The Mirror of the Mind
Myth describes the mind as the active component of the process of self-knowledge of the One Reality. The key faculty of the mind turns out to be its ability to reflect whatever its focus — its attention. Reflection is precisely the basic phenomenon that underlies the entire process of awareness. This means that, in fact, the mind itself is an empty mirror, able to reflect whatever is singled out as object. Only after reflection does the mind perceive, or, equivalently, bring forth the formative principle of reflected energies — their logos. However, this process of reflection is bidirectional — the mind not only reflects energies, but it is also reflected in them, imbuing them with actuality’s light. Thus the mind is, on the one hand, the sole creator of the world it perceives, yet in the course of that creation it clouds its pure, empty reflective nature, becoming filled with reflections, forms, and particulars. Namely, the process of self-knowledge — of reflection — inevitably leads the mind to shift its attention to the energies it reflects, losing its crystalline transparency; each new reflection overlays what already exists and is seen through that prism.
In fact, the mind begins to perceive itself as the sum of those reflections that exist within it, losing sight of its own reflective nature; it begins to identify with the reflections rather than with the mirror. It is clear that this produces a division between what is perceived as “one’s own” and what does not presently find its eidolon in the mind and is therefore perceived as “other.” As mentioned, this gives rise to a universal force of division and repulsion — Nakhash.
Although this process is inevitable, it must also have its lawful consummation — Nakhash must become the Uroboros, since repulsion should ultimately repel even the very notion of “one’s own,” the very notion of “I,” and thus reject repulsion itself, returning the mind to its original empty reflective state.
Yet such consummation exists only gnoseologically; from the point of view of the reflection process itself it has no end, because the number of energies the mind can reflect is infinite, as infinite as the facets of the Great Spirit in which It knows Itself. And although the nature of the mind itself does not change, it becomes hidden, eclipsed by those reflections that arise in the mind and by interpretations of those reflections — images. The situation is complicated further by the fact that many of the reflections, forms, and objects arising in the mind acquire quasi-independence and begin to conflict and struggle for their own existence. Instead of forming a closed circle, Nakhash begins to resist harmony, generating the world-force of destruction — Qliphoth. The Way of the Magus is, first and foremost, the purification of the system of images, their harmonization, the transformation of the mind from a field of struggle and opposition to a field of harmonious reflection, a field of actualization and self-knowledge, and, as the natural result of this, the “final purification” — the return of the mind to its unclouded state of the pure mirror. Nakhash is thereby perceived as a necessary, lawful, yet not absolute principle: one that can and should be manifested and then absorbed. And although Nakhash is destined to become Uroboros — as every aware being is destined, upon fully realizing its potentials, to return as an actual principle to the bosom of the Great Spirit — these processes require the intervention of free will. Just as an aware being drifting “with the current” of the evolution of its realizations will never return to a place it never left — to the integral mind of the Great Spirit — so the force of repulsion, left to itself, will never neutralize itself, since the Great Spirit is infinite and the beginningless circular motion of Its self-knowledge is infinite. The Great Spirit returns into Itself when one of Its singular aspects, a gaze or a monad, in its free desire and volitional striving enacts a revolution in its own mind — transcends its own, however relatively infinite, mode of existence and identifies with absolute infinity; it is precisely in this process that Nakhash runs into its own tail and rejects itself, and thereby returns to its source. In other words, full realization, liberation, enlightenment — gnoseologically they are natural and inevitable, but in relative existence, ontologically, they are not ‘automatic’ and require the intervention of free will. A Magus’s work on his mind therefore includes purification, harmonization, and integration — that is, work on its contents — and the establishment of correct self-identification: not with reflections, but with the reflecting capacity itself. By moving in this way, the Magus, on the one hand, fulfills his vocation as an instrument of the Great Spirit’s self-knowledge, and on the other hand does not forget that there is no difference between his mind and the mind of the Spirit as such; there can be no limits to mind as a principle.
Nakhash should become Ouroboros, close in a circle (This process is possible on a physical level, and if so, do you know such people.)
