation lets you see your thoughts and reactions, but it doesn’t stop them from arising.

To go beyond this, you must observe something deeper—
Not just your thoughts.
Not just your emotions.
Not just your reactions.

But the process of observing itself.

And that’s when everything changes.

Breaking Identification at the Deepest Level

There’s a moment in self-work when something shifts—
A moment when you stop just watching thoughts…
And instead, watch the watcher.

Who is seeing these thoughts?
Who is aware of these emotions?
Who is watching this moment unfold?

And in that moment, something strange happens.

For a split second, there’s nothing but silence.
No thoughts, no emotions, no identity—
Just awareness, looking at itself.

And that’s when you realize:

You are not your thoughts.
You are not your emotions.
You are not even the voice in your head that has been narrating your life.

You are awareness itself.

And when you see this—not just intellectually, but directly—
Everything shifts.

Because now, when thoughts arise, they don’t grip you.
When emotions come, they don’t consume you.
And when reactions happen, you don’t mistake them for who you are.

You see them for what they are—
Just passing movements, happening inside something far greater.

Something still.
Something permanent.
Something that was there long before these thoughts and will remain long after them.

Seeing Through Projection

This shift in awareness doesn’t just free you from thoughts—
It also breaks the illusion of projection.

Normally, we assume our judgments are accurate.

• If someone annoys us, it must be because they are annoying.
• If someone is selfish, it must be because they lack compassion.
• If someone is arrogant, it must be because they believe they are better than us.

But what if… that’s not the case at all?

What if we are the ones shaping what we see?

Think about the last time someone frustrated you.
Maybe they were acting superior, or dismissing your point of view.
It felt real—like an undeniable truth.

But now, ask yourself…

If you were in their position, could there be another reason for their behavior?

Maybe they weren’t trying to act superior—maybe they were insecure.
Maybe they weren’t dismissing you—maybe they were distracted by their own worries.
Maybe they weren’t trying to dominate—maybe they simply lacked social awareness.

When you start observing self-observation, you begin to notice something incredible:

Your mind is always creating stories.
And those stories are not reality.

They are filters.

And once you see that, you stop believing every thought that appears.
You stop assuming every judgment is true.
And, most importantly, you stop taking everything personally.

Because you realize that no one is truly acting against you—
They are simply acting from their own conditioning.

Stillness & Inner Stability

But the deepest shift—the one that makes self-remembering permanent—
Happens when you realize that awareness doesn’t change.

Thoughts come and go.
Emotions come and go.
Even identities shift over time.

But awareness itself?
It remains.

And the more you rest in that awareness, the more unshakable you become.

Instead of reacting, you observe.
Instead of identifying, you watch.
Instead of being pulled into the storm, you remain still—
Completely aware, yet untouched.

And that’s when self-remembering stops being a practice—
And becomes your natural state.

A state that is stable.
Sovereign.
And free.

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So how do we actually experience this?
How do we go beyond just thinking about it and actually step into awareness itself?

Let’s explore.

4.  Experiencing Awareness of Awareness Directly

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You don’t need to take my word for this.

You can experience it right now.

Wherever you are—listening in your car, sitting at home, walking down the street—just pause.

Take a breath.
Notice yourself.

What’s happening in your mind?
What thoughts are running?
What emotions are present?
What sensations are in your body?

Observe them.
Watch them appear.
Watch them change.
Watch them fade.

Now… shift.

Instead of watching what’s happening—
Turn your attention to who is watching.

Who is aware of this moment?
Who is seeing these thoughts?
Where is the observer?

Don’t answer.
Just look.

And notice…

For a split second, something changes.

A quietness appears.
A stillness.

And if you stay with it—just for a moment longer—
You’ll notice something remarkable.

This awareness… it has no thoughts.
It has no opinions.
It is not reacting.

It is just here.
Always here.

It doesn’t come and go.
It doesn’t shift or change.
It was present before this moment…
And it will be present long after.

