^..great advice and technique thanks zhoro..

i guess to go into my meditation approach more, while i certainly have asked the 'who am I?' question many times, and it is the most effective of all questions, i often take a slightly different approach which is influenced by my indigenous training..

what i attempt to do is move my focus from thought towards pure perception in each moment..in other words, the Now..

thoughts are not in the now, as they involve memory and categorisation..

it starts with outward rather than inward focus (the indigenous approach having the benefit of sitting in nature, but it still works in city) ..i become as focused on perception in each moment as possible - sounds, wind etc - without allowing thought to define or analyse them..the more intent on perceiving the more thoughts must be silent to allow this..i focus on extending outwards such that my inner process becomes increasingly perceptional..as thoughts cease the increased perception leads towards perception of What is perceiving..

which leads to the same place as the question 'who am i?'

the boundary between observer and environment is being dissolved..(such a mode of acute perception is similar to the mode of the old school hunter or gatherer moving through the environment)

so, the approach still arises from the question 'Who Am I?'..and seeks to resolve it through focused observation..

but yes, like the first quote you gave zhoro, it is not the appearance which is eventually seen to be real..but only the actually Reality itself...the observer (or dreamer) , or consciousness, etc.

thank you again for your post zhoro...very helpful..