For example, who is this? Surely such a person is completely indifferent to any attention, and one can say that there he is, sitting and smiling, or whatever is done in such a case, perhaps growing flowers (I’m quite serious about this))
If it can reflect, then there must be the ability for active/creative projection?
Creative projection is the creation of a picture, reflection, based on the logos of the perceived block of energies. Consciousness truly creates the world in which it recognizes itself.
I meant the process is directed the other way – in the usual sense, we observe external energies – “we-receive-in-axis”, while that “we-give-from-axis”, a kind of binary action, creating energies from awareness (not decoding energies into images, but the reverse action – creating energies from images) – or is this a “mathematician’s mistake”? Like that which writes the formula E=mc squared, and thinks that since there is a sign of equality, the process goes both in direct and reverse directions (from “energy” one can obtain matter in motion).
The division of the single process of self-knowledge of the absolute into consciousness and energies, subject and object, is conditional and valid only from a relative point of view. From the perspective of the Spirit itself, there is no such division; there is a single and indivisible view that has neither beginning nor end, nor extension. And even from a relative point of view, the aspects that enter the knowing part require knowledge themselves, so the mirror – rotates, without having anything within it.
Hello, Enmerkar. You answered my question last time about how to understand that you are not an object or not just an object. “Understanding is very simple and yet complicated. For this, you need to look deep within yourself, beneath all masks and images.” (forgive me for being familiar, I somehow couldn’t bring myself to use the formal address, it sounds silly). This article of yours, where I leave this comment, sums up very well what I have gathered from fragments of teachings and personal experience. You write, “The magician’s work on his consciousness therefore includes both its cleansing, harmonization, integration, that is, work on its content, as well as establishing correct self-identification – not with reflections, but with the very reflecting ability.” This is exactly what I’ve been “doing” for about 5 years now. It started as attempts to realize my own awareness, or “to be present in the moment” (a trendy expression), or “to constantly be aware of the fact of one’s own existence.” I understood in your terminology this could be called a turn (or expansion) of attention from objects to the source of attention. That is, I know myself both as the content of consciousness and as the very ability to be aware. But I feel that this is only the beginning, and I don’t know what to do next. It seems like there’s nowhere deeper to look, but I think I am wrong.
Dear German. Allow me to express myself. “But I feel that this is only the beginning, and I don’t know what to do next”. This is how I understand the question. Practical advice. Answer yourself the main question. What made you “be in the present moment” for 5 years? If you honestly answer yourself, you will know what to do next. And theoretically, you *knowing yourself at the same time as the content of consciousness and as the ability to be aware* are in a state of objective knowledge, you have will and do what you desire.
Your ‘I’ is not involved here… This is from Buddhism, but it accurately reflects the essence.
Everything real is still very convenient in my opinion). I often say this word, love is very conveniently made, what a quick way to know everything, what an amazing opportunity sometimes, you think it might be, but it exists – to feel this fully and see it and touch it with your own paws. Being a human is also convenient; well, here too, we are separately awareness but our form is a pimple, a growth. In my opinion, it’s conveniently arranged and offers the opportunity to develop.
Oh yes! This is the topic! I read and couldn’t understand – is this definitely the Western way? (Or myth.)
There are questions.
Does what reflects consciousness exist independently? After all, if consciousness is the creator of the world and creates by reflection, then until the moment of reflection, there is nothing. What to reflect, if there is nothing yet?
In connection with what was described in the article, does the Western way describe the nature of the mind, its origin? After all, consciousness does not conceptualize but only perceives.
“Does what reflects consciousness exist independently? After all, if consciousness is the creator of the world and creates by reflection, then until the moment of reflection, there is nothing. What to reflect, if there is nothing yet?”
The eternal question. If there was nothing, where did consciousness come from? It is presumed that together with “nothing” there exists “something”, eternal and infinite, organizing the primary binary principle.
“After all, consciousness does not conceptualize but only perceives.” Consciousness is still a system of both input and output.
