MAHARAJ: “Lightment” vs. Enlightenment, Part “FF”

TODAY’S CONSIDERATIONS 

Maharaj made clear that when "full realization" happens, there will no longer be an assumption of any identity (or “Identity”). He explained that means that there will not even be an assumed "experiencer"; instead, there will be for the remainder of the manifestation only what can be called for the sake of discussion the “True Self” or the “Real Self” (that is, the “Pure Witnessing”). Then, for the rest of the relative existence, there will merely be the witnessing of whatever happens. 

Yet he said that at various points along the path, experiencing must happen until the role of the experiencer goes the way of all roles and ends; therefore, he said: “I have no faith in anything which has ever been told, not even what has been told by the Vedas. Only my own experience.” He explained: “Without an experiencer the experience is not real. It is the experiencer that imparts reality to experience.” 

Thus it has been noted here that if persons have not experienced their own hopelessness, they can never understand hope. The same holds true for the neuroses and psychoses and insanity which parents and teachers and religious leaders and political leaders impose on persons: if persons have not experienced their own insanity, they can never be freed from insanity and restored to sanity. In the book 

 

it is made clear that realization cannot come to all (if it is understood that Maharaj defined “realisation” as being free of ignorance and insanity). 

The non-dual understanding cannot restore all of the insane to a state of sanity any more than counselors and psychologists and therapists and psychiatrists – and their drugs – can restore all of the insane to a state of sanity. Some persons are so far gone that they will never experience – that is, they will never truly touch – their own insanity. Just as those who are driven by extreme levels of ignorance cannot recognize their own ignorance, so it is that many who are being driven by insane thoughts and words which lead to insane actions will never understand how insane their thoughts and words and actions are. 

As for those that are seeking, most know that something is “missing” or understand that the way that they have been living is generating "some really insane results." They may well be in a position to experience their own insanity, leaving them with the possibility of taking the steps which might well free them of insanity and its effects. 

Here, after pointers are shared about Maharaj’s abandoning the use of a combination of religious and non-dual pointers and a combination of spirituality and non-dual pointers and then focusing on the psychological roots – the mental roots – of the Ultimate Sickness, then “everyday” examples are offered to illustrate the pointers and to allow seekers an opportunity to examine their own thoughts and words and actions and then possibly experience the reality of the effects which all experience when they are trapped in learned ignorance or when they are trapped in the neuroses or psychoses or insanity which is imposed on all persons on the planet nowadays. 

Maharaj put it this way: “Insanity is universal. Sanity is rare. Yet there is hope, because the moment we perceive our insanity, we are on the way to sanity.” Again, if persons have not experienced their own hopelessness, they can never understand hope. 

The same holds true for the neuroses and psychoses and insanity which parents and teachers and religious leaders and political leaders impose on persons: if persons have not experienced their own insanity, they can never understand sanity. Because learned ignorance and insanity – along with multiple personalities and the hidden, subconscious agendas and chaos and instability which they bring - are imposed by the use of programming and conditioning and domestication and acculturation and indoctrination and brainwashing, and because the same are used to assign false identities to humans (beginning during the earliest years of childhood), then the effects must be experienced if one is to be free of them. 

That is, persons must become conscious of their actual condition and then must become aware of techniques and methods which can free them of those effects of their condition. Maharaj explained precisely the logic of meeting in the loft there, and his words make clear what the task which has been assumed here is: “This is the function of the Guru - to make us see the madness of our daily living. Life makes you conscious, but the teacher makes you aware.” 

 So, to continue: Here, much of the work undertaken to try to pay the rent and monthly bills involves working with counselors and their clients. 

Those counselors have their clients take the personality inventory I use before the clients enter their offices for their initial sessions. In that way, the counselors know exactly which personality agendas are controlling their clients' thoughts and words and actions; then, they can use that information during the coming weeks and months to make their clients aware, to wake them up to the reality of the forces which are really driving them to behave in ways which are insane – to one degree or another – because their actions are self-destructive, are self-defeating, are not in their best relative interests at all. 

On this site, information in that same vein is shared with the same potential possibility of allowing persons to see clearly the effects of what they are doing and to see clearly thereafter what the causes of those behaviors actually are and what actions can, in some cases, be taken to reverse course. 

To that end, today’s post is excerpted from CHAPTER SEVENTEEN of the book "The Child Ignorance Stage" or "The Child No-Knowing State," that chapter entitled, The Borderline Personality Disorder.” In working with counselors and their clients in the U.K., all across Western Europe, in Africa, in Sydney, Australia and in many points in between, we are seeing a major increase in the number of cases involving the Borderline Personality Disorder, so that disorder alone will be discussed today. 

From Chapter Seventeen: 

The previous chapter ended with this consideration: The sages have discussed the negative impact of personality on the relative existence for ages. Is it any wonder why, after having seen the results of ego-defense mechanisms and personality defects that always accompany the assignment or assumption of personality? The final disorder to be discussed is:

THE BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER 

Because persons with the Borderline Personality Disorder (a.k.a., the Emotionally-Unstable Personality Disorder) are constantly idealizing and then diminishing other persons - and constantly upgrading and downgrading other persons - then this disorder reinforces duality in those types as much as (or sometimes even more than) any other disorder. Those with the Borderline Personality Disorder practice “psychological splitting,” a reference to the borderline's inability to hold consistently any thoughts or feelings or beliefs about oneself or others. What they supposedly "love" one minute, they can - and will - hate the next, inspiring those around them to conclude that they are "the most unpredictable person I've ever known" or "the most unstable person I've ever met." 

Their typical pattern is this: they usually see only "the positives" in the beginning, but then later they will focus on the negative attributes of persons, so they are driven by a set of beliefs that have no cohesiveness. (Can that not be one description of persons trapped in the belief of duality?) All personality types produce emotional intoxication and emotional instability, but as the alternate name - "the Emotionally-Unstable Personality Disorder" - suggests borderlines can be among the most unstable of all unstable persons. It is not as if their shift from a positive view of someone develops to a negative view of that person after spending a long period of time with that person. It can happen instantly. 

While the non-duality teachings invite seekers to abide as the Original State which is totally stable - being mindless, persona-less, and identity-less as it is - those with the Borderline Personality Disorder are totally out of touch with that Original State of Reality and, therefore, are presently out of touch with steadiness and constancy as well (especially including being out of touch with mental and emotional stability). When this now-more-commonplace-than-ever disorder is driving thoughts and words and deeds (which happen to align with the thoughts and words and actions of the non-Realized), then persons will find it difficult to distinguish between reality and their own misperceptions of the world and their surrounding environment. 

They will be trapped in a state of emotional intoxication that is as debilitating as it is among those who are physically intoxicated and who are staggering about in a stupor while thinking that they are actually fully aware and totally in control; instead, they are trapped in the dream of the planet and are walking and talking and driving and working - and doing everything they do - in their sleep. 

One core problem with persons who suffer from the now-common Borderline Disorder is their difficulty with expressing appropriate feelings (and their inability to be totally "available") to significant people in their lives. 

[As has been discussed in more detail in other works by the author, there are entire cultures where persons are especially cold and incapable of feeling and where parents are excessively rigid and distant and formal and remote and detached and aloof; those are the parents who have never said "I love you" to their own children even once and who have never hugged their children even once; who teach their children to keep a stiff upper lip; who never show their feelings; and who do not allow their children to show their feelings, either. Repression, and the consequences thereof, are prevalent throughout such cultures.] 

Eventually, as the Borderline Disorder progresses, there can be a shift beyond being driven by emotional intoxication and becoming enraged, distrustful, and fearful. Extreme instability - especially of the mental and emotional variety - becomes commonplace among these types. 

