But then there comes a moment when you recognize perception without thoughts, and it becomes apparent that awareness is different from thought. You might 'think' this observation would be contaminated by thought too, but when there's a direct experience uncontaminated by thought, it's a real a-ha moment. Verified by a great many people across many traditions and over millenia.
How does one 'know' anything? Centuries of philosophical inquiry have been devoted to answering this question, but meditative practice is what actually shows you.
