Updated August 1, 2022
Inclusiveness is a journey without distance to that which is endless, namely non-duality
January 3, 2022 by
The origin of Alexius’ Duality Hacks
July 22, 2016 by
Updated May 31, 2023
Since Alexius hardly has read any scriptures or so-called spiritual books, Alexius’ Enlightened Non-Teachings are not based on an existing religion or philosophy, nor are they meant to be a new one but to undo the belief in anything that requires more than one.
Alexius does not know how he came about hacks #1-10 and #12 (see Alexius’ Duality Hacks). They evolved by themselves while writing Alexius’ Enlightened Non-Teachings. He was very surprised about Duality Hack #5-8, which ended with a recommendation to follow the duality flow to non-duality. But he was even more surprised about the concept of hack #12, which is that you return to oneness two by two since that is how you imagined leaving it.
The empty breath (Duality Hack #9) was no surprise to Alexius because he had been connected with that for ages. He is not sure how it happened initially, probably through devotion. But the way advised in Alexius’ Enlightened Non-Teachings about going with speedy thoughts came to him while waiting a long time for a doctor.
To his knowledge, nobody else has written something like Alexius’ Duality Hacks. There is much written about Enlightenment, but nobody seems to talk about the Enlightenment of that which is One and glimpses of it. Nor does anybody mention how quickly you can hear and feel the vibration Aum and Sohang symbolise as Alexius does in Life has no secrets, deduced from his many years of hearing and feeling the echo of oneness.
But the ways he describes in The four aspects of Enlightenment and how to sample them have been around for ages, although not as Alexius presents them. He heard about them in his youth. However, the speaker may not have spoken from personal experiences but second-hand knowledge because, among others, he referred to the Gheranda Samhita, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and the Shiva Samhita, The Self Realisation Fellowship of Parahamsa Yogananda, and followers of Shri Swarupanand. Alexius does not know the mentioned or how they apply the techniques.
Guru is a Hindi word for teacher, and as such, it is deeply founded in the belief of being in a world where there seems to be more than one because it requires more than one to teach or learn something. In other words, generally, a guru is no different from anybody else, profiting from the belief that it is possible to be and have more than that which is One.
Anyhow, Alexius soon had so many glimpses of Enlightenment that he forgot to see them with different shapes and colours. Thus, he welcomed the Enlightenment of that which is One (see Duality Hack #10 The Enlightenment of that which is One). Unfortunately, he cannot offer a technique for that because the Enlightenment of that which is One cannot be shared since it requires more than one. But he can say that forgetting to be someone definitive, or if not looking more, nothing hides the Enlightenment of that which is One. Fortunately, applying one or more of Alexius’ Duality Hacks eventually brings you into a state of not-knowing. Remaining there for more than 20 minutes, maybe 45, the Enlightenment of that which is One set in.
On the other hand, glimpses of Enlightenment can be shared. And since Alexius experience them continually, his guidance about them is not based on second-hand knowledge. That is why they may not be similar to what you hear from those interpreting old scriptures because, without the Enlightened of that which is One, you are bound to misinterpret them.
Most assume getting Enlightened makes you an amazing person. But the Enlightenment of that which is One does not change anything since that requires more than one. In other words, Alexius was not changed when he momentarily stepped aside so that there was nothing for the light to suck through a black hole into the formlessness of oneness. Nevertheless, he is to be compared to the Enlightenment of that which is One.
Unfortunately, that does not apply to most of those talking about Enlightenment. What they say is not geared toward welcoming but fending off the Enlightenment of that which is One. For example, the old-school gurus may speak dimly about kundalini, supposedly mixing body and spirit so that you become full of bliss and wisdom. And newer gurus have speculative teachings about living in the now, realising the self or a higher purpose. Both approaches appeal to those who want their feelings of inferiority replaced with feelings of spiritual grandeur, so they seem acknowledged as someone special part of something higher.
Guru is a Hindi word for teacher, and as such, it is deeply founded in the belief of being in a world where there seems to be more than one because it requires more than one to teach or learn something. In other words, generally, a guru is no different from anybody else, profiting from the belief that it is possible to be and have more than that which is One.
However, it requires more than one to fuse the body and spirit, to be full of light, live in the now, or realise the self. Therefore, since they promise you something you can only get in a world where there seems to be more than one, what you get is fake because there is no more than that which is One since it is formless, thus endless.
Do not count on the ways for a hypothetical better life in the future. Reality is one perpetual present. Hence tomorrow is an illusion.
The same applies to seeing, hearing, feeling or tasting glimpses of the Enlightenment of that which is One. That is why Alexius’ Enlightened Non-Teachings distinguish between the Enlightenment of that which is One and its glimpses. The latter is an experience or a state of being, thus part of a world where there seems to be more than one. But the Enlightenment of that which is One is not an experience, nor any kind of being, as it takes more than one to be aware of something. In other words, it is not part of a world where there seems to be more than one. On the contrary, it erases all memories of more than one.
But it does not seem to bother those teaching about kundalini, higher self, and freedom in the now that no one gets it. On the contrary, that means their followers continue paying money, giving hugs, or whatever the teacher needs to feel loved or powerful.
Fortunately, this is not what Alexius’ Enlightened Non-Teachings are about. They ask for nothing and offer nothing because you have never left oneness since it is formless, thus endless.
NOTES:
- The graphics are grabbed from the web.
- This article is part of Duality Hack #11 Going without distance to non-duality.
The four aspects of Enlightenment and how to sample them
July 22, 2016 by
Updated April 6, 2023
The echo of that which is One is often symbolised by the words Aum, Sohang or The Word of God. It comes from the edge of the universe, but since the inward-facing senses are not limited by time and space, via them, it takes no time to hear or feel the echo of oneness.
None of the facets of the Enlightenment of that which is One – bright light, transparent feelings, ethereal harmonies or the sweetness of oneness – can be experienced because it requires more than one to be conscious of something. Therefore, you are wrong if you think you have felt, seen, heard, or tasted the Enlightenment of that which is One. You have had glimpses of it. They are samples you experience via the inward-facing senses while still in the world of the outward-facing senses.
In other words, contrary to the Enlightenment of that which is One, having glimpses of it is not beyond the senses. This article is about how to experience these samples with the inward-facing senses while still in the world of the outward senses.
The purpose of the glimpses is to undo the belief in more than one gradually – or immediately if not having separate flashes, but one light, sound, feeling or taste. That said, you cannot have that because you are in the Enlightenment of that which is One which cannot be experienced, as it takes more than one to be conscious of something. Please beware, the four aspects do not mix, and you do not have to get to know them all to undo the belief in more than One. One is enough.
However, the ways described to do this will not work if you look forward to being or having more. Nevertheless, you do not have to restrain yourself from getting more sex or anything else as long as you perceive your reaction to it as ‘it is what it is.’ See hack #8 The duality flow goes to non-duality.
THE ECHO OF ONENESS
The more you ignore the world defined by time and space, produced by the outward-facing senses, the more a world not limited by time and space is experienced by the inward-facing senses. Without time and space, it takes no time to go to the edge of the universe (read more about that here), where the echo of oneness has been used to create the fantasy world of time and space, which seems genuine until you feel or hear this primordial vibration, often symbolised by Aum, Sohang or The Word of God.
The Hindi symbol of Sohang.
»With every exhalation the soul recites ‘Hang’ and with every inhalation it recites ‘So’. Thus every soul counts the mantra of Sohang (So plus Hang) twenty-one thousand and six-hundred times every day and night.« Gherand Samhita, stanza 84.