Thus, the author asks this question regularly of seekers that visit: Is it becoming clear why sages for ages have recommended to seekers that they take the steps to be free of personality? The "goal" of non-duality pointers is always to move persons to a state of independence and stability, freed of all identification, including identification with the body and the mind and the personalities that generate chaos and the desire to control. That can never happen as long as personality remains and is subconsciously driving all thoughts and words and actions. 

The teachings might temporarily offer some degree of "emotion regulation" as the seeker moves along the path, but in the end, belief in and attachment to ego-states - to false personalities which generate emotional intoxication - must be eliminated. That includes the ego-states that some take to be the "good" ones as well as the ones that cultures call the "bad" ones. 

As long as any personas are assumed to be real, then all of the negative effects of personality disorders (relatively speaking) will manifest and will assure an existence dominated by fluctuation, by chaos, by a desire to control, and by the frustration that comes when efforts to control people, places, and things fail ... as will always, ultimately, be the case. 

When the Borderline Personality Disorder is driving thoughts and words and actions, then persons will find it difficult to distinguish between reality and their own misperceptions of the world and their surrounding environment. 

After having seen the results of the personality disorders which follow the development of personality, and after having seen the relative effects of the assignment or assumption of personalities / personas as identities, is it not clear why the invitation here is to at least "go back" as far as "The Child Ignorance Stage" / "The Child No-Knowing State" and then abide in a manner that is free of concepts and beliefs, free of a fiction-filled "mind," and free of the personalities that are at the root of all of the ignorance and chaos and mental disorders and insanity that plague the relative existence on this planet? 

Only then can one return to that earlier state of happiness which allowed for the enjoyment of unconditional happiness (as long as the most basic needs of food and clothing and shelter were met). 

To be continued.

Please enter into the silence of contemplation.

[NOTE: The four most recent posts will follow. You may access all of the posts in this series and in the previous series and several thousand other posts as well by clicking on the links in the "Recent Posts and Archives" section.]

Also: 

In addition to the five non-duality books made available without charge by Andy Gugar, Jr. (see “FREEBIES” above), you can now access nearly 2,800 posts for any topics of interest to you. Use the search feature at the top and then click “Open Menu” in the upper right hand corner and use the “Find” feature to locate your search term in the postings. 

 Finally, if anything on the site has been of use to you, you may use the donate button at the top of this page to donate any amount you choose or you may use the following button to make a $5 donation. All donations help defray expenses and allow us to continue to offer access to all of the free books and content without any membership fee. 

Thank you for your support. You may click the button below to donate $5:

MAHARAJ: “Lightment” vs. Enlightenment, Part “EE”

TODAY’S CONSIDERATIONS

[Continued from yesterday] 

So Maharaj eventually came to see that all of humankind’s problems are rooted in the mind and are, therefore, properly treated by addressing person’s mental aberrations, not by expanding their “religious fitness” or their “spiritual fitness.” Maharaj came to understand that, contrary to the idea set forth by most, neither becoming more religious nor becoming more spiritual can possibly address psychological problems which are centered in the mind and which are rooted in personality disorders, neuroses, psychoses, and full-blown insanity. 

A man named Larry Dawson was recently shot trying to enter the U.S. Congress with a gun. He had been arrested in the House of Representatives chamber on an earlier occasion when he stood in the visitors’ gallery and shouted “I am the prophet of God!” He is a Christian pastor of St. Luke’s Church in Tennessee who said that he “has been chosen by God” and that “it is our job to do the will of God in [sic] the earth.” He once propositioned an underage (teenage) girl to have sex with him, claiming that “God had told him to seduce her.” 

(Even after dealing with the police over that attempted act of pedophilia, he was arrested for harassment because he continued sending the same girl letters which “professed his love for her and his desire for her to become his wife and bear him a child.”)

Since Larry has not taken the personality inventory test which I use with seekers and clients, I cannot say specifically what personality disorders and other mental issues Larry has, but even a novice observer could probably chose which of the following is likely a more accurate diagnosis of Larry's mental condition: 

(A) either Larry is likely dealing with some mental issues which would end if he would only be more spiritual; or,

(B) Larry is a religious fanatic who believes that he is already quite godly and already highly spiritual even as his fanaticism has played a major role in rendering him insane. 

Now many repeat on a daily basis their belief that Larry and other insane persons like Larry could be restored to sanity if he would just “turn his will and his life over to the care of God” and would “ask God to remove his shortcomings.” Those types claim that if he, and all other insane persons, would just does those things, then God would take remove all of those personal liabilities and would heal all of their mental illnesses . . . no charge.

If asked, Larry would likely say that he had already turned his will and his life over to the care of God. And while some would claim that “a Power greater than Larry could restore him to sanity” if he would only work to stay "in conscious contact with God," Larry might well be as schizophrenic as all persons who claim that they are already hearing an entity in another world who is speaking to them and guiding them throughout each and every day. 

The fact: this is much like pregnancy. Either one is pregnant or one is not; likewise, either (1) mental problems need to be addressed via psychological techniques with a proven track record or (2) mental problems need to be addressed by a Power or a God or gods and goddesses in other worlds and by working throughout the day, every day, to become more religious and more spiritual.

Maharaj in the end came to see the nonsense of #2 above and shifted his focus in the end to offering a version of the Ultimate Medicine which was based in #1 above. 

He came to understand that the problems of humanity are centered in the mind, and he understood that personality identifications are stored in the mind and become a part of all the rest of the fictional beliefs stored therein; thus, personality issues are mental issues, and if they can be addressed, they can only be addressed when treated as mental issues, not as issues of dogma and not as issues of the soul. Hence, the sharing of information here on the ramifications of personality. 

Today’s post is excerpted from CHAPTER SIXTEEN of the book "The Child Ignorance Stage" or "The Child No-Knowing State," that chapter entitled, “The Masochistic Personality Disorder, the Sadistic Personality Disorder, and the Sado-Masochistic Personality Disorder”: 

The sages have discussed the negative impact of personality on the relative existence for ages. Is it any wonder why after reading the discussions in these chapters which are revealing the results of the use of ego-defense mechanisms as well as the personality defects and disorders that always accompany the assignment or assumption of personality? Consider next: 

THE MASOCHISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER 

Masochists are taught early on to hate themselves and to feel useless and unworthy of love. As a result, they become self-destructive and self-defeating. Moreover, if assistance is offered, they will reject it and become angry at anyone suggesting they need help. 

Masochists avoid the pleasures available during the relative existence as well as relationships and circumstances that are likely to result in success or gratification; thus, they avoid intimacy and companionship and are only attracted to people and circumstances that will lead to disappointment and mistreatment and failure. Ironically, they disdain and reject people who would treat them well, further guaranteeing misery in relationships and assuring they will not have to become intimate or grow close to anyone. 

Masochists actually find caring and loving persons to be unappealing and sexually unattractive, preferring a hard and mean person over a kind and considerate person who might try to engage them (and that no-choice "choice" usually happens on a totally-subconscious level). 

When masochists fail to self-sabotage, they can react with rage, depression, and / or guilt. They often "compensate" [see the "ego-defense mechanisms" discussed earlier] for their undesired accomplishments and unwanted happiness by engaging in behaviors that produce abandonment, frustration, hurt, illness, or physical pain. 

Because another mechanism is at play with them - namely, "the projective identification defense mechanism" - then masochists deliberately provoke anger and rejection in order to feel the false "comfort" of "familiar territory," and their most familiar territory has humiliation, defeat, anger or suppressed anger, depression, and hurt as some of that territory's major landmarks. 

