Updated April 12, 2023
There is nothing spontaneous about the basic self – like a violinist is in sync with the notes of the classical composition played, the basic self is in sync with the brain’s script. Neither the violinist nor the self has room for improvisation or regret because everything is already set. Photo © Alexius Jorgensen.
In most cases, you do not have to read Alexius’ Enlightened Non-Teachings in a particular order. But in the case of this article, you may benefit from reading Duality Hack #5 The worry-free life of the basic self.
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The special self always looks for errors in its appearance to correct, thus confirming its belief in being the master. In contrast, the basic self does not consider itself responsible for how anything happens. It adjusts itself to the brain’s stream of thoughts which is not based on personal preferences but on what is in the best interest of the whole. Therefore, the basic self helps everybody when it serves the brain.
Should that work out not in its favour, the basic self does not perceive in a way that makes it sad because it perceives its reaction to something as ‘it is what it is.’ Whether the response was sadness or gladness, the perception reveals the reaction is twofold, thus both sad and glad. Therefore, since the basic self is in sync with the brain’s duality fantasy, where everything comes in pairs, it feels complete.
In other words, the basic self does not have to restrict itself to feel complete in the duality flow. Read more about the duality flow in Duality Hack #8 The duality flow goes to non-duality.
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The special self avoids seeing itself as the brain has made to create its own version of itself. Hence it does not notice its creator’s love but looks for it in the world. Unfortunately, it does not meet its expectations., so the special self is always disappointed. In contrast, the basic self never feels let down by the world because its happiness does not come from something specific but from being in sync with the brain’s script, thus feeling its love.
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The basic self’s perception is synced with the stream of thoughts from the brain. Therefore, since it feels connected, it does not need to be or achieve anything special to feel good. But the special self is out of sync with the flow, thus feeling disconnected and looking for special moments in the past to replicate in the present to feel connected. But since the connection is an imitation, the special self feels empty.
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The special self is to be compared to a con artist. The more it can deceive others into believing it has something they do not have, the better it feels about the image it has made up about itself. Photo © Alexius Jorgensen.
The basic self never tries to look professional, so if it appears perfect, it is due to the brain’s script. But the special self always tries to look perfect because it does not believe it is carried by the brain’s script but the rules of society, which are made to suppress instincts, favouring a spotless appearance.
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The special self always fears missing events it perceives as crucial because it wants to be part of something special. On the other hand, the basic self sees itself as hooked up to the brain, and since it is the maker of all experiences, the basic self is part of everything that can be experienced. Thus it has nothing to miss.
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A participant in a game like Monopoly has the same goal as the special self: to take everything from everybody. But that is not the goal of the basic self. It has no intention of being or having something that sets it apart from the whole.
It does not know the concept of individuality. Nor does it know that the special self thinks it is possible to do things in its way because, just like in Monopoly, everybody, regardless of the colour of their car, has to move by the dice.
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The special self questions everything, whereas the basic self never asks who it is or where to go. Like in a board game, it simply moves by the dice, whether that takes it to a place defined as a prison or a free spot. Every experience is equally entertaining because its reaction to them is perceived as ‘it is what it is.’
The throw of the dice also determines where the special self goes. However, it hides that by making a story which, in retrospect, establishes itself as the master.
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As the special self always waits for something better, it is stuck in a prison of expectations. On the other hand, since the basic self hopes for nothing, it feels free. Photo © Alexius Jorgensen.
The basic self follows the instruction it receives without favouring anybody in particular. Hence it automatically does what is in the best interest of everybody.
On the other hand, the special self always uses the signals from the brain to see how much it can get for as little as possible at anybody’s expense. Should somebody be hurt by this, it blames them and states that as a fact by saying, »Look what you made me do.«
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Like a self-driving car following the internet’s commands, the self, whether basic or special, serve the brain. But unlike a self-driving car, the self has a consciousness that can choose how to perceive itself. When this perception is in sync with the brain’s script, the self automatically has an impersonal approach to everything, thus being basic. But when the perception is centred around being more important than others, thus being special, it is not in sync with the script because that favours nobody in particular.
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Since the experience of what and where we appear is fabricated by the brain (read more about that here), we feel connected when we follow the rules of the brain and unconnected when we try to change them.
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When you perceive to fail, your perception is out of sync with the brain’s script because, according to that, you are good enough as you are. The perception is also out of sync, if you believe it was due to willpower, you lost weight. The only reason it happened was the brain’s script. But your interpretation of your new look is in sync with the brain’s script of duality if perceived as ‘it is what it is’ because that reveals it is twofold.
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Nobody is unjustly treated in the brain’s script. It is all about being entertained by duality, which you are when perceiving your reaction to your experiences as ‘it is what it is’ because that reveals your response is twofold. And since you are in a world of duality, it makes you feel complete.
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The special self continuously looks for more love, realisations, or whatever makes it appear to be and has more than others. Photo © Alexius Jorgensen.
»Edit your life frequently and ruthlessly. It is your masterpiece, after all.« This quote from the web shows a widespread misunderstanding, namely that life is yours. In reality, it is the other way around. Therefore, the more you try to edit life to appear unique, the more suffering your uniqueness seems to cause you.
