OBSERVING THE OBSERVER

The philosopher Alan Watts described his lecture series “Reflecting the Mirror” as follows: "A discussion of the many aspects of the problem of ‘observing the observer’ and ‘knowing the knower,’ an enterprise that seems always to come to a dead end or to impenetrable mystery. But perhaps the very difficulty of the problem provides a clue to its answer. This is, of course, the central problem of self-realization as approached through the spiritual disciplines of Yoga, Zen, and Taoism."

From the standpoint of Vedanta the answer is simple.  There is no observing the observer, no knowing the knower.  Background consciousness, just plain consciousness, the observing Atman/Brahman consciousness, does not observe itself.  The analogy is that of our eyes.  Our eyes do not see themselves.  When we try to see our eyes, we see nothing.  Were pure consciousness to try to see itself, it would see nothing.

There's another aspect to this, however, and it often appears in the work of Watts.  It must be remembered that Watts was a philosopher, and a philosopher inquires into things by way of his intellect.  The trouble is, Atman/Brahman consciousness, pure consciousness, is beyond the reach of the intellect.  The intellect can only look at consciousness from afar, and what it sees is not what it is.