This is an unofficial archive of PsychonautWiki as of 2025-08-11T15:14:44Z. Content on this page may be outdated, incomplete, or inaccurate. Please refer to the original page for the most up-to-date information.
Unity and interconnectedness: Difference between revisions
>Josikins No edit summary |
>Josikins No edit summary |
||
| Line 3: | Line 3: | ||
'''States of unity and interconnectedness''' can be described as an alteration in the fundamental everyday rules regarding that which one's sense of self or identity is attributed to and separate from. The first of these rules is that the self is inherently separate from the external environment and could not possibly extend into it. The second of these rules is that the self is specifically limited to not even the physical body as a whole, but exclusively a person’s internal narrative or thought stream and the image of their own personality as built up through social interactions with other people. | '''States of unity and interconnectedness''' can be described as an alteration in the fundamental everyday rules regarding that which one's sense of self or identity is attributed to and separate from. The first of these rules is that the self is inherently separate from the external environment and could not possibly extend into it. The second of these rules is that the self is specifically limited to not even the physical body as a whole, but exclusively a person’s internal narrative or thought stream and the image of their own personality as built up through social interactions with other people. | ||
This subjective effect alters those rules by directly changing that which the self is currently attributed to so that it becomes capable of including systems which were previously | This subjective effect alters those rules by directly changing that which the self is currently attributed to so that it becomes capable of including systems which were previously perceived as external to ones identity or being. The experience of this alteration results in feelings of profoundly intense and inextricable senses of unity or interconnectedness between oneself and specific or multiple external systems. | ||
Many people who undergo this experience consistently interpret it as the removal of a deeply embedded illusion, the destruction of which is often described as some sort of profound “awakening” or “enlightenment”. | Many people who undergo this experience consistently interpret it as the removal of a deeply embedded illusion, the destruction of which is often described as some sort of profound “awakening” or “enlightenment”. | ||
Depending on the degree to which this apparent illusion has been lifted, it can lead onto five possible levels differing intensity. | Depending on the degree to which this apparent illusion has been lifted, it can lead onto five possible levels of differing intensity and degrees of interconnectedness. These are each are capable of spontaneously sustaining their perspective for weeks, months or even years after the experience itself. They can be defined and organized as: | ||
====Unity between specific external systems==== | ====Unity between specific external systems==== | ||
| Line 14: | Line 14: | ||
This effect can manifest itself in an endless number of forms but common examples of the experience often include: | This effect can manifest itself in an endless number of forms but common examples of the experience often include: | ||
*A sense of unity between specific living things such as animals or plants and their surrounding ecosystems | *A sense of unity between specific living things such as animals or plants and their surrounding ecosystems. | ||
*A sense of unity between specific human beings and the objects they are currently interacting with | *A sense of unity between specific human beings and the objects they are currently interacting with. | ||
*A sense of unity between any number of currently perceivable inanimate objects | *A sense of unity between any number of currently perceivable inanimate objects. | ||
*A sense of unity between humanity and nature | *A sense of unity between humanity and nature. | ||
*A sense of unity between literally any combination of perceivable external systems and concepts | *A sense of unity between literally any combination of perceivable external systems and concepts. | ||
====Unity between the self and specific external systems==== | ====Unity between the self and specific external systems==== | ||
| Line 25: | Line 25: | ||
This effect can manifest itself in an endless number of forms but common examples of the experience often include: | This effect can manifest itself in an endless number of forms but common examples of the experience often include: | ||
*Becoming one with a specific object which you are interacting with | *Becoming one with a specific object which you are interacting with. | ||
*Becoming one with a specific person which you interacting with. (particularly common if engaging in sexual or romantic activities) | *Becoming one with a specific person which you interacting with. (particularly common if engaging in sexual or romantic activities) | ||
*Becoming one with the entirety of your physical body | *Becoming one with the entirety of your physical body. | ||
*Becoming one with large crowds of people. (particularly common at raves and music festivals) | *Becoming one with large crowds of people. (particularly common at raves and music festivals) | ||
*Becoming one with the external environment but not the people within it | *Becoming one with the external environment but not the people within it. | ||
This creates a sensation which is often described by people as the experience of becoming inextricably connected to, one with, the same as, or unified with whatever the perceived external system happens to be. | This creates a sensation which is often described by people as the experience of becoming inextricably connected to, one with, the same as, or unified with whatever the perceived external system happens to be. | ||
| Line 39: | Line 39: | ||
This is felt to be the result of a person’s central sense of self becoming attributed to not just the internal narrative of the ego, but in equal measure, to the body itself and everything around it with which it is physically connected to through the senses. Once this sensation is in place, it creates the undeniable perspective that you are the external environment experiencing itself through the specific point within it that this body’s physical sensory awareness and conscious thought happens to currently reside in. | This is felt to be the result of a person’s central sense of self becoming attributed to not just the internal narrative of the ego, but in equal measure, to the body itself and everything around it with which it is physically connected to through the senses. Once this sensation is in place, it creates the undeniable perspective that you are the external environment experiencing itself through the specific point within it that this body’s physical sensory awareness and conscious thought happens to currently reside in. | ||
