The Mi ≈ iMind Present Tracing framework maps two primary pathways that clarify how our our inner experiences become iStates of present awareness in participation, lived experience as signal and Active I as subject of nameable objects of desire.
Lived Experience (Present Signal) – This path is grounded in embodied awareness. It is built on signals like breath rhythm, sensory data, and the understanding of the Five Aggregates (form, feeling, perception, impulses, and consciousness). Staying in this path means staying connected to present reality without over-identifying with thoughts or roles.
Active "I" as Subject of Desire – This path activates when the self-identity (the “I”) becomes preoccupied with desires and judgments. The Inner Critic, operating in a judgment loop, appraises the “Object of Desire” and ties our sense of self-worth to its outcome. This loop roots itself in a Time Origin — entangling us in narratives from the past, anxieties about the future, or emotional complexities in the present.
The dotted “I Am” arrow highlights how easily the mind can slip from grounded awareness into the identity-driven loop. When this happens, perception narrows, self conception is bound in reinforcing reactive patterns that cannot know clear presence as the symbol in the form of name imputes in my I's beginning.