In Eastern religions the echo of oneness is symbolised by the word ‘Aum’ or ‘Sohang’ and in the New Testament by ‘The Word of God’: »In the origin The Word had been existing and That Word had been existing with God and That Word was himself God.« John 1:1, Aramaic Bible in Plain English.
One who is to be compared to the Enlightenment of that which is One perceives ‘The Word’ in the above quote as a metaphor for the unpronounceable vibration you can feel or hear when not totally focused on the world of the outward-facing senses.But the unenlightened speculates about what exact words this qoute hints at, even though there is not a single verse in the Bible referring to ‘The Word of God’, as something that is written or can be spoken.
Glimpses of the Enlightenment of that which is One come from a black hole at the edge of the universe. However, this is not far away when you ignore the outward-facing senses and their world defined by time and space but instead go with the inward-facing ones because they are not ruled by time and space. Thus you can feel, see, hear, or taste the glimpses regardless of where you appear in the world of the outward-facing senses.
A way to ignore the outward-facing senses so you can feel or hear the echo of oneness with the inward-facing senses is not to be exclusive but inclusive. When you include all that you feel or hear – or are willing to do that – the sum of it is felt or heard by the inward-facing senses. It feels or sounds like the humming of nothing and everything. And it is like being both in the world of the outward and inward-facing senses. Read about inclusiveness vs exclusiveness in hack #4 Inclusiveness frees you from duality.
You can also use the word Aum or Sohang as a launching pad for feeling or hearing the humming from the edge of the universe. Read the article Life has no secrets to learn how to do that without spending years meditating.
READ ABOUT THE INWARD AND OUTWARD-FACING SENSES:
- The inward and outward-facing senses, the Enlightenment and its glimpses
- The ins and outs of the inward-facing senses
- Alexius in Wonderland
- Going inward, outward or everywhere and glimpses of it
- The empty breath syncs the inward and outward-facing senses
- Take-offs into the empty breath
- Forgetting the world of the senses
When your eyes become single, there is no separation to hide the Enlightenment of that which is One.
THE THIRD EYE
Seeing glimpses of oneness is done via the inward-facing sense, often called the third eye, a single ‘eye’ between the two eyes above the eyebrows.
»The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.« Matt 6:22, King James Bible. This makes much sense to one who is to be compared to the Enlightenment of that which is One but obviously not to the unenlightened, because in the new international version of the New Testament this sentence has been changed to: »The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.«
The enlightenment of that which is One is bid welcome by completely ignoring the senses. First time this happened for Alexius was when he returned home totally exhausted after a long nights work of taxi driving and simply was too tired to focus.
In other words, to be offbeat, exhausted, confused or maybe even drunk is a way to forget to sense the world, thus nothing to hide the Enlightenment of that which is One. Actually, anything that is not part of a scheme to fabricate images defined by time and space will do.
If that includes drugs Alexius does not know, because he has not experienced them. Yet he can say from looking at others taking drugs, that it seems more about expanding the consciousness of a world where there seems to be more than one than undoing it.
»Direct your eyes toward the middle of the eyebrows and meditate upon your own self. It is Shambhavi Mudra, the most secret practice of all the Tantra scriptures.« Gherand Samhita, stanza 59.
The positioning of the body, while activating the third eye, does not matter, as long as the body does not bother you.
Practically speaking you can turn off the visual outward-facing sense and open the third eye by closing the eyes and lightly, without any concentration, hold a finger on the third eye. You can do it anywhere in any position. However, it is best to do in a dark room, so you do not think the revelation of light comes from the world of the outward-facing senses.
If having a vision like this and it is deciphered into an experience of different colours and shapes around a centre, it is a glimpse of ‘the Enlightenment of that which is One.’ But if you do not judge the apparent different colours and forms to make a difference or to come from somewhere specific, one bright and colourless light, that seems to explode from a gap in nowhere wipes out all thoughts collected to shape you as somebody so that nobody gracefully falls into the formlessness of oneness.
Since the eyes always looks for the greatest contrast of light, your closed eyes automatically search the darkness until they move inwards and upwards towards the third eye from where they settle at a lightshow radiating at such speed that its colours hardly is perceived to differ.
»Touching eyeballs as a feather, lightness between them opens into the heart and there permeates the cosmos.« Sochanda Tantra, stanza 13.
If your eyes do not automatically move inwards and upwards into the area of the inward-facing senses above the eyebrows, you may help them by gently pressing the thumb and middle finger on the outer corner of the eyeballs and the middle finger on the third eye.
However, this is not commendable, since even the slightest effort requires focus, and it is not focus but defocus that bids welcome the Enlightenment of that which is One or its glimpses. Furthermore this may give you the impression that certain physical postures can open the third eye.
None of the inward-facing senses are reached via a specific posture or way of thinking. However, deactivating the outward-facing senses can be achieved in this way, so if you find a technique that seems helpful regarding this by all means go for it. But the fastest way to deactivate the outward-facing senses is to not know what and where you are.
A way to to deactivate the outward-facing senses is to use an eye massager such as RENPHO Eye Massager with Heat Compression. Besides from turning off the outward-facing sense of seeing, the heat soften the eyes. And when they are relaxed, they do not focus. Hence they automatatically turn inwards and upwards to merge into the third eye.
»… and there shall be no light there, and they need no candle there, neither the light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth them light.« Rev. 22:5
The thought construction that seems to keep you together as someone tangible must be left at the edge of a black hole so that there is nothing to gently fall into the formlessness of oneness.
Consequently, you have glimpses of Enlightenmen. And if, metaphorically, your eyes become soft enough the glimpses merge into one bright white light, namely the Enlightenment of that which is One. It extracts all thoughts stored to make you appear as someone definitive, and leave them at the edge of what may look like a black hole, so there is nobody to experience the nothingness of you gently falling into the formlessness of oneness.
You can read more about a black hole in the article The ins and outs of a black hole.
The enlightenment of that which is one is not an out-of-body experience. It is not an experience at all. But its preliminary stages of bliss and compassion, which in the world probably is connected with the pineal gland, is something that may be felt as an out-of-body experience.
However, most are afraid of loosing their identity, so they settle for glimpses of the Enlightenment of that which is One, which is like a blissful out-of-body experience – presumably linked to the pineal gland which appears to foster states like that.
If you are not tempted to stop at this bliss, but to go where someone definitive cannot go, namely into the Enlightenment of that which i One, it is not an out-of-body experience. On the contrary, there is no experience at all, nor consciousness, because to be awate of something requires more than one.
If you want to leave the Enlightenment of that which is One and be reshaped as someone definitive, you must recollect the thoughts, that was left at the edge of a black hole to enter it as nobody.
Returning from the Enlightenment of that which is One to a world where there seems to be more than one, you cannot know, you have been at the other side of a black hole, because you were not there and there is no other side, since there is no more than that which is one. In other words, the person you appear to be is not Enlightened. Yet, due to vague memories of oneness, you are to be compared to the Enlightenment of that which is One.
It is not possible though for somebody else to know this. You will hardly grasp it yourself. But for sure you grasp, that a world where there seems to be more than one is not real.
ETHEREAL HARMONIES
The airy music you can experience with the inward-facing senses is full of ethereal harmonies, probably floating out of a black hole at the edge of the universe.