And yet, most of the time, we don’t notice it at all.

We are so caught in thoughts, emotions, reactions—
That we overlook the very thing that is always there.

But when we do notice it—
Even for a brief moment—
Something shifts.

Because in that instant, you are not thinking about awareness…
You are awareness.

Pure.
Silent.
Unshakable.

This is what it means to observe self-observation.
This is what it means to be present.

Not through effort.
Not through discipline.
Not through constantly reminding yourself to "self-remember."

But by simply resting in what has always been here.

At first, you glimpse it.
A second here. A moment there.

Then, it lasts longer.

Until eventually… you stop forgetting.

And this—this is how self-remembering becomes permanent.

Not as something you do,
But as something you are.

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Now, how do we bring this into daily life?
How do we stop losing ourselves in thought and stay anchored in awareness?

Let’s get into that.

5.  Integrating Awareness into Daily Life

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It’s one thing to catch a glimpse of this awareness.
It’s another to live from it.

Because let’s be honest—most of the time, we don’t.

We get pulled back.

A conversation grabs us.
A stressful thought spirals in.
Something irritates us, and before we know it—
We’re lost in it again.

The awareness that was so clear just moments ago?
Gone.

And that’s normal.

But the key is noticing sooner.

Catching yourself in the moment.
Realizing when you’ve slipped into identification—
And stepping back before you’re fully consumed.

Because every time you do, you build something.
You strengthen something.

A part of you that starts to stay awake.

Micro-Reminders: Catching Yourself in the Moment

The first step is bringing awareness into small moments.

Nothing forced.
Nothing rigid.
Just gentle reminders throughout the day.

Try this—
Each time you walk through a doorway,
Pause for a second.

Feel your feet on the ground.
Notice your breath.
Turn attention back onto the observer.

It takes two seconds.

But those two seconds break the trance.
They bring you back.

Or—when you check your phone.

Instead of diving right into messages,
Take one breath.
Shift awareness to who is reaching for the phone.
Who is checking?
Who is reading?

Or—when someone speaks to you.

Before reacting, before responding—
Be aware of the listener.

Not just what they’re saying—
But the part of you that is hearing them.

Just small moments like these—
Sprinkled throughout your day—
Can begin to shift everything.

Because the more you wake up in small moments,
The harder it is to fall completely asleep.

Breaking the Cycle of Reaction

Of course, reminders help—
But they don’t stop you from getting triggered.

So what happens when awareness disappears in an instant?
When something grabs you before you can even notice?

Someone criticizes you.
Someone cuts you off in traffic.
Someone ignores you, and suddenly—
You’re in it.

Tense.
Irritated.
Caught in the emotion.

And awareness?
Nowhere to be found.

This is where the real work happens.

Because these moments are golden.

They are exactly where you can wake up the most.

Instead of fighting the reaction—
Use it.

The moment you realize you’re identified—
Pause.

Don’t judge it.
Don’t resist it.
Just observe.

Feel the tension.
Feel the energy in your body.
Watch the thoughts racing.

And then—shift.

Turn attention back onto the observer.
Ask: Who is experiencing this reaction?

Who is feeling this tension?
Who is caught in this frustration?

And for just a second—
A gap opens.

And in that gap, you see—

The reaction is happening.
But it is not you.

The thoughts are there.
But you are not them.

The emotion is strong.
But it will pass.

And just like that, the trigger loses its grip.

You step out of the identification.
You wake up in the middle of the reaction.

And that—
That is when real transformation begins.

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So what happens when this becomes second nature?
When awareness starts to stick?

That’s when everything stabilizes.
And that’s what we’ll explore next.

6.  Stabilizing Awareness – Making It Your Natural State

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At first, awareness comes in flashes.

You catch yourself here and there.
You have moments of clarity—then lose them again.

One minute, you feel completely present—
The next, you’re deep in a thought loop,
Gone for minutes, maybe hours, before you even notice.

