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Part 8: The Higher Self
As the Seeker and the mysterious stranger leave the cave behind, they are slowly approaching the Third checkpoint. The mysterious stranger is watching each of his foot steps with great care. Neither of them are talking. For some reason the Seeker is annoyed by every word, the mysterious stranger utters. Even more, than on most days.
As the Seeker and the mysterious stranger cross the threshold of the archway gate, they both hear a heavenly chant singing:
“Checkpoint 3 saved”
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“Thank god,” mumbles the mysterious stranger silently. “We finally made it.”
The view is stunning. Wide fields of grass and flowers. Hills and mountains. Pine trees and waterfalls. The road is overgrown with weeds.
There is a sign on an obelisk, stating: “You are now entering the land of truth”
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As the mysterious stranger and the Seeker proceed on their path, the road ahead transitions more and more into a field of high grass. Until the road is no longer visible.
“Where is the path gone?” asks the Seeker the mysterious stranger. “I can't tell where to go next...”
“Truth is a pathless land,” speaks the mysterious stranger, as he continues walking. The Seeker follows right behind him.
Both of them silently walk through fields of high grass, surrounded by pine trees. They approch the edge of a forest. The ground is muddy. A little stream flows along. Fish are seen in the translucent water. The birds are singing a song.
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“There is one thing, I don't quite understand,” says the Seeker after some time of silence. “Who are you actually talking to? Why are we even holding these conversations?”
The mysterious stranger is confused by the Seekers comment. “I thought we already went through all this, back in the tutorial?” The Seeker scratches their head.
“We didn't discuss this?” asks the mysterious Stranger. The Seeker shakes their head.
“Alright,” proceeds the mysterious stranger. “All the things, that we are discussing... It's nothing new to you. You already knew all of this already, didn't you?”
“Yes,” confirms the Seeker.
“You see... What we are doing is becoming conscious of that, which lies in the unconscious. We are shining a light on the shadows, so to speak. We are not judging, resisting nor fighting what lies in the dark. We just want to see it. So we make the invisible visible. We talk about that, which no one talks about.”
“Okay... And what difference should this make?” asks the Seeker, as they slowly approach the end of the clearing, where the dark pine forest begins.
image [https://img.wattpad.com/c20118c1f657830e29cdea077ecc3edcc13ff9c6/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f36426634483956444b6c626371673d3d2d313432383038303035302e313762396166646431303938353938363836323934303037333139362e6a7067]
“When your awareness shifts, your course changes as well.”
“I still don't quite get what you are saying...,” admits the Seeker.
“By looking at Love... by realizing its nature, we let Love flow through us. By seeing the Ego... by getting an insight into it's mechanisms... By realizing how it shapes our actions... We take away it's power. Can you see how powerful awareness truly is?”
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“Okay... So that is what it is all about... But still... You are just telling me weird stories...,” says the Seeker, as they think back about that Mohawk joke. “I mean... Do you seriously think... That this will have any effect? No one will understand...”
The mysterious stranger smiles. “It's enough, if you understand.”
The Seeker thinks for a moment, then they nod their hand. The Seeker and the mysterious stranger enter both into the dark forest. The trees are covering the blue sky. The light is dim. There is no path. The ground is covered with moss, grass, dirt, fallen leafs, twigs, plants and bushes.
The Seeker looks at everything. At the trees, the plants, the ground, the insects, the butterflies. They listen to the birds, to the rustling of the wind, to the flowing stream.
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“But what even is this here?,” asks the Seeker after some time. “Is this like a dream? Is this an illusion? It all feels so real...”
“Alright,” sighs the mysterious stranger. “Can't help it, I knew you'd ask it sooner or later... I don't think you will remember this anyway... So it's probably alright to break the fourth wall on this one...”
The mysterious stranger considers a thought, then they whisper into the Seekers ear:
“You are a character in a fictional story.”
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
A sudden strong gush of wind. The birds lift off from their trees. Crows screaming very loudly.
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The Seeker turns around. “You mean that my identity is just a story I am telling my self?”
“No,” denies the mysterious stranger. “You are a fictional character. Nothing here is real.”
“Okay I think I understand now,” says the Seeker. “You mean that metaphorically!”
“No...,” sighs the mysterious stranger. “I mean it literally. You are not real.”
The Seeker scratches their forehead. “Do you mean, that 'I' am not real... Because the Self is just an illusion?”
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The mysterious stranger takes a stick and paints a circle on the ground. With the stick, the stranger points at the circle. “So this circle is our universe. Everything is contained within this circle. This is where our story is taking place.”
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Then the stranger points outside the circle. “This is where the reader is.”
“Who is the reader?,” asks the Seeker curiously. “Is that god?”
The mysterious stranger smirks. “Sometimes they are asking themselves the same question.”
The Seeker stares at the mysterious stranger, not getting it. The Stranger explains:
“You could call the reader your 'Higher Self'. The Reader exists outside this universe. Outside your story.”
“Okay,” says the Seeker, giving the mysterious stranger their full attention. “That's interesting. What is this higher Self?”
The mysterious stranger holds his Stick into the sun. Sunlight projects the shadow of the stick on the ground surface.
image [https://img.wattpad.com/0bd942af371670b8ee37adb9250961d41a307510/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f7267495054726470386e367a55673d3d2d313432383038303035302e313762396166666462356133353837633232353933393231313735382e6a7067]
“It's like when you hold a three-dimensional Object in the Sun, then it casts a Two-Dimensional shadow. You, are a simplified representation of your higher Self. Just like a 2-D shadow is a reflection of a 3-D object, you are the reflection of your higher Self. The one, who reads your story.”
