A wonderful, reflective and informative piece Julia. I appreciate the anthropological evolution of the self from baby to adulthood. It all makes sense. My question would be though: on what epistemological basis do we know that babies have no sense of self? Is this just through intuitive inquiry, or something else?
I also valued your honest analysis on the role of the ego, which so often gets burnished in traditional spiritual discourse. Thank you.
Thank you for the kind words, Scott 🙏 Something that I didn't mention here is that the part of our brain that is most closely associated with our "ego", the DMN, is barely formed until age 1-3.
This manifests in the research I linked around babies not recognizing themselves in the mirror until a certain age. "This is my body" is a defining component of an established sense of self. There's some other interesting research around babies not showing self-other differentiation (e.g. newborns respond to other's cries as if it were their own distress). There is actually a ton of evidence beyond intuition that confirms all this.
Hope your doing ok!? I know I haven't commented on your beautiful writing pieces directly for a little while but I now feel drawn to write a very brief response to your wonderful article titled, why you can't just "Be Here Now." I think your words on this piece was a lovely reflection on the anthropological evolution that takes place during the early years of our existence which tends to define our main life patterns by the age of 7 which includes for many ( as you make referense to), the ultimate sense of Self.
Then for many of us (often somewhere between the 3rd and 5th of our 7 year life cycle periods of growth and maturity we, if fortunate enough, wake up to the problems of the Ego in relation to growth and the ability to reside in conscious awareness, spending a big part or the remainder of our existence trying to loosen and separate the shackles that bound us with our Ego to allow us to behave and react from a place of presence.
I particularly loved your analogy in your 4th from last paragraph beginning, "An Opening is wonderful and threatening" This is beautifully succinct and wonderfully descriptive writing here Julia.
However I also just wanted to say a brief few words on Almaas and the Ridhwan School, both of which I have had an awareness of since the book, "Facets of Unity" which I first read around 20 Years ago.
Whilst I don't particularly disagree with anything that Almaas mentions within his considerable cannon of work or any of the Ridhwan Philosophies per se, I have a slight concern with the belief of the absolute exclusivity of the Knowledge provided ( both from Almaas's Books and Ridhwan Literature). I find both to be a little exclusive regarding everything else avaliable out there, as if the Author and his Group is afraid of someone finding more relavent information elsewhere that would deconstruct their validity or place within history as the One and only Correct Route in the search for Conscious Awareness and Enlightenment.
It reminds me of exactly what used to happen when Indian Yoga practices traversed to the West in the early Eighties and Teachers required you to sign up exclusively with them and forbade attendance to other Classes for fear of the Teachers way and method to be questioned in any way shape or form.
It was exactly the same during my own Journey through and with the Taoist Arts in the late 80's to the early 2000's for fear of exposure over abilities in addition to a sometimes deliberate misinformation or withholding of information to protect the exclusivity of the info and thereby the need for a Teacher or Master in the first place.
A bit of a long ramble Julia to say I try to read everything with an open mind and cherry pick the good bits whilst excluding nothing completely, but additionally never assuming that their is only one right way or better way or only way.
I think everyone has in the main something to say or something to communicate. And whilst everyone may not get it or attune with it then, they probably weren't meant to.
However they'll no doubt then in every possibility find something else that aligns with them further on down the road.
Horses for Courses.
Again not withstanding my long rambling response; Loved your article.
Hi Mark, so great to hear from you and thank you for your share and kind words!
I appreciate your comment. I'm curious if you picked up on that 'exclusivity' from the school's content or books you've consumed prior, or from this article? If the latter, it was definitely not my intention to position it in that way. I don't believe this wisdom is exclusive to the school, but given the fact that the teacher came up with this visual representation of it on a whim the night before (and I'm referring specifically to this graphic with the baby and the porous borders that firm over time) -- I doubt that this exact framework can be found anywhere else. But at no point did the teacher make that claim, by the way.
One thing he did emphasize when prompted about what makes these teachings different from other wisdom traditions is the concept of personal essence. He spoke quite a bit about how you can experience deep self-realization, but without the understanding of personal essence (and the ways in which our 'border' rubs against the world), something is missing. This is why, for example, highly enlightened beings can still perpetuate abuse - there are so many stories of gurus abusing their power and doing unethical things. I found that distinction very insightful.
