Zerofields blogg

In Gurdjieff's philosophy, the stages of "To Know, To Understand, To Be" represent a progressive path of spiritual development where one moves from mechanical observation to conscious self-awareness and, ultimately, to a deeper, more unified state of existence ("I Am"). This transformation requires a rigorous process of self-observation, conscious effort, and the development of one's innate capacities, challenging the ordinary state of "waking sleep" to achieve true being.

To Know:
This initial stage involves becoming aware of one's automatic behaviors, thoughts, and feelings.
It is about observing what is, without judgment or comparison, to uncover the "mechanical associations" and "hypnotic sleep" that characterize ordinary human existence.

To Understand:
Understanding in Gurdjieff's sense is not just intellectual but a deeper, more integrated form of awareness achieved through the harmonized functioning of the mind, emotions, and moving centers.
It's about realizing the true cosmic order and one's place within it, recognizing that humanity is part of a conscious universe.

To Be:
The culmination of this process is a state of real "Being" and true consciousness, an experience of "I Am" and a unified presence.
This involves transcending the fragmented "plurality" of the self and achieving a capacity for conscious, creative action, which Gurdjieff believed was the true aim of life.

Key Principles in Achieving This Transformation:
=======================================

Self-Observation:
The constant, conscious observation of one's thoughts, feelings, and actions to recognize the automatic nature of one's being.

Conscious Labor:
Working on oneself with intentional effort and consistency to develop one's higher capacities.

Voluntary Suffering:
Embracing challenges and difficulties as opportunities for growth and inner transformation, rather than seeking comfort and rest.

Self-Awareness:
The ability to perceive oneself as a whole being with interconnected centers, rather than as a collection of separate parts.

(Svaret: Bilden representerar "Livets Träd" / Kabbalah)...

Min tolkning av bilden: det är det inget annat än "Livets träd" (Tree of life) med alla olika 10 sefriots... jag är ingen expert på "kabbalah", men det är rätt så obvious om man känner till kabbalah... örnen är "Kether" (kronan), vingarna "Chokmah" och "Binah", + lejonet och buffeln + Tifareth (i mitten av cirkeln) ända ner till "Malkuth" (jorden) under cirkeln osv

enl. min filosofi existerar kärlek på olika "nivåer" (eller i olika "dimensioner"):
1. Gudomlig kärlek 5D+ (union, ingen dualitet, ingen negativ polaritet)
2. intellektuell kärlek 4D (Dualitet)
3. känslomässig kärlek (4D Dualitet) Högre känslomässig kärlek (5D+)
4. instinktiv/sexuell kärlek 3D/4D/5D (beroende på ens egen personliga utvecklig/medvetenhet)

The Ordinary Heart (Anahata) – the emotional center, often caught in samsaric cycles

The True Self (Higher Heart / Thymus) – the soul-level self, connected to divine love

The Transcendent Self (Above the Crown) – the absolute, beyond identity, Self beyond self

These are different strata of consciousness, and they represent stages of awakening and spiritual identity. Let’s go into deep comparative detail across function, spiritual psychology, metaphysics, and liberation.

🟢 1. The "Ordinary Heart" – Anahata Chakra

Samsaric Emotional Self / Ego-Emotional Center

🧠 Identity:

Personal emotional self

Related to your identity in this lifetime: your attachments, relationships, likes/dislikes

Operates within karma and emotional patterns inherited and developed over lifetimes

💔 Subject to:

Samsara – the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth

Emotional suffering, trauma, codependency

Attachment and aversion

Conditional love: “I love you if...”

🌀 Level of Consciousness:

4th-dimensional (astral)

Often dually-bound: love and loss, joy and heartbreak

Interpersonal and collective emotional fields

🔗 Energetic Characteristics:

Air element

Bridge between lower (body, identity) and higher (mind, spirit) chakras

Seat of emotional healing

🌍 Spiritual Function:

Teaches compassion through suffering

Develops empathy, forgiveness, and human love

But still operates within ego, even if "spiritualized ego"

💗 2. The "True Self" – Higher Heart / Thymus Chakra

Soul Self / Christic Consciousness / Seat of Divine Love

💎 Identity:

The Soul or Higher Self in active form

Embodies the eternal individual spark of divinity, operating within creation

Not caught in ego or time, but still individualized

💗 Not Subject to Samsara:

