Does the process of witnessing arise from effort, or must one be free of effort to witness?

According to Osho, witnessing may begin with the urge to escape suffering—the first, effortful movement—but it cannot be attained by effort. Like sleep, every attempt to 'do' it only keeps you awake. From the failure of striving, a second process starts: relaxation, non-doing, simple awareness. When effort drops, witnessing happens by itself.