Namaste to All!
Here is a link to a free e-book entitled: ‘How to Get Vairagya (Dispassion)’ by Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj for those who are interested in the perspective of an accomplished Yogi and Teacher. Enjoy! 
http://www.dlshq.org/download/vairagya.pdf
http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~rfrey/images/shiva-aum.jpg
Hari OM!
Doc
Hi Doc:
I believe “witnessing” as stand-alone practice tends to be overrated, especially as a first stage approach where we have little more to work with than the intellect and ego consciousness. It is a tough road to hoe from there with no other methods in hand. But it can be done if enough bhakti is present. Ask any dedicated Buddhist.
If we are using additional practices such as deep meditation and samyama to cultivate inner silence directly, then witnessing arises naturally along the way, and we can do much with it then. That kind of doing will be with less attachment, the essence of “dispassion,” which is at the heart of progressive karma and jnana yoga. The interesting thing about these yogas, when undertaken propitiously, is that they are beyond duality, even though they are in the field of doing. This is possible only when the witness is already present, previously cultivated as “effect.” Only then can the witness become a “cause” in our further development. Before then it is much like pushing on a string.
Of course, those born with a degree of witness consciousness already present have a “leg up.” The rest of us have to develop it. Those who are born with, or have reached a high level of witness consciousness early on in life (“old souls”), tend to teach from that level, and then many begin to regard witnessing practice as the primary path to enlightenment. Well, it is a stepping stone for sure, but not a very good place to start for most of us. Better to reduce duality (bring up the witness) by more direct means before diving into the methods of non-duality. Keeping the horse in front of the cart, so to speak.
Thanks for your great perspectives, Doc and All. Very stimulating!
The guru is in you.
Hey Doc you sure do buy some real classy fortune-cookies 
- a great way of putting it and a neat summary of what they AYP practitioners have been saying. Certainly “trying to be detached” just adds layers on layers.
I am no so sure about “witnessing” and Buddhism being that much different to what you guys are doing - esp. given that really one should say “Buddhisms”. So does not for example anapanasati - “witnessing” the breath - becomes (as I understand it) similar to mantra-meditation after a while ie the “breath is breathing you”…and sometime after the collapse of the subject-object distinction?
Anyway quibbling to oneside I recalled in this context (tho’ I seem not to be able to find the article) some neat words on this subject (by some Buddhist monk from Brighton (?!?))… he used an analogy for all this witnessing stuff of it being rather like sitting in front of the tv and watching it… witnessing (starts to) amount(s) (I have fogotten the precise line lol) to watching your reflection in the screen as it is watching tv… ie just creating even more “levels” interposed in the process [or was it watching your reflection watching your reflection watch tv (etc etc)].
Aum (or in this case erm? 
)
Mike