Beyond the Self: Exploring Anatta and No-Mind States in Meditation
What If You’re Not Who You Think You Are?
Have you ever sat in meditation and suddenly felt like something dropped away? Like a shift in awareness where, just for a moment, there was no ‘you’ watching—only presence, only breath, only this?
Welcome to the mysterious territory of Anatta and no-mind—two profound and often misunderstood experiences in meditation that challenge our usual sense of self. These aren’t abstract philosophies for monks in caves; they’re invitations into freedom that we can explore in our everyday practice, right here and now.
In this blog, we’ll unpack what these terms really mean, how they arise in meditation, and why exploring them might just change your life.
Understanding Anatta: The Buddhist Insight of ‘Not-Self’
Anatta, often translated as ‘non-self’ or ‘not-self’, is one of the three marks of existence in Buddhist teachings (along with impermanence and suffering). It challenges the idea that there’s a fixed, unchanging ‘me’ at the centre of our experience.
This doesn’t mean you don’t exist at all—it means that what you usually take to be ‘you’ is actually a collection of changing processes: thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, memories. None of these, when examined closely, can be pinned down as a permanent self.
In practice, Anatta isn’t about belief. It’s something you see—often gradually—through meditation and self-inquiry. For example:
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You notice how your thoughts come and go, without your control.
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You feel emotions arise and pass without deciding to feel them.
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You sense how your body ages, aches, and changes from day to day.
The more you pay attention, the more slippery the ‘I’ becomes. And that’s the point. In the light of awareness, the self is revealed not as a solid entity, but as a process—dynamic, fluid, and deeply interconnected with everything else.
The No-Mind State: Effortless Awareness
While Anatta is a core insight from Theravāda and early Buddhism, the no-mind (or mushin in Japanese Zen) experience is often associated with Zen and other non-dual traditions. No-mind doesn’t mean a blank or zombie-like state. It refers to a spacious awareness that’s free from grasping, judging, or conceptual thinking.
In no-mind:
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You’re deeply present, but there’s no inner commentary.
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You’re aware of thoughts, but not identified with them.
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There’s a sense of stillness and openness—like the sky, not the clouds.
It’s not something you can force. In fact, the harder you try, the more elusive it becomes. Paradoxically, no-mind often arises when effort drops away and you surrender fully to the moment.
A classic Zen saying captures this beautifully:
“The Great Way is not difficult for those who have no preferences.”
That doesn’t mean being passive. It means allowing things to be as they are, without constantly filtering them through the lens of ego and expectation.
How to Explore Anatta and No-Mind in Your Meditation Practice
So how do you actually explore these experiences in your own practice?
Here are a few practical gateways:
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Mindfulness of Experience (Vipassana Style)
Sit quietly and observe whatever arises—sensations, thoughts, feelings—without trying to change anything. Ask gently: Who is aware of this? Can I find the one who is watching?
This isn’t about analysis. It’s a felt investigation, a turning inward to see what’s really there.
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Letting Go of the Observer
Many meditators get stuck identifying with the ‘observer’ or ‘witness’—a subtle form of ego. At some point, even this can be let go. Try relaxing completely into experience, without holding on to any fixed perspective. Let awareness be awareness. -
Practising Not-Knowing (Zen Style)
Zen practice often involves dropping into don’t know mind. Sit with the question: What is this? without expecting an answer. This simple inquiry can open up spaciousness and help you move beyond habitual patterns of thought. -
Use Mantras or Breath as Anchors, Not Goals
Sometimes, using a mantra or focusing on the breath can help stabilise attention, making it easier to notice the transient nature of experience. Use these as gentle supports, not as ends in themselves. -
Let Experience Be Enough
One of the most direct paths to no-mind is simply being present. Fully. No agenda, no seeking. Just sitting. Just breathing. Just being.
Common Misconceptions About Anatta and No-Mind
Let’s clear up a few things. Realising Anatta or tasting no-mind doesn’t mean:
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You disappear or become passive.
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You stop caring about your relationships or responsibilities.
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You become emotionally numb.
In fact, many people report the opposite: a sense of lightness, compassion, and freedom. When the ego isn’t running the show, there’s more room for love, presence, and true connection.
These states are not about escaping life, but entering into it more fully—with fewer filters.
Why This Matters: The Gifts of Letting Go
So, why bother exploring these esoteric-sounding ideas?
Because at the heart of it, we all long to be free.
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Free from the endless chatter of self-criticism.
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Free from the pressure to be someone.
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Free from the fear of not being enough.
Anatta and no-mind aren’t intellectual curiosities. They’re doorways to a different way of being—one where you’re not defined by your history, your identity, or even your thoughts.
And in that space, there’s peace. Not the peace of control, but the peace of surrender.
A Final Word: Beyond the Self, You Are Not Lost
If you’ve ever tasted even a flicker of no-mind or sensed the absence of self, you know it’s not about annihilation—it’s about remembering something deeper than thought, something older than your name.
As you continue to sit, breathe, and simply be, these glimpses may grow. They may become more familiar. But don’t grasp. Don’t chase. Just let it unfold.
After all, the self isn’t something you need to get rid of. It’s something you begin to see through.
And beyond the self?
There’s just this.
Alive. Aware. Whole.
Bonus Resources
Why not treat yourself to a Meditation Retreat in the beautiful Devon Countryside?
This post may also interest you: Exploring Non-Dual Awareness
Best Wishes,
David.
© D. R. Durham, All rights reserved, 2025.