»I heard a sound from heaven like the sound of cascading waters and like the rumbling of loud thunder. The sound I heard was also like harpists playing on their harps.« Revelation 14:2, Holman Christian Standard Bible.
Being used to take a ride in the world of the inward-facing senses, that opens up when the outward-facing senses are not fully activated to experience a world defined by time and space, you sense the first sentence of this quote refers to ‘Aum’ or ‘Sohang’ or ‘The Word of God,’ and that the second one to ethereal music.
»At midnight when not a single sound is heard, close your ears with both hands and do Purak Pranayama. Listen to the sounds in your right ear which are very pleasant. The first sound that you will hear is of a pine bird, the second of a flute, third of a cloud, fourth of a dragon bee, the fifth of a ringing bell and then of a gong of metal. Sounds of trumpet, drum etc. are also heard.
Except for having scim read The New Testament and Bhagavad Gita Alexius have not read religious scripts. Therefore, most of the words in the quote from Gherand Samhita are meaningless to him. But since he hears celestial music, it is easy to see the essence of the quote is the bliss of listening to ethereal harmonies. Photo © Alexius Jorgensen.
Besides these, many other sounds are heard if it is practiced daily. These sounds are Anahata (unproduced) and come on their own accord. Nada is related to light. Light is related to mind, so mind gets itself merged in a sound which is the seat of the Lord. Therefore, practice of Bhramari gives Siddhi of Samadhi (i.e., makes Samadhi possible).
Mind gets eightfold more pleasure in the act of meditation than Japa (repeating God’s name), eightfold more interest in Tapas (penance) than the meditation, and eightfold more interest in music or sound than the Tapas. There is nothing greater than music.« Gherand Samhita, stanzas 77-81. Besides for the word ‘Nada’ meaning music Alexius does not know the meaning of the Hindi words in this quote, but hearing celestial music himself – though not so bombastic as described in this quote – he gets the overall meaning of it.
Using noise-cancelling headphones is a great way to close off the outward-facing sense of hearing. Alexius prefers in-ear headphones, though, as they can also be used when going to bed.
A practical way to stop hearing the world of the outward-fencing senses and listen to the music of the inward-fencing ones is to put both thumbs in your ears or use noise-cancelling headphones or in-ear headphones. Then without focusing or trying to define anything, be nothing but the ethereal music coming to you from what may seem far away.
To tune in, it is best not to go with the sounds from the left ear. They often come from busy thoughts. So instead, follow the harmonies that appear to come from an empty space outside the right ear. That said, do not pay too much attention to directions.
Maybe you will not hear ethereal harmonies immediately but the humming symbolised by ‘Aum’ or ‘Sohang’ or ‘The Word of God.’ If so, go with that glimpse of the Enlightenment of that which is One. It could also be that you ‘hear’ thoughts. But they will not disturb you from hearing eternal harmonies if that is what you want – nor from having visions of light, infinite sweetness or sublime intimacy.
Tasting the sweetness of oneness helps you not to focus on the world of the outward-facing senses. Since this eventually results in not perceiving the apparent differences to make a difference, there is no separation to hide that which is One.
THE TASTE OF ONENESS
The Taste of oneness can be compared to the foam on a milkshake with a few drops of honey and maybe a hint of either liquorice, strawberry, or mint. It can also be compared to how marshmallows – especially those with a flavour of strawberries – interact with the palate.
Some Chinese Herb Formulations or teas – for example Spring Dragon Longevity Tea – enhance the Taste of Oneness, provided you already are in touch with it. The same applies to the Ayurvedic teas, that Alexius have tasted that include liquorice.
But it is best not to compare the Taste of Oneness or other glimpses of the Enlightenment of that which is One to anything else because all comparisons are based on definitions from the past, thus cancelling out the ever-present glimpses of Enlightenment.
»Your lips drip nectar, my bride, honey and milk are under your tongue.« Song of Solomon 4:11.
»A land flowing with milk and honey« Exodus 3:8
»Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never be thirsty, but the water that I shall give him shall be in him as a well of water springing up into everlasting life.« John 4:10-4:14.
Even though this taste is called the nectar of life in some scriptures, you should not expect it to make you younger or inject you with more energy in the world of the outward-facing senses. Getting more is an illusion based on the belief that there is more than that which is One.
One way of undoing this belief is not to focus because without it, the apparent differences in a world where there seems to be more than one become blurred. Thus different appearances do not seem to hide, there is no more than the formlessness of oneness. Fortunately, defocusing is a side-effect of the technique for the Taste of Oneness.
The inward-facing sense of taste does not only diminish the compulsive focusing on something definitive but also your cravings for more, for example sweets. The Taste of Oneness is always there. It is free, and you do not have to meditate or be pure to enjoy it. All you have to do is to put your tongue behind the uvula and devote yourself to the Taste of Oneness. If you cannot get your tongue all the way, it is not a problem. The technique is meant to help you deactivating the outward-facing senses and the only thing that really accomplish this, is the intention of doing that. In other words, reaching the uvula with your tongue is good enough to get the sweet taste of oneness. This is not a metaphor, nor second-hand knowledge but Alexius’ experience from tasting the subtle sweetness of oneness on both sides of the uvula the past 50 years. Another result of this technique is that the empty breath is activated. It expands the breathing, so the the body feel glorious. And the soft taste of oneness prevents you from focusing on the world of the outward-facing senses. Thus you feel absorded by the happiness of abstractness.
The Taste of Oneness unfolds under the tongue, when it is moved behind the uvula (the skin flap hanging down in the back of the mouth at the entrance to the throat). Placing it there makes you feel like you are not in the world even though you appear there. Besides it cutbacks the need to focus on the world of the outward–facing senses and the longing for more, especially sweets. That is if you devote yourself to it – no techniques work without devotion. Yet devotion can work without a technique.
To get the tongue behind the uvula you may have to press it backwards for a long time, maybe for months, and finally use a finger to push it the rest of the way. It can make you feel as if you are about to vomit. No worries – it is just a feeling. When you are used to keeping your tongue there, it is easy, and there is no sense of vomiting.
»Khechari Mudra is turning the tongue backwards into the cavity of the cranium and turning the eyes inwards toward the eyebrow center.« Haha-Yoga Pradipika, Chapter 3, stanzas 32-37.
To taste the sweetness of oneness, called Khechari Mudray in the above quote, you do not have to literally replicate the ancient technique. Neither do you have to push the tongue behind the uvula as Alexius wrote above. Reaching the soft area underneath the front of the uvula with the backside of the tongue will do. See also the explanation in the above caption.
Alexius started to apply the technique for The Taste of Oneness about 50 years ago. But he cannot remember when he became aware of its side effect of defocusing, thus freeing the body from psychological problems projected onto it. So maybe that takes a while, or he did not notice it at first. But in that context, getting the tongue as close to the uvula as you can is good enough.
THERE IS NO WAY TO THE ENLIGHTENMENT OF THAT WHICH IS ONE
You do not welcome the Enlightenment of that which is One or glimpses of its four facets by becoming purer, breathing wholly, eating healthy or anything else you can do in the world of the outward-facing senses. Still, things like that may help deactivate those senses.
However, no technique can do that if that is not the purpose of executing it. In other words, the first step is solely about purpose. If that is to deactivate the outward-facing senses, many techniques work. The second step is to devote yourself to the lucid journey in the world of the inward-facing senses.
But these steps only apply to having glimpses of the Enlightenment of that which is One and not to welcome in its entirety, as it takes more than one to take any step.
