Like the Wind Blowing Through the Trees

The following extract from Session 55 of the Early Session of the Seth Material gives a remarkable insight into the undbounded nature of the self and the potential within each of us once we leave the dark cave of over-identification with the physical sense perceptions and the perceived physical body, to then step out into the universe to surf the waves of consciousness and cruise the Cosmos:

“Without the determination of the inner ego, cohesion of identity would be impossible. The self as you know it is many things, and contains many more vestibules and rooms than you now imagine. Even the outer ego contains multitudinous chambers and interconnections of which you are unaware.

“The important point here is that identity cohesion is projected upon the human physical structure from within, that is, from the inner ego by way of the inner senses. This of course includes the consciousness also, that is inherent in the separate molecules and atoms that compose the cells.

“The physical structure alone is simply not divided from other structures in the manner which you perceive it to be through the use of the outer senses. The outer senses are usually considered mainly as perceptive organs, enabling you to experience reality as it is. My dear friends, I have been waiting to tell you for some time that in a very true sense, the outer senses can be regarded as inhibitors.

“The fact remains that the outer senses induce a conscious focusing along certain limited lines, grouping perceptions and comprehensions in a narrow fashion, and limiting the practical and imaginative range that consciousness might otherwise take. With these sessions you are yourselves broadening the range of your own consciousness, and therefore of your own abilities, with my help.

“Using the outer senses, you are more or less forced to conceive idea groups only within the scope of perceptions received by the outer senses. It is true that use of the outer senses, and full joyful use, is necessary on your plane. Not only necessary but beneficial, and the means toward various kinds of value fulfillments. Nevertheless, their range is severely limited.

“It is as if you were sent into some strange and fascinating meadow, and given only the sense of sight. Imagine what you would miss: the odor of the fresh earth, the sounds, the touch of earth beneath your feet, of sun upon your back; using only the sense of smell, you would also be severely limited.

Yet you are more limited than this by far. It is important for the race of men now to begin to use and experiment with the inner senses, since for the potentialities of humanity to be fully realized, new concepts must arise which cannot arise in the limited scope he now permits himself. Because the cells and molecules in general have consciousness, because they contain within themselves a capsule comprehension of the universe as a whole, and because they contain the ability to form into an almost infinite variety of form, there is a kinship between every atom and molecule, a basic enduring connection, regardless of the separate appearance which is seen using the outer senses.”

… “The boundaries, limitations, extent and vistas of the self are merely arbitrary. In a very true sense each self is infinite, unbounded, connected in a most intimate way to all other things in the universe on your plane; and through the inner senses and the inner ego connected also in a most intimate way to the unknown and unseen inner universe.

“Here we run into something that will be difficult for me to explain to you. Any particular self theoretically could expand his consciousness to contain the universe and everything in it. The closed-in, solitary, isolated self of which you are so proud is, as I have said, an arbitrary formation, containing the core of identity; and you seem to prefer, psychically speaking, to stay at home.”

… “Because of the basic simplicity of the elements in your universe, and for other reasons already mentioned, there is no real boundary neither chemical, electrical, or even psychic, between the self and what is usually considered not self.

“Chemically, in particular, the dependence of the physical body and the self to the planetary environment is obvious. It is known to your scientists that the chemical relationship between the personal physical self, and the chemical environment of the not-self is intimately connected.

“In the same manner that you are dependent upon, say, green plants for your very physical survival, so the interdependence and connections continue in all other fields. The physical construction of your universe, as I have said, is carried on by all life, not just human life. Each psychio-physical pattern of existence does its part in continuing the maintenance, and renewing construction, of the physical universe.

“Man, staying within the core of his arbitrarily designated selfhood, can in truth be compared to early physical man, cowering within his cave. You have learned to venture forth into the physical universe. You have learned to venture forth from an arbitrarily designated selfhood, into an extended environment that knows no space or time. Such a possibility, such a future development in no way involves a denial of self, a dissolving or sweeping away of self, an annihilation of self. Many cavemen doubtlessly feared for their personal survival when the ventured forth upon the earth in daylight.

“They feared that their selves would be annihilated. Such a development as we are considering involves instead an expansion or extension; in the same manner that the expanding universe takes up no space, but expands in terms of value fulfillment, so the expanding consciousness would take up no space, but would also expand in terms of value fulfillment. This is your new frontier, your new challenge.