Just to confirm. The Author and schools position of appearing to have a slight air of exclusivity to me when reading their previously printed materials is not something that I felt was even hinted at or suggested from anywhere within your article.
It's purely from my perspective and realisations arrived at from reading much of the Authors previous works along with course advertising materials and also from communication with a couple of others who have also attended Ridhwan Courses.
I think regardless of the above, a lot of what was written by the Author clearly did gel with me to a certain degree as I would certainly not have continued to engage with the Authors materials if I had found nothing worthwhile.
I feel much of the early Eastern (my way or the highway approach) is probably more to do with when the original info was written. (Pre Internet and Pre Web). Therefore various early Eastern Teachers choosing to share information with the West at this time, whether in Mysticism, Yoga, Taoist Arts Etc already had a fairly large following based on their unequivocal Knowledge and Ability from amongst their Local Community which, I feel lead to a certain level of invincibility amongst many of these Authors and Teachers from that Time Period, as they tended to know and realise very little as to what was actually happening on the other side of their Country or Continent, let alone on the other side of the World.
Now most Authors and Teachers in the Esoteric Field I think realise that many other Teachers have something to share and offer and from a Student Perspective it is easy for them then to cherry pick nuggets of esoteric radiance from various different sources and mould and shape them into a suitable whole that they can understand and gel with.
Therefore given the above, I think over the last 15 Years in particular, Eastern Teachers and Authurs have had to adopt a far more inclusive way of Teaching and Writing.
I completely agree with your comments regarding Personal Essence and how it integrates with the wider world Julia and its overall importance. This is something possibly not discussed enough, although I have seen it discussed in a slightly different format in some of the recent texts currently available on Shadow Work.
YES! This is it. Thank you so much for your efficient and eloquent writing. This provides such a frame for what I know to be true. Your writing is so wonderful ❤️. I will be sending to many on this healing journey. Thank you
I feel skeptical about a person who is a guru type that creates some sort of 'framework' that integrates existing spiritual paths, psychology, etc and then creates an organization that then profits off of courses, retreats, group or one on one sessions, etc. Human Design would be another example of this that comes up recently in the wellness/self-help realm. It leans into the cult territory, and I find it hard to take it seriously. That being said, the contents of your essay regardless were interesting and illuminating. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Jessica, I totally hear you own your concerns and also am personally quite allergic to 'capitalist spirituality'. My sense is that this organization definitely does not fall into that camp though. To begin with, they have actually never 'marketed' their offerings, which is why it remains somewhat niche and inaccessible - the student base has simply grown from word of mouth over the years. Secondly, the offerings are priced very fairly, and low compared to what these things can cost. The school is all built around the teacher student relationships, and they have over 400 teachers to maintain this level of guidance and support. Lastly, they are actually a non-profit org/foundation, so their goals are not financial. At the heart, its a mystical school that offers a contemporary modern spiritual path to people who want to pursue it with accountability and in community (groups, retreats, and so on). Not trying to change your mind, just offering some more context 🙏
This is essentially what I have learned through mystical texts, mostly Christian but also Buddhist and Sufi. The ego must be observed and tamed - or it will rule us. Meditation and contemplation help! We see the wider, non-dual reality around us and realize we aren’t the center of it, never were!
Thanks for sharing, Korie. That's the same feeling I had when I learned about it -- this is exactly what I've learned through Buddhism, partswork, and plant teachers like Iboga! Which is so encouraging because it makes me feel confident that it is the truth 🙃 I had just never heard it articulated in this specific way which felt so all-encompassing, so I appreciated that.
Hi Hakim, I'm sorry to hear that! If you are able to travel, there is an in person retreat in Thailand that happens Dec 6-13 (I know because I almost went 😊)
A wonderful, reflective and informative piece Julia. I appreciate the anthropological evolution of the self from baby to adulthood. It all makes sense. My question would be though: on what epistemological basis do we know that babies have no sense of self? Is this just through intuitive inquiry, or something else?
