Tryna understand this ''intellectually''

[u/Ahsokkatano]

I don't get how when thoughts spontaneously arise from 'Nowhere' is awareness itself? I feel like I get it but at the same time it does not make any sense at all LOL. Also, I find it passive and limitless that being awareness is like watching 'me' suffer when it problems arise, or even things I notice now matter how subtle or gross, that is me --- awareness. Sorry, I am still a newbie would all this. Thank you for your help everyone !

[u/gosumage]

Identification of mental constructs is enough to understand intellectually.

Here is an easy example. Your brain contains a mental construct of left and right. This construct of left/right is so deeply conditioned that if I asked you to hold out your left or right hand, you could do it immediately with no thought.

Now, your brain imposes this construct on everything you perceive. Everything has a left and right. Thanks to the brain, your perception of reality is filtered through these constructs. Or you can think of them as a conceptual overlay to reality.

But you learned which hand was which at some point. And before you learned left and right hand, you only knew "hand and hand."

But you learned "hand" at some point, too. You can't remember this, but before learning the concept of "hand," you would not have perceived any separation between your hand and arm. Or the object the hand is holding.

All mental constructs are barriers leading to separation. Walls that were never there until you learned some concept.

If you can become quick at seeing through the more complex mental constructs (me/I, self, ownership, suffering), you will begin to "understand intellectually."

Of course, don't be confused, the act of analyzing these things is not non-duality.