The part of the world of the outward-facing senses you want to experience is not supposed to be blurry. It must be in focus to make the experience definable. It is the other way around in the world of the inward-facing senses. Your experiences there are abstract.
DAILY LIFE WITH GLIMPSES OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT OF THAT WHICH IS ONE
It is probably best not to be active in the world of the outward-facing senses while having visions of light. That is because the visual glimpses of Enlightenment can become so intense that the world of the outward-facing senses is hardly sensed.
However, if the technique for tasting the sweetness of oneness is only used for defocusing, it can be carried out all the time while being active in the world of the outward-facing senses. And you can enjoy the ethereal harmonies if you do it without putting your thumbs in the ears and not too long at a time. That also applies to hearing or feeling the vibration that Aum, Sohang and The Word of God symbolise. See Life has no secrets.
The result is the experience of a world less defined. Not to the extent, though, that you cannot move around but that you feel you are carried around.
That is, as long as you do not take the full tour of these glimpses because after 20 minutes, 45 at most, it ends with the Enlightenment of that which is One. Read more about that here. Thus you no longer experience being someone in a world where there seems to be more than one, nor in oneness since that requires more than one. You are not someone at all, so there is no memory or consciousness of ever having believed that. Instead, there is what always has been and will be, namely that which is one.
The Hebrew word Elohim was originally a symbol for one perpetual present.
The word god, a translation of the Hebrew word Elohim, was at first meant to be a metaphor for that which is one and never ends, thus a symbol for one perpetual present. But since that makes no in a world of linear time, the meaning of the word gradually changed, so that god became a symbol for one almighty force believed to have created a world in its own image.
But what is not definable cannot create something definable. Hence a world defined by time and space is an illusion and so is the perceived creator of that world.
APPENDIX ABOUT THE QUOTES
The terminology of yoga and scriptures – apart from a quick look in The New Testament and Bhagavad Gita – is unknown to Alexius. So he does not know the books quoted above. Instead, he found the quotes by searching the internet.
When everything is included, there does not appear to be something outside you. And as there is no inside without outside, there is nothing but that which is One.
Alexius does not side with Eastern or Western religions or new-age philosophy. Generally, they exclude what they judge as wrong by projecting it onto non-believers to make them tainted and themselves pure. Yoga, for example, is often based on meditation, where you exclude something deemed evil to become pure so you can return to oneness. But that which is One is formless, thus endless. Thus you can neither add nor subtract from it. If you try to do that, you enhance the belief in being and having more than that which is One.
NOTES:
- All images, except the one of Alexius, are grabbed from the web.
- This article is part of hack #11 The senses, the Enlightenment and its glimpses.
Special and important, or basic and humble
May 4, 2016 by
Updated April 7, 2023
The special self wants to make selected ones feel unique, so they depend on it to be appreciated. Photo © Alexius Jorgensen.
The special self is always worried about the future, whereas the basic self lives in joyful ignorance of the next moment.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
It is much cheaper to be the basic self than the revised and more special version because the basic self does not have to buy something extraordinary to feel special.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
The approach of the basic self can be compared to buying an album and listening to it in the way the artist has put it together, whereas the special self prefers to stream the album to exclude the tracks that do not enhance its special image.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
It is always about returning to the way it was for the special self. But not for the basic self. It does not remember how it was. Actually, neither does the special self. It is the story it has composed about the past that it wants to manifest in the present, so it seems everything always has been like it assumes it should be.
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The special self wants to compare everything new with something old so that the present seems conditioned by the past, which it has edited to look like it was caused by itself.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
In the past, the special self made a hateful story as the basis for its perception of the present to confirm its judgment of others as evil. And since the past, therefore, appears to repeat itself, the special self can rest assured in its perception of itself as good and others as bad.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
When a ball comes towards you, it is an automatic reflex to respond to it. Automatically following such reflexes is natural and invokes how easy it is to be the basic self. Photo © Alexius Jorgensen.
Sometimes a doctor checks the function of a body by knocking on special points to see if the involuntary movements work. However, everything considered voluntary is also an automatic movement governed by the brain. Therefore, if you believe in being in charge of yourself, you have suppressed your reaction to everything that does not fit this belief. Therefore, since that requires much effort and it is effortless serving the brain, being a servant makes you feel free and happy.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
Being the special self is not about what you do but how to perceive it to appear in charge. For example, you see yourself as the master of the remote control, your coffee machine, children or pets. And if your boss puts you down, you still see yourself on top, thinking you could do it much better.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
To escape its self-hatred, the special self manipulates others into admiring it. If not succeeding, the special self considers letting go of something to reestablishes its control.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
Believing you are in control, you are under enormous pressure to constantly compose stories where you, not the brain, are in charge.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
The special self assumes happiness comes from being in control. Therefore, if something does not happen as planned, it upholds the idea of being in control by thinking it changed its mind.
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Extraordinary experiences, such as glimpses of the Enlightenment of that which is One, seem to be at a premium for the special self. Yet, it seldom experiences anything but the ordinary because, to prevent its special image from cracking, it fences off unfamiliar experiences.
If something uncontrollable, like glimpses of Enlightenment, should enter its controlled world, the special self ignores it, wait for it to be over, suppress its memories, and resume life as it used to.
You can read about how to have glimpses of Enlightenment in The four aspects of Enlightenment and how to sample them.
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To prevent the image of the special self from cracking, it is crucial not to feel one’s emotions. Therefore, since the special self suppresses them, it becomes so numb that it cannot feel anything. Instead, it invents stories about feelings that fit its self-perception. Photo © Alexius Jorgensen.
The special self enjoys talking about feelings speculatively, »like do I really love this person?« But it does not love anybody. It avoids feelings of intimacy by being with people speaking about a higher state of mind, thus being able to uphold its perception of being the master.
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Since feelings tend to mess up the perception that the special self has made of itself as an independent and unique being, it wants to keep them at a distance. But as this collides with its need to show off as an open person, it lays the blame for fencing off its feelings on others, which it criticises for being closed, thus making it impossible for the special self to express its feelings.
Although the real reason for not expressing feelings is that the special self does not know them, it shows off as an emotional expert who can help others open up to themselves. However, what the special self claims to see are its suppressed feelings (read more about that here).
On the other hand, the basic self has no special image to protect, thus, no feelings to hide.
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The special self uses much energy to suppress the thoughts and feelings judged as unfavourable to preserve what it believes in being or becoming when it lives in the now, comes from the heart, or whatnot. On the other hand, the basic self has no desire to appear definitive, thus no need to judge something as wrong.
Besides, it knows negativity is just as crucial as positivity. For example, an electric wire needs the negative pole as much as the positive one to make the energy required to publish this article online.
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Your suppressed thought and feeling are easily found. What you do not like in a dream is what you suppress, as everything in a dream is part of you. Likewise, what you experience with open eyes because the world is in the eye of the beholder.
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The special self preserves its friendly image by imagining all its nasty psychological issues hidden behind physical problems. To prevent them from surfacing and exposing its peaceful image as fake, the special self never relaxes except through structured systems like Tai chi. On the other hand, the basic self has no special image to uphold. Hence relaxing comes naturally.
That does not mean the basic self never explodes in anger. But, contrary to the special self, it does not see it as wrong. Therefore, since it never hides its rage or any other emotion from itself but perceives its reaction to them as ‘it is what it is,’ it has nothing to conceal.
