Who are you? Perhaps a name, a place of birth, a family. Maybe you are a husband, a wife, a father, mother, son, daughter, grandchild. Are these things you? Do these things define who you are? If not, then perhaps you are a lifelong collection of memories and experiences. Maybe you are a true friend, a lover, a devoted companion, or a bond with a beloved pet. How about your career? Is that who you are? A job, a vocation, or a passion you have had for as long as you can remember? Or how about your wealth or social status? Maybe that is it. If not that, are you a collection of thoughts? Are you a rich tapestry of different mental images, dreams, hopes, aspirations, plans, and desires? Does your personality define you? How about your character traits? Perhaps they are you. Are you your foibles, your habits, your ego, and your behaviours? If not them, then maybe you are the emotions of love, fear, passion, and hate. Maybe you are all of these things – an entire mind and body full of mental thoughts, memories, emotions, feelings, and experiences. Yes, that is surely who you must be. 

And yet, who is it that watches these things unfold inside you? Who is it that lives behind your eyes and speaks your name, and knows your family, remembers your first day at school, and that you hate Brussels sprouts, but that you love dogs, and yet always remains silent? Who is this inner you who watches your life unfold and sees everything, but makes no comment? The voyeur that spies on your anxiety and pain, but does not feel any of it. Who saw your wedding day joy, but did not congratulate you. Who observes the love you give but loves no one in return. Who knows all that you enjoy, yet enjoys nothing itself. Who knows your fears but fears nought. Who is that?

It is the watcher. The watcher is who remains when all else of you is stripped away. It is the core of you, your true self, the real you. It does not speak. It does not feel. It does not participate. And yet, it is all that matters. One day, soon, all those other layers will vanish, and all that will be left of you will be the watcher. The watcher has been with you since your birth and will remain long after your mind and body perishes. At the end of your days, you will realise that the watcher is the only thing that ever really mattered. The true reality.