The Path To No Self

This book shows how, once we have adjusted to the unitive state, the spiritual journey moves on to yet another more final ending. In our major religious traditions, the outstanding milestone in the spiritual journey is the permanent, irreversible transcendence of the self center or ego. The fact that a great deal has been written about the journey to this point means that many people have come this far. But what, we might ask, comes next? Looking ahead we see no path; even in the literature there seems to be nothing beyond an abiding awareness of oneness with God. Had this path been mapped in the literature, then at least we would have known that one existed; but where no such account exists, we assume there is no path and that union of self and God is the final goal to be achieved. The main purpose of The Path to No-Self is to correct this assumption. It verifies that a path beyond union does indeed exist, that the eventual falling away of the unitive state happens as the culmination of a long experiential journey beyond the state. The author shows that a path exists between the transcendence of the ego (self-center), which begins the unitive state, and the later falling away of all self (the true self), which ends the unitive state. As a first hand account, The Path to No-Self will be of interest to those with similar experiences, or those searching for a better understanding of their own spiritual journey. Since the journey is concerned with the effects of grace on human consciousness, the book will be of interest to those psychologists concerned with the transformational process.

This book shows how, once we have adjusted to the unitive state, the spiritual journey moves on to yet another more final ending. In our major religious traditions, the outstanding milestone in the spiritual journey is the permanent, irreversible transcendence of the self center or ego. The fact that a great deal has been written about the journey to this point means that many people have come this far. But what, we might ask, comes next? Looking ahead we see no path; even in the literature there seems to be nothing beyond an abiding awareness of oneness with God. Had this path been mapped in the literature, then at least we would have known that one existed; but where no such account exists, we assume there is no path and that union of self and God is the final goal to be achieved. The main purpose of The Path to No-Self is to correct this assumption. It verifies that a path beyond union does indeed exist, that the eventual falling away of the unitive state happens as the culmination of a long experiential journey beyond the state. The author shows that a path exists between the transcendence of the ego (self-center), which begins the unitive state, and the later falling away of all self (the true self), which ends the unitive state. As a first hand account, The Path to No-Self will be of interest to those with similar experiences, or those searching for a better understanding of their own spiritual journey. Since the journey is concerned with the effects of grace on human consciousness, the book will be of interest to those psychologists concerned with the transformational process.

The renowned contemporary mystic and author of The Experience of No-Self presents her philosophical treatise on the nature of Self and God. As a Carmelite nun, Bernadette Roberts pursued a life in union with God. She wrote compellingly about her contemplative spiritual journey in her memoirs The Experience of No-Self and The Path of No-Self. Now she builds on the wisdom she gained, exploring the ultimate consciousness that transcends self and experience. In What Is Self?, Ms. Roberts explains her conceptions of the ego, the self, and the revelations of the contemplative life. Deeply personal and profoundly spiritual, this latest effort puts all of Bernadette’s insights into clearer and sharper perspective—as though her own journey has grown clearer with distance.

Within the traditional framework, the Christian notion of loss-of-self is generally regarded as the transformation or loss of the ego (lower self) as it attains to the higher or true self in its union with God. Thus, because self at its deepest center is a run-on with the divine, I had never found any true self apart from God, for to find the One is to find the other. Because this was the limit of my expectations, I was all the more surprised and bewildered when many years later I came upon a permanent state in which there was no self, no higher self, true self, or anything that could be called a self. Clearly, I had fallen outside my own, as well as the traditional frame of reference, when I came upon a path that seemed to begin where the writers on the contemplative life had left off. But with the clear certitude of the self's disappearance, there automatically arose the question of what had fallen away--what was the self? What, exactly, had it been? Then too, there was the all-important question: what remained in its absence? This journey was the gradual revelation of the answers to these questions, answers that had to be derived solely from personal experience since no outside explanation was forthcoming.

