The direct path of self-awareness centers on the simple but radical movement of attention from objects to the subject, from what is experienced to the one who experiences. The key pointer is the inner question “Who am I?”—not as a philosophical problem to be solved in thought, but as a means of turning awareness back upon the sense of “I” itself. One begins by noticing the basic feeling “I am,” prior to any description such as “I am this” or “I am that,” and recognizing that every thought—“I think,” “I feel,” “I want”—presupposes this fundamental “I”-sense. Self-inquiry is the deliberate tracing of this “I”-thought back to its source, rather than following the endless stream of mental content that grows out of it.

In practical terms, this involves a repeated inner gesture whenever a thought, emotion, or perception arises. Instead of engaging with the content, there is a quiet questioning: “To whom has this arisen?” The immediate answer is “to me,” and at that very point attention is redirected from the thought to the experiencer with the further question, “Who is this ‘me’?” or “What is this ‘I’?” No conceptual answer is sought; rather, attention is invited to rest in the bare, non-verbal sense of being, the simple “I am,” without adding any attributes. This movement from the object back to the subject, again and again, is the living heart of the method.

As this inquiry matures, distractions and emotions are not treated as enemies but as opportunities. When distraction appears, it is met in the same way: “To whom is this distraction?”—and attention is turned back to the knower of it. Strong emotions can be fully felt, yet simultaneously recognized as known appearances, prompting the question, “Who is aware of this?” In this way, identity is gently shifted from the changing play of thoughts and feelings to the silent presence that witnesses them. Over time, there is a growing capacity simply to abide as that quiet awareness whenever the mind becomes still, without seeking further experiences or mental confirmations.

This inquiry is not confined to formal sitting; it can permeate ordinary activities. In the midst of conversation, work, or conflict, there can be brief pauses to notice what is being taken to be “me” in that moment and to turn attention back to the one who is experiencing. Rather than treating “Who am I?” as a mantra to be repeated mechanically, it functions as a precise tool for redirecting awareness from the seen to the seer. Through persistent application, the root “I”-thought is traced back to its origin, and the sense of being the limited ego is gradually undermined, allowing the unchanging awareness in which all experiences arise and subside to stand revealed as the ever-present Self.