I am sure you have heard the New Agey idea “we are all one”. At first glance, you may find it to be pretentious, not based on fact, and pseudo-scientific. Well, I am here to change that. I am here to explain this “one-ness” as a very simple fact; a fact that will be hugely important to recognize and feel in these next few years.
Let’s do a little thought experiment, shall we?
Imagine a circle and nothing else. Okay, when you imagined that circle, you imagined a background around that circle, correct? Now get rid of that background because space too is something. So right now, you should only have a circle. Pretty hard to imagine. In fact, it’s impossible. In order for a circle you need space around that circle otherwise that circle would be everything and thus no edge to the circle, thus no circle.Now add another circle. How? Add the space in-between. Now you have two circles and the space around it all.
In order for something to exist, you need a background. This is a very observable fact. “In the Gesalt theory of perception this is known as the figure/groundrelationship . This theory asserts, in brief, that no figure is ever perceived except in relation to a background...” – Alan Watts
Look around your room. Pick a table, a lamp, anything. There’s a background to it, yes? Now lift up your hand. Put it in front of your face. Background, yes? Move it. Background again, yes? Move it again. Background once again, yes?
“The thing-in-itself, whether animal, vegetable, mineral, is not only unknowable – it does not exist. This is important not only for sanity and peace of mind, but also for the most ‘practical’ reasons of economics, politics, and technology. This is not to say that things only exist only in relation to one another, but that what we call “things” are no more thanglimpses of a unified process. Certainly this process has distinct features which catch our attention, but we must remember that distinction is not separation. In the Gesalt theory of perception this is known as the figure/ground relationship. This theory asserts, in brief, that no figure is ever perceived except in relation to a background. If, for example, you come so close to me that the outline of my body lies beyond your field of vision, the ‘thing’ you see will no longer be my body. Your attention will instead be ‘captured’ by a coat-button or a necktie, for the theory also asserts that, against any given background, our attention is almost automatically “won” by any moving shape (in contrast with the stationary background).” – Alan Watts
This realization and actual felt presence of “oneness” is, to me, our next GIANT step in evolution. It is part of our consciousness’ evolutionary process that will lead us hopefully out of this mess we have gotten ourselves into. We believe ourselves to be separate to this world. We feel as if we have popped up in the middle of history, given a bag of skin to wear, and are dealing with an alien world that will continue to exist once "we" vanish into nothingness. We don’t trust our instincts, we second guess ourselves, get anxiety, and hurt our environment which in-turn hurts ourselves.
“What we need is a sense of unity. Not an idea of unity. Not an ideology of unity… a feeling of unity. So it doesn't come out of intellectual exhortation. It comes out of a personal act of courage…an act of courage which involves surrender…” – Terrence McKenna
The time to recognize and more importantly feel this is now. We don’t have much time. When someone says “we are all one”, it isn't some crazy inter-dimensional, magical thing, it’s just a fact. Observe the mind. Recognize you are pure awareness, not the mind. Follow your instincts. Work with nature, not against it. Give, give, and give for you will only be helping yourself. Everything you experience is you. You are all IT. But there is no "you", IT is IT. :)
Let’s do a little thought experiment, shall we?
Imagine a circle and nothing else. Okay, when you imagined that circle, you imagined a background around that circle, correct? Now get rid of that background because space too is something. So right now, you should only have a circle. Pretty hard to imagine. In fact, it’s impossible. In order for a circle you need space around that circle otherwise that circle would be everything and thus no edge to the circle, thus no circle.Now add another circle. How? Add the space in-between. Now you have two circles and the space around it all.
In order for something to exist, you need a background. This is a very observable fact. “In the Gesalt theory of perception this is known as the figure/ground
Look around your room. Pick a table, a lamp, anything. There’s a background to it, yes? Now lift up your hand. Put it in front of your face. Background, yes? Move it. Background again, yes? Move it again. Background once again, yes?
“The thing-in-itself, whether animal, vegetable, mineral, is not only unknowable – it does not exist. This is important not only for sanity and peace of mind, but also for the most ‘practical’ reasons of economics, politics, and technology. This is not to say that things only exist only in relation to one another, but that what we call “things” are no more than
This realization and actual felt presence of “oneness” is, to me, our next GIANT step in evolution. It is part of our consciousness’ evolutionary process that will lead us hopefully out of this mess we have gotten ourselves into. We believe ourselves to be separate to this world. We feel as if we have popped up in the middle of history, given a bag of skin to wear, and are dealing with an alien world that will continue to exist once "we" vanish into nothingness. We don’t trust our instincts, we second guess ourselves, get anxiety, and hurt our environment which in-turn hurts ourselves.
“What we need is a sense of unity. Not an idea of unity. Not an ideology of unity… a feeling of unity. So it doesn't come out of intellectual exhortation. It comes out of a personal act of courage…an act of courage which involves surrender…” – Terrence McKenna
The time to recognize and more importantly feel this is now. We don’t have much time. When someone says “we are all one”, it isn't some crazy inter-dimensional, magical thing, it’s just a fact. Observe the mind. Recognize you are pure awareness, not the mind. Follow your instincts. Work with nature, not against it. Give, give, and give for you will only be helping yourself. Everything you experience is you. You are all IT. But there is no "you", IT is IT. :)