THE SADISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER

 It has been observed here, after dealing with thousands of persons (who have sometimes disclosed facts hidden for decades or who have revealed their personality drivers by taking the test offered here or by revealing, via their words and deeds, the personas that are driving them) that the Sadistic Personality Disorder often manifests alongside the Sociopathic / Psychopathic Personality Disorder. 

Unlike psychopaths, however, they rarely use physical force; instead, the sadists' aggressiveness is embedded in an "interpersonal" context and is expressed in social settings, such as the family or the workplace. In those settings, persons with the Sadistic Personality Disorder exhibit a pattern of cruel, demeaning, and aggressive behavior (which can manifest at a very early age or, sometimes, later as an adult). 

They engage in physical cruelty or violence for the purpose of establishing dominance in a relationship and will leverage their explosive violence to ensure their unchallenged dominance within a relationship. Because sadists have a narcissistic need for an audience, they have no qualms about humiliating people in front of witnesses (an act which makes them feel omnipotent). "Power plays" are important to them and they are likely to treat people under their control or entrusted to their care quite harshly. 

That can include a subordinate, a child, a student, a prisoner, a patient, or a spouse, and all are likely to suffer the consequences of the sadists whose "disciplinary" measures are evidence of their being "control freaks" to the max. As they treat or discipline anyone under their control in an unusually harsh manner, they can be observed to find amusement and pleasure in the psychological or physical suffering of people and / or animals as they exhibit their patterns of gratuitous cruelty, aggression, and demeaning behaviors. 

Additionally, they will lie for the purpose of harming or inflicting pain on others, and they will use intimidation or even terror to instill fear in others in order to force people to do what they want. If one studies history, it can be seen that entire cultures and nations, both past and present, have (and still do) suffer this disorder as well as the Sociopathic Personality Disorder. 

THE SADO-MASOCHISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER 

Those with the Sado-Masochistic Personality Disorder display amazingly high levels of instability and perversity, moving back and forth between the agendas of the sadist and the agendas of the masochist. THE 

KEY POINTS 

1. Note that many discussions of sadism, masochism, and sado-masochism focus on the way that those mental / personality illnesses manifest in the realm of sexual conduct, but the explanations above show that far more frequently, the disorders are exhibited in both non-sexual "personal relationships" and "work relationships," and 

2. again, the sages have discussed the negative impact of personality on the relative existence for ages. 

Is it any wonder why, after having seen the results of the use of ego-defense mechanisms as well as the personality defects and disorders that always accompany the assignment or assumption of personality, that sages such as Maharaj advised seekers to be rid of all personality and all identifications and all of the rest of the content of the always-warped-and-distorted mind?

To be continued. 

Please enter into the silence of contemplation. 

 [NOTE: The four most recent posts will follow. You may access all of the posts in this series and in the previous series and several thousand other posts as well by clicking on the links in the "Recent Posts and Archives" section.] 

Also: 

In addition to the five non-duality books made available without charge by Andy Gugar, Jr. (see “FREEBIES” above), you can now access nearly 2,800 posts for any topics of interest to you. Use the search feature at the top and then click “Open Menu” in the upper right hand corner and use the “Find” feature to locate your search term in the postings. 

Finally, if anything on the site has been of use to you, you may use the donate button at the top of this page to donate any amount you choose or you may use the following button to make a $5 donation. All donations help defray expenses and allow us to continue to offer access to all of the free books and content without any membership fee. 

Thank you for your support. You may click the button below to donate $5:

MAHARAJ: “Lightment” vs. Enlightenment, Part “DD”

TODAY’S CONSIDERATIONS 

There is a sane and sound rationale for understanding the actual nature of the Ultimate Sickness. To function with the misguided notion that it is a sickness which thrives in the absence of dogma or that it flourishes in an impure soul and then manifests as a full-blown "spiritual malady" is also to function with the misguided notion that the Ultimate Medicine called for to treat it must include some really heavy doses of religion and / or spirituality. 

Maharaj certainly operated for decades under that misguided notion. The same happened here as well. It was only when it came to be understood that the Ultimate Sickness is not “soul-ly” in its nature but is solely mental in its nature that the appropriate Medicine was finally offered. 

That proper version of the Ultimate Medicine which Maharaj used in the end was a version which addressed the psychological, mental roots of the Sickness; thus, he advised seekers to “give up spirituality” and to also give up the content of the mind. He understood that the mind – which was once as asset, intended by nature to assist the species in its preservation and perpetuation – eventually became a liability because of nonsensical programming, conditioning, domestication, acculturation, brainwashing, and indoctrination which leads persons to adopt multiple personalities which lead to multiple neuroses and even psychoses and which lead to the manifestation of the symptoms of the Ultimate Sickness which Maharaj identified as “ignorance, stupidity, and insanity.” 

WHAT HE SAID: 

 "All illness begins in the mind."

"Your confusion is . . . in your mind." 

 "Whatever is conceived by the mind must be false, for it is bound to be relative and limited." 

 "Distrust your mind, and go beyond." 

"There is no chaos in the world except the chaos which your mind creates." 

 " . . . The mind obscures and distorts." 

"It is the mind that creates illusion." 

"There is no such thing as peace of mind. Mind means disturbance. Restlessness itself is mind." 

"Don't rely on your mind for liberation. It is the mind that brought you into bondage. Go beyond it altogether." 

"Beyond the mind there is no suffering." 

 So if the problem centers in the mind, and since a sick mind - obviously - cannot heal a sick mind, then what is the solution, per Maharaj? 

 "Stop making use of your mind and see what happens." 

"Learn to separate yourself from the image and the mirror. Keep on remembering: I am neither the mind nor its ideas." 

"There is no such thing as mind. There are ideas . . . ." 

"Abandon the wrong ideas, for they are false and obstruct your vision . . . ." 

"The death of the mind is the birth of wisdom." 

"To know that you are a prisoner of your mind - that you live in an imaginary world of your own creation - is the dawn of wisdom." 

So what was his state in the end, the state which ultimately freed him and led to the birth of his wisdom? It was a no-mind state: 

"There is no such thing as a mind," period.

"I have no mind . . . ." 

Want to be free of the mind? Maharaj advised:

"Reach a state of zero-concepts." 

 "As to my mind, I have no such thing. There is consciousness in which everything happens." 

"I am double dead: not only am I dead to my body, but to my mind, too." 

"I find I have lost the mind irretrievably." 

WHAT HE DID NOT SAY AT THE END: 

"Your confusion is a result of the fact that you have accumulated too little knowledge of dogma." 

"Your confusion is a result of the fact that you have a spiritual malady and are not spiritual enough." 

"Your confusion is a result of the fact that you have not completed the entire Self-Inquiry process." 

NOR DID HE SAY AT THE END: 

 "There is no chaos in the world except the chaos which comes from having accumulated too little knowledge of dogma.” 

 "There is no chaos in the world except the chaos which comes from people not being spiritual enough." 

"There is no chaos in the world except the chaos which comes from not knowing the Supreme Self." 

NOR DID HE SAY AT THE END: 

"To know that you are a prisoner of your ignorance of religion and of your inadequate knowledge of dogma is the dawn of wisdom." 

"To know that you are a prisoner of your sick spirit and your spiritual malady is the dawn of wisdom." 

"To know that you are a prisoner of your insufficient understanding of the Supreme Self is the dawn of wisdom." 