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When you perceive your response to the moment as ‘it is what it is,’ there is no future to look forward to, thus no stress. That is why the basic self feels relaxed, and the special self seems tense because it never perceives the present moment like that. Actually, it does not perceive it all. Instead, it is busy making an exciting perception of the next moment founded on ‘I know what it is,’ so the future seems to be going its way, wherefore the special self can look forward to something exceptional.
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Many articles in the news point out that hardly any part of the earth is untouched by the damaging impacts of humanity. But there are very few pointing out that hardly any part of a human is untouched by the detrimental ways physicists, psychologists and new agers label every nook and cranny so that most feel compelled to adjust their perception of themselves to these rigid definitions instead of the natural flow of thoughts coming from the brain.
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Everything comes in pairs in a world of duality. Therefore, since happiness and sadness are two sides of the same coin, the basic self knows that when it feels sad, happiness is included.
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Since nothing ever turns out as the special self expects, it is never satisfied. But, on the other hand, the basic self expects nothing. Instead, it curiously looks forward to seeing what it gets. And whether that makes it satisfied or dissatisfied, the basic self feels entertained because it perceives its feelings as twofold. Hence satisfaction includes dissatisfaction and vice versa.
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Since the basic self controls nothing, it has nothing to let go of. Photo © Alexius Jorgensen.
Neither the basic nor the special self is in charge of anything. The latter, however, assumes that if it perceives the past as the special self, not the brain, was in control, it is a fact. But no matter how you perceive the past, you have never been in charge. The brain runs the show, and, as parents look after their kids, it protects you.
But unlike parents, the brain does not protect you from evil because you cannot feel good without evil. Goodness is defined by evil and vice versa – just like going down on a rollercoaster defines going up and vice versa. You need them both to be entertained. That is why the brain’s script is twofold.
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The special self always looks for mistakes in itself to correct, thus appearing in control. But the basic self does not consider itself in charge of anything. On the contrary, it is a servant of everything because it is adjusted to the flow of thoughts from the brain, which does not care about personal preferences but what is best for the whole.
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Your extraordinary ideas block you from feeling good because that does not require anything but being in sync with the thoughts coming from the brain. After all, making you feel good is their purpose.
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The special self is bound to get angry because it perceives itself as in charge, although it hardly ever gets what it sets out to obtain. And if it does, it feels restless because it always wants more. On the other hand, the basic self never looks for more. Why should it? It is in sync with the brain’s script, thus feeling happy no matter how much it has.
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You have two options: being special and depressed or basic and happy.
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The special self wants to outdo everyone perceived to be better than itself, so it can take what it perceives to be its rightful seat as the master of the universe. On the other hand, the basic self perceives itself as ‘it is what it is,’ thus feeling good enough. Photo © Alexius Jorgensen.
The world of the basic self is not without sadness, but as that and happiness are two sides of the same coin, sadness includes happiness and vice versa.
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The basic self perceives everything that happens in the best interest of the whole because the brain’s script excludes nobody. But the special self perceives everything happening as a means to get more for itself at the expense of others. Thus it does not get the satisfaction of feeling connected with the whole but the dissatisfaction of being alone.
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Satisfaction comes from a perception in sync with the brain’s script of duality. However, the special self does not like twofoldness because it wants to be definitive. Since that makes it feel alone, it spends much time adjusting its perception of itself. Hence it remains feeling separated and abandoned.
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You are not necessarily out of sync with the brain’s script having grievances. However, if you justify them with selected script fragments, you do not perceive your grievance as ‘it is what it is’ but as something that emphasises you as special. Hence you do not get the satisfaction of being in sync with the script. The same applies to justifying any other feeling.
In other words, if you feel love and justify it with your spouse, love seems to have a specific shape, so eventually, you feel imprisoned by it instead of feeling free in the ever-changing flow of the brain’s script.
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The special self does not survive torture, but the basic self does. It has not added something to itself, so there is nothing to take away. Photo © Alexius Jorgensen.
Perhaps you were so tired that you erased your hard disk by mistake. Though you cannot undo it, you can correct how you perceive your reaction to data loss. For example, if you feel sad, you perceive it as ‘it is what it is,’ thus seeing sadness is complemented by happiness. And since they constantly interact, sadness does not get sticky. Thus starting afresh feels adventurous.
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Happiness is a mechanical product of the brain, which needs to be counteracted with sadness, so you know whether you are happy. That is the way of duality, and ultimately speaking, there is no solution to this constant interaction of opposites other than having the belief in duality undone. However, that does not result in something because non-duality is oneness, and it takes more than one to get a result. Fortunately, the absence of something is pure peace.
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The brain can be compared to Spotify in the sense that it has many playlists to choose from. But no matter which playlist you decide to stream, it will not bring happiness unless in sync.
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Because the special self has fabricated a story where it is independent of the brain, it feels lost when not experiencing being connected with others. But no matter how many likes it gets on Facebook, it never has enough because its independence is based on the idea that there is more.
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The flow of thoughts only seems speedy and confusing when you want to be independent of it.
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Should you wonder if you are in sync with the brain’s libretto, you are not in sync with the brain because you have no doubts when aligned with its script.
NOTE: The above article is part of Duality Hack #6 Happiness is to be in touch with the brain.
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