There's an experience known to many meditators, sometimes known as the Here I Am Wasn't I? experience. The idea is this: you are meditating away, and just for a moment, you experience a flash of that simple, actual conscious presence that is the goal of your meditation. Then BAM! almost immediately, your awareness shifts to noticing how present and aware you are and just like that, you're no longer meditating, you're meta-tating, and you've lost exactly that present awareness you are now celebrating. Read more