All personal / personality (relative) identifications are rooted in programming, conditioning, domestication, acculturation, brainwashing, and indoctrination, etc., and all Personal (supposedly Noumenal) Identifications are likewise rooted in programming, conditioning, domestication, acculturation, brainwashing, and indoctrination. Persons claiming to be identified with "this" or "that" or "This" or "That" beyond the relative will claim that they are no longer being driven by programming, conditioning, domestication, acculturation, brainwashing, and indoctrination. Rather than having been de-programmed, de-conditioned, etc., they have simply been re-programmed, re-conditioned, etc. 

Maharaj: “All states and conditions are of the mind.” See? Conditioning always involves the conditioning of a mind. 

Maharaj: “Self-realisation is primarily the knowledge of one's conditioning and the awareness that the infinite variety of conditions depends on our infinite ability to be conditioned and to give rise to variety.” 

As for “states,” there are programmed states, domestication-driven states; indoctrination-driven states, brainwashed states, and acculturation-driven states. As for Maharaj, when the mind was purged and a “zero-concept” position was reached, then a “no-mind” position was also reached. Then he could accurately say, “I am beyond the mind and its various states and conditions.” 

 Maharaj: “You have to turn away from the world and go within, until the inner and the outer merge and you can go beyond the conditioned, whether inner or outer.” 

Maharaj: “The awareness of conditions [of one’s conditioning] brings one to the unconditioned.”

These discussions of personality are offered only to bring about an awareness of how personality is a product of having been conditioned in order to return to the original “unconditioned” position. Maharaj spoke of “the light of unconditional awareness.” 

All identifications – personal, religious, spiritual, phenomenal, and Noumenal – are rooted in the darkness / ignorance of conditioned (blocked) consciousness. It is unconditioned awareness which brings the light, and it is only the light which can bring lightness. 

There is, of course, no record of when the earlier instance occurred of a human having sensed the Oneness and been conscious of and awake to and aware of the duality / non-duality distinction. Likely at that point, there was no language, no vocabulary, no writings, and - therefore - no ability to read or write or make a record of anything. As for the acceptance of assigned or assumed personalities as reality, Maharaj said that “there is only a mental condition, a dream-like state, easy to dispel by questioning its reality.” 

To accept personal (or “Personal”) identities is all a result of having been conditioned, and of those who have been conditioned, Maharaj said: “Circumstances and conditions rule the ignorant.” 

He asked: “But whatever be the condition of your mind, in what way does it reflect on you? It is only your self-identification with your mind that makes you happy or unhappy. Rebel against your slavery to your mind, see your bonds as self-created and break the chains of attachment and revulsion.” 

Why are visitors here invited to return to "The Child Ignorance Stage" or "The Child No-Knowing State" which was the last time that there was an opportunity for them to enjoy unconditional happiness? Maharaj: “Look at yourself fearlessly and you will at once realise that your happiness depends on conditions and circumstances, hence it is momentary, not real.” 

As for acculturation / enculturation, Maharaj said: “If you seek reality you must set yourself free of all backgrounds, of all cultures, of all patterns of thinking and feeling.” 

It is known that the teachings were systematized and consolidated and set forth as the “doctrine” of Advaita Vedanta in the 8th century; thus, for at least 1200 years or so, certain sages had advised seekers to abandon all personal / personality identifications. 

 The key questions, however, are these: Has it been enough to advise seekers to cast aside all personality? Was it enough for Maharaj to advise seekers to allow the inner Guru to destroy the perverted personality? Obviously not since he initially predicted that “only 1 in 100,000 will ever reach this understanding”; later modified to “only 1 in 1,000,000”; and eventually changed to a final guesstimate of “only 1 in 10,000,000.” 

With such poor odds in place, merely to suggest that persons should be free of the influence of personality / personalities or they should simply stop being driven by the subconscious agendas of personalities which control and govern and affect and ultimately determine unconsciously every thought that is thought and every word that is spoken and every action that is taken of humans can be seen to have most assuredly not been enough. 

Again, if one does not understand the way that personality is never an “asset”; and if one does not understand that personality leads in every case to the manifestation of personality disorders and that personality disorders lead to neuroses and psychoses and insane thoughts and insane talk and insane behaviors; and if one does not understand exactly what the specific consequences are of each personality disorders, then why would one even consider and act on the sages' advice regarding personality or Maharaj’s advice regarding personality? 

Obviously, most have never heard and will never hear such advice, and based in Maharaj’s guesstimates, even those who do hear the advice have not acted upon it in any significant numbers. Here, therefore, more information about personality and its consequences is shared in order to provide facts about why personality must be discarded if realization (simply meaning “being freed form ignorance,” according to Maharaj) is to happen. So, the discussion of personality and its various forms and types and its consequences will continue tomorrow. 

To be continued. 

Please enter into the silence of contemplation. 

[NOTE: The four most recent posts will follow. You may access all of the posts in this series and in the previous series and several thousand other posts as well by clicking on the links in the "Recent Posts and Archives" section.] 

Also: 

In addition to the five non-duality books made available without charge by Andy Gugar, Jr. (see “FREEBIES” above), you can now access nearly 2,800 posts for any topics of interest to you. Use the search feature at the top and then click “Open Menu” in the upper right hand corner and use the “Find” feature to locate your search term in the postings. 

 Finally, if anything on the site has been of use to you, you may use the donate button at the top of this page to donate any amount you choose or you may use the following button to make a $5 donation. All donations help defray expenses and allow us to continue to offer access to all of the free books and content without any membership fee. 

Thank you for your support. You may click the button below to donate $5:

MAHARAJ: “Lightment” vs. Enlightenment, Part “CC”

TODAY’S CONSIDERATIONS 

There is, of course, no record of when the earlier instance occurred of a human having sensed the Oneness and been conscious of and awake to and aware of the duality / non-duality distinction. Likely at that point, there was no language, no vocabulary, no writings, and - therefore - no ability to read or write or make a record of anything. 

It is known that the teachings were systematized and consolidated and set forth as the “doctrine” of Advaita Vedanta in the 8th century; thus, for at least 1200 years or so, certain sages had advised seekers to abandon all personal / personality identifications. The key questions, however, are these: Has it been enough to advise seekers to cast aside all personality? Was it enough for Maharaj to advise seekers to allow the inner Guru to destroy the perverted personality? 

Obviously not since he initially predicted that “only 1 in 100,000 will ever reach this understanding”; later modified to “only 1 in 1,000,000”; and eventually changed to a final guesstimate of “only 1 in 10,000,000.” With such poor odds in place, merely to suggest that persons should be free of the influence of personality / personalities or they should simply stop being driven by the subconscious agendas of personalities which control and govern and affect and ultimately determine unconsciously every thought that is thought and every word that is spoken and every action that is taken of humans can be seen to have most assuredly not been enough. 

Again, if one does not understand the way that personality is never an “asset”; and if one does not understand that personality leads in every case to the manifestation of personality disorders and that personality disorders lead to neuroses and psychoses and insane thoughts and insane talk and insane behaviors; and if one does not understand exactly what the specific consequences are of each personality disorder, then why would one even consider (much less act upon) the sages' advice regarding personality or Maharaj’s advice regarding personality? 

