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There are many religious conceptions of the self; likewise many spiritual approaches to viewing the self. From the largely transcendentalist Christian idea of the 'soul' to the radical Buddhist notion that there is no inherent substance that could be pointed to as a 'self' with the important caveat that the 'self' still exists, there are many myriads of views about just what the hell this thing we call 'self' is. I open this discussion with that in mind. Let us here talk about our own views of the self. To start us off, I will open the proverbial can of worms with a quotation from Peter Carroll, which represents a Chaos Magic view of the self. Then I will describe my own ideas, which are open sourced and eclectic. It takes only the acceptance of a single belief to make someone a magician. It is the meta-belief that belief is a tool for achieving effects. This effect is often far easier to observe in others than in oneself. It is usually quite easy to see how other people, and indeed entire cultures, are both enabled and disabled by the beliefs they hold. Beliefs tend to lead to activities which tend to reconfirm belief in a circle they call virtuous rather than vicious, even if the results are not amusing. The first stage of seeing through the game can be a shocking enlightenment that leads either to a weary cynicism or Buddhism. The second stage of actually applying the insight to oneself can destroy the illusion of the soul and create a magician. The realization that belief is a tool rather than an end in itself has immense consequences if fully accepted. Within the limits set by physical possibility, and these limits are wider and more malleable than most people believe, one can make real any beliefs one chooses, including contradictory beliefs. The magician is not one striving for any particular limited identity goal, rather one who wants the meta-identity of being able to be anything... Now my own ideas and approaches to 'self' are heavily influenced by the Buddhism that Carroll mentions as a side-effect of realization, and by my early Witchcraft days when I was exposed to the idea that the self is really quite different than what our inculcated 'intuitions' make it out to be. I tread lightly around the 'self.' I take it light-heartedly. It is really amusing to me that such a thing as a consciousness exists. And that is really a source of wonder. I have learned that the self is almost exactly the opposite of doctrines from religious traditions. There is nothing inherent to a self except the meanings which you impute to it and then reinforce by your behaviours. As an avid meta-programming experimentor, I have learned that perceptions are limited by one's self-concepts and beliefs...to experience wider or radically different sets of perceptions it is necessary to be able to explore other beliefs and self-concepts...this is done to mine for the wisdoms and insights that such approaches may reveal. To me, this is a strong foundation for empathy, because it frees me up to be able to actually get into another's belief structures and perceptions. I can view the world and experience it from another's world view. The self is flickering and fluid. We give it a sense of solidity and continuity by editing and re-editing the stories, memories, and feelings we have about our lives. This 'story-telling' goes on all the time in our heads and hearts and can lead to a fixation or grasping which becomes parasitical to our lives and subsequently limits us to narrow sets of options. In terms of magic, I have learned that, in fact, one can drop a 'self' and 'erase personal history' in order to achieve certain results...whether it is simple sorcery, divination, or invocation...or whether it is for survival of oneself or others. The magical self is much more than you and I could ever hope to explain, but we can experience it fully and then try to explain it using the various symbol systems and cosmologies of our chosen belief sets or traditions. Let us discuss this further... Agree? Disagree? Don't know? What is/are YOUR idea/s about the self? Don't be shy. Guard the mysteries by constantly revealing them (as my Witchcraft teachers used to say with tongue in cheek). -Irreverend Hugh, KSC [originally written on November 24th, 2004] |
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