I decided today that I would discuss what I feel is one of the most complex and abstract concepts in philosophy. I've read and studied many philosopher's takes on this concept as well as studied the perspective of different religious ideologies and I honestly don't know if I can do it justice or not or explain it any better than any of them have, but here goes nothing I suppose. Today I'm going to discuss the concept that has been referred to as "going it alone" or "we are all one" and how I feel it relates to expanding our consciousness and existence as a whole.
It's an interesting concept to explore and try to relate to others as it often goes one of two ways. Either people think you are crazy and disregard what you are saying completely or the alternative is that they have already come to the same conclusion and fundamentally agree. I haven't really gotten much variation in those reactions, except perhaps from those that are trying to convince themselves that they are on the same page, but that is just a paradox in itself to me. The games we play with ourselves are quite humorous from my perspective anyway.
I suppose that's as good of an entry point as any into what I'm trying to discuss. That "awakening" moment where we stop separating ourselves from the rest of existence and begin to see ourselves as a part of everything that is going on can be a little mind-blowing and confusing, but I feel that it eventually plateaus at this point: We are all one and if we are one with everything then it is all in some way going according to plan and that we are all collectively orchestrating everything that is going on to whatever extent we are aware of it. In this sense, we must "go it alone" because in essence, the collective "we" are all that actually exists.
If we find ourselves at this spiritual plateau then I suppose there are only one of three options. We can keep searching for more, knowing full well that it doesn't work like that from our experience getting to this supposed plateau. I would consider this denial and basically ending up back where we started, that "searching for something we know is there without knowing what it is" state. We can also reject our own experiences and state of awareness which has much of the same affect as the first option. The last option is the one that I feel I have chosen for myself, and that is to just not worry about it anymore. I choose to let it go and accept that what I once considered a journey was really just an exercise in remembering something that I had forgotten.
I find great humor in this alleged plateau as I feel that my understanding of consciousness as an ever expanding state of awareness would imply that there is no plateau so to speak. It leads me to question my own beliefs regularly and I have some of the greatest conversations with others. For me personally, it can feel like people that are seeking to remember things for themselves will often look to me as if I somehow hold the key to their own memory or that I know some secret that I'm not telling them, and honestly it couldn't be further from the truth. At some point it just becomes apparent that it is all working and that I don't need to mess with it anymore and that I'm free to do what I want and so is everyone else.
How then can I explain to someone that they don't need to seek what they know they are missing and don't need to understand something that can't be understood from a singular I perspective? The irony of that is I know that I can't and while I can lead the metaphorical horse to water, I have no control over whether or not they choose to drink or drown in it. Many philosophers struggle with depression and a lot of them explore the concept of suicide as the ultimate question of control. If I can exist, can I also not exist at will? Personally I don't think the collective "we" allows for those types of ends and that it's ultimately like hitting reset and starting over, but I have no desire to find out either.
So from my perspective the big secret to all of this is that there never was a secret and if there is we aren't meant to know it or perhaps we are just incapable of seeing it from an individual perspective. We are just meant to be and enjoy the experience for what it is. There is no need to impose our will on another as we respect their perspective equally and realize that we are all just making up the collective consciousness or "god entity." By that I mean that if there is a "god," that it is my belief that we are all just a tiny sliver of it and collectively we make up the whole "god being" as it were.
In one of Alan Watt's lectures he refers to this point of realizing that we are "god" as misconstrued by some and I can completely see that. There is the option of taking that statement in a highly narcissistic way and believing that we are the sole "god being" and the only source of creation that exists. These people often go mad and end up having fits of rage or seeking power over others as they view everyone else as an object that should be under their control. Alternatively if we have the other experience and see that we are all "god" or from the Christian ideology "we are all created in God's image," then it's easy to see each other as equals and co-creators in this elaborate game that we play to entertain ourselves.
The ability to view life as a sort of game is the one that I find myself relating to the most. Perhaps if we were all ascribed our roles based on the tarot then I would enjoy playing the fool or joker the most. I'll put it this way, if I am all that is, or at least a part of it, and I wanted to keep myself busy and not focused on that simple fact at all times, I would have to play games with myself. If I already knew everything that would ever happen and how everything would turn out in the end, the only thrill that I could comprehend having at that point would be to forget who I am and start over. To make it a challenge and keep staying ahead of myself I would have to keep adding more and more players in this game over time as I'd get better and better at remembering who I am and what I'm doing, but the kicker is they are all still me. I know, I'll throw them all onto one tiny plane of existence and let them all work it out on their own at the same time. Can you see the game I'm playing yet? Namaste.
Deep post > I need to read this again I think . Thanks for o solid post
healthy separation from the things that happen to us seems useful when possible.
I concur. :)
Regarding each of us playing different roles/fulfilling archetypes:
I believe the universe follows a natural progression of forms as it develops. Each dominant form carves a niche in reality based on it's nature, creating a vacuum of sorts for another form to rise into dominance. This idea stemmed from my observations and knowledge of evolution - where the idea of competing forms is already present. A species will have a trait which leads to it dominating a space, until that dominance has an effect on said space, opening up a new niche for another species to move into and dominate.
A while ago I tried putting these into a cycle of character archetypes which described an overarching pattern of the universe. As everything is emergent phenomena, understanding where we are in the unfolding cosmic evolution gives us insight into what we will face in the future. By the cycle I created/defined, I saw that we were at the end of the trickster's dominance, and leading into the fool's, which leads into beginning of the next cycle.
For reference, I define the trickster and fool as two types of liars. A trickster will come up to you with a warm smile and try to sell you a bridge. A fool will go "A bridge?! That sounds like a great investment!" while secretly recording the entire conversation. With this in mind, I point to the sociopaths who rise to the top of our societal pyramid, and then to the rise of technology, to include all the steps we're taking towards brain-to-brain communication.
Interesting, I tend to think of the fool as the one that disregard the notion of bridges entirely and ponder on why we were trying to get across in the first place. :)
This is my definition of the fool as well. The fool is he who has stuck his head outside of Plato's Cave to take a look at the real world. With this knowledge, the universal joke becomes apparent, and the fool can only laugh along with it. Thus, the fool does not get caught up in the games of the culture, where the trickster is dominating. When confronted with the trickster, the fool smiles knowing he has the joker up his sleeve.
Awesome article, I feel like I am on this "path" to realizing what we've forgotten about our identity, that we are all God, and that this world, while an illusion, is still very much an expression of God.
I haven't fully realized it in my daily life, but feel like I've had changes in my perception of life and experiences where I felt like I was one with everything, so think I'm on the right track.
Alan Watts is great, and I also like Spira and Adyashanti for people I read and learn from. I was actually planning on posting about how life is a game, and a game that most of us don't know the rules to, so we are easily taken advantage of or hurt. I will probabaly post it at a later date when my understanding is more complete.
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Have you read about Jungian archetypes? I think the Tarot is a really good analogy for them like you described.
I also feel like the Joker is the most entertaining archetypal way of conducting ones life.
I am a greater fan of Jung than Freud by far. I agree. :)
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