
Identities
Identities are very important means of self discovery and
expression of Being, and they arise from the Prime Directive: “Being,
Know Thyself!”. They are extremely important to the creation of
Diversity. In this section we will discuss, in very general terms, the
formation of individual identities. It must be kept in mind that the
description does not apply to every instance of individuation, but helps
outline a common enough template.
The formation of identities within Oneness is a very curious thing. Even though Being fragments, retaining that
fragmentation is difficult if the spiritual ‘stuff’ being fragmented
is more or less homogeneous. Like attracts like, and the fragments
coalesce together again like drops of water in a cup. To create
identities therefore requires sustained separation, such as involvement
or binding with a materially dense and separate form. By such binding
with physical forms, a kind of separation ensues, but consciousness
still needs to distinguish itself from the ‘other’ for identities to
arise. This is facilitated by sensory experience, which offers a
consistent set of input in consciousness from a perceived ‘external
world’ where the Principle of Reflection plays out. The consistency of
the perceived world (with a coherent system of cause and effect) is
important, otherwise little of sensory experience would make any
‘sense’ to the consciousness. The meshing of such cause and effect
sensations within consciousness, centered around a physical form, helps
create a temporary identity for that fragment; the beginnings of a
distinction between that form and the rest of its environment.
Even
then, this concept of identity is still quite tenuous in most simpler
life forms. An exit or unbinding of consciousness from those forms can
once again result in a coalescing back into a homogeneous group
(usually called the group soul). But in time, with multiple experiences
binding to forms of matter, identity sets in. The reader may visualize
amorphous ‘drops’ of different densities within a group, that differ
somewhat from their neighbors. At this stage the group has become more
like a colloid - identity mostly rests within the group, yet individual
identities have begun to crystallize. A reflected manifestation of
this is found in ant colonies, bee hives and other social insects. The
fragments have experienced an individuated Being in some sense, but
Becoming still requires work with further reinforcement of identities.
For
a portion of the plant kingdom, such a reinforcement of identities
comes through the act of foraging by beasts, in addition to the ravage
of the elements. The experience of losing parts of its body around
which a fragment of Being forms a vague concept of identity, has a
significant impact on a plant’s elementary consciousness. The ‘shock’
of losing a portion of its body (foragers do not destroy plants)
awakens a sense of self-preservation, an important concept to identity.
Identity also begets comparison of self with others, and the effect of
foraging is also to create a drive within that consciousness to become
like, or better than the beasts. Here is an example beginning of an
evolutionary drive of Becoming - which enables consciousness to evolve
from the primitive to the highly sophisticated. The God Principle
(book) covers other examples within the food chain in Nature that
facilitates this evolution. The evolutionary drive also helps determine
the nature and type of further forms that the fragment binds to, including the very attributes developed by those forms
- for the forms are but vehicles to help express various facets of
Being. Spiritual evolution thus influences physical evolution, and also
vice versa, resulting in co-evolution of matter and spirit. This is a direct result of the Principle of Reflection.
Even
for fragments of Being that manifest within the pattern of Man, the
ability to keep a separate identity from the higher self does not come
easy. It requires an effort from the higher self to maintain the
separation as it were, and is helped along by the relative density of
the earth realm. The process is greatly assisted by what is generally
called the birth trauma that impinges upon a fragment
of Being during the period of labor and delivery. This shock is similar
in kind to that experienced by the plant kingdom as mentioned above,
though greater in intensity. The result is the ability of the fragment
of Being to form an identity around the physical form, separate from
the higher self, and manifest and explore its own self. Communion with
the higher self is facilitated through soul bridges or ‘chakras’ as
they are called, activated and sustained through energies from the
earth (energies sometimes referred to as the kundalini). This
contribution from the earth is required as the latter is the main
source of energy for the body toward sustaining processes within.
Through these bridges various natures and characteristics resident in
the higher self are funneled through as the body develops, thus helping
to mould a personality within the identity held
together by the body. So is the wisdom of the higher self made
available to the personality when the bridges are fully established.
Experience and learning acquired by the personality is then transmitted
back to the higher self through these same links (see chapter ‘Tree of
Life’ in our book, The God Principle). At death, unless the
personality has seriously shifted away in vibration from the higher
self, reintegration is relatively easy as the dense physical body
holding the most tenacious grip on identity is now discarded and the
integration generally happens without incident.
To experience the same integration while in the body is a more
strenuous task that requires techniques like yoga (which literally
means ‘integration’) or various other spiritual practices that hold the
lower mind formed by the body (which also holds the subconscious
computing machinery) in abeyance. This grip of the physical is also
loosened temporarily through the use of certain drugs that are
classified as psychoactive, which in certain natural forms have made
their way into rituals and shamanic practices. In essence, many of these approaches are similar in effect though differing in intent and method.
Human
identities are hard won, and precious for what they are worth. They
provide a level of experience and understanding of Being which are
impossible to obtain at higher levels. In due time there comes a point
in evolution when identities become merged into progressively higher
orders of Being. This is not quite a loss of identity, but moving into
more subtle but vaster versions of identities - an evolutionary
movement from unconscious to the super-conscious. An analogy may be
found in the mundane process of consuming food, where a form of life
such as a vegetable is developed and nurtured, and later becomes part
of a higher order organism. The same is reflected at a higher level,
with various levels of oneness with higher orders of life being
available to human beings. An evolving identity and consciousness
merges into a greater Identity, in ever higher progressions, till all
return to the ONE.
We did not specifically discuss the Separative Principle in this
section. But it should be understood that forces or energies that result in the
fragmentation of Being and then sustain them in various forms (in the
case of human beings these include ego, conflicts, wars and so forth)
are aligned with this principle.
But before we look any deeper into manifestations of the Separative
Principle, it is required to take a closer look at the forces of
selection - primarily into notions of sin, retribution, karma and so
forth. This we will do in the next section.
