Bernardo Kastrup and the Riddle of Existence from the media Awareness Is the Substratum of the Entire Universe

Be knowingly the presence of awareness within which or through which all experience flows, with which all experience is known and out of which all experience is made. Feel the awareness that illuminates your mind, rendering experience knowable, extends beyond the limitations of your individual mind, and pervades all minds and all things. Feel the awareness, the essence of yourself, is the substratum of the entire universe. Allow your identity to expand beyond the borders of your mind and body to encompass everyone and everything. How would it be if all our thoughts, feelings, activities and relationships were predicated on the understanding that everyone and everything shares its being? If this single understanding was the guiding principle of our life, informing the way we think, feel and relate with one another? It's not possible to like everyone, but we are called to love everyone. The self of all beings is our own self.

A man describes his understanding of being awareness but fears his perspective is solipsistic. How do I know the experience of other sentient beings? Rupert responds that the morning meditation was a response to this question – to consider and feel the possibility that awareness is the essence of all things. Why pose the question and to whom?

A woman asks for insight into the dark night of the soul. She shares that there is an understanding of not being alone, that she is joined with God, but she still has negative feelings even if illusory. Rupert suggests that the negative feelings feel very real, but the central issue is feeling that the self is temporary, finite and vulnerable and that there are numerous such selves. However, consider the possibility that everything and everyone shares their reality. All the negative feelings are predicated on the first perspective – the sense of separation from everyone and everything. Take your stand as the peace, love, joy and beauty of the second perspective.

A man says he experiences fluctuating between 'me-ing' and being. He asks for clarification about the 'me-ing' that is dysfunctional and fearful. Rupert asks, when he's feeling as being, how does it affect his activities? What prevents anyone from feeling their essential open, aware being in all circumstances? Can you not make a tiny little switch from the perspective of me to being?

A man asks, ‘What about all my ambitions?’ Rupert responds that there is nothing wrong with ambition and suggests if anything, broaden your ambition. Don't repress or fear your dreams. There's no walk of life that cannot be an expression of this understanding; do what you love to do.

If trauma is stored in the body from past events, and those events exist only as thoughts, what happens to the trauma in awareness? Is the need to find a cause from the past transcended? Rupert responds that it is not necessary to find a cause for the trauma, but it is necessary to bring that buried trauma into the light of awareness where it is dissolved. Otherwise, it is stored in the body and dictates our life without awareness. Yoga meditations can help to both expose and dissolve tension in the body.

A question is asked about finite minds and evolution. Rupert replies, using the analogy of Mary and Jane, that there are no real finite minds. However, there are thoughts and feelings, and there is evolution in this regard. As you explore the understanding more deeply, thoughts and feelings evolve with this understanding.

A woman asks about distinguishing the voice of intuition and heart from the egoic mind. Rupert responds that intuition always comes from an impersonal source, though related to our personal life. The so-called voice in your head comes from the felt sense of being a person. Think of someone you know to whom you have a heart connection but no attachment, someone who represents truth and love, and ask, 'What would this person give or do?' The voice of intuition will give you the same advice as this person.

A man shares he has been going through an intense period of suffering, seeking and resistance, which has forced him to surrender. He finally found peace, but it isn't consistent. Rupert asks if, when suffering, there is usually something that can be done. There are some experiences in which there is no sense of being able to do anything about it – such as the death of a loved one – whereby surrender is complete. There is no choice. That is when peace comes. The grief is so great, there is one hundred percent surrender. Surrender completely for complete peace.

A woman says that she sometimes experiences a thought relating to others, which she identifies with and can't let go of. Rupert suggests that she doesn't fight the thought – don't cut off the energy. There is something that needs to be addressed. Feel that the being of the other person is your being, and then go and confront them from that understanding.

A woman wonders about the correspondence between our inner emotional state and the experiences and conflict we encounter outwardly. Rupert responds that the best way to deal with conflict is to understand and feel that you and the other share the same being.

Is there a difference between meditation and prayer, or between meditation and self-enquiry? Rupert responds that meditation and prayer are the same, and self-enquiry is the highest form of meditation. Practice of the presence of God is the highest form of prayer.

A woman, who has trouble surrendering with love, asks about surrender and love. Rupert responds that surrender is not something that we do. Resistance is what we do; surrender is what we are. You can't practise surrender, but you can stop practising resistance. Surrender is the separate self letting go of its argument with the world.

A man asks about Bernardo Kastrup’s statement about thought and shadow integration in and for God. Rupert responds that God is not self-aware in the way we think of it. John Smith doesn't need to reflect to know himself, whereas King Lear believes he is King Lear, so he has to turn himself away from thought and the content of experience until he has the recognition of 'I am John Smith'. We, as individuals, are self-reflective in order to recognise our self.

A long-time seeker describes being in a space where he feels well and good, but sometimes his mind goes to ‘insane’ habits that create fear – it’s hard to understand 'that this is not me'. Rupert asks what happens if in the midst of fear, you sit down and close your eyes and feel that you are this openness without resistance to this fear. What happens to the resistance then?