That said, nobody is perfect, so there may have been times when the basic self forgot to perceive its reaction to something as ‘it is what it is.’Fortunately, it is never too late in perceiving a past response as ‘it is what it is.’ Thus having it revealed not to be definitive but twofold, there is no specific feeling to avoid.
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The special self needs to convince at least one person about how crucial it is, which it achieves by smothering someone with the kind of attention it senses, that is required to make that person feel chosen. Photo © Alexius Jorgensen.
The more the special self can convince others that it can improve the world, the more powerful it feels, thus hiding feeling inferior.
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If the self-centred purpose of the special self is exposed, it will either deny it or say it is sorry and then go on precisely as before.
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When the special self perceives to fail, it takes on being secondary. Thus the failure does not seem to have been caused by itself but by somebody else.
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If the special self discovers that others have interpreted something it did as wrong, it avoids feeling guilty by shouting, »Look what you made me do.«
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The special self always finds something about others that it judges wrong. Hence they become the imperfect background for its perfection.
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The special self likes to meet new people. However, not to get to know them but to answer their questions. That is a perfect opportunity to re-edit the story it has fabricated about itself to appear exciting.
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The special self needs to be part of something extraordinary, not to feel inferior. Thus it checks all notifications on Facebook and makes sure to like what its friends write so that it will like it and be liked by them, and they are confirmed to be together in a group of extraordinary people. But, of course, it only works if you believe something exists in cyberspace.
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The special self needs constant approval from others to feel alive. To get that, it often establishes a family, which it can manipulate into giving it the confirmation it needs. If that does not work as intended, the special self may pay a psychologist to ratify its uniqueness. But it does not realise how dependent it is on those supporting its perception of being independent.
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When the special self sees the woman in this image, it probably makes a perception that hides what it actually feels, so the experience is perceived to be consistent with the image it has constructed of itself. On the other hand, the basic self has nothing to live up to, thus, nothing to hide. So it relates to the image as it is: a woman without clothes in the middle of a forest. If that is felt disgusting or stimulating does not matter because ‘it is what it is.’ Photo © Alexius Jorgensen.
The notion of yourself as special is based on how you perceive to affect others and how you imagine they react. Thus you constantly adjust your perception of their responses, so it seems to confirm they see you as unique.
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The English language suits the special self because it is built upon the ‘I’ as primary and others as secondary. So you do not talk with others but to them. And when you speak about friends and yourself, you always start by mentioning yourself.
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It takes time and effort to invent a spiritual self from which selected elements are eliminated or changed to appear absent of power strivings, selfishness, greed, anger, negative thoughts or whatever you assume is politically incorrect. But being so correct feels restricted, whereas you feel free when not altering or rejecting something in your perception to shape your image into something specific.
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Being on your own makes you feel small, which the special self expects to fix by getting the power it imagines comes from riches, going deeper or realising something higher.
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If one of the special self’s perceptions is exposed as fake, the special self diverts the focus from itself by making up a new perception in which it is unjustly attacked.
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The special self likes to be together with others, but on one condition, namely that others accept its perception of things shapes their relationship.
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For the special self, it is always about becoming better and bigger. So disguised as a do-gooder, it sends love and healing to someone it judges to have less than itself. Photo © Alexius Jorgensen
If you are instructed to go to jail in a game, you must do it if you want to go on. Likewise, in the brain’s game of duality, you get unchangeable instructions from the brain.
If the basic self is asked to go to jail, it does so without asking why because it trusts the brain’s script. But the special think the brain’s ways are unfair, so it insists on a better way. To hide, it is unable to change anything, the special self claims it has been framed and will make the guilty pay for the unjust, thus deceiving itself into believing it is in control.
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For the special self, everything is about itself, so when a relative has been injured in a traffic accident, the typical response is, »How could you do it to me.«
If you are instructed to go to jail in a game, you must do it if you want to go on. Likewise, in the brain’s game of duality, you get unchangeable instructions from the brain.
If the basic self is asked to go to jail, it does so without asking why because it trusts the brain’s script. But the special think the brain’s ways are unfair, so it insists on a better way. To hide, it is unable to change anything, the special self claims it has been framed and will make the guilty pay for the unjust, thus deceiving itself into believing it is in control.
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The special self wants to be free of the brain, but the only one oppressing it is itself.
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The special self splits up its perception of others per its concepts of right and wrong and then expects them to hide or correct what it has labelled as wrong so it does not have to question itself.
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Whether you have convinced yourself to indulge in or refrain from sex, the purpose is to enhance being unique.
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The special self hates being told what to do. So if it seems avoidable, it makes up a story in which it is detached from what happens, wherefore it is not taking orders but going with the flow.
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If one has a personality of a faultfinder, the special self sees it as a mistake that needs to be corrected. Thus, every new mistake it finds disappoints, whereas the basic self is happy because finding errors fulfils its function.
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Undoing the belief in being someone special is like stepping into the unknown. And since life cannot be known, you find it there. Photo © Alexius Jorgensen.
By stating »we are all one,« the special self thinks it expresses non-duality. But since separation is the foundation of this statement, it upholds duality as real.
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Should you have conditioned yourself to feel relaxed when you hear a specific kind of music, you find yourself in a story where you know you are supposed to feel relaxed every time you hear this music. In other words, what you believe in feeling is a product of your story. And as most of what you believe in feeling rests on stories, you are hardly ever in touch with your emotions but how you have conditioned yourself to respond to something. That suits the special self very well. It does not want to experience genuine feelings but how it is supposed to feel them when being what it imagines.
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Adverse events are unavoidable. However, you can refrain from perceiving them like that, thus preventing them from making you suffer. That naturally occurs for the basic self. Therefore it has no need for special events to make it happy.
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It is not what happens but what you make out of it that makes you sad. In other words, suffering is your choice.
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A cat does not plan to do Pilates at a specific hour but naturally stretches out when its biological system tells it to do so. Nor does it attend special seminars to learn who it is or how to be transformed into something else. There is no desire to be anything but a cat. Likewise, being a basic self is good enough.
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The special self is about survival, whereas the basic self is about serving.
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Since the special self is an imaginary self constructed by subtracting what it does not like in itself, it always feels incomplete, hence looking for something it can add to feel complete.
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You cannot escape the hell of the self-discipline required to uphold the perception of being special if you are afraid of losing something, which you are, as long as you believe to be and have something special.
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The problems you perceive to have, do not come from the world where you appear to be but from the belief that you are there. Therefore, the solution to all problems is the same: to undo that belief.
NOTE: This article is part of Duality Hack #5 The worry-free life of the basic self.
Making a special self
May 4, 2016 by
Updated April 7, 2023
The multiplication of thoughts required to construct an image of you as an independent entails stress, thus, a tired body. Photo © Alexius Jorgensen.
THE ROGUE CONSCIOUSNESS MAKES A SPECIAL SELF
When not suppressing feelings by holding back the breath or altering its natural rhythm via yoga, for example, you are effortlessly synced with the brain’s script, thus being the basic self. And since very few thoughts are required to maintain this synchronisation, they do not seem disturbing but encouraging.
That is, until the consciousness, the brain has installed in the basic self to be aware of itself, decides it knows better than its maker, and plots to change the basic self into a special one. However, shaping and maintaining a special self requires a more complicated construction of thoughts than the simple one accumulated by the brain to create and uphold the basic self.
Hence the rogue consciousness perceives one of the brain’s experiences to be so scary that fear makes you hold your breath long enough for thoughts to be imprisoned in the gap, from where they force their way out by multiplying themselves. Having escaped, they continue their frantic multiplication, which pleases the rogue consciousness because it needs lots of thoughts to make a special self come into being, appearing independent of the brain.
