[Opinion] False dichotomy: HGA as Higher Self vs separate entity

[pixel_fortune]

There are lots of ways of looking at this question, but this is the logic path based on my existing (scientific) knowledge and models of the world, and it might fit your brain too

We are ALREADY made up of separate entities. The most obvious is the microbiome. There's tiny rhinoceros-looking bacteria that live on our eyelashes, and apparently mitochondria used to be a symbiotic species but are now intrinsically part of us?

A lot of neuroscientists see different parts of the brain as competing with each other for resources and physical space within the skull. "Neurons that fire together wire together" obviously, but it may go further, and that they're kind of engaged in their own survival of the fittest battle at that level. There's a compelling theory that dreams are a way for the visual cortex to stake out its territory overnight. Shutting down for 8 hours would let other regions of the brain muscle in on its territory, so it's found a way to periodically activate throughout sleep.

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IFS therapy treats you as having different "parts" with a coordinating Self (hopefully) in charge. (Poor mental health comes from when one of your parts - say, anxiety - takes control of the wheel and starts doing a bunch of things that aren't in its job description). And IFS is very effective, though I'm still not totally sure to what extent it's a metaphor.

There's also the idea of "extended cognition" or "embodied cognition" - the idea that part of our brain is effectively in the tools we use, and again that the boundary between self and other, inside and outside, is not as sharp as it looks.

Sticking to the more robust microbiome example: there is a separate entity that is assigned to us and us alone, that we do not share with others, even if ours might have a lot in common with others'. We cannot access its thoughts. It has its own agenda while nevertheless being deeply invested in our wellbeing.

And we don't have a problem thinking of it as part of us. We understand that the human body is an ecosystem, but we still identify our "self" as the organising principle, and we don't agonise over whether our bacteria are separate or not

So if the HGA is a separate entity, but it's assigned to us and us alone, then that's not actually that different from being a part of the self, because we're ALREADY not an isolated entity, we're already a conglomerate or ecosystem.

I think the question then can only be: is the HGA part of us, or is it a separate entity AND part of us.
The conception of the self as having clear hard boundaries is kind of a pre-20th century thing.

 

[DiLoco_DelEted]

I believe separate and part.

 

[Roma]

there is a separate entity that is assigned to us and us alone, that we do not share with others,

Is that a bottom up view?

A top down view might be that an entity (Neshama/Christian soul/HGA) is assigned a bunch of humans to cultivate until the humans can make their own conscious connections with the higher entity (Monad/Yechidah). Then the HGA moves on to other work.

The Monad is able to run a bunch of humans when they become enlightened.

Parallel processing is not a human invention

 

[pixel_fortune]

Okay, yeah my line of reasoning does require the HGA being singular-ish rather than shared. But I suppose that is my model, the divine is infinite/in everything, but the HGA is a little wavelet of the ocean that, for my lifetime, is spending its "time" with my wavelet.

(I mean, to the degree that anything is singular/separate. But you can't have a conversation if you don't use the framework of things being separate. "Pass the salt" "How can I, when you, me and the salt are the same thing?")

 

[DiLoco_DelEted]

Well, in reference to the salt, I have no answer other than we are part sulphur, part mercury and part salt.

To reach ye today the higher self, we must conquer the lower self first. We have a HGA and a HGD. The HGD should be conquered first, in other words equalizing and conquering the Nephesch, or integrating the shadow self.
Some disagree and say we should conquer the Nephesch and aspire to rising to the Yechidah, where there may in fact be the HGA above it, waiting for us.

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To reach Yechidah

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Or maybe not

 

[Pyrokar]

Well if we are all multiple entities/biomes then shouldn't the HG/A/D/G be so as well?
Ha. gotcha.

It's a separate entity.

 

[Roma]

Well if we are all multiple entities/biomes then shouldn't the HG/A/D/G be so as well?

To have a unified functionality is generally better to have one leader/brain/intent

Commonly humans have physical desires that are not coordinated with their emotional desires nor their mental thoughts if applicable.

Hence the complaints:

• I don't know why I did that
• I don't know what came over me
• I don't understand myself

Unresolved trauma is a common problem

 

[HoldAll]

One thing I've recently noticed in relatively new books about magic is a return to the spirit model, simply on technical/pragmatic grounds: It's hard to invoke something that's supposed to be part of you anyway, or to evoke something that solely dwells inside of you and is therefore not cabable of existing outside of you. Additionally, I find it hard to believe that some instance of me can do something for me in the physical world - it's easier to convince myself that a shem angel will work change on my behalf, for example, than discounting it as a mere figment of my imagination while expecting it to get busy for me. Or: Building an altar and making offering to something I think of as being basically part of myself seems ludicrous. In short, some sharply delineated subject-object relationship (i.e. me and an independent separate being) is simply a more helpful magical approach.