Be knowingly the presence of awareness within which or through which all experience flows, with which all experience is known and out of which all experience is made. Feel the awareness that illuminates your mind, rendering experience knowable, extends beyond the limitations of your individual mind, and pervades all minds and all things. Feel the awareness, the essence of yourself, is the substratum of the entire universe. Allow your identity to expand beyond the borders of your mind and body to encompass everyone and everything. How would it be if all our thoughts, feelings, activities and relationships were predicated on the understanding that everyone and everything shares its being? If this single understanding was the guiding principle of our life, informing the way we think, feel and relate with one another? It's not possible to like everyone, but we are called to love everyone. The self of all beings is our own self.

A man describes his understanding of being awareness but fears his perspective is solipsistic. How do I know the experience of other sentient beings? Rupert responds that the morning meditation was a response to this question – to consider and feel the possibility that awareness is the essence of all things. Why pose the question and to whom?

A woman asks for insight into the dark night of the soul. She shares that there is an understanding of not being alone, that she is joined with God, but she still has negative feelings even if illusory. Rupert suggests that the negative feelings feel very real, but the central issue is feeling that the self is temporary, finite and vulnerable and that there are numerous such selves. However, consider the possibility that everything and everyone shares their reality. All the negative feelings are predicated on the first perspective – the sense of separation from everyone and everything. Take your stand as the peace, love, joy and beauty of the second perspective.

A man says he experiences fluctuating between 'me-ing' and being. He asks for clarification about the 'me-ing' that is dysfunctional and fearful. Rupert asks, when he's feeling as being, how does it affect his activities? What prevents anyone from feeling their essential open, aware being in all circumstances? Can you not make a tiny little switch from the perspective of me to being?

A man asks, ‘What about all my ambitions?’ Rupert responds that there is nothing wrong with ambition and suggests if anything, broaden your ambition. Don't repress or fear your dreams. There's no walk of life that cannot be an expression of this understanding; do what you love to do.

If trauma is stored in the body from past events, and those events exist only as thoughts, what happens to the trauma in awareness? Is the need to find a cause from the past transcended? Rupert responds that it is not necessary to find a cause for the trauma, but it is necessary to bring that buried trauma into the light of awareness where it is dissolved. Otherwise, it is stored in the body and dictates our life without awareness. Yoga meditations can help to both expose and dissolve tension in the body.

A question is asked about finite minds and evolution. Rupert replies, using the analogy of Mary and Jane, that there are no real finite minds. However, there are thoughts and feelings, and there is evolution in this regard. As you explore the understanding more deeply, thoughts and feelings evolve with this understanding.

A woman asks about distinguishing the voice of intuition and heart from the egoic mind. Rupert responds that intuition always comes from an impersonal source, though related to our personal life. The so-called voice in your head comes from the felt sense of being a person. Think of someone you know to whom you have a heart connection but no attachment, someone who represents truth and love, and ask, 'What would this person give or do?' The voice of intuition will give you the same advice as this person.

A man shares he has been going through an intense period of suffering, seeking and resistance, which has forced him to surrender. He finally found peace, but it isn't consistent. Rupert asks if, when suffering, there is usually something that can be done. There are some experiences in which there is no sense of being able to do anything about it – such as the death of a loved one – whereby surrender is complete. There is no choice. That is when peace comes. The grief is so great, there is one hundred percent surrender. Surrender completely for complete peace.

A woman says that she sometimes experiences a thought relating to others, which she identifies with and can't let go of. Rupert suggests that she doesn't fight the thought – don't cut off the energy. There is something that needs to be addressed. Feel that the being of the other person is your being, and then go and confront them from that understanding.

A woman wonders about the correspondence between our inner emotional state and the experiences and conflict we encounter outwardly. Rupert responds that the best way to deal with conflict is to understand and feel that you and the other share the same being.

Is there a difference between meditation and prayer, or between meditation and self-enquiry? Rupert responds that meditation and prayer are the same, and self-enquiry is the highest form of meditation. Practice of the presence of God is the highest form of prayer.

A woman, who has trouble surrendering with love, asks about surrender and love. Rupert responds that surrender is not something that we do. Resistance is what we do; surrender is what we are. You can't practise surrender, but you can stop practising resistance. Surrender is the separate self letting go of its argument with the world.

A man asks about Bernardo Kastrup’s statement about thought and shadow integration in and for God. Rupert responds that God is not self-aware in the way we think of it. John Smith doesn't need to reflect to know himself, whereas King Lear believes he is King Lear, so he has to turn himself away from thought and the content of experience until he has the recognition of 'I am John Smith'. We, as individuals, are self-reflective in order to recognise our self.

A long-time seeker describes being in a space where he feels well and good, but sometimes his mind goes to ‘insane’ habits that create fear – it’s hard to understand 'that this is not me'. Rupert asks what happens if in the midst of fear, you sit down and close your eyes and feel that you are this openness without resistance to this fear. What happens to the resistance then?