The Higher Self to me is viewed from a slightly theosophical perspective. To me it is one's overall consciousness and the ''spark of divinity'' that is what is a part of us that is also a part of/the connection to - the All. Regular ego consciousness focuses on details. The Higher Self focuses on the greater picture. Freud called this ''The Super Ego''. Lavey calls this ''The True Daemonic Self''... it is kinda like one's Holy Guardian Angel... except we tend to view it as separate because the Ego only sees in details and the Higher Self is too idealistic for the ego to identify with it.Thank you for the interesting reply devakxes. I agree with your general view, however, there are some details I didn’t understand completely.
I am a bit confused about the relationship of the “Higher Self” and the “Self uniting with the All”. If the higher self means self-deification then I agree with you. However, you mention that before one can identify with the Higher Self one has to destroy all of the identifications one has. Does that entail practicing any of the RHP principles? Also, you mention that in Thelema, one seeks to identify with one’s Higher Self. Yet, you also say that Thelema seeks to unite the Self with God. Does this mean that Thelema teaches both opposing ways or does this mean that one of them is a 2-step process? Could you clarify this please?
I agree with you that the law of identity represents perfection, where A = A and can be no other. The only perfection that I can consider as perfection is the All because everything is part of the All. However, to actually know the All in its perfection is to step outside the All. This is because the law of identity entails the law of polarity, where to identify something one must identify it as opposed to something. So, in other words, to identify the All one must identify it in relation to some opposing background that gives the All its identity. However, because one can’t do so, the All is perfection that is unknowable. To achieve a greater relationship with the All, one must follow the RHP way where one doesn’t differentiate but seeks harmony in all things. Yet, I understand that the opposing way is to purposively put oneself in conflict with the All in order to be self-aware. So I agree with you that the consciousness of Man is ultimately the polar opposite of the All and not “spiritual suicide”. Therefore, insofar that there may be a goal for humanity, I think the goal is promote greater consciousness-differentiation through science, warfare, and other endeavors that sharpen mankind’s intellect and promote dualistic thinking. This is what I interpret Luciferianism to embody and I think that such a goal is more of an evolutionary process.
But I think you may have a different interpretation of Luciferianism where it involves burning up the ego. Could you further enlighten me on your understanding of the concept of the Abyss where one has a choice between seeking self-deification and dissolving into the All? Symbolically, what does the Abyss represent to you? As mentioned above, one of my concerns is that this process entails some RHP practices? And, according to you, how does one go about making one’s divine spark a flame?
They don't necessarily seek to identify with their higher self. They rather seek to atone the Will of the Higher Self with the universal order around them. They call it ''knowledge and conversation of one's Holy Guardian Angel''. When you attain awareness of your Higher Self - you will eventually see it as part of your overall self once you destroy the ego. However it goes deeper into the concept that once you do this - you attain atonement with the Will of the All, then you end up attaining unity with the All, then you become one with it at the very end of the whole process.
The destruction of the ego gives us power over our higher selves and then it also destroys the law of identity - thus allowing us to attain atonement, unity(think of unity in terms of sex.. part of being the magus is being able to use the power of The All to create a new aeon and kind of magick), and oneness.
It is in a sense a two step process. Awareness of your higher self - then atonement/unity/oneness.
In my Luciferianism, by ''isolating one's spark of divinity''... and reaching a clearly objective point of view - one has essentially separated from the universe and the use of one's mind can then change the world around you through creating your own subjective universe. On the contrary - instead of annihilating and bringing one's emotions, desires, lusts, etc. into a state of serenity... you instead master them and refine them. Before one can isolate one's spark of divinity you have to have a strong mind else you lose your mind and fall into madness. Once it has been isolated, your ego can identify with it and reach an intoxicating self love that is described more in depth by Austin Osman Spare. After that it is the refinement of one's Will(becoming a master of the objective universe) and then a sort of ''unity/oneness'' with The All but not as the RHP defines it. The best way I can describe this is that of Lilith riding Samael. Lilith is often seen on top of the Male ... the male in this instance being The All and Lilith being the initiate. By rejecting All, one has also become beloved by The All. Except in its' greatness it seeks to devour the Self (Self being lower self, middle self, higher self)... the initiate has to retain a sense of self and yet also retain a a sort of unity with The All. This symbolism can further be explained by the concept of Set and Apep. Apep in this instance is the universe and illusion... Set must break free from the universe (sekenu - a violent birth) but also must dive within the universe in order to refine one's self and become a power in his own right.
I hope this made enough sense.
The hardest thing to describe is The Abyss because it is so hard to define. I believe it is a sort of ''map of the subconscious''.... as well as a state of mind. Austin Osman Spare considered this a ''neither-neither'' state of mind. A computer when it has downloaded a program has to shut down in order to completely download the program. I think the Mind has to shut down in order to initially see the Higher Self. After this The Abyss can be used for a lot of other purposes. It is comparable to Bohu, Tohu, and Chasek (Void, Chaos, and Uncertainty) and is very similar to ''death'' in a lot of writings. In the RHP it is used to annihilate the Ego so that one can completely see the Higher Self and then this ego annihilation allows one to atone it with the universal order. In my Luciferianism, it is used in order to isolate one's spark of divinity as well as isolate the Will into a supreme focus. One's focused Will and strong sense of Self is then used in order to not die when you get into conflict with Apep,
''The Book of Witch Moon'' by Michael W. Ford describes it the best. Crowley also has described it. As well as other occultists. The Order of Nine Angles views it as the area between the casual and acasual universes.
If you read The Diabolicon (type it in google) you can find out what the Temple of Set thinks of Lucifer.
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