As to the real truth of whether the HGA is a separate entity or just the Higher Self, the only answer that makes sense to me is the almost stereotypical (post-)postmodern cliché of "Yes. No. Both. Neither. Neither - Neither. Neither neither nor neither. Something different entirely (or not). Next question. Dunno, what's on TV?"

 

[pixel_fortune]

Well if we are all multiple entities/biomes then shouldn't the HG/A/D/G be so as well?
Ha. gotcha.

It's a separate entity.

I'm not saying it isn't. I'm saying that we view the microbiome, a separate entity, as basically us, without agonising over it, so it makes sense to think of a separate-entity HGA as basically us as well, without agonising over it

And if we're treating it as "basically us" whether it's a separate entity or not, then the question stops being very important

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In short, some sharply delineated subject-object relationship (i.e. me and an independent separate being) is simply a more helpful magical approach.

The old adage - "no models are true but some models are useful"

(or: no map is the territory but some maps are useful)

Post automatically merged: Nov 22, 2023

Re: the pragmatic spirit model, I've also found it helpful because I think your brain struggles to really believe you've done something unless you physically move your body in space. (There's evidence for this with responses to trauma and anxiety and stuff).

So you could think of offerings as physicalised gratitude practice.

(Which sounds like the psychological model, but it isn't necessarily - atheists do gratitude journalling to appreciate definitely-real people, so it can have a psychological effect without saying the object of gratitude has no independent existence)

 

[Xenophon]

Michael Kelley maintains what gets called HGA is actually a later version of one's future self. Or, at least, a possible future self. Which suggests a rewrite to the ol' poem, "...Das Unbeschreibliche, hier ist es getan/ Mein dicker Selbst zieht mich hinan!" (With apologies to "das ewige Weibliche."

 

[Ziran]

So if the HGA is a separate entity, but it's assigned to us and us alone, then that's not actually that different from being a part of the self, because we're ALREADY not an isolated entity, we're already a conglomerate or ecosystem.

I think the question then can only be: is the HGA part of us, or is it a separate entity AND part of us.

It's complicated. The HGA comes from a specific school of thought where the "self" is a hybrid of matter-and-spirit and the HGA is spirit. In this model, spirit is concurrent and omnipresent. Matter is distinct and seperate in time and space, spirit is not. The common descriptor used for spirit is "beyond time and space", but beyond is a poor word choice. It's better written as "not limited by time and space".

Because of this, the way I would phrase it is this way: The HGA is always with and connected to the one to which it has been assigned.

 

[stratamaster78]

I also see it as simultaneously separate and the higher self.

I think at this point I’ve heard or read countless accounts of others reaching K&C at Tiphareth and the answer to their questions of who or what is the HGA was…. “Ahhh… it was me all along”

 

[Roma]

The HGA is always with and connected to the one to which it has been assigned.

Except in severe cases of autism, dementia, selfishness, brain damage, etc - when the HGA is free to follow its other responsibilities.

 

[Vandheer]

The way I know, HGA is a part of us that doesn't neccesarily act the way we do because it isn't bound with time and space the way lower parts of us are. Because of that, HGA acts in a way that seems seperate.

Knowledge and Conversation with it is achieved if one can pass the Veil of Paroketh, but you don't truly harmonize with it until passing the Abyss. Which I am not sure if its attainable when alive.

Its one of those subjects that you won't know until you experience it I suppose, and you can see many conflicting answers. Probably I am wrong too. ^^

 

[Ziran]

Except in severe cases of autism, dementia, selfishness, brain damage, etc - when the HGA is free to follow its other responsibilities.

I strongly disagree.

Post automatically merged: Nov 23, 2023

I also see it as simultaneously separate and the higher self.

I think at this point I’ve heard or read countless accounts of others reaching K&C at Tiphareth and the answer to their questions of who or what is the HGA was…. “Ahhh… it was me all along”

K&C? Kether and Chochmah?

 

[stratamaster78]

I strongly disagree.

Post automatically merged: Nov 23, 2023

K&C? Kether and Chochmah?

Knowledge and Conversation (with the HGA).

But I'm glad you mentioned Kether because I meant to add something.

Another reason I say the HGA is separate and not separate is that in viewing the Tree of Life, Tiphareth (HGA - Higher You) is a refection of both Kether (Source You) and Malkuth (Physically Manifested You).

It's ALL you but just in different stages of being-ness and separated by and accessed through different states of consciousness.

So in one way... not separate... but yet also separate.

 

[Ziran]

Knowledge and Conversation (with the HGA).

thank you. I never would have figured that out.

