Dis-Identifying from Story

Duration: 15-20 minutes (formal practice) + ongoing awareness
Level: Intermediate
Goal: Break the DMN’s compulsive narrative loops by recognizing stories as constructions, not reality

The Practice

The hijacked DMN doesn’t just generate thoughts—it weaves them into stories. Stories about who you are, what happened, what it means, what will happen next. These narratives create the illusion of a continuous “self” moving through time.

This practice trains you to see the story as a story—not as truth.

Formal Practice (Sitting)

Setup

  1. Sit comfortably with eyes closed or softly focused
  2. Set timer for 15-20 minutes
  3. Intention: “I am here to witness the storyteller”

The Practice

  1. Settle into presence
    • Begin with a few minutes of breath awareness
    • Ground in the body, the present moment
  2. Watch for narrative emergence
    • Notice when the DMN begins constructing a story
    • Common triggers: planning, remembering, self-judgment, fantasy
    • Example narratives:
      • “I need to figure out what to say in that meeting…”
      • “I can’t believe they said that to me yesterday…”
      • “If I just get X, then I’ll finally be happy…”
  3. Label the story
    • When you catch a narrative loop, mentally label it:
      • “Story about the future”
      • “Story about the past”
      • “Story about who I am”
      • “Story about what I need”
    • Don’t analyze or engage—just label and return to presence
  4. Notice the gap
    • Between labeling and the next thought, there’s a gap
    • This gap is story-free awareness
    • Rest here, even if only for a moment
  5. Repeat
    • Story arises → Label → Notice gap → Story arises…
    • This is the rhythm of the practice

Close

  • Take three breaths
  • Notice: Are you still believing every story the Voice tells?

Informal Practice (Daily Life)

The real work happens throughout the day:

Morning

Upon waking, notice the first story the DMN generates:

  • “Ugh, I don’t want to get up…”
  • “I have so much to do today…”
  • Label it: “Story about resistance” or “Story about overwhelm”

During Difficult Moments

When triggered (conflict, anxiety, frustration):

  1. Pause
  2. Ask: “What story is running right now?”
  3. Name it:
    • “Story about being wronged”
    • “Story about not being good enough”
    • “Story about the future going wrong”
  4. Return to direct experience: What is actually happening right now, without the story?

Common Stories to Watch For

Story Type Example Reality
Identity story “I’m such a failure” Thought arising in awareness
Victim story “They always do this to me” Interpretation of events
Future story “This will never work out” Speculation about unknown
Past story “If only I had done X…” Rumination on unchangeable
Meaning story “This means I’m unlovable” DMN assigning significance

What You’re Training

Neurologically

  • Disrupting DMN dominance: Each time you label a story, you activate the Salience Network (Listener), which anti-correlates with DMN
  • Weakening narrative self-reference: The DMN’s medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) generates self-referential narratives; dis-identification reduces its compulsive activation
  • Building meta-narrative awareness: The ability to see that you are not the story

Philosophically

  • Gnostic: The counterfeit spirit operates through story—making you believe you are the character in the drama. Gnosis is recognizing you are the Divine Spark observing the play.
  • Buddhist: Stories are papañca (conceptual proliferation)—the mind’s compulsive elaboration. Dis-identification is the path to nirodha (cessation).
  • Indigenous: Wetiko survives by keeping you identified with the narrative. Breaking the story breaks its hold.

Common Experiences

“I can’t stop the stories—they just keep coming”

You’re not trying to stop them. The DMN will generate stories as long as you’re alive. The practice is to stop believing them automatically. Label and release, over and over.

“But some stories are true!”

Stories can contain information, but they are not the same as direct experience. The story “I have a meeting tomorrow” contains useful data—but the anxiety-laden narrative about how it will go is pure DMN speculation. Learn to distinguish.

“I feel lost without my stories”

This is the Ego sensing its foundation crumbling. The stories create the illusion of a stable “self.” As you dis-identify, you may temporarily feel disoriented. This is normal. The Divine Spark doesn’t need stories to exist—it is pure presence.

“I’m now creating stories about not creating stories”

Welcome to the meta-loop! The DMN will even weaponize the practice. Just label this too: “Story about spiritual progress.” Then return to presence. No story is sacred.

Integration

Weekly Review

Once a week, journal:

  • What are the top 3 recurring stories my DMN tells?
  • What function do they serve? (Protection, control, identity maintenance?)
  • What would life be like if I stopped believing them?

Story Inventory

Create a list of your core narratives:

  • About yourself (“I’m not good enough”)
  • About others (“People can’t be trusted”)
  • About life (“The world is dangerous”)

Keep this list visible. When you catch these stories running, you’ll recognize them faster.

Next Steps

“The Voice will tell you a thousand stories about who you are. The Listener knows: you are the one listening to the stories.”