It's at this level that a key component of the unity experience becomes an extremely noticeable factor. Once a person's sense of self has become attributed to the entirety of their surroundings, this new perspective completely changes how it feels to physically interact with what was previously felt to be an external environment. For example, when physically interacting with an object in everyday life it feels very simply that you are a central agent organizing the world around itself. However, whilst undergoing a state of unity with the currently perceivable environment, interacting with an external object consistently feel as if the system as a whole is autonomously organizing itself and that you are no longer a central agent operating the process of interaction. Instead the process suddenly feels completely decentralized and mutual across itself as the environment begins to autonomously, mechanically and harmoniously respond to itself to perform the predetermined function of the particular interaction. | It's at this level that a key component of the unity experience becomes an extremely noticeable factor. Once a person's sense of self has become attributed to the entirety of their surroundings, this new perspective completely changes how it feels to physically interact with what was previously felt to be an external environment. For example, when physically interacting with an object in everyday life it feels very simply that you are a central agent organizing the world around itself. However, whilst undergoing a state of unity with the currently perceivable environment, interacting with an external object consistently feel as if the system as a whole is autonomously organizing itself and that you are no longer a central agent operating the process of interaction. Instead the process suddenly feels as if it has become completely decentralized and mutual across itself as the environment begins to autonomously, mechanically and harmoniously respond to itself to perform the predetermined function of the particular interaction. | ||
====Unity between the self and all external systems==== | ====Unity between the self and all presently occurring external systems==== | ||
The fourth of these five differing levels of intensity can be referred to as a "''state of unity between the self and all external systems''". It is defined as the experience of a loss of perceived boundaries between a person's sense of self, the perceivable external environment, and all which they know to exist outside of this through their internally stored model of reality. This feels as if | The fourth of these five differing levels of intensity can be referred to as a "''state of unity between the self and all presently occurring external systems''". It is defined as the experience of a loss of perceived boundaries between a person's sense of self, the perceivable external environment, and all which they know to currently exist outside of this through their internally stored model of reality. This feels as if one's sense of self has become attributed to not just the external environment but all of humanity, nature, and the universe as it presently stands in its complete entirety. The experience of this is commonly interpreted by people as “''becoming one with the universe''”. | ||
When experienced, this | When experienced, this effect creates the sudden perspective that one is quite literally the entire universe experiencing itself, exploring itself, and performing actions onto itself through the very specific point of space and time which this body and conscious perception happens to currently reside in. When experienced, this feeling is often immediately understood to be an innate and undeniable truth by those who undergoes it. | ||
====Unity between the self and | ====Unity between the self and all external systems==== | ||
The fifth and most profound of these five differing levels of intensity can be referred to as a "''state of unity between the self and the creation of all external systems''". It is defined as the experience of a loss of perceived boundaries between a person's sense of self and all external systems of behaviour. This includes not just the systems as they currently stand within the present moment but at each known point of their existence throughout all time lines past, present, and future as dictated by the person's internally stored model of reality. | The fifth and most profound of these five differing levels of intensity can be referred to as a "''state of unity between the self and the creation of all external systems''". It is defined as the experience of a loss of perceived boundaries between a person's sense of self and all external systems of behaviour. This includes not just the systems as they currently stand within the present moment but at each known point of their existence throughout all time lines past, present, and future as dictated by the person's internally stored model of reality. | ||
When experienced, this feels as if | When experienced, this feels as if one's sense of self has become attributed to all of space and time including every single past and future event such as the initial creation and eventual destruction of existence. It is a perspective which consistently leads onto the innate revelation and sensation that the 'I' in terms of one's true self (everything) are personally and consciously responsible for the deliberate design and creation of the universe itself. | ||
It's at this point where some consistently reported interlocking sub-perspectives and innately extrapolated conclusions of a religious and metaphysical nature begin to come into play. These generally include but are not limited to: | It's at this point where some consistently reported interlocking sub-perspectives and innately extrapolated conclusions of a religious and metaphysical nature begin to come into play. These generally include but are not limited to: | ||
*The sudden and total acceptance of death as a fundamental component of one's life. This is because death is no longer felt to be the destruction of the self but simply the end of this specific point of conscious awareness, The vast majority of which has always existed and will continue to exist and live on through everything else in which it resides. | *The sudden and total acceptance of death as a fundamental component of one's life. This is because death is no longer felt to be the destruction of the self but simply the end of this specific point of conscious awareness, The vast majority of which has always existed and will continue to exist and live on through everything else in which it resides. | ||
*A perspective which feels personally responsible for the design, planning, and implementation of every single specific detail and plot element of one's personal life, the history of humanity, and the universe as a whole. This naturally includes personal culpability for humanity's sufferings and its flaws, but also includes acts of love and | *A perspective which feels personally responsible for the design, planning, and implementation of every single specific detail and plot element of one's personal life, the history of humanity, and the universe as a whole. This naturally includes personal culpability for humanity's sufferings and its flaws, but also includes its acts of love and achievements. | ||
*The religious or spiritual realization that the person's preconceived notions behind their concept of “god” or “god-hood” can now be felt through a forced change in perspective as identical to the nature of one's true self. This realization is generally reached through the subconscious conclusion that the usually differing concepts of god-hood and self are | *The religious or spiritual realization that the person's preconceived notions behind their concept of “god” or “god-hood” can now be felt through a forced change in perspective as identical to the nature of existence and to one's true self. This realization is generally reached through the subconscious conclusion that the usually differing concepts of god-hood, existence and self are now identically defined as that which is the all-knowing, all-encompassing, all-powerful creator, and sustainer of this existence. | ||
====Analysis==== | ====Analysis==== | ||