Spiritual Journey Part 4

The first question is, are other "people" also experiencing the illusion as I am?  In other words, am I really the only one and no one else exists outside my conscious and present awareness OR are there other streams of energy, called people, having the same experience I am, in their own version of the illusion.  In other words, when I cease to exist, does everyone and everything cease to exist? Does existence no longer exist?  From my direct experience I would have to say that no one else exists, but that is so hard to wrap my mind around on a daily basis.  If you are reading this, you have to say that you do exist and therefore the premise that other people exist must be true.  Unless of course, you are making this all up and projecting it out onto your imagined reality.  In its simplicity it is so complex.  What I do know is that I am in my own personal universe that is perfectly and precisely created moment by moment, detail by detail specifically for me, or rather the consciousness that I call me.  If you exist, and I'm sure you agree you do, then you also have your own uniquely made universe that is specially created just for you. 

 Which of these two, answers the first question?  

1. I am here all alone and making this all up.  When I cease to exist, which is not necessarily death, everything ceases to exist.  It all dissolves into nothingness.
 
2. Each conscious being lives in their own unique universe and there is a different version of every other being in their universe.  The version that shows up is a direct result of that person's beliefs, thoughts, feelings and the template that designed them. 

Which one is true?  I can argue for each of them and against each of them, but at the core of it, they would both have to be true and they would both have to be false. 

I have one friend who I consider awake - I asked him one day, "Do you think I'm real?"  He said, "No, you are not real.  I am making you up and you are making me up."  That really didn't help with anything, because I could be making him up saying that he is also making me up.   

 The thing is, how do you live in a world that you know is not real and how do you interact with people who are also not real?  I have still another friend who I believe had a similar awakening experience that I did.  He describes it as no longer having a desire to get out of bed. Over the years, some of his actions and behaviors toward others have been questionable.  But I get it, if you don't believe anyone else is real, you don't have to consider their feelings.  You can do whatever you desire.  I examined this and thought about it.  I am grateful that I got to witness this friend working through this same issue.  My son, Travis, who gets all of this on a cognitive level, but not yet on an experiential level, describes it as, "If my effects are happy, I'm happy.  If my effects are not happy, I'm not happy."  We are all his effects.  In other words, it doesn't pay to be selfish.  If something or someone is in your consciousness, pay attention and feed it positively, and you too will grow in the same way.  This is my version of karma.  

If I live in my own reality without care or thought for others, they will not be happy and therefore effect the level of my happiness. 

Here is the next perfect question, "If I am in fact imagining everyone else and they are appearing real in my personal reality, then what exactly do they consist of?"  The answer, I believe, lies in our dream state.  When you dream at night, and you dream of other people, it is your consciousness that is creating and experiencing these other people so that there are really not other people; it is just you acting out all the roles in your dream.  Your consciousness is just experiencing separation and individuality in order to make up the story.  It is all just you.  It is the same in life.  These people that I call my friends and family are parts of my consciousness. I am actually walking around in my own sub-consciousness mind.  There is no longer any mystery to what is going on inside the recesses of my mind.  I only have to look around!  All the years that I tried to change others,  to act like I thought they should act, and it was really just me acting out my own dis-illusions.   HA! Now, I only alter myself and then reality quickly, sometimes in the blink of an eye, changes.  This is real life magic.  I kid you not. 

In all honesty, even I believe that #1 is true, and I am making it all up, but I  like #2 is true because it supports the dream that I want to create. 

Years ago, I had a sleeping dream; I was on beach by myself watching the ocean waves.  i thought about my kids not being with me, but instead of missing them, as I would in "real life" I found them inside me.  They were a part of me.  They were me.  I was completely full and fulfilled.  When my dad died in 2006, I was surprised that I never missed him.  In fact, I felt closer to him because he had become a part of me.  He had dissolved into me, and I can feel him even now as I share this. 

Part 5 Spiritual Journey - Click Here

Part 1 Spiritual Journey - Click Here

View all parts of Spiriutal Journy - Click Here

In grace & gratitude,
Nanice Ellis