It chooses incarnation out of love and purpose (dharma), not karma

It is the witness and guide to the personality/ego-self

Associated with the “I AM Presence” – the true spiritual identity

🕊️ Level of Consciousness:

5th-dimensional and above (Causal Plane, Christ Grid)

Vibration of Divine Compassion, Unity-in-diversity

Selfless service and universal love

🔗 Energetic Characteristics:

Center of the light body activation

Connected to the thymus gland, which fades in physical adulthood but remains active spiritually

Feels like divine presence in the heart space – non-attached, all-encompassing love

🌌 Spiritual Function:

Brings soul-purpose, divine mission, and sacred service

Helps resolve karma by infusing divine love into the lower self

Begins the transcendence of duality – acts out of unity, not reaction

👑 3. The "Transcendent Self" – Above the Crown Chakra (8D and beyond)

The Absolute / Atman / Paramatman / Brahman / Pure Awareness

☀️ Identity:

No identity – this is the formless, non-dual, eternal Self

Not the soul, not the ego – but pure awareness, sat-chit-ananda (being-consciousness-bliss)

Known in Vedanta as Atman (Self), and ultimately identical with Brahman

🚫 Beyond Samsara:

Not in time or form

Not born, not dying, not incarnated

It is consciousness itself – the experiencer behind all experience

✨ Level of Consciousness:

8D to 12D+ (in dimensional models)

Infinite intelligence, pure light, void-like awareness

Buddhic, Atmic, and Monad levels in theosophy

💠 Energetic Characteristics:

Located above the crown, or even infinitely beyond form

Connected via antahkarana or silver cord to the lower vehicles

Feels like void stillness, infinite space, or a sense of being everything and nothing

🔥 Spiritual Function:

Realization of the non-dual truth: “I am That”

Liberation (moksha, nirvana) occurs when one realizes oneself as this pure awareness

Dissolves ego, soul identity, form identity

🧘 SUMMARY TABLE – Levels of Self
Aspect Anahata (Ordinary Heart) Higher Heart (Thymus) Transcendent Self (Above Crown)
Identity Ego-emotional self Soul / True Self Pure Awareness / Absolute
Subject to Samsara? Yes No Never was
Function Human love, healing, empathy Divine love, soul mission Liberation, realization
Consciousness Level 4D (Astral) 5D–7D (Causal) 8D+ (Non-dual)
Element Air Ether / Divine Fire Beyond elements
Planetary Association Venus, Earth Sirius, Sun, Uranus Galactic core, source of light
Angelic/God Associations Raphael, Aphrodite Chamuel, Kuan Yin, Christ Ain Soph, Brahman, Metatron
Feeling Emotional love, vulnerability Soul love, sacred presence Vast stillness, all-encompassing I AM
Goal Healing karma and emotions Serving the divine plan Realizing ultimate truth (moksha)
🌀 PRACTICAL PATH OF ASCENT

Awaken Anahata
→ Heal emotional pain
→ Practice forgiveness, love, heart-based living
→ Integrate shadow and inner child

Activate Higher Heart (Thymus)
→ Serve others selflessly
→ Live your soul mission
→ Embody divine love and wisdom
→ Merge with the Higher Self

Realize Transcendent Self
→ Dissolve identity into pure being
→ Meditate beyond form, thought, emotion
→ Experience non-duality
→ Liberation from samsara

🧭 Analogy for Integration

Anahata is the boat in the ocean – it carries you emotionally.

Higher Heart is the sail – catching the wind of soul purpose, propelling you forward.

Transcendent Self is the ocean itself – never moves, always present, the source.

Excellent — now you are weaving together three mythic maps of reality:

Norse cosmology (Nine Worlds of Yggdrasil)

Kabbalistic Tree of Life (Ten Sephiroth)

Egyptian Ennead (Nine gods of Heliopolis)

Each of these are symbolic systems, but they overlap because they all try to mirror the cosmic order in human understanding. Let’s align them step by step.

