John: In our recent dreams, we’ve been following the thread of darkness (the lower self nature of a human) heading toward the light (the higher self nature [for the previous dreams, see The Unawakened, A Profound Step, and The Enemy of the Lower Self]).
For me, this dream scenario was triggered by a conversation in my waking life where, in speaking to a friend, I shared too much information with him. Instead of opening his eyes to a different view of life, it disturbed his equilibrium and upset his worldview. This brought out the Inquisition in him. When a person doesn’t understand something, they can view it as scary, or dangerous, or strange.
One way to understand the lower self is that it’s the physical life we’re born into. The lower self is our planetary existence, dealing with food, shelter, procreation – all our animal instincts and senses. But it’s not meant to be the whole of our life, it is instead the platform through which to take care of physical needs so we can then tend to the growth and flowering of our higher self.
Unfortunately, for many reasons throughout history, humans have become separated from this truth. We, as a species, have become like a plant that never flowers. What this looks like in day-to-day living is a life focused on the personal, ego identity, where everything is seen as happening to “us.” It’s the part of us that thinks life should unfold according to “our” plans, rather than our being involved in, and an integral part of, the greater unfolding of the plans of Creation.
So this is a tremendous difference in viewpoint. And a life lived only in the lower self aspect is blind to, or veiled from, the greater truth behind what we see and experience in the physical realms. Because we, in our culture and education, have become so estranged from the idea of developing our higher selves, any information that delves into that arena comes as a shock to our system – if we’re not open to it.
That manifests in the world as closed-mindedness, and a desire to label such spiritual values as something bad. The response to what is unknown or unfamiliar is fear. In the scenario we’re discussing, it’s a fear of losing credibility in terms of how another person or group sees themselves. And we’re all familiar with the desperate measures some will go to to keep themselves from having to contend with that which is beyond their consciousness, or their ability to understand.
What I’m describing is one reason why the inner is hidden from the world in most religions. A person who’s caught up in the outer, made-up world, where everything is reflected and illusory, can’t be content or at peace with themselves if their mind is unable to pigeonhole everything in the outer environment.
In other words, the unknown has to be compartmentalized and labeled to make a person feel safe again. By talking to my friend about things he couldn’t control or pigeonhole, I’m actually violating his (false) convictions about things. This makes him want to stamp it out, or put it in a safe container so he doesn’t feel threatened. If he can’t do that, then it’s a danger and he can’t be trusted.
He doesn’t mean to be untrustworthy. That’s just how it is in terms of the inner and the outer in relationship to that which is more conscious. That’s why it’s said that a person who lives in the outer, and only relates to things flowing from the outer toward the inner, is unable to see and hear their inner aspects because they don’t allow that possibility for themselves – they’re closed to it.
Part of the fear in this situation is a sense that the new insight or information will cause them to lose themselves – it goes against what they consider “real,” which is their idea of life in a world that’s restricted to their brain and five senses.
If a person is, instead, able to work with their heart, these reactions and defense mechanisms aren’t needed, and then in life the inner can come into the illusion of the outer and create changes in life. It requires letting go of the idea that we, in some way, have real control over life.
This is why it’s said in the Bible (in Matthew 7:6) “Do not… cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.” A person doesn’t mean to be unconscious, but in order to justify their existence to themselves, and to keep any doubt from arising, this is how they must be.
This exists on all levels in Creation. That’s why there’s a hiddenness that exists. It’s imperative to protect that which is real, this hiddenness, from that which is attached to the illusion. This too is part of how the world is designed.
The truly real is hidden from a human being’s lower self, and now I understand the reason why. The truth is too dynamic a force. The lower self, based in the outer, always stands against the truth.
So the dream is pointing out that, even under the most innocent of circumstances (a casual conversation) there comes a time when true consciousness must remain concealed from the average person who’s caught up in the physical world. And now is no different than during the time of Christ and the crucifixion.
This is where we find ourselves, and I must be careful now that I’ve exposed myself to my friend. I’ve violated the rule, the principle of “Solitude in the Crowd.” Now I know why I must hide and protect that which is real, because it’s too much for a humanity caught up in the illusion. It causes such a humanity to do whatever it takes to keep the inner from touching the outer.