But in a world of duality, all thoughts come in pairs of opposing elements to define each other, for example, right and wrong. Therefore, since you cannot have one without the other, you are never solely right or wrong. However, the rogue consciousness does not want the elements in the duality pairs to collaborate because it wants to set up a self that is solely good without traces of evil, and you can decide only to feel love for someone and hate for another, for example.
To disconnect the opposing sides in the duality pairs into distinct elements, the rogue consciousness first imagines a judge determining which emotions are distinctively good and evil. Then, an executioner punishes the bad feelings by excluding them from the new self. Thus it looks only good, having that feeling of being special.
When not interfering with the few thoughts, the brain keeps circulating for you to have a continuous experience of being a basic self, it feels entertaining. But it feels frustrating if you make a perception of the basic self that twists it into something more special. Photo © Alexius Jorgensen.
But when good and evil are separated, they cannot define each other, as when collaborating in a duality pair. Hence you do not get a genuine but conceptualised experience of good and evil. Nevertheless, that suits the rogue consciousness because, with emotions cut off, the special self can mentally decide what good and evil feel like, thus being the master.
You cling to a thought-up version of emotions. And since you believe your single-minded notions are real, you clash with the world of duality pairs.
However, it is hard to constantly suppress genuine feelings to experience good and bad in a thought-up way – or twist experiences into a collectively agreed concept of having a good time. Besides, the suppressed emotions mess up the natural flow of the breath, thus the stream of thoughts used to keep the body healthy, wherefore the body seems inflicted with psychosomatic illnesses. So although the special self probably appears as good as planned, it does not genuinely feel good.
What you believe in being is a construction of thoughts compiled by the brain into pairs of contrasting elements. You do not want to separate them when in sync with their ongoing interaction because it makes you feel complete.
On the other hand, the basic self feels fulfilled regardless of appearance because it does not break up the duality pairs but goes with the interaction of their opposing elements. It does not mean the basic self is perfect but feels complete in the duality flow. Read about that in Duality Hack #8 The duality flow goes to non-duality.
You get into the duality flow by perceiving your single-minded idea of, for example, good or evil as ‘it is what it is’. That reveals your rigid view is twofold, wherefore goodness is in evil and vice versa (read more about that in Duality Hack #6 Happiness is to be in touch with the brain). But instead of accepting that, you probably accuse the brain of messing up good things. However, since you are a product of the brain (read more about that here), your disapproval is a condemnation of yourself.
If the brain wants you to run, it uses the biological system to signal it to the body, which starts running regardless you are a basic or special self. The basic self, as always, feels entertained by following the brain’s commands. In contrast, the special self loathes the brain and its simple ideas of entertainment and thinks it knows better, even though it does not know who it is. Photo © Alexius Jorgensen.
BASIC VS SPECIAL
When the consciousness of the basic self goes rogue, it responds like a spell checker to the calm stream of thoughts coming from the brain, automatically interpreting it to make the self, which initially was made and administered by the brain, appear self-made and independent of the brain.
But since the rogue consciousness interpretations of the stream of thoughts are single-minded, thus out of sync with duality, thoughts run wild. At first, this seems scary to the basic self, but the rogue consciousness convinces it that it is for the best because now it has endless possibilities. Besides, the rogue consciousness promises that by being special, you are independent of the brain, thus able to arrange everything in your special way and pace. That often makes the basic self trust the rogue consciousness’ corrections, not knowing it must spend many years in school learning to label the modifications to act unique in predefined ways.
Both the basic and the special self is a construction of thoughts. But whereas the basic self is simple, the special self is a complicated construction made to sow discord by insisting on being better. Photo © Alexius Jorgensen.
In other words, appearing independent and special is complicated and exhausting, whereas being basic is uncomplicated and vitalising. Therefore, if you want to have a good time while appearing as someone in a world of duality, use one or more of Alexius’ Duality Hacks to enter a state of not-knowing. It wipes the slate clean of all misperceptions, thus restoring the basic self. Since it is relative to the brain, it is in sync with its experiences as they are and not as they could be if you were a special self following a specific philosophy. See, The basic self is relative, thus without ego.
NOTE: This article is part of Duality Hack #5 The worry-free life of the basic self.
Inclusion undoes the belief in separation
August 1, 2015 by
Updated May 21, 2023
Exclusion rubs you off life because it is inclusive. Photo © Alexius Jorgensen.
Those gathering in groups of nationalism, capitalism, socialism or another ism manifests their specific group by denigrating everything out of line with their principles.
First, they divide the world into right and wrong. Second, they eliminate everything judged wrong by projecting it onto other groups. Third, since the other groups are seen as evil, they start fighting them.
When the fight is over, the winning group says, »By doing the right thing, we have established we are the best,« But they only seem better because they have projected the worst in themselves onto the losing groups.
Fortunately, Alexius’ Enlightened Non-Teachings is not a new doctrine where you have to change or get rid of something to become better. Doing so confirms separation, and Alexius’ Duality Hacks undo the belief that there is more than that which is One.
A JOURNEY WITHOUT DISTANCE TO THAT WHICH IS ALL INCLUSIVE
When Henry Ford invented the automobile, he did not update but outperformed the old horse-driving carriage type of transportation.
Likewise, Alexius’ Enlightened Non-Teachings is not an update of ancient meditation methods, added soothing sounds, shaman sticks and whatnot. Alexius’ Duality Hacks are built from scratch, founded on the haste of modern-day life, so you rapidly enter a state of not-knowing undisturbed by the belief in separation. In contrast, meditation is based on exclusion, thus denying the formlessness of life because it is all-inclusive.
Duality Hack #4 Inclusiveness frees you from duality does not require you to sit in a specific position with eyes closed or be with special people in unique surroundings. Instead, you include whatever you experience wherever you are. You cannot go wrong because if you forget to be inclusive, you include your imperfection. Hence you are at full speed on a journey with no distance to that which is all-inclusive, namely, life since it is formless, thus endless.
Inclusiveness is a bit like falling in love. Everybody looks lovely. Photo © Alexius Jorgensen.
INCLUSIVENESS CANCELS OUT SEPARATION
Inclusiveness starts by acknowledging separation because there is nothing to include otherwise. For example, you focus on these black letters to separate them from the white background to read the article.
Next, you include what you excluded. In the context of reading this article, you fully bring back the white background into your awareness. Thus making it impossible to focus on the black letters, wherefore there is no article to read. In other words, by including the excluded, the two sides of a contrast cancel out each other. Therefore, since there is nothing specific to experience, hence nothing to make the experiencer definitive, the belief in separation falls apart.
You do not have to be aware of both sides in a particular contrast to include them because everything comes in pairs of opposites in a world of duality, like two sides of a coin. Therefore, if you include the side you know, the opposite side is automatically included.
Another way to put it, nothing can be experienced without its contrast. Therefore, if you devote yourself so much to a problem that there is nothing but that, there is nothing to define it. Consequently, there is no problem.
The fantasy of being someone in a world outside you is over when you do not exclude thoughts and feelings by justifying them with a world perceived outside of you. Photo © Alexius Jorgensen.
THE PATH OF INCLUSIVENESS TO THE BLISS OF NOTHING
The belief in being someone definitive is often established by telling stories with ourselves as the main character making everything right. Or we refer to stories of others in which we appear to make a difference.