1. Structural Parallels
Norse: Nine Worlds

Cosmic tree (Yggdrasil) with three main levels:

Upper worlds (Asgard, Vanaheim, Alfheim)

Middle world (Midgard)

Lower worlds (Hel, Niflheim, Muspelheim, Svartalfheim, Jotunheim)

Kabbalah: Ten Sephiroth

Tree of Life, vertical ladder:

Upper triad (Supernal): Kether, Chokmah, Binah

Middle harmonics: Tiphareth (heart/sun)

Lower grounding: Yesod (subconscious) → Malkuth (Earth)

Egyptian: Ennead of Heliopolis

Nine creator gods unfolding from Atum:

Atum → Shu & Tefnut → Geb & Nut → Osiris, Isis, Set, Nephthys → Horus (sometimes included as 10th)

They all form emanational structures: a One becomes Two, Two becomes Four, then Nine/Ten.

2. Mapping the Upper Source

Kether (Crown) = Odin (All-Father) = Atum (Self-Created One)

All three are the transcendent source.

Odin hung on Yggdrasil (mystery of sacrifice), Kether emanates Light, Atum brings forth creation from the Waters of Nun.

3. The Supernal Triad (Kether, Chokmah, Binah)

Kether = Odin = Atum (Crown / All-Source)

Chokmah (Wisdom, Masculine spark)

Norse: Huginn (Thought), the outward flight of consciousness

Egyptian: Shu (Air, expansion, principle of life-breath)

Greek parallel: Father/Logos

Binah (Understanding, Feminine vessel)

Norse: Muninn (Memory, inward receptivity)

Egyptian: Tefnut (Moisture, receptivity, cosmic womb)

Greek parallel: Mother/Sophia

So yes, Chokmah and Binah do resemble Huginn and Muninn, and in Egypt, Shu & Tefnut (the primal pair from Atum).

4. The Middle / Human Axis

Tiphareth (Beauty, Solar Son, Heart)

Norse: Midgard (the middle realm, humanity’s dwelling)

Egyptian: Osiris / Horus (solar-Christ principle, the balanced mediator)

Osiris: death–resurrection power

Horus: living solar king (Eye of Ra)

Thus Tiphareth resonates with Osiris/Horus — the central sun of human and cosmic consciousness.

5. The Lower Sephiroth / Chthonic Powers

Yesod (foundation, lunar astral body)

Norse: Svartalfheim, dreamlike underworld of dwarves and hidden forces

Egyptian: Isis/Nephthys (mystical foundation, magic, subconscious currents)

Malkuth (Kingdom, Earth)

Norse: Hel/Niflheim → physical earth and shadow worlds

Egyptian: Geb (Earth) as the manifest ground

6. Parallel Table

Here’s a simplified comparison:

Kabbalah (Tree of Life) Norse (Nine Worlds) Egyptian Ennead Function
Kether (Crown) Odin / Asgard (Divine) Atum (Self-Created) Source / All-One
Chokmah (Wisdom) Huginn (Thought) Shu (Air, Expansion) Active Principle
Binah (Understanding) Muninn (Memory) Tefnut (Moisture, Receptivity) Passive Principle
Tiphareth (Beauty) Midgard (Human center) Osiris / Horus Mediator, Solar Son
Yesod (Foundation) Svartalfheim, Elves Isis/Nephthys Lunar / Astral
Malkuth (Kingdom) Hel / Niflheim (Earth) Geb (Earth) Physical Ground

(Other Sephiroth can also map to Set, Nut, etc., but this gives the core alignment.)

7. Thoth’s Place

Thoth (Djehuty) is not one of the Ennead, but functions like a divine intelligence / Logos.

He is closer to Chokmah (Wisdom), but with aspects of Hod (Mercury, Intellect).

So: Thoth bridges the Supernal wisdom (Chokmah) with the human intellect (Hod), acting as messenger, scribe, magician.

In Hermetic-Kabbalistic readings, he is Mercury/Hermes, the guide of souls and transmitter of divine knowledge.

✨ So in short:

Kether ≈ Odin ≈ Atum

Chokmah ≈ Huginn ≈ Shu (and partly Thoth)

Binah ≈ Muninn ≈ Tefnut

Tiphareth ≈ Midgard ≈ Osiris/Horus

Yesod ≈ Elvish underworld ≈ Isis/Nephthys

Malkuth ≈ Hel/Niflheim ≈ Geb

Thoth indeed has resonance with Chokmah, but also spans Hod (intellect) — he is the channel of divine wisdom into human language and magic.

