There are, for me, two levels of living. One level is perceptual, all things sensual. This aspect of my experience is referred to as “I.” This is persona. It is that which I see of myself in the world. For many years persona, “Greg,” was all that I knew myself to be.
I had a number of other “different” experiences. The first of these experiences occurred when I was about five years old. Others occurred sporadically through out my life. They were not perceptual but yet were real experiences.
These experiences were of such a nature that I was confronted with the undeniable fact that some other process was acting through me with which I was not perceptually in touch.
This “otherness” seemed to operate with a wisdom and foresight well beyond my own, and appeared to be free of the conventional assumptions that I hold for myself. As I look back on my life history it would seem that this “otherness” flavored my entire life and represents a continuous theme – a theme that on a few occasions presented itself with such clarity that it had to be “seen” by Greg, by “I.”
Eventually “I”, Greg, discovered “ME.” “ME” of course always knows “I,” and can in fact never lose touch with “I.” Yet “I” continually loses touch with “ME.” “I” reflexively believes I am in charge of steering my own course through life. “ME” is soul and knows better.
As a painting is an expression of the artist, so too is the “I” persona an expression of the much larger “ME.” A spiritual awakening would suggest that Divinity, through “ME,” finds expression within the human arena as Greg (“I”).
“I” has its own particular signature, and that signature is significant; however, in no way need it resemble the reality and shape of the “ME” behind it. “ME” as essence is of the same quality for all of us. Every individual has soul and is both absolutely unique and absolutely equal to every other individual. Each individual, each “ME,” wears a different “I” suit for this human experience.
When one is awakened to the existence of “ME,” we are more likely to leave “flatland.” This transformation in spiritual vision invites our concern to shift from an interest in the “who” of one’s self, the “I”, to an interest in the “what” of self. This shift of interest includes also the “what” of others and the “what” of God. When we have a closer relationship with ourselves, we also have a closer relationship to God and to other individuals.
This human experience is essentially a spiritual experience. This means to me that cause, for any and every moment and regarding any and every thing, must be spiritual. All that we can ever experience in perception is a manifestation of the spiritual dimension.
“ME” does not live within the body but rather infuses the body. “ME” really can’t be seen by us in this worldly situation, because it is essentially spiritual. Our focus of perception is through “I”; however, that “I” is not the “location” of soul. Soul is just not to be identified with “I.”
We are spiritual beings whose perceptual focus has entered into worldliness. As is said, “We are spiritual beings having a human experience not human beings having a spiritual experience.” With this entering into worldliness, we have lost our awareness of both our true identity and an appreciation of the dynamics of spirituality. It appears that we are free standing creatures who must make our way in this world by our own efforts.
Reflexively our focus of faith is fully in the belief that the circumstances can and should be altered by me (“I”). So we struggle with life as a series of problems that must be solved rather than life as a mystery to be appreciated. If only we could appreciate the mystery. If only we could watch and experience the “I” without ever being captivated by the perceptual circumstances of “I”. Then, but only then, we would have Unity with God and others. And only then would we have peace.
Adapted from Blumenthal, D. L. and Sipes, G.P. Transformation of the Soul, Vol. II. (Bloomington, Indiana: Authorhouse), p. 89-92.