And that’s okay.

Because this is how it starts.

But eventually, something shifts.

The gaps between awareness get shorter.
You notice identification sooner.
You wake up mid-reaction instead of hours later.

And one day, you realize—
You don’t fall asleep as deeply as you used to.
And when you do, you don’t stay lost for as long.

This is the beginning of stabilization.

The Three Stages of Stabilizing Awareness

Awareness doesn’t become permanent all at once.
It unfolds in stages.

Stage One: Waking Up After the Fact

At first, you only recognize awareness in hindsight.

You catch yourself after the reaction is over.

You realize, “Oh, I was completely identified just now.”
You remember, “I lost myself in that emotion.”

And that’s fine—because even noticing is progress.

Stage Two: Waking Up in the Middle of It

With practice, something changes.

You start catching yourself in the moment.

Noticing while the reaction is still happening.
Watching frustration rise before it takes over.
Observing tension while it’s building.

And in those moments, you start to interrupt the pattern.

You don’t get pulled as deeply.
You don’t stay caught for as long.
You create space where before there was none.

This is where the real shift begins.

Stage Three: Awareness Becomes the Default

Then one day, something else happens.

You wake up in the morning, and awareness is already there.
Before thoughts even start, before identification kicks in—
There it is.

A stillness.
A presence.
A quiet recognition that was there before "you" even showed up.

And the more this happens, the more it becomes your baseline.

Until awareness isn’t something you "practice" anymore—
It’s just who you are.

You don’t have to "remember to self-remember"—
Because forgetting is no longer an option.

Letting Awareness Hold You

Here’s the paradox:

You don’t stabilize awareness by "trying harder."
You don’t make it permanent by effort.

In fact, it’s the opposite.

The more you relax into it, the more it stays.
The more you trust it, the less it slips away.

Because awareness doesn’t need you to hold onto it.

It’s already there.
It’s always been there.
It’s not something you "do"—
It’s what you are.

The only thing that changes is whether you notice it or not.

And the moment you start letting awareness hold you, instead of you trying to hold onto it—
Everything settles.

You stop chasing awakening.
You stop grasping at presence.
You stop searching for something that was never missing.

And that—
That is where self-remembering becomes permanent.

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So what happens once awareness is stabilized?
Once it’s no longer something that comes and goes,
But something that never leaves?

That’s when the Work is complete.
And that’s where we’ll go next.

7.  Beyond Stabilization – When Awareness Becomes Who You Are

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At some point, the search ends.

Not because you found what you were looking for—
But because you realize you were never missing anything in the first place.

Awareness has always been here.
You just kept getting distracted.

And now?

Now you’re no longer lost in thoughts for hours at a time.
Now you don’t have to "remember" to be aware—because you never truly forget.
Now you don’t feel like you’re practicing presence—because it’s simply what remains when nothing else takes you away.

This is where the Work stops being work.

Not because you’ve "completed" something—
But because what you were chasing was never outside of you.

No More Searching, No More Effort

For so long, you were trying.

Trying to stay present.
Trying to stop reacting.
Trying to wake up and not fall back asleep.

And in the beginning, effort was needed.

You had to remind yourself.
You had to build awareness like a muscle.
You had to wake up over and over again.

But now?

Now awareness is just there.

Not because you are holding onto it—
But because there’s nothing left to hold onto.

No more searching.
No more grasping.
No more effort.

Because what you were trying to "achieve" was simply what you already are.

Life Without Fragmentation

When awareness is stabilized, something else fades away.

The noise. The inner conflict. The constant shifting of "I"s.

You no longer feel pulled in a hundred different directions.
No longer caught between contradictory impulses.
No longer bouncing between moods, identities, and stories.

Because awareness does not shift.

It doesn’t change.
It doesn’t react.
It doesn’t get triggered.

It simply sees.

And when you begin to rest in that—really rest in it—
Everything else quiets down.