The concept of "No Mind" (often referred to as Mushin in Zen or Samadhi in yogic traditions) is deeply tied to spiritual dimensions that transcend thought, ego, and duality. Here's how it maps across chakra systems, spiritual bodies, and dimensions:

Chakra Association:
1. Sahasrara (Crown Chakra)

Location: Top of the head

Element: Beyond elements (pure consciousness)

Function: Connection to the Divine / Universal Consciousness

Why it's associated: The Crown Chakra is the gateway to transcendence and states of ego dissolution. "No Mind" arises when the chatter of the lower mind stops, and awareness merges with the infinite a Sahasrara experience.

Spiritual Body Association (from subtle body systems):
1. Causal Body (Karana Sharira)

This is the most subtle of the three traditional Vedantic bodies:

Physical (Sthula Sharira)

Subtle (Sukshma Sharira)

Causal (Karana Sharira)

Why it's associated: The causal body is the seat of deep unconscious impressions (vasanas) and the source of individuality. In the state of "No Mind," even these impressions are silenced, and pure witnessing or bliss remains. It's the layer closest to formless awareness.

Spiritual Dimension Association:
1. Non-Dual or Atmic Plane (in Theosophy or Yogic cosmology)

Also called the Plane of Unity or Pure Being

Why it's associated: In this plane, there is no separation between subject and object. The "mind" that distinguishes and labels dissolves, and all that remains is awareness itself. This is "No Mind."

In Zen & Buddhism:
"No Mind" (Mushin, Anatta, Sunyata) is the realization of emptiness and the absence of a fixed self.

It is beyond any specific chakra or body it is emptiness as the ground of all.

In the context of samsara?the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth?the primary focus tends to be on the lower chakras and subtle bodies that are tied to attachment, desires, ego, and ignorance. However, certain higher chakras and spiritual bodies are less directly associated with samsara because they transcend the cycle of illusion, attachment, and duality that underpins samsara. Let's explore these:

1. The Crown Chakra (Sahasrara)
Element: Thought (Pure Consciousness)

Location: Top of the head

Association with Samsara: The Crown Chakra represents connection to the Divine or ultimate consciousness?often described as a state of enlightenment, liberation, or nirvana. Sahasrara is beyond the cycle of samsara because it aligns with pure consciousness or Brahman (in Hinduism) and the realization of one's true, boundless nature. Awakening the Crown Chakra is often equated with transcending the cycle of rebirth, as it represents unity with the Absolute. Once fully realized, there is no longer a sense of separation or ego to keep someone bound to the material world or samsara.

Why it's not associated with samsara: The Crown Chakra symbolizes liberation and freedom from the cycle of birth and death. It represents moksha (in Hinduism) or nirvana (in Buddhism), which is the cessation of all suffering and the end of the cycle of reincarnation.

2. The Third Eye Chakra (Ajna)
Element: Light (Intuition)

Location: Forehead, between the eyebrows

Association with Samsara: The Third Eye Chakra governs intuition, wisdom, and insight. When awakened, it allows one to see beyond the material world, helping the practitioner perceive the impermanent nature of reality, which is key to transcending samsara. The Third Eye represents wisdom and the ability to discern truth, which allows individuals to break free from the delusions (Maya) that trap one in samsara.

Why it's not associated with samsara: Awakening the Third Eye leads to higher perception and the ability to see beyond the illusions of the material world. The clarity that arises from this chakra is often the first step toward liberation because it helps one recognize the true, impermanent nature of existence and their non-attachment to the physical world.

3. The Vijnanamaya Kosha (Wisdom Body)
Association with Samsara: The Vijnanamaya Kosha is the body of intellect and wisdom, which governs the higher mental faculties such as discrimination, intellect, and discernment. This is the layer where higher consciousness and spiritual discernment operate. A person who is aligned with wisdom and perceives the interconnectedness of all things is less likely to be caught in the cycle of ignorance and desire that perpetuate samsara.

Why it's not associated with samsara: This spiritual body is directly tied to higher knowledge, discrimination, and self-realization, which are crucial to transcending illusion. As a person gains insight into the nature of reality, they naturally detach from the forces that bind them to the cycle of suffering and rebirth.

4. The Anandamaya Kosha (Bliss Body)
Association with Samsara: The Anandamaya Kosha is the deepest layer of consciousness and represents bliss, oneness, and ultimate peace. This layer is associated with the state of pure consciousness?the awareness of being part of the universal, divine source. The Anandamaya Kosha is where one experiences a state of unity with all that is and a sense of transcendence over the individual self.

