Fear of the Feeling of Unreality from the media Our Being Is Revealed as God’s Being
A man, who shares that he has panic attacks at the idea of the world being a dream and its underlying unreality, asks for help getting grounded. Rupert responds that this world is a kind of a dream, an illusion, but that doesn't mean it isn't real. It's just not what it appears to be. Understanding the oneness and shared being of it all is the remedy. See the appearances for what they are and feel the reality of infinite being in the 'I am’.
- Duration: 12 minutes and 31 seconds
- Recorded on: Aug 25, 2022
- Event: Webinar – Thursday 25th August
Notice that you are present in the midst of whatever you are experiencing. Whatever I am experiencing, I am. We lose touch with our being, so fascinated are we by the foreground of experience. Meditation, or prayer, is the reversal of this process. Instead of allowing our experience to overshadow our being, we allow the fact of being to emerge from the background of experience and come into the foreground. Normally our being, or essential self, is conditioned or qualified by the content of experience, but just as the screen has no inherent colour of its own, so our being has no inherent qualities or characteristics of its own. For this reason, our being is said to be silent, transparent, still. As all the qualities that our being borrows from the content of experience fade, our being loses its apparent limitations and, at some point, stands revealed as infinite being, God's being.
A man, who suggests that this understanding can be limited by the language used, asks about the word 'knowing' as it relates to understanding, and does knowing include biological processes. Rupert responds no, because even if those biological processes, such as seeing, did not exist there would still be knowing. Eyes are required for seeing, but all there is to experience of seeing is knowing, consciousness or awareness.
A man asks if a belief in the separate self is responsible for all of the conflict in the world, and if there are no entities, then where is the conflict. Rupert suggests that ultimately there are no individual entities, but the apparent individuals do not know they share their being, so that appears as conflict.
A man asks about what is meant by the term ‘at a relative level’. Rupert responds that we make statements from the relative point of view, such as 'this is a mug’, but it is only a mug from the perspective of a separate self. It's all consciousness appearing as objects.
An older woman, with a degenerative eye disease, now has the opportunity to receive an implant that will improve her vision. She asks about how to respond as aware being. Rupert suggests that any decision she makes about her eyesight not be influenced by her desire for peace, which is her nature. He also suggests that being dependent on others as we grow older is natural. Receive the implant if she wants to but not from obligation.
A man comments on the unlimited nature of awareness and the limited awareness of the body-mind. He asks about how the choice between the two works. Rupert suggests that we know the experience of love as oneness with the other at the deepest level, and he asks whether that realisation of shared being is a choice. Shared being is with everyone, not just the ones we love. We can have this attitude towards those we perceive as others if we allow this understanding to inform our relationships. They are your self; treat them as such. They are all appearances of the one.
A man, who has been abiding as peace, wonders about the ego’s claim of 'enlightenment'. Rupert suggests that words aren’t descriptions, they are evocations. However, words are not the most efficient vehicle, sharing our being together is.
A woman, who hears a voice telling her to wake people up, asks how to share this understanding without getting her ego involved. Rupert responds that the voice is from an inevitable need to share this understanding, which wants to flow out into the world. He suggests using whatever her interests, skills, and so on are now as a vehicle to spread the understanding.
A man asks if he and his wife had a child, will they have created something. Rupert suggests that the baby doesn’t have its own being but is the same being that we all share. The baby has a distinct character, but our being is one. Nothing was created. These are appearances of that being, which is eternal. We are the same being.
A man describes feeling close to his true nature, which seems to disappear when thought begins and he gets lost in it. Is it possible to be aware of being aware while thinking? Rupert suggests that it's like asking if it's possible to see the screen while watching the movie. It's not possible not to see the screen, as awareness is present throughout all activity but coloured by thought, and so we forget that we’re seeing the screen. We cease allowing the awareness of thinking to obscure the awareness of being.
A woman requests that Rupert speak about recognition through perception. Rupert asks her if there is any part of ‘hearing’ that is other than the knowing of it or are they the same thing. When hearing ceases, knowing remains. Knowing is the essence of hearing. Hearing is a colouring of knowing, in the same relationship as a movie to a screen.
A man, who comments on the difference between the arising of strong emotions and happiness without reason, asks if that is normal, good thing. Rupert responds that it is a good thing. It is the happiness and peace that are the nature of our being. The strong emotions come from conditioning, working its way out, which is not a problem. We don't resist or suppress them. They are like the weather; they come and go against the background of peace.
