Is Personhood Real or Unreal?

Is Personhood Real or Unreal? SUBSCRIBE

Or both?

It seems that it is widely assumed in our collective consciousness that ‘personhood’ is real and this belief goes almost completely unquestioned. Generally, it seems, the belief in our physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, genetic, biological, mental identity is personal to us. Unique and individual. We are most often convinced of this. In other words we tend to agree we are unique persons. We are human beings. Who we are is fundamentally individual and actually separate and distinct from an ‘other’. Full stop.

Personhood is described as ‘the quality or condition of being an individual person’. ‘Personhood gives to the human individual a universal worth and an exceptional standing. And in the transcendent nature of personhood we find the inalienable substance of human rights and the genesis of society and law.’

This is described in great detail in An Essential Characteristic of the Human Species

Some seem to see ‘personhood’ as sacred relationship also. From a Christian perspective it seems that the concept of personhood is central to the Triune Godhead (theTrinity)

‘The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (Latin: Trinitas, lit. ‘triad’, from Latin: trinus “threefold”) holds that God is one God, but three coeternal consubstantial persons or ‘hypostases’—the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit—as “one God in three Divine persons”.’

We, with our human conceptual thinking cannot understand the immensity and magnificence of the infinite Lord of the universe and all universes. Better to love Him – than to try to understand or explain the unexplainable!

Having said that what has struck me about ‘personhood’ is that it seems there is a paradox. On the one hand there is the One – the unity, the indivisible. There is also the many, the individual and the other. The church it seems, following the example of Jesus is very strong on service to other. Particularly loving and blessing and helping the oppressed or the weary, the down trodden or the marginalised in our society. This is a beautiful thing and certainly in resonance with the light of Christ that pours out upon all of humanity. Selfless service (‘Seva’). Humility and giving, generosity of heart. This is wonderful.

But can we only really love in this way or bless another, or give generously if the ‘other’ we are giving to is somehow separate and distinct from us? Is separation a pre requisite for love? In other words is duality needed for love to flow? Can love only flow between us because the phenomenal world of separate and unique individual persons is a reality?

Or is it that love IS the truth in us all and loves flows naturally when we resonate in love and as love. We could say that In this love of God – which is our True Nature – we really are ONE.

In this sense the realm of duality and separation seems strong when our True Self (oneness) is overlooked, we could say. Also when the True Self is discovered as our own being God is seen radiating through all life and the phenomenal changeful realm of names and forms – or ‘the world’ appears not to exist!

‘When You Forget Yourself, Maya Is Strong – When You Remember Yourself, Maya Does Not Exist’. (Mooji)

Is it true also that this character and personality we nourish and nuture and develop and that gets purified and transformed by God’s grace actually carries forward somehow into the heavenly realms when we physically die and retains its ‘personhood’ and uniqueness somehow as the resurrected body? is this so – in some unfathomable and mysterious and miraculous way?

Somehow this concept of ‘personhood’ has come into sharp focus. It is incredible and surprising that personhood within the Christian context seems to be perceived in a very different light than personhood within the context of non duality and Self enquiry. Yet I am not convinced that both apparent lenses do not actually originate from the one supreme, ineffable source.

Acid Grace ‘lose yourself’

This perspective is a valid and beautiful way to see evolution on a soul level, but I cannot help but explore the nature of personhood within the light of what I have experienced directly in satsang and also though this understanding of Christ as non dual truth. Why? Because it seems somehow the pull of truth calls us through this threshold that is like an ‘acid grace’. A washing away of the illusion of the separation from God. What is it that Jesus is pointing to when he says ‘lose yourself’ and speaks of this ‘death to self’? Is he not speaking of this ‘acid grace’ and of this surrender that is deeper than we may imagine?

Could it be a surrender of the surrender itself?

One cannot unsee the light and radiance that is revealed when it is discovered that who we thought we were as form, as body, as separate self and as this personal unique ‘me’ with it’s likes and dislikes, with it’s joy and despair, with it’s guilt and shame, with it’s history, selfishness and greed – is like shifting sands. It is so changeful and unstable that it is impossible to pin down and say ‘THIS is me!’ “i’ve got the person- look here he/she is!’. When we really stop and look – it seems impossible to actually find this one we think we are- doesn’t it? Don’t take my word for it – have a look for yourself. What is your experience when you search for ‘I/me’?

For example if I say ‘i am a kind person then the next day I could find I lost my rag and be impatient with someone’ If i say ‘I am angry or peaceful’ – that may change at any time. That is not a reliable assessment is it? Cells change, emotions change, body shape changes, sense of humour changes, information held in the brain comes and goes. Yes there may be a resemblance of the past ‘me’ when I look in the mirror but can we ever say reliably that ‘I have got it! HERE is my ‘person’!’ Check it out. Please don’t just believe me! Find out and really investigate for yourself. Look.

Are you here as a person? OR is there some sort of deeper awareness of the person that is far more stable and reliable and far more free and spacious?

Is there not a presence here that always witnesses everything come and go?

Is it not the case that because you are here as constant awareness, alive and present, that all else phenomenal arises in you? In consciousness?

Is ‘personhood’ a psychological constructed self that is not essentially real? Ego, the mental imagined self, the separate self seems to come into existence as belief in myself as a separate entity that is unique and individual. This separate entity is strongly associated with the physical body and also the personality, conditioning, beliefs and character. It is perhaps an extension of consciousness, we could say, into a very tight and constricted, limited and conditioned mindset?

The Garden of Eden and the Fall from Grace

Is this not illustrated in the very first story of humanity in the Bible when Eve, it is said, is tempted by the serpents voice that encourages her to doubt God and take and ingest the fruit from the tree of the ‘knowledge of good and evil’ (duality). The serpent suggests to Eve that God doesn’t want her to eat from this tree because God wants to have the power and doesn’t her and Adam to be as powerful? The serpents voice suggests that it would be OK to take that knowledge for yourself and be as powerful as God. The serpent plants doubt where there was trust and faith and also encourages the innocent ones who were living in perfect communion and peace to go against God’s will and follow ‘my’ will for gain of ‘my’ power and also so that ‘I’ can discriminate between what is good and what is evil. Shame, guilt, pain and suffering were born.

Adam and Eve, it is said suddenly felt shame and wanted to hide and from that moment on the oneness, the non dual reality and bliss was apparently lost. The fall took place and the unity with God was masked by the birth of separation, duality and ego.

When we again today bite from this metaphorical apple and take control of our lives personally, do we not leave the oneness, the trust, the faith and the unity with God and cast ourselves out of paradise into a hostile world of control, shame, fear, greed and arrogance? Is this not the root of all suffering in this world?

Is this personal self the friend we think it is therefore? Or is it actually the false identity, the deceiver, the separate one that has many desires and ambitions of it’s own but is actually only made of thought, memory and psychological identity?

True Self

Is our ‘True Self’ that Jesus speaks of actually who we are all along? May be we are not in truth a ‘person’ OR is it more accurate to say of course we appear personal and separate within the dynamic realm, within the manifest creation, within phenomenality. Of course this body exists here as a temporary vehicle – but only as a passing and ever changing elemental appearance arising in the absolute. The absolute does not pass and is infinite and omnipresent. Just because reality is invisible and intangible does not mean it is not real! In fact it is the only thingless thing that is real.

Perhaps the consistency we feel is not the separate self – it is The True Self!

God IS, Life IS, Love IS and we are one with this isness, all along. There is no separation – only the separation that is imagined. But if we believe we are bound and separate then it is very possible to believe this into existence so that it apparently becomes our reality.

The True Self that exists beyond time, is boundless love, infinite grace, natural presence, formless awareness.