According to Thomas Metzinger, no such things as selves exist in the world: nobody ever had or was a self. All that exists are phenomenal selves, as they appear in conscious experience. The phenomenal self, however, is not a thing but an ongoing process; it is the content of a "transparent self-model." In Being No One, Metzinger, a German philosopher, draws strongly on neuroscientific research to present a representationalist and functional analysis of what a consciously experienced first-person perspective actually is. Building a bridge between the humanities and the empirical sciences of the mind, he develops new conceptual toolkits and metaphors; uses case studies of unusual states of mind such as agnosia, neglect, blindsight, and hallucinations; and offers new sets of multilevel constraints for the concept of consciousness. Metzinger's central question is: How exactly does strong, consciously experienced subjectivity emerge out of objective events in the natural world? His epistemic goal is to determine whether conscious experience, in particular the experience of being someone that results from the emergence of a phenomenal self, can be analyzed on subpersonal levels of description. He also asks if and how our Cartesian intuitions that subjective experiences as such can never be reductively explained are themselves ultimately rooted in the deeper representational structure of our conscious minds.

I am a part of a traveling ministry and visit home churches around the United States. Starting in late 2002. In that time I have seen a great many Christians from all around the nation in many different situations. I had what I thought Christians were like and what they did and didn't do. But quickly found out that Christians didn't always act the way they should or knew one thing really well, but not another. Things I've seen that repeated over and over again, in many situations. It's not like you can go up to someone and tell them what they are doing very easily. I felt it was better for me to write about what I have seen and what should be. I have also written in this book about my personal struggles to attain godliness. I view dying to self as a continual process, and that one has never fully arrived; there are many veils peeled away in due process. I believe that there are still levels of maturity that are not even attained yet. I felt I could fully say what I would like all Christians to hear. This is my portion, and it is incomplete, because everybody has a piece to the puzzle. "We need to have humility to take our pieces and to put them together"(paraphrased Rick Joyner). I'm not the all in all who knows all things, I'm not perfect. I am not an intense person, so I try to say things in such a way to try to not offend, but on the other side, I feel that the truth needs to be said. I think we often overlook the simple things Jesus said in the gospels, many things that we often forget about. This book was written in spurts all around the nation over a period of about 15 years. If you want to know what the book is about, the easiest way is to go through the chapters list (topics). (To see the chapters list or get the digital version of my book free go to my webpage) dieingtoself

A Blueprint for Dominating Your World and Creating the Life of Your Dreams, Do you ever feel unworthy or unlovable? Do you long for inner peace, but don't know how to find it? Self-love requires more than candlelit baths or practicing your favorite yoga poses. You must understand your struggles with compassion, and put to rest self-defeating notions. Dr. Heidi Green has helped many people reconnect with themselves and attain self-love through her work as a psychologist. She is a strong presence in the field and authors a mental health blog. Sharing her own imperfections and triumphs, she opens the door for you to do the same on your journey of healing. She will guide you through a 7-step path to manifest and strengthen self-love. You will learn to nurture your inner child and restructure the way you respond to yourself and the world. Only then will you be prepared to engage in meaningful changes that will stick! Finally, you will be given your World Domination tool kit: 6 traits to be cultivated for a truly awesome you. You will discover what self-love is, how to find it, and why having it is so important. It is time to let self-love reign supreme in your life. Book jacket.

Who am I? What is my purpose? The answers to these questions seemed to have been elusive for many, or even yet the search still hasn’t started for some. We are all students learning in the school called Life. As we go through it, we learn the lessons that will help us realize the true essence of who we are and what we can do. The Path to Awesomeness provides the clues that will take us closer to the Truth that is already within us. It will illuminate our minds and open our hearts as it takes us to the story of a personal awakening, so that we can see for ourselves the answers we’ve all been searching for. It’s a journey that reflects our own path to healing, self-discovery and self-actualization of becoming awesome – our super human potential. It’s the adventure of a lifetime that awaits us in The Path to Awesomeness, our destiny in life which we can only embark by letting go of the old-trodden path. The Path to Awesomeness will teach us life’s greatest lesson – that falling in Love requires a leap of faith, knowing and trusting God will catch us.