The above sounds pretty well suited to what I teach, except that the practice of philosophy (these days at least) is often more about discussing the questions rather then looking for the answers. My own experience of this includes all my posts on a Philosophy forum being removed as soon as I wrote each one, with no explanation or response to my requests for an explanation; then later my account being terminated. What was my crime? ...To presume to answer their questions!!!!

The following question came from a friend and as such the answer is a different tone to my others. The question is a general one, but addresses one of the fundamental issues often discussed in Philosophy.

Hi Catherine

I read most of the piece and got the idea. It describes people (doctors and scientists / intellectuals) trying like hell to understand the idea (as they put it) of:

"Individuation, or becoming a whole individual through self-realization, as an ongoing journey involves a natural 're-collection', re-gathering, or Platonic anamnesis (remembrance) of an innate wholeness and centre, the Self. The aim of personal individuation is the reproduction of this unity, the Original Being,"

Since it is all intellectual understanding and not firsthand experience for them, they use longwinded jargon. This is actually my area of 'expertise' (if I may say so), but as a firsthand constant experience rather than handed down theories.

As you have been good enough to send this to me, I will expose my level of madness and describe (in my own words) what they are looking for....

Other parts of the piece you kindly sent include the following.. "...aimed toward a unification of the ultimate principle of 'the One...,...Plotinus discusses whether all individuals are one soul...,...the most mature phase of individuation as the realization of one's communion with an original unitary reality".

So what does this mean?

Well, in truth it is really simple. In fact so simple, and yet it can be so terrifying if a person really gets it, that it leads to this sort of intellectual stuff as an avoidance of what it really is.

For 'Self Realisation', 'Union' or 'Non-Duality' (to quote a few names) to have any true meaning, it means that this is indeed all 'one' (which is what they are saying); they just can't understand it.

It means this......

There is one 'being' here, one intelligence or one 'dreamer' (and this existence has been called Maya / illusion). That means the individual, since s/he is here, IS THE ONE 'BEING', THE ONE CREATING THIS DREAM, THEIR OWN DREAM AND EVERYTHING IN IT!

The first time I saw this as an inner knowledge I cried, some 10 years ago now, through the fear of being alone and the sheer desolation as I saw the implications of this. The knowledge grew in me and settled over the coming years, until becoming an experience rather than a knowledge (which later became constant) some time in 2002. That is, in 'my' own experience here, that this is all 'me' - my own dream, my own creation, and everything I experience is within my own mind, my own consciousness. 

This is what these chappies are trying to understand. How there can be Oneness with all these people? ...The truth (the obvious truth) is, there can't. There is only one person, the only one here, and his/her own body, and all others, are within their own dream of existence.

Amazing stuff?...

The more amazing thing is, since all are created equal, even once a person has realised that this is their own dream (or nightmare, depending on your view) they cannot run around telling others that they don't exist and are only dream images in another's dream; since the nature of the dream is that each person can realise this is THEIR dream and that 'you' aren't real... even if 'you' are only dreaming they can. Therefore, a teacher of Enlightenment (such as me) must tell others, if they are ready, that they are creating me to reflect this back to them & I am not real, since this is their dream, to them (in 'my' / your dream).

That's the wonder here.

Mad, or what....?!

 

Nick

 

Nick Roach

Nick Roach Teachings