Rupert Spira, as a teacher of non-duality, approaches questions like “Where does thought come from?” not from a purely neurological or psychological angle, but from the perspective of consciousness itself. Here’s a careful breakdown of his view:
- Thought as an Appearance in Awareness
Spira often emphasizes that all experiences—including thoughts—arise within awareness. In other words, thought doesn’t exist independently; it appears in the field of consciousness. Just like a movie appears on a screen, thoughts appear in awareness. - Thoughts Have No Independent Source
When we ask “where does thought come from,” Spira would point out that thought isn’t generated by a separate “thinker” inside us. The sense of “I am thinking” is itself another thought arising in consciousness. The origin isn’t outside or inside a separate entity—it simply manifests in awareness. - Awareness is Primary
In Spira’s framework, awareness isn’t a product of thought; thought is a product—or rather, a movement—in awareness. He often illustrates this with analogies like:
- Thoughts are like waves on the ocean of awareness.
- Awareness is like the screen; thoughts are images projected onto it.
- Silence Before Thought
Another key idea he teaches is noticing the stillness or silence in which thought arises. By observing that space, we see that thoughts appear spontaneously and vanish into the same background—they don’t come from a separate, personal “source.”
So, in summary: Rupert Spira would say thought arises in awareness, doesn’t have an independent source, and the sense that there’s a thinker “producing” thoughts is itself part of the mental activity. The mystery isn’t really “solved” by locating a source; it’s understood by seeing the nature of awareness and the way thoughts appear in it.
If you like, I can also share a short practical way he points to for noticing the origin of thought directly, which is very powerful in self-inquiry. Do you want me to do that?
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