What Is The Spiritual 'I Am' Sense: Pure Being & Presence

By Tchiki Davis, M.A., Ph.D.
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During a spiritual awakening, one of the first recognitions often encountered is the sense of “I Am.” It is an awareness that precedes personal labels like “I am a mother” or “I am kind.” This sense of existence feels central and undeniable, a seeming foundation of all experience. But as awakening deepens, it becomes clear that even the “I Am” is not the ultimate reality.

It is a concept, a sensation that has been labeled, interpreted, and grasped as real. When the labeling disappears, the sense of “I Am” itself dissolves as well. In this article, we'll explore this process and how the emergence of "I am" ultimately leads to its own dissolution.

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What is the Spiritual “I Am” Sense?

The spiritual "I Am" is typically experienced as the raw feeling of being or presence. It is the sensation of existing before thoughts, roles, or judgments arise. This sense of “I exist” is extremely subtle and compelling. After awakening, it first feels like a root or a core of selfhood, something permanent and undeniable. We then often attach to it as if it were the foundation of our identity or reality.

Ramana Maharshi encouraged seekers to inquire into the source of the “I.” Asking “Who am I?” helps peel away the layers of identification, revealing the basic sense of “I Am.” Similarly, Nisargadatta Maharaj described the “I Am” as the only reality directly experienced by a person before mental concepts are applied. Both teachers pointed to it as a crucial doorway to self-knowledge—but they also cautioned against mistaking it for the ultimate truth.

Realizing the Spiritual “I Am” Sense

With deeper awakening, it becomes clear that the “I Am” sense itself is not the root of existence. It is a sensation, a mental construct, labeled as “I exist” and grasped as the only thing left to hold onto. But when there is no labeling—no mind or no conceptualization—there is no “I Am” to hold onto. In this understanding, the “I Am” is like a mirror reflecting consciousness—something that appears to be real but is entirely dependent on recognition.

Nisargadatta Maharaj emphasized that even the “I Am” is something to be observed, not clung to. The apparent solidity of the sense of existence is created by the mind’s attention and interpretation. Ramana Maharshi also hinted at this when he said that the ultimate truth is beyond even the sense of “I Am”—it is the selfless everythingness in which all sensations, including the “I Am,” arise.

Seeing the Spiritual “I Am” as a Concept

Thoughts are another major source of identification. The mind generates a constant stream of commentary, judgments, and interpretations. Without awareness, you unconsciously merge with these thoughts, believing that you are the thinker.

For instance, if a thought arises saying, “Nobody respects me,” identification pulls you into its story. You feel hurt, resentful, or defensive. Yet the thought may be entirely untrue or based on a fleeting perception.

When you are identified with thought, you are carried away like a leaf in the wind, lost in mental stories. When you are disidentified, you can witness thought arising and passing without being enslaved by it.

Mindfulness practice is powerful here. By noticing the simple arising of thoughts—without judgment or suppression—you begin to recognize them as impersonal mental events, not as “me.”

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Dissolving the Spiritual “I Am”

Eventually, the sense of “I Am” itself can be seen as illusory. When the mind stops labeling the experience as “I exist,” the sensation of the “I Am” is seen to be simply that—a sensation. What remains is everythingness/nothingness without a center. There is no “I” to anchor experience; not even awareness. There is simply what is.

This stage of self-dissolution can be disorienting for those who initially found stability in the “I Am” sense, got attached to it, and perhaps even started teaching others that it is the base reality. Yet it is precisely this recognition that marks a deepening shift in awakening: understanding that even the sense of being is conditional, arising through attention, conceptualization, and identification.

