Stages of self-realization.

As he or she studies and practices meditation or muraqabah, he sees many signs that convince him that this path will lead him to his desired end. He, therefore, persists on it. This is the second stage. He notices another dimension of the mind is operative. He may be fond of saying unconscious mind determines behavior. His understanding of this sentence is at this time purely conceptual, not experiential.

He is analogous to an eye that searches itself. It never sees itself, except by way of reflection. In any case, as his search develops, he gains glimpse of the self in which he was after. This is the third stage.

I once upon time took a bus in Kenya and then I noted a woman who appeared to me as if she was speaking to someone, that someone, I suspected was me, the one that I searched for a long time. I was busy at the time on something.


In playful manner I asked the woman whom she speaking to! She said she was speaking to her friend, but the friend said he had no clue as to what she was saying.

It appeared to me someone was asking her out and she was saying no, thanks.

The person whom she was talking to, in retrospect, was the self that I was after. This self appears to be smart.

There is also another self that opposes this self. For a long time, I have yielded to this one as opposed to the one that is smarter and much more useful relative to the goals that I cherished.

I saw this clearly in a dream where I met plenty of women who were my type in a restaurant located in a part of Mogadishu where I grew up.

Someone behind me said, choose one, another one said don't. I obeyed the command of the latter. I can also recall doing the same thing while I was awake, not one time or twice but doing that on consistent basis. Guess its implications. The negating self was present, the affirmative one was absent. I was, therefore, searching the affirmative one. Generally speaking, argument ensues when I obey the negating self.

I later learned not to obey the negating self blindly, but to test both hypothesis to see which one is more congruent with facts. I acted as a scientist, thereby acting while conflicted.


As long as one remains indifferent to the outcome, maintains an objective standpoint, one is likely to arrive at conclusions supported by the available evidence.

I also compare this self to the self that just does what is relevant at any moment In the first second or so. As I reflect on its acts, I never cease to be amazed by the sheer intellect the act implies.

In some cases though, I am amazed by the sheer foolishness, it implies.

This becomes clear when one reflects on it, but the mistakes that it makes are interesting.

In any case, one ought to improve it. The quest, therefore, from this point of view, would be self-development.

This is probably what Is meant when the Skywalker was told to use the force by letting it go.

The force represents, one can imagine, the highest and most complete form of this self.