Chapter 15

E^o loss
^^ UCCeee> impliea very unusual preparation in ^ t^ consciousness expansion, as well as much calm, ^^ compassionate game playing — good karma — on the part of the participant. If the participant can see and grasp the idea of the empty mind as soon as the guide reveals it — that is to say, if s/he has the power to die consciously — and, at the supreme moment of quitting the ego, can recognize the ecstasy that will dawn upon hir and become one with it, then all bonds of illusion are broken asunder immediately. The dreamer is awakened into reality simultaneously with the mighty achievement of recognition.
It is best if the guru from whom the participant received guiding instructions is present. But if the guru cannot be present, then another experienced person, or a person the participant trusts, should be available to read this manual without imposing any of hir own games. Thereby the participant will be put in mind of what s/ he had previously heard of the experience.
Illumination
Liberation is the nervous system devoid of mental' conceptual redundancy. The mind in its condi-
^ Your ^ain fe God^
tioned state, limited to words and ego games, is con- tinuously in thought' formation activity. The nervous system in a state of quiescence, alert, awake but not active, is comparable to what Buddhists call the highest state of dhyana or deep meditation. The conscious ^^^igi^^g^g^i^igggg^i^^^ recognition of the Clear
r^ nervous eyetcm in ^^^' ^^^^"f "^ ^^''^"^^
3 5tate of OlU\ceca\CC. "^^^^^^^^^ ^^ consciousness
abrt. awake but not '"^^^.f 'T' ^^^„"Y'n''
active, te comparable *^ "^^^^ ^"^^ "^^^"^ ^^^^"^^'
to what &jddhi5t5 call ''^^''^''• the highest state of The first sign is the
dhy^n^ or ckep glimpsing of the "Clear Light
meditation. ^^ Reality , "—"the infallible
mmmnnimi mind of the pure mystic
state" — an awareness of energy transformations with no imposition of mental categories.
The duration of this state varies, depending on the individual's experience, security, trust, preparation, and the surroundings. In those who have a little practi- cal experience of the tranquil state of non- game aware- ness, this state can last from 30 minutes to several hours. Realization of what mystics call the "Ultimate Truth" is possible , provided that the person has made sufficient preparation beforehand. Otherwise s/ he cannot benefit now, and must wander into lower and lower conditions of hallucinations until s/ he drops back to routine reality.
Liberated State
It is important to remember that consciousness- expansion is the reverse of the birth process, the ego- loss experience being a temporary ending of game
Tmothy Leary ^
life, a passing from one state of consciousness into another. Just as an infant must wake up and learn from experience the nature of this world, so a person must wake up in this new brilliant world of consciousness expansion and become familiar with its own peculiar conditions.
In those heavily dependent on ego games , who dread giving up control, the illuminated state endures only for a split second. In some, it lasts as long as the time taken for eating a meal. If the subject is prepared to diagnose the symptoms of ego- loss, s/ he needs no outside help at this point. The person about to give up hir ego should be able to recognize the Clear Light. If the person fails to recognize the onset of ego loss, s/he may complain of strange bodily symptoms that show s/ he has not reached a liberated state.
common Bodily Sensations
1 . Bodily pressure.
2. Clammy coldness followed by feverish heat.
3. Body disintegrating or blown to atoms.
4. Pressure on head and ears.
5. Tingling in extremities.
6. Feelings of body melting or flowing like wax.
7. Nausea.
8. Trembling or shaking, beginning in pelvic regions and spreading up torso.
63 Your ^rain fe God
Handling Physical Symptoms
The guide or friend should explain that the symptoms indicate the onset of ego- loss. These physical reactions are signs heralding transcendence — avoid treating them as symptoms of illness. The subject should hail stomach messages as a sign that consciousness is moving around in the body. Experience the sensation fully, and let consciousness flow on to the next phase. It is usually
more natural to let the subject' s "■^■^^■^"■"■■■""^ attention move from the stomach Physical rC3Ct\0\13 ^^d concentrate on breathing and arc e\0r\e heralding heartbeat. If this does not free hir traneCCndmCC. ^^om nausea, the guide should ■■■■■■■■■■■■ move the consciousness to exter- nal events — music, walking in the garden, etc. As a last resort, heave.
The physical symptoms of ego- loss, recognized and understood, should result in peaceful attainment of illumination. The simile of a needle balanced and set rolling on a thread is used by the lamas to elucidate this condition. So long as the needle retains its balance, it remains on the thread. Eventually, however, the pull of the ego or external stimulation affects it, and it falls.
In the realm of the Clear Light, similarly, a person in the ego- transcendent state momentarily enjoys a condi- tion of perfect equilibrium and oneness. Unfamiliar with such an ecstatic non- ego state, the average conscious- ness lacks the power to function in it. Thoughts of personality, individualized being, dullism, prevent the realization of nirvana — the "blowing out of the flame" of fear or selfishness. When the voyager is clearly in a profound ego- transcendent ecstasy, the wise guide remains silent.