EXPERIENCING THE SELF
H
ave you ever wondered why the slang terms for
intoxication are so demolition-oriented? Stoned,
smashed, hammered. It's because they're talking about the
Ego. It's the Ego that gets blasted, waxed, plastered. We
demolish the Ego to get to the Self.
The margins of the Self touch upon the Divine Ground.
Meaning the Mystery, the Void, the source of Infinite
Wisdom and Consciousness.
Dreams come from the Self. Ideas come from the Self.
When we meditate we access the Self. When we fast, when
we pray, when we go on a vision quest, it's the Self we're
seeking. When the dervish whirls, when the yogi chants,
when the sadhu mutilates his flesh; when penitents crawl a
hundred miles on their knees, when Native Americans pierce
themselves in the Sun Dance, when suburban kids take
Ecstasy and dance all night at a rave, they're seeking the Self.
When we deliberately alter our consciousness in any way,
we're trying to find the Self. When the alcoholic collapses in
the gutter, that voice that tells him, "I'll save you," comes
from the Self.
The Self is our deepest being.
STEVEN PRESSFIELD r 39