Obviously, most have never heard and will never hear such advice, and based in Maharaj’s guesstimates, even those who do hear the advice have not acted upon it in any significant numbers. Here, therefore, more information about personality and its consequences is shared in order to provide facts about why personality must be discarded if realization (simply meaning “being freed form ignorance,” according to Maharaj) is to happen. So, to continue: 

Today’s post is excerpted from CHAPTER FIFTEEN of the book "The Child Ignorance Stage" or "The Child No-Knowing State," that chapter entitled, “The Bi-Polar (Manic-Depressive) Personality Disorder, the Antisocial or Sociopathic or Pathological Personality Disorder, the Cyclothymic Personality Disorder, the Dissociative Personality Disorder, the Dependent Personality Disorder, and the Self-Defeating Personality Disorder”:  

To support the request by Realized teachers for seekers to return to "The Child Ignorance Stage" or the "Child No-Knowing State," a discussion of some of the most common personality disorders that manifest among those who have not returned to "The Child Ignorance Stage" or the "Child No-Knowing State" is being offered. 

These personality disorders are being discussed in order to (a) understand the role that personality plays in all of the relative "issues and problems and conflicts" that arise and to (b) show why sages for thousands of years have invited all to be free of personality assumption. So, what are some of the other common disorders that manifest among those who have not returned to "The Child Ignorance Stage" or the "Child No-Knowing State"? 

THE BI-POLAR (MANIC-DEPRESSIVE) PERSONALITY DISORDER 

The Bi-Polar (formerly Manic-Depressive) Personality Disorder is a disorder characterized by dramatic mood swings. The mood swings can alternate from major depression or clinical depression to mania or extreme elation. In the mania phase, there can be sleeplessness - sometimes for days - along with hallucinations, psychosis, grandiose delusions, and / or paranoid rage; thus, distortions of perception and impairment in social functioning manifest. 

Both the Bi-Polar Personality Disorder and the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder often manifest along with the Addictive Personality Disorder, but the most popular treatment options for addiction never really address any of those three disorders which are actually at the root of addiction.

THE ANTISOCIAL OR SOCIOPATHIC OR PATHOLOGICAL PERSONALITY DISORDER 

Sociopaths are just one of the many unnatural results of personality assumption in the relative existence. The Antisocial or Sociopathic or Pathological Personality Disorder inspires a disregard for the law, for the rights of others, and for the feelings of others; results in people being controlling, brutal, and even pathological and drives persons with this personality disorder to be unstable - able to rage one moment and appear to be charming the next (depending on what suits their purpose). 

Most display criminal tendencies of one degree or another without remorse for their victims. In many cultures that focus on financial gain and that applaud economic status, sociopaths can be the captains of industry and can be well-respected. 

Most significantly, the majority of sociopaths are out and about and functioning every day in their societies. Most persons have contact with many sociopaths every day without even knowing that they are dealing with sociopaths who are strapped with what is called here, "malignant narcissism."

THE CYCLOTHYMIC PERSONALITY DISORDER 

The Cyclothymic Personality Disorder is akin to - but milder than - the Bipolar Personality Disorder. Sufferers are very unstable in terms of moods; very unpredictable; and exhibit regular mood swings (hourly, daily, monthly). Also, their mood swings often over a period of years can shift from mild depression to mild elation or to exhilaration or even to a sense of euphoria. 

The disorder often appears in families along with major depression and the Bipolar Personality Disorder, at least suggesting that these mood disorders might share similar causes and that the causes might be related to what is referred to on this site as "domestication" alongside family-and-community-of-origin programming and conditioning and - therefore - acculturation; the disorder has been seen in a significant number of cases to eventually develop into full-blown Bipolar Personality Disorder. 

THE DISSOCIATIVE IDENTITY DISORDER 

Dissociative Identity Disorder (previously known as Multiple Personality Disorder) is a fairly common effect of severe trauma during early childhood, marked by usually extreme and repetitive physical, sexual, and / or emotional abuse. Unlike mild dissociation - such as daydreaming - this is a more severe disorder which produces a lack of connection in a person's thoughts, memories, feelings, actions, or sense of identity. 

In such cases, the person literally dissociates himself / herself from a situation or experience that is too violent, traumatic, or painful to assimilate consciously. Persons with this disorder often never developed coping skills or the ability to process psychologically. 

THE DEPENDENT PERSONALITY DISORDER 

The Dependent Personality Disorder can manifest as a psychological or emotional or financial dependence on others and an excessive need to be taken care of. It is often accompanied by a sense of arrogance and entitlement, egotistically believing that they are so special that they deserve to be taken care of by another or others. 

To be taken care of, they can exhibit submissiveness and manipulation. They can cling to others and can display feelings of helplessness when alone. They can become preoccupied with fears of being abandoned and can appear to be loyal to caretakers, but that is about assuring a continuation of care so they do not have to work and provide for themselves. They often exhibit many of the same traits of those with the Addictive Personality Disorder. 

SELF-DEFEATING PERSONALITY DISORDER 

Those with the Self-Defeating Personality Disorder engage regularly in behaviors that undermine their own best interests. 

THE KEY POINT 

It might seem that if one were to understand the actual relative toll of the personalities that are assigned by family and cultures, persons would not rest until they had found freedom from living under the influence of personality. It might also seems that if one were to understand the relative toll of living under the influence of personalities they have assumed that, again, they would not rest until they had found freedom from living under the influence of personality. 

Yet most will never understand the link between personality and all of the (relatively speaking) negative effects being shared herein. Most will never understand the link between the personality disorders that manifest alongside personality assumption; hence, the vast majority of persons around the globe will continue to suffer and be miserable as a result of their disorders and will also play a role in spreading suffering and misery, relatively speaking. 

When persons are told that whatever ails them (including personality-generated disorders) can be healed by being more religious or by being more spiritual, then they will never receive the proper treatment for what really ails them. Maharaj came to understand that, and that is why he abandoned the use of a religious / non-dual version of the Ultimate Medicine and why he abandoned the use of a spiritual / non-dual version of the Ultimate Medicine and focused in the end on addressing the psychological / mind / mental roots of the Sickness.

To be continued. 

Please enter into the silence of contemplation. 

[NOTE: The four most recent posts will follow. You may access all of the posts in this series and in the previous series and several thousand other posts as well by clicking on the links in the "Recent Posts and Archives" section.] 

Also: 

In addition to the five non-duality books made available without charge by Andy Gugar, Jr. (see “FREEBIES” above), you can now access nearly 2,800 posts for any topics of interest to you. Use the search feature at the top and then click “Open Menu” in the upper right hand corner and use the “Find” feature to locate your search term in the postings. 

Finally, if anything on the site has been of use to you, you may use the donate button at the top of this page to donate any amount you choose or you may use the following button to make a $5 donation. All donations help defray expenses and allow us to continue to offer access to all of the free books and content without any membership fee. 

Thank you for your support. You may click the button below to donate $5:

MAHARAJ: “Lightment” vs. Enlightenment, Part “BB”

TODAY’S CONSIDERATIONS 

Of the 7+ billion persons on planet earth, most will only hear something “positive” about personality, especially in the West where form almost always trumps substance and where image almost always trumps authenticity. For example:

“You two need to go out on a date and get to know each other. She / He has a wonderful personality” 

and 

Be fashionable and chic because “style is a reflection of your attitude and your personality” (Shawn Ashmore) 

 and 

“What you have, what you are - your looks, your personality, your way of thinking - is unique. No one in the world is like you. So capitalize on it” (Jack Lord) 

and 

“Cute is when a person's personality shines through their looks” (Nastalie Portman) 

and 

“Sexiness is all about your personality, being genuine and confident, and being a good person” (Erin Heatherton) 

and 

“I'm a handsome man with a charming personality” (Gabe Newell) 

and 

“Positive feelings come from being honest about yourself and accepting your personality, and physical characteristics, warts and all; and, from belonging to a family that accepts you without question.” (Willard Scott) 

Only a few will ever hear, much less truly understand, the truth and the wisdom behind such pointers about personality as these offered by Maharaj: 

“The personality is only an obstacle.” 

