THE CONCEPT OF ENLIGHTENMENT NOW, compared with the time of the incarnations of both Jesus Christ and the Buddha, is perceived quite differently. Our consciousness has evolved at a progressively quickened pace over the last 2,500 years.

In the past, enlightenment was often considered only for and by the masters of that time. Generally speaking, only mystics could really see that enlightenment meant transcending the world of matter. In the East, the objective was to end the cycle of reincarnation, finally overcoming the need to live a human life on earth. The objective of Christianity was to earn, in one lifetime, a permanent entry into Heaven. Both beliefs seemed to be mutually exclusive, in that human existence in the world of matter and time could only be used as a means to an end. The end was always being perceived as some sort of other-worldly Nirvana or Heaven. We now live in a time where quickened consciousness has shifted our perception to include a far greater view of enlightenment than that of our forefathers.

A new awakening is occurring. Right here, right now, the integration of duality is fast gathering momentum. People are recognizing the separation or split within as destructive and are willingly seeking to restore love and harmony in their lives. They are responding to a deeper call to Truth.

We humans are a hybrid species made of both spirit and matter. Mystics throughout the ages have always known this. And today, scientists are catching up. Realizing that you are both human and divine is the act of Self-remembrance that lays the founding principle for everything you aspire to do and be. This new evolutionary impulse is awakening in our psyches now, demanding to be known. No longer do we see ourselves as mere egos needing to be fixed; we are uncovering a deeper truth of our being, realizing (making real) that we are both human and divine... Both sides of our nature are to be made legitimate now, or we will never feel whole.

We ultimately learn from traveling the path of awakening that being 'only human' doesn't satisfy our soul. It's very tempting to try and be 'just spiritual' and rise above our human problems, but this doesn't work, either. We can never transcend anything we've not healed and integrated in our personal life.(7)

The Source, or the concept of the Creator, is not a Being out there somewhere. It is important that any idea representing the Source as a separate entity Who judges us in any way be totally rejected. For the purpose of Love's presence to be realized by any one of us, we must first be willing to surrender all notions of a separate, judging, and punitive God, now and forevermore. To believe the Source is outside and above us renders us helpless. The concept of a separate Source disempowers us and denies us our rightful inheritance as a co-creator.

To be truly liberated and to initiate peace both personally and globally, we need to become conscious of our unconsciousness. Only then can existing fears and limitations be undone. Feelings of gnawing discomfort, any un-named sense of urgency, or unquenched thirst for fulfillment are all signs of a deeper calling from within. The pain of ignorance, of not knowing that we have long been unconscious, is becoming too much for us to bear. The end of suffering and chaos will become our reality when we relinquish our limited and out-dated perception of who we are, what The Source is, and the purpose we were created to fulfill.

How Did We Begin?
Originally we existed in a state of perfect oneness meaning nothing existed outside or apart from us. We were everything and had everything. We were everywhere because everywhere existed within us. There were no individuals nor was there anything to perceive, as we belonged to the Infinite and loving inclusiveness of the Source. Then, an idea occurred from within the oneness, an idea of separation, and although this idea occurred in less than a split second, it nonetheless exploded into a manifestation of duality. Suddenly, around 14 billion years ago, time, space and matter emerged and our request to experience duality was initiated.

The concept of the separation is called a "tiny mad idea" in A Course in Miracles, and thankfully it is all an illusion, although it seems real. We decided collectively to experience something other than Infinite oneness. However, as the Source cannot produce or acknowledge illusion, we did. And we did so by entering a dream of the separated state, making time, space, matter and separate entities an apparent reality in this dream.

While our Higher mind is eternally "at one" with the Source, having never indulged in this illusion, the delusional ego-self depends entirely on projecting the notions that this world is real and that we are all separate human bodies who are at the mercy of random chaos. Yet, while we appear to be here having this dream experience called life, our Unified Self is perfectly unaffected and is joyfully extending Infinite Love in a Reality of which we are unaware as yet.

We all have had nightmares at night while asleep which we experienced as real. However, when we finally awoke, what did we realize? The first thing we saw was that it was just a dream. When we awaken from a nightmare, we're so relieved that it was all a dream. Our ego experience here is much like this analogy, and when we finally "awaken" we will be absolutely overjoyed, not just temporarily but forever.

Yet the Bible says that a deep sleep fell upon Adam, and nowhere is there reference to his waking up. The world has not yet experienced any comprehensive reawakening or rebirth.(9)

When viewed metaphorically this statement supports the theory that Adam, who represented our collective descent into the separated state, became unconscious. From that point onwards humanity's dream continued to unfold, and to this day there has not yet been any significant global awakening from the ego dream. It seems that we, along with Adam, undertook a mammoth journey into unconsciousness. However, as in all dreams, we will eventually awaken to reclaim our divinity along with all the endless blessings that come with it.

Figure 1.1: The Separation Sequence

As the human ego evolved and strengthened its resolve to be separate, so did it increase its capacity for acquiring relative knowledge. In other words, our brains developed through the seeking of constant external information. Compulsive thought was born and intellectual capital became the ego's most envied prize one that is still highly valued in the world today.

We forgot that the Light resides within us and is the only Source we require to live a life of spiritual value and fulfillment. Wisdom was forgotten in favor of intellectual prowess and material accumulation. Thinking and doing became glorified attributes while the quiet, reflective states of being and realization were cast aside.

As the ego gained more independence from the Source, it increased its fear of the Source. The fear of God could be translated as a sense of shame, projection of guilt, anger, and blame, and a sense of helplessness. Perhaps its most common manifestations are the haunting feeling that "something is wrong" and the experience of fear in any form. Fear of the Source in every possible disguise is purely lack of trust in Love's presence.

In evolutionary terms, it is "turnaround" time. We've wandered far and long from our original intent, and now it is time to heed the call home to our true nature.

We are beginning to recognize that we alone create our own reality in the here and now. And it has taken us until now to evolve sufficiently in order to grasp the inclusive concept of an eternal life of higher consciousness within the world of time and matter. Some of us have awakened to the prospect that we don't need to wait until we overcome the world, or die a death of the body, in order to re-claim our rightful place as a Unified co-creator. We can fulfill all our deepest yearnings with our willing commitment to heal our own split mind. Now, more than ever, it is possible and even inevitable that human consciousness will eventually wake up, thus creating an experience of Heaven on earth. Before we wake completely from the dream of separation we will all experience what A Course in Miracles calls "The Happy Dream" and this comes when ego has been undone and the illusory idea of separation and suffering has been released.

Undoing is a sacred remembering, through the unlearning of that which prevents us from realizing and experiencing the essence of who we are. It is a re-instatement or re-calling of the absolute trust and certainty we had before our mind became split. The process itself is directed by the Universal Inspiration or Holy Spirit, and success depends entirely on your intent, commitment, and willingness.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Australians, Nouk Sanchez and Tomas Vieira are the authors of Take Me to Truth, Undoing the Ego. Initiated by A Course in Miracles, their seventeen year Awakening journey led to the almost total deconstruction of their lives and belief systems before emerging from the process together. The result is this profoundly practical guide that clearly defines the blocks and the stages involved in Spiritual Awakening. Visit: www.takemetotruthcom