The Abyss: Exit vs. Jump

One of the cornerstone concepts describing the development and liberation of the mind in the Hermetic myth is the notion of the abrupt, uneven nature of this development. We have noted that from this point of view, on the Way ascents inevitably alternate with descents, and rises — with falls; and besides, a whole series of stages cannot be reached at all by “small steps” — they require sharp “leaps,” transitions — initiations.

We also noted that in sephirothic coordinates, within the part visible to ordinary consciousness, the Way includes four such leaps, transcendences: two of them are overcome by a “breakthrough,” and therefore are called “veils,” while the other two — by a “jump,” and therefore are called “abysses.”

In other words, when the Wanderer reaches a veil — Keshet or Paroket — he needs to show persistence, “pressing, incisive” activity, overcoming this obstacle through his will and authority. But when the Way reaches the shore of the Abyss, Power and single-minded determination come into play. The Abyss cannot be overcome by force alone; for a successful jump across it, neither knowledge alone nor a simple desire is enough; an element of uncertainty is always involved in this process — hidden, deep preparation, inner transformations, which in the end make the encounter with Choronzon victorious. That is, the Wanderer can never properly describe or explain how and why he sets foot on the Way (the first abyss); he can only speak of a “deep pull” or an “inexplicable aspiration.” In exactly the same way, the Master can never fully describe his transformation (the second abyss) — just as, probably, a butterfly could not convey its experience of transforming from a caterpillar.

When the Wanderer finds himself on the threshold of the Abyss, he feels the greatest instability, the loss of all anchors and supports, and then — either “jumps,” or — “stays,” “stabilizes,” finding for himself new goals or shelters.

Thus, the first negative scenario when encountering the Abyss consists in “backing down” before it, refusing to cross, often covered with plausible pretexts like “balance,” “thinking it through,” or “rationality.” At the same time, it is clear that the Abyss is a field of multivariance, and therefore it is not subject to logical comprehension, and its crossing cannot be justified or rationally explained. A jump into the Abyss is a consequence of the accumulated Energy of the Way, the inertia of development; however, from the point of view of the surface of the mind it is spontaneous and often counter-rational. Therefore, the Wanderer may “pace nervously” in front of the Abyss as much as he wants, remaining on its shore for thousands of lives. This position is traditionally called “Child of the Abyss” and is regarded as a special, quasi-stable, but inherently unproductive and unpromising, mental state.

But if “backing down before the Abyss,” no matter how much it is covered with “prudence,” is easily distinguishable and recognizable, then the second negative scenario — “a retreat from the same shore” — is often taken for a successful Crossing.

Let us recall that the nature of the Abyss is a falling into one pole of any binary and its absolutization. In other words, the Abyss is a “bad infinity,” that is, all Infinity, but considered only from one point of view. That is precisely why it contains everything, but nothing is manifested, because manifestation requires a difference in potentials, and therefore — awareness of both poles. This is how the Abyss (tehom) differs from Darkness (khoshek): khoshek contains balanced possibilities, and therefore reality is born from it, whereas tehom is a one-sided assertion, and therefore reality in it dissolves.

Accordingly, as soon as a need arises to balance an unambiguous assertion of the reality of the world with its uncertainty, the necessity of crossing the First Abyss arises; but when the Free Adept encounters the limitations of notions about the reality of the individual mind, and must balance it with the sensation of mind as universal — he should jump into the Second Abyss.

Nevertheless, a situation of “partial neutralization” of such a binary is possible. For example, this may happen when, due to previous personal history, the Adept did not experience fully the sense of Darkness and hopelessness, did not undergo those Falls that prepare him for the decisive jump. That is, the chance to cross the Abyss for a successful and victorious Wanderer is smaller than for someone accustomed to attacks and periodic “beatings.” As a result, harmony is achieved only for the lived and integrated experience, while other possibilities remain not yet realized; and therefore, one (or several) more destabilizations will be required before the Transition becomes complete.

Another situation of an “exit” is when the mind “singles out” within itself a neutralized area, creating an “island of harmony” surrounded by an ocean of instability. This kind of mistake is usually called “blissfulness,” since such a Wanderer usually is a benign, pure person, but with a touch of madness, with a “floating” mind. Note that this state differs from another manifestation — “mad wisdom,” which can be characteristic of the degree of the Magus, and consists in immersion into the dark Ocean of Sophia/Binah. It also differs from the imitated blissfulness that is characteristic of much earlier stages of development: “the “false-blissful”” lie, and their pretense is revealed in any extreme situation, when a snarl and aggression replace the smile; while those blissful ones who have “exited” are sincere in their kindness, it is impossible to knock them out of it — it is simply achieved at the cost of a “melted,” unstable state in another part of their mind.

But when the mind is fully and unreservedly ready for the Jump — it is then that it undergoes the absolute experience of the complete collapse of all inner connections, the “remelting” and the subsequent “reassembly” that lead to the “death” of the Adept and the “birth” — of the Master.

But regardless of whether a particular Wanderer will reach it, reach it in time, be able to, decide to Jump across the Abyss, reflecting on this stage helps understand the general patterns of the Way, as well as prevent mistakes early that may later hinder a successful Crossing.