“Self-limitation is the very essence of personality.” 

“As long as you are enmeshed in the tribulations of a particular personality, you can see nothing beyond it.” 

 “The dissolution of personality is followed always by a sense of great relief, as if a heavy burden has fallen off.” 

So his advice: “Go beyond the personality with its addictions and obsessions” and allow the inner Guru to destroy the perverted personality.

 If one does not understand that personality is never an “asset”; and if one does not understand that personality leads in every case to the manifestation of personality disorders; and if one does not understand that personality disorders lead to neuroses and psychoses and insane thoughts and insane talk and insane behaviors; 

and if one does not understand exactly what the specific consequences are of each personality disorder, then why would one ever consider Maharaj’s observations about personality and about the specific consequences of personality assignment and assumption and about what a huge liability personality identification truly is throughout the entire relative existence? 

To that end, details are being offered regarding some of the personality disorders which follow personality identification and which persons should be aware of in order to spot them and address them. The sages for ages have warned persons to avoid the assignment or assumption of personality identifications because they are the prerequisite for the development of personality disorders, and the same shall be offered here. So, to continue: 

Today’s post is excerpted from CHAPTER FOURTEEN of the book "The Child Ignorance Stage" or "The Child No-Knowing State," that chapter entitled, “The Avoidant or Schizoid Avoidant or Schizotypal Personality Disorder, the Passive-Aggressive Personality Disorder, and the Paranoid Personality Disorder” 

THE AVOIDANT OR SCHIZOID AVOIDANT OR SCHIZOTYPAL PERSONALITY DISORDER 

Those suffering from the Avoidant or Schizoid Avoidant or Schizotypal Personality Disorder will develop odd beliefs and will be prone to magical thinking which makes them susceptible to believing in myths, superstitions, myth-based dogma, and other such tales. They can be attracted to clairvoyance and bizarre fantasies and unusual perceptual experiences and can be preoccupied with what they take to be "aloof and metaphysical" topics and "deep" subject matter and a "need to know." 

They can spend hours in isolation while being overly-occupied with analysis of minutiae, thinking that they understand "the big picture" and all else when they actually have no such understanding at all. They love to gather knowledge and then display it, but are content just thinking they are far more knowledgeable than most. They can become quite suspicious and paranoid and isolated and constricted and delusional and eccentric and even peculiar, and they usually have under-developed social skills that can result in severe social anxiety. 

Their social phobia will inspire avoidance, not just of people; they can avoid the most basic tasks such as paying their bills even though they have available funds; such as taking care of basic hygiene; such as doing the work that is expected of them; and such as avoiding other activities that would be in their best interests to avoid, relatively speaking. In "relationships," they have problems developing intimacy and being available. 

They can occasionally exhibit quasi-psychotic episodes with intense illusions and can believe in auditory or other hallucinations and delusion-like ideas (not unlike persons claiming that they often hear god speaking to them). If not addressed, the disorder can evolve into overt schizophrenia. 

THE PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE PERSONALITY DISORDER 

Those with the Passive-Aggressive Personality Disorder will often feel resentment; will have a fear of, or disdain for, authority; and can suppress anger and hostility at times while showing both openly at other times. They will frequently deny their anger and will deny the depression that comes when suppressing their anger; when depressed, they will claim that they are "just tired" rather than admit their actual condition.

They often procrastinate and resist other people's suggestions, often act in a sullen manner, and can avoid their responsibilities by claiming forgetfulness. They will often blame others and can complain during those times when they are not suppressing their anger. A person with this disorder may appear to comply with another's wishes and may even demonstrate enthusiasm for those wishes or seem to actively comply with the desires and needs of others. In the end, however, they will actually passively resist them. 

In the process, these types become increasingly hostile and angry and, also in the end, they will either perform a requested action too late to be helpful; they will perform it in a way that is useless; they will do the exact opposite of what they were requested or told to do; or they will sabotage the action to show the anger that they cannot express in words. They will appear to be very weak and submissive, but the fact is that - via their "sabotage games" and "their seeming to comply but refusing to do so" games - they have a great deal of control over others who try to control them. They can be quite frustrating to deal with. 

THE PARANOID PERSONALITY DISORDER 

Those with the Paranoid Personality Disorder suffer from a psychiatric condition in which a person is almost constantly suspicious of - and usually distrusts - others. While unhealthy levels of gullibility can manifest as an opposite extreme, paranoid types are overly-concerned that other people have hidden motives; thus, the paranoid types are forever on guard, and even hyper-vigilant, to avoid being exploited by others (which is their constant expectation). 

Because they also need to have a high degree of control over those around them, their relations with their own families and children are usually strained, aggravated by the fact that they are capable of excessive hostility. They are often rigid, critical of others, and unable to collaborate, and they have great difficulty accepting criticism; thus, the disorder will typically have a negative impact on all "relationships" . . . at work, at home, in traffic, in stores, etc. 

Again, the point: if persons do not transcend body-mind-personality identification, then they will live under the unconscious influences of ego-defense mechanisms and under the influence of the hidden agendas of personality. They will also be assured to suffer the effects of their disorders which always show up in multiples because all "non-realized" persons have multiple personalities.

The invitation is to return to the Child No-Knowing Stage because that was the last time that persons were free of the unconscious influences of personality, free of the use of ego-defense mechanisms, free of the hidden agendas of personality, and free of the effects of personality disorders that are so debilitating throughout the relative existence. 

Those who understand 

(1) the ramifications of accepting as real the personality identifications assigned by others 

and who understand 

(2) the ramifications of accepting as real the personality identifications which persons assume for themselves 

can also come to understand that no sense of lightment or lightness can come unless there is a casting off of the burdensome load which personal identities always bring.

Again, Maharaj:  “The dissolution of personality is followed always by a sense of great relief, as if a heavy burden has fallen off.” 

To be continued. 

Please enter into the silence of contemplation. 

 [NOTE: The four most recent posts will follow. You may access all of the posts in this series and in the previous series and several thousand other posts as well by clicking on the links in the "Recent Posts and Archives" section.]

Also: 

In addition to the five non-duality books made available without charge by Andy Gugar, Jr. (see “FREEBIES” above), you can now access nearly 2,800 posts for any topics of interest to you. Use the search feature at the top and then click “Open Menu” in the upper right hand corner and use the “Find” feature to locate your search term in the postings. 

 Finally, if anything on the site has been of use to you, you may use the donate button at the top of this page to donate any amount you choose or you may use the following button to make a $5 donation. All donations help defray expenses and allow us to continue to offer access to all of the free books and content without any membership fee. 

Thank you for your support. You may click the button below to donate $5:

MAHARAJ: “Lightment” vs. Enlightenment, Part “AA”

TODAY'S CONSIDERATIONS

Today’s post is excerpted from CHAPTER THIRTEEN of the book "The Child Ignorance Stage" or "The Child No-Knowing State," that chapter entitled “The Depressive Personality Disorder, the Histrionic Personality Disorder, and the Factitious Personality Disorder.” 

Earlier, details were offered regarding the Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder which always manifests alongside the Addictive Personality Disorder, driving the mind to obsess about one thing over and over and over until that obsessing eventually leads to compulsive (that is, irrational and uncontrollable and neurotic and even psychotic) behavior. 

Today, and during the coming days, details will be offered regarding other disorders which persons should be aware of in order not only to spot them and address them but also to eliminate them and end their control over one's every thought and every word and every action. The key here is the word which all disorders share in common, namely, “personality.” 