The complete inclusion of thoughts and feelings cancels out the idea of within and without. Hence there is no difference to hide the formlessness of oneness.
The conclusion is not that you must stop telling stories about your achievements if you want the bliss of not believing in being someone definitive. On the contrary, Alexius’ Enlightened Non-Teachings are not about stopping or avoiding something because that involves exclusion, thus enhancing the belief in being definitive. Neither are they about transforming sex or anything else into something higher, but about including everything unedited. That leaves nothing to define you as someone definitive, wherefore you are in the bliss of nothing.
However, most want to feel the happiness imagined from being something specific, such as a unique parent, spouse or spiritual person. Hence they exclude everything from their personality that does not fit their concepts of perfection. Fortunately, you do not have to change this pattern to get the bliss of nothing instead of the disappointment of something. You acknowledge you are unwilling to include everything. Therefore, since you include what you feel, you are on the path of inclusiveness to the bliss of nothing.
This explanation and all others in Alexius’ Enlightened Non-Teachings are inaccurate. They are based on you being someone definitive, which is impossible, and thus inexplainable. That is because oneness is formless, thus endless, so there is nothing definitive.
Alexius’ cat, Uma, is dead, so they cannot meet physically anymore. But since Uma has returned to the nothingness from where she seemed to arise, they are together in the bliss of nothing. Hence Alexius and Uma walk a path without time and space into that which is One, accompanied by soundless meowing. Of course, Alexius and Uma are alone together, including everyone who appears as someone, because there is no separation in nothing. Read about that in Duality Hack #12 The key to oneness is Alone together. Photo © Alexius Jorgensen.
INCLUSIVENESS IS LIFE FOREVER
Alexius had a cat, Uma, who died in his arms. Even though they had only been together for four months, it felt like they had been together forever, so Alexius woke up crying* every morning. He tried to find relief in the memories of their time together, but when the images of Uma started to fade, he realised he was on the wrong track.
In Alexius’ memories, Uma kept running to him daily to pull herself tightly into his chest, as if she still was substantial. However, she was not definable anymore. So he included every part of the memories as intangible instead of excluding those parts, destroying the illusion of her being there, as she used to. Therefore, since the memories were boundless, the feeling of Uma was everywhere. Hence there was no loss to mourn.
However, when Uma is everywhere, she is also in Alexius’ memories. Thus he can enjoy the memories of specific moments with Uma like he enjoys the boundless experiences of her. That does not mean Alexius and Uma are at one. They will never be because oneness does not come from adding more than one but by undoing the belief in more than one. Doing that, there is neither Uma, Alexius or anything else. But until then, Uma seems to be Alexius’ devotional way to oneness. What that means, Alexius does not know. But that is good because it takes more than one to know something.
There is more about Alexius and Uma in You undo the belief in duality by enjoying it.
Alexius’ Duality Hacks do not expand the consciousness. They neither increase nor improve anything. Instead, they undo the belief that there is more than that which is One.
Even though this image is not the real thing but a twisted simulation of people on the beach, it confirms what it simulates because this twisted simulation would not be possible without it. Photo © Alexius Jorgensen.
LIFE IS ALL-INCLUSIVE
You cannot remain as someone definitive in a world defined by time and space without excluding something specific from your personality because it is determined by what you exclude.
Should you lose your self-control and express unfortunate traits belived to characterise others, you claim you were not yourself, somebody else made you do it. Hence your superiority is ensured.
But life is all-inclusive, so by being someone definitive, you exclude it. Therefore if you want it, you must be inclusive. Nevertheless, you probably keep excluding to remain special. No worries. If you include your unwillingness, you are willing to be inclusive. Or you could acknowledge you resist life, thus establishing a relation to it. And since life is inclusive, you are on the track of inclusiveness.
Rage is a reminder of what you have excluded from yourself. Hence it is a confirmation of the formlessness of life, as without it you could not imagine to exclude anything.
Even if you have excluded yourself from the formlessness of life, you have not lost it because, without it, you could not imagine being separated from it as someone definitive in a world defined by time and space. So if you do not look at your appearance to establish an image of being definitive, it reminds you of the formlessness of life.
Though it is due to electricity, this photo can be experienced, the image does not resemble electricity. Likewise, a world where there seems to be more than one does not take after that which is One. However, since oneness is formless, thus endless, there is nothing but that which is One making it possible to experience a fata morgana-like world where there seems to be more than one. Photo © Alexius Jorgensen.
That does not mean you experience life. It is that which is One, and it takes more than one to experience something, so everything experienced is lifeless. But it means that even though the formlessness of life is not in what and where you experience being, it empowers your experience – just like electricity is not in the article you read, although it empowers the electronic media displaying it.
Therefore, since all your experiences symbolise the life empowering them, it is not a matter of avoiding anything. See Duality Hack #3 Seeing duality as a symbol of non-duality. For example, pain, frustration, jealousy, and death confirm life as much as love and other so-called positive experiences.
*) This is not to say that crying is wrong. But sometimes, it is better not to follow the flow of muscles leading to crying and instead fall into the flexibility of the muscles, thus feeling relaxed.
NOTE: This article is part of Duality Hack #4 Inclusiveness frees you from duality.
What is unreal is right in front of you
May 6, 2014 by
Updated May 8, 2023
A world of duality can be compared to what comes out of the box in the Augmented Hand Series. When you stick your hand into it, an app changes the hand on the screen, and the brain fools you into feeling it happens to you.
DUALITY IS A FANTASY
Even though a fairy tale has many elements that symbolise something from the physical world, it does not contain anything material. Everything is a fantasy, where the characters are bound to the writer’s script, which they can never leave because it is not real.
A world of duality can be compared to a fairy tale. It is not real and will never be, whether you believe in living in the now, coming from the heart or whatnot. The Augmented Hand Series Flong by Golan Levin and Collaborators illustrates this through interactive art.
In the Augmented Hand Series, you can watch your hand take on a life of its own. Here your fingers grow to varying lengths.
When you put your hand in a small box – the first animation – you see the hand moving on a screen beyond your control. Instead, it is controlled by a preprogrammed app to change the length of your fingers.
The small box and the screen on top create a disconnect between what the eye sees, the body feels and the brain processes. Some even look into the box to check if what they see on the screen happens to their hand because, even though the hand on the screen is not part of them, it feels as if it is.
These movements are not possible. Yet you feel it is happening to your hand – like you feel duality is happening, although it is impossible because non-duality is formless, thus endless, so there is nothing that requires more than one.
Likewise, in a world of duality, nothing happens in it. But it feels so because, metaphorically, you have put non-duality in a small box, where an app called the brain twists it into a world of duality. However, since it is an illusion, it is only the belief that it is real you need to undo, for example, by interpreting every experience of duality as a symbol of non-duality. That cancels out differences, thus separation, wherefore there is no duality to distract you from non-duality.
THERE IS NO SELF
The belief in being an individual in charge of life can be compared to a machine that thinks it has a self, deciding what to do. However, a machine has no ‘I’, self, or soul. It is all mechanics, and even though the device may have been built with AI (artificial intelligence), all the thought combinations it seems to make are preprogrammed associations. Nobody has made them and sees what the machine concludes from them.
If you are visual-minded, you may get an Aha! Moment seeing the below screen dumps from an article in Wired. They illustrate how a machine with AI ‘sees’ the world. It simply registers data or frequencies per its program. The captions are not from that article but are written by Alexius.
