When you experience something, there is an observer and that which is observed. You are the observer. What you observe is the object of observation, whether it is a thought, feeling, or sensation, or a person, place or thing. This process of experiencing is the “observer-observed dynamic.”
The observer is whoever you feel you are, your sense of self. Prior to Cosmic Consciousness (Self-Realization) this sense of self rests in the personal self (ego-body-mind). Upon Awakening to Cosmic Consciousness, this sense of self shifts to Pure Conscious Being, an unbounded infinity known deep within that transcends the personal self.
Prior to awakening to Cosmic Consciousness, persons, places or things are experienced as “not-you” or the “non-self.” Thoughts, feelings and sensations are likely still experienced as you. There is a gap of separation between your sense of self and the persons, places, or things you experience. This is due to the observer-observed dynamic.
After awakening to Cosmic Consciousness, whatever you observe is experienced as the non-self. The non-self now includes thoughts, feelings and sensations as these are within the personal self. Now there is a gap of separation between your sense of self and whatever you experience. This is also due to the observer-observed dynamic.
There is a difference, though, between a gap of separation and a distinction. A distinction enables us to recognize what we observe. A distinction informs us that we are observing a thought, feeling, sensation, person, place, or thing. A gap of separation informs us that what we are observing appears to have an independent existence — that it exists on its own — that it is not dependent on us for its existence, whether or not we perceive it.
In Unity Consciousness we begin to see through the veil of the gap of separation. This veil between our Self as the observer and the non-self becomes transparent. The Self sees itself reflected back to itself through the appearance of the non-self, and in that process the non-self is seen to be none other than the Self. It is like seeing your reflection in a mirror. The non-self becomes like the image in a mirror so everything seen is the Self.
This “reflective” process continues to clarify and progress until the veil of the gap of separation is fully pierced. What once seemed separate is now found to be all Self in one wholeness. It is as though the non-self had been using the observer-observed dynamic to hide the reality of the wholeness of Pure Conscious Being.
But what about the distinctions? The piercing of the gap of separation does not erase distinctions. Without distinctions we could not recognize a tree, a rock, a person, etc.. All of the world would become one undifferentiated mass. So, the observer-observed dynamic effectively continues to function as a means of perception to know distinctions, but without the gap of separation.
In reality, there never was a gap of separation. Unity Consciousness is not a merger of Self and non-self as they were never separate. There is a piercing of a veil of misperception. A progressive clarity unfolds as the veil is pierced.
So what is the observer once the gap of separation has subsided? The observer is still the Self. The Self finds itself present everywhere and in everything. The Self knows itself at all levels of what was previously seen as the non-self. Now there is no deep inside of Self, nor is there an outside, just one singular wholeness without the sense of inside or outside. The Self now knows it uniformly permeates and is equally distributed throughout the wholeness of itself. It is like the salt of the ocean — equally distributed throughout from the depths to the surface.
Experiencing the world now carries with it the sense of being everywhere experiencing right in the very substance of the world. Distinctions are still recognized, but there is no gap. What is observed is the movement and flow of the Self reflecting upon itself — infinite Pure Conscious Being, interacting with itself as a flowing movement of world appearance and expressed intelligence. There seems to be nothing outside of that. The Self and what is observed are one phenomenon, not two or more.
Unity Consciousness reveals that the infinite source of the world is none other than Pure Conscious Being. The whole world is found in Pure Conscious Being.
But what happens when we begin to notice that infinite Pure Conscious Being (and the world “within it“) has a source? What if we begin to notice that Pure Conscious Being and its wholeness is contained in something that transcends it?
This threshold where we begin to realize there is another veil to pierce is the fruition of Unity Consciousness. Pure Conscious Being itself represents another veil hiding an underlying reality.
The interesting thing about veils is that they represent a limitation to our understanding, perception or knowing. When the veil of the gap of separation is lifted, it reveals that there never was separation between Self and non-self. The wholeness of Unity Consciousness was never not whole.
When the veil of Pure Conscious Being is lifted, the Divine source of Pure Conscious Being is revealed. We find that the wholeness of Pure Conscious Being is saturated with Divine Awareness and Its Intelligence which is and always was the transcendental source of Pure Conscious Being.
And the world arising within Pure Conscious Being is realized to be nothing but an appearance lacking independent substance. It is like seeing a movie knowing that its only reality is the pure white light that appears cast upon the screen in colors and images. And that pure light is the light of Pure Divine Awareness and Its Intelligence. And now we have front row seats for what comes next.
Get out the popcorn!
-Joel