The sages for ages have warned persons to avoid the assignment or assumption of personality identifications because they are the prerequisite for the development of personality disorders; personality disorders, in turn, are the prerequisite for the development of neuroses and psychoses (that is, for one of the three key symptoms of the Ultimate Sickness (insanity). All there of those key symptoms, as identified by Maharaj, include "ignorance" and "stupidity" as well as "insanity," he said). 

Once Maharaj came to see that the Ultimate Sickness is not about persons believing in too little religious dogma and obsessing too little over religious dogma, and once he came to see that the Ultimate Sickness is not about persons having a “spiritual malady” or a "sick spirit" or an "unwell or impure soul," then the way was paved for him to see clearly that the actual roots of the Ultimate Sickness are psychological, are mental, in their nature.

That clarity also affirmed a key point of the ancient, non-dual teachings regarding the role played by personality identifications which generate mental health issues. It has been shown that, by returning to "The Child Ignorance Stage" or the "Child No-Knowing State" and discarding all identification with personality or ego-states, there can also be an elimination of the use of ego-defense mechanisms.

Elimination of the use of ego-defense mechanisms, in turn, eliminates the relative scourge of egotism and frees one from (a) self-absorption and selfishness and from (b) all of the game-playing associated with trying to maintain an image by using denial and rationalization and excuse-making and projection and upgrading and downgrading and dissociating and from (c) seeking the impossible goal of thought-suppression in an effort to try to still the anxiety-creating-and-worry-provoking-and-peace-disturbing "mind." 

It has also been shown that, by returning to "The Child Ignorance Stage" or the "Child No-Knowing State" and discarding all identification with personality eliminates the possibility of suffering from personality disorders which can develop beyond disorders and into neuroses and psychoses and full-blown insanity. The heavy toll of being trapped in the Narcissistic / God Complex Personality Disorder or in the Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder has been shown, including not only the toll on one's own relative existence but also the toll on the relative existence of those dealing with persons trapped in those disorders. 

Next, consider these additional relative results of not returning to "The Child Ignorance Stage" or the "Child No-Knowing State" but remaining trapped instead in personality and the subsequent disorders and effects that personality assumption can generate: 

THE DEPRESSIVE PERSONALITY DISORDER 

To be trapped in the Depressive Personality Disorder is to suffer from feelings of dejection, joylessness, a sense of inadequacy and worthlessness, brooding or worry, and a sense of remorse and / or guilt. Also, one suffering from this personality disorder often feels highly anxious, hopeless, fearful, tense, irritable, and / or angry for no apparent reason. 

Other symptoms can include sleep and appetite disruption (involving too much or too little of either or both), fatigue, apathy and its accompanying loss of interest in activities, and a sense of hopelessness. The disorder might be clinical or situational or might even have a chemical component, but it is still rooted in (and / or aggravated by) personality assumption, appearing most frequently in those with one of three personality types, specifically: 

1. "The Helper / Savior / Rescuer Type," 

2. "The Performer / Actor / Achiever / Image-Maker Type," and 

3. "The Romantic / Mental Escapist / Individualist Type." 

THE HISTRIONIC PERSONALITY DISORDER 

The word "histrionic" means "dramatic" or "theatrical." Those with the Histrionic Personality Disorder suffer from extreme intensity and display unstable emotions and are often emotionally-intoxicated. They have distorted self-images, blocking them from even seeking - much less finding - authenticity. They are second only to "The Performer / Actor / Achiever / Image-Maker Types" in terms of being most likely to support the false and avoid reality and facts. 

[A wife who is trapped in an extreme degree of this disorder is in a "relationship" with a naive and delusional Personality Type Three husband (Type Threes being the kings and queens of spin and self-deception); thus, he spins the truth about her mental condition and cannot see that her unchecked, hysterical laughter (which comes when she is in the manic phase of her manic-depressive disorder and when she is being especially impressed with herself) is driven by her histrionic disorder and is not actually evidence at all of what he calls "her cheery self."]

The histrionic types seek esteem and the approval of others, so they are often dependent types. As with those assuming the persona of "The Performer / Actor / Achiever / Image-Maker," those with the Histrionic Personality Disorder have an overwhelming desire to be noticed and often behave dramatically or inappropriately in order to get attention. They are always - if in their manic cycle - "on stage." (What is it like for those living with these types? Well, some might enjoy going to the theater and watching a two-hour play on occasion, but to be trapped in a theater and to have to watch plays continuously, 24 / 7, might not be so entertaining in the long haul.)

They might appear to have developed social skills, but they use those skills to manipulate others so that they can be the center of attention (being quite uncomfortable unless everyone's attention is focused on them); thus, they will act in overly-dramatic ways while claiming that they are just "enthusiastic" or "passionate" rather than admitting that they are fanatical and overly-emotional and unstable and lacking sincerity. 

They become quite needy and constantly seek reassurance or approval; they are excessively sensitive to criticism or disapproval; they are often bored and skip about from one event to another; they have a low tolerance for frustration; and they often begin projects without finishing them. They are the most talkative of all of the basic personality types, trying constantly to keep the focus on themselves and trying constantly to impress in order to gain huge quantities of the love in an effort to compensate for the love they did not receive during childhood from an absentee or unavailable father. They seldom see that their incessant chatter eventually begins to have the reverse effect of driving people away from them.

They make rash decisions and are so self-centered that they rarely show real concern for others even though they often put "helping others" ahead of taking care of themselves. The fact is, though, that their helping and rescuing is never altruistic but has the ulterior motive of trying to entice more and more people to like them or love them. Their selfish motives behind what might appear at first to be self-less service eventually exposes their shallowness and phoniness to the more discerning types. 

THE FACTITIOUS PERSONALITY DISORDER 

Those with the Histrionic Personality Disorder can also show evidence of the Factitious Personality Disorder, but the two do not necessarily manifest in tandem. Because the "mind" in a collection of fiction, and because personality is fictional, then all personality disorders are also "mind"-based and therefore involve distortions and delusions and illusions and lies and bogus ideas and concepts (all of which make up persons' belief systems).

The name "factitious" comes from the Latin word for "artificial." As with all personality disorders, the Factitious Personality Disorder is rooted in artificiality rather than in authenticity. With this mental disorder, persons act as if they have a physical sickness or a mental illness when, in fact, they have consciously created their symptoms (often to gain attention). 

Initially, a child might begin to feign illness after observing that harsh or cold and unfeeling parents were suddenly kind and caring during times when the child was actually sick. The child becomes conditioned to believe that there is a payoff for being sick and that there is even a payoff if one is not sick but appears to be. They come to enjoy the attention they receive if seemingly ill, and they come to like it when the focus is on them. 

The effort to appear ill and receive nurturing will increase, and can manifest in more drastic ways as the disorder worsens, so some people with the factitious disorder will deliberately create or exaggerate symptoms of an illness by lying about or faking symptoms and, in extreme cases, by hurting themselves to bring on symptoms (including cutting, overdosing, or taking other actions that are even more harmful). 

Because persons with this personality disorder have an inner need to be seen as ill or injured in order to obtain the sympathy and special attention given to people who are truly ill, they are quite willing or eager to have medical tests, operations, or other procedures as the disorder progresses. 

(Some can be drawn to long-term counseling for counseling's sake or can relish spending years in groups where they can "share" or "speak" and thereby have a captive audience which can keep the focus on them; typically, however, the more serious cases manifest in the physical / medical realm.) 