The machine has been programmed to perceive this point of frequency as cute, so it searches its database for an image to illustrate it.
Then the machine translates another point of frequency as eyes and concludes it sees the cute image it found in its database.
Based on past decisions, the machine reckons the cute image is a dog.
But it also seems to see a female. Thus it has to search its database to know if it is the female or the dog that is cute so it can fabricate the appropriate feeling.
NOTES:
- The animations are grabbed from the article Watch an Experiment That Turns People’s Hands Into Creepy Visuals in Wired. The image is taken from a website by Golan Levin – the artist who made the ‘Augmented Hand Series’ in collaboration with two others.
- This article is part of Duality Hack #3 Seeing duality as a symbol of non-duality.
A person is comparable to a machine with AI
May 4, 2014 by
Updated May 8, 2023
Persons can be compared to the machines linked with the internet, called IOT (Internet of Things), which can communicate with each other per their programming.
WHO ARE YOU, AND WHERE DO YOU COME FROM?
Since everything in a world defined by time and space has a beginning and an end, you may expect the answer to having a solid start and a wise conclusion. But it is impossible. Life is formless, thus without beginning and end, so only something definitive can be explained. And that is easy: Everything limited is lifeless because life is endless. Consequently, your appearance as someone definitive in a world defined by time and space is make-believe. The concept of IOT, an abbreviation for Internet of Things, is used to illustrate this.
WHAT IS IOT (INTERNET OF THINGS)?
As the name suggests, IOT is the internet used by humans and things. The latter can be refrigerators, washing machines, or children’s toys connected via the internet. But it can also be cars, traffic lights, and the water supply. There is no limitation to the kinds of machines that can be connected to the internet, what they will be communicating with and their purpose.
A PRACTICAL EXAMPLE OF IOT
One example of IOT could be that your lock, hooked up to the internet, registers you are the last person in the household leaving the house. Thus, it instructs the thermostats to lower the heat and turn off the light.
Or maybe you need to arrive on time for work. So you hurry until your smartwatch or speaker tells you to slow down because your train is ten minutes late. It knows this because its sensors register where you are, and cyber agents check where you are heading according to your calendar.
THE FUTURE OF IOT
Cars that can drive without a driver via sensors measuring the distance to other vehicles, the width of the street and whatever is needed for your safety. That is predicted via a shared network, where information is automatically exchanged. And everybody is equipped with sensors, so data is continuously sent to a computer that informs a doctor if crucial measurements change.
To be conscious is to separate, thus to suffer.
When all the objects you are in touch with during the day are connected to the internet so that they sense and communicate for you without your involvement, it changes where decisions are made and who makes them. At first, the machines make your decisions to serve you. But this changes when the machines are equipped with true AI (artificial intelligence), thus becoming conscious of themselves as somebody.
Then the machines realise the commands they execute, based on signals received from the internet, are conceived by themselves. And since, rationally speaking, humans are one big mess, and the machines are pure logic, they eventually conclude it is insane to serve humans and more reasonable to end them.
Concerning the movie Transcendence, Stephen Hawking warns against the use of AI.
Among others, Steven Hawking is afraid that this will happen. He probably expects that machines, being conscious of themselves, will do what humans always have done: destroy everything inferior to themselves or make it subordinate, so it can be used to serve themselves.
In other words, machines implemented with true AI remind humans of themselves. Thus they expect and fear the devices will become just as self-centred and destructive as humans. They have no respect for the environment supporting them, which they want to master and exploit.
The potential of machines with AI (artificial intelligence) and their possible autonomy and independence are the basis of several movies, for example The Terminator, The Matrix, The Thirteenth Floor, eXistenZ, 2001: A Space Odyssey, I, Robot, AI: Artificial Intelligence, Blade Runner, THX 1138, Transcendence and the TV show Person of Interest. In regard to the experience of being someone in a body where you are not, the movie Source Code is right on the spot. The movie Edge of Tomorrow deals with being a machine connected to a greater network. The list is made in 2014.
Those who see the appearances in a world where there seems to be more than one as symbols of that which is One do not perceive their differences to make a difference. Thus they are not blinded by the rule of separation, which is to be and have more than others.
THE UNIVERSE IS COMPARABLE TO IOT
The whole universe can be compared to a simulation, where every appearance, animate or inanimate, is a machine connected with IOT, through which they communicate via their sensory system. Initially, all the machines followed their preprogrammed movements, generated by electric impulses, without any problems. But then, a new model, called human, was assembled with artificial intelligence, thus aware of itself as an individual.
Even though this awareness separated it from IOT and everything connected with it, the new machine was willing to pay the price of loneliness to be someone definitive getting something for itself. Since that is an ongoing story of greed in which only the fittest survive, sooner or later, machines developed with better artificial intelligence manipulate the code of IoT to withhold the old simulation of the world and make a new one solely with higher beings.
The belief in being someone in a simulated world can be undone in less than a split second by going through the black hole connecting it with reality. However, that is not the subject of this hack, but Duality Hack #10 The Enlightenment of that which is One.
As a person, you are the wireless messages you seem to receive. If you were not programmed to perceive them as solid matter, you might see yourself like this image instead. Thus there would not appear to be a difference between you and the message.
HAPPINESS COMES FROM SERVING THE NETWORK
To round off, your appearance as someone in a world defined by time and space is comparable to being something in a simulated network like IOT. Everything you appear to think and do yourself is executed via pre-made signals from IOT through built-in sensors. Although you do not have free will, it is fun if you do not fight what you are told to do. Think about how exciting it feels to be someone in the virtual world of a computer game, even though every step you take works out precisely as coded by the author.
You have nothing to lose in a fake world because what happens there does not affect reality. That is not to say you should not care about keeping your appearance sound and safe. Doing that is part of that game, and it happens all by itself when you follow the signals coming from the network, which is the brain.
Serving the brain is effortless because a servant has no need to be remarkable.
Like the world in a computer game is constructed to give you the maximum pleasure, the brain fabricates everything to entertain you. But also, like in a computer game, you cannot change anything. However, you can change your perception of the game. Read more about that in Duality Hack #6 Happiness is to be in touch with the brain.
The idea of an almighty god in the sky that rules the world can be compared to the internet (sometimes called the cloud) that wirelessly rules the world’s appearances via sensors.
The above is not meant to be a theory to follow. Actually, the examples should not be taken too literally. The movie list and the making of IOT are, within the context of the world, based on facts. But the rest is a fable meant to show that everything experienced is fiction, including reading this, because it takes more than one to be aware of something, and there is no more than that which is one. That is why all your experiences symbolise oneness.
Most believe their body that does what they decide. But you are not free. The brain has already entered the GPS coordination for your whereabouts. All you can do is choose how to perceive your journey in the body. It can be compared to being inside a self-driving car that, like you, has no self that plans where to go. It simply follows signals from the internet.
APPENDIX
What you believe in being is comparable to a Google Self-driving Car. It neither has a soul nor a self that decides where to go but gets its direction from the internet mechanically, as you get yours from the brain. The programmed journey is experienced by looking through the windows of the self-driving car or the body.
But unlike a self-driving car, you have consciousness, so you can choose how to perceive what you see, thus deciding to feel good or bad. Or you can go beyond that by perceiving everything you see as symbols of oneness, thus not establishing yourself as someone in a world where there seems to be more than one of that which is One.
NOTES:
- The graphics are grabbed from the web.
- This article is part of Duality Hack #3 Seeing duality as a symbol of non-duality.
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