Why it's not associated with samsara: The Anandamaya Kosha is often seen as the state of liberation or moksha. It is a direct experience of the divine, and when one is deeply connected with this state, they transcend duality (life and death, good and bad) and enter a state of eternal bliss and oneness. This transcends samsara because the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth is grounded in the illusion of separateness, which is dissolved in the experience of Ananda (bliss).

Summary of Chakras & Spiritual Bodies Not Directly Associated with Samsara
Crown Chakra (Sahasrara) - Represents ultimate liberation, connection to the Divine.

Third Eye Chakra (Ajna) - Associated with wisdom, higher perception, and the awakening of insight into the true nature of reality.

Vijnanamaya Kosha (Wisdom Body) - The body of higher intellect and spiritual discernment, facilitating the realization of the impermanence of samsara.

Anandamaya Kosha (Bliss Body) - Represents the ultimate state of bliss, unity, and the experience of oneness with the Divine.

Why These Are Not Tied to Samsara:
The higher chakras (particularly the Third Eye and Crown) and higher spiritual bodies (Vijnanamaya and Anandamaya Koshas) are associated with the transcendent, higher consciousness that perceives reality as it truly is?impermanent and interconnected. These aspects of the self allow an individual to move beyond the dualistic views (such as life/death, self/other) that bind one to the cycle of samsara. By breaking the attachments that create suffering, the individual can attain moksha or nirvana?freedom from the cycle of birth and death.

In essence, these chakras and spiritual bodies facilitate the liberation and awareness needed to transcend the cycle of samsara, as they reflect the state of consciousness that sees beyond the illusion of separation and grasping that keeps one in the perpetual cycle.

The concept of "Atman", or the "I AM" consciousness, is most intimately associated with the Crown Chakra (Sahasrara), but it also transcends the chakra system altogether in some interpretations.

Let's explore this thoroughly:

WHAT IS ATMAN?

In Vedantic philosophy, Atman is the eternal Self, the unchanging, non-dual essence of being that is pure consciousness.
It is not the ego-self (ahamkara) or the mind, but the true "I AM" presence, the observer, the witness, the divine spark within each being.

In Advaita Vedanta, Atman is identical to Brahman, the Absolute, Infinite Source.
This recognition "Atman is Brahman" is the heart of non-dual realization.

CHAKRA ASSOCIATIONS WITH ATMAN
1. Crown Chakra (Sahasrara) 7th Chakra

Primary chakra associated with Atman.

Symbolizes the merging of the individual soul with the universal consciousness.

When fully awakened, Sahasrara reveals the direct experience of the non-dual Self.

In deep meditation, the awareness that "I AM that I AM" arises through this chakra.

It is beyond thought, beyond identity, a state of pure being.

At the level of Sahasrara, the individual begins to dissolve into Atman, realizing there is no separation between self and source.

2. Soul Star Chakra (8th Chakra) Transpersonal

The seat of the Higher Self, also known as the spiritual "I AM Presence".

While the Crown enables the experience of Atman, the Soul Star holds the soul´s connection to it across lifetimes.

It acts as a bridge between the personal self and the Atman (through the Monad or Oversoul).

In many esoteric systems, the affirmation "I AM that I AM" is aligned with this chakra.

3. Stellar Gateway Chakra (12th Chakra) Source Consciousness

Associated with the Absolute or Brahman in Vedantic terms.

This is the gateway to Unity Consciousness, the field beyond Atman and beyond form.

When consciousness reaches this level, the Atman is reabsorbed into the All, and the sense of "I AM" becomes dissolved into the Infinite.

SPIRITUAL STATES & CHAKRAS

MYSTIC TRADITIONS AND "I AM" AWARENESS

In Kashmir Shaivism, this awareness is called Shiva Consciousness, the boundless, blissful Self.

In Christian mysticism, the "I AM" presence is seen as the indwelling Christ-light (similar to Atman).

In Theosophy and Ascended Master Teachings, the "I AM Presence" is a specific term for the individualized aspect of God that expresses through the Soul Star and is anchored in the Crown.

CONCLUSION

So, to answer clearly:

The Crown Chakra is most directly associated with the Atman and the "I AM" consciousness, the pure, unchanging awareness that is the essence of all being.