The internal landscape, or mindscape, is made up of many different contents of consciousness: thoughts, images, desires, memories, sensations, feelings, emotions. In any moment we can explore these internal phenomena by turning the light of awareness inwards and simply holding them in awareness. When we do this, we create a shift of identity from being the thought or feeling that we are currently experiencing, to seeing that thought or feeling.
‘What am I aware of right now?’ is a useful way to begin this inquiry. Then we simply allow awareness to notice the different contents. We can name or describe the different experiences: ‘Tightness in my shoulders’, ‘sadness’, ‘queasiness in my stomach’ etc. which allows us to step back further to explore and investigate the different phenomena arising.
Practice
For 10-15 seconds at a time contemplate the question, ‘What am I aware of?’ Then simply notice and name what experiences arise in your internal world.
An additional question to contemplate might be: ‘As I observe my experience does it change or remain the same?’