The old tensions dissolve.
The emotional swings level out.
Even thoughts slow, because there’s no longer a "you" feeding them with identification.

This is what it means to be unified.

Not because you’ve assembled all the fragmented parts of yourself—
But because you’ve stopped believing they were separate in the first place.

There is no "I" to unify.
There is only awareness, watching awareness.

Everything else was illusion.

What Comes Next?

So what happens now?

Once self-remembering is no longer something you do,
Once awareness becomes the ground of your being,
Once identification no longer takes hold?

Nothing.

Life continues.

You still wake up in the morning.
You still eat, work, interact, laugh.
You still navigate challenges, handle responsibilities, exist in the world.

But now, everything is clearer.
Lighter.
Freer.

Because nothing grips you anymore.
Nothing pulls you into unnecessary struggle.
Nothing hooks you into an emotional storm that lasts longer than a few seconds.

You feel everything, but get lost in nothing.

You live as awareness itself.

And that—
That is what it means to be free.

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Now, for those who want to take this further—
To deepen this experience and make it truly effortless—
There is only one question left to ask.

And that’s how we’ll close this journey.

8.  The Final Question – The Last Step to Effortless Awareness

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At this point, something should be clear.

Awareness is not something you need to create.
It’s not something you need to maintain.
It’s not something you need to "get better at."

It’s already here.
It has always been here.

So why does it still feel like it slips away?
Why does it still feel like you have to "catch yourself" sometimes?

Because there is still one last attachment.

Not to thoughts.
Not to emotions.
Not to identity.

But to the idea that "you" are the one doing this.

And this is where the final step happens—
Not by achieving anything,
Not by deepening the practice,
But by letting go of the one who believes it’s practicing.

This is where we ask the final question.

Who is Aware?

Try this now.

Noticing awareness is easy.
It’s always there, right beneath the surface.

But now, take one step further.

Ask yourself:

Who is aware of this moment?

Not "what is happening."
Not "what thoughts are appearing."
Not "what emotions are present."

But who is aware of all of this?

Don’t answer.
Just look.

And notice what happens.

There’s nothing to find, is there?

The moment you try to locate the observer—
It disappears.

Because there never was an observer.
There was only awareness.

No separate "self" watching.
No entity holding presence.
No "you" maintaining attention.

Just this.

Awareness.
Pure, silent, self-existing.

And in that moment, effort disappears.

Because there is no longer anyone left to try.

The Collapse of Effort

The last attachment to fall away is the attachment to "being aware."

Because even the thought—
"I am aware"—
Is still a thought.

Even the idea of "self-remembering"—
Is still a subtle identification.

The moment you stop trying to be present,
Presence remains.

The moment you stop checking if you’re aware,
Awareness is simply there.

Because it was never about "you" waking up.
It was about seeing that "you" were never separate from awareness in the first place.

And when this realization settles, something profound happens.

There is no longer a watcher and a watched.
There is no longer a practice and a practitioner.
There is no longer effort and an end goal.

There is only awareness, knowing itself.

And that—
That is the final step.

Not a step forward.
But a step out—
Out of the illusion that there was ever a journey to take.

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9.  Closing & Call to Action

And that’s it.

No more searching.
No more effort.
No more trying.

Just awareness.
Right here.
Right now.
Exactly as it is.

The Work is done.

If this exploration has resonated with you,
If you’re ready to go deeper,
Visit TheDogTeachings.com for more.

You’ll find:
🔹 The Blueprint of Consciousness—a step-by-step guide to awakening.
🔹 Full podcast transcripts for deeper study.
🔹 Practical exercises to stabilize awareness.
🔹 Live Zoom classes every Sunday, where we discuss these principles in real time.

Because awakening isn’t just about understanding—
It’s about living it.

And if you’ve reached this point,
You already know the truth:

There is nothing more to find.
Nothing more to achieve.
Nothing more to do.

Just rest in what is.

Because this is it.

Thank you for listening.
Until next time.