“This arbitrary limitation set upon the individual self, is put upon it by its reliance upon the outer senses, as a method of perceiving reality. The outer senses are excellent tools of perception for limited circumstances. However, man has relied upon them so long, and with such cringing dependence, that now they threaten to hamper his own growth and development.

“I have mentioned that the individual cells and molecules, atoms and other basic structures, definitely gain in their formation into the gestalt of a more complicated structure, being able to participate in experiences and value fulfillments that would otherwise not be possible for them in their own simpler isolated form. This is of prime importance.

“The expanding self, ideally, would reach out beyond the arbitrary boundaries it has placed upon itself. Again, there just is not any particular boundary between what is self and what is not self. There are gradations, and that is all. The skin is as much, if not more, a necessary connective as it is a boundary.”

… “The isolated self, as you know it, can indeed be well compared to man’s early caves. In terms of value fulfillment the species expanded its potential tremendously when it left the caves; and so will man also experience the fulfillment of still unglimpsed potentialities when he walks forth from the cave of the arbitrary limited self.”

… “When you realize that the self has no boundaries, then you can begin to make progress. Since consciousness to begin with does not exist in space, then there is no reason why the consciousness cannot so expand beyond its set limitations, and theoretically continue to do so. Such an expansion would give excellent impetus and value experience to those basic components, the cells and molecules, experience that would be retained and utilized. When so-called space travel becomes truly popular, truly practical, it will come along these lines.

“The self will truly utilize the atoms and molecules; the consciousness will travel by this method. The particular physical body will then be known for what it is: a cooperative psychic gestalt, a psychio-physical structure formed together by the inner ego, utilizing atoms and molecules that are in themselves living and conscious.

“We will be deliberate for a moment to get this material through, since I know it is difficult for you. I want to make these points to lead up to the main one. Consciousness comes first, and forms the physical body in ways that I have described. Nevertheless there are no real boundaries that separate self from non-self.

“The outer senses, because they have been so dependently and almost absolutely relied upon, act as blinders, limiting the fields of perception that are possible, and therefore hampering both imagination and intellect in the formation of new concepts.

“Now. Space travel, when it occurs, will utilize expansion of self. Your idea of death is based upon your dependence upon the outer senses. You will learn that it is possible, through no physical act, to relinquish the physical body, expand the self, using atoms and molecules as stepping stones to a given destination, and reforming the physical body at the other end.”

… “This must most certainly sound outlandish to you.”

… “The point of difficulty is your panicky and protective huddling within the core of a limited self, and your fear to set aside the endless doors between self and what seems to be not self, that you yourself have erected.

“In the beginning entry to your plane requires a simple energy unit, a sperm, a simple but potent capsule that contains all the future potentiality. After entry into your plane, the self or identity, the consciousness, without any physical act, can leave the physical body, expand, travel through the medium of atoms and molecules, and completely reassemble.”

… “This seems strange because you do not fully comprehend that the energy, the vitality that is individualized into consciousness forms the physical body; and once it appears on your plane it can leave the body and reassemble itself. It would represent no more in one way to the atoms and molecules through which it passed, than the wind that passes through the treetops.

“But as the wind represents, and it does, motion and excitement to the trees, so would the consciousness, as it rustled through the cells and molecules of so-called space, represent refreshing experience and momentary new satisfactions.

“Fear is all that holds you back. You will most probably work out a physical, technological way of making this possible, before you realize that you could have done it all along.”

… “The combined molecular consciousnesses, retaining identity, form a gestalt consciousness that is the ego, the outer ego, that is in turn utilized by the consciousness of the inner ego. The inner ego being unhampered by the laws of your plane, once having entered your plane at physical birth, can therefore leave the physical body and the reconstruct it.

“Since the conscious ego is composed of the gestalt molecular consciousness, then when it leaves the physical body it takes the molecular consciousness with it, and this molecular consciousness is therefore present to aid in future construction. However, since you must deal with physical laws while dwelling upon the physical plane, you cannot dispense entirely with the physical constructions, but in such extensions of consciousness you must utilize other physical molecules and atoms.

“I have said that this will involve these other molecules and atoms only in so far as a wind blows through the treetops..”