– updated August, 2026
Metaphors and imagery trace the story of leaving Oneness’s tranquillity for the lure of more than one. When we realise this endless search for more only leaves us frustrated, we stop seeking. Thus, the belief in more than one no longer seems to hide that there’s no more than the tranquillity of One.
Duality Hack #3.3 from the free eBook Alexius’ Duality Hacks
That which is One …
… has no form because it takes more than one to give shape. Thus, being formless, Oneness takes up no space. Yet, for the same reason, it’s endless. Therefore, since there’s nothing but the formlessness of Oneness, experiencing a world with more than one is make-believe.
But what if oneness …
could be divided into more than one? It’s impossible, except in fantasy, because Oneness is formless.
Nonetheless, imagining a world of more than one still relies on Oneness. Hence, since it has no dimension, everything in such a world is as flat as this hack’s images. To add the illusion of depth, we therefore imagine our eyes function as AR (augmented reality) glasses.
Then, our AR eyes, as an illusionist’s sleight of hand, construct a virtual layer of circular patterns moving over Oneness, generating the illusion of more than one. These patterns look and move a bit like those overlaid on the music video for Inti Watana by the Bolivian singer Luzmila Carpio.
The movie Lucy illustrates that if you were to infinitely speed up time, any object would disappear – or, in the context of this hack, separation is undone, leaving nothing but One. In a world with more than one, it’s the reverse. The speed of Oneness has been reduced to the point where it appears to contain many different objects. [Image from the internet].
A world with more than one replaces that which is One
To fully mask reality, we upgrade our vision to VR (virtual reality), experiencing a simulated world of more than one as a layer over Oneness. Perhaps because artificial layers gave rise to the belief in more than one, many of us now mechanically operate in layers in a world with more than one, often without even realising it. For instance, we look at our smartphones, where a layer of digital information flows over the physical world. At the same time, we listen to music streamed from cyberspace in one ear and converse with friends from the physical world in the other.
But why do we want more than One? The limitless options it offers may draw us in. However, this excitement comes at a price, because our reaction to a world divided into more than one must be dual.
»This (virtual reality) is a state where you are totally transported into another world and immersed in the digital interactions of the virtual environment you’ve entered … the feeling that you are genuinely visiting another space that is wholly distinct from what you can see and hear without the platform … a platform like Oculus Rift is an alternative to reality, supplying entirely new, virtual experiences: true VR.« From Wired before Meta bought Oculus. [Photo: Alexius]
In a world with more than one, all experiences are twofold
Twofoldness, the interaction of contrasts, is fundamental in a world of more than one. This dualism is necessary for perception. For instance, you can only read this because a contrasting shade makes the black letters stand out. Similarly, you can’t experience love without being aware of hate, or feel excited without the notion of depression. Without contrast, we wouldn’t be conscious of anything. See Duality Hack #8.
Yet, many believe they can bypass twofoldness and create a singular state of mind by focusing on one love, one work, one god, one purpose, and so on. Others try to recall memories of Oneness to ward off duality. But because those memories are distorted by their desire for more, they prevent singularity and instead generate a sense of incompleteness.
Thankfully, you feel complete when you engage in the twofold interaction of opposites, such as success and failure, happiness and sadness, or confidence and doubt. Eventually, this fulfilment becomes so complete that you forget what and where you are. Then the Enlightenment of that which is One sets in (Duality Hack # 10.1).
Throughout history, people have fantasised about integrating the body with a divine or non-physical world. Imaginative fiction, transcendental meditation, aura transformation and psychoactive drugs can be seen as early attempts to fool us into believing that the physical and the immaterial can combine. Modern virtual reality (VR) may be the final step in fooling ourselves into believing such a blend is possible.
Ways to undo the belief in more
A world with more than one is like the illusions projected onto a screen by a film roll in an old cinema. The Enlightenment of that which is One is like the bright white light that fills the screen when the roll suddenly breaks, abruptly ending a world with more than one.
However, if you prefer to gradually undo the belief in more than one while still enjoying the experience of more than one, perceive those experiences as symbols of Oneness. In this way, all things become the same, apparent differences make no difference, and the belief in more than one eventually falls apart.
A game is virtual and only appears real when you play it
We often feel nauseous when playing a virtual reality game. This is because our responses make us feel as if we are moving through the game’s world. Yet we sit in a chair with our eyes covered by goggles, while an app fills our field of view with a simulated world.
If you replace the app with the brain in this description, it becomes a portrayal of appearing as someone in a world with more than one. You feel off because, in reality, there’s nothing but that which is One. Thankfully, you don’t feel off appearing in a world with more than one when you see the illusion as a symbol of reality
You might see the orange circles in different sizes, but this is an illusion caused by the surrounding blue circles. This illustrates a broader point: anything in reality
that appears different or
separate is simply a product of perception, since reality has no shape or form.
That which is One
When you return to Oneness, you don’t know you ever left, as Oneness is formless and thus endless, so you can never leave it.
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