On "crossing the abyss"

[neon_trapezoid]

For those of you who have had the experience of crossing the abyss, how did that experience manifest for you?

I'm thinking of this in Crowleyan/OTO terms, where to reach a certain point of the path of knowledge/initiation/growth/development, it is necessary to "cross the abyss". It has been described as a melting of personality into the "All", but I'm curious what that really looks like physically/mentally for a person.

 

[Morell]

Just watched video on this topic yesterday... it's very interesting one, that speaks about crossing the abyss in both tree of life and death.

Spoiler: video

I'm unsure if I attempted it without knowing or if I'm trying now, no idea, because I don't use Kabbalah in any version. But I assume that everyone has to do it at some time.

 

[FireBorn]

I have crossed the Abyss, but not within the framework you are asking about. I am watching this thread as I am very curious about others experiences. Hopefully a few will chime in and share.

 

[sahgwa]

I am nowhere near close to that step, but I do feel in my own evolution small pieces of it coming together.
I will just say that as a Thelemite, each sephiroth and grade that you advance through, changes your baseline.
In this day and age, I personally believe the average person is barely on the Tree at all. They are right below Malkuth.
You could view this as a Student in the A.:.A.:. curriculum.

Anyway, we all bounce up and down the Tree in our daily lives, but our baseline frequency evolves through the Work.
Much like a rubber band can be bent or changed, but made tighter, although we may 'fall' or 'rise' , in 'tightening the band' through Work, our baseline frequency will raise in vibration, and therefore our 'home' Sephiroth can (generally) change to be 'better/higher'
The closer you get to your Higher Self , near Tiphareth, you find yourself subconsciously manifesting more harmony and compassion in your life.
This in my personal experience is not chosen, it just feels 'wrong' to be disharmonious.

We are all human, sometimes it's 'fun' to shout or judge people. But as you evolve you feel/know that it is not good for you, and is an indulgence and feels 'dirty.' But we all have sometimes automatic lizard reactions. As we evolve we can notice outside of ourselves, inwards, more and be more mindful at least while it happens.

I feel that this natural growing of a 'identification' or vibration with Harmony, is a baseline for the ultimate Merging.

So much like you have to stand up and use your leg muscles upright, before you can take a step and walk, I feel the natural tendency towards divine love, a stern logical compassion, feels to me like a first step towards the ultimate Dissolution above the Abyss.
Hopefully this very limited personal experience has given you a glimpse of what reaching the dissolution of the ego may look like psychologically. I am not close, but I am closer than I was.

 

[neon_trapezoid]

Just watched video on this topic yesterday... it's very interesting one, that speaks about crossing the abyss in both tree of life and death.

Spoiler: video

I'm unsure if I attempted it without knowing or if I'm trying now, no idea, because I don't use Kabbalah in any version. But I assume that everyone has to do it at some time.

Thanks @Morell , helpful to get the live perspective.

Post automatically merged: Today at 11:46 AM

I have crossed the Abyss, but not within the framework you are asking about. I am watching this thread as I am very curious about others experiences. Hopefully a few will chime in and share.

@FireBorn I'm curious about the way you understand the process if you are willing to share

Post automatically merged: Today at 11:51 AM

I am nowhere near close to that step, but I do feel in my own evolution small pieces of it coming together.
I will just say that as a Thelemite, each sephiroth and grade that you advance through, changes your baseline.
In this day and age, I personally believe the average person is barely on the Tree at all. They are right below Malkuth.
You could view this as a Student in the A.:.A.:. curriculum.

Anyway, we all bounce up and down the Tree in our daily lives, but our baseline frequency evolves through the Work.
Much like a rubber band can be bent or changed, but made tighter, although we may 'fall' or 'rise' , in 'tightening the band' through Work, our baseline frequency will raise in vibration, and therefore our 'home' Sephiroth can (generally) change to be 'better/higher'
The closer you get to your Higher Self , near Tiphareth, you find yourself subconsciously manifesting more harmony and compassion in your life.
This in my personal experience is not chosen, it just feels 'wrong' to be disharmonious.