A man, who shares that he has panic attacks at the idea of the world being a dream and its underlying unreality, asks for help getting grounded. Rupert responds that this world is a kind of a dream, an illusion, but that doesn't mean it isn't real. It's just not what it appears to be. Understanding the oneness and shared being of it all is the remedy. See the appearances for what they are and feel the reality of infinite being in the 'I am’.
Notice that you are present in the midst of whatever you are experiencing. Whatever I am experiencing, I am. We lose touch with our being, so fascinated are we by the foreground of experience. Meditation, or prayer, is the reversal of this process. Instead of allowing our experience to overshadow our being, we allow the fact of being to emerge from the background of experience and come into the foreground. Normally our being, or essential self, is conditioned or qualified by the content of experience, but just as the screen has no inherent colour of its own, so our being has no inherent qualities or characteristics of its own. For this reason, our being is said to be silent, transparent, still. As all the qualities that our being borrows from the content of experience fade, our being loses its apparent limitations and, at some point, stands revealed as infinite being, God's being.
A man, who suggests that this understanding can be limited by the language used, asks about the word 'knowing' as it relates to understanding, and does knowing include biological processes. Rupert responds no, because even if those biological processes, such as seeing, did not exist there would still be knowing. Eyes are required for seeing, but all there is to experience of seeing is knowing, consciousness or awareness.
A man asks if a belief in the separate self is responsible for all of the conflict in the world, and if there are no entities, then where is the conflict. Rupert suggests that ultimately there are no individual entities, but the apparent individuals do not know they share their being, so that appears as conflict.
A man asks about what is meant by the term ‘at a relative level’. Rupert responds that we make statements from the relative point of view, such as 'this is a mug’, but it is only a mug from the perspective of a separate self. It's all consciousness appearing as objects.
An older woman, with a degenerative eye disease, now has the opportunity to receive an implant that will improve her vision. She asks about how to respond as aware being. Rupert suggests that any decision she makes about her eyesight not be influenced by her desire for peace, which is her nature. He also suggests that being dependent on others as we grow older is natural. Receive the implant if she wants to but not from obligation.
A man comments on the unlimited nature of awareness and the limited awareness of the body-mind. He asks about how the choice between the two works. Rupert suggests that we know the experience of love as oneness with the other at the deepest level, and he asks whether that realisation of shared being is a choice. Shared being is with everyone, not just the ones we love. We can have this attitude towards those we perceive as others if we allow this understanding to inform our relationships. They are your self; treat them as such. They are all appearances of the one.
A man, who has been abiding as peace, wonders about the ego’s claim of 'enlightenment'. Rupert suggests that words aren’t descriptions, they are evocations. However, words are not the most efficient vehicle, sharing our being together is.
A woman, who hears a voice telling her to wake people up, asks how to share this understanding without getting her ego involved. Rupert responds that the voice is from an inevitable need to share this understanding, which wants to flow out into the world. He suggests using whatever her interests, skills, and so on are now as a vehicle to spread the understanding.
A man asks if he and his wife had a child, will they have created something. Rupert suggests that the baby doesn’t have its own being but is the same being that we all share. The baby has a distinct character, but our being is one. Nothing was created. These are appearances of that being, which is eternal. We are the same being.
A man describes feeling close to his true nature, which seems to disappear when thought begins and he gets lost in it. Is it possible to be aware of being aware while thinking? Rupert suggests that it's like asking if it's possible to see the screen while watching the movie. It's not possible not to see the screen, as awareness is present throughout all activity but coloured by thought, and so we forget that we’re seeing the screen. We cease allowing the awareness of thinking to obscure the awareness of being.
A woman requests that Rupert speak about recognition through perception. Rupert asks her if there is any part of ‘hearing’ that is other than the knowing of it or are they the same thing. When hearing ceases, knowing remains. Knowing is the essence of hearing. Hearing is a colouring of knowing, in the same relationship as a movie to a screen.
A man, who comments on the difference between the arising of strong emotions and happiness without reason, asks if that is normal, good thing. Rupert responds that it is a good thing. It is the happiness and peace that are the nature of our being. The strong emotions come from conditioning, working its way out, which is not a problem. We don't resist or suppress them. They are like the weather; they come and go against the background of peace.
A man, who shares that he has panic attacks at the idea of the world being a dream and its underlying unreality, asks for help getting grounded. Rupert responds that this world is a kind of a dream, an illusion, but that doesn't mean it isn't real. It's just not what it appears to be. Understanding the oneness and shared being of it all is the remedy. See the appearances for what they are and feel the reality of infinite being in the 'I am’.