I also valued your honest analysis on the role of the ego, which so often gets burnished in traditional spiritual discourse. Thank you.
Thank you for the kind words, Scott 🙏 Something that I didn't mention here is that the part of our brain that is most closely associated with our "ego", the DMN, is barely formed until age 1-3.
This manifests in the research I linked around babies not recognizing themselves in the mirror until a certain age. "This is my body" is a defining component of an established sense of self. There's some other interesting research around babies not showing self-other differentiation (e.g. newborns respond to other's cries as if it were their own distress). There is actually a ton of evidence beyond intuition that confirms all this.
Hey Julia.
Hope your doing ok!? I know I haven't commented on your beautiful writing pieces directly for a little while but I now feel drawn to write a very brief response to your wonderful article titled, why you can't just "Be Here Now." I think your words on this piece was a lovely reflection on the anthropological evolution that takes place during the early years of our existence which tends to define our main life patterns by the age of 7 which includes for many ( as you make referense to), the ultimate sense of Self.
Then for many of us (often somewhere between the 3rd and 5th of our 7 year life cycle periods of growth and maturity we, if fortunate enough, wake up to the problems of the Ego in relation to growth and the ability to reside in conscious awareness, spending a big part or the remainder of our existence trying to loosen and separate the shackles that bound us with our Ego to allow us to behave and react from a place of presence.
I particularly loved your analogy in your 4th from last paragraph beginning, "An Opening is wonderful and threatening" This is beautifully succinct and wonderfully descriptive writing here Julia.
However I also just wanted to say a brief few words on Almaas and the Ridhwan School, both of which I have had an awareness of since the book, "Facets of Unity" which I first read around 20 Years ago.
Whilst I don't particularly disagree with anything that Almaas mentions within his considerable cannon of work or any of the Ridhwan Philosophies per se, I have a slight concern with the belief of the absolute exclusivity of the Knowledge provided ( both from Almaas's Books and Ridhwan Literature). I find both to be a little exclusive regarding everything else avaliable out there, as if the Author and his Group is afraid of someone finding more relavent information elsewhere that would deconstruct their validity or place within history as the One and only Correct Route in the search for Conscious Awareness and Enlightenment.
It reminds me of exactly what used to happen when Indian Yoga practices traversed to the West in the early Eighties and Teachers required you to sign up exclusively with them and forbade attendance to other Classes for fear of the Teachers way and method to be questioned in any way shape or form.
It was exactly the same during my own Journey through and with the Taoist Arts in the late 80's to the early 2000's for fear of exposure over abilities in addition to a sometimes deliberate misinformation or withholding of information to protect the exclusivity of the info and thereby the need for a Teacher or Master in the first place.
A bit of a long ramble Julia to say I try to read everything with an open mind and cherry pick the good bits whilst excluding nothing completely, but additionally never assuming that their is only one right way or better way or only way.
I think everyone has in the main something to say or something to communicate. And whilst everyone may not get it or attune with it then, they probably weren't meant to.
However they'll no doubt then in every possibility find something else that aligns with them further on down the road.
Horses for Courses.
Again not withstanding my long rambling response; Loved your article.
Keep up the fabulous writing.
Mark. 🌠😚
Hi Mark, so great to hear from you and thank you for your share and kind words!
I appreciate your comment. I'm curious if you picked up on that 'exclusivity' from the school's content or books you've consumed prior, or from this article? If the latter, it was definitely not my intention to position it in that way. I don't believe this wisdom is exclusive to the school, but given the fact that the teacher came up with this visual representation of it on a whim the night before (and I'm referring specifically to this graphic with the baby and the porous borders that firm over time) -- I doubt that this exact framework can be found anywhere else. But at no point did the teacher make that claim, by the way.
One thing he did emphasize when prompted about what makes these teachings different from other wisdom traditions is the concept of personal essence. He spoke quite a bit about how you can experience deep self-realization, but without the understanding of personal essence (and the ways in which our 'border' rubs against the world), something is missing. This is why, for example, highly enlightened beings can still perpetuate abuse - there are so many stories of gurus abusing their power and doing unethical things. I found that distinction very insightful.
HeyJulia.
Thanks for your informative reply.