P.S. The serpent that bites its tail can be perceived as a serpent that expels itself… 😉
I have no questions about the article since I have relevant experience. I mean that everything definitely needs to be checked, and having experience is cool. I’m not yet knowledgeable in detail, here’s the thing. Just like you can intentionally keep something in the field of consciousness, you can turn away and not look. Free will is not only about one big question, whether there is enlightenment or not, but about every question. Of course, one may not know or not be able to use it, but it exists. And I also thought about the creative principle based on this article. About the fact that I, for example, am certainly no creator, but a compiler. And I have not seen a single real creator in life, someone who creates something new differently than structuring what already exists. This is a question for me. To which I immediately saw “a clarification in contact”, a quote of the following content: “God created Italy according to Michelangelo’s idea.” And I feel that there is my answer somewhere about what reflects, about being a creator. But I don’t understand yet.
“thus push away the very rejection”. Then the principle can continue. )
The mirror reflects only that … or those energies and blocks to which there is a description. Although there are endless energies and emanations of the Great Spirit, the tools are quite limited…. and the software for recognizing these energies is quite limited as well. Moreover, for implementations in the myth, a considerable Power is necessary.
So! Here I finally got to the article that resonated with me a few years ago and with what is happening in my subconscious and life events. I just need to remember… Back in 2015, I wrote that the truth is a mirror, located in the middle between two opposites… lie – truth, love – hate, good – evil. And to see the truth (and therefore your mirror), these parts need to be a precise reflection of each other, harmonized. Those who dedicate themselves to good – repel evil, while those who dedicate themselves to evil – repel good, creating an element of struggle with the opposite, thereby distorting the mirror. Back then, various elements appeared in my Psychocosmos… observing a terrible aggressive beast, which I feared and kept forbidden, I realized that all its thrashing and clawing was a longing for freedom. I myself made it a monster and locked it in a cage. When I released it – it turned out to be a white wolf – my protector. When I saw the trickster from the dream, who offered me gifts, and I told him that he was deceiving me, I asked myself what he was hiding? If he spoke a lie, then he is hiding the truth, and if you look from the other end, you can see it. What truth did he want to tell me? “… You must simultaneously “believe” and “not believe” me, I also realize that I am “lying” and telling “the truth”…” However, this was within, but outside I remained ambivalent and jumping from opposites. And the first mistake is attention.
Though, perhaps not attention. One person told me to look at him as if he were my reflection (most likely he had a mirrored cloak, reflecting the reactions of those around him), and I could not understand him. “I am trying to look at my reflection, I am trying to look inside” – I thought. – Is not the mirror inside me? In which mirror to look, after all, a person is squeezed between two mirrors – the inner and the outer. This is what I wrote about external mirrors…”The property of a mirror is to adapt. You lift your hand and the reflection will do the same. But at the same time, one must not forget oneself, one’s own mirror. And it is necessary to understand what exactly the mirror reflects at this moment. You cannot force it to reflect your hand if you have stuck out a leg or if another person is reflected there altogether in this moment…”.
So the first thing you need to do is merge with your inner mirror? And for this, you need to cleanse it and harmonize it to a pure and neutral Nothing? To the state of Pure Consciousness. Moreover, purification is not ignoring but shedding “masks”. You need to learn to see what a certain reaction really hides, which is reflected on the surface of the inner mirror. Consolidate this state… I probably need to be in isolation for a long time. Then this inner mirror can perfectly reflect the external mirrors, seeing and reflecting their internal imperfections excellently. And when two pure mirrors meet, Magic happens))) It’s funny, but I can’t describe the state of pure consciousness, and this means…
So, Ouroboros = circle, and Nahash = spiral, rotation, vortex. A very eloquent second illustration, by the way: Light and Darkness eternally swap places with each other, ensuring eternal movement in a circle.
I conducted an experiment: we pushed each other on the shoulder, and that made us move in a circle: if like in the picture, then – “counterclockwise” (if pushing with the left hands, then – “clockwise”). So, people’s dances “in a circle”, round dances are probably an expression of the aspiration for the Ideal, the One Center. ))) Let’s stand in a circle!