Tiphareth (HGA - Higher You) is a refection of both Kether (Source You) and Malkuth (Physically Manifested You).

I'm trying to think of the best way to respond to this. Maybe let's start with tiphereth. Here is tiphereth. It's unique qualities are connectivity to the other 9 and its location which is central to the 7 emotive qualities. It's the heart of the heart.

The key distinction here is between connectivity and reflection. Working with tiphereth is not automatically working with all the others perhaps with the exception of yesod. However, when one is working with tiphereth properly, there is a unique inherent "loft" produced and the cconsciousness naturally rises and encounters kether. From an individual perspective, this permits a glimpse into a "higher-self". I suppose, depending on the expectations and disposition of the individual, this higher-self might engage in a sort of communication exchange where it will identify itself as "Yourself", but that is not how it is for me. For me, this "higher-self" is a sort of blueprint, or a map, of myself.

Kether is a "plan", for lack of better words. Often people tranlsate it as "will", but that is incomplete. "will" ( rahtzohn ) is the outer dimension, "pleasure" or "desire" ( taynug ) is its inner dimension. Kether is a both, simultaneously, a plan and an inclination. The plan includes both: what will happen if the plan is implemented ( pleasure ) and what will happen if it is not ( dissappointment / pain ). Example: kether-of-paint: The paint will not peel if there is priming before painting. The paint will peel if there is not priming before painting. Both are simultaneously part of the plan.

OK.

Malchuth. Malchuth is a reflection of kether. In the example above, this is malchuth-of-paint, which is a reflection of the kether-of-paint: there is a mechanism which produces the adherence of paint to the primer and the lack of adherence of the paint to the bare surface. Guess what implements that mechanism? The ancient western philosophers and mystics called them "angels". Modern folk would call them "forces of nature".

Now.

What about the HGA? The HGA is a type of angel assigned to each and every thing that exists in the material realm. There are a lot of them. They correspond to the constellations. What do they do? They implement kether-of-the-individual via both positive and negative reinforcement for the purpose of producing good "fruit". This best is described in a midrash collection called b'raishees rabbah but also elsewhere in the talmud whose study, per the abermelin, is required prior to embarking on establishing a relationship with the aspirant's HGA. The abermelin discourages starting the work and stopping it. This is because once the HGA is engaged, it will strike the aspirant encouraging them to return, but this striking is not malevolent. It is encouraging the aspirant to "rise". That's literally what is written about it.

The HGA is not a higher-self. It has no will of its own. The will is coming from the "source" which is producing the kether and vitality to implement it. Knowing and understanding the higher-self ( kether ) is a manner for determining and predicting the plan which is assigned to the HGA which is assigned to the individual. This knowledge and understanding grants wisdom of when and how to act and informs the choices made by the individual aspirant.

Working with tiphereth is the most accessible entry point to a path which is ascending to kether-of-the-individual. Once the kether is known, and choices are made which are consistently producing "encouragement" ( blessing ) from the HGA it will do all sort of wonderful things. The individual can make a "basket" for these encouragements for themself to recieve these encouragments for themself or to use as gifts, channeling the "blessings" to others. Making baskets, chariots, vessels for receiving is literally what kabalah is all about. It means "receiving" ( feminine ).

I would be remiss not to mention the fault condition. If the individual is expecting kether (a plan) and encounters a concsiousness encouraging absolute freedom or chaos where there are no consequences and/or the consequences are completely random (which is the opposite of a plan) something has gone wrong. The individual is not ascending. If the intention is to ascend, this is a good indicator to reset, review, and retry.

Malkuth (Physically Manifested You)

This is important. Malchuth is not the physical manifestation. It's still spiritual. If it were the physical manifestation than the reflection of kether would be readily apparent and no one would need to do anything to inform their choices such that benevolence was always the result. If malchuth was the physical manifestation, everything would work like clock-work.

The physical manifestion is malchuth occluded with k'lipoth-nogah. That's why it's not a bad thing to know and understand the k'lipoth because it's surrounding everything in the material world.

 

[Roma]

Except in severe cases of autism, dementia, selfishness, brain damage, etc - when the HGA is free to follow its other responsibilities.

I strongly disagree.

I once performed a series of interventions on boy with severe autism - could not remember his own name a couple of days after being vaccinated, not for Covid19.

At one stage there was an intervention every few days towards specific stated outcomes with his mother reporting back after each intervention. She was pleased with the improvements at each stage.

Early in the process it was necessary to remove much of the Aluminum from the brain before the HGA would agree to intervene

 

[Pyrokar]

Holy shit.
Roma what do you do? Like what is your professional calling?

 

[DiLoco_DelEted]

I too would like to know, beyond the Freemasonry years.