Just to confirm. The Author and schools position of appearing to have a slight air of exclusivity to me when reading their previously printed materials is not something that I felt was even hinted at or suggested from anywhere within your article.
It's purely from my perspective and realisations arrived at from reading much of the Authors previous works along with course advertising materials and also from communication with a couple of others who have also attended Ridhwan Courses.
I think regardless of the above, a lot of what was written by the Author clearly did gel with me to a certain degree as I would certainly not have continued to engage with the Authors materials if I had found nothing worthwhile.
I feel much of the early Eastern (my way or the highway approach) is probably more to do with when the original info was written. (Pre Internet and Pre Web). Therefore various early Eastern Teachers choosing to share information with the West at this time, whether in Mysticism, Yoga, Taoist Arts Etc already had a fairly large following based on their unequivocal Knowledge and Ability from amongst their Local Community which, I feel lead to a certain level of invincibility amongst many of these Authors and Teachers from that Time Period, as they tended to know and realise very little as to what was actually happening on the other side of their Country or Continent, let alone on the other side of the World.
Now most Authors and Teachers in the Esoteric Field I think realise that many other Teachers have something to share and offer and from a Student Perspective it is easy for them then to cherry pick nuggets of esoteric radiance from various different sources and mould and shape them into a suitable whole that they can understand and gel with.
Therefore given the above, I think over the last 15 Years in particular, Eastern Teachers and Authurs have had to adopt a far more inclusive way of Teaching and Writing.
I completely agree with your comments regarding Personal Essence and how it integrates with the wider world Julia and its overall importance. This is something possibly not discussed enough, although I have seen it discussed in a slightly different format in some of the recent texts currently available on Shadow Work.
Keep up the beautiful thought provoking writing.
Kindest Regards.
Mark.🙏🌠
Your best post yet!!
Thank you Jerry 🫶 I do, too, think that this contains tremendous wisdom, albeit not my own. PS love the title of your newsletter
YES! This is it. Thank you so much for your efficient and eloquent writing. This provides such a frame for what I know to be true. Your writing is so wonderful ❤️. I will be sending to many on this healing journey. Thank you
Thank you so much Celine, happy to hear it struck a chord with you. And appreciate you sharing it 🥰
I feel skeptical about a person who is a guru type that creates some sort of 'framework' that integrates existing spiritual paths, psychology, etc and then creates an organization that then profits off of courses, retreats, group or one on one sessions, etc. Human Design would be another example of this that comes up recently in the wellness/self-help realm. It leans into the cult territory, and I find it hard to take it seriously. That being said, the contents of your essay regardless were interesting and illuminating. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Jessica, I totally hear you own your concerns and also am personally quite allergic to 'capitalist spirituality'. My sense is that this organization definitely does not fall into that camp though. To begin with, they have actually never 'marketed' their offerings, which is why it remains somewhat niche and inaccessible - the student base has simply grown from word of mouth over the years. Secondly, the offerings are priced very fairly, and low compared to what these things can cost. The school is all built around the teacher student relationships, and they have over 400 teachers to maintain this level of guidance and support. Lastly, they are actually a non-profit org/foundation, so their goals are not financial. At the heart, its a mystical school that offers a contemporary modern spiritual path to people who want to pursue it with accountability and in community (groups, retreats, and so on). Not trying to change your mind, just offering some more context 🙏
This is essentially what I have learned through mystical texts, mostly Christian but also Buddhist and Sufi. The ego must be observed and tamed - or it will rule us. Meditation and contemplation help! We see the wider, non-dual reality around us and realize we aren’t the center of it, never were!
Thanks for sharing, Korie. That's the same feeling I had when I learned about it -- this is exactly what I've learned through Buddhism, partswork, and plant teachers like Iboga! Which is so encouraging because it makes me feel confident that it is the truth 🙃 I had just never heard it articulated in this specific way which felt so all-encompassing, so I appreciated that.
Such a pity that there are no teachers or groups in India. . . thank you for this piece it is quite timely.
Hi Hakim, I'm sorry to hear that! If you are able to travel, there is an in person retreat in Thailand that happens Dec 6-13 (I know because I almost went 😊)