The Seeker takes a stick and draws an even bigger circle around the one, that the mysterious stranger drew. “So... If I have a higher Self here in my universe... Does this Reader have a higher Self in their universe as well?”
image [https://img.wattpad.com/48ac47ef12b5f2a97ba3f7423e03ed695fcab120/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f6341484a466d5365484a2d6257413d3d2d313432383038303035302e3137623962303032336434393532653431393031323330343336342e6a7067]
“Yes,” confirms the mysterious stranger and points at the outer circle. “Outside the story of the Reader, there is a Higher Self as well. And the Reader is also just an representation of their own Higher Self. The higher Self is the one, who reads the Readers story.”
“What is the higher self of the Reader called?” asks the Seeker, as they continue walking through the shady forest.
“It has many names,” responds the mysterious stranger, as he walks with the Seeker. “But no name could ever describe it. No word could ever catch it. The Reader's higher Self is beyond comprehension. Some call it 'Awareness' others would call it 'Consciousness'. This is the Readers higher Self. It's the one, that is aware of the words. It's the one, that Reads the meaning behind them.
Its the Fire in our eyes. Its the Love in our hearts. Its the inner knowing in our brains. Its the Flow of Life in our bodies. It's all that...”
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“Okay slowly,” shouts the Seeker. “You are drifting off again into awful poetry...”
“Yeah... Sorry... You are right...,” apologizes the mysterious stranger with red cheeks. “Anyway... We will discuss the topic of Consciousness another time... The only thing important right now is that you understand how this works. Even if you forget it again... Your subconscious will remember.”
“And is there anything beyond?” asks the Seeker curiously. “Are there like infinite levels of worlds above and beyond?”
“Answering this is above my pay range... However we will break the fifth wall sooner or later... Then we can discuss the higher realities in more detail.”
Suddenly the Seeker and the mysterious stranger stop. There is an opening between the leafs. A big hole, through which bright light shines on a table with chairs. The table is covered with tablecloth. Silver and golden plates. Fine cutlery and goblets filled with wine. Lit candles. Steaming plates. Grilled Meat. Cooked rice. Baskets with exotic fruits. Freshly plucked. On the tables edge, a big pot with brown mushroom stew.
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The Seeker stares at the scenery. Something feels how. Something is wrong.
“Do you think it's okay to eat this?” asks the Seeker the mysterious stranger. As they turn around, they see the Stranger stuffing his mouth with fruits, meat and vegetables.
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There is an awkward silence between the two. The Seeker stares at the mysterious stranger, as his chewing gets slower and slower. He maintains eye contact as he swallows, while grabbing the next piece of meat and shoving it in his mouth.
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“Are you not afraid, that the food may be poisoned?” asks the Seeker. “I mean this entire place here literally screams 'Danger'.”
The mysterious stranger stops chewing. He is thinking of something. A sudden realization dawns on him, as a bowl with food falls from his hands.
“Oh damn... you might be right," speaks the stranger, whilst strocking his neck. "I didn't even consider that option.”
The mysterious stranger eyes suddenly start twitching. He feels a pain in his stomach.
“Why the hell do you just eat some random food on a strange table in the middle of a dark forest? That's like some fairy-tale kind of shit...”
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While the Stranger fights his stomach pains, the Seeker takes a closer look at the food as well. Something smells very delicious. The fragrant emanated from the pot with mushroom stew. The Seeker lifts the ladle from the stew. Their mouth fills up with water. Eyes full of desire stares at the soup.
The Seeker can't hold back any longer. Eating the entire stew. Licking the pot clean. The Seeker feels a sudden calmness emerging from within them. They lie down in the grass and close their eyes. Geometric patterns. A warm feeling in their heart. Shivers flowing down their spine.
As the Seeker opens their eyes again, they look up above. They see the blue sky, the clouds and the sun. They feel the suns warmth radiating on their skin.
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“I have no idea, what's in there” the Seeker laughs hysterically. Fighting for breath, as they slowly calm down. The Seeker looks with a wide smile upwards. They see the beauty within the moment. They close their eyes and start re-thinking all the things, that the mysterious stranger told them.
Suddenly the Seekers eyes are blown wide open, after going through the same conversation from a different angle. They understand it. Everything is clear now. Their mind is blown. They start laughing.
Suddenly a door manifests itself out of thin air, right in front of the Seeker. It looks mysterious and fascinating at the same time. The Seeker swallows their spit, as they consider opening the door. They reach for the handle. Sweaty palms. Their body starts vibrating.
image [https://img.wattpad.com/27f7fc98b956debb0817b541d3939808eb776f7d/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f6e784f416d6b61536553466131773d3d2d313432383038303035302e313762396230323165316633313065623931323632313133303233362e6a7067]
But the mysterious stranger intercepts. He grabs the Seekers wrist. The fire in his eyes is flaring up. His voice sounds particularly serious, as he calmly but firmly speaks:
“No. You are not yet ready.”
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The Seeker pulls away from the Strangers grip and touches the door handle with their index finger. Suddenly everything around the Seeker starts shaking, as the door frame in front crumbles down. Even the air starts vibrating. The table breaks down. Cracks forming in the earth. The trees are falling. Everything fades to black. The light fades, utter darkness. Memory lost, the cycle starts anew.
TO BE CONTINUED