We are all human, sometimes it's 'fun' to shout or judge people. But as you evolve you feel/know that it is not good for you, and is an indulgence and feels 'dirty.' But we all have sometimes automatic lizard reactions. As we evolve we can notice outside of ourselves, inwards, more and be more mindful at least while it happens.

I feel that this natural growing of a 'identification' or vibration with Harmony, is a baseline for the ultimate Merging.

So much like you have to stand up and use your leg muscles upright, before you can take a step and walk, I feel the natural tendency towards divine love, a stern logical compassion, feels to me like a first step towards the ultimate Dissolution above the Abyss.
Hopefully this very limited personal experience has given you a glimpse of what reaching the dissolution of the ego may look like psychologically. I am not close, but I am closer than I was.

@sahgwa thanks for the insight. Sometimes I do notice that feeling of being 'wrong to be disharmonious', and I've wondered what that stems from in myself. As in, sometimes the draw towards harmony feels innate, but I question whether it is innate in me or a result of religious conditioning. Interesting to hear this from you.

 

[Aldebaran]

I believe Crowley was talking about the complete dissolution of the ego and the concept of merging identity with source. You can look up Eckhart Tolle for a similar , but less Left Hand Path, take on this. He (Tolle) is an example of complete ego dissolution without Will.

 

[IllusiveOwl]

I am not a Thelemite and I do not practice in the Æon of Horus under Crowley, but from my own experience there was a pointed moment of sober direct existential contact that did permanently change me, which matches the solemn experience Crowley talks about, and the reverence he holds in "those who understand.".

It was harrowing and I see the world still through the knowledge gained by the experience. It's not possible to emphasize the truth or importance of this realization enough, how liberating and obliterating it is when ultimate truth is understood in the very core of your being. I can see how integrating this perspective when you're not rigorously conditioned through some esoteric system or ready for it could lead to tragedy for the individual and those around them. I'm not sure if I should share it, but who gives a fuck.

Spoiler: Secret

It was a coming into contact with the expanse of nothingness that comprises all levels of existence. Nothing is born, nothing dies. Nothing has a name, nothing is. There is no point, no goal, no finish line, no failure or success. Something cannot exist within nothing. There are no humans, no gods, no art, no practice, no souls, no All, only nothing, forever, infinitely, always. There is no story, you haven't lived a life, and there is no one in your head listening to the thoughts that no one is saying. Given you reading this are the center, this most importantly applies directly to you, you are nothing.

I believe the absolute existential unyielding comprehension of this truth is why it's called "Crossing The Abyss", it's a nice phrase for the experience, because miraculously something does come through the other side. Of course there's a difference between reading about it and undergoing the initiation with your neck on the block

 

[neon_trapezoid]

I am not a Thelemite and I do not practice in the Æon of Horus under Crowley, but from my own experience there was a pointed moment of sober direct existential contact that did permanently change me, which matches the solemn experience Crowley talks about, and the reverence he holds in "those who understand.".

It was harrowing and I see the world still through the knowledge gained by the experience. It's not possible to emphasize the truth or importance of this realization enough, how liberating and obliterating it is when ultimate truth is understood in the very core of your being. I can see how integrating this perspective when you're not rigorously conditioned through some esoteric system or ready for it could lead to tragedy for the individual and those around them. I'm not sure if I should share it, but who gives a fuck.

Spoiler: Secret

It was a coming into contact with the expanse of nothingness that comprises all levels of existence. Nothing is born, nothing dies. Nothing has a name, nothing is. There is no point, no goal, no finish line, no failure or success. Something cannot exist within nothing. There are no humans, no gods, no art, no practice, no souls, no All, only nothing, forever, infinitely, always. There is no story, you haven't lived a life, and there is no one in your head listening to the thoughts that no one is saying. Given you reading this are the center, this most importantly applies directly to you, you are nothing.

I believe the absolute existential unyielding comprehension of this truth is why it's called "Crossing The Abyss", it's a nice phrase for the experience, because miraculously something does come through the other side. Of course there's a difference between reading about it and undergoing the initiation with your neck on the block

@IllusiveOwl very interesting. Thank you for sharing.