Perspective Before and After the “I Am” Sense Dissolves

Aspect	Ordinary Awareness	Before Dissolving “I Am”	After Dissolving “I Am”
Sense of Self	Strong identification with a personal “I” and body-mind; self feels solid and separate.	Identification with “I exist” as a personal center or "aware" self.	No attachment to any center; self and existence are recognized as labels or sensations, not ultimate reality.
Perception of Thoughts	Thoughts feel personal and compelling; they define identity and filter perception.	Thoughts are observed as phenomena in awareness.	Thoughts are an interpenetrating part of everythingness; neither awareness nor embodiment of thoughts is fundamental.
Emotional Experience	Emotions are experienced as personal reactions; joy, fear, and anger feel like “mine.”	Emotions are seen as passing phenomena; they arise and dissolve in awareness.	Emotions are an interpenetrating part of everythingness; neither the awareness nor embodiment of emotions is fundamental.
Relationship to the Body	The body is strongly identified with the self; sensations feel like “mine.”	The body is seen as a temporary manifestation within awareness.	The body is nothing appearing as a body; awareness is not required for its appearance.
Sense of Existence	Existence is assumed as real and solid; the sense of “I” feels essential for survival.	The “I Am” feels like an absolute foundation, necessary for stability and identity.	The “I Am” is recognized as a concept or sensation; existence itself is seen to be an illusion.
Relationship to Reality	Reality is experienced through personal filters and beliefs; everything is interpreted in terms of self-interest.	Reality is filtered through the 'I Am' sense; direct experiences are still interpreted in relation to “I.”	Nothing can be claimed to exist at all; awareness cannot be found in everythingness.

The Spiritual “I Am” as a Part of the Path

Even if the ultimate realization transcends the “I Am,” noticing it along the path can be profoundly stabilizing. Recognizing the sensation of existence allows one to observe thoughts, emotions, and circumstances without being fully absorbed by them. By seeing the “I Am” as a label, a concept, or a transient sensation, we can further cultivate nonattachment and operate from a place of clarity rather than identification.

Spiritual practices such as meditation, self-inquiry, and mindful presence can support this understanding as long as we don't mistake the practice for the truth. They guide attention inward to notice the sensation of “I Am” while also cultivating the insight that it is not ultimate. Over time, this recognition can help us see that even the practices and concepts that make up the practices need to be observed and dissolved.

Fetter 8: The Dissolving of the “I Am” Sense

In many spiritual frameworks, particularly those influenced by Buddhist teachings, the journey of awakening is described as the gradual release of mental chains, or fetters, that bind the mind to limited perceptions of self. By the time a person reaches Fetter 8, the focus shifts to one of the final attachments: the sense of “I Am” itself—or the mental processes that say, “I exist.”

How does the spiritual "I Am" sense dissolve?
The dissolving of the “I Am” sense does not occur through force or effort; rather, it is the natural culmination of a process in which earlier fetters have already loosened. These previous fetters—attachments to identity, desire, aversion, and fixed views—create a mental environment in which the mind no longer needs to cling to existence as a solidified center. With less resistance and less compulsive grasping, the “I Am” sense can be observed for what it truly is: a fleeting sensation, a concept, and nothing more.

How does it feel when the spiritual "I Am" sense dissolves?
The experience of this fetter falling can vary. Some describe it as a quiet disappearance, where the inner sense of “I exist” simply fades, leaving only openness. Others notice a subtle shift in perspective: the mind realizes that even the sense of being is a construct, and the attachment to it loosens without effort. Others may experience intense fear at the realization that there was never a boundary or self or even a real sensation to protect one from external threats. Still others may find flooding of trauma as the last bit of self—which is actually a mechanism to hold trauma—starts to fade away.

The key is not to grasp or chase the sense of existence, but to allow it to reveal itself and dissolve naturally.

How fetters are involved in the spiritual "I Am" sense
Prior fetters play a crucial role in this process. By releasing attachments to desires, aversions, identity constructs, and conceptual views, the mind becomes lighter, more flexible, and less reliant on the “I Am” sense for stability and reality. Each earlier fetter that falls reduces the mental pressure that previously made the “I Am” feel essential. In this way, the dissolving of the “I Am” sense is (hopefully) not overwhelming—it is the natural destruction of a mind that has already learned to let go, a mind that is ready to rest in pure, uncentered everythingness.

The letting go of Fetter 8 is not about annihilating existence or rejecting experience; it is about recognizing the “I Am” as a label, a sensation, and a construct. Once this recognition occurs, unbound everythingness is no longer believed to be tethered to any sense of self.

Final Thoughts on the Spiritual “I Am” Sense

The spiritual “I Am” is the initial recognition of existence prior to personal labels and roles. It is the sensation of being that feels real and immediate. However, deep awakening reveals that even this sense is a concept, a labeled experience that arises in everythingness. When the labeling ceases, the “I Am” dissolves, leaving pure, uncentered everythingness.

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