The discussion of the effects of other mental / personality disorders will continue in the coming days for this reason: 

If persons were to understand how perverted and insane thoughts and behaviors manifest alongside the assumption of personality identifications, then they would readily seek out a Realized teacher to guide them back to that state when they were originally free of personality and thus free of the effects of using ego-defense mechanisms and free of the misery and suffering that are generated by personality assumption and the subsequent personality disorders which follow. Alas, most will never find the actual source(s) of their relative problems and will therefore continue to be miserable and suffer and / or contribute to the relative misery of those around them. 

 To understand the consequences of not returning to "The Child Ignorance Stage" or the "Child No-Knowing State" and to understand the shift in one's relative existence that could happen if one were to return to the "The Child Ignorance Stage" or the "Child No-Knowing State" would likely provide all of the motivation necessary for one to begin following the "path" to Realization, even if the entire "journey" is never completed. What are the odds of Realizing Fully? Slim. Could the effort be worthwhile nevertheless, relatively speaking? Absolutely. 

To be continued.

 Please enter into the silence of contemplation.

[NOTE: The four most recent posts will follow. You may access all of the posts in this series and in the previous series and several thousand other posts as well by clicking on the links in the "Recent Posts and Archives" section.]

Also: 

In addition to the five non-duality books made available without charge by Andy Gugar, Jr. (see “FREEBIES” above), you can now access nearly 2,800 posts for any topics of interest to you. Use the search feature at the top and then click “Open Menu” in the upper right hand corner and use the “Find” feature to locate your search term in the postings.

Finally, if anything on the site has been of use to you, you may use the donate button at the top of this page to donate any amount you choose or you may use the following button to make a $5 donation.

All donations help defray expenses and allow us to continue to offer access to all of the free books and content without any membership fee. Thank you for your support. You may click the button below to donate $5:

MAHARAJ: “Lightment” vs. Enlightenment, Part “Z”

 Today's Considerations

[Continued from yesterday]: more excerpts from the book "The Child Ignorance Stage" or "The Child No-Knowing State" offered for consideration, today’s post also from “CHAPTER ELEVEN” entitled The Relative Effects of Personality Disorders.

Is it clear that the prerequisite for persons to be driven by egotism and narcissism and everything listed yesterday in "a" - "q" is the assumption of false identities / roles / ego-states / stage characters / facades / masks / personas? Is it clear how miserable the relative existence is doomed to be if one is dealing with those persons who have assumed false identities / roles / ego-states / stage characters / facades / masks / personas and thus trigger the manifestation of egotism and narcissism and everything listed in "a" - "q"? 

Is it clear how miserable the relative existence is doomed to be if you assume false identities / roles / ego-states / stage characters / facades / masks / personas and thus trigger the manifestation of egotism and narcissism and everything listed in "a" - "q"? Is it clear why the invitation here is to at least reach the fourth step of seven on the "path" to Realization where all identities are forfeited, including the ones that are thought to be "the good ones," including the ones that drive persons to believe that they are "different from," and including the ones that lead persons to believe they are "better-than"? 

Is it clear why neither you nor anyone else can be unconditionally happy unless there is a return to the condition that existed the last time unconditional happiness was happening? Is it now clearer why all are invited to return to "The Child Ignorance Stage" or the "Child No-Knowing State"? 

Next: in an earlier previous post, reference was made to seeing through all of the nonsense and drama and histrionics and affected behavior and even hysterics which the programmed “mind” will generate. Why will most persons never abandon the nonsense and drama and histrionics and affected behavior and even hysterics? 

Because, as also referenced in the previous post, the existence of most among the masses are characterized by high levels of dullness and by entrapment in the “walking-dead syndrome,” and what most humans use to try to treat their boredom is . . . . chaos and drama and histrionics and affected behavior and even hysterics. Some only “feel alive” when they are generating all three of those. 

They can, and likely will continue unless a state of 100% readiness manifests. During the twenty-seven years that I have worked with those seeking to be freed from the misery and suffering which come with the Ultimate Sickness, and during the years when I worked with persons seeking relief from other disorders rooted in personality, including the Addictive Personality Disorder, there has always been a preliminary discussion of their “personal history,” finding out “where they have been,” so to speak; what they have tried so far to address their problems; and “where they are now.” 

During that initial dialogue and conversation (actually, “interview”), what was being set up was an opportunity for them to express a sentiment which would reveal that they were indeed totally and unequivocally ready (or not). Was something said which showed they were truly ready to do the work, truly ready to hear the complete message, truly ready to abandon all in order to follow a totally different “path.” 

Andy Gugar, Jr. was eventually able to reflect clearly on his decades of seeking and searching before he came here for a non-dual retreat. He had finally reached a point which was close to the “surrender state,” explaining: “For me, it had to get so bad that I became willing and ready - ready to give up all of the ideas and beliefs that had served me not at all and to seek the Truth that was obviously beyond all of the concepts I had ever taken to be the truth” 

and 

“I had reached a point where I felt as if I were going to pop right out of my skin from all of the suffering and misery and anxiety and stress that had characterized my existence.” He said, “I had been raised to believe that there was within me an eternal soul which would be subjected to eternal punishment if I abandoned any of the dogma that I had been taught as a child or if I questioned anything that I had been told by the authority figures from my youth. After trying it 'their' way for decades and finding that their methods failed, but continuing to try their methods even more; after studying non-duality by way of all of the five major teaching methods being used, and failing to find that which was being sought; 

"then, after coming across Floyd's site and ordering and reading most of his books, I knew that there was something about what he was sharing that was different – so different that I flashed back to the earlier programming and conditioning and felt afraid to pursue what he was offering. 

"After another year of suffering, I finally said, 'To hell with it. If I have an eternal soul, I am ready to risk it to find relief from the effects of living the way ‘they’ told me I should live.' I was ready to risk everything, and that led to my finding everything – everything I had been seeking all my life.”

If one is not tired of the drama and chaos dominating their existence – neither of which most are even aware of – then the odds of finding any lasting and sane and logical relief are slight.

Consider the lyrics in Mary J. Blige’s song “No More Drama,” written when the state of readiness was manifesting: 

No More Drama 

So tired, tired of this drama 

No more, no more, I wanna be free 

I'm so tired, so tired 

Broken heart again 

Another lesson learned

Better know your friends 

Or else you will get burned 

Gotta count on me 

Cause I can guarantee 

That I'll be fine 

No more pain (no more pain) 

No more pain (no more pain) 

No drama (no more drama in my life) 

No one's gonna make me hurt again 

Why'd I play the fool 

Go through ups and downs 

Knowing all the time 

You wouldn't be around 

Or maybe I like the stress 

Cause I was young and restless 

But that was long ago 

I don't wanna cry no more 

No more pain (no more pain) 

No more game (no more game messin’ with my mind) 

No drama (no more drama in my life) 

No one's gonna make me hurt again 

No more tears (no more tears, I'm tired of cryin’ every night). 

No more. 

So, what are the keys to "doing this deal" and finding peace and freedom and stability? Finding the proper answer to these questions:

"Are you tired of the duality of up's and down's?"

"Are you tired of playing the fool?"

"Are you tired of actually liking stress in order to fight off boredom?"

"Are you tired of stress-and-or-boredom-inspired chaos?"

"Are you tired of the drama?"

"Are you tired of the hysterics and histrionics?"

“Do you even have a clue about why those are so appealing to the masses?” 

“Are you truly ready?” 

“Are you truly and absolutely tired?” 

If so, let’s go. 

To be continued. 

Please enter into the silence of contemplation. 

[NOTE: The four most recent posts will follow. You may access all of the posts in this series and in the previous series and several thousand other posts as well by clicking on the